The Corruption of Innocence

Chapter 10

Never having thought the job of climbing chimneys could be of any use, Jack was gleeful and proud as he sat on top of the chimney he had crawled out of. Dusting himself, he gazed down upon the town of Chippenham, admiring the sight of the orange of dawn cascading on to the houses and the river that entwined between them.

Taking a breath, he stood up and shuffled to the corner of the rooftop of his home, grabbing the drainpipe on the edge as one of his feet slipped. His heart jumped and he laughed at himself.

"Wee!" he shrieked quietly as he slid down the pipe, the feeling of falling making his stomach lift in the air with him. His feet met the pavement and he let go of the pipe, looking back up it proudly. Eyes sliding to the window of the inn, his heart sunk as he saw the sun was rising and backed away on to the road. His eyes appeared to be fixed on his home, but he plucked up the courage to at last turn his back on it.

Jack did not know where he would go; it was early, and his friends would be in bed. However, this uncertainty was almost embraced by Jack, who longed to be anywhere away from his father and mother. Sneaking out was forbidden, Jack knew that, but he no longer cared.

He did not care what his parents did to him.

That was a long way off anyway, Jack told himself as he sauntered off along the riverside, eyes bright with the fire of dawn. Pebbles, rocks, and stones crunched underneath his feet and ducks swam nearby. He looked at them and remembered how Philip had thrown a stone at them and recalled how he had found it amusing. Jack picked up a stone, aimed it at a duck, and fired it. It hit the duck and the bird flew off down the river, and Jack grinned.

"That's right, fuck off," he giggled.

Turning his back on the rising sun, Jack crossed Back Avon Bridge and walked. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care- as long as he was away from his parents.

Jack climbed like a monkey up the oak tree and swung himself on to a part of the trunk he could sit on. Wincing, he looked at his sore, red hands and licked the blood from a fresh cut across his palm.

Shuffling into a more comfortable position, he shielded his eyes from the glittering sun as it cascaded down through the emerald leaves and on to his face, warming it and making him yawn. Feeling drowsy, he leaned and rested his head on a thick branch and closed his eyes. Finally, he could rest easily.

"Oi!"

The boy moaned and opened his eyes. Below, three lads of a similar age to him glared up at him with curled fists. Jack was annoyed at their disruption of his peace, but something buzzed inside of him and made him smile at the sight of their menacing glares.

"This is our tree, get down, you silly little boy!"

"Or what?" the boy yelled back, a strange adrenaline making his pulse rise. It had a different feeling to it than the anxiety Jack would have normally felt when boys ganged up on him.

"What did you say? Come here, you scanty little rat!"

The lads sprang into action and leapt up on to the tree trunk where they began climbing. Above, Jack's eyes scanned the green and brown for an escape route, an excitement, mixed with fear, buzzing like a bee inside his belly.

He pulled himself further up the tree and sat, blowing raspberries at the enemy.

"Come and get me!" he laughed mockingly. Then, in the corner of his eye, he spotted tons of acorns hanging from the branches nearby, close enough for him to grab. Grinning triumphantly, he began hurling them at the lads, who ducked and cried out curses. The boy above them laughed hysterically, arms never tiring as the acorns fired like cannonballs at the weakening opposition.