Chapter four

Shannon was cleaning the living room, which had been trashed the night before by Tommy’s rough friends. She knew drugs had been in use and of course the ridiculous amount of beer. As she was dusting she suddenly realised that she had not seen the ‘spoiled son’ any time recently. 

Where could he be now, she wondered. Now that she was thinking about it she had not seen him for at least a week. Maybe he had seen some sense at last and got away from his weird parents!

           

            Even thought this was her twelfth year in this mystery place she did not even know what continent she was in. she didn’t think that I would be in Europe because of the very long boat journey. She didn’t even know what the son’s name was!

 

            Shannon had never forgotten the dreadful morning, when she awoke up in that stinking cabin room. She had never forgotten how frightened she was, but even more she had never forgotten the hatred that her mother had always showed to her. She smiled to herself though, when her thoughts came around to be big brother! She would never forget how close they were. Then she suddenly stopped smiling. What if Bobby had forgotten her, and became close to Chelsea! Hope would have been too busy with books to have become close to anyone, but Chelsea! Oh, the thought of her beloved brother being close to the tell-tale of a Chelsea! Surely he wouldn’t have. Shannon suddenly realised that she was jealous. Jealous that Chelsea probably has got everything that she wanted while she was stuck here, somewhere where she didn’t know, with no one to love her. Shannon quickly put up her had to wipe a tear that was trickling down her face. Shannon was now seventeen years old, and that would mean that Bobby would be twenty one! Goodness, Shannon thought, he could even be married now with children of his own! “I could be an Aunty!” she whispered, with a slight smile creeping at the corners of her face!

 

            What Shannon did not know was that Bobby that very moment could not sleep, and was actually thinking about her. What would she have looked like by now/ She probably would be pretty, happy and probably have a trail of young boys after her! He smiled. He didn’t know what had happened to her, but he had a feeling that she was alive. He got out of bed quietly, so he would not wake Clare, she needed her sleep. With the baby due in a couple of weeks she was overly tired and needed all the rest that she could get. Bobby knelt on the wooden floor and prayed to God to keep a safe hand over Shannon, where ever she was. He had not forgotten her. And he still loved her to the bottom of his heart. He and Clare both prayed for Shannon every day. One day, he believed, she will turn up! And what a day that will be.

 

            But in the meantime, Shannon had to get on with her dusting. When she was sure that everything was spick and span she went through the door and closed it. She walked up the hall-way and as she was passing the dining-room she heard voices and she stopped in her tracks in shock of what she heard.

 

            “So, Peggy,” Tommy was growling. “Your new maid arrives tomorrow! Rodney brings her first thing.” The first thing that came to her mind was a poor little girl, in the same position that she was in twelve years ago. So that’s what the son was away doing. Shannon gasped, but to loudly. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, to stifle the noise, but it was too late. Tommy had heard and was at the door immediately. Shannon shrunk back in fear as Tommy’s face looked anything but happy. He grabbed hold of her arm and twisted it, “you dirty little eve’s dropper!” he yelled at the top of his voice. “Do you know what happens to eve’s droppers?” Trembling all over Shannon weakly shook her head. “Well, they go to the dungeon!” He laughed his wicked laugh! He then proceeded to shove Shannon into a room at the end of the hall.

 

            This room was a room with no windows, it was completely dark and when she had been sent here before she had heard a pitter patter from something of other that could possibly be mice or rats. She had been here many times before, when her she done anything that had irritated Peggy or Tommy and the mice and rats no longer frightened her. She had learnt that is she left them to do their own thing then they would repay her by leaving her alone too.

 

            Tommy slammed the door shut, slid the lock into place and Shannon heard his heavy footsteps fade away. She slid unto the floor as the tears poured uncontrollably down her cheeks. She cried for the poor unfortunate child, which would be brought here in the morning. “Oh God, please, please may it never happen!” she prayed. A thin hand come up to her face to place a bit of fallen hair behind her ear. She shivered. It was so cold. Her dress was skimpy and thin and defiantly would be of no good to keep out the cold. Her head hurt. It was so sore, for how much longer could she bare this? She was so thin; there was nothing to her, just skin and bones. And it was no wonder for all she had to eat in a day was two meagre meals that was hardly enough for a body to have in a day.

            Fifteen minutes went by and Shannon heard someone come down the hall to the door. She heard voices but was unable to make out what was said. The voices drifted away and it was all quiet again.

 

            Shannon allowed herself to fall asleep not aware of how weak she actually was. She slept a deep, unsettled sleep that night. When she next awoke she ached all over. Her head still pounded with a blasting headache and very muscle in her body felt like they had been carrying a dead weight. She was hot yet she was trembling all over. Today, well she thought it was the next morning, but she couldn’t really tell seeing that there was no window. Anyway that other girl would be coming. Shannon dreaded to see how you the girl would be, but she was in so much pain right now that she couldn’t think of anything else.

 

            Soon after she had awaked, she heard voices outside the door again. This time she heard the bolt be pushed across and the door be opened. Tommy arrived in the room.

 

            “Get up, you lazy so and so!” He barked. But Shannon couldn’t move an inch! Silent tears ran down her thin cheeks. “Get up I say, get up!” this time he grabbed hold of her and she moaned in absolute pain and he brutally pulled her up and dragged her to the living room.

 

            Tommy dropped her and she fell to the floor and cried out in pain. From her position on the floor she could see that there were a number of people in the room. She looked up, tears stinging her face, and seen the Peggy was sitting on the settee. Rodney, the son, was sitting on the armchair in the corner and on a wooded kitchen chair was a girl, about Shannon’s age, all tied up and gagged. Through her tears, Shannon could see that she was trembling and that her face was soaked in tears.

 

            Tommy slammed the door and nodded to Rodney, “So you got her,” he said, looking pleased with himself. Rodney laughed.

 

            “Ha! Wasn’t too hard, she was easily fooled!” Rodney sneered! “I actually think she was in love with me!” Rodney, Peggy and Tommy all laughed as if it where some big joke!

 

            Tommy went up to the new girl and laughed in her face. “So you recon you are in love with Rod? Ha! What a joke! Well, meet your in-laws!” Laughing again he pointed to Peggy and himself. “And your new work mate, too, the wonderful Shannon!” He pointed and spat at Shannon, who was in too much pain to care what he had just done.

 

            To the tied up girl on the chair, Shannon looked like a living corps. Tommy spoke again.

 

            “Now you may be wondering why you are here?” looking at the girl again. “Well, we have a feeling that this unpleasant child isn’t going to last much longer and we will need a new slave, so there you are.” He looked very delighted, and continued his convocation, looking toward his son this time, “Now, son, we have something delightful to do.” Shannon groaned, knowing what he was going to say. “Yes, little Shannon, you are right, (looking back at Rodney), Shannon here was caught eve’s dropping yesterday! So, do you want to teach her a lesson or me?” Rodney looked at the girl on the floor, and smiled a smug smile.

 

“I will” he confirmed. At that moment he started undoing his belt. The new girl on the chair looked on in horror. “Watch Judy girl,” he sneered, “and learn!” Shannon braced herself as best as well as she could, and in agony could take the beating no more and fainted. Rodney was more that disappointed! He had wanted to see her face screwed up in pain. In anger her hit her one more time before storming out of the room in a temper fit.

 

            

 

            Dale tried not to expect the worst, but couldn’t help but do so. He had turned quite pale and even his friends, Bobby and Jack, noticed.

 

            “Dale, lad, ways up?” Bobby asked moving across the room to be near his friend. “Why the face?” Dale swallowed hard and passed the piece of paper to Bobby to read.

 

            “Return at once stop Judith’s gone missing stop come home quickly stop dad” Bobby read aloud. “Oh, Dale! Come on, I’ll ring for a taxi, get your stuff together.” Bobby ran out of the room in a rush to phone for a taxi to take them to the train. It could be said that Bobby always had a soft spot for Judith, not like a girlfriend but as another sister.

 

            The boys got home early that evening to find the whole house in disorder. Mrs Shilling was in pieces. They told the boys the whole story. Judith had been in an excited mood yesterday evening, but she didn’t tell them why. She had been away all day with Rodney and it was probably something that she had told her. Today after work she had never come home. Mr Shilling had looked in all the obvious places but to no success.

 

            After hearing the story Dale, Jack and Bobby went to all the places that Dale could think of that Judith had loved to go when they were children. Maybe that was where she and her awful Rodney had hid. But no, she was not in any of those places. Neither Judith or Rodney could be found. It was obvious that they had gone somewhere together.

Author's Note

any suggestions welcom