SAVANTS

The Chapture 46

It was a cold night. An aura of anger was stirred up in the car.

"I'm sick of this kid. He ruined everything!'' A man was banging on the wheel while a mirrored woman was fixing her makeup on the mirror.

She was a bit like me but her skin was very bad, as if she hadn't eaten properly for months. His foundation layer did not hide the stains on his face.

''What can I count? I'm the only family he has now.'' The woman made a kissing sound as she patched her blood red lipstick on her lips.

A door opens further into the past. The other lip, pink gum, kissed my cheek.

Mommy¹ (the biological mother) is the sister of Red lips. I smelled the scent of a light perfume and she laughed giving off a silvery aura. Her beautiful long hair swept across my stomach as she leaned over to tickle me. I giggle.

The door bell rings.

"Stay here, baby." He put the baby bed side up.

The noise in the corridor. Is that dad? . But Mommy doesn't want him to find us, does she, Mommy? Why is he here? I gripped my rabbit ears tightly, listening to them in the hall.

''But you're not my soul mate, Ian we both know that. Miguel is my soul mate. I will go to him and you can't stop me!'' Mommy's voice shakes while shouting. He was really angry, but he was also scared. I feel scared.

''What about the kid? What about me? You can't leave England with him!''

"You never wanted it before you were just jealous!"

''That's not true. I won't let you do this.''

''I have to be with him. You have to understand.''

''Go away. But I'll take my daughter with me.''

They're getting close. I whimper. The room was red in anger and gold in brazen love.

A shadowy man pulled me from my bed and hugged me to his chest. My night rat's lights are blown up by flying bulbs.

''Tikus!'' I'm yelling.

Mommy was trembling with anger. ''You lost your soul mate and I'm really sorry, Ian. But against all these odds I couldn't, I found mine after I surrendered and I had to go to him. Now put him down!''

My father hugged me tighter. He was also trembling. ''Why should I have nothing, Franny? I won't go to him.'' As he moved to take me away, he threw his hand at Mommy and my books jumped off the shelf, bombarding Mommy.

The carpet began to smoke under her feet.

''Stop, Franny. You're gonna burn the whole house down."

''You cannot take it from me!'' Mommy's anger flared up and my bed was on fire. "I'm not leaving my baby." He reached out, tugging at my nightgown.

The burnt bed spun in the air and hit him, throwing him against the wall.

''Mommy!'' I closed my eyes.

Then I never saw them again.

Other pictures. My red lip aunt has picked me up from the hospital. I was the only survivor of a house fire - miraculously floated out of the house by an invisible force and was found curled up in the damp grass.

We now live in a flat. I'm still cold, my clothes are dirty. I was a kid-my head didn't even reach the doorknob. There was loud music in the main hall, I had been told to stay away so I hid in the hallway.

''Don't look at me like that!'' It was the voice of a fierce-faced man (let's say man A), he was with his friend. He kicked out when I wasn't moving fast enough. I rushed back, pressed myself against the wall, trying to pretend I wasn't there.

I watched as he gave something to someone else and earned money instead.

"He tricked you" I whispered.

His friend (let's say man B) stopped and knelt beside me. His breathing was terrible, it smelled like fried onions. ''What are you saying, little girl?'' He seems to think I am funny.

''He lied. He was happy and he tricked you.''I swayed to and fro, knowing that I would be punished but at least He would also be punished.

"Hey," Reprimanded Man A, smiling insincerely. ''You listen to my girlfriend's bad boy? What does he know about what he saw?''

The man B took the package out of his pocket and pressed it between his thumb and index finger, no longer smiling. ''Is this pure?"

''Hundred percent. You can hold my word."

Man B reached out his hand. ''Thank you, Phil. I want my money back. Your words are not worth fifty dollars."

Man A returned the money, swore a serapah.

Next I felt the pain.

Then, I heard him tell the doctor how I fell down the stairs and broke my arm. I'm speechless. If I speak. He'll get mad at me and hit me again.

Then we got back to the car. The other day. Move again before anyone suspects us. Auntie red lips feeling uneasy.

He's a little agitated, because he said that Man A would throw it away because of me. He doesn't like me either. I saw too many lies, her words were like a witch.

"We can throw it into social services in Bristol, let's say we can't take care of it anymore" said Men A.

'' First of all, never let the authorities know that we exist. We're not going back to Bristol - we're moving.'' He cut another car off the highway.

'' when, Phil?''

''Since the police arrested Cricketer's Arms.' replied A man called Phil.

I stared out the window - I saw a small symbol of the plane on it. That road leads somewhere.

I wish I could sleep well. I started singing.

"Depart by jet ..."

''Shut up!'' The man pointed, took us off the highway and into the service station. "We're gonna throw this weird kid in here right now I can't stand it."

"What!'' The woman glanced at him confusedly.

A green hatred of mucus emanated from the man, it was deep purple, with a hint of green. It makes me feel sick to see them. I saw my dirty shorts.

''You're kidding, right? But if in... "

"West. I'll leave it here. You can stay with him or come with me. That's your choice.''

''Damn you, Phil, I can't just throw it away!''

He pulled over to the spot behind the car park, checking his rearview mirror nervously. ''Why not? I can't sell my medicine with him around us. Some who do good will find it. He's gonna be their problem, Sarah, not ours. He's just Franny's fault. He should have gotten rid of this kid a long time ago. He has nothing to do with you-with us.'' She leaned over and kissed Auntie's red lips or Sarah, her hideous yellow color signifying a big lie.

The woman bit her lip. ''All right, all right, give me a minute.Oh my God, I need a drink. How about we get tracked?''

He shrugged his shoulders. ''Fake car plate. If we get out now, we won't get caught on camera. No one in England knew him. The old man died in Dublin¹, unless they think of checking in abroad, he's a nobody. Who will recognize him after all this time? He doesn't even have a name."

Note: Dublin is the capital and largest city in Ireland.

''So we left him and someone else took care of him. He won't get hurt, will he?'' Aunt tried to convince herself that she was doing the right thing.

''But this boy will do it if I have to take him. He's bad for us-damaging what we got.''

Gathering up courage, the woman nodded. ''Let's do it.''

"We just need a chance to get clarity." The man turned around and grabbed the front of my shirt. ''Heard the strange child shut up, don't fuss or we'll come back and pick you up. Understand?''

I'm nodding. I was so scared that I thought I was gonna piss myself. His aura throbbed like great red when he hit me.

He reached out and opened the door. ''Now go out and sit there. Don't cause any trouble.''

I opened my belt, used to taking care of myself.

''Are you sure about this, Phil?'' the woman whines.

He did not answer, just closed the door. The next thing I heard was the sound of the car speeding.

I sat alone and counted daisies. The loneliness felt so deep inside me, I didn't want to cause any trouble for fear they would come back and hit again.

I was scared, hungry, cold, my whole body hurt... I want to sleep well.