Wynn's Story by Bryony Samuel
Wynn sat in the middle of a snaffled pile of Christmas tree lights, a frown spoiling his pretty features. "How m'I s'posed to untangle all this if you can't?" His sister gave him a withering glance and continued pulling her coat on. "Mum and dad said they wanted the decorations up for when they got back - and I'm going out now. You know how dad is about Christmas." "But we had a week - why didn't you tell me sooner?" "I forgot all right?" She shook her head, opening her purse to check the contents. "How much money do you have in your piggy bank Wynny?" "N - nothing." He answered too quickly. "I spent it all - on Christmas presents." "Lying little toad." Zorada stepped over her brother and hurried upstairs to check for herself. "I'll give it back you know." She told him casually as she came back down. "You won't." He stood up and tried to snatch her purse. She held it just out of reach and glared down at him. "You never do." "Shut up! I'm only borrowing it for tonight - " Zorada was interrupted by the front door flying open. "Will you two stop arguing for once?" Their mother cried at them. "Get your things together - we're going away." "But - where - ?" She grabbed Wynn roughly up off the floor and pushed him to the stairs. "Do as you're told!" The two children scattered and Marina went to pack her own things, mastering the urge to just sit down and cry. They were in serious trouble again - this time it wasn't going to be easily avoided. "Where are the children?" Her husband interrupted her thoughts. "They're packing their things up." "Well we don't have time for this." He growled. "And why aren't you making yourself useful - why're you just bloody sitting there? Go get some stuff together, and make the children hurry up." "Don't talk to me like that. It's your fault we're in this mess." He leaned closer to her, the barely controlled anger clear in his eyes and from his manner. "You - do - as you're told, or I'll leave without you and the kids - got it?" Tears ran silently down Marina's face as she nodded and fled up the stairs away from him. He had only ever hit her once, and when she had tried to leave he had broken down and promised never to do it again. They always did - she knew that - but she stayed anyway, and so far he had been true to his word - he couldn't afford to lose her yet. She stopped half way to her room, and went instead to Wynn's. He was sitting on the bed with his back to her, stuffing a few practical items into a small suitcase. "Wynny?" "Don't call me that." He mumbled unhappily, not turning round. "Sweetheart, daddy's in trouble." "I know." She came round to sit beside him. "Honey," she began gently. "Your father's under a lot of pressure at the moment, and if you - " "NO!" He cried, dropping the suitcase and backing away from her as far as he could. "No, don't make me, please." "Don't be selfish, Wynn." She frowned. "It'd help everybody if you could just - " "Please?" He gazed imploringly at her from his wide, lilac eyes. "Not when he's in one of his moods." Marina looked at her son, wishing there was an easier way to calm her husband. She didn't like to abuse what she liked to think of as Wynn's gift, but if Jack stayed in his current mood they would all suffer. He may not like it, but he was going to have to do it.
