| �You stupid girl, what did you think you were playing at? You�re very lucky I don�t just give you the sack right now. I just might if this deal goes down the pan because of your stupidity. What were you thinking? You have a son woman. No wonder you were pregnant at sixteen. And to be found by a prospective client. I really didn�t believe my ears. You stupid, stupid girl.� �I�m sorry.� �Well sorry might just not be good enough. If only your son knew what you were really like. Get out of my sight you stupid slut.� Michelle ran, with tears in her eyes, praying she wouldn�t meet Jaden or Jareth on the way out, terrified of who she might bump into in the street. She didn�t know where she was going. She just had to get out of there. She ran past the black sports car, from where Jaden watched and smiled, past someone she recognised vaguely as a Mum of a kid at school with Dominic, at least fifteen years older than her, past the shops, past the church. She took refuge in the same park she took refuge in seven years before, and looked over the same water, and cried harder than she had in her whole life. Shame, fear, self-pity, worry, tiredness, want. �Did you like that story Dominic?� �Yeah,� Jareth smiled, genuinely, and ruffled the boy�s hair. He really was a nice child. Michelle had done well. �Will you tell me another?� �You�ve missed a whole day of school just for that one, Dominic,� he said, �now you mustn�t be late for your mother.� Dominic stuck out his bottom lip. �And,� Jareth continued, �I want you to think about that one.� �What�s there to think about?� �Oh, lots of things,� he said, �like what does it mean to you, to me, to your mother.� Dominic considered this. It was a great story. He could discuss it with Mummy. �You can�t talk about it with your Mother,� the man said quickly. �Why not?� Jareth cleared his throat. �Well, that story comes with a lot of painful memories for your mother, she won�t want you to bring it up again. You don�t want to upset her do you?� �No.� Dom looked sad about this. �You better be getting home now. You�re Mummy will be waiting for you.� Dominic stood up slowly, and started to walk away. He turned and thanked the man for the story, and carried on back to meet his Mummy round the front of the school. There was a message on the answer machine. Dominic ran to his room and Michelle played it while sorting out the post. �Hello, Mrs Walker,� Michelle growled �Miss� under her breath, �I�m calling from the school to remind you that we need a note from you explaining Dominic�s absence from school today and yesterday.� Michelle froze, confused. �If you could give it to Dominic to give to us tomorrow, or if he isn�t in tomorrow could you possibly drop it in yourself. Thank you.� �Dominic!� �Yes Mummy,� Dom called from his room. �Why weren�t you at school today?� �I was!� �Don�t lie to me Dominic. That was your school asking where you were. Now what were you doing?� �I was in school.� �Dominic! Stop lying!� �I�m not lying!� �Go to your room. NOW!!� She slapped his bottom. They had told her that she was unsuitable to be a mother, that she was irresponsible, careless, that she didn�t love her son. They had made it personal; they had called her a slut. They had found out what had happened at work. They had talked to Mr Argent, and now she would almost definitely loose her job. They had called social services, and now they wanted to take her son away from her. They wanted her to loose the only joy she had left in her life; they wanted to hurt her that badly. They wanted to take away Dominic. She lay on her bed, crying as quietly as she could; she didn�t want Dominic hurt any more than he already was. He had waited quietly outside the whole time. Had he heard any of it? Had anyone been with him? She thanked whichever God was listening for letting him come home with her, then she cursed them for letting her get into this mess. Then she cursed Jareth and Jaden. She was only a teenager, couldn�t they have just let her be? Ruined her whole life in one fowl swoop. Yeah she had been a silly little girl; she�d had no reason to be like she was. There was nothing wrong with her parents. She was just spoilt. Michelle didn�t believe in fate. A sliver of light fell into the room as the door opened. The sound of little feet pattering was heard, and then a small warm body climbed into the bed. She moved over to make room for her son, put her arms around him and went back to contemplating. Then she apologised for hitting him, and he kissed her on the cheek. She smiled at him, and that made her start to cry again, the thought of loosing this wonderful creature. She squeezed him, and told him she loved him. He told her not to cry and that he loved her to. �I wish the Goblins would come and take us away, right now.� |