A few minutes passed. Holly worked up the courage, and slowly left the safety of her bed. She didn’t know why she was so scared, but it was the way she was stared at. She couldn’t look back out of the window yet, she couldn’t sleep now either, her curious side wanted to know what had happened. For one thing the cracks had stopped now.
After several minutes she worked up the courage, and peeled back the curtains a little, to her relief she saw the strange boy was no longer staring at her, the boy was looking around like a person who needed directions. The boy was quite strange. He looked about thirteen, and was dressed in some old fashioned clothing. He didn’t look like he fitted in with the surroundings.
The boy in question could not remember his name, nor his home all he remembered was standing on some strange street, he looked around and saw a lighted window he wondered what he should do, then the curtains had opened and a face had peered out, he tried to wave or shout but he was confused and just stood there and stared. The face had quickly moved away, and the boy felt suddenly lonely.
He saw a street sign, but he didn’t recognise the name. He sat on the corner, he tried to remember his name, his life, anything before this street. He shivered, it was cold “Cold” he muttered, he remembered the cold he didn’t know where from though.
Holly saw the boy sit down, and felt instantly sorry for him, of course in this day and age he could be a thief or an accomplice, but he looked so lost and helpless …
The boy was trying to come up with some plan, but he was still a bit confused and where could he go anyway? He didn’t even know who he was. Something crept up behind him, and touched his back, he raised his arms in defence. It must be the factory owner, the factory owner must have found his new hiding place he would get punished…. then his hand was licked.
The boy blinked in surprise and lowered his arms, firstly who was the factory owner? Maybe it was one of his memories! And secondly there was a cat in front of him, “Hello cat, I don’t suppose you know who I am, do you?” he asked. The cat didn’t reply, he didn’t think it would.
Holly saw Tibbs walk up to the boy, “Dumb cat” she whispered. The boy seemed scared of the cat at first, terrified in fact, but then he stroked it. She decided to go and find out who he was, if he was a thief she would scare him away. She put on some clothes – a plain blue t-shirt and some jeans, and quietly left her room, creeping downstairs she opened the door…
The boy heard the noise of a door opening, but he didn’t think anything about it, as he was thinking deeply. “Hello” a voice behind him said. The boy turned around, and to his surprise saw the face from the window, “Please don’t tell him I’m here?” he said automatically. The girl looked at him, “Don’t tell who? Have you run away from home or something?” she asked. The boy looked confused and frustrated.
“I… I don’t know” he said miserably. “Well you must have a family of somebody”. Holly asked “What do you remember?” The boy looked thoughtful for a moment. “I remember this street.” he announced.
The boy stood up and walked to the spot where Holly had first seen him. “Here, this is where I was”. “Hmmm,” Holly thought for a while, “do you remember any loud noises, erm like cracks? Because I heard a few before you appeared.”
Crack! One of the bins fell over, and Tibbs fell out with a banana peel on her.
Holly smiled, “Shhhh, you dumb cat you’ll wake Mum and Dad” The boy smiled too “we used to have a cat” he said “he was ginger and fluffy” he said a faraway look in his eyes.” who are you?” Holly asked hoping he would remember, the boy snapped back instantly “I’m sorry I don’t remember" he said miserably, Holly sighed and yawned “maybe your jus a dream and I'm really sleeping peacefully in bed right now” she pinched herself “nope didn’t think so” The boy looked miserable
“I’m cold” The boy complained “of course” Holly said “you should come inside, you don’t look too good” it was a true statement the boy looked half starved and he was quite pale she picked up Tibbs and led the boy inside.
“Wow” the boy said he could not remember anything like this lights that you only had to press a button and it would come on, no gas or oil needed. Holly passed the boy a sandwich from earlier that she didn’t feel like eating. “You need a name she said the boy looked up “anything I suppose I don’t mind” he replied she thought for a moment “how about Billy my granddad was called that” she suggested “okay then” the boy said “Billy” the newly named Billy smiled.
Then suddenly the door was knocked with quite a bit of force ‘KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK’ Holly and Billy jumped ‘who could it be at this time in the morning?’
Holly told Billy to wait in the kitchen and cautiously opened the door she saw a poshly dressed man whom she had already decided she disliked, he was one of those people who would betray there loved ones without a moments notice. “Excuse me young lady” he asked “but have you seen a child wondering around here he is about 13 and is my nephew” Holly seriously doubted this, the man seemed to have a wicked intent towards Billy “and I am very concerned about his whereabouts as I am looking after him” holly looked at him, the man bore no resemblance to Billy whatsoever but….. he could be his uncle and then he would take him away and she could go to sleep …..”Excuse me miss have you seen this boy for I must find him for his own safety” he said smiling thinly. NO! Holly thought she would not give up Billy, this man was wicked.
Billy was sitting in the kitchen while Holly spoke to the person at the door. He peered through the curtains a little to see who it was and recoiled instantly, some instinct told him the man was bad news. Something was at the back of Billy’s mind like a forgotten memory of past times. He scanned over his memories quickly (there weren’t many) … the factory owner … this was his latest hiding place … but this was … was …. Was somewhere else the factory owner couldn’t be here now could he? But then if it wasn’t the factory owner why did the man frighten him?
“I’ll be back in a minute” Holly said closing the door the man chuckled which sent a chill down Holly’s spine “I’m sure you will” she walked into the kitchen and whispered to Billy “there’s a man outside claiming to be your uncle but I don’t believe him” Billy looked up “he’s not my uncle I don’t know who he is but I think he may be the factory owner, he scares me”
Holly and Billy went back to the door together to confront the man about who he was, they opened the door and the man exclaimed “boy you’re here!” Billy frowned “who are you?” Billy asked the man looked at him “don’t you remember Billy, your life, I can take you home” Billy gasped “home? Do I have a home?”
The man nodded, it was answer enough, fear forgotten Billy turned to holly “I’m going to go home holly, home!” Holly was sceptical “how will you take him home?” she asked the man “easy enough you can watch us if you want” The man took Billy’s hand and started to walk down the road “good-bye holly, ill miss you I’m sure we’ll meet again” Billy shouted, Holly watched as the man and Billy faded from the street she gasped and ran down the street to check they had gone, they had.
Holly returned to her house pausing as she walked up the stairs, she saw a picture that had always been there, but it seemed more familiar. She looked at it closely and read the writing underneath it read: Granddad Billy 1943-1990. Holly gasped the picture of her grandfather looked like a much older version of the strange boy she had named.
