The Mute and the Liar (10 page)

“
That
scarred
me
for
life.
I
called
the
lizard
Tree.
You
know,
short
for
Demetrius.
So
from
that
day
on,
I
decided
I
would
never
eat
cheese
again.
Or
touch
anything
that
was
green.
Which
sucked
because
it
was
the
colour
of
my
toothbrush.
But,
sadly,
this
bag
was
the
only
thing
in
your
fridge,
and
what
else
are
you
supposed
to
do
when
you’re
hungry?
You
should
be
ashamed of
yourself.
You’re
making me suffer.
”

Can
you
imagine?
He had
the
nerve
to
say
that
I
was making
him
suffer?
“
But
do
you
know
what
your
main
problem
is?
”
he
stopped
chewing,
swallowed
and
looked
at
me
expectantly,
as
if
he
thought
I
was
actually
going
to
answer
him.
“
You’re
too,
shy, shy, hush,
hush,
eye
to
eye!
”

And that’s
as
far
as
any conversation
gets
before
he’s
singing
again.

My
next
plan
is
to
write
absolutely
everything
that
happens
to
me,
and
give
this
to
the
police
the
second
I
have
a
chance
to
get
away,
or
even
just
give
this
to
the
first
person
I
can.
I’ve
got
loads
of
details
written
in
here.
I’m
sure the
police
can
find
out
who
I
am and
start
trying
to
find me.

*****

6:31
PM

I
can’t
stand
this.
I
hate
him.
He
grabs
my
hand
every
time
we
go
to
cross
a
road.
What
game
is
he
playing?
For
g
oodness’
s
ake.
Can’t
we
just
be
in
the
normal
Goldfinger
and
James
Bond
hostage-and-criminal
situation?
Why
does
he have
to
throw
us
into
a
mother-toddler
one?

I
have
decided
that
ignoring him
is
my
best
move,
but
I
have
to
watch
my
step.
He
could
be
armed.
Right
now,
my
only
weapon
is
this
notebook.
Is
n’
t
it
stupid?
The
girl
that hates
words
is being
forced
to
use
them to
save
herse
l
f.
The
Ringleader is
now
looking
over my
shoulder.

The
Ringleader appears
to
be
reading
what I have
written.
Now
The
Ringleader
is
laughing.

“
You
can
cut
all
that
‘The
Ringleader’
crap.
Just
call
me
Jayce.
I’ve
stolen
you.
I
think we
can
safely
say
we’re on first
name
terms
now.
”

Now he’s
pulling
my arm
and
dragging me
across
a
pedestrian
crossing.

“
I
get
so
annoyed
when
girls
never
stop
talking,
and
when
they
complain
all
the
time
and
just
keep
blabbing
on
and
on
and
on...
I’m
never
going
to
have
that
problem
with
you!
Yay!
Has
anyone
ever
thanked
for
you
for
not
being
a
whiney,
moan-y,
gossipy
cow?
If
not,
then
I
am
going
to
do
it
personally
on
behalf
of
every
male
on
this
planet.
Thank
you,
”
he
grins
and
pats
me
on
the
head
like
you
do
to
a
puppy
.
I
have
to
resist
the
urge
to
bite
his
fingers
off.
“
This
has
been
fun.
But
do
you
know
what
else
is
fun?
”
he
leaves
a
dramatically
long
pause,
before
screeching
at
the
top
of
his
voice
and
doing all the dance moves:
“
It’s fun to stay at the YMCA!
”

He
doesn't
know
the
words
and
so
he
just
makes
them
up.
His
version
of
the
song
is
about
a
cat
that
doesn't
know
where
or
how
to
find
a
mouse,
so it goes to the YMCA to find out.

He
gets
through
a
couple
of
his
made
up
verses
before
he
suddenly
stops,
spins
around
and
looks
directly
into
my
eyes.
He
is
not
laughing
anymore;
there
is
no
pl
a
yful
spark
in
his
face,
no
colour
in
his
cheeks.
His
smile has dissipated and his eyes are dead.

“
Oh,
and
by
the
way.
You
left
something
on
the
bus.
You
should
thank
me for
getting
it
for
you.
”

And
now
he’s handing
me
back
my
message
for help
.

*****

6:42
PM

Kidnapping:

Verb
(Kidnaps,
kidnapping,
kidnapped)
[With object]

1)
 
Abduct
(someone)
and
hold
them captive, typically
to
obtain
a
ransom:

militants
kidnapped
the
daughter
of
a
minister.

(Oxford
dictionary)

Named
forms:

Bride
Kidnapping:
A
common
practice
where
a
man
abducts
the
woman
he
wishes
to
marry,
against her
will
or
the
will
of
her
family.

Express
Kidnapping:
Taking
a
hostage
with
the
promise
to
return
them
safely
if
a
ransom
is
paid.