"Okay... right... then I think you should come with us to the house... grab them and bring them inside." I said gesturing to the others to get hold of them.
Once inside, I watched the pair of them sit down at the table. Shirley slowly, eased herself down onto the chair next to Charlie. Suddenly, she violently screams.
"Please... please... please.... don't kill us! We don't want to die!"
I couldn't make out what she was doing and why, but, unbelievably, Shirley's huge self became hysterical as she started growling and shaking violently.
Suddenly, she fell to the floor and her body got out of control as it rapidly convulsed. Her legs and arms became uncontrollable.
"What's happening?" I ask the others.
"Tim... I think she's having a seizure." Lydia stated as I stood there in a trance.
"What? Explain this Charlie... is she ill?" I asked Charlie as he started to cry.
"Yeah... sometimes... but she hasn't done this in ages... if she gets stressed it happens." Charlie explained as his weak, pathetic voice became distorted with his cries.
"Get the Doc now John." I screamed loudly.
Suddenly, everything was manic around us as Shirley's fits became even more uncontrollable. The stressful screams of Charlie's voice clamber down on me and so, to calm my nerves, I went outside for a moment and I reached inside my pocket for my whisky bottle that no one knew about.
27. Aiden Lamb - Trapped
I watched as the doctor saw to Shirley, the huge girl, who now laid still on the floor of the barn. She had climbed over into our territory with her husband. I knew she was trying to be brave, but I also knew that she had probably not thought this out.
They were clearly harmless and were just trying to find a way to survive. I wanted to make that clear to Tim. I had to make Tim, Lydia, Joe and the others see that fact, because Shirley's appearance had shaken me. It hadn't occurred to me until I'd heard her speak. My heart had shuddered at the sound of her voice.
She hadn't recognised me, because I had changed since leaving school and going off to university. Now, I was taller and more masculine rather than the skinny kid whom I had once been. I realised that she probably hadn't even seen me in the dark.
Lately, my fears and anger about the people I had lost in my life had haunted me. I fought so hard with them, that I now, felt a sense of calm to be here at this very moment.
I helped the others carry Shirley to the house. I watched as Lydia helped Jenny make her comfortable on the bed. She was sleeping. Her features were still the same as ever since I had last saw her all those years ago. She did appear a bit older. There were a few aged lines around her eye lids. Her hair was still long and blonde, but now it was messy and tangled. Her podgy cheeks had dirt smudged on them, but to me she was still the same old Shirley; bitter, strong and brave.
I turned to Tim. I wanted to make him see that Shirley and Charlie were okay people.
"Tim, we should let them stay." I said.
"Why?" Tim replied matter of factly.
"Why? Because they are good people and they need this... don't you agree?" I couldn't believe Tim was so harsh about it.
"How do you know they are good Aiden? For all we know they could be murderers! We don't know them... we can't trust them either." Tim said with conviction.
I could see he was willing to let them leave. I was sure he would send them away as soon as Shirley was better.
"Why can't they stay for a while? Give them a meal at least and that way, we can get to know them a bit better. Maybe they are just trying to survive just like we are... you have to consider that Tim." I said urgently, trying to convince him that I was right.
"Aiden, we have children here and we have to protect Jenny and John's home... it's not our place... it's theirs, so they can stay tonight and then we will see tomorrow. If there is anything remotely wrong with them, then I am not going to just chance it. I can't." Tim said.
He was right in a way, but I was sure. I didn't want to mention that I had once known Shirley and I wasn't sure why. I guess I was waiting for the right time.
I remembered what Charlie had said about his wife. How she had been in a wheelchair and how she had lost so much weight from starvation. Then she became so brave that she had battled her way through the bad times.
It had reminded me of how Shirley had once been. Back in the day, Shirley had just been a young, big, overweight girl from school. She had been tormented all the time. Bullied and pushed about, she had still carried on like it hadn't mattered. I had wanted to help her, but the memory screwed with my brain as I stood there staring at her limp body on the bed.
I remembered how she had sneered at me like I was one of her bullies. I was just one of the other 15 year old kids; who happened to be with the ones who had pushed and tricked Shirley everyday.
Well, now she was here and I wanted to help her and her husband get through this. She may not remember me, but I remembered her. I wanted to do everything I could not to send them away. I made that promise to myself as I sat there feeling determined.
I stayed in the room even after Tim left. I sat on the chair next to
