Oh, someone is coming.
I complied with the order to write into the book about what we’re doing, but I didn’t promise to leave the page in there. I will pull it out and put it in my hiding place. And I won’t say which one.
Over and out ~ Mikey
Lilly: 3 December 2015, Morning, Wright’s Homestead
If you think for one moment, we are waiting in this house like sitting ducks until they come and lock us up again, you’re mistaken. Sky says, don’t panic. Who’s panicking? Not me. Panic befuddles your mind and you end up running around like a headless chicken.
The problem with Sky is, she is too nice. She thinks the best of people, and that is a huge mistake. I swore years ago I’d never make that mistake again; you know fool me once, shame on you kind of thing. Staying in control is the only way to go. Trusting others? Not on my watch. People can’t be trusted. Maybe Scottie, but even with him, I’ll keep my eyes open. He’s almost too good to be true. I mean, what’s he getting out of bending over backward to help us? Still, I’m going a bit soft on him. The boyfriend thing is still on my mind.
At the end of the day, the only one you can rely on is yourself. And don’t come with examples of good people like Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale, and Albert Schweitzer. How many people have roamed the earth in the last two hundred years? Billions. And you come up with only a handful of names? Pathetic.
I remember the last time they locked us up. Caroline came out and wanted to die. And trust me, she knows how to go about it. She has scars on her forearms and a battery of pills in a box somewhere that prove she’s not kidding. That we are still alive is not a mystery. It’s because the rest of the Tribe has always woken up and taken care of her. We still have hope things would get better. We were strong enough to convince her. And Ama took care of her in time-out. That’s the only reason she stopped.
Not the bloody doctors. We had altogether six of those parading in front of us. Two of them were still students. They probed and prodded us. But the worst was listening to their pathetic comments. You have all your life ahead of you, or you have wonderful parents who care, you are ungrateful. This one was good too I understand your despair, but trust me, soon you’ll see things in a different light, or, my favorite, God forbids you to kill yourself.
God also forbids parents to have sex with their kids, to torture children, to let them starve in a dark cellar… I can’t continue or I’m risking waking up Caroline and that’s the last thing we need. Go and bore someone else with what God forbids or allows.
These are the same people who wrote in my notes: noncompliant, treatment-resistant, hostile, thought disorder, delusions, and so on. People who don’t know me at all but are convinced they know what’s best for me. How utterly ridiculous. Pathetic. I’d like to punch their face to make them wake up, but they never will. Somehow with getting a medical degree, people seem to get a certificate of superiority and the permission to ignore other opinions, especially when those opinions come from patients.
I rang the police this morning and asked them when we’re getting our van back. They came yesterday and took it. They called it borrowing it for forensic tests and assured Elise they’d bring it back the same day. Which they didn’t. Surprise, surprise. The lady on the phone told me they’re on the way to us. But it didn’t sound like they’ll bring the van. It sounded like they’ll come to fetch us for further questioning.
Whatever this is about, we are not waiting for them to lock us up again. Call me paranoid, but trust me, I have all the reasons in the world to be suspicious. We are going to run. Ama put the tree house under lockdown. All the kids are in their rooms. It’s Luke, Amadeus, Sky, and me securing the getaway.
“I think you are overreacting. What if they have only a few more questions?” Sky, as always, pleads for moderation and being sensible. She hates running away. We all do but running has been the story of our life. The opponent always was too strong. What kid has a chance against adults who want to do them harm? You tell me.
“Let’s compromise and use our hiding place in the tree behind the house. We can watch the police and then decide.” Luke’s suggestion was not at all what I would have liked to do, but it was a compromise. “No bright clothes, though, or they’ll discover us.”
I’d rather go deeper into the forest but being close and perhaps overhearing what people say could have its advantages. We packed our bag with clothes and food and tied Prince up in the laundry. Although I hate putting Prince on the chain, we can’t risk him revealing our hiding place.
I don’t know how old the tree behind the house is. It’s a giant. When we were staying with auntie Amanda, we were always climbing up the trunk like little monkeys, quick and without hesitation. That’s not how it is anymore. Luke must have expected it would be more difficult because he brings ropes along. Clever boy.
It still took a hell of a time to get us up high enough to feel safe. You know you’re safe when you can’t see anymore what happens down on the ground because the foliage is
