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Back The Lightning Catcher Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. Acknowledgements

A bit later, there was a game of pool and I tried my best to forget all about it. I’d potted the blue, left the white lined up rubbish, tried for the green and missed. Olly potted his red and sent the white skittering down after it, and I laughed. That’s all, but suddenly he’s yanking my elbows behind my back, holding me face down on the table and hissing, ‘What’s so funny, freak?’ in my ear.

His grip was so tight. Tears came into my eyes, but straight away Miss Jukes’s voice filled the room – she took over from Miss Hughes when her shift ended. ‘That’s enough over there!’

She zipped across and Olly let me go. ‘Perhaps a spell on the table football instead, Olly? Alfie, can you play Matt now?’

But I shook my head and raced out of there.

Near the dining room there’s a quiet room full of books and board games. I felt like running and never stopping, but I picked up a book with a picture of a winged horse on the cover, then sat in the window and waited for my heart to stop banging.

I read the first page of the book, then heard footsteps in the corridor. It was Miss Jukes.

‘Are you all right, Alfie?’

When I nodded, she did a kind of sighing smile and came into the room properly.

‘That was your first skirmish. Are you going to come back through and finish the game? Put it behind you?’

I shrugged.

‘Remember, Alfie, this isn’t a place for punishment. We’re here to look after your well-being.’

She made it sound as if she’s some kind of parent. But I’d BE a hell of a lot more WELL if I could just go home!

‘Have a little think, if you like, but do come out soon. Always best to get back on with whatever you were doing after incidents.’

At home, I might be eating Mum’s chilli jacket potatoes. I nodded, as if I was going to do what she said, then went to my room to change my sweaty T-shirt. The clean one made me think of home again because it didn’t smell right, even though it’s from home. It smelt of the drawer.

I couldn’t go back out in the end. I switched off the light so they wouldn’t know I was in here and I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn’t. So now I’m just writing.

36

Lenny

28th August, 7.30 p.m.

At lunch today when we were let outside, I went and looked at the fence. It’s massive when you get close. It’s alarmed.

You’d never make it out of here.