Hiding From Seagulls Page 21

  Doing Time in the Sandcastle

  I had never imagined being in prison before. One thing prisoners always seem to say in the movies is that they are innocent, well turns out I was no different. Everything the Duchess had said to me was true and I was feeling pretty low about that. I would imagine that the others felt the same way but to look at their faces you did not have to imagine. Being back with Rob, Simon, Madeline and Ted in such a small space reminded me of being on Raheam's bus.

  Wait... Ted the man bear...

  "What's he doing here?" I asked the others. They had been in the cell slightly longer than I and they all looked about as gloomy. They were seemingly unaware of the man bear locked in with us.

  "I don't know," Rob replied sounding angry.

  "Ah, well, about that," the man bear began.

  "You traded us in because you were looking for a reward," Simon answered.

  "That is true," replied the old bear. "I did do it for the reward."

  "Let me guess," Madeline said, "There was no reward and she chucked you in here with us?"

  The man bear held up a claw in protest.

  "No, now, that would not have been fair. Of course the Duchess rewarded me. It's just that her guards caught me rewarding myself too."

  "Yeah, you are a big thief, I haven't forgotten that money you took from me before. More for your big dirty money pit was it?" Rob asked.

  The man bear shrugged his shoulders.

  "I told you I am not the kind of bear that mucks around with honey,"

  Rob interrupted.

  "I know that you're the kind of bear that stole all my money."

  The man bear let out an old man sounding chuckle.

  I noticed that Simon had unravelled a scroll.

  "What is that?" I asked.

  "The Duchess offered me approval," he said.

  "You surely are not going to sign that and leave us all down here are you?" I asked.

  "What choice do I have?" Simon protested.

  Rob was nodding his head.

  "That's the Simon I now all right. A bit of power, bit of authority over people, and he is right in there."

  "That's not what I'm like"

  "You reported me with my chocolate," I offered.

  "I had to. You were bringing it into a classroom and you tried to bribe me."

  "You ate my bribe," I responded losing my temper slightly.

  "I reckon he would love it here," Rob offered, "He has that Duchess to creep up too doesn’t he?"

  Simon had not signed the scroll. But it looked as though he was weighing up his options.

  "She is offering you approval to drive a wedge between us all," Madeline interrupted.

  I knew she was right but that did not stop me from hating Simon for his betrayal, or his hatred for me I suspect, for getting us all into this mess in the first place.

  "What about the things the Duchess said to each of us?" Madeline asked.

  "It was not true. None of it was," Rob began. Madeline's cut him off wordlessly with a tired stare.

  "It was all true," Madeline said, "Everything she said about me and everything she said about each of us."

  The man bear turned his head to Rob awaiting his answer to Madeline.

  "It is a bit stupid carrying all those books around with you," Rob said.

  The man bears head now turned to Madeline.

  "It's very stupid to dress like some sort of gangster when clearly you are not," Madeline bit back.

  Rob looked at the man bear. "He's enjoying this," he said pointing an accusing finger.

  The man bear let out another little chuckle but said nothing.

  We all sat in silence. Simon read though his scroll whilst the rest of us I think just felt sorry for ourselves.

  "I can't sign this," Simon concluded.

  "You did lead me here. But I can't just leave you all here either."

  "I'm sorry Rob. How you pretend you are street smart and brave is the way you are." Madeline said.

  Rob snorted

  "It's all right. I guess there is nothing wrong with reading either. It's smart. I sort of wish I did more reading and stuff."

  "I did make some bad choices guys," I said swallowing my pride, "I made them because at the time I thought they were for the best. I hope you understand."

  There was a moments silence in the cell. It seemed to clear the tension in the air. So much so that Simon began laughing.

  "Seagull Army," he sniggered.

  "The Duchess," I said shaking my head, "she's a piece of work isn't she?"

  "Miserable meddling old witch," Madeline added.

  "I don't know I quite fancy her," Rob said catching the infectious grin going around the cell.

  "Really?" I asked.

  "Of course not," Rob replied and we all laughed.

  Before I knew it we were laughing at where we were. At an elephant man who ate crisps and man bears on buses.

  "You know the Duchess is not all that bright," the man bear said walking to the back of the cell. "She has, in fact, thrown me in this cell more than once I do believe."

  He moved a chair at the back of the cell revealing a large tunnel.

  We were all stunned. Then Rob spoke

  “You mean you could have gotten out of here any time you wanted to?”

  He was annoyed that the man bear had kept this secret from us. I, however, was overjoyed at finding a way out.

  "Before we take that tunnel. Where does it lead?"

  I asked the man bear who removed his top hat and scratched his head.

  "Let me think. Now you are asking. There are so many holes like this. Now let me think, let me think."

  "Before he is done thinking the guards and that old battle axe will be back down here," Simon said alerting us all.

  "London," the man bear muttered.

  "What did you say?" Rob cried.

  "That hole here is how I got to a bus stop in London. In fact that is where I first met all of you."

  "You know I think we should go that way," Rob said.

  "You think!" Came Simon’s sarcastic reply.

  The Duchess and her bear guards had appeared at the gate. One of the guards started fumbling with a set of keys.

  "Get in there. Block that tunnel," the Duchess demanded.

  We were about to run when unexpectedly Rob, Madeline, and Simon walked straight up to the Duchess. I thought about trying to tell them to escape whilst we had the chance but thought it maybe a little better to let them do whatever it was they felt that they had to do. I was not their leader any more.

  "What gives you the right to disapprove of anybody?" Simon said looking the Duchess right in the eyes.

  "We are who we are," Rob added. "None of us care about your approval anyway. All you do is use your power to bring people down, that way everyone is as miserable as you."

  "I will tell you why she does this," Madeline added "It's because she is lonely. Every day in this giant sandcastle with only your precious seagulls and guards for company. You try to bring us down to make yourself feel better."

  The guard had opened the gate and was about to grab Madeline when the Duchess held her hand out signalling for them to stop.

  "Let them go," she demanded.

  I couldn’t tell if the man bear guard was shocked but I very much suspected that he was.

  "They won," the Duchess whispered, and for one moment she looked very sad.

  I turned and walked through the tunnel the man bear had made. It was dark but I knew that around me in the darkness were my friends. Well my friends and some old guy dressed as a bear.

  Time passed, I don't know how long. The tunnel remained black and the sounds of my friends voices slowly began to fade. Then there was only silence and black.

  "Tommy," a woman's voice called. It sounded familiar.

  "Tommy you slept through your alarm."

  It was my mother. Of course it was my mother. I opened my eyes and em
braced the familiarity that was my bedroom.