Control (Kim Curran) by Kim Curran

Author:Kim Curran
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: 2013-08-05T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The dining room echoed with shouts and screams as all the kids tucked in to whatever Maria loaded up on their plates. From what I could tell, some of them were eating their puddings before their mains, but no one was stopping them.

Ella led Aubrey and me to a table with Prestige, Pia, Kushi, and Hamid and Hazid. It was a little like being back at ARES, with all the freshers. Only even more chaotic. Frankie had been right when she said the children here could do whatever they liked.

I watched the kids, while picking on a bread roll, and wondered just what they’d all been through. The boy from the Congo looked the most damaged. But all of the children had hollow looks in their eyes if you looked deep enough. Even little Kushi who was now chatting away with Aubrey while feeding her doll crisps would sometimes pause and stare into the distance before snapping back and continuing to babble.

“Enjoying dinner?” Frankie said, walking down the stairs. She wasn’t in bare feet anymore. In fact she was in high heels and a long black dress that clung to her hips. I had to work hard to swallow my bread.

The children nodded their approval, their cheeks bulging with food.

Ella, who’d been just picking at a salad stood up. “Are you going already? I’ll have to go get changed.”

“Sorry, Ella,” Frankie said, rubbing the girl’s thin arm. “But I told Pia I’d take him with me tonight.”

Pia jumped up out of his seat. “Do I need to change?” He tugged at his grass-stained football shirt.

Frankie considered the boy. “Yes, I think so. Something smart. Something striking.”

Pia smiled and raced off out of the room. Ella was still standing up, her small chin bobbing up and down.

“Come now, Ella. I need you to stay here and take care of everyone. You’re the eldest after all.” Frankie leant over and placed a kiss on Ella’s forehead.

Ella looked like she didn’t understand at all. She spun around and stormed out of the hall.

Frankie looked as if she was about to follow Ella, then shook her head slightly. “I want you all to behave for our guests,” she said to the children. “Make them feel at home, OK?”

“Yes, Frankie,” the kids sang in unison.

“Good. I’ll be back before midnight and I want you all in bed by then.”

I craned my neck to watch Frankie walk back out of the room. I could just see her heels reflected in one of the large mirrors in the next room. Shortly, they were joined by a two brown shoes poking out from under a pair of grey trouser legs. Pia had changed in super quick time. As I watched, the brown shoes vanished and were replaced by a pair of purple heels. It looked as if Frankie was going to be taking Kia instead.

I looked back at the kids who had stopped talking. I wondered if they’d sensed Pia’s Shift. Then Hamid flicked a pea at Hazid’s head and everything was suddenly back to normal.

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