A Friendly Stranger

"Oh dear God." That's all I heard my mother say until she opened up the door for the officer. "Mom... what happened?" Zoey asked. But she got no answer from mom.

Instead I heard the door open and my mom say "Good morning officer, can I help you?" The officer didn't sound too happy with her. And he certainly didn't sound like he was having a 'good morning'. "Ma'am, are you Claire Ellsberry? Owner of this household?"

"Yes, I am." She sounded uneasy.

I decided to be nosey and go downstairs. The officer was turned to his car. It looked like he was signaling an other officer to come to the door.

The officer started to speak again. "Ma'am, we're taking to back to the station for questioning."

Zoey and I just stopped breathing. Had we heard that correctly? Mom was going to the police station? Mom?! When she wasn't pissed off at one of her kids, she was the most caring, loving, and kindhearted woman ever. What could she have possible done to deserve this?

Mom acted like she knew what was going on. Maybe she did. But she didn't hesitate. She just asked the officers if she could 'have a quick word with her daughters'.

She walked over to us and gave us both a long hug. When she let go of us she had tears in her eyes.

"Zoey, take care of Emily until I get back. And Emily... promise me that you won't do anything you will regret."

"Promise." That's all that came out. I wanted to ask when she was going to be back. Even though I knew the answer to that.

I just watched as the first officer carried mom to his car. Then the other officer came over to us and asked Zoey how old she was.

"Well officer, I'm seventeen going on eighteen in a month." He looked at me. "How about you?" I stared blankly back at him. It took me about 45 seconds to answer him. "Fourteen."

"Oh." Was all he said back to me. Then he asked Zoey both our names. Like I was too stupid to answer.

"I'm Zoey and this is my little sister, Emily."

"Do you have your own apartment?"

"Well, you see. Me and my boyfriend just rented out an apartment across town. We were going to go shopping for furniture tomorrow, and we were planning on moving in, in about a week or so."

"Okay. Well do you have a place to stay until next week when you move in?" The officer asked her.

"Uhmm, well I'm sure my boyfriend's parents won't mind if I stay with them."

"Oh well that's no problem."

We were all quiet for a while. Then it hit me, 'where am I going to stay?' Hopefully it wasn't going to be a foster home. Oh no. I had that same feeling that I did when I woke up at 12:30 at Zach's house.

The officer broke the silence. "So Emily... it seems you have no place to stay. Because of course I cannot leave you here by yourself."

I felt like saying to him 'Yes you can!' but I knew he wasn't going to agree with me. So I just kept my mouth shut and let him think about it.

"Do you have a father?" He asked me.

"Yes. But I don't think you want me to go live with him." I told him and I knew he was going to ask why, but I didn't know how to answer him. If I told him the truth, that he beat me and my sister and mother, then they'd certainly go on a search for him. And if I ever met up with my dad later in life, he'd kill me.

But if I didn't tell him why, then he'd bring me there and I'd get beaten. For no reason. But I came to my senses. I was going to tell him. Finally he asked me why.

"Well officer, you may want to write this down," I had a tone in my voice that sounded bitchy, "my father, Charles Ellsberry, is an alcoholic and in the past he beat me, my sister, and my mother. Badly. That's why we all had to run away. It was getting too insane."

Zoey looked worried. Like I had told him something he didn't have to know. But he did have to know. It was really important. I just smiled. A demonish little smile. But I don't know why.

"Oh my. Well Emily, I'm sorry to tell you this, but this means that it's mandatory for you to go to a foster home. Certainly not for long though. Are you okay with this?"

Many thoughts went through my mind. And I answered the cop. "I'm fine with that." I gave him a quick smile. Then he gave me a smile back. "So when do I leave?" I asked him. I sounded eager, and I was. My plan was all figured out.

"Why don't you go get your things packed up Emily. I'll be down here discussing everything with your sister, if you need any help."

"Okay sir." I headed up to my room with the most evil smile on my face.