A Wartime Evacuee
by Andrew Passey
Part 6
Exhaustion had taken over me and I must have fallen asleep as the next thing I knew I had woke to sunlight streaming into the shed. The rain of the previous night was long gone . I heard the clucking of a chicken nearby and the sound of voices talking outside. I had been very lucky with where I'd fallen asleep. If someone had walked around the shed looking they'd have found me easily but the piles of straw I was behind hid me well enough from unsuspecting eyes.
It was now light enough for me to see inside the shed and it was clear I'd have to stay here until nightfall to be totally sure someone wouldn't find me. I had no idea what time it was and unfortunately I really needed a piss. I shifted my position slightly so I could see outside the shed. The darkness inside meant that it was unlikely I'd be seen by anyone looking in although it was still a risk. However I was desperate! I was just considering standing up and having that piss when I saw a chicken run in.
"Fred! Get that chicken! Put it in the pen and then come in for lunch!" I heard a woman cry as I ducked back into the dark shadows. Lunch?! How long had I slept for?! I jumped slightly as a boy my age from first glance ran in and chased the chicken back out. I'd only had a quick glimpse of him and it was hard to see in the dark of the shed but he'd looked around my height with dark hair. Although it was painful to hold it I decided to wait until Fred had gone inside for lunch to have my piss. I didn't want to get caught mid flow by a rogue chicken coming in chased by Fred or anybody else!
I made sure I was hidden again but then something happened that made my blood run cold.
"Boy! Have you seen a boy around here?" The familiar voice shouted up. The voice of my torturer, Shit. Mr Arse. How had he found me so quickly?! Then I thought about it and realised that if it was lunchtime he'd probably just been cycling along the road all morning asking at houses. There was no reason for him to suspect I was there after all no one else knew I was here. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I tried to stay calm and relax as I strained to hear the shouted conversation.
"The name's Fred, old man which I thought you knew? My name isn't boy. So have I seen a boy? What aside from myself? Or at school? There are loads of boys around here!" Fred shouted back down the hill. I smiled to myself, Mr Arse would hate that perceived lack of respect.
"You cheeky little shit. I'm looking for a blond haired boy with blue eyes, about your age. He's my nephew and he was staying with me. Seems he's run away and I'd like him back. Tell your parents and if you see him get them to bring him back to me. The lazy bastard has left me with loads of work to do! He's been weeding for days and he's still not finished!" Mr Arse sounded very annoyed which made me feel pleased about things.
"Days of weeding!? Are you sure he's your nephew? Sounds more like a slave!" Fred shouted down. I didn't hear the reply as a chicken ran clucking in again.
"That man is a fucking bastard," the boy said out loud as he ran in to chase the chicken out. I instantly liked him. He probably had no idea how much of a fucking bastard Mr Arse was but it felt good to know that someone else shared my opinion of him. The sound of the chicken clucking died down and I guessed Fred had got the chicken safe and gone inside for lunch. Even though I knew it was risky I left my hiding spot and looked out of the murky window to get my bearings. To my surprise there was a car in the drive which I hadn't noticed the night before. I guess the rain, the darkness and my general exhaustion hadn't made me particularly observant. I guess it also wasn't something I expected to see. I had barely seen any around here so Fred's family must have been either important or well to do. Both things I certainly wasn't!
Their house wasn't massive but certainly bigger than anything I'd lived in and it looked well kept. There was a well tended vegetable patch and some fencing which I guessed was where the chickens were. I reckoned I could sneak out round the back of the shed for a piss without being noticed particularly as everyone seemed to be inside for lunch. Yes it was a slight risk but I didn't really want to piss over their dry clean straw. After all, I might need to sleep in it later if I wanted a nap!
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and then I sneaked out of the shed. I quickly ran round the side of it so the shed was blocking the view to the house and the road. I flopped my dick out and had the most amazing piss I'd ever had. I then realised I needed a bit more than a piss and I had to sneak into a bush and empty my bowels. It was pretty unpleasant doing it outside and it even made me nostalgic for the crappy toilet option I'd had back at Mr Arse's. I managed to get as clean as I could with a couple of leaves and I really really wished I could wash my hands. However there was no chance of that so I sneaked back into the shed as hoped no one stumbled across what I'd left in the bushes! I realised I was starving so I opened my bag and used a clean shirt to try to keep my potentially less than clean hands off the food as I ate some of what I'd taken from the larder. It was all simple but it was welcome after no food all day. I was fairly sure I'd lost weight living up here and I didn't really have much to lose in the first place.
I'd been starved and also worked hard by Mr Arse so it was no surprise I seemed a bit gaunt. The food was a relief but I'd have killed for a good meal though. Some meat. Some vegetables. Some gravy. God, anything that filled a plate would be good! I was acutely aware that once my food was gone it was gone. I had no money. I didn't have my ration book anymore. Mr Arse was looking for me. I was going to be reliant on the kindness of strangers and so far it had been in fairly low supply. So hungry as I was I had to be careful not to eat all of the food I'd brought with me.
As I finished and sat there thinking about everything I heard noises. Clearly lunch must have been over as I heard Fred and who I imagined was his dad working outside. However, unlike when I worked at Mr Arse's there was lots of talking and laughter. I envied Fred at that moment. He seemed to have a nice family, a nice house, and a comfortable lifestyle.
Meanwhile I was hiding in a shed after having just had a shit in the bushes and hoping that I didn't end up with being physically abused or sexually abused! I wished I'd never left London. I wished my Dad had never died. I wished William was still alive. I wish my mum was a crazy abusive alcoholic. I just wished for something nice to happen to me. I felt so miserable I thought I'd cry but then I heard Fred laughing and it lifted my spirits. Life might be shit but there was always joy to be had even in the darkest of times. His laugh was so warm and genuine that I couldn't help but be cheered up. Maybe one day soon I'd also be able to laugh like that? To feel happy and joyous about life. That felt a long way off for now though.
I spent the rest of the afternoon listening to the two of them talk and laugh as I counted down the hours until it got dark. Eventually they went inside and after a while the sun started to set. I wanted to wait until it was completely dark before heading out though and there was no point taking an unnecessary risk. The sky darkened and I was just beginning to think of getting myself ready to leave when my plans were soon totally scuppered.
First off there was a distant rumble of thunder. Then one much closer before a flash of lightning and the heavens opened. As the rain hammered down relentlessly I soon realised there was no point going anywhere that night. I'd get cold and wet and the roads would be slippery. The fields would be muddy as well and my progress would be slow. I decided that the safest thing was to stay where I was. After all, the shed was dry and relatively warm, well compared to outside anyway. At least it seemed to be water tight and after last night I didn't really want to get soaked through again..
If I was totally honest I was happy to stay in the shed for another night and day. I'd enjoyed the sounds of family life throughout the day and I'd liked what Fred had said about Mr Arse. A good night's sleep here and then tomorrow morning I'd be refreshed. I knew I couldn't stay in the shed forever but it was vital I only travelled at night. Being out on the road was much too risky. If Mr Arse was still out on his bike looking for me then I was toast if our paths crossed or indeed with anyone he'd tipped off. It was possible loads of people were looking for me so I had to be very careful. So while I wanted to wait until morning to decide my next step, I really knew that the best plan was to stay in this shed until tomorrow evening.
With that decision made I snuggled down into the dry straw and closed my eyes. Everything still ached and a healing night sleep was exactly what I needed. I just hoped tomorrow night would be dry and clear. I desperately wanted to put more mileage between me and Mr Arse. The longer he couldn't find me the more bored he'd get. At least that's what I was hoping. In any case it seemed logical that the further the distance I put between his house and me, the less chance he'd find me. Once I was completely clear of him I could think about my next steps which being honest was something I was trying not to think about. For now though I was tired and needed to sleep.
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