Chapter 6

Sienna didn’t really want to talk about me being dead, so I dropped inquiries into it after she shared what she did. We continued to talk like good friends until Doctor Halberstadt announced he was going to release me from their care. I’d been dreading the moment when I would be faced with foster care, but it was time and I had no choice. Being fourteen gives you no control over your life and everyone had seen the train wreck that Edgerton County Child Services was running.

Sienna spoke before I got up enough steam to ask about my future. “What happens to Ross when you release him, Doctor?”

“I’ll take that question.” It was Judge Marshall. “Ross, you’ve been abused by the very people I would normally call in to take care of you. There is no way the Family Court will be cooperating with anyone at their office until I am fully satisfied that they have successfully cleaned their house and everyone involved in this tragedy has been charged and convicted.

“Sienna has volunteered to take you in pending permanent placement, and I am inclined to grant her request. However, Jeanette and Sondra have also stipulated that they will be happy to look after you, so I think I am going to name all three of them co-foster parents until further notice. That way there should always be one of them available to be there should your special health problems resurface, and they will be help to each other since raising teenage boy can be a challenge.”

Sienna glowed at the news and I felt like the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders.

The judge wasn’t finished.

“Ross, did you know that Sondra filed an emergency petition on your behalf, with regards to you becoming the owner of everything in your mothers’ estate?”

My dumb look said it all.

“I didn’t think so. With Hazel Thompson facing hundreds of years in prison, she will never be free to own anything. Sondra filed a petition asking that everything be made available to you due to your medical issues and the abuse that Hazel inflicted on you.

Judge Roland Marcus granted you unconditional ownership of all funds, property, and possessions belonging to Hazel Thompson. He ordered the county to change the property records to show you as sole owner. He’s done the same with Hazel’s bank accounts and IRA. It’s all yours. You’ll have to arrange with your three guardians as to when and how to empty out the dwelling and get it on the market. I feel sure you want nothing to do with living in the home where you were a victim.” She talked a little about other details, but the good news was that I was free of the foster care system and had three guardians that would share responsibility until I turned eighteen.

Getting released from the hospital took less time than I expected. Sondra and Sienna walked me out, where I found Jeanette waiting to take me home. I was weak, but not helpless, and I looked forward to working out a schedule that allowed me to get myself into some kind of shape. My height might be insurmountable, but I didn’t need to remain sixty-nine pounds for the rest of my life.

I had a chance to think of all the implications of being free of the hospital and heading back to Ross’ home, as Jeanette drove. It was the middle of July. School started in August and Ross had no records, because Hazel never registered him, or allowed him to attend. Jeanette and I need to have a very serious conversation.

“Do I have any money in the bank?” I asked that question to set up another.

Jeanette looked just a bit surprised at my inquiry. She smiled when she saw that my expression was neutral. “Once the judge signed the order granting you possession of all of Hazel’s belongings, we did a mandatory audit and discovered bank accounts containing about one-hundred and twenty thousand dollars.

“When one of my associates helped me inventory the house, we found that Hazel kept a horde of cash under a floorboard in a bedroom. When we got it all counted and deposited in the bank, in an account that never belonged to Hazel Thompson, It came to another thirty-seven thousand dollars and change. I would say you have plenty of pocket money.

“While we are talking about your personal net worth, the house is paid for. There is no mortgage to worry about. The utilities are up to date and the house insurance is paid, as are the taxes. Sondra has volunteered to help you set up a budget to help you get control of taking care of your own bills. We’ll all keep an eye on things but since you are not staying at that awful house, you won’t be running up much in the way of utility bills.

“We cleaned out the refrigerator and unplugged it, turned off the hot water heater, and shut off the water, phone, and cable. We left the power on so a realtor can show the house at an odd time, or on a cloudy day. Buyers always want to turn on lights in the attic and inside of closets.” She was carefully removing all the day to day worries that would have distracted me as she drove to Hazel’s house – now mine.

Harboring Ross’ memories meant I had all of Ross’ anxieties. When the house came into view I felt myself tighten up with fear. To overcome my concerns about facing the torture chamber of Ross’ childhood, I kept reminding myself that Hazel was in jail and would remain there for at least forever and a year.

The house looked like every other house on the street. It was just another house on another street. Telling myself that there was nothing to fear wasn’t the same as believing it. Jeanette unlocked the door, and we entered with Jeanette leading the way.

She went in ahead, because I stopped just inside the door and stood frozen. Once she realized I hadn’t moved from the door jam, she came back and put her arm around me. “It’s OK, Ross. She’s not here. Hazel will never come back. You’re safe and I’m here to prove it to you.

“Let’s look around and see if there are things you want to take over to my house and we’ll leave and get you settled in...” She realized she was speaking to a statue. I was somewhere far away - in my head. Hazel’s house was a horror chamber for Ross, and I was living with every one of his memories, which made his horrors mine as well. The sheer evil that flowed through me as I confronted Ross’ terrorized existence was nearly more than I could stand. In those few minutes I saw it all.

“She used the cord from the vacuum to tie me to the banister over there” I said, indicating the landing at the bottom of the stairs. I have scars on my wrists that are hard to see from where she cut off the circulation and tore the skin, because she tied the knots so tight.” The words coming from my lips belonged to Ross, not me. “Hazel taught me to lay still and not scream when she shoved her entire hand inside me and then twisted it in a circle, in and out ... in and out ... in and out until the blood was too much even for her.” Then she’d beat me for getting her hand dirty.”