Echoes in the Woods by Georgina Scott (ebook reader 8 inch .TXT) 📗

him and wouldn’t let go. She was shaken to her core and looked white as a ghost. She had a grazed and bloody face. “Ella, let’s get you home,” said Mac, holding her tight.

Jake was at the car watching the group run away, thinking to himself, “I know who you all are.” Jake pulled her close to him, squeezed her so tight and kissed her forehead. They sat next to each other on the back seat. Jake could feel her trembling body, and his t-shirt was soaked in her tears. Mac pulled up in the drive, got out of the car and knocked on the door to Ella’s home. “Hi Graham, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Ella’s been attacked by a gang of kids.”

“What the fuck,” Graham said rushing to the car. Ella’s mum, Josie came waddling to the front door, now heavily pregnant. “Mac, what’s happened,” said Graham with concern. “Ella’s been attacked by a group of kids,” said Mac. “Oh my god,” Josie said, waddling as fast as she could to the car.

Graham opened the car door. “Ella baby,” he stopped in his tracks and was totally shocked at what he saw of the state of Ella. “D–d, Daddy, oh Daddy,” Graham scooped her up in his arms and took her into the house. Everyone followed. Josie gasped as she saw her little girl. “Oh my god,” she kept saying under her breath, as she followed her husband. Graham sat Ella on a chair, sobbing her little heart out; he examined her wounds from head to toe. “She needs an x-ray on her wrist and maybe her head. There is a nasty bump to the top of her forehead. She has broken skin on her knees and shins. So, baby girl, let’s get you to the hospital and we will get a real doctor to give you the once over, okay,” said Graham to Ella. She nodded but was still sobbing. “Mac will you give us a lift, mate?” said Graham.

“Yes, yes I will. Jake you head home and tell your nana where I am heading, okay Son?” said Mac.

“Okay, Gramps,” turning and about to walk out the door when he turned and looked at Ella in distress, feeling helpless and overwhelmingly guilty because he wasn’t there with her, blaming himself as he headed for home.

Mac, Graham, Josie and Ella waited at the hospital in Accident and Emergency for about twenty-five minutes before being seen by Doctor Ashram. “Hello, I am Dr Ashram,” he said, shaking Graham’s hand with an Irish accent. “Well, now, what happened to you?” said Dr Ashram.

“I was beaten up,” said Ella tearfully.

“Well, then, let’s give you the once over, and see if we can use some magic to get you better, ok?” he says.

“Ok,” said Ella, with a nod, still holding onto her father.

Dr Ashram started with the bump on her forehead. “That’s a nasty bump you have there.”

“It hurts.”

“I’m sure it does,” as he checked her eyesight and then checked her painful wrist.

“I don’t think it’s broken but we will send you for an x-ray, just to make sure,” he then checked out the condition of her knees and cleaned them up.

“Okay Ella, we will get you up to x-ray to check out that wrist.”

Ella’s wrist was fractured but not broken; the nurse applied the plaster to Ella’s arm and asked her what colour she wanted. Ella had chosen pink; she was to wear the cast for up to six weeks. They also x-rayed her head and the doctors saw no problems or any underlying issues, other than that Ella was going to have a nasty bruise for a while and a headache. Doctor Ashram told her parents to keep her awake and if she became drowsy with sickness, to bring her straight back. They prescribed her with medication for pain relief, but other than that, just kept an eye on her.

Once she was allowed to go home, her dad scooped her up and they all left for home.

Chapter 10

Jake was beside himself with worry and rage, pacing the living room, and kept looking out of the window waiting for his grandfather’s car to pitch up. All sorts of images and thoughts went through his head, from having a blood clot on the brain to an amputated arm.

“Right, that’s it, Jake. Will you sit down and calm yourself? She will be alright.”

“You don’t know that Nana, anything could have happened!” again looking at the window.

“Jake, I insist you sit down and calm yourself. I won’t say it again!”

Reluctantly Jake sat down, Nana noticed he was shaking and twitching. She put her hands in his and said again that she will be okay. Jake just nodded, holding back the tears.

“I’m gonna get them Nana, all of them, the ones who hurt her, you’ll see!”

“Okay Jake, now calm yourself,” with her arms outstretched inviting Jake into her arms.

“Oh, Nana, I feel so helpless,” jumping into her arms.

She held him tight, consoling and comforting him. When they heard Mac’s car pull up in the drive, Jake pulled out of Mary’s arms and ran outside, with Mary not far behind.

“Is she going to be okay? How is she?” said Jake all flustered and stressed.

Graham got out of the car and said, “She will be fine Jake, she has a fractured wrist and a nasty bump on the head but in time she will be fine.”

Jake helped Ella out of the car and saw the pink cast, “It’s pink; I didn’t know they do colours.”

“I didn’t, either,” Ella said and gave him a smile with a hug, “I’m okay, Jake.”

“I’m gonna get them, all of them, the ones who did this to you.”

Ella pulled herself back and just looked at him.

“Come on baby girl, let’s get you in the house. You can see Jake tomorrow. Thanks Mac, for everything,” Graham said and led Ella and Josie into the house.

“No worries, Graham. Goodnight all,” then took Jake by the shoulder and went indoors.

Jake was