Free Epiworld by Tracey Morait Page B

my guard. ‘What does he want?’
    Mr Fraser doesn’t look at me as he says, ‘He’s brought someone to see you.’
    ‘Who is it?’
    He doesn’t answer. He looks shady.
    ‘Hello, Travis.’ Dr Mac comes into the kitchen, followed by a young woman wearing boots under a long skirt, a long black cardigan, pale blue top, and a kind of chain with a plastic label around her neck. She’s light-skinned, her eyes are brown and slightly slanted, and she’s quite pretty. There’s a photograph of her on the label, and a name: ‘Lucy Wu.’
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    T he attractive Ms Wu turns out to be a social worker, something I’ve never heard of, but I soon find out. She’s come to take me to something called a ‘children’s home’. It sounds like another institution to me.
    ‘Now come on, laddie,’ says Mr Fraser, as he blocks my exit to the back door, ‘it’s for your own good, you know. You can’t stay here.’
    ‘Jack!’ says Mrs Fraser. There are tears in her eyes. ‘What have you done?’
    ‘It was my idea, not Jack’s,’ says Dr Mac. ‘Travis, come here. Listen to me, lad.’
    I’m so angry I can hardly breathe.
    ‘Travis, it isn’t safe for you here,’ says Dr Mac patiently. ‘It’s dangerous being around all the farm machinery with your seizures. It’s clear to me you’re homeless, you have no family. At fifteen...’
    From somewhere within me I find the words, ‘I’m sixteen!’
    ‘We’re not responsible for you, laddie,’ Mr Fraser butts in roughly. ‘They’ll take better care of you in the home.’
    ‘Demi will be gutted,’ sighs Mrs Fraser.
    ‘I’m not goin’ to no bloody institution!’ I flare up.
    ‘Fiveways is a lovely place,’ says Lucy Wu. She has a soft voice, and such a slight body I’m sure I could snap her in half if she got in my way. ‘You’ll make lots of friends there. It’s only until we trace your family...’
    ‘They’re dead!’
    ‘In that case you must be properly cared for until we can place you with a foster family, or until you’re old enough to support yourself,’ says Lucy Wu calmly. ‘Come along with me, now. We’ve got an hour’s drive.’
    ‘Drive?’
    ‘Yes; Fiveways is just outside Kirkness.’
    Kirkness is a town on the other side of Barrasay. I’ve been there twice with Mr Fraser and Angus. I make another break for the door, but Lucy Wu has other ideas.
    ‘Boys!’ she calls. ‘I need some help in here!’
    The kitchen door opens, and two strong young men walk in. Between them they carry me, shouting and bawling, across the yard to a waiting van.
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    F iveways is all right. It’s clean, my room is light and airy, the bed is comfortable, the food is great, they look after me when I have my seizures, some of the girls fancy me, and I can come and go as I please. It isn’t a prison, or an institution, but it feels like one to me.
    I’m not staying.
    I don’t want to go to a foster home, whatever that is. I’m so disruptive I make sure no one wants me. They try to place me in a local school, but I run away. I pick fights with some of the lads in the home, and get a reputation as a bully. I hope to become that annoying they’ll give up on me, and send me back to the farm. I miss Mrs Fraser, Demi – and the cave! The weeks pass by; I’m still at the home, so I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.
    Only if I turn up at the farm they’ll send me straight back here. If I want to get right away I’ll have to get off the island completely. It’s the only way.
    Kirkness is on the coast, but it doesn’t have a ferry terminal; all ferries to and from Barrasay go from Crianvarich. I check the bus and ferry timetables posted in the tourist information window the next time I’m in town. There’s an early bus back to Crianvarich, and then from there a ferry to a town called Oban early the following day. I know where that is; I’ve studied the map of Scotland at school. I need money for the