I woke up in some sort of building. It was dark as there were no windows. I don't know how long I was out.
A door opened and somebody walked in. "You're finally awake are you?"
All I could think to say was, "What am I doing here?"
"You will be here for a while longer so get used to it," was the reply.
"How long have I been here?"
"Since yesterday," came the reply.
"WHY?"
"Enough questions. There is some food here. Eat it as it will be the last 'till tomorrow."
"May I have a drink?"
"I will get you some," came the reply.
I don't know how long after someone came back, told me to get up and be quick about it.
"Why?" then got a swipe across my cheek.
"No questions, just do as you're told."
I could see a person near the door so I walked over to him. He put something over my eyes and then we walked out of the door. We walked down what seemed to be a corridor. I was taken to what I think was a van and told to get in and be quiet. Next thing the van started moving. We stopped and I heard some gates opening, we started moving again. We stopped again and the doors opened to the back of the van. I was told to get out and be quick about it.
I was put in a single room with the windows blacked out. There was a chair in the corner, a single bed against the wall. Then my hands were tied to the headboard.
I fell asleep. Someone came in and saw I was awake. I heard a man speak, he spoke to me. "Well Matt," (How did he know my name?)"you are probably wondering why you are here?"
"How do you know my name?" I said.
"I know a lot more about you than you think Master Matt."
I was scared now. "Where am I?"
"Let me start from the beginning. When you were born your mother took you away. Your father didn't even know about you, didn't even know you existed. But he will, if he doesn't already. Oh yes, you have parents, well one anyway. Your Mum died shortly after you were born, car accident.
"I found out about you after she died. I gathered all I could about you and your Father. Your Daddy is worth a mint. I intend cashing in on some of his wealth, and you are the bait. You are going to be here for a few days so get used to it. Now you know why you are here, I suggest you behave. As you already know if you can't then you will get worse than you already have."
I remembered the slap I got earlier.
"Now we understand each other, I expect we will get on, okay?. You will be secured to the bed till tomorrow when you will also be able to go out back to walk around." Then he left.
I lay awake for I don't know how long, thinking about all that had been said, trying to work everything out, I didn't.
Next morning a tray with some food was brought in, with a glass of water. About an hour later the man who spoke to me last night came back into the room.
"Good morning," he said, "how did you sleep?" He laughed and then continued, "Your father is now checking out what he was told yesterday, I hope for your sake he takes what he has been told seriously. You are a has-been, and won't be missed. So I will do whatever I have to do to get paid or keep you silent. You understand?"
I was really scared, he was right, who would miss a throw away....
Later in the day someone came into the room, "You want to go outside?"
"Yes," I said.
He untied the my hands from the bed, tied them up again behind my back and then guided me out of the room. It was nice to get some fresh air. He went inside I think because I heard a door open then close. Then it all seemed to go quiet. I tried to loosen the rag that was tied to my wrists.
Sometime later they came to take me back inside. I asked if could have something to drink. He went out and came back with a glass of water.
That night I again was going over what the man had said. Did I have any other family? Why had they not asked about where I was? Did they care? If they didn't then I was in serious trouble, especially if what he said, that my father doesn't even know I exist. Man was I in trouble.
The next morning food was brought in, they untied one of my hands so I could eat. I asked if they could take off the blindfold, "I can't go anywhere."
He went out and came back a few minutes later, and removed the blindfold.
After I finished eating they took everything away and tied my arm back up. I was left alone again. Some time went by and they came to take me outside. There was a wall that went all the way round the back of the house. There was a gate at the side of the house, it looked flimsy. It was very quiet. It must have been out in the sticks somewhere. In the other corner of the house there was some loose ground as if someone had been digging. "I dread to think what". Seeing that made me worry more.
A few minutes later I was taken back indoors. After that I was left alone in the room for the rest of the day, and night. I started to think about what I was going to do. Things looked bleak for me, as I thought now I had seen at least one person I wasn't really safe any longer, if I was at all.
After breakfast the next day, I was anxious for them to take me outside to do some more checking, especially the loose ground.
When they finally came, they untied my hands. I had to stop myself from running outside. After they let me out they left me alone as usual. Without giving away what I was doing, I checked out the yard as best as I could without drawing attention.
The next day I wasn't taken out, which got to me. The man that spoke to me when I was kidnapped (That word was really frightening) came into the room. I didn't know who he was until he spoke.
"So how do you think you are being treated?" I didn't say anything. "I have been talking to your father for the last couple of days, I am not sure he is taking this serious. If he does not say what I want to hear then I am going have to show him I mean what I say."
I felt my forehead get moist when he said that. As calm as I could I asked if I could go outside.
He looked and then said, "Why not?" It sounded so cynical the way he replied.
After what seemed like an hour someone came and took me outside. With my hands free it felt good, I went a bit closer to the corner to take a closer look for anyway to get away. I heard the door open so I sat against the house. When he saw where I was, he went back inside convinced I was still here. After he went inside I looked around again for anyway to escape.
If there was any way out, I didn't see it, but I couldn't give up. I was looking around when a glare caught my eye. I looked and saw what looked like a piece of an old bottle. I picked it up and put in my pocket, it may help if I can keep my hands loose. Shortly they came to take me back inside. I asked to go to the toilet as we got inside. He took me, and then back to what was my room. He tied my hands to the bed then left.
As it was going dark they brought me something to eat and drink. While I was eating I was trying to work out how to get away. I had the piece of glass but for that my hands had to be free. I took the glass out of my pocket and put it under the pillow.
As a last resort, when they came in I asked if they could leave my hands free as it was hard to sleep and stay asleep with my hands tied to the bed. He didn't say anything just walked out.
A few minutes later he came back in and said I couldn't be left untied, but he said he could tie them behind my back, I had to take it or leave it. I took it.
He tied my hands like he said then left. I had the glass, but even then it would not be easy to cut the rags they used to tie my hands. When everything seemed quiet, I got the glass and struggled to position it near my hands. At first I kept cutting more of me than the bounds that were holding me. It took a while but was able to get my hands loose. "Now What?"
I got off the bed and slowly (praying at the same time) that they hadn't locked the door, as it was the only way out of the room. Two pieces of luck in one day. Third time lucky was out of the question.
With the door slightly ajar I looked cautiously into what was a hallway. With no one about I stepped out of the room. Went to the concrete stairs ahead and quietly started to climb them. I laid against the steps as I got to the top, after looking around all seemed quiet, so I went towards were they took me to go out into the yard. The door again wasn't locked so I stepped outside. I didn't know what I was going to do but this was a start.
There was no way over the wall as I gathered when I had been out, so I took a look at where the ground had been dug. It was loose soil so I began to scrape away as silently as I could. When I had dug down a bit, there was a pipe that had been replaced going under the wall. I kept digging till I could see outside of the wall. I held my breath as I squeezed through the gap.
I was out now. What do I do? It was dark, and in the middle of nowhere. I decided to find somewhere I could hide to get out of the open. So I just ran as hard as my legs could carry me.
I had been running for I don't know how long when I saw what looked like a cesspit. I ran too it, the smell was awful, but it would have to do. Then I spotted a long row of hedges so went to check them out. If I laid down on the other side of the hedge it looked like I was completely hidden. I lay down as flat as I could then waited. I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was absolutely soaked. It wasn't quite daylight but during the night it had started to rain. Oh, the English weather. I had to stay where I was wet or not (rain or not).
Before the sun started to come up I heard what I thought was talking, if it was, then for sure they were looking for me.
I laid there frightened, I thought to myself, "Why had this happened to me?" I don't think there was an answer.
As the sun came up I slowly lifted my head to look over the hedge. I was in the middle of nowhere, but where I didn't know. I couldn't stay where I was, so I had to find a way to get as far from here as possible. I didn't know where I was going to go. My dad, if he exists, doesn't believe he has a son. I can't go to the home because they would go looking for me there. If I went to the police they would only send me back to where I live, and I daren't go back there.
So what was I going to do?
I am here now but I don't know how I got here. I mean to say what happened after leaving school, I think about 3 days ago, getting kidnapped.
My life wasn't perfect before, but at least I was happy. Now I am on the run from those who took me, the police and god knows who else. I am 11 years old, if this is what life is going to be like then I don't want it.
I am cold, hungry and wet.
I must have fallen asleep. I woke up with the sun beating down on me. I was still wet, but now I was covered in mud. I think if I had a gun I would have shot myself right there. Then I started thinking. There would only be one loser and that would be me and I sure wasn't gonna let anyone get away with what they did to me and the mess I was in, especially as I didn't do anything wrong. That's what I kept telling myself.
So what was I going to do?
I started to walk slowly away, keeping my head down. I walked till I came across a dirt track. I followed it away from the way I came. In between resting, I walked on one dirt track after another till it started to get dark. I thought I was going to have to sleep outside again when I noticed what looked like a painted hut. I went towards it and saw it was an old signal box. That had to mean I was near a village or town.
As I got closer to the hut, I saw the tracks and a light in the distance. I came to what looked like a part time station. I got onto the platform and walked to the exit. I found the way out. There was what looked like an alcove (I suppose to stop getting wet), and there was a phone box. I sat in the alcove for what seemed like an hour but was closer to 20 minutes. Then I had a thought, but I had to find somewhere to go until it was dark, so I slept in the old signal box.
This may really sound dumb, but I rang 999 emergency and asked for the police. When they answered I quickly told them what had happened. I don't think they believed what I was telling them (Who could blame them? I wouldn't believe me). Before I hung up I told them to check the home I stayed at. I didn't stick around because for certain they would check the phone box where I made the call.
Sure enough the police came to check phone box where I had called them from. I started walking again (God knows where). I walked most of the night, hid behind a hedge and got a little more sleep. I was getting really hungry, but I couldn't do anything about that.
Nightfall I did the same again, 999, police. When they answered I told them who I was, the phone went dead. I was going to put the phone down when someone spoke. When he spoke he asked where I was. I said nothing, put the phone down, and then got as far away as possible.
About an hour later I rang again. After I was put through the same man spoke to me. I told them I couldn't go back to the home as who ever took me in the first place would know where to find me. He said they had checked the home and I hadn't been seen since Monday. I asked what day it was and he said it was Saturday. I said I would ring back later and put the phone down.
It was getting to the point where I had to trust someone, so the next time I rang I asked if he could meet me somewhere, but I didn't know where I was. I asked where they had traced the calls to, he said as far as they knew I was in near Camborne. I asked where that was and he said Cornwall.
I told him I didn't know anywhere here. I asked where he was and he said St Ives. I asked how far that was from where I had rung from. He said about an hour's drive. I was going to hang up when he said, "Trust me I won't send you anywhere you don't want to go."
He sounded sincere so I said you say that now, he said I had been on long enough to send a dozen police cars to pick you up, can you see any?.
I told him I was scared and didn't know what to do.
"Trust me," he said again. He said that if I stayed where I was he would come, but only him.
I said I would wait and hung up.
A little over an hour later a car drove up close to the phone box, I waited to see what would happen. One man got out of the car and waited, I walked away from the bushes, but stood looking at him.
When he saw me he walked slowly towards me and stopped just in front of me. "Hello Matt," he said.
When I asked if he was alone, he said yes. (What could I do anyway?) I just broke down and cried, I felt like a baby but at that moment it didn't matter.
He came to me and put his hand out, I grabbed it and just stood there, he said that after I rang yesterday they did check the home, but they did it quietly so as not to arouse suspicion. "I know you don't trust me, but please listen to what I have to say."
After he had finished talking I told him what had happened. I told him what the man had said who took me. I asked whether it was true that I had a family.
He said that he didn't know and wouldn't till they found the man who took me. I asked where I go now. He asked if I would come back with him
"I can't," I said. "I had been hit, lied to then taken. I just want to die.
He said, "I know you have been through more than most adults, please just trust me."
He took me to what looked like a hospital. "Nobody knows you are here but me and a doctor friend of mine. You will be safe I promise you Matt."
He took me inside the building and we were met by another man in a white coat, "Matt meet Jeremy."
"Hi," I said.
"Let's get you into a room and then we can talk."
We went inside a room with a bed. He told me I would be staying here till they could get things arranged. He said, "Go and get yourself cleaned up in the bathroom over there."
The warm water felt good and I didn't feel dirty anymore. When I came out of the bathroom, Jeremy was there so was the policeman. I asked what his name was.
"Gerald," he said. "I am going now, but I will be back in the morning, just me, I promise."
I walked up to him with tears in my eyes and said, "Thank You."
Jeremy told me, he and Gerald were going. He said to get some sleep. Before he went he said there were some Pyjamas in the cupboard at the side of the bed, then he went.
I was exhausted. I got in bed. That was the last thing I remembered till I was woke up the following morning.
About 10 Jeremy came in and asked if I slept well.
"Yeah," I said, "best sleep I have had for a while."
A couple minutes later Gerald came in and smiled in my direction. "So tell me," Gerald said, "can you remember anything about where you were held?"
"I'm not sure, but I could try and trace my steps back to when I got here. Most of the time I was on dirt tracks."
"So if I took you to the signal box could you try and re-track back where you came from?"
"I could try but I did a lot of walking in the dark."
"Okay," he said. "What if you describe some of the things you saw?"
"Oh, okay. Well, I think I was in a house. There was a tall brick wall all around the back. When I got out, there was nothing but what looked like gravel. Then it was fields. I was running for a bit when I saw a cesspit ahead. I was going to get in when I saw a long line of hedges. I slept behind them. Then I thought I heard noises. I thought maybe they had come looking for me, I was frightened.
"Then there was daylight. I was wet and covered in mud. I looked over the hedge and saw nothing, so I started to walk slowly away, keeping my head down. I walked till I came across a dirt track. I thought I was gonna have to sleep outside again and then spotted the signal box. I slept in there till dark, then thought I would ring emergency and ask for the police, but then get away in case you traced the call to the phone box. Eventually, I hoped you would check out what a crazy kid kept saying. That's all I can really remember."
"It's a start," he said, then got on his radio, and told them what I had told him.
I stayed at the place Gerald had taken me too for a few days.
While I was there he came nearly every day and asked me questions,
I told him I had seen one guy and only heard the other one.
I described what the one I had seen looked like,
He asked about the other one, but I never saw his face.
He told me I would make a pretty decent witness.
About 3 days later Gerald came, he said they think they had found the property where I was held. Forensics were there now, searching for clues.
Then he told me that his chief said that the Hampshire Force, had been dealing with a case of blackmail. The case (events) seemed to tie in with this one. In the meantime they said they would have to take me somewhere, as I couldn't stay here forever.
I was put in some kind of foster home. I was there for a couple of weeks. They had me talking to a psychiatrist. I hated that.
Gerald came to the foster home and said he had some pictures that he wanted me to look at. He put them on the table. The second picture I saw was one of the guys that held me.
"Good lad," he said, then said he would be back.
Months passed I had heard nothing, not even from Gerald.
Then one day he came and said he wanted me to go to the station. He wanted me to go to a lineup to see if I recognised anyone.
When we got to the police station a policeman took us into a room. In the room was some glass on the wall. I could see into another room.
Then some men started walking into the other room in single file.
The one in the uniform asked me to look at the men to see if I knew any of them.
There were five men stood in a line.
I looked at the men, and then said I knew the 4th man.
He asked how I knew him,
I told him, "He was the one that brought me food and took me outside."
After he took me back home he said I did good, ruffled my hair then smiled.
A few days later I was taken back to the police station. We went to what looked like an office,
Next a man in uniform came in with another man, Gerald said "This is Mr. Turner."
"Hi," I said.
Gerald looked at me, and then said, "Matt I think this man may be your Father."
Stunned, I looked around the room, and then the man stood at the side of me.
The man said, he was once married to my mother.
I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there.
After about five minutes, Gerald said, "Do you know what a DNA test is?"
I wasn't sure so I said I didn't know for sure.
He said, "With DNA you can find out if someone is related."
"How?" I asked.
He said that they would take some of my blood and test it.
I couldn't speak.
Then he said that they would do the same with Mr. Turner.
The man in the room seemed to be looking straight though me.
I said that I wanted to go home.
Gerald said, "I know this maybe a shock. You have got through everything that has been done to you. This is just another hurdle you have to get over. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," I said. I still didn't understand so I said, "How come he never bothered with me? I thought a Father was supposed to lookout for his kids?"
"I can't answer that right now but may be able too after you have had the test."
They really must have known me better than I knew myself, because when I said yes Jeremy came into the room.
Gerald took me to the hospital where they did the test.
Next thing I knew Gerald tells me I have to go to court.
I said, "No," as I was frightened.
"Those men can't hurt you anymore," he said.
He said he could ask the judge if I can use what they call a video link.
"You get asked questions, but you wouldn't be in court. The solicitor will see you, and you could see them, but the men that hurt you couldn't. You have to be brave this one more time. Do you think you could do that?"
"I suppose."
He took me back home. I went straight to my room. I needed to think about all that had happened. It seemed I did have parents, well at least one. Why if what the man said did my mum not tell my father anything about me? Then what was the most important to me was, who the man was, that could be my dad? Could this be them trying to get me again, all these things kept going round in my head. Then I thought, no as Gerald would check any person who wanted to see me. My head was hurting. I just wish all this would end even if it was still just me.
I tried to get in touch with Gerald about this man that was saying he was my father, but he was never in. I missed going to school, going out walking with no worry, not having to look at everyone just in case.
Normally I was self-assured, outgoing, and now I was stuck in... I don't know, but it was something that didn't seem to have an ending. Even if they were put away they could still get me.
About 2 weeks later Gerald came to see me, it was about the results to the test I had. He said the man I saw was my father.
That just brought up another barrel of questions I didn't have any answers to. So I asked, "What now?"
He said my father wanted to see me if I would let him. I asked if he would be there. He said "No, this was something we had to do alone, him and me."
I asked, "When?"
He said when I was ready.
It turned out he was a Business Consultant, and owned many Management Companies. That's why I had been taken, so they could get a lot of money from the man. My father didn't know anything about me so wouldn't pay them.
He came one day to the home to talk to me. He asked if I was ready to, as he put it, "Go home".
We went to where he lived, boy was it nice.
He had taken me out a few times, for a coke, sightseeing, but I only called him Sir.
One day he came to take me out and said he had something to show me. Curiosity got the better of me, I had to see.
I had been to his home a few times but never really saw it (If you know what I mean).
He said he hoped that one day I could settle around him, but said he understood it would take time.
We went for a tour of his house, it was enormous. Then he showed me what would be my room. Boy did it have some cool stuff. He told me when I was ready, this was all mine.
I must have forgotten to say he didn't live in the city. He lived way out in the country. His house looked like a mansion, probably was. At my age a house is a house, it was either big or small.
Well it was big, at the front of the house you had gardens that seemed to stretch for miles. When you were driving to the house there was, one big set of gates. When you went through them it felt like you had to drive a mile to the house. Then what looked like half a street at the front of the house to park. The gravel was noisy.
Later he took me back home. Where I lived at the home, was like a normal house, a normal street, but I didn't have anything like games systems, not even anything to listen to music on.
Oh, I forgot, he had a housekeeper and a few people that cleaned the house.
Whenever I went to the house Maria was always nice to me (She was the housekeeper), she always made me feel good.
One day while driving to the house he asked if I was ready to stay at the house (move in).
I didn't have to be asked twice.
(Oh, I forgot something else. When he used to take me anywhere he always bought me something, whether it was clothes, toys. All sorts really). I told him I missed school (Daft I know)
He said, once I got settled in I could go to any school I wanted.
Oh another thing, he was big and broad, about 6 foot or as I would say, A Brick Toilet.
Even though I had grown over the last year you could still say I was small. But being small does have it advantages especially when playing football.
After I moved in I asked him if I could call him Dad, without so much as a word he picked me up, threw me in the air and hugged me. Maria came in when she heard the commotion, smiled when she saw what was going on.
"Master Matt," she said. I scrunched up my nose and she laughed. "Okay, we will make that Matt." I went over and hugged her as tight as I could.
I know my dad was rich (Very Rich) but money can only buy so much. And all the money in the world could not have bought how I felt.
Things started to settle down a little, and then it was time to go to court. I couldn't seem to calm down. I was up tight all the time.
On the day I was supposed to talk (Give evidence). I was really nervous. I was told again that the only people that could see me were the Judge, the Lawyers and the Jury. I don't know if I did everything I was supposed to, but the jury found them guilty. They didn't even ask for reports on the men. They were given Life with a minimum to serve of 10 years.
There wasn't much said on the way home, but dad did look at me a few times. When we got inside he asked if I was okay.
I said, "I think I am alright, I am just glad it was all over." From the day I had told Gerald what had happened to me, and the court case ended, it had took 12 months, now I hoped it was finally over.
My dad said we should have a break, so we went away for a few days to relax.
When we came back, my dad started looking at some of the schools.
It was the start of another new term. I was hoping I could get on the football team.
The End