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Jackser let me out te play, an I dashed across the road te a gang of childre who were standin aroun a door in one of the houses opposite. They took one look at me an told me te get lost. I didn’t move, cos I hoped they’d change their minds. But instead, they all jumped on me an hit me. So I got up an ran fer the safety of me own hall. After a few minutes, I put me head out the door, an they were still there, watchin over an waitin fer me te come out again. No fear! I rushed up the stairs an in the door, an Jackser was waitin fer me. I thought he’d agree wit me, them childre was very treacherous! But instead, he gave me a box an lifted me offa the floor, roarin, ‘I saw ye! Runnin from them kids when they hit ye! Get back over there an pick out the leader. Beat the fuck outa him an the rest will leave ye alone. Now go! Remember, I’ll be watchin ye from this winda. An ye’ll have me te reckon wit if ye don’t do as I say.’
I shot out the door an down the stairs, an flew through the hall, thinkin, they’re all big young fellas, they’ll kill me. But Jackser would kill me more. If I put up a good fight, then tha’s me only chance. Jackser might not kill me then. I whipped open the front door, an, still runnin, I leapt across the road. I could see they all had their backs te me an their heads close together. They were busy lookin at somethin a young fella had in his hand. I leapt on them, bangin two of their heads together an lashin out wit me foot at the same time at the other fella, who looked up in surprise. I was all legs an arms, lashin out, the fear in me drivin me on. The young fellas were too surprised an shocked tha a squirt of a young one like me would come back at them. An before they had a chance te come te their senses, I was gone! Back te Jackser te report tha I’d carried out his orders.
Me brother Charlie is two now, an he’s walkin by himself. I’m very annoyed, though, cos me ma tells me I was only seven a coupla months ago. I’ve been tellin people I’m seven fer ages. Tha means now I have te wait years before I’m grown up te wear stockins an high heels, an have a big fat purse wit loads a money te buy all the sweets I want. An go te England te get away from Jackser.
Every mornin I have te get up an get Charlie dressed an take him out on the street. It’s still dark, an nobody is outa their beds yet. An we walk up an down the street, me holdin tight onta Charlie’s hand, an I don’t know why we do this every mornin. Me ma stays snug in her bed as we leave the room, an I wonder when we can come back. It’s dark an freezin cold out here as we walk up an down, an I’m thinkin it must be cos Jackser wants te pretend we don’t live wit him. He’s always shoutin at me ma tha he doesn’t want other men’s bastards aroun an she has te get rid of us. Ma looks at us like she’s very annoyed wit us, but she doesn’t know wha te do, so she looks away. She’s stopped botherin about us now, an if I try te talk te her like I used te, she’s not bothered. She’ll only talk te Jackser. The only time she wants te talk te me is if I bring her back money or somethin she wants.
The ma makes sure I go everywhere wit Jackser an then tell her if he was lookin at women or talkin te his friends about them, or maybe if he was seein one. I always tell her he was doin nothin. I learnt me lesson good an proper when he nearly threw Charlie over the banisters. So I’m not tellin them anythin tha will start a row. I tell them nothin about anythin, an Jackser beats inta me tha I’m never te tell anyone wha happens at home. So I don’t answer questions people ask me, like, where’d ye get the black eyes, or, wha’s them zig-zag blue marks on yer legs an arms an back? I say nothin.
This mornin I was walkin up an down the street, holdin Charlie’s hand. An it was very cold. It was beginnin te get light, an a few cars were movin up an down, an people were startin te go te work. A man came over te us an asked me te show him where someone lived in one of the houses. I ignored him an tried te walk on, but he took me arm an pulled me along the street an inta one of the houses. I was holdin tight te Charlie’s hand, an I couldn’t run away, cos Charlie could only take little steps. He brought us up the stairs an lifted up Charlie, cos we weren’t fast enough. An he hurried up the stairs, wit me still holdin tight te Charlie’s hand an rushin te keep up. Then he stopped an put Charlie down an lifted me up. I wouldn’t let go of me brother’s hand, an he was bein lifted inta the air, too. So the man lay down on the stairs an tried te put me lyin on top of him. I was afraid te do or say anythin, cos the man might get upset an hurt me, or, even worse, hurt me brother, who’s very small. He didn’t notice or care or even see me poor little brother, who was tryin te grip me from the man wit his free hand. I was bein tugged inta the air te get me te release me brother’s hand. ‘Let him go an come wit me an I’ll buy ye sweets!’ he kept sayin. But I started te cry, an me brother started te cry. An the man couldn’t get me on top of him. Then the man put his hand over me brother’s mouth te quieten him. An I panicked, cos he’d smother him. I shouted, ‘Let him go! Jackser’s comin! An ye won’t get down the stairs, cos he’ll kill ya. Gerraway from him!’ I was jumpin up an down on the stairs, screamin me lungs out in fright. An the man heard a noise comin from one of the rooms an dropped Charlie an ran off.