Chapter seven: The Shift:

“Hello?” a middle-aged woman asked. “Is anybody home?” Atticus froze in his futon. Who was that? The boy hid under the sheets and kept quiet.

“Hello?” the woman asked. “Is anyone home?” Footsteps grew closer to the living room. A toe poked the child in the back. Atticus lifted his head, acting like he just woke up. A woman in a nice brown dress suit stood over him with a clipboard in her hands. Atticus blinked at her.

“Who are you?” he asked. The lady cleared her throat.

“Good morning,” she said. “I am with the child welfare agency. How are you this morning?”

“Huh?” the boy asked. The lady knelt down to the futon.

“We received a call from the neighbors over a couple of days,” she explained.
“They hinted that you were suffering from neglect. Where is your mother?” Atticus shook his head.

“Oh dear,” the woman said. “Do you mind if I look around the house for a bit?”

“Uh…” Atticus said.

“Okay,” the lady said. She stood up and started walking around the house. Atticus sat up, rubbing the back of his head. What was happening? He pinched himself in the cheek. Footsteps moved around the house. He didn’t dare to move. More footsteps walked into the house. Atticus turned his head. His mother stood in the doorway.

“I’m home,” she muttered. Her son didn’t move. Footsteps walked into the living room. His mother reached over and turned off the TV. Atticus ducked under the sheets. This mother stood over him.

“What’s going on here?” she asked. Atticus shook his head under the sheets. The social worker walked back into the room.

“Ah, are you the child’s mother?” she asked. Atticus’ mother raised her eyebrow.

“Who’s asking?” she asked.

“I am with the child welfare agency,” the woman said. “I got calls about neglect.” Atticus’ mother rolled her eyes.

“Whatever,” she mumbled. The woman turned and walked out the door.

“Miss!” the social worked yelled. “Miss, come back here!” She chased after that woman. Atticus sat on his futon, confused.

It didn’t take long for the conversation to go down. The social worker walked back into the house.

“Pack up your things,” she said. “You are leaving?”

“What for?” Atticus asked.

“Your mother gave up custody of you,” she said. “You are going to live your grandmother from now on.”

“I have a grandmother?” he asked.

“Yes, pack up your things,” the social worker said. Atticus felt that he had no choice. By ten o’clock, Atticus left that woman’s house for good. He didn’t have to leave his old neighborhood. Turns out, his grandmother lived in the nicer house down the road. How would Atticus adjust to his new surroundings?

His mother never came to see him. But, he still got to play with Aoi. It wouldn’t be long before changes came for her too.