Amy had found Mr Bench who was also working from home. At first he was very angry with Katie and Amy for going up to the Tower but realising that Katie was in danger forced him to concentrate on making sure his daughter was safe.
Donald knew Shambles too but he and Lawless had promised to keep his whereabouts secret.
They had managed this by keeping up the story that the place was haunted and erecting the no trespassers sign.
They quickly met up with Lawless on the road and practically ran to the Tower, on the way they could hear the sirens from the police car coming up the long lane towards the Tower.
They weren't the only ones who had heard the sirens.
Crack and Weavel began shouting at Katie, “your mate has done this hasn't she?”
“I don't know” Katie yelled back.
Weavel then snapped and was going to grab Katie when Crack turned to him and said, “come on it's time we left.”
The pair did nothing more but hurry from the room down the two dimly lit flights of stairs and out through the door.
Katie turned to Shambles, “are you ok?”
“Yes Katie I'm fine, how are you?”
“Ok Shambles.” Then they hugged each other both grateful to be safe and well.
Crack and Weavel were making a run for it down the steps which were the only way down because Tower Hill had steep cliffs on all sides.
Despite their efforts both men were caught by the police, infact it was PC Fleck and PC Wand who were responsible for catching them.
PC Fleck was a large man of six foot six inches with a large burly frame to match. He grabbed Bill Crack by the scruff of the neck, but Crack tried to break free from his grasp. PC Fleck was a very strong man and he had the stronger hold of him.
PC Wand tripped Weavel up with her size seven Police issue boots and Sargeant Strogle picked him up from the ground after hand cuffing him. The same fate being given to Crack by PC Fleck.
Sargeant Strogle said “right lads it's the slammer for you, and he told both men they would be going away for a long time, as they were already on parole.
Amy, Lawless and Donald had caught up with the police and Lawless turned to the men and said “why did you do this?”
Crack replied “we wanted his money.”
Donald butted in, “but he doesn't have any money, he's penniless, that's why he lives here.”
Weavel said “we thought there was treasure here.”
“Treasure?” said Sargeant Strogle “there's no treasures or riches here.” And with that the two were led off by the police.
Amy, Lawless and Donald quickly went up into the tower to find Katie and Shambles.
When they found them the pair were still sat close together comforting each other.
As soon as Katie saw her dad she jumped up and hugged him.
He hugged her back for what seemed like an eternity but then he pushed her away saying “don't you ever frighten the life out of me like that again girl,” but then he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her head.
Lawless asked them if either of them had been harmed.
Shambles replied, “no not really we're both ok aren't we Katie?”
Katie turned from hugging her dad and nodded.
Lawless said to the girls that they had done wrong by coming to the Tower without permission and wrong to do it in secret, but said that they had both acted bravely when it had come to it.
Amy asked “will you tell mum and dad Uncle Lawless?”
He shrugged and said “no but I want to, just think Amy how would I have explained this to your parents if you had been seriously hurt or worse?”
“Sorry Uncle Lawless.”
“Anyway Lawless” said Shambles as he approached, “they have been a tonic for me over these last few days, it has been lovely to have company.”
Amy looked at her Uncle, “do you know Shambles?”
Lawless replied “I have known him for years but not for as long as you have Don?”
“You know him too dad?” Katie asked.
“Yes Katie I have known him since I was about your age, he's my best friend.”
“Oh dad I never knew” gasped Katie, “you kept that a secret.”
“Yes love I did because all Shambles wants is to be left alone, isn't that right Shambles?”
“Yes Donald my boy that's what I've always wanted.”
“Why?” Asked Amy.
Lawless put his hand on Amy's shoulder and told her he would explain later, “right now I think we should leave Shambles on his own.”
“Good idea” chirped in Donald, “that alright with you Shambles?”
“Yes for now I would like to be left alone, Lawless when will my portrait be finished?”
“I will bring it to you tomorrow.”
“Good” replied Shambles and with that they all left leaving Shambles behind as they made their way back to Fogan.
That evening Lawless told Amy the reason why Shambles lived in the tower.
He told her that many years ago Shambles was a very successful businessman and was very rich. He had a wife and two daughters about Katie and Amy's age.
But one day two armed men broke into his house to steal money from him.
Shambles refused to give them anything and he tried to grab the gun from one of the men.
A struggle took place and Shambles was shot in the chest.
The two men then turned on his wife and two daughters who were all killed.
Shambles physically recovered after spending many weeks in hospital but never recovered from the loss of his family.
His Business suffered, he became bankrupt and turned to drink. He ended up living on the streets and eventually ended up living in Fogan in the Tall Tower.
Amy thought this was the saddest story she had ever heard and just wanted to give Shambles a hug.
The next morning just before her parents were due to collect her, Amy and Lawless made the climb up the hill to see Shambles.
Lawless carried a package with him it was about three feet long and two feet wide, Amy asked if it was the portrait Shambles had asked about.
“Yes it is.”
“Ooh can I see it?”
“No” replied her uncle “you will have to wait and see.”
A few minutes later they were standing in Shambles room in the Tower.
After greeting each other with pleasantries Lawless took the portrait and gave it to Shambles.
Shambles put the portrait on the side board against the wall near where he usually sat. Lawless pulled back the cover to reveal what was a spectacular portrait of Shambles.
Amy gasped in awe.
Shambles looked at it carefully and then turned to Lawless, “yes, yes, I like it.”
Shambles thanked Lawless and tried to explain that he couldn't pay him.
“I don't want anything from you Shambles our friendship is enough.”
But Shambles although a hermit was a man of pride, he reached into the pocket of his tatty waistcoat and brought out a silver locket with a matching chain and handed it to Lawless saying “this is the only thing of value that I have and I would like you to have it.”
Lawless looked at the locket knowing that it was solid silver and very valuable as it was a family heirloom, but graciously declined the gift.
Just as a friendly argument was about to begin over who should keep the locket they could hear what sounded to be people coming up the steps.
Amy got the biggest surprise of her life when her mum and dad walked into the room.
Amy ran to hug them not quite believing what was happening.
Shambles face lit up too as he recognised Arthur and Calamity.
He had known them a long time, especially Arthur who he had known since he was a little boy.
Amy looked to her mother and asked “do you know about Shambles too?”
Her mum smiled down at her and said “yes we all know about Shambles and this place.”
&nb
sp; Amy looked across the room and smiled at Shambles, she now felt very grown up as she knew she also had to keep this secret.
The End.
AMY PLEB AND HER WEEK OF DISASTERS.
I am Amy Pleb and this is my week of Disasters written by my own hand. These may not seem like disasters to grownups but to a 10 year old girl, they are major.
CHAPTER ONE
Amy Pleb Model Student
It is a Monday evening and I am sat at my desk in my bedroom. I am quite upset, infact I am distraught. I am sat looking at the result of the test I had done, before half term. It was a C-. I had never had a C- before in my whole life.
Today had been the first day back after half term and I swear it had been the worst day, I had at school ever. I had been given my grade by my class teacher Miss Cheeseburough. But I noticed frostiness in her tone when she spoke to me.
“Amy Pleb here's your mark.”
But when it came to the others in the class, she seemed less frosty faced.
I felt sick too, because I had to listen to Miss Cheeseburough bang on and on about how Dolly Wilhorn had got every question right on her paper.
“Oh well done Dolly. That was great Dolly.”
“You’re just Wonderful Dolly. You can cut down mountains and drink rivers.”
Miss Cheeseburough did not actually say that last part but I put that in because I was so fed up.
I was upset too because I had been sat with a new boy called Alfie Woodbeaver. He had taken the place of Radley Banks who is my best friend. Radley was not in school today, because he was poorly.
Having to sit next to Alfie all day was to say the least a bit smelly. He had broken wind about 20 times in an hour.
And his poops were just awful. And they didn't go away, even if tried to stiff them away. I even thought at one point that his poops were worse than my dad's. But then I came to my senses and realised that my dad's poops were so lethal that if he had been in school and broken wind, then he would have not only cleared the classroom but the entire school.
I have also fallen fowl of Mrs Fretwell, the schools head Teacher. She is a right bossy britches at the best of times.
“You’re late for this.”
“Too soon for that.”
“Don't run, walk.”
“Don't stand there”
I was caught talking in class when Mrs Fretwell came to talk Miss Cheesy face. But I was giving Alfie quite a telling off at the time, for breaking wind for the umpteenth time.
I was told off again for spilling gravy over Benny Pope’s trousers at lunch time. I did not do this deliberately. I had been passing the gravy jug to another girl Emma White and it slipped from my hand. Some of it went right on to Benny's brand new school trousers. But in a way I was glad that I had done it, because I don't like him that much because he smells of BO, which puts me off my food.
I realise now that there is no chance what so ever of my being nominated to sit at Mrs Fretwell's table on Friday, in the fine diner’s club.
I can also kiss goodbye to any chance of becoming pupil of the week on today’s performance alone. I think it’s out of the question to believe that the next three days would give me any chance to improve my position. Infact I think that this whole term may well turn out to be a dead loss, in my receiving any praise or awards from anybody.
My chances of becoming teacher’s pet again seem very slim. I have not been able to string one sentence together today without getting my tongue knotted.
My mental maths test had been marked lower than dolphin poo. And there is more chance of me growing wings and flying off into heaven, than me becoming a model student. But at least my mum and dad love me.
CHAPTER TWO
Amy Pleb and the Big fall out.
The next day being Tuesday was not much better, because I had a bust up with my best friend Molly Moat. Normally Molly and me were the bestest of friends, or as thick as thieves as my dad called us.
But Molly appears to have taken a shine to Radley, and she has been trying to get him to go out with her.
This makes me very angry because Radley seems to be taking a shine to her too. Which quite frankly has gone down as well having to eat three tons of Rhubarb? And I hate rhubarb. Infact I hate Rhubarb almost as much as Alfie Woodbeaver’s poops.
I was absolutely beside myself when at Lunch time Molly went up to Radley and just asked him out, as neat as you please. And I felt even worse when Radley appeared to be bowled over by the proposal too.
But just then I saw Radley give me a sideward glance and he saw me giving them both the evil eye and then said that he would think about it and went off to play with his mates.
I thought no more about it but went over to Molly and gave her a good telling off.
“What do you think you’re doing Molly?”
“I was only talking to him.”
“Only talking to him? You nearly had him pinned to the wall. You couldn’t have got a birthday card between you both!”
“Get lost I wasn’t!”
“Yes you were!”
“Was not!”
“Was too!”
“I don't even like him he's horrible!”
“He is not horrible he's lovely!”
Just then I heard someone crack out laughing. I turned round and there stood Ellie Reardon.
“Amy likes Radley. Amy likes Radley!”
She kept saying it over and over.
Then some other girls started to say the same thing. I could have died. I was so embarrassed. I could have slid down one of the school drains.
Just then Molly did something I did not expect, especially after how I had treated her.
She went straight up to Ellie and the other girls and pushed Ellie to the ground. No one saw her as we were stood around the back of the sports equipment shed. There were no teachers in sight. Molly was no weed and when she pushed Ellie she went flying.
Ellie got up from the ground and came back at Molly with her fists flying but Molly stood her ground and Ellie went down again. This time Ellie got up but did not go back for more, instead she stormed off with the other girls hurrying after her. The back of her school shirt was covered in splashes of mud and grass stains.
I looked at Molly in a daze. I felt so sorry that I had said those things to her and all the time she still stood up for me, when Ellie started having a go at me.
“I'm sorry Molly, I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
Molly just turned to me and said "I'm sorry too Amy, I'm sorry that I was so nasty to you and I don't fancy Radley!”
“Really?”
“Really, I like Danny Cook"
“Danny Cook?” I asked.
“Well if you like Danny Cook so much then why were you throwing ya self at Radley, when Danny was stood next to him?”
“Dur why do yeah think?”
“I don't know why?” I said but then felt very stupid.
“I know because you were trying to make him jealous!”
“Finally Amy you've got it. Honestly sometimes Amy you are really dumb!”
“Sorry Molly I had no idea you never said you liked him!”
“Who yeah I do but he's not been showing me any interest at all, so this is why I was chatting up Radley.”
Not much happened after that, me and Molly made up and become best buddies again and the lunch time ended and within a few minutes we were back in class for maths. Boring, boring, boring.
CHAPTER THREE
Amy Pleb Model Daughter.
I am in the bad books again. My Dad's declared my bedroom a no go area again. My mums not best pleased either. She has threatened to throw everything that's out of place, in the bin.
My Dad came into my room yesterday morning, to wake me up. But I was already awake and just pretended to be asleep.
I could hear him bumping into things, like toys and games left on the floor by yours truly. I counted at least five swear words, whisper
ed under his breath.
“Oh Amy it's like a flipping obstacle course in here.”
When he got to my bed, he attempted to wake me up but I again pretended to be asleep. But he soon realised that I was awake and touched me under the chin.
“I knew that you were awake!”
“Sorry Dad I thought it was funny!”
“You’re talking about funny Amy.
There's nothing funny about trying to walk in this bedroom, well you can’t walk you’re too busy tripping up and falling over stuff, it's not a bedroom it's a bomb sight I've seen tidier rubbish dumps!”
“Sorry Dad!” I said expecting what was coming next.
“Not as sorry as I am Amy!”
He always says that when I say Sorry. But he never says this when he is really angry or upset. Today I know from his voice that he is only joking. But I know too that he is not that happy with the state of the room.
And then he says seriously “Amy you will have to clean this place up or if not it definitely is a no go area.”
“I don't know what all the fuss is about. I can walk around my room fine. I know exactly where to put my feet without falling fowl of any obstacles. I can't help it if my dad can't walk without falling over.
Eventually I will have to give into all the endless,
“Amy tidy your room up love.”
“Amy isn't it time you tidied up?”
“Amy don't you think it’s time you had a clear out?”
“Amy we will tidy your room up on Sunday and your grounded until we do.”
“It’s ok Mum I'll do it.”
My dad always says that I could make De Moresby Manor look untidy. Because my untidiness isn't just limited to my bedroom. The lounge can be a no fly zone, when I have been in it, or the dining room, or infact any room that I have been in for any length of time.
My dad says that I can only be in there for a couple of minutes and whoosh world war three.
He and mum are constantly complaining about the mess I leave in the bathroom.
I don't think that I leave a mess in there, but they do.
“Amy do you have to leave all the bath salts and bath foams on the side of the bath?”
“Do you have to make bath bombs?”
“Do you have to use all the soaps and make it into a paste and make a sort of soap cake out of it and leave it in the water jug?”
“Do you have to get six large juice bottles and fill them up and empty them every time you have a bath?”