David, Age 13 Years and Seven Months

I don’t want to go back. I won’t go back. Daddy says I must. He asks me why I don’t want to. I can’t tell him. I promised Peter. He said if I tell, they will kill him. They will do terrible things to him. There’s another boy. His name is John. Sometimes he sits with us. I don’t like him as much as Peter. He is not happy. He never laughs. Even though Peter is scared he still makes me happy. I don’t know what to do. If I tell they will kill Peter. If I don’t tell they will keep on doing bad things to him. I know I should go back to school for Peter. He will be alone except for John. They’ve done things to him, too. Peter told me. John won’t say. Peter tells me they go in the minibus to a big house. They’re made to have drinks. It makes them all funny. There is a tall man and a short man, they are always there. The tall man gives them the drinks. Peter is more frightened of him than the short man. Then they go in a room and there are other men. Sometimes the same man, sometimes new men. The tall man and the short man go out of the room and the men do things to them, or they have to do things to the men. Sometimes the men kiss them and tell them they love them. Sometimes the men hurt them. If they tell anyone they will die.

Next week I have to go back to school. I draw John and put him with my secrets. He is frightened. Why do these men do this? Why doesn’t Mr Baron stop it? Does he know? Mr Salmon drives the mini-bus. He must know it’s wrong. The men do it to them because they are orphans. John is an orphan. They have no mummies or daddies to tell. I’m afraid but I am angry. I hate all the teachers and the nurse. I’m not going back. I am going to run away, then I will go to the school at night and I will rescue Peter. If John wants to come with us he can. We’ll run away together. We’ll be happy. I can do drawings and sell them. We will live in a hut in the woods. We can catch rabbits and eat them.

I will find my way to the school. I can run and walk. I’ll take a knife and if they try to stop me I’ll stick it in them. They are bad so I think it’s all right to do that. I’ll plan what to take and when to go.

Daddy will be upset. I don’t want him to worry. I’ll do a drawing for him and send him a postcard and say I’m all right. I will write a sentence to Miss Fenner. I will not write to Mummy. Perhaps after a bit we can come home, I will tell Daddy what happened and the bad men will go to prison. Peter will live with us. Miss Fenner will make a special cake. We’ll all be happy.