X easily found the Towering Hills Apartment Complex. Often he had wondered where the hills were. For the first time he understood the two identical tall buildings were representative of hills. He shook his head like a dog shaking off water. Did I just think of a metaphor? He shook his head again. Do I know what a metaphor is?

X asked, "Girlie what building you in?" He read, "Building A or building B?" I'm reading! I just read those words!

Bell just stood there; she could no more read his inner dialogue than his outer dialogue.

X got an idea. This was indeed a landmark day for him! He dragged Bell up the first flight of steps and put her hands on the raised letter "A."

She shook her head, "No."

Then X dragged her up the second flight of steps and just to be certain, placed her hand on the raised letter "B."

Bell exclaimed, "Yes this is where I live!" She hugged X's meaty neck. "Which building did you live in X?"

X gently put Bell down and stared at his former apartment building for the longest time. Clumsily he took Bell's delicate palm and drew his first letter, "A."

Bell hugged X's round belly. "Good boy X! We were neighbors! Take me to my home. It's on the third floor, apartment 3A."

X understood. Holding Bell's hand, he bounded up the three flights of steps. He noticed the screaming baby in apartment 1B, the Hispanic couple arguing in 2F and the coldness emanating from the scary dark haired woman lurking in the doorway of 3A.

With arms folded she asked, "What are you doing here and who is this big idiot?"

X did not like this stunning, evil woman. He got a feeling about people and he had a bad feeling about this lady. X was rarely wrong.

Ella squelched her joy at seeing her favored daughter. She let her resentment surface instead. Stepping closer to Bell she stated, "You don't look sick."

X bravely took a step towards Ella. "Girlie can't hear you. You her mommy?"

Ella ignored him as if he were homely faded wallpaper.

Bell reached out for X's hairy arm. "X where are you? Am I home?"

Ella noticed her daughter was still blind as well as deaf. She placed her hands on her hips and circled her as an owl hunting a blind baby bird.

Bell sniffed the air. "I smell--mother!" She held out her arms waiting for an unlikely embrace. "Mother I can't see you or hear you but I know you're there. I smell your lavender soap mingled with cleaning detergent.

Oh mother I've missed you!" Bell took several steps towards her mother's scent. The woman backed away. "Please mother, don't be angry with me!"

If there was one thing Bell hated worse than anything else it was lying. She believed firmly in telling the truth even if it meant hurting someone else's feelings. As a severely handicapped runaway she felt she had no other choice. "Mother please! You know how Izzy can be... She made me go with her! What was I supposed to do?"

Ella cocked her head. She had never known Bell to lie, not even a fib. She remembered once Bell had told her, 'Mother your new nurse uniform makes you look fat.' Not even a hard smack across her face had changed Bell's opinion.

Bell continued her ruse. "Izzy told me I was in eminent danger and that you were trying to kill me! Of course I didn't believe her for a second... Your my mother after all! But then she dragged me from our apartment and I got all turned around..." She thought it would be best to mix in a bit of truth. "Then I got separated from Izzy... or rather she ran off when we were being chased by attack dogs. I got captured and sent to this horrid place where they put children in cages!"

Ella cracked her neck and stood nose to nose with her daughter. "You had me going until the children in cages fabrication. If you are going to start lying, daughter, at least do a better job at it."

X didn't like Ella's demeanor. Her smug expression was making him uneasy. Not only had he read for the first time ever but he was reading Ella's body language as well. "Girlie not lying! X work at Fat Camp. They turn freaks into food. But girlie beautiful. X save her."

Ella looked at the unappealing slob. She had never known the simple to lie, it wasn't in their nature. She crinkled her nose and asked, "You better not be lying to me boy."

"X don't lie. Bad men try to kill pretty girlie."

Bell's impatience was growing. "Please mother let us inside. It's dangerous for us to be lurking in the hallway. What if the soldiers come for us?"

Ella said, "Fine... but only you." She grabbed Bell by the arm and pulled her into the apartment while slamming the door in the imbecile's face.

Bewildered X stood in the hallway gazing at the closed door. He believed Ella to be more dangerous than the bad men at the labs. He pounded on the door, "Hey lady let me in!"

Ella ignored X.

Bell could feel the pounding vibrations,  "X? Is X in here with us mother?" Ella ignored her daughter's questions. She smirked knowing full well she had the upper hand.

Bell became frantic. "Mother where is he? Have you no compassion?" Bell reached out and walked about the familiar room feeling for her new companion.

Ella was entertained by her usually perfect daughter's clumsiness. Satisfied someone needed her again.

"Mother," Bell held out her hand, "please spell me what is going on..."

Ella let her daughter's hand hang out awkwardly for a moment. Finally she spelled, "X
I-S N-O-T P-E-R-M-I-T--"

Bell pulled her hand away. "Mother if X is not permitted than neither am I. She felt for the exit while calling out for the boy.

Ella grabbed her daughter's hand and spelled angrily,  "F-I-N-E B-U-T O-N-L-Y O-N-E N-I-G-H-T."

The heartless woman opened the door and found the large boy sitting with crossed legs bawling his eyes out. "Oh stop your blubbering and come in. But you're only staying until tomorrow and no funny business."

-End of Chapter 19-

Author's note: Do you have any idea why X is getting smarter? Let me know your thoughts.
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