Breaking News, By Sam Hagesfeld

NIGHTMARE ON NORTH SAINT JAMES

Police and other child welfare agencies are responding to reports of horrific torture and inhumane living conditions at a local Cleveland Heights home. 

"You never want to believe that this is happening - but to think that it was happening right next door . . ."  Neighbors on this quiet block are reporting shock and despair that they missed the signs of torment that were right under their noses.

"I mean, I knew that they were terrible at landscaping.  I just didn't know that there was stuff all over their backyard because they were depraved enough to expect the children to not leave socks and cups all over the yard."

"Absolutely," a close family member agreed. "I've been in the home, and I know that they are awful housekeepers.  But to find out that they were expecting my niece and nephews to empty the dishwasher, straighten the living room and put in a load of laundry?  I just don't know how I didn't see it."

"It's horrific," a local responder reports.  "When we first came in, there were dirty clothes all over the kids rooms. When we asked why the parents hadn't cleaned it up, the children stated that the parents expected them to throw their own dirty clothes down the laundry chute.  What's more, they were also expected to put away their own clean clothes.  I've seen a lot in my day, but never anything like this." Choking up, our rescuer adds, "the kids weren't even allowed to have any screen time.  Their rooms were completely barren, with nothing but toys and books and beds and blankets and posters and pictures and art supplies - not a single computer or television was found in any of the children's bedrooms. Not even a tablet."

"I'm honestly not that surprised," a teacher at the school stated, shaking her head, "just taken aback at the magnitude.  I knew they were often expected to dress themselves - I mean, that was obvious - but there were some days I suspected they also had to get their backpacks ready by themselves.  I don't know how they survived in these conditions this long."

Mothers in the area are also lamenting, "I would never have thought that children in the same classroom as my kids would be going through something like this.  I heard that those kids were SO bored, because the parents NEVER took them to do anything interesting."  "Yes," agreed another mom on the playground, "And also that the parents were ALWAYS trying to drag them to experience terrifying new things and NEVER let them relax."  "You know what else I heard?," adds a third mom, "that things in that house were not fair.  It's hard to believe, but it's my understanding that often, one child was permitted to do something, or get something, while another child was not.  Overall, it was completely biased against each child and it just makes me shudder to think about."

Community leaders agree that there will have to be an investigation in to how these defenseless children slipped through the cracks for so long.  The Mayor stated, "we need to look at this like a wake up call.  If these children were being deprived of basic rights - like soda in the house and dessert three times a day - with nobody noticing, well, I think we need to take a hard look at our safety net. Who's looking out for the kids?"

At this point, the children have been removed from the home and placed with a loving family that at least has the dignity to own a Playstation.