Half Mad (Sequel to Half Bad)

Chapter 16

✖ Chapter 16 ✖

        SOMETHING PULLED MY hair, causing me to groan before raking my hand through the curls. What sounded like giggles surrounded me, but I concluded it was merely me dreaming. I could feel the twigs on the ground poking all over my back, the tiny pebbles that strayed from the stream digging into my skin. I rolled onto my side.

       Another tug of my hair - I rolled onto my other side.

        More giggles.

        I shot up in alert, eyes snapping open and expecting to see Cecilia's minions taunting us. Why had I not woken up sooner? There could have been immense danger and I was bypassing all of the attempts to wake me.        

        Before I could get too angry with myself, my lips parted at the sight before me.

        Children were everywhere.

        There were at least four little girls braiding Rose's hair while she played rock-paper-scissors with a little boy in front of her. Megan sat beside her, more little girls twirling her hair as well. Daniel and Jessie were in the stream, looking like they had been washing their faces but were now having a water fight with numerous little boys. Marcus was still tied against a tree, a couple of boys that looked around the age of eight or so poking him with a stick like he was an animal.

        "What the..." But I couldn't finish my sentence due to the little girl who caught my eye, kneeling in front of me. I rose an eyebrow. "Um... hi there..."

        "Do you want a flower crown, mister? We made lots."

        My eyebrows furrowed. "Come again?"

        She sighed teasingly, shaking her head a little before lifting what looked like a bunch of twigs twined together with little white flowers bound with them. She hesitated before leaning forward, and for some reason, I let her put the damned thing on my head. I couldn't have the heart to tell her to get away from me or to tell her that her "flowers" were weeds.

        "Uh, thanks," I said unsurely, scratching the back of my neck.

        "You look kind of mean," she said, giving me an odd look. But a slow smile spread on her face. "I bet you're a good guy, though. You know, like the superheros that look bad but save the day. I bet that's you."

        I tilted my head. "What's your name?"

        "Raven. But my friends and Momma call me Ray. You can call me Ray if you want to. What can I call you?"

        She was adorable, honestly, with a small twinge of a southern accent Of course I would never admit that out loud, but it was something different to have a kid around. I hadn't conversed with one in so long aside from the teenager Oscar was beating up in the asylum. I decided I liked this little... creature.

        "Harry," I said, grunting as I got to my feet.

        Before Raven could reply or I could ask any questions, another giggle come from my right. I turned to see Rose laughing while the other girls around her pointed at my head. I muttered under my breath, but didn't take it off because Raven seemed quite proud of it. 

        "At least I don't have sap in my hair," I called over, raising a brow at Rose whose jaw dropped when she felt the stickiness in her hair. The girls told her it was simply to keep her braid together.

        "You like her," said Raven, drawing my attention back to the small being. "I can tell. Momma says I'm psychic, whatever that is."

        I knelt down in front of her. "Psychic, huh?"