Whose Fleece was White as Snow

2: The Lamb

Micheal Marigg was a quiet boy and a shy one at that. He always stared out of windows with tired green eyes, constantly having to push his black hair out of his face. Weary dark circles stood out against his pale white skin, and longing sighs were often caught escaping from his flaking lips. Today was no different. As the school bus left the streets of Cancove City, he found himself staring out the window with the same distant look, much to his mother's worry.

"He'll be fine, Michelle," his teacher, Mr. Ascheglib assured her, "This field trip should do him some good."

She turned back around and looked down, tuning out the other chaperones in the front seats with her.

     Rolling sephia hills and tall wheat plains whizzed by as they dug further into the country. Michael brushed some locks from his face, deeply exhaling at the same time.

"Hey," he heard in his right ear.

He turned around to see a smiling boy pressed against the window behind him.

"Did you know the farm's by the lake?" the boy asked with big goofy eyes.

"No," Michael said quietly, "I'm not from around here."

"Well no one's from around here either," the boy giggled, "but that's what my dad told me. What's your name?"

"Michael."

"I'm Dartruid! Nice to meet ya!"

"Dar—?"

"Named after my great grandpa."

The open fields soon gave way to fenced areas, eventually coming to a stop in front of a massive barn with a house some ways behind it. The putrid odor of cow manure and other animal scents hit everyone as they stepped off the bus and gathered into their groups. Opening the barn doors and placing a stone in front of them was an elderly man wearing thick black boots and denim overalls. The groups watched him adjust his straw hat afterwards and roll up his dusty plaid sleeves. He then strolled over to the class and shook Mr. Ascheglib's hand.

"Welcome everyone," he greeted with a soft smile, "The name's Morden and this is my farm. I have stations set up inside so you can learn about these animals and—"

"Is there a lake around here?" Dartruid eagerly blurted out.

"Dart! You know better than to interrupt someone when they're speaking," Mr. Ascheglib scolded, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Morden chuckled, "Why yes there is a lake. Just further down the road. Now why don't we just get today's activities started."

The groups followed him into the barn where he placed them into different sections around it.

     Morning passed with the children partaking in different tasks, laughing with the chaperones and learning about different farm labor. All of the kids had a smile on their face as they had a swell time. All of them indeed, except for Michael who maintained the same tired expression and longing sighs even during lunch. He purposely sat away from the others, with the exception of Dartruid who purposely sat next to him. As the boy yammered away about the animals, Michael simply nibbled on his sandwich with slumped shoulders.

     After everyone finished their lunch, Morden led them to a low-fenced enclosure containing goats and rabbits and sheep and other amiable animals. Everyone flooded in, petting whichever one they thought was the cutest or the coolest. Dartruid had pet nearly every goat in the makeshift petting zoo, while Michael clung to the entrance gate. Shyly moving his eyes around the enclosure, he perked up when they landed on something in the far back corner, which was devoid of the class for some reason. He walked past the children and chaperones, careful to avoid touching them or the animals. When he finally reached the corner, a light smile had spread across his face. The tired look in his eyes lessened as wonder filled them.

     Gazing up at him from the corner was a small, white lamb, with the cutest round eyes and the softest wool. It sat there unmoving, still as a doll. Michael squatted down to pet it, receiving no response from it. The lamb just sat there, looking at him.

"Oh how cute!" Michelle squealed, after following Michael to the corner, and reached down to pet it.

The lambs eyes briefly flashed as she rubbed the top of its head.

"Ah I see you found the lamb," Morden said as he walked over.

"It's the most adorable thing I've ever seen, and my son—" She glanced at Michael who was staring at them. "Can I talk to you somewhere else?"

"Sure."

They left the zoo, and stood some distance away from the fence.

"You see I haven't seen Michael look like that in such a long time. He hasn't been himself really since we moved here. Is it possible if I could buy the lamb from you. I'll pay whatever price you set," she pleaded with desperate eyes.

Morden placed a finger on his chin and furrowed his brows in deep thought.

"I'll give it to you for free!" he smiles, trying to hold back the excitement in his voice.

"Perfect! Thank you so so much! I'll be back here tomorrow to pick it up!"

     After an hour, Morden bade the class farewell with a friendly wave as the bus pulled out from his farm. When it finally disappeared over the horizon, he went to work placing the petting zoo animals back in their respective areas. The little lamb still sat there, watching Morden clear out the enclosure. Its eyes flashed once again as it saw Morden lock up the gate, leaving it all alone in the empty space. Wiping his brows, he closed the barn and then went home.

     That night, Morden was awake again while his animals slept. He kept frightened eyes trained on his door.

"Come out here, Morden," a distorted girl's voice beckoned in a sweet tone, "I know you're in theeeerrrreee."

Morden brought his cover up to his nose as he frantically shook his sweaty head in refusal.

"I can hear your pounding heart," a raspy deep voice teased and then whispered, "If you don't want to come out..."

"...NI EMOC LLIW I NEHT..."

Morden's soul nearly jumped out his body as something began to aggressively pound on his door, weakening it with every hit. Tears streamed down his face as he laid there on his bed frozen. The door continued to bounce until it finally fell with a loud thud.

Outside his bedroom window, a little bluebird bolted up, startled by the cruel sound of snapping bones and Morden's blood-curdling screams.