A Viking, Willa, Josiah And His Lamb In A Truck | ✔

In Which She Wants To Beat A Child

"You stay here with Snowy!" I shouted at Josiah who reluctantly obeyed me as I sprinted after the Viking.

The Viking was rolling his sleeves up and his nostrils were flaring as he knocked on the wooden door of the cottage.

The door flung open and that little shit probably stood innocently, gawking at the Viking as I remained hidden behind the door.

"Call your older brother, kid," the Viking said, his hand resting against the wall.

I could hear his perplexed tone. "I have no brother, weirdo." And bam, he shut the door as fast as he had opened it.

"It's him!" I whispered at the Viking who scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. "It's him who has my pictures!" He was about to leave when I grabbed his large arm. "I swear that kid has my pictures! You have to get them back."

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "A child has your . . . indecent pictures?"

"The fuck you're repeating? I'm saying the exact same thing in English over and over again, unless---"

"Alright," he cut me off, showing me the pink palm of his hand. Turning back, he knocked again and said to the little shit, "Hey, kiddo. Can I see your camera?"

"No," came the blunt reply.

I leapt out from my concealed spot and pounced on the little shit, taking matters in my own capable hands. "Give me the camera!" The next few seconds, I could feel the biting and the scratching and I vaguely remember reciprocating them. The Viking separated us by dragging us apart by our collars like we were some wretched animals. "Let me go! He deserves to be beaten up!"

"Fuck you!" the child cursed at me in his squeaky voice and my hands itched to put him in his right place.

"What is going on, Bertie?" We heard a woman's drowsy voice shouting at us from the inside.

"Nothing, mama!" The little shit named Bertie yelled back, his fierce eyes meeting mine.

"I'll tell your mama about the mischief you did if you don't return my pictures," I threatened, but his eyes remained fierce as ever.

He retorted, "I'll tell mama that you pooped in our property."

My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

I could hear the Viking sigh as he fished out his wallet and retrieved a bill, tantalizingly fanning it over Bertie's greedy face. "Bring the pictures now."

Bertie snatched the money. "You'll have to give me more."

"He's a fucking pimp!" I cried out as the Viking handed more.

Bertie smirked and ran inside, fetching the camera. The Viking gesticulated at me and I deleted the pictures while glaring at the smug, little shit. Once we were done, I showed my middle finger and stuck my tongue out, the only revenge I could take.

The Viking and I walked silently back to the truck like two defeated soldiers stripped of their dignity and rationale as we climbed back into the vehicle.

"What happened?" Josiah asked.

The truck started and I heard the little shit's annoying voice, "Losers!"

I whipped my head towards him to  fire back when Josiah greeted, "Hey, Bertie!"

Bertie noticed Josiah and waved back happily at him, his tiny figure getting tinier as the truck moved farther away.

"WHAT? You know him?" I gaped at Josiah in unadulterated shock.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he replied, "Yeah, Bertie's my cousin. Why?"

"Never mind," I muttered under my breath, not wanting to mention that his cousin had seen me shitting. "Isn't it lovely how your family is so big? Seems like the entire village is your family. So lovely, isn't it? Isn't it?'

My voice went higher and higher as I balled my hands into tight fists, never wanting to beat up a crush's relative as much as I did now.