Redemption

If but for the stunning vividness and seeming reality of his dreams, his having Click as a companion would have been an entirely welcome portent. Even then, upon his awakening, she explained the new things that she had learned during her night’s exploration.

“As I can alter my shape, I can appear as something more pleasing than just a lump,” the image explained, pointing at the new, ornate, silver bracelet riding his arm. “Also, as I am linked to your mind, I can show you what I am seeing, in your thoughts.” Then, thoughtfully, she added, “Thus, as I am capable of flight by manipulating magnetic fields, I can go to places where you cannot. So, you can see things that no one else can.”

Also, she could alter the image that she presented. In demonstrating, she shifted through several appearances, from his mother, to Miss Thatcher, to the genie from his dream, to his cousin Lisa.

“Why do you only appear as women?” He wondered silently, as she settled back into her original form.

“Obviously, because I am a female-Silly!” She explained in a slight prod.

That morning, the sullen Cathy kept her promise, and joined them in walking into town. During this, she merely trudged along, never more than nodding or shaking her head at the questions that the grownups hazarded to ask her. Upon their reaching the cemetery, she merely turned, and mumbled goodbyes to Grandpa and Ma, before turning and entering through the gate. Once he had hugged the two and continued on, Click turned to him.

“Would you like for me to fly back and find out what she is doing there?” She asked in his mind.

“No,” he replied in thought, “If she wants us to know, she will tell us.”

Reaching the school, he waited out on the playground. This was so she could take shelter from the wind in the door. Because, he reminded, she did not like him very well. However, despite the winds’ chilly blast, he felt comfortable. Click revealed that she was behind this.

“I have formed an envelope of heat about you, to keep you warm,” she explained, “Such a noble boy should not suffer for his nobility.”

This time, Miss Thatcher arrived before the morose girl. So it was that the boy was already seated and re-reading his homework when Cathy approached the teacher to discuss the assignments. Once more, however, she proved astounding with the diligence of her studies.

“The United States is called a constitutional republic,” she recalled, “because the Constitution is the foundational document of the government.”

“Very good!” The teacher nodded. Then, taking on a challenging look, she asked, “So, what does this mean?”

“That the government is limited to act within the confines established by the Constitution?” The child ventured.

“That’s right!” The pretty teacher cheered.

“She is a smart girl,” Click observed as she stood next to his desk.

“Yes,” he replied silently, “She is one of the smartest kids in the class.”

“Next to you and Ewing, of course,” his unseen companion countered.

“I just wish that she wasn’t so angry all of the time,” he decided in thought.

“Yes,” the being on his wrist agreed, “She would be nice to have as a friend.”

Unfortunately, Ricky came to class that day, and of course, he was disruptive. Nevertheless, Miss Thatcher’s threat of detention merely brought him to behave when she was watching. When she had her back to the class in writing some examples on the chalkboard, the miscreant threw paper wads at the other kids. These he cowed into silence, until one bounced off Tina and ricocheted into Ewing. When the big fellow looked over, she blanched, and pointed at Greesome. The bully tried to play off innocently reading. Seeing this, the big fellow shook his head, and went back to reading. Until the knucklehead prepared to throw another one at Jerry’s sister Angelina and Prentice hit him in the side of the head with a wad of his own.

“Alright!” The teacher roared, having turned in time to see the big fellow pot him, “That will be all! Ewing! You will stay after for one hour!”

“But, he started it!” The boy pleaded.

“Not from what I just saw!” Seeing his friend’s honor at stake, Fall raised his hand.

“Yes David?”

“Ricky has been throwing paper wads at people all the time that you were writing on the blackboard,” he explained, “He hit Zak with one, then Sam, then Tina, and he was about to throw one at Angelina, when Ewing threw one back at him!”

“Tattle-tale!” The bully growled.

“So, okay!” The teacher decided, “Then you can both stay after!”

“That means we can walk home together!” Ewing recognized, smiling at the bully voraciously. Seeing this, Ricky suddenly suffered a bout of honesty.

“Miss Thatcher,” he confessed, “They are right, I was throwing wads at the others.” Hearing this, the young teacher fumed for a second or so. Then she finally sighed.

“I am going to let the matter go-this time. But, the next one who throws a paper wad will stay after, and get swats as well!” A hush ran through the room in the wake of the offer of the ultimate punishment. Seeing this, the schoolmarm returned to writing on the blackboard, and the children tried to return to their studies.

“He’s looking at you,” Click informed him in his mind. Looking over, he saw the bully glaring at him.

“After school,” the bully mouthed.

“It will be his mistake,” the entity assured her host in cold certainty.

Yet, much to Ricky’s surprise, it was not David who the bully wound up facing, but Jerry. As a barometer of the smaller boy’s anger, it happened right outside of the school upon their release at day’s end. For, it was then that Gruber confronted the larger boy.

“I’ve told you!” He snarled, taking off his coat, “Leave me and my sister alone!”

“What are you going to do about it?” The brute snarled, “Tell your mommy?”

“Yeah, he’s going to tell her that he whipped your butt!” Jenny shot back as she accepted Jerry’s coat. Hearing this, Greesome went to make some retort. Yet, seeing that Jenny had said it, he merely glared.

“He’s afraid of her!” Click astounded in David’s mind.

“Stop! Stop this instance!” A familiar voice screeched from the door of the school. Looking around, they found the beautiful blond charging from the building towards them. In testimony to her anger, she did not have her coat on, nor did Cathy, who followed closely behind her.

“There will be no fighting!” The angry beauty declared, stepping between the two would-be combatants. “Ricky, leave! The rest of you, stay here until I tell you to go!”

“I’ll be waiting up the road a ways,” the bully promised Gruber.

“If you do, then I’ll be seeing your father-again!” The woman snarled. Then pointing sternly up the road, she ordered, “Go!” With that, the bigger boy turned and started away.

“Honestly, Jerry!” The young teacher scolded, clutching her arms against the cold, “I expect more of you than this!”

“She’s cold!” David thought. Then, he turned and ran towards the door of the building.

“I told that numbskull to leave me and my sister alone!” The boy explained.

“If he bothers you, then tell me, and I’ll deal with him!” She countered as David emerged from the school carrying her and Cathy’s coats. Seeing him, she took on a touched smile, “Thank you, David!” However, as they accepted the apparel, the bully came back towards the school in a panicked run.

“Mad dog! Mad dog!” The scared boy squealed. The large, snarling dog that pursued him supported this. In the heartbeat that followed, they saw the dog to be a large, brown mastiff. As well, they saw flecks of bloody, gray-white foam dripping from its mouth.

“Everyone! Back in the school!” Miss Thatcher ordered as the boy and dog closed the distance between them. At this, there was a jumbled scurry, as the kids stampeded back towards the building. As David turned, he saw Ewing pick up a rock and take aim. His resulting throw hit the massive mutt in its foaming mouth, knocking it sideways and buying Ricky time. Reaching down, the sandy haired boy picked up a rock of his own, and threw it. Sadly, his shot missed by a good foot or more. Still it brought the animal a slight pause.

“Into the building!” The now panicked, blonde beauty ordered as Ricky came upon them. However, with his doing so, he performed a paramount act of treachery. In passing the small, demure Cathy, he pushed her down. Seeing a helpless target, the rabid dog started towards her. Terrified, the girl clambered to her feet and took out towards the playground, screaming in horror.

“Oh my god!” The teacher gasped as she watched the dog pursue the child. Before he knew what he was doing, David took out after the two, as Cathy disappeared behind some undergrowth ahead. He was nearly upon the dog when it rounded the brush. Once around this himself, he saw the girl frantically trying to climb a tree, with the dog closing upon her.

“Hey!” The boy yelled. Hearing this, the crazed mastiff stopped, and turned its dazed glare back at him. With its doing so, the bracelet left his wrist. In a flash, Click flew at the dog’s head. There was a thud and an eruption of blood and brains from the side of its head in the wake of her passing, and it fell dead. Even as this registered upon the boy, the bracelet reseated itself.

“I told you,” Click reminded, “I will not allow anything to harm you!” In the sudden silence resulting, Cathy finally gained purchase on the tree’s trunk, and clambered up onto a branch. She had no more than done so, when the teacher, Ewing, Zak and Jenny rounded the corner, carrying sticks and rocks.

“What happened?” Miss Thatcher asked in amazement. At first, neither could answer. Finally, Cathy looked at David.

“He must have killed it,” she offered uncertainly, pointing to Fall. Yet, having never seen anything killed so brutally before, a sense of horrified sorrow swept over the boy.

“I don’t . . . I don’t want to talk about it,” David stammered, dropping his gaze to the ground.