Winter Wildflowers

Chapter 12

Day 139

Ofelia's mother Audrey had never been one to dabble, she was either in or out. Her folks had described her as black and white; she had simply described herself as clear. She'd never understood how things became complicated, how things escalated into the so-called grey area of. As far as she had experienced, there was the right thing to do and there was the wrong thing to do, to further, there was the kind thing to do and there was the cruel thing to do.

So, when Georgeson Pickleberry picked on her rather small friend Cassandra White, it was clear. She was going to solve that problem because it was kind to protect who she cared about.
Through the trees she lured him, like a bull to a red cloth, like a snake to a rabbit, she ran over the logs, under the canopy, around the creek. There was only so fast her little legs could run, she always hoped to grow a little taller when she was older. But, as for that day, her experience trumped Georgeson Pickleberry's speed and she sprinted light-footed through the forest. She'd only have to reach her trap to snag him, he'd clobbered all over the ground for his entire pursuit and she was in no doubt that he'd clobber all over her little design too. Slowly he advanced on her and at merely two arm's length, Audrey veered harshly to the right and sent him reeling into a steep, unclimbable pit of water, mud, and reeds. Audrey bit her grin.

"I'm going to kill you!", Georgeson hissed, his squeaky voice furious, as he hopelessly tangled himself up.
Audrey chuckled and stuck her tongue out at him, waving her hands by her face. Georgeson stumbled and slipped, trying but failing to rise out of the pit.
Audrey then turned to small Cassandra hiding a little way away and waved her over. Cautiously, she peaked out of the trees and scrambled to her side. Audrey pointed to him and giggled with her friend.
"I can't believe you!", Cassandra whispered, her eyes alight.
Audrey laughed, "I told you he wasn't smart enough.", she then turned to Georgeson and cocked a hand on her hip like she'd seen her mother do, "Now. Georgeson. I want you to apologise to my friend."
"I hate you!", He seethed, growing muddier.
Again the girls laughed. Cassandra unexpectedly poked her tongue at him, "Suck it Georgeson!"
"Georgeson, honestly, one apology and you're out.", Audrey cackled, blinking doe eyes at him.
He screamed, his face flushed, he yanked at the reeds, but he didn't apologise.
Audrey clicked her tongue, "Ah well. Enjoy your night, Georgeson!", and she walked away.

"You what?!", her parents clambered, her mother standing up.
Audrey laughed, holding her stomach, "And he's still there now!"
It was so unbelievably funny, so hilarious, that Audrey hadn't paused to see the horrified look on her parent's faces.
"Audrey!", her father bellowed, snapping her to attention.
She straightened.
"... You mean to tell me that you've left a boy, cold, wet, and hungry out in the night, surrounded by beasts?"
Audrey's heart dropped at her father's words.
"Get your coat Audrey."
Audrey led the village to Georgeson, she couldn't believe that so many people were so invested in the earth's worst child. He was awful! Why did they care so much?
"He's just down there.", Audrey mumbled, pointing to the pit.
Instantly his mother cried out and ran by his father to the hole, leaning in and retracting Georgeson as he softly cried. Oddly, Audrey couldn't look. More from the village, including her father, ran to hoist the boy up and Audrey caught sight of her mother's disapproving gaze.

"A mouse mother, a mouse! You're going to punish me this much over a mouse?!", Audrey hissed as she was yanked by the arm into the house.
"A rat had been eating his ears Audrey!", her mother yelled, pushing her away.
Audrey ignored the way guilt swirled in her gut, "...Yes?... And he deserves it! It is justice for my friend.", she grumbled, hiding her sudden horror at his injury.
"It. Is. Not. Your. Responsibility."
"Yes. It. Is.", Audrey snapped back. How was it not her responsibility to care for her friends? Her mother had engrained that ideology into her in the first place! "You told me that kindness is good and cruelty is bad."
"No- ", Her mother tried to interrupt.
"I was being kind by helping my friend!"
"No! You are cruel for leaving a boy to die!"
Audrey blinked and took a step back, instantly lowering her eyes. She hadn't left him to die, she was going to check on him the next morning. At worse he was supposed to be cold, inspiring him to dwell over his actions.
"Audrey.", Her mother mumbled, nearing her, cocking a hand to her hip, "Not everything is black and white, whether you believe it or not."
Audrey softly turned her face away, tears brimming her eyelashes, "... I was trying to help Cassandra."
Her mother held her face, pondering over her words for a moment, "Look me in my eye.", She whispered, her eyes sad, "Kindness is in no way related to revenge.", she said, "You could have addressed the issue with kindness, like I would have wanted you to, or you could have addressed the issue cruelly, which you did."
Audrey's heart skipped a beat.
"How are you going to fix this?"
And Audrey squinted.