Ravenna
magic hidden in the void and —
Off into the milling crowd. Around a corner, then left into a narrow alley where the other children waited. Ravenna was greeted with a lot of giggling from the red-headed girl and a sneer from the older boy.
"You got caught" he pointed out, in a tone that made 'Venna bristle. "Empty handed, empty headed -"
"Did not!"
"You did too. What if you were followed?"
"I was not - " But she bit her lip, suddenly unsure.
"See? Means you're dangerous now. You can't run with us more today. Right?" He turned to the other girl, who rubbed a dirty hand under her nose, and nodded.
"Sorry 'Ven," the girl added, uncomfortable but also not about to help. "It's the rule. Maybe next time..."
"Or maybe never," the boy added, shoving the raven haired backward with one hand, "if you don't get better. Now git!"
Angry and humiliated, Ravenna balled her little fists and stood her ground. "I'm not dangerous! You messed up last time, it isn't fair." The empty jug clonked against a plastered wall as she flung out both hands to shove back at the boy. He responded with a fist to her nose, and before long they were a tangle on the ground, kicking and punching and pulling at the others hair.
The racket they made was not unlike that of wild cats - but no one looked twice in their direction, not even when the boy inevitably got hold of Ravenna's arm and twisted it around to her back until she screamed, it was so painful.
"Give, or I'll break it," he hissed; too intent on the fight to pay attention to anything else.
"No! Let gooo!" Her eyes watered, but Venna stubbornly refused and kept wriggling to get free, with blood streaming down her face from the nose.
"You got caught" he pointed out, in a tone that made 'Venna bristle. "Empty handed, empty headed -"
"Did not!"
"You did too. What if you were followed?"
"I was not - " But she bit her lip, suddenly unsure.
"See? Means you're dangerous now. You can't run with us more today. Right?" He turned to the other girl, who rubbed a dirty hand under her nose, and nodded.
"Sorry 'Ven," the girl added, uncomfortable but also not about to help. "It's the rule. Maybe next time..."
"Or maybe never," the boy added, shoving the raven haired backward with one hand, "if you don't get better. Now git!"
Angry and humiliated, Ravenna balled her little fists and stood her ground. "I'm not dangerous! You messed up last time, it isn't fair." The empty jug clonked against a plastered wall as she flung out both hands to shove back at the boy. He responded with a fist to her nose, and before long they were a tangle on the ground, kicking and punching and pulling at the others hair.
The racket they made was not unlike that of wild cats - but no one looked twice in their direction, not even when the boy inevitably got hold of Ravenna's arm and twisted it around to her back until she screamed, it was so painful.
"Give, or I'll break it," he hissed; too intent on the fight to pay attention to anything else.
"No! Let gooo!" Her eyes watered, but Venna stubbornly refused and kept wriggling to get free, with blood streaming down her face from the nose.
— truths waiting to be spoken
