Chapter 4: The Collar
The next day, Scourge, Ash, and Atem woke up to someone pounding on their silver-coated door, screaming for them to wake up. As they got up, they were wondering why in the name of Ra they were being woken up at 6'o clock. "Um, Ash, I know we're used to being woken up before the other kids, but 6'o clock is new." Atem said. " Remember, we have school." Ash said very matter- of -factually. And I'm going to have my revenge before the end of the day. I swear it. Scourge thought as she finished putting on her bracelets. Atem could see the " I will not bow" look appearing on Scourge's face, and felt a knot in his stomach as he thought, That expression has never appeared on her face before, she's usually so timid. But she also stood up to those bullies yesterday. Does this have anything to do with that? They went downstairs, had breakfast, and boarded the bus. But that knot never left Atem's stomach.
On the bus, Scourge strode boldly down the aisle, while he brothers cowered whenever someone looked in their direction. Joey reached out, grabbed Scourge and hissed in her ear, "You'd be smart to be more like your brothers." She then did the unthinkable. She smacked him in the face so hard that his head hit the window and the window cracked, then shattered. The bus driver walked down the aisle and started screaming at her, but she just stood her ground and gave him such a cold stare that she sent the bus driver crying while running down the aisle to his seat. Then she sat in her seat and pulled something out of her pocket.
What she pulled out was something found with her when the triplets were dropped on the step of the orphanage. It was a deep purple collar decorated with cat claws and teeth, and dog's teeth with a rat skull acting as a buckle. It was well worn, but when she put it on, it held in place. This was the first time she put it on, but it was obvious she wasn't taking it off.
