Chapter 46
Naboo, walking away from the school, hears the commotion. Without a second thought, he runs back, faster than he's ever run before. Upon arriving at the school, he sees a crowd of children circled around something. Knowing it can't be anything good, he runs towards it. "Move! Let me through!" He yells, pushing past the children. What he sees in the centre of the circle freezes him in his tracks.
Vince, his Vince, is curled up on the ground, shaking. Howard is next to him, talking quietly. Gesturing to Howard that he should move away, he crouches down and begins to move slowly towards Vince. "Vince, it's Naboo. It's alright, I'm here. No one's going to hurt you, they're gone, Vince. You're safe. It's okay, Vince, you're safe, I'm here." He pulls the small child close, continuing to talk quietly and rubbing comforting circles on the small child's back. When Vince's heart-wrenching sobs finally stop, Naboo picks him up, and the tiny child rests his head on the shaman's shoulder.
"What's going on?" Miss King appears, seemingly out of nowhere.
"I'm taking Vince home. He's unwell. He should be back in school tomorrow." With that, he turns and walks out of the school grounds, leaving the speechless teacher behind him.
