"Scarlett Rose, what are you doing?" Grandmother called down the hallway. Scarlett was laying on her stomach in bed, reading.
"Homework." She lied, knowing that more often than not got her out of having to do any work. It had been about a week since the incident with Ezekiel and Tommy. Jeanine still wasn't speaking to her. Tommy wasn't either and because of that Lexi and Joey had pulled away from her as well. She was still just hoping that maybe… maybe they'd get over it. Maybe they would just realize she hadn't done anything and they'd sit with her at lunch again.
Of course it was a small town, everyone noticed that they'd stopped hanging out with her and the stories as to why were running rampant around town.
"Really? Since when does Harry Tuttle give assignments on… I Dream of Dragons?" Grandmother appeared in the doorway. Scarlett jumped about nine feet in the air.
"Mr. Tuttle's decided to try some new things since they banned To Kill a Mockingbird-"
"Scarlett."
"Fine, I'm reading." Scarlett shrugged.
"What did I tell you about reading this trash?" Grandmother asked, walking over and picking up the book.
"To stop taking them out of your room without permission."
"Exactly." Grandmother handed her the book back. "Did you do your chores?"
"Yes." Scarlett nodded. "The dishes are done, I fed the chickens… Shoot."
"The clothes?"
"Still on the line." Scarlett sighed and got up. "I'll go get them."
"Of course you will." Grandmother nodded. "Wear your sweater, it's cold out."
"It's not a sweater, Grandma." Scarlett said for the millionth time. "It's a hoodie."
"Whatever. It's the same thing." Grandmother insisted.
"Is not." Scarlett muttered as she slid her arms into her hoodie, she zipped it up and slipped her feet into her shoes. The clothes basket sat by the door and she grabbed it, going out to the backyard. There was a concrete slab out there and that was where the clothes lines were. They only hung up delicates and the sheets, and sometimes t-shirts. But typically t-shirts went in the dryer. Scarlett started to take them down, unclipping bras and underwear just tossing them in the basket, she'd take them inside to fold them. It was dark already and she just wanted to get back to her book. She got to the sheets and started taking them down, getting through two before she heard it.
"Maisie?" Scarlett peeked around the sheet and saw the chicken, strutting her way across the yard. "Maisie what in the world are you doing out?" Scarlett walked over and picked up the chicken. For a split second Scarlett had the horrified thought that maybe she forgot to lock the coop, that maybe she left the door cracked and she'd spend the night running after chickens but when she got to the coop the door was shut, the lock firmly in place.
"What in the world…" She looked around, waiting for someone to jump out and scare her.
"Tommy if this is you… it's not funny." She called out. "I know you're mad, even though it's not my fault, but letting out Grandma's favorite chicken is just mean." She opened the coop and dropped the chicken in, closing the door. She hopped down and walked around the coop to make sure that there were no holes, there weren't, and shook her head. "If Jeanine put you up to this, you're both jerks." She finished and stepped out of the chicken yard, going back towards the clothes line.
Scarlett was about halfway there when she heard a growl. She froze and glanced back at the trees. A large wolf slipped out, it's yellow eyes trained on her. Scarlett's heart stopped. The girl didn't move, hoping maybe the wolf would just go away when it realize the chicken was gone, at the same time she was calculating her chances of getting to the house before the wolf could get to her.
The wolf reared back as if to attack her and she went for it, turning and jetting towards the house. She let out a scream as what felt like a brick wall hit her in the back. Scarlett fell to the ground as the wolf rolled back into a standing position.
The wolf jumped back on her and she felt a searing pain in her leg, more pain than she'd ever felt before. She let out another scream as the wolf dragged her by her upper thigh. The back door burst open and there was a loud bang. Scarlett looked back as the wolf ran off into the woods, the last thing she saw before blacking out was her grandmother, in her pink flowered nightgown, holding a shotgun.
"Get her in the house." Scarlett was fading in and out, she saw the local doctor, Dr Peterson, felt him lift her up.
"Don't." She muttered as he tried to put her on the couch. "Blood-"
"Hush child, I already put down towels." Grandmother shushed her and then Scarlett was out again.
When she woke back up, her leg felt as if it were on fire. She had a wash cloth on her forehead but when she tried to sit up, her body felt as if it were made of lead.
"Keep the wound clean." Dr Peterson was saying. "She lost a lot of blood- Ruby you should let us take her to the hospital-"
"No. No hospitals. I'll keep an eye on her. Thank you Jon." Grandmother led the doctor to the door, waiting until he'd driven off. She walked back over and knelt on the floor next to her granddaughter. "I'm sorry, Baby." She whispered. "I tried to protect you."
"I'm sorry." Grandmother jumped at Scarlett's words. "Maisie got out… I put her back."
"Don't worry about Maisie, Scarlett." Grandmother shook her head.
"You shot the wolf." Scarlett muttered, closing her eyes. "The big bad wolf."
"That wasn't the big bad wolf, baby girl. That was a sad, pathetic wolf." Grandmother replied, brushing Scarlett's hair from her forehead. "You get some sleep, I'm going to put on tea and change your bandages.
"Night, Grandma." Scarlett's body relaxed into the couch.
"Night, Scarlett Rose."
