Wishes

Understood

As Jack stood outside, he took one last glance as his beloved Milky White melted into the crowded streets with his mother, dragging him along. Out of nowhere, someone pushed the kid to the ground.

All Jack saw was a fuzzy picture of some boys surrounding him, shouting. He yelped as the kids forced him to the ground. He felt his nose bang down into the hard dirt, then numbness.

Suddenly, he heard someone else shove people out of the way. There were loud thumps as some fell to the ground. "Now, you all better scramble home before anyone else sees you. If you even think of attempting to do this again, it won't be just me giving you consequences."

Jack was too tired and shaken to look up. But whoever saved him was not just any "who". It sounded like a... a girl. Indeed it was a girl. All of the other boys immediately spread in different directions, and ran away.

She must be pretty tough and brave, Jack thought. Then a hand reached down and pulled the boy up on his feet. Jack finally had the chance to look upon this person.

It was... not Little Red. It was Ella. Little Red stood next to her with a bewildered look on her face. She had never seen such a scrawny girl do such an amazing feat. Let alone with her own little hands.

Ella suddenly had a small headache. Strange. But she ignored that. "Oh my," Ella began. "You don't look the best." Jack then chuckled in a way not to offend, "Neither do you. Such an interesting dress. Made of... rags." Ella smiled. "I like to call it my 'working dress'."

"Oh, I'm sorry about the insult."

"No, no, no! Don't worry! I, I'm used to it."

"I'm actually used to it too."

Ella and Jack just stood there, a bit uncomfortable.

"Why is it so uncomfortably quiet?" Little Red quietly asked.

Ella snapped back to attention. "Oh, it's getting worse."

She tore off a piece of the softest rag on her dress, and dabbed under Jack's nose.

Jack made a slightly pained face. "Sorry! Sorry," Ella apologized, stepping back. "No, it's not you," Jack assured. "It's... them. You know, this has happened before. That's why I don't tend to be outside like this. That's why people think I'm so... odd."

Ella sighed. "I know what you mean."

Jack was amused. "I still can't believe how you saved me like that."

Suddenly, Ella had a strange feeling. "Wait," she whispered a little too loud. "How did I do that?"

Aha! So, that's what was spoken of earlier in the story. Ella was not completely that mild and meek scullery maid you would think she was. She just never realized it before. Here's the hint: it had something to do with one of the other characters. Perhaps... a witch.

Little Red interrupted the whole "Wha, how, who?" moment, spitting out words all at once, "Okay... so, my friend Ella and I were on our way to the bakery- well, it was next door, but then we saw you, and now-" Little Red gave herself a moment to catch her breath, then wailed, "I JUST WANNA GO TO MY GRANNY'S!!"

"Of course." Ella wrapped her arm around Little Red. "I understand both of you." That was a first for Jack. He had never heard anyone tell him that. Now, he just might have someone here who understood.