Firefly Light

Chapter 14

Mud....mud was everywhere. It was up her nose and in her eyes and hair. Her coat was covered with it. Her first reaction was to cry.....but she furiously resisted that response. That would be what Cynthia wanted, to see her burst into tears, so she refused to do it. That seemed to be her sister's major joy in life.....to make her cry. Keika had realized that early and at even six years, she had learned to react with cold anger instead of whining or whimpering. She turned herself back over, seated, in the middle of the puddle, grabbed two handfuls of the cold mire and threw it back at her tormentors.

The three bullies dodged the sodden missiles and laughed. Keika had made the mistake of finding a large interesting mud puddle behind the school and had stooped to poke into it with a stick without checking her back. Cynthia had snuck up behind her, trailed by two of the lackeys that she always seemed to have around and had pushed her, head first, into the puddle.

As she stood up to retaliate, a blond tornado struck the eight year olds unexpectedly from the flank. It was her best friend Val, entering the fray in a fury and hurling dirt clods from close range. Both of her earthen arrows struck home, one into Natalie's back and the other into the side of Cynthia's head. They shrieked as if they had been mortally wounded, but Valerie wasn't finished with her assault. Fearlessly, she flew into them with fists flying. "Meanies!" she screamed, "....bullies!! Leave Keika alone!! I'll beat the snot out of all of you!!" As they turned to deal with her, Keika used the distraction to grab more mud and attacked them frontally, smearing the face of the unengaged Kenji with one hand and her sister with the other.

They were all screaming now, at the top of their lungs, but the girls were outnumbered by older children and were both thrown back in the puddle. Their attackers, although they had started this, were now very angry at being dirtied and were picking more clods to pelt them with. They were unaware, however, that behind them the cavalry had arrived and faltered as they saw smiles grow on their target's faces.

Suddenly, as Keika and Valerie scrambled laughing out of the way, Cynthia and Natalie were shocked to find themselves hurtling into the mud, pushed hard by the ten year old Edmund from behind. They landed firmly in the muck, which covered them from head to foot. Backing up Edmund was Aaron, one of his classmates. The older boys looked at the still standing Kenji. "Like picking on little girls, do you Kenji?" asked Edmund, his hands balled into fists. Kenji didn't respond, but the fear was clear in his eyes. The eight year old girls were now picking themselves up out of the mud, crying and started to run to the school. "Get in," said Aaron, pointing at the puddle. "Whaaa....?" responded Kenji, starting to back away. "He said, get in!" yelled Edmund, "Get in that puddle and lie down.......now! You have a choice Kenji, you either get in that mud, or I hurt you, which is it? .....your call."

Kenji Sato swallowed hard and walked to the center of the puddle. They let him stand there for a few moments. "Good," said Aaron, "....now sit down." Kenji did as he was ordered, much to his discomfort. "Ok, so far so good.....now lie down and roll over." said Edmund. Kenji hesitated, started to whimper, and Edmund took a step forward. The younger boy, with a moan, went flat and then rolled over, coating himself completely.

The older boys, as well as the two younger girls, all started laughing so hard that Aaron almost choked. Their mirth was abruptly cut short when a loud voice thundered out from their right side. "What is going on here? Enough of this. What are you boys doing picking on younger children!? There will be punishment coming for your actions. .....Edmund?....Aaron? ...I'm surprised at you!" It was one of the Praetorian Guards that had security duty at the school marching up to them, followed closely by Cynthia and Natalie, who were snickering into their hands.