I woke up abruptly to cries of despair.
I pulled on a coat and hurried outside, nearly tripping over my feet. “What’s wrong?” I asked one of the mothers. I identified her as Gretchen’s mother.
“Oh Susan! It’s terrible! The children, every one of them- gone!” she wailed.
I felt the blood drain from my face. “But… but… how?”
Her face flushed with anger. “The musician who chased the rats away. The mayor was right not to pay him-”
“No! Don’t you see? They should have paid him!” I raised my voice so that it could be heard throughout the crowd. “Don’t you see? He took our children as payment… This- this is the mayor and the councilor’s fault.”
Cries out outrage and anger filled the air as they all rushed towards town hall, but not me. I stayed behind, the cold stones stabbing the soles of my feet in icy lances.
“Victoria! Wyatt! Richard! Come back to me…” I cried.
