Sacrificial Lamb (Rough Draft)

Rough draft-opening scene

Winnie turned up the collar of her thick winter coat, seeking further escape from any eyes that might catch sight of her. It was unusually warm for early November and she was sweating uncomfortably in the heavy jacket. Recess was almost over, and she was about to let out a small sigh of relief when the soccer ball some of the other kids had been playing with rolled across the wet pavement in her direction. The ball bounced off her foot and then wedged itself against the fence beside her. She looked down at it, a quiver of panic rising in her stomach. The kids were looking at her. One of them, a boy named Richard Holly who she had a particularly intense fear of, was walking towards her.

"Hey, Winnie the Poop, kick the ball back, stupid."

She froze, unable ot react to either kick the ball or run away.

"Hey, what are you, deaf and stupid? Kick the ball back."

Winnie willed herself to act, moving her foot ever so slightly to kick the ball, knowing the force she put behind it was not enough to move the ball even a fraction of the distance between herself and Richard. Afraid he would come closer, she turned and bolted for the building, seeking out Miss Perch, the kindergarten teacher who monitored recess. Miss Perch was stationed near the school entrance, making sure no one tried to sneak inside.

"Let me guess, you want a bathroom pass," Miss Perch said with her clipped British accent.

"Yes, please."

Miss Perch sighed and pulled the little yellow pad of hall passes from her pocket.

"You know, running away will never solve anything." She tore a pass off the pad. "You need to stand up for yourself, show those kids they can't treat you like that, or they'll never stop."

Winnie just stared at the ground.

"Winnifred..."

She looked up into Miss Perch's kind blue eyes for a moment before snatching the pass from her hand and running into the building