by Joshua Hoyt
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Tom woke the next morning in his bed holding his shoulder where the young man had touched him. Did I just dream everything? After thinking about the dream for a minute longer he snorted. Me a leader. That’s a good one. He shook his head to clear the dream from his mind, trying not to feel more alone than before he climbed out of bed and slowly dressed. Just as he started to leave the room Jacob and Peanut walked in. Jacob headed toward him with a smirk spread across his fat face and said, “So, there you are. I hope that you had fun last night. The headmaster is coming, and I made sure he heard about your great escape.”
“What do you mean? I didn’t leave last night.” Had he chosen? Had he really gone out last night? Tom grinned.
Jacob frowned. “Yea, right. I don’t think any lame excuse you make is going to work.” Tom looked up at Jacob and backed away. Jacob continued straight for him. The smile returned.
“Come with me, now. There’s someone here to see you,” the headmaster said from outside the door. Tom sighed and hurried past Jacob. His relief soon turned to concern as he realized he'd probably just escaped from one very hot situation and landed in an even hotter one. The headmaster wrung his hands and muttered under his breath several times as he led Tom to his office. Tom’s heart beat faster and faster as they turned down the hallway toward the stairs. They started down the stairs and Tom slowed his pace slightly. Is the witch back?
The headmaster turned and scowled at Tom. “Hurry up.” They finished descending the stairs and turned another corner. A man and woman stood outside the headmaster’s office. The headmaster rushed forward. “Here he is. I told you he was just fine. Not a hair misplaced.” He smiled nervously. “No marks. Nothing at all,” he added quickly as he pulled Tom in front of him.
The woman looked over Tom. “We’ll see about that,” she said. Tom’s jaw dropped as he gazed at the woman. She had long, black hair that flowed down her back framing her perfect face. She wore a form fitting blouse and tight skirt that went to the middle of her knees. Her black dress shoes accented the crisscross stockings she wore. “We’ve traveled a long distance and are ready to leave.” She turned and started walking toward the front door. “Get his things. We must be off,” she said without looking over her shoulder.
The headmaster wrung his hands nervously. “You, you can’t just come here demanding to see one of my beloved children and... and,” the headmaster stopped.
The woman turned slowly around. Her eyes pierced the headmaster. “John, should we pay the good man for all his trouble, or should we just take the boy?”
John put one hand to his chin. The other hand rested on a pistol at his side, and smiled wryly. “Do you think Archelaus will mind?”
The headmaster took a step back. “I’m just a poor headmaster, trying to help out these unfortunate boys.”
John dropped his hand to the hilt of his sword on his other side. “I know what you are.”
The woman sneered. “John, just pay the man. His day will come soon enough.” and then left. The headmaster started to say something as he looked at the back of the woman then stopped when he saw the money in John’s hand. John counted out several bills, stopped, looked at the headmaster, and then put a couple back. He walked up to the headmaster and handed the bills to him. He beckoned for Tom to follow and turned after the woman. As he greedily counted the bills, the headmaster didn’t even notice Tom walk after John toward the door. Tom trotted after John with out a backward glance, I guess that’s that, and he pushed open the front door for the last time.