Girl in the Red Hood Read Free Page B

die. She shrieked for
her father to stop them, pleading with him to save Amala's life.
Warin put his hand gently but firmly over his daughter's mouth as
he continued to restrain her.
    "It'll be alright, Leese," he whispered
kindly into her ear through her weeping. "I know you're frightened,
but this woman will save her. She'll be better. I feel it in my
gut." All too soon, the deed was done. Amala had swallowed the tea,
and the family was taken to their new cottage.
    "The old tailor lived here," the mayor had
explained. "He passed away three years ago. It's yours now. Let
Izaak help you carry your wife in so she can rest." Liesel watched
it all with dead eyes. The mayor and Izaak left soon, and then it
was just their family. Liesel sat with her mother, holding Amala's
hand as Warin emptied the cart.
    "Is she showing any signs?" he asked
hopefully. It was all Liesel could do to stay silent in response,
when all she wanted was to scream. She glared instead and shook her
head. "Well, then I'm off to the butcher's. Take care of your
mother. I'll be back." Liesel silently loathed his hopeful tone,
ignoring his wave as he left. It wasn't long after that that
Amala's breathing slowed and her hands grew cold. Through the blur
of her tears, Liesel finally saw her mother's gray-blue eyes
flutter open for the first time in a year.
    "My Leese," Amala's hand shook as she lifted
it to touch Liesel's face. Her voice was raw, but it was sweeter
than Liesel remembered. Liesel grabbed her mother’s hand and held
it to her cheek.
    "Mother," she sobbed, "I tried to stop them,
but they wouldn't listen! Father wouldn't listen!" In some part of
her mind, Liesel wondered why she was blubbering about the tea when
her mother's eyes were finally open. Didn't that mean she was
better? Besides, there were so many other things she wanted to tell
her about that had happened in the last year, but all she could do
was sit there and cry like a child.
    "I know, sweet girl," Amala's voice was
faint. "I couldn't see you, but I could hear.”
    “You could hear?” Liesel frowned in
confusion. Coughing, Amala nodded.
    “I could hear everything."
    “Since the day you fell sick?”
    Amala nodded, wincing as though in pain.
    "But are you better?" Liesel held her
breath. Amala coughed deeply again in response, as if to answer her
question.
    "No, love. I'll be gone soon.” She drew a
shaky breath. “But it seems the Maker has given me a few moments
with you before I go." Liesel felt a new flood of tears wash down
her face.
    "Now, there's no time for that," Amala
gently scolded her daughter. "Your father will need you. He won't
take care of himself without your help. And you," she gently tapped
Liesel's nose, "be careful. You're so beautiful...and men will
notice. Men aren't always what they seem." She took a shaky breath
and caressed her daughter's face once more. "I love you, my sweet
girl." And with that, Liesel's mother was gone.
    ***
    Liesel sat perfectly still for an
immeasurable time, staring at her mother's ashen face. But deep
inside, the part of her that dreamed couldn't be still. It couldn't
accept that this was how it ended. Words began to echo in her head,
some from her mother. There were other voices that were there, too,
however, and eventually, there was one command that drowned out all
of the rest.
    Whatever you do, you must escape those
woods! Her grandmother's voice commanded desperately. Come back to
me, no matter what!
    Grandmother had been right. They had come to
this wicked village, and the healer was either completely
incompetent or she had just poisoned Amala purposefully. With all
of the lies that had been told, all of the desperate looks the
townspeople had been giving one another after seeing her, something
in the town of Ward was very wrong.
    Without knowing what she was doing, Liesel
found herself out of her chair and running. Night darkness was
beginning to cover everything, but it didn't matter. Liesel knew
which direction the