Ripples Through Time Read Free Page B

hair. She had a
school bag over her shoulder. 
    Jackpot . She jumped a little when Emily appeared from
her hiding place, but didn’t move. 
    “Don’t run!” Emily shouted anyway. 
    She heard more scrambling in the culvert and a few seconds
later Olivia appeared beside her. 
    “Take her bag, OC,” Emily ordered. 
    The little girl looked down at the ground. She held the bag
out in offering. Olivia stepped forward and snatched it, yanking it open.
    OC’s face lit up.
    “Oh, oh, there are chocolate drops in here. And cinnamon
rolls, and a cookie!”
    Emily stepped beside Olivia and peered over her shoulder. It
was true, there was a little pouch of Cinnamon Rolls sitting on top of the
girl’s papers and books. She snatched it out and tore the bag open. The smell
almost overwhelmed her and she found herself smiling. She pulled one of the
rolls out and ate half in one bite, offering the other half to Olivia. 
    It was delicious, better than she’d expected, and she
couldn’t stop grinning. There were even chocolate drops, a real treat. They
removed the foodstuffs from the bag—this was the remains of the little girl’s
lunch…such things rich people get—and then tossed the bag back to the
girl. 
    The girl deftly caught it, but kept her eyes on the road at
her feet.
    “Wow, this is…this is smooth,” Olivia mumbled. Emily nodded,
taking one of the chocolate drops and popping it into her mouth.  Her stomach
still felt like it was churning, but now in a good way. She felt warm, closing
her eyes and savoring the chocolate as it melted.
     The elation built up and then drained away, though,
just as it always did, and she began to feel remorse for her actions. 
    She opened her eyes again and saw the little girl still
standing in front of her, looking at the ground and twirling the dirt with her
shoe. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and hands locked behind her
back. 
    Every other time the little girl ran off as soon as they
stole her food, but this time she stayed. 
    A long moment passed, the only sound Olivia chewing on a
cookie. 
    Slowly the silence became unbearable.
    What is she waiting for?
    “We’re…we’re sorry we took your stuff,” Emily offered,
turning to Olivia for support. Olivia just stared back at her, a blank
expression on her face.
    The girl didn’t respond. 
    Emily felt more remorse as time passed, realization sinking
in of what they had done. 
    Whenever the little girl ran away and left them with the
stolen food, it was as though they had achieved victory over an unknown enemy
and were enjoying the spoils of war. But now with the victim still here, it
just felt like eating candy they stole from an innocent little girl a few years
younger than themselves. 
    “I would pay, if I could—”
    “My name is Mary Munro,” the little girl said suddenly,
keeping her eyes to the dirt. Emily and Olivia exchanged glances. “Don’t worry,
I won’t tell anyone.”
    Emily hesitated. “Thanks.”
    “And I wasn’t going to eat that stuff anyway. My mom always
packs me too much candy anyway. I was just going to give it to you. Do you like
horses?”
    Emily nodded.
    “I love horses. I think they are pretty, but my mom won’t
let me ride them. She tells me it’s too dangerous. But I like to go to the
races with my father. Do you like to go to races?”
    Emily nodded again. She was starting to feel sick once more,
but this time it wasn’t from food or hunger. She stared at the little girl,
locked in place and unable to speak. 
    “I should go,” Mary said, glancing up at them and flashing a
smile, then looking back at the dirt. “My mom said I could ask you over for
supper if you want. Or invite you to come see our horses. But you don’t have to
if you don’t want to.”
    Then she was gone, disappearing up the road. 
     
***
     
    Emily sat alone in her room, staring at nothing. The only
light source she had was a little greasy window halfway up the wall behind her,
and it didn't