Like Chocolate (Blood 4)

Emilie gripped the steering wheel tight in her hands the whole drive home. Remi sat silently in the back seat. He hadn’t said a word since the meeting with the school director.

Remi had attacked a little girl for no apparent reason. It took two teachers to pull him off her. When they did, blood gushed from a deep wound in her neck and she needed to be rushed to the hospital.

“Remi, Mrs. Carol never told me the name of the girl you hurt.” Emilie said, breaking the silence.

She waited for Remi to respond and when he didn’t she continued, “I need you to tell me who you hurt.”

Remi stared silently out the window.

“I think we should talk to her parents and apologize.”

Remi remained silent. Frustrated, Emilie put on her best mom voice, “Remi Theodore Bain, start talking right now or you will lose tablet and TV privileges for the whole—”

“Scarlet Miller.” Remi shouted over his mother.

Emilie drove in silence. The day felt heavy on her shoulders and she was at a loss for what more to say. “Remi,” she whispered at last. “I…I don’t understand it. You’re such a sweet boy. Why did you bite her? You hurt that girl badly, you know that? Why?”

Remi thought for a minute and then he replied in a factual tone with a hint of reminiscence as if his mother had asked him what he’d like for dinner. “She smelled nice. Like chocolate.”

To be continued...

-Jo Resner © 2018