by Robin Roseau
"Oh my god," she said into my ear. "I thought you were really angry."
"Everyone needed to see this hug and know it was meant," I told her.
The room filled with sounds of approval. I released Angel and said, "However!" in a loud, firm voice.
Immediately everyone grew still. My temper, after all, was becoming well-known.
"Does anyone dispute my claim that I escaped?"
Elisabeth stepped forward. "When I caught you, you were heading to the bathroom."
"Yes," I said. "I know from past experience with Lara that with the head start I had, I could get the door slammed and locked before any of them caught me."
"Then you would have been cornered, and they would have broken down the door," Elisabeth said.
"You all may have noticed Lara and I are sometimes rather playful." There were chuckles at that. "I got tired of Lara having such an easy time breaking down that door. I made her put in an especially sturdy door and lock. They would have broken it down, but I am sure it would have taken a good half minute or more. I only needed a ten second lead."
"To do what?" she asked.
"Out the window, dangle carefully, and drop to the ground. Shift to fox, then run into the woods. Does anyone here think they could catch me after that?"
I looked around. "No," Scarlett said. "We couldn't have caught you."
"I got away from all six of you," I said. "And was stopped by Gia. I claim interference from Elisabeth, interference from Gia, and I get to cut your hair. I also believe I should be allowed to cut the hair of the two who interfered."
Elisabeth sighed. "I will admit I interfered. The fox would easily have made it to the bathroom with a significant head start. And I know that door and lock. I don't believe it would take them thirty seconds, but I believe she would have made it to the ground."
She turned to me. "Would you have broken your leg?"
"No," I said. "Do I need to demonstrate?"
"No," Lara said. "You do not."
I looked at Gia. "I was there for you, Michaela," she said. "But I admit I shouldn't have been. I admit to interfering."
I turned to face Angel. "You really want to cut our hair?" she asked in a small voice.
"I believe that is the tradition. Do you wish to dispute my claim? I believe Hadley Smith would serve as an impartial judge." I turned to her. "Although your daughter is involved."
"I would be impartial," she said.
My kidnappers turned to a huddle, pulling Elisabeth and Gia in as well. I listened in as they agreed I had a valid argument. Two valid arguments. Elisabeth and Gia were both good scouts about it. As a group, they broke the huddle and turned to me.
"You may cut our hair," Angel said.
"Excellent!" I said. "All of you take chairs in a row, and close your eyes." Chairs were retrieved from the dining room and set up in a row, my kidnappers, Gia and Elisabeth each taking a seat. I stood in front of them. "Angel, if I had laid there passively and allowed you to take me without a struggle, how short would you have cut my hair?"
"Oh god," she said.
"Tell the truth," Elisabeth said. "Or I will."
"We would have shaved you bald," Angel said. "If you hadn't struggled at all."
"If I had surrendered when Scarlet caught me?"
"If you had surrendered? Short. Not bald, but short. Pixie cut."
"And," I asked. "What would be a normal cut for all of you if I had escaped?"
"Pixie cut," Angel said.
"And given that I escaped twice?"
"Oh god," Angel said. "I don't know."
Elisabeth looked at me. "Shaved."
"I need scissors and the clippers they threatened me with," I said. They were still all in the car we had used, and I waited while Ava climbed out of her chair to retrieve them for me. By the time they were back, I had rearranged everyone, leaving Ava the first chair. I put Chloe at the opposite end with Gia, Elisabeth and finally Angel immediately in front of her.
I walked to Lara and whispered to her. "I don't want to torture Chloe, but I don't think she'll stay quiet if she watches what I do, either. Handle it." Lara didn't know what I intended, but she nodded.
"Sit," I told Ava. "Everyone close your eyes. If any of you peek, I will be very unhappy, and you will not like the results. Do I make myself clear?"
They nodded.
"Anyone who utters a word during this will regret it."
They nodded.
I checked to make sure they all had their eyes closed. I crossed to Ava and whispered into her ear. "I believe you will cry if I shave your head, won't you?"
She nodded.
"Then make this convincing, or I'll be forced to really shave you."
Then I spoke up loudly enough for everyone. "I'll cut first, then use the clippers." I studied Ava then used the scissors to even up her hair a little bit, taking a little off the back, dropping the pieces into her lap.
"Oh god," she said. I smiled. Everyone else was silent.
I made a lot of noise with the scissors, and I noticed my audience was smiling at me. I barely touched Ava's hair, cutting only a symbolic amount. Then I whispered in her ear, "I am going to take a small trophy, just like you did." She nodded, and I took a lock of hair from the back. Hadley stepped forward and took it from me, sliding it into an envelope for me, already labeled with Ava's name. I smiled thanks to her.
"Now the clippers." I made a lot of noise with the clippers, running it along Ava's bare arms so it would sound like it was running over bare skin. Ava began crying convincingly for me. I kissed her eyelids and whispered for her to open her eyes. She looked at me and smiled, then mouthed, "Thank you," to me. I nodded.
I glanced over. Lara had moved next to Chloe and was whispering very quietly into her ear. Chloe began to cry. It wasn't very convincing, but Lara pulled her into her arms and said, "I'm going to calm Chloe down before her cut." Lara carried Chloe to one of the recliners and sat down, positioning Chloe so she could watch everyone else, then she whispered some more before gently putting her hand over Chloe's mouth. Lara whispered again and Chloe opened her eyes. They grew wide when she saw what I was doing, and after that, I was able to ignore them both.
Sophia was next. I whispered to her, "You may make small sounds of surprise, but do not give this away." Then I treated her hair just like I had Ava's, taking a small lock of hers as well. She grunted a couple of times while I was using the clippers, but was otherwise quiet, smiling.
Abigail was next, then I got to Scarlett. Scarlett actually needed a cut. I whispered to her, then took my trophy.
Then I eyed her hair. I didn't think I could give a proper cut. I trimmed it all over, actually cutting with the scissors, not just making noises, but it looked worse when I got done. I frowned. Then Francesca stepped forward and took the scissors from me. She worked at Scarlett, then cleaned up with the clippers for me. It looked better when she was done. I bent and spoke in Scarlett's ear. "Don't let me cut your hair again. Francesca touched it up, but if you get a chance in the morning, someone else can clean it up for you."
She nodded.
"Here," I said. "Let's just give some of these trimmings to Angel." I picked up everything we'd cut from Scarlett and dropped it all in Angel's lap.
Everyone in the room was grinning.
Gia was next. "Gia, your hair is already short. I think we can go straight to the clippers." Then I whispered in her ear.
She sat stoically, which couldn't have been hard, as I wasn't touching her. She opened her eyes and offered a confused look. I smiled at her and looked at the other women. She glanced over, and the look she gave me warmed my heart. I had surprised her. Good.
Next up was Elisabeth. I took my trophy then considered what to do.
"You were the first to interfere, Elisabeth," I said.
"It was an automatic reaction," she said. "It never occurred you could have gotten past all of us."
"Oh please," I said. "I lead you all on a merry chase all the time."<
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"I know. We should have told you that if you got free, you should meet us at the cars. I bet you would have hid from us."
"So getting free doesn't get me out of ransom night?"
"No," she said. "Or at least, very few brides would take that option."
I laughed. "I would have hid. You wouldn't have found me until tomorrow."
I was sorely tempted to shave Elisabeth. She had taken my house, and I wanted paybacks. But it wouldn't have been gracious.I whispered to her, "You may thank me later, do not give this away." Then I did a fake cut like I had for everyone else, although I took my trophy of her short hair.
Angel was last. "And finally we come to my maid of honor, who is luckier than she realizes." I took my trophy, for which she sat quietly, but then I started using the trimmer at the back of her neck, actually cutting some of her hair. She gritted her teeth, and I stepped away.
"All done," I said.
"Huh?" said Angel.
"Oh that was articulate!" I turned to Francesca. "Don't they take any public speaking classes?"
"They are optional."
"What do I have to do to make them required?"
Everyone laughed.
"Oh open your eyes, anyone whose are still closed." I turned to Chloe and nodded to Lara. She pulled her hand from Chloe's mouth, and she immediately began giggling. Lara helped her off her lap then got up and pulled me into her arms.
All the women were looking at me, smiling, but they were still a little confused, too.
"You should have shaved us," Gia told me. "That would have been the tradition."
"I believe I honored the important parts of this tradition," I said. "Have I not?"
"Yes," Angel said. "You definitely honored the important parts."
"If I were able to do a nice job, I would have done proper cuts. But I didn't want any of you showing up at my wedding with hatchet jobs for haircuts. Thank you for allowing me my fun and a tiny bit of revenge. I feel better." I grinned.
They stood up and I accepted their hugs.
"However," I said in a booming voice.
I looked around, making sure what I was about to say was true. "Everyone in this room is a friend," I said. I looked directly at Gia when I said the last word. She smiled, although it was uncertain. "I have been told repeatedly that all of you like me, that all of you want me to be a member of this pack, that all of you consider me a friend as well." I looked around again. "If anyone feels what I just said does not apply to her, please leave the room."
No one left.
"I have forgiven you this time. And I have forgiven similar, although perhaps less dramatic incidents in the past. But this had damned well be the last time I find out about a pack, wolf, or family custom too late to be given a proper chance to understand and absorb it!"
I glared around the room. No one else spoke. I'm sure they could tell I wasn't done speaking my mind.
"If there are any tiny little, almost inconsequential customs about tonight, or tomorrow, or the next week, I had damned well better find out about them within the next ten minutes. If there are any birthday or holiday or special occasion events I should know about, I had damned well better find out."
I pointed at Lara. "We have already seen that she is willing to avoid telling me things she should tell me. No one in this room should assume she's going to tell me something. As my friends, and hers, you need to fill in."
I glared around again, specifically catching the eyes of Elisabeth, Lara and Angel, but not truly leaving anyone out of my glare.
"Do! I! Make! Myself! Clear?"
There was silence for a moment, then Lara said softly. "Yes, Little Fox. Crystal clear."
"Not just her!" I said. "Every single one of you. Or tell me we're not friends."
Scarlett, Ava, Abigail and Sophia were clustered together. Scarlett turned to me and said, "We understand. The four of us-"
"And me!" said Angel.
"The five of us will see to it. Michaela, we're sorry."
"I already forgave you, Scarlett," I said softly. "But thank you for helping make sure I'll understand in the future."
I looked around. "That doesn't get the rest of you off the hook, but if you want to go through the five of them," then I looked at Elisabeth. "Or Elisabeth, that's fine. Do not leave me ignorant."
I got a chorus of "yes, Michaela" from the room.
I smiled as broadly as I could. "All right. Angel! I believe there's a video to show."
"I might know which one you mean," she said. "It will take me a minute."
"Elisabeth!"
"Yes, Michaela?"
"Do you have photographic evidence of your escapades in the wee hours of this morning."
"Um-"
"Do you?"
"Yes, but-"
"Lara is sporting new artwork. I want it displayed on a computer screen. Now."
She laughed. "That I can do."
"If mine gets displayed," Lara said. "So does Michaela's."
I laughed. "Hell, why wait?" I slid my jeans down off my hips far enough to show the new tattoo, turning slowly around so people could see. I looked over my shoulder to catch their reactions. I'm not sure if they were more amused at the contents of the tattoo or the fact I was showing it so boldly.
"Don't act all shocked," I said. "It's not like you don't all see me naked a dozen times a pack play night, anyway."
"Yeah," said Gia. "But you don't usually pose except as a fox."
I pulled my jeans back up and grinned at her. Angel had scampered off, but she returned and set up a laptop and was prepared to do a video.
"Angel, wait, don't show it yet," I said. "I want everyone to see Lara's new artwork."
"I'm working on it," Elisabeth said.
"Oh for heaven's sake," Lara said. She stepped next to me, dropped her own jeans down one cheek, and let them all see the fox tattoo taking up most of her cheek. They snickered at that.
"I wear this proudly," Lara said. "June, thank you for this."
June nodded. I gathered she'd been the artist.
I turned to Gia. "You! Computer guru." She stepped forward. "I want the ability to show photos or videos on a large computer screen in here. You will set it up."
Gia pointed to the TV. "How about if I show them on that screen?"
"You can do that?"
"I can do it right now."
"I know how," Angel said. Gia turned on the TV and used the remote to change a setting.
"Angel, play it."
She did, from the start. The person videoing me had zoomed in and out. I remained silent throughout the viewing, and everyone watched while the wolves repeatedly spun me. And then the last part came, and at just the right moment, I yelled, "Freeze it!"
Everyone stared at the screen as my vomit froze in mid-air about to spray all the wolves clustered around me with a particularly healthy amount inches from the camera.
"Angel," I said. "I want the important fifteen seconds of this video on loop. Make sure it catches all of your expressions."
"Yes, Michaela," she said, laughing.
"All right. Can we please have a party? I'm getting married tomorrow, to the woman of my dreams, and if I don't walk down the aisle remembering I had a good time tonight, I am going to be very disappointed."
"Hey!" said Elisabeth. "That's Lara's job later!"
"No way," I said. "She's not touching me tonight!"
* * * *
Throughout the remainder of the evening, I was quietly told I'd been gracious about the haircuts, and I received praise from several people for having honored the tradition. I accepted their thanks as cheerfully as I could muster.
Eventually I left, asking them to please keep it down. I went to my bedroom, changed into pajamas, and then crossed the hallway to an open guest room. I crawled under the covers and willed my body to rest.
I don't know when I fell asleep or when the last person left.
I think Lara checked on me once, and maybe I chased her out.
When I woke next, I was alone.
Screaming.
Waking Nightmares
The dreams had returned. New dreams.
I couldn't stop screaming. I didn't know where I was, but I remembered wolves, and danger. I screamed.
It took Lara seconds to reach me. Even when she pulled me into her arms, I screamed for another half minute before finally I collapsed into sobs.
"Oh honey," she said. "Oh Little Fox. It was just a dream."
I clutched at her, burying my face into her, and sobbed.
There was pounding up the stairs, and then Lara's door flew wide open, I could hear it, then there was a wolf standing in the doorway, and I began to whimper, the whimper turning into a new set of screams as I tried to pull away from Lara to hide from the wolf.
"Honey," she said. "It's Karen. It's Karen. You know Karen. She's your friend. She's here because she's worried about you."
"Wolf," I gasped. "Oh god, a wolf."
"Oh honey," Lara said, trying to sooth me. "Karen, she had a nightmare, she's fine. Maybe Elisabeth should sleep downstairs tonight."
And then there were more wolves, standing in the doorway. I began screaming again, thrashing to get away from Lara. She clutched me to her.
"Michaela! It's Ava and Sophia, they're your friends."
"They hurt me!"
"Oh honey, no!" She clutched at me. "Girls, go back to your rooms. It will be okay. Karen, close the door, get Elisabeth, have her sleep downstairs."
Once the door was closed, I pulled away from Lara and ran over to lock it, then fled to the corner, hiding behind the bed.
"Oh honey," she said. "I'm so sorry."
She crawled across the bed, then climbed down next to me, and I clutched at her, shaking.
It took a long time for me to calm down, my sobs settling into choking hiccups, and then I fell asleep right there on the floor.
Lara must have picked me up and carried me to our bed. That's where I was the next time I woke up.
Screaming again.
This time I remembered the dream, but it felt real. I was helpless, and I couldn't see, and all I could hear was music, and people were carrying me away from Lara, away from safety, and I struggled. I struggled so hard, but they took me away.
I screamed. "No!" I screamed and began thrashing, trying to get free. There were strong arms holding me, pinning me, and I tried to pull away but they were so strong.
