The Hyena

"Your nose itches."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes it does, I can see it."

"How can you see it? ...leave me alone."

Lucy let her pigtails bounce as she stormed away from Dusty. Even though she wasn't looking she could picture his blown up cheeks and jagged teeth snarling like a wild hyena. His awful hair was no doubt, standing straight up. His punched in nose snorted behind her. She decided if he actually ran up to her, she was going to pound his juicy lips into next Tuesday.

Lucy stuck her hands straight down into her bib overall pockets and yelled as loudly as she could for her mother. It took a full five minutes. By the time she arrived Dusty, the awful creature, was sitting down on the top step of the porch smiling and appearing to be human again.

Her mother's timing could not have been worse, seeing him like that made Lucy loose her mind, she lunged at him just as the screen door flung open. All her horrified mother saw was the flash in front of her eyes and the ensuing two fistfuls of greasy brown hair tangled up in her daughter's knuckles. It wasn't likely that any reason she had prior to the break down would bring her sympathy, so in a moment of utter hysteria, Lucy sunk her one front tooth into his shoulder.

Finally her mother would hear him howl like the animal he was.

It didn't work, Her mother grabbed her by the arm and pulled her off of him . No matter how many times she was told to apologize, she never would. No matter how many times she told her to act like a lady, Lucy simply couldn't keep her hands off of him. She was placed ceremoniously on the wooden chair in front of the window box and was told to sit quietly until her mother was able to ring Dustin's house next door. He whimpered like a hurt dog until the door slammed shut and the two of them were left alone again.

In seconds his eyes glowed and his lips puckered up. "You know smart people can't spell gullible."

Lucy grabbed the water pot from the wood floor and without a moments hesitation leapt at him, pouring the entire contents of the plastic container over his head. It was worth it, the punishment would surely be terrible, but deep in her soul she was instantly at peace. She sat herself back down on the chair and waited, whatever came now she was ready for it.