William awoke late the next morning, washed and went downstairs for breakfast, Mrs Hallwater was frying eggs and bacon, Williams stomach groaned as he made his way to the table.
“There’s bread and jam on the table” said Mrs Hallwater.
“What about the eggs and bacon?” William enquired.
“Those who wake at a reasonable hour and work up a hunger can have eggs and bacon. Troublemakers like you get bread and jam and consider themselves luck they have a family that cares about them.” There was a bitter tone in his mother’s voice. “Your father works from sunrise to sunset to keep this family fed and clothed, and I keep this house clean and tidy for you and your brothers and what thanks do I get? None!” William slotted a slice of bread and jam into his mouth and looked down at the table, studying a deep indentation to avoid his mother’s glare.
William finished his meagre breakfast and left the house. He strolled through the town without purpose until he came to the cobblers, his father’s place of work. He went inside seeking his father’s counsel. His father was busy studying the stitching on a new boot he had made.
“Ah, young Will what brings you here?”
“Nothing much, mother is doing my head in with this farmer Sykes business, I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Oh, don’t worry son, when I was your age I got up to all kinds of mischief.”
“But I didn’t do anything” exclaimed William,
“Of course you didn’t son.” With that Mr Hallwater descended into anecdotes of times when he was younger. William slowly backed out of the cobblers.
William decided that no one believed that he had nothing to do with the ‘orchard incident’ and retreated to his sanctuary, the tree in the field. As he wandered slowly, caught up in his reverie he was brought back to the reality of his surrounding by a dark figure leaning against his cherished spot.
Upon closer inspection the figure was coated from head to toe with matted dark grey fur. Upon even closer inspection William deduced that the figure was in fact a wolf. William did not fear the wolf, he saw it as an opportunity to talk to someone about his oppressed life.
The wolf looked William blankly in the face, William, unfazed looked straight back. The wolf was confused, usually his reputation was enough to send people sprinting back to the town. He saw this as an opportunity to talk to someone about his crafty and revered lifestyle.
“What brings you here kid?” the wolf eyed William up and down slowly.
“Just came here to escape” Replied William.
“Escape from what?”
“Life in general”
“That bad is it?”
The wolf and William got drawn into a long conversation about how hard their lives were.
“So you don’t like your folks, eh?”
“They just don’t listen to me.”
“Doesn’t it just drive you mad?”
“Definitely”
“Don’t you just want to get revenge on them for the way they’ve treated you so far?”
“Actually, yeh, yeh I do.”
“Well maybe I can help you out” the wolf’s wide mouth broadened further into a smile.
”So what are we going to do?” enquired William.
The wolf leant over and whispered into the young boys ear (I don’t know why because the nearest ears were over a mile away so whatever they had to say was quite private). Williams face broadened in delight at the thought of getting revenge on all of those who had ignored him. It seemed that the wolf had sparked an evil streak in the boy.
William walked home as the sun was setting and the moon was becoming more prominent. As he walked through the door his mother barrage began.
“I hope you apologised to Mr Sykes today.” His mother had now pushed William over the edge and now he had flipped,
“Listen mother.” his tone was maniacal and tinged with sarcasm, “I don’t care what you think, and I didn’t steal from the orchard. Now give me my dinner…please.” Mrs Hallwater looked ready to explode. William picked up an apple and a piece of bread and strolled upstairs shouting “GOODNIGHT” on the way.
William was dragged out of bed at 7 o’clock the next morning both his mother and his father carried him out of the house. Instead of protesting though, William seemed rather pleased at his parents’ actions. They arrived at Mr Sykes orchard Mrs Hallwater clasping William’s left wrist and Mr Hallwater his right.
“Now, you are going to apologise to Mr Sykes today, aren’t you?” William’s father seemed distracted and wanted to get this over with and get back to his shoes. William said nothing but a crazed grin remained on his face as they entered Mr Sykes house. They entered and Mrs Hallwater was quick to cry out,
“Mr Sykes, we’re here, my son has come to apologise.” The chair in the corner spun round and the wolf said slyly.
“Oh, excellent I do hate it when those pesky children steal from my orchard.” Mr and Mrs Hallwater’s jaws dropped as they saw the wolf picking his teeth with a small human bone. William’s grin turned into uncontrollable laughter, each chuckle stabbed at his parent’s hearts.
“So I hear you don’t give your son enough attention. Well don’t worry you wont be his parents much longer.”
The wolf ripped through the Hallwater parents ravenously. William’s eyes widened in delight, he could now freely express himself without the burden of his parents. The wolf finished up his full English breakfast and said to William. “Shall we depart?”