Webisode 2: The McCrery Key, Part 2

He looked fierce – but gentle, too. Willa clutched Grammy’s weathered hand. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. No way. Not possible. The knight was a myth. And if he wasn’t….if he wasn’t, then Willa had just, she’d just…oh boy.

Grammy dislodged herself from Willa, moving closer to the supposed knight.

He tilted his head. Blonde hair fell over his pale blue eyes, brushing his chin. Willa blushed. Knight or not, he was hot. Self-consciously, she zipped her jacket, trying to hide the Mickey Mouse t-shirt she’d worn to Maddy’s. It made her boobs look big – but it just didn’t seem worth it now. She’d rather have small breasts then be caught wearing Mickey and Minnie in front of this guy. She was also suddenly very much aware of how ratty her light-brown hair was, how small her nose was, how her arms and legs were too skinny.

“We need…” Grammy began, licking her lips. She clasped her hands, rubbing her thumbs together. “To tell you something.”

“What?” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“The key, Sir Knight, is missing.” Grammy said. The jowls around her mouth jiggled. Grammy smoothed her long gray hair back. Willa could see she was doing her best to stay composed.

A moment of horrible, terrible silence followed. The kind of silence Willa supposed could swallow someone, make them want to grab the nearest thing pointy enough and stab themselves in the chest with it.

Then he laughed.

He actually laughed.

“This is joke, right?” He asked, grinning.

“It’s not a joke.” Willa said, when it became clear Grammy was too upset to speak.

“How could you lose it?” He demanded, stomping closer.

Willa put herself between him and Grammy. “Back off.”

He grabbed her jacket, throwing her against the wall. Willa screeched, kicking out. He wasn’t prepared – didn’t expect her to know how to fight. Willa silently thanked Grammy for all those martial arts lessons. She rolled out of the way, grasping at the floor lamp. He lunged at her; she smashed the lamp against the side of his head.

Wiping blood from his temple, he snarled, “Where is it? Do you have any idea what could happen if it’s not found! YOU WERE TOLD, WERE YOU NOT? YOU WERE TOLD WHAT COULD HAPPEN! HOW COULD YOU LET IT OUT OF YOUR SIGHT FOR EVEN A SECOND?”

“It was stolen.” Grammy whispered.

Willa had never seen her like this – broken, small. She looked old. Grammy had never seemed old before. She was, of course, very old. Ancient even. But, she’d never seemed it.

“By who?” The knight asked.

“Ma –"

“BY NO ONE.” Willa yelled, over Grammy.

She hated Maddy for teasing her, she hated Maddy for being a bitch and a lousy friend. But she wouldn’t sick this jerk on her. No way. Getting Maddy arrested was one thing – okay so, a terrible thing – but still, sicking this guy on her, it just seemed lots worse.

The knight looked between them. Slowly, he stood. Willa’s hand tightened on the lamp. “I’ll hit you again.” She warned.

“Go ahead. Kill me, in fact.” He whispered, brushing his sleeve across his sliced lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to – I lost my temper and when you…fought back, I wasn’t prepared, instinct just kicked in.”

Like she believed that for a second.

“Willa.” Grammy said. “We need to get the key back. If she has it, we must –"

The knight interrupted, “If you know who has it, we need to get it back.”

“No one has it.” Willa said.

“Willy.” Grammy knew now – Willa could tell by her tone, by the use of the nickname. Grammy knew. “What did you do?” Yep, she definitely knew.

“I…” Why was her mouth so dry? Willa licked her lips, staring at the lamp. Her fingers flexed, sweaty. “I…” Just say it! She yelled at herself. Get it over with. “I threw it in the ocean.” She didn’t look at either of them, didn’t want to see the disappointment, the anger….

“You’ve doomed us all.” He whispered.

“Have not!” Willa retorted. Except she probably had.

“We can get it back.” Grammy insisted. “We can find it.”

“I’m going to have to.” The knight said. “Before someone else finds it.” He stood up and walked to the door, limping.

“I’ll come, too.” Willa said.

“I don’t need your help.” He spat.

“I didn’t offer it. I’m not giving you a choice – you can’t decide what I do. I’ll just stalk you if I have to.”

“Just stay out of it!”

“NO!” She wasn’t going to be responsible for the end of the world. That just couldn’t – how could he expect her to sit back and wait after what she’d done?

“It is best.” Said a regal voice.

Everyone turned to the kitchen door.

Another man stood there, with round spectacles on a pointy nose and dark blue eyes. “Were you going to leave without me, Brian?”

The knight – apparently Brian – snarled and left the house. Willa could hear his boots on the stone steps off the porch. Quickly, she nodded at Grammy and followed after him.

“I told you to go away.”

“And I told you I refuse.”