Snippets from 100for100: Week Four

Here are my snippets from the 100 for 100 Challenge at GoTeenWriters:

I squatted down to his level, took a piece of a cookie from his hands, and popped it into my mouth.  It smelled faintly of sweaty fingers and washable markers. 

“God…” I began.  But I stopped there.  Why should I ask Him to protect Mason? 

“You boys got a problem?” a voice rang out.  I twisted my head to see the outline of a man, leaning nonchalantly against a dumpster. 

My ears heard the genuine care in her voice, but my mind rebelled against it.  

“This some kind of set up?” one of the men demanded.  He looked like a nervous firecracker.

Life was not fair.  I wasn’t strong enough to protect everyone.  And there was nobody stronger to ask.

I found a smile somewhere in my brain and quickly pasted it on my face.  “Yes, it’s fine,” I said.

Prudence directed my steps toward Brant’s path, but the sound of Darla’s laugh stopped me in my tracks.  

A strong conviction took hold of me that I did not want to take the shortcut through the alley after all.  My safest course was to backtrack as fast as I could and promise to take the long cut from now until eternity, amen.  

I didn’t want to die.  I sooo didn’t want to die.

He stepped forward, putting his body as a block between Robert and me like a possessive Doberman.

The leaves hung limp and wet like so many drowned cats. 

I lay awake in my little bed, but I couldn’t sleep.  The day had been too perfect – I didn’t want to let it go.  In my 5-year-old genius mind, I decided I needed a drink of water.  I tumbled out of bed in my little pink nightgown and padded down the stairs, picturing my parents’ surprise and eagerly awaiting my momma’s laugh.  

     I knew she would laugh.