Free One is Come (Five in Circle) by C. H. MacLean

times before he could finally jump and spin out of the old man’s reach. The other two boys took a cautious step back.
    “That’s what you get,” the old man said to Brice. His eyes on the three boys, he spoke sideways to Haylwen, “That’s how you do for a bully. Stand up to him. He is afraid, is for making you feel his afraid. So, you don't take it.” He flashed a gap-toothed grin at her. “Better than that, don't walk alone.”
    Haylwen nodded, eyes wide. The janitor motioned across the street with his eyes. She took the hint and scampered across the street. Brice turned his attention to the old man and looked at him fiercely. “I’ll have you fired! I’ll sue for child abuse!”
    The old man looked at him calmly. “I no afraid of you, still wearing little boy underpants.”
    Brice flushed red and started to deny it as his friends tried not to laugh, but stopped. He glared at them each in turn, then back at the old man. “I’d better not see your face around here again,” Brice said haughtily. He looked around for someone else to hate, and saw Haylwen. He gave one last glare to the old man, then trotted across the street after Haylwen, his friends following close behind him.
     
    ***
     
    The old man watched the three boys leave. He straightened a little, appearing younger in an instant. He murmured to himself, his accent changed from Spanish to something else, something old. “Such trouble— fear and its mongers.” He turned to look to where Haylwen had scampered off, and shook his head. “You have such a fragile potential, Little One. Pity you were not born in the old times when one such as I could have guided. Fire is right, in that part, at least. What could you become with a little help from a friend…?” He paused, his eyebrows jumping up, eyes wide in surprise. “Could it be?” He held his eyebrows up for a moment longer, then shook his head. “Our good Head is right, what I think does not matter. The Flow of Destiny needs no help, and all will be as it should.” His face, as if with a mind of its own, resumed its thoughtful pose. “But our good Head will not be Head forever.” He looked down at the street, into the tiny stream of water in the gutter. “You will not mind, Great Flow, if I, ah, cooperate just a little, yes?”
    He laughed a tinkling little laugh and stepped into the gutter. The tiny stream of water running there was briefly stopped at his feet, then flowed around to dive down the drain. He glanced quickly around, and disappeared.
     
    ***
     
    Brice and his friends caught up with Haylwen quickly. They followed her, taunting and teasing long after she had gotten a fair distance from the school. Haylwen was always a little iffy on the advice to “ignore it and it will go away,” and today forever proved it for her. Ignoring the boys seemed to provoke them and they quickly escalated to tripping her. When she ignored that, Brice stepped in front of her. He pushed her backward, into his friends, and then they all pushed at her, sending her staggering from one to the other trying to keep her balance. She finally fell, and was kicked by one of the three boys before she could scramble up. Trapped between them, she felt truly scared. Oh, where is the old janitor now , she thought.
    They started pushing her again, and then started hitting her as they pushed her. Part of Haylwen was shocked, the rest terrified. They are really hurting me, and it is just like a game to them . Abandoning her care of what anyone else might think, she screamed for help, which stopped them for a moment. Then Brice ordered his two goons to grab her. They looked at each other for a moment, and Haylwen leaped at the chance their distraction provided. She sprinted between the two, knocking them a little off balance, and ran down the street. The three started chasing her after a moment’s hesitation. Haylwen turned down a random driveway, pretending to head for the front door. The boys slowed, convinced