She gave him a broad smile and embraced him tightly then she let him go. 'Have you…have you thought about this, though?' she asked him, 'because I don't think I deserve your forgiveness after what I put you guys through…'
He smiled too, 'I thought about it long and hard and I'm one hundred percent sure that you are worthy of my forgiveness.'
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. 'Thanks,' she said.
'Well…I better get going,' he said getting up, 'It's getting late.' This was not even half the reason he had decided to leave but the kiss was and it had almost made him blush. When he was about to exit the living room she called him back and he turned around.
'So…does this mean we're..?' she looked hopeful, her head looming over the couch.
'Yes, it means we're friends now,' he finished her statement.
She grinned and jumped from the couch and embraced him once again.
As he slept that night, Brendan kept asking himself if he had made the right decision. Was forgiving Samantha the best idea? She did treat him like filth for two full years, degrading him and pounding on his self-esteem. Was Simon right? Did she at least deserve to feel the same pain? To be shamed and made fun of and dragged through hell the way they had been?
But hadn't she though? Hadn't she been through hell? I mean, a brother that just vanishes for two years only to reappear to kill her? Wasn't that seven hells at least?
Brendan finally decided to settle on an answer; he had given Samantha forgiveness and she deserved it. She had been through enough already, and Brendan had more serious issues to worry about other than a grudge. And so, yes, the war with Samantha was now a thing of the past. A greater enemy now stood on the other side of the river.
That night he did not have visions of Marauder. He had had enough of his attitude anyway.
*
The next day Brendan went to get help from Simon's father. He needed furniture, food, cars and a whole lot of equipment he needed to use at home. Bradwield Forest was a no-go area for everyone except the police and some chosen or volunteered citizens who wanted to help search for the Finch.
Brendan was in the passenger seat of Mr. Drewmorphin's truck as he drove; going from shop to shop buying whatever Brendan needed and wanted. His other truck was being used by other drivers under Brendan's hire. As he sat and stared through the windshield of the truck, Brendan wondered if the people of Bradwield would ever catch the Finch.
After they had finished buying everything he required, which included furniture, a cell phone, a telephone, furniture, food, new carpets, a new refrigerator just to name a few, he put an advertisement in the newspaper looking for a chauffeur and a maid. When all this was complete, he sat by the steps of his house looking at the police cars rushing to the forest. He was surprised though that Mr. Drewmorphin had not asked him about where he had got the money. Perhaps, Brendan thought, Mr. Drewmorphin already knew about it. He stood up and was about to open the door when he heard Simon calling his name. He was with Owen.
'They've finally caught her, man!' Simon shouted, as if he intended to have the whole world hear him as they both walked into the yard. The fact that the houses in his street had no gates made Brendan feel like his privacy was always in invasion, especially since the house he lived in was isolated from the rest which felt like it was under a scope.
'What!' Brendan responded to Simon's information, aghast in the process.
'Let's go see her!' Owen added to Simon's words, 'she looks kind-a hot for a witch.'
Brendan walked with them to the police station and when they got there, there was a huge crowd of people standing outside the fence.
'We wanna see her!" the crowd shouted, "We have a right to judge her ourselves!'
The police however, kept shooing them away, telling them that the judgment of the Finch would have to be left to the court of law.
'Just let us see her!' Simon shouted too and a fire of noise raged through the crowd, encouraged by his words.
The crowd remained by the fence, still trying to persuade the police to hand over the Finch.
About half an hour later, the crowds began to disband, leaving for their homes.
Simon spoke through clenched teeth, 'This isn't fair, we wanna see her,' he fumed in disappointment. All three eventually gave up too and headed for their homes.
Owen left with Simon because Brendan had told them that he had something urgent he needed to do.
Brendan walked home slowly, thinking about the Finch's arrest. Did she deliberately let the police arrest her and was she planning something big? Unfortunately, he had no answers to these vexing questions.
When he got home, he sat on his bed thinking and wondering about what the Finch could have been planning then suddenly, an idea struck him. He took a nap for a while. He had decided to put his plan into action in the evening.