Chapter 27: 026 Town Trouble

I brought my boat around and tied it to the dock in the closest spot to the shore. I tied it on and just for the heck of it, used a touch of number ten potion to fuse the boat to the dock. It would stop anyone from potentially stealing it and I could easily cut it free when I wanted to leave. I knew that no one would want to steal it, not with it looking like it does; but, it was better to be safe than sorry.

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You have a choice to make. It will only change the order in which things happen.

A) Go left. B) Go right. C) Go straight.

Thanks for the detailed explanation to help me choose. I thought sarcastically. Since I have absolutely no information to go on, except that the general store is straight and I want to make sure that Diane doesn't realize how quickly I came back. So, I'll go with A.

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I walked to the edge of the dock and rather than walk to the general store, I went left for no particular reason. I remembered Mack saying that I had been coming to the village for years and that I still didn't know anything about it. I had lots of time to waste, since I was waiting around for a while, and roamed around that side of town.

I met several people along the way as I tried to observe the people and business in the town. Every single person avoided my gaze and walked faster to go by me. One man and woman actually made sounds of disgust as I walked near them on the road. Their daughter on the other hand, tried to wave to me. I waved at her and the woman let out a yip, scooped the little girl up, and ran by me with her clutched to her chest.

“Don't even think about it.” The man said to me as he passed.

I had no idea what he was talking about and when I turned to ask him what he meant, neither he nor the mother with the girl were on the road. I shrugged and walked on, looked in windows and tried to ask people questions. Everyone avoided me and said that they didn't know anything.

I eventually gave up and went back to the main road where the dock was and saw Michelle standing on the dock by my boat. “Hi.” I said to her and she turned to look at me with hate in her eyes.

“You!” Michelle said and dug a bundle of papers from her pocket, balled them up, and threw them at me. “If I ever see your face again, you'll regret it!”

“What? Why?” I asked and looked down at the papers that had hit my chest and fell to the dock. Luckily, it wasn't windy, so I bent down to pick them up. It was a bunch of plans for making my boat.

“John was just here and he told me all about what you did, you bastard!” Michelle spat.

“He tried to kill me!” I said as I stood and activated Vigilance.

“Only after you wrecked his boat and the dock!” Michelle nearly yelled.

“I did that after he threw his axe at me!” I said loudly back.

“I think I'll believe my brother long before I'll believe someone like you!”

“You'll believe a liar and a killer over someone who was sold to the Hag for 2 copper?” I asked. “That's good to know.”

“Wh-what?”

“You didn't know that my family didn't want me and sold me to her?” I asked and she didn't say anything. “Yeah, you knew. You all knew.” I shoved the papers under my poncho and under the bandoleer and then showed her my hands. “You knew she did this to me and none of you said anything or tried to help.”

Michelle stood there with her mouth slightly open.

“It took me months to learn how to walk right!” I said loudly and pointed to my feet. “I still had to do my chores, too!”

Michelle didn't look down and I smiled.

“Look at me.” I said and pointed to my cheek. “Do I look like I need to lie about anything?”

Michelle did her best to not look at my cheek.

“I went to John's house to ask for help and he refused without even listening to what I wanted, then said he was going to kill the Hag. I laughed at the joke and he told me to leave, then he said that he wanted to see how the Hag dealt with loss, whatever that means. When I turned to leave, he threw his axe at me! His big, double headed silver metal and wood handled axe.” I said. “I saw it up close, too. I also left the pieces of it beside his woodpiles if you want to go look.”

“N-no.” Michelle said.

“Oh, yes. He tried to kill me because I was going to tell the Hag about his EMPTY threat!” I said. “Isn't that nice of your brother? Taking care of his family by killing me? He's a great man, isn't he?”

“You... threatened him.” Michelle said.

“Of course I did... once I was safely away in my boat.” I said. “I sunk his boat out in the middle of the waterway, which means I had to do it after I left!”

Michelle shook her head slightly, because she didn't want to believe it.

“I'm glad I didn't stop by your place first to pay you for the boat, because you would have kept it without building the boat, wouldn't you?” I asked and she didn't respond. “Sure you would, because I'm always the guilty one, aren't I? Who wants to trust the Hag's apprentice, right?”

Michelle opened her mouth to say something, then closed it.

“I can't even talk to your daughter because you don't want her talking to the stinky Marsh Man.” I said and saw her wide eyes. “Did your brother tell you what I said to him when I was floating away?”

Michelle stood there with a blank expression on her face.

“No one tries to kill me and gets away with it.” I said. “I need to go ask Diane for something, so don't touch my boat. I'll be right back.” I turned to walk away, then stopped. “I better not turn my back on you. Your family can't be trusted.” I said and slowly walked backwards along the dock to the dirt.

Michelle looked surprised that I walked all that way without turning around or tripping over something. She didn't know that I was hyper-aware of everything around me, thanks to the technique the Hag taught me.

“Thanks for giving me my boat design back, too. I'd hate for you to waste your time making something like that for someone you would never believe.” I said and walked backwards all the way up the road and stopped at the front door of the general store. I glanced inside and John was standing there and waving his hands around.

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You have a critical choice to make. Will it be the right one?

A) Run. B) Stay. C) Open the door. D) Block the door. E) Be dramatic. F) Yell for help.

Oh, fuck yeah! Finally! I'm choosing E!

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I took out my knife and with a single slice and a sound of creaking wood, I cut the door vertically in half. I tapped it with the hilt of the knife and the two halves folded in. Half fell to the floor and the other half swung freely on the hinges.

“Hello, John.” I said in my deepest voice. “The Marsh Man isn't happy to see you again so soon.”

“You see! He's as crazy as the Hag!” John said loudly. “I had to try to kill him!”

“First.” I corrected. “You had to try to kill me first.”

“You see!”

“I haven't tried yet, John.” I said and flipped my knife over in my hand. “I told you before you tried to kill me. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead.” I caught the knife by the hilt and held it out to him. “Come on, John. You've already lied to everyone in the town already about me. Your sister even cancelled my expensive boat order because of you.”

Diane gasped and Mack frowned.

“All that's left for you to do is to try to kill me again.” I said and waved him forward. “Come on. Draw that axe on your hip and show me how weak you really are.”

John glared at me and took a step back from the counter and pulled the axe from his hip. It only had a single side for cutting.

“Remember that log I cut up for you with this?” I asked and waved the knife like the poisonous snakes moved in the marsh when they were about to strike. “Can you guess what I'm going to do to you?”

“DAVID!” Diane yelled. “That's enough!”

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“Is it?” I asked. “I know Mack believed his lies.” I looked at the man and he gave me a blank face.

“I didn't.” Diane said, truthfully. “I knew you were going to ask him about making a house.”

John tensed up and couldn't stop himself and looked at her.

“I am calling in all monies you owe to the store.” Diane said and both Mack and John gasped.

It was funny seeing men gasp, let me tell you.

“You... can't be... serious.” John said, his voice full of disbelief.

“I am, and my father is not allowed to defer it.” Diane said. “You've been getting deeper and deeper into debt with us and I'm done with it... and with you.”

“Diane...” Mack started to say.

“You attacked a boy that has never done anything to you. He's been through hell. You know he has.” Diane said. “He's had to live with the Hag all these years and you dare try to kill him for your own stupidity?” She shook her head. “I hope you have a nice time travelling to the next village to buy supplies for the winter.”

“B-but... but...”

“What's that? You don't have any money to pay us? Oh! That means you don't have any to go somewhere else to buy them either.” Diane said with satisfaction in her voice. “That's such a terrible, terrible thing, isn't it?”

John looked at her and his shoulder's slumped. “What do you want me to do?” He asked and put the axe back into the loop on his belt.

“You are going to apologize to that man right there.” Diane said and pointed to me. “You are also going to build my store next spring for free.”

“Your WHAT?!?” Mack yelled.

“I'm finally going out on my own, Dad.” Diane said and he looked stricken. “You can drop the fake concern act. You've been asking me for years to find a husband and to get out of the house.”

Both Mack and John turned their heads to look at me with shock on their faces.

“Not him, you idiots!” Diane exclaimed and both men jumped a little. “I don't need a husband to get out on my own, so I'm leaving in the spring.”

“You can't do this.” Mack said. “I need you here to run things.”

Diane laughed. “You haven't needed me here for the last ten years that you let me move back in.” She said. “I've saved up enough to get me through the first year, especially now that I don't have to use up most of my savings on paying for one to be built.”

“I need supplies.” John said. “I was depending on that money.”

“You should have thought of that before you tried to kill an innocent child.” Diane said.

“He's the Hag's apprentice! He's not innocent at all!” John nearly shouted.

“Then tell me what he did to you!” Diane responded, hotly. “Go ahead! Tell me!”

“I asked for his help.” I said. “He hates the Hag so much that he wants her to experience losing me.”

“You are an IDIOT!” Diane yelled and raised her hand to slap John, then thought better of it. “Do you honestly think that killing him will bother her? At all?” She asked. “You know what she's like! She might even thank you for it while she's slicing your throat!”

John's whole demeanor seemed to shrink and he didn't try to say anything else. He was a big lumbering man and he looked both small and weak in the face of Diane's words.

“I snuck away while she opened the barrel of liquor I brought her yesterday.” I said and Diane looked at me. “I came to town to ask you how I can learn to read.”

Diane gasped, Mack looked surprised, and John didn't react at all.

“You can't read?” Diane asked and I shook my head no. “Then... how did you order everything all these years?”

“I said the name and pointed and you rang up the prices.” I said with a shrug.

“But...” Diane stopped talking when she realized that I had been in the store enough times to learn the names of everything without having to read them. “I always wondered why you were so interested in seeing everything I showed you.”

“You were always nice to me, even when the Hag was right there.” I said.

Diane smiled. “All right. I'll go dig up a few things for you and we can go somewhere to start your lesson.”

“You can't go off with...” Mack started to say and Diane glared at him to shut him up. “What about my door?”

“I can make you a new door.” John said, perking up a little. “I'll do it in trade for...”

“Give me a second to use my magic.” I said and grabbed the edge of the fallen piece of door and picked it up easily.

I wanted this to be dramatic, so I hid the number ten potion in my hand and tapped the door piece with the handle of my knife to distract them, muttered some fake words under my breath, then ran my hand down the sliced edge of the door and added drops of the potion. I quickly turned the cut piece and held it to the piece still on the hinges for several seconds.

“Mending magic!” I said and waved my hands at it, letting the now intact door go. “There. All done.”

“You're joking!” Mack said and walked over to me. “You cut that clean off! I saw you do it!” He said and looked at the door. He frowned at it and then tapped it, then he swung it several times. He shut it in my face and opened it again, repeated it several times, then stepped back. He let out a whole bunch of curses and stomped around the store for a full three minutes before he calmed down.

Diane's hand was over her mouth to keep her laugh from being too loud and she had tears in her eyes while John stared at me like I was the devil incarnate.

“You...” John started to say to me and reached for his axe when a small womanly hand slapped him across the face. He jerked and looked down at Diane in shock.

“That's why you're so angry at him, isn't it?” Diane asked, her humor of a moment before, gone. “You knew he could fix wood and you're ruining his reputation.”

“No, I... he's a demon spawn...” John said, weakly.

“No, you are.” Diane said. “I'm cancelling my order for a new store and for the house in the back.” She said and John's face drained of all its color. “I said I wanted the store for free because of your mistake and would have forgiven a good portion of what you owe. I was also still going to pay you for the work on the house.” She shook her head. “I'm done being nice, so you need to pay this store everything you owe, John. Everything.”

“I can't!” John said. “I already told you...”

“Your lies and sob stories won't work on me anymore.” Diane said and held her head up high. “You need to figure out how to make some money as a lumberjack or you'll need to find another job.” She said. “Either that or you can enlist in the army.”

It was my turn to gasp. It wasn't as funny when I did it.

John looked completely defeated and walked towards the door. I still had my knife out and stepped back out of the way.

“You better go back around the town and tell everyone you lied!” Diane said loudly. “I suggest starting with your sister!”

John didn't even look at me as he left the store and walked down the road.

“David, stay right there. I'll be back with some things for you and we can go.” Diane said and I nodded. She went out the back door and I could hear her run to the house in behind the store and go inside.

“What else can you fix?” Mack asked me with clear greed in his eyes.

I didn't say anything and just slowly shook my head at him dramatically as I held my knife out.

Mack took the hint and didn't ask me anything else.

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