Having grown up in a small rural English town I will say now that the depiction in this chapter is pretty much totally accurate haha hope you enjoy
"This is pretty much exactly what I had expected from the outside." Jess said.
"I agree." Izumi said as he looked around the inside of the pub. There were only old men sitting at the dusty tables – five of them with about eight teeth between them – and a sheep running around the dirty floor.
"And the promise of these mythical men?" Jess asked giving Abby a smug look that practically screamed 'I told you so'.
"Don't sweat it." Abby said. "They're probably all off fixing cars without shirts on or working in the fields. By the end of the day this place will be full of ripped sexy men just waiting for us."
"These guys look weird." Izumi stated as one of them looked him up and down. This was not the kind of place two girls and a very girlie looking boy should have come to without some other kind of guard.
"Just relax." Abby said. "We'll be fine." As she said this she locked eyes with one of the old men grinning lecherously at her and the end of her sentence tailed off so that she sounded very unconvincing. Jess rolled her eyes.
"Fine." she said. "I'll sort this out." She made to go for the bar but Izumi grabbed the bottom of her jacket.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.
"No but I grew up somewhere like this," she explained. "I can handle it." She left to go to the bar.
"Shall we get a table?" Abby took Izumi's hand and lead him over to a free table. Izumi was still sceptical as this looked like the kind of place where you could get hepatitis from just sitting on the furniture but he sat down with Abby anyway. He tried to ignore the stares from the other men; the lecherous grins and the calculations in heads about how much they would feasibly get for each of them. The two of them sat in uncomfortable silence, neither particularly wanting to say anything just in case, until Jess returned with three pints of cider.
"We got them for free." she said. "Compliments of the house apparently."
"Well that's alright then." Abby said taking a sip of hers.
"Yeah," Jess said, elongating the word as she watched Abby closely. "I'm just a bit worried that we're going to get raped."
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Abby asked catching her eye and realising that neither Jess or Izumi had started drinking yet.
"I want to wait and see if you pass out before I start." Jess replied.
"Great..." Abby muttered but continued drinking anyway.
When it became apparent that Abby wasn't going to keel over from drinking some kind of date rape drug Jess and Izumi began to drink as well. They continued to sit in silence, hoping to finish their drinks as quickly as possible so that they could leave as quickly as possible. Suddenly the door burst open and in marched a man in long black robes and a white collar, a crucifix hanging around his neck. Behind him was a well dressed looking boy who looked as if he was about the same age as Izumi. The man strode up to the bar and slammed his hands down on in angrily.
"So how many more, Tom?" he hissed at the barman. "How many more?"
"Don't you be all high and mighty with me, Vicar..." the barman began.
"We have to stop this madness!" the Vicar shouted. As this was going on the boy turned to smile politely at Izumi, Abby and Jess. He was quite attractive, in an adorable sort of way, and was very neat – exactly what one would expect a Vicar's son to look like.
"Do you reckon that's his son? Izumi asked.
"If not that is one dirty Vicar." Abby stated.
"Preach." Jess replied and the two of them high-fived each other without taking their eyes off the conversation in front of them.
"We can't let any more innocent people die!" the Vicar said.
"Beg pardon?" Abby asked quietly so that only Izumi and Jess would hear.
"Then what?" the barman asked. "Then they'll come for us."
"Don't you see that they have us already?" the Vicar asked. "Our boys are cursed and we are the spineless fools who let it happen."
"Listen Vicar," the barman said. "I know it's hard, what with your Richard turning eighteen and everything..."
"Together we can stop this Tom." the Vicar implored. "You know we can. You are either with me or you're against me."
"Well this is getting weird." Jess muttered taking another sip of cider.
"Who is with me?" the Vicar asked turning to the room at large. No one moved or said anything. He looked around in what seemed to be despair until his eyes fell on Izumi. "No it can't be..." he muttered. He marched over to the table they were sitting at and grabbed Izumi by the collar pulling him to his feet.
"Hey!" Jess and Abby protested, getting to their feet, ready to jump to Izumi's rescue.
"No that's impossible..." the Vicar said studying Izumi's face. "It can't be you. What is your name?"
"Sena Izumi..." Izumi managed to choke out. This was getting incredibly strange and uncomfortable and everyone was staring (not that they hadn't been already) and Izumi could feel himself beginning to panic.
"Oh my..." the Vicar breathed, entranced.
"That's enough Father!" the barman shouted.
"Dad please..." Richard began, placing his hand on the Vicar's shoulder. This seemed too snap the Vicar back to reality. He let go of Izumi's collar and straightened his own clothing. He turned to Richard.
"Come child." he said and stalked out of the pub with Richard following close at his heels. A bubble of chatter began to rise and Izumi let out the breath he had been holding, sinking back into the chair.
"What the hell was that all about?" Jess asked. "Does he know you?"
"Have you been hanging out with vicars?" Abby asked.
"Never seen him before in my life..." Izumi replied. At that moment the barman came over with another three pints of cider.
"Sorry about that." he said as he put the pints down on the table. "Have these, on the house again, no hard feelings, eh?"
"Thanks." Izumi said politely.
"Sorry about the Vicar, he's a strange sort." the barman said. Izumi caught Jess and Abbey's eyes – so far everyone they had met were 'strange sorts' but it would be rude to point that out and might also result in them being beaten to death by deranged country men.
"It's fine." he replied.
"Say, if you lot want a bed for the night there be a cottage, not two miles down the road from here." the barman told them.
"Great." Izumi smiled feeling relieved. He had been worried that they were going to have to sleep here.
"How much is it?" Jess asked.
"See we're a little bit light on the old money." Abby said sheepishly.
"Oh don't you worry about that!" the barman waved them off. "it don't cost nothing. The door is always open and any weary traveller can expect a nice, long rest."
"You, sir, are a scholar and a gentleman." Jess beamed.
"Yeah if there's one thing I like more than free booze it's a free bed." Abby agreed.
"Thank you very much." Izumi replied inclining his head in a small bow.
"Might be a bit of a tight squeeze, though." the barman said. "I sent some rather nice looking young lads down there not too long ago."
"Now that," Abby grinned. "is what I like to hear."