Lots of Strange Going On
"What did you just say?" I asked in a hissed voice. This freak of nature thought he could toy with me. Well he was wrong to assume so. My eyes started glowing because of anger. Normally people's eyes glow the color of the iris, but since my eyes are dark brown the whites of my eyes glow instead, making me somewhat blind.
"I can cure your cousin Sarah and take her away from her mate. As well as bring her back here safe and free from harm." I heard from my right. I turned to the voice and tried to punch him. He must have dodged because I only touched air. "If you don't keep your anger in check then I will force you to do the deal and kill your cousin myself."
My eyes glowed brighter hurting my pupils. I yelped and scrunched up my eyes, but it didn't work. I just had to wait for my anger to calm down. As I was breathing heavy so I could calm down and I had my hands over my eyes with them closed; I heard him shift between his feet. When I was calmer I looked and saw him on the couch. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to be my escort for a dinner."
"What kind a dinner are we talking about?" I asked not being able to believe that he would be able to save my cousin Jack. I sat on the ground in front of him. He looked at me and looked away and slightly mumbled something. "What?"
"The kind of dinner that annoys me, woman." He stated with a slight jab at my gender. I shrugged it off and ignored the jab. He crossed his arms and said, "One that you could provide entertainment for in its long boring hours."
"I don't do that sort of thing."
"Not that kind of entertainment… though I wouldn't mind it." He finished up with a smirk. I walked up and tried to hit him. He dodged and grabbed my hand and hit my bad shoulder blade. I screamed and fell to the ground in pain. He was holding me up by my arm. "That was your last chance. Say good bye to your cousin." He let go and proceeded to the door.
"Wait!" I begged at him. "Please don't kill her! She didn't do anything to you. I have just been under horrible stress lately," I knelt down and swallowed my pride, "Please don't punish her for what I have done." Inside my emotions were crazy; anger and hatred toward this man, fear and sympathy toward Jack, and nervousness and pain for myself.
He stopped and listens to my excuses. "That doesn't do anything for you. Will you be ready by next week?"
Next week was the annual celebration of the end of The Great Rebellion. I had to sing and dance. It was part of advertising my business to the visitors from the Main Provence. I get extra business over the next month because of the travelers. It's not something I can stop doing. I made a deal with my uncle Geoff. If he stopped advertising me in front of his superiors at his dinners then I will advertise myself over the course of the celebration.
"I can't. I have to be part of the celebration festival. Otherwise, I would get in trouble." He raised a blonde eyebrow. "Is there anything else I could do for you?" I begged.
He seemed to think for a moment and smirked, "If you are part of the celebration, let me watch you dance."
I blushed at the very idea. This creep wants to see me dance? There are some songs that I have to do every year but in one of them, sometimes considered innocent, I have to lift my dress to show my legs and dance around showing flashes of them. I knew I was pretty, because I have been told that many times. But the idea seemed foreign to me. I have been hiding myself from guys for around twenty years. So, the idea of being asked to let some guy watch was shocking and kind of creepy.
He seemed to notice my apprehension and smirked again. "If you don't tell me then I will kill your cousin." He turned to face me and his smirk widened at my blush.
"The songs are Irish." I remembered that a lot of people from Umbrella don't like the jumpy style of the Irish, so I said that in hopes he would change his mind. It didn't work though.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing, I suppose." I whispered with my head hanging down.
"Good. Do we have a deal?" he asked with his hand out, willing to shake on it.
"Yes." I got up and shook his hand. Little did I know that that one word would put me into a world of pain later.
After he left I went to the bar and decided to wait for Jacky to come. He usually rolled into town around a week before the celebration. I really needed to talk to the merchant. He was a close friend and had some simple wisdom that I needed right now. I waited a few hours and he strolled into the bar around noon.
"'Ello, Lorelei. Ah 'eard about Donny. Poor fella." He came into the booth and sat beside me while I cried into his chest. The stress from last night and today finally getting to me. I never cried this much before. But I suppose that when shit hits the fan, it's good to cry. "Ah also 'eard about the sick joke some wankah did to ya. Ya need tah talk about it?" I shook my head in his coat. His coat smelled of gunpowder, oil, and sweat. It was a peaceful scent to me. He seemed like the one person you can always turn to if things went wrong. Well… he was that person to me.
"How are you Jacky?" I looked up to see his red eyes. I could tell he was smiling and I couldn't help but smile back. His eyes glowed with happiness and mischievousness.
"Ah can't wait till the week long partay." He looked at the waitress who came over to get his order. "Beer with a shot of whiskey." She nodded and went to get the order. I looked at him and he said, "Yah look like ya could use a strong drink." I nodded and groaned. I don't get drunk but I feel the effects of the hangover almost immediately after drinking. But I knew that he was right. I could use a drink.
