Yes, I am alive. Just had the worst case of writer's block. I am struggling a bit with this story and how I want to proceed with the looking for the bells. I still want to keep the theme of the story. I don't want this to all of the sudden become something easy for Molly. Each bell is going to come with each of it's separate challenges. Anyway I hope you enjoy this update. I know there is not much to it, but I needed an introduction to the red bell.
A loud knock jolted Molly awake from a deep slumber. The clock near the bed was blurry, she gingerly rubbed her eyes. It was almost 9 in the morning! She shook her head. Ever since her battle with evil harvest sprites, she lacked the energy to be able to get up early in the morning. It had been a week and her wounds were still healing. Every muscle in her body was still sore. She had effectively managed to ignore everyone in town for a week. She trudged across the cold floor to open the door. What was it with people in this town showing up at her doorstep unannounced and uninvited? The ever cheerful, mostly creepy Mayor Hamilton stood at her doorway.
"Well good morning, late morning for you huh?" He asked jovially. Molly suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the short round man. Molly nodded her head slowly. "I am here because I am concerned about you. It is no secret that you are becoming friends with the fortune teller, I wanted to warn you about him. I fear he might be a dangerous man. He is so secretive. People who have nothing to hide are not that secretive."
Molly leaned against the doorframe of her house and crossed her arms across her chest. This man had some nerve to tell her about whom she should be friends with. If only Hamilton knew that this man he was criticizing was doing everything he could to save the Castanet; even at times risking his life. Molly's attitude toward the Wizard had changed since the night of the battle, but she had not talked to him since the morning she had left his house. He had not sought her out either. Molly knew he was angry with her.
"He's harmless," Molly replied back evenly, struggling to keep the anger she felt bubbling up under control. Losing her temper with the mayor was going to no good.
"He's not harmless," Hamilton replied his face became redder, and his anger just barely controlled. "You don't know what he is capable of. It is because of his little experiments that my dear wife lost her life. I am convinced of it. Her illness was his fault!"
Molly stared at the man who was fuming at her. It was doubtful that Wizard would do anything of the sort. It seemed amazing to her the lengths this man would go through. She knew how much Hamilton wanted her to be with his son; the thought of which made Molly a bit sick to her stomach.
"He is more than what he seems, just be careful with whom you align yourself to!" Hamilton spat out.
"Are you threatening me?" Molly asked, her eyes narrowed at the small man standing in front of her.
"Just be careful." Hamilton restated. He quickly turned on his heel and left Molly standing in her doorway. Anger burned through her. Just who did that man think he was telling her not to talk to Wizard. She shook her head. She needed to put the mayor out of her head, she had more important things to do. It had been long enough, and today she needed to get back to the red bell.
Wizard watched as Mayor Hamilton returned to town hall. His last encounter a few days ago with the mayor had made Wizard suspicious of the man. Something had been different. The mayor had always been more friendly with Wizard than anyone else in town. While it had been annoying at times how hard the mayor seemed to try it was never more than just a trivial annoyance. The sudden change in the man was suspicious. Wizard knew that the forces of evil that were plaguing the island were going to be working even harder to try to stop Molly and Wizard in their plight to save the island. Things were going to get even harder. Perhaps it was nothing. It was no secret that Hamilton was determined to get his son and Molly paired together. He had seen the mayor several times, when Molly had visited. It could be as simple as Hamilton feeling threatened by Molly's presence at his house. It could be something as simple as that - but Wizard could not get rid of the feeling that it wasn't quite that simple. What worried him was the direction he had been coming from, Flute Fields, out by where Molly lived.
He was reluctant to proceed ever since the battle with the evil sprites. It had been his error. He was angry with himself for not telling her before she'd had a chance to read about it in Jack's journal. He was still trying to understand common interactions with humans. The feelings and the emotions that seemed to consume humans confounded him. It was an area of study where he seemed to lack. What frustrated him even further was that the Witch had seemed to understand more about the subject than he. How she would tease him if he ever conceded that information to her. It had been a week since fighting with the sprites, his wounds were finally getting to a point where the pain had subsided. He found himself surprisingly not as angry with Molly.
He jumped at the pounding on his door. The harshness of the knock indicated it was clearly not Molly. Wizard groaned inwardly fully expecting Mayor Hamilton to be at his door. Instead when he opened the door Chase stood before him.
"Hello," Wizard greeted. "How can I assist you today?"
Most people came to him for readings of the future, or readings of love. They wanted to know if their love interest was interested back. Chase's face displayed a different story. He was not there for something so simple.
"I..." Chase started. He looked uncomfortable being there. "I don't know who else to ask about this. I am losing days. There are days that I black out and don't remember anything. I end up waking up in the weirdest places."
Wizard regarded Chase unsure of what to tell him. He knew the truth would be too much for any human to be able to comprehend. No human wanted to hear they were a vessel for an evil being. He knew enough about human emotions to understand that basic concept.
"Tell me a bit more about these instances," Wizard prompted.
"The first time it happened I found myself in the woods near the carpenters house at midnight. It always happens at midnight that I regain my consciousness," Chase explained. "Do you know what the hell is happening to me?"
"At this point what I need from you is to write down when it happens, dates, times that you regain consciousness, and anything else you can remember. Impressions, feelings anything," Wizard instructed. If he could get the feelings and impressions from Chase, he could possibly predict what Ozari had planned. "I need the first instinctual reactions from when you first regain consciousness. So concentrate on those feelings so you can write them down."
"I'll try anything at this point," Chase stated matter of factly. Chase pulled out some G from his pocket and placed it in the Wizard's hands. He nodded quickly and made his exit. Wizard liked that about the bar's cook. He was straightforward and to the point. He hated how often humans would hem and haw over what they really wanted him to do. As if he cared at all.
Molly made her way down to the tenth floor of the mines. To her relief, Owen was not present. The last encounter with him had been less than pleasant. She made her way over to the bell frame to notice that it was missing again. She was dismayed.
"I can't believe it's gone!" Finn sobbed. "Where's Alan?"
Molly jumped. She had forgotten about Finn. She had grown so accustomed to the sound of his flying in her ear that she didn't even realize he was there at times.
"We'll find him," Molly stated with determination. She marched back out of the mines to see a small red haired girl playing with something that looked suspiciously like a red bell. Then to Molly's horror the girl kicked the bell sending it flying into the blacksmith's chimney.
"Oh no!" Finn shouted. "That was the red bell!"
Molly rushed over to the little girl.
"Did you see that?" the girl asked. "That was quite a kick if I do say so myself."
"Where did you find that thing you just kicked?" Molly asked.
"Down in the mines," the girl said proudly. "Just now, it was laying next to some large frame. But now my new toy is stuck in that chimney."
"It's not a toy," Molly stated trying to keep her temper under control.
"Who are you to tell me that!" the little girl shouted angrily. She started stamping her feet on the ground.
"What the hell is going on!?" A voice boomed from behind Molly. She winched recognizing the voice as Owen's.
"Owen this woman is being mean to me!" the girl shouted.
"I..." Molly started.
"What did you do?" Owen asked his eyes narrowing.
"I didn't do anything," Molly answered back calmly. She knew getting into a shouting match with Owen would not accomplish anything. "Look I was looking for the sacred red bell, this little girl..."
"Chloe!" the girl interrupted.
"Okay, Chloe, she had the bell and kicked it into that chimney," Molly pointed over to the blacksmith's house.
"Where did you find that bell?" Owen asked Chloe.
"In the mines," Chloe said proudly.
"How many times have gramps and I told you not to go down there alone?" Owen chastised. Chloe pouted. Molly was beginning to really hate this little girl.
"Is there a way we can get that out of the chimney?" Molly asked, hoping to avoid another confrontation. Owen shrugged.
"Ask gramps," He replied, and started to walk away.
"Wait! Who is your grandpa?" Molly asked. Owen sighed heavily.
"He's the blacksmith," Owen said. "Come on, I guess I can go with you." He turned towards the blacksmith's shop. Molly begrudgingly followed.
