Ch.2- The second quest
"So? Where is the second clue?" Cosette wanted to know.
After following all the directions precisely, the girls had come to a stop in front of an abandoned shack. Looking around, they saw no sign of another piece of parchment that would direct them to the key.
"Cosette! What's this?" Lark called to the other girl, standing as far away as the chains would allow.
"What?" Cosette asked, looking directly to what Lark pointed to.
"Look at the tree. Does it look like something was carved there?"
"Yeah. But it's illegible, how will we read it?" Cosette replied.
"Obviously if it's illegible you wouldn't be able to read it." Lark said, to which Cosette rolled her eyes. "There has to be a trick to being able to read it. Why else would it be here?"
"Hello dearies. Might ye like to come in for a drink?" a voice cackled. Instantly, Cosette and Lark turned to see a haggard old crone standing behind them. Where had she come from? There was but one other word to describe her, creepy. She wore a beat-up old brown dress that was ripped and splattered with mud, along with a gray, worn shawl. Her white streaked black hair hung in matted clumps and contained several leaves and twigs. Her face was what awarded her the word creepy. It was brown and weathered, and creased with more wrinkles that made her features near impossible to see. Her nose and mouth for example, where only distinct because they were one huge furrow. It could not be distinguished as to whether there were actually bones that were hidden under the folds of skin. Her eyes had sunk into her head and you could just make out their abnormally light blue color.
"Did you hear me, lassies? Would ye like a drink?" she said in a thick drawl.
Cosette and Lark looked at each other. Lark shrugged.
"I guess so." Lark responded.
"Then come right this way, ye noble ladies," she began walking to the worn, abandoned looking shack and pushed the door open. The girls followed, not quite sure what to expect as they entered. The place was hardly immaculate; the Mistresses at school would have surely fainted at the unpleasant smell and the buildup of many years worth of dust. The old woman dragged her lame leg into what seemed to be a kitchen. She motioned for the girls to sit on two rickety wooden chairs.
"Where it be, where it be?" the elderly woman murmured over and over as she rummaged through several cabinets.
"What be your name, good woman?" Cosette inquired.
"Me name? Be it whatever me mum willed it be." The woman replied casually.
"So what did she will it be?"
"Been so long agos, I know not if I still be memberin it. Not been asked for it scept now."
"How can you forget your own name?"
"I don't never say I forgottened it. It be Galatea, I spect that's what me mum fancied to call me. That be her name s'well."
"Do you live here?" Lark wanted to know, trying not to choke on the air thick with dust.
"Ahh! Here it be!" the lady exclaimed, drawing out a glass jug of what looked to be cider, that was much older than its expiration date. "Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't," she said in answer to Lark's question.
"Don't drink anything she gives you," Cosette whispered to Lark.
"Gee, thanks for talking me through that one, " Lark sarcastically whispered back.
"Who's 'we'?"
"Me an me friends," the lady motioned to fat black spider that was slowly making it's way up the legs of the third chair. Cosette flinched at the sight of the huge arachnid. The crone returned with three mugs of the musty cider. "Cheers!" she exclaimed and raised the mug to her wrinkle of a mouth, Lark and Cosette followed suit, but did not drink.
"Ahh, that be a mighty fine brew. Now what be the purpose of two noble sprouts wanderin the woods chained together? T' aint safe."
"It's a punishment. We have to find the key to our chains to be set free." Lark explained.
"Would this be of any hep to ye?" the crone wandered, holding up a folded piece of parchment.
"Yes!" the girls exclaimed together, reaching for the paper hanging out of their reach. The crone was dangling it enticingly out of the grasp of the girls' fingers. "Uh uh uh. Not so fast, ye have to earn it first, there ain't nothin for free ye knows of course." The wrinkled old woman sneered. The girls knew they wouldn't get past this task easily, and decided not to argue.
"What do we have to do?" moaned Cosette, to which the woman laughed evilly
"MUHAHAHAHA, don't sound so excited sweetie! But it tis no hard thing, all you have to do, is try to unchain yourselves," she grinned, showing several rotted, yellow, teeth and several empty black gaps.
"Okay. Come on Lark, let's try." Cosette conceded.
"Noooooo!" Lark shrieked, flying out of her chair. (no you dummy, she wasn't actually flying!, she sorta flew. Wait, that's the same thing. She fell, that's it, she fell) Lark grabbed Cosettes' hand before it could touch the chains.
"AHHHHH!" Cosette screamed shrilly as Lark yanked her hands, surprising her.
"AHHHHHH!" Lark gave an answering scream.
"AHHH, wait, what are you screaming about?" Cosette stopped mid-scream.
"Stubbed my toe," Lark answered simply.
"Oh, I understand. That can hurt a lot."
"I know, right, like one time, I stubbed my toe and…"
"Ah um! Are ye goin ta do as I bid ye or sit there jabberin all day!" the old woman interrupted.
"Right, Lark, why can't we try?" Cosette returned to their original subject.
"Remember in the rules? You can't do that or else you'll have to start all over again!" Lark reminded her.
"Oh, right, right, right, right, right!" Cosette said.
"Aye, ye lassies dun good. Here ye be," the woman handed Lark the piece of parchment.
"Why are you giving me this?" Lark asked her.
"You passed this quest. You followed the rules. That's what this challenge was supposed to teach you. Now, you'd best be on your way to the 3rd challenge," she replied and bustled them out the door.
"Wow, that was weird," Cosette murmured.
"I ain't complaining. Come on, let's get started," Lark told her, and opened the piece of parchment.
Author's Note- Was that too easy? Probably yes. I'll make the next challenge hard. Wasn't very funny was it. I'll try harder next time. I make no guarantee's tho. Please review.
What! Where are you going? You're walking away! You're about to hit the back button! Sure, go read someone else's story and not bother to review. Fine! See if I care. Not like my feelings are hurt or anything. (sob) I'll be fine (sob) just leave then (blows nose on sleeve) doesn't matter that I (sob) spent hours (sob) writing this (sob) story for your (sob) enjoyment and you won't even (sob) review! No! don't let me guilt you into it, that's not what I'm trying to do WHAAA!!!!!! (runs for box of tissues, only to find we don't have any and is forced to use a paper towel which hurts the nose)