insatiable [in-sey-shuh-buhl]

1. not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased


It was very still in the dark room. No one seemed to move as the words finally sunk in. The air in the small office had grown heavy to the point where it was suffocating. Law shifted a little to a better position while he continued to support the trembling strawberry blonde clung to him. Who knows why when he could easily let Harriet hold Lavender's weight, or he could just let her fall to the floor.

What he could piece together was that when someone displeased the Occult, it would result with them vanishing, only to have their head found floating in a river. Guessing from the urgency in the man's voice who was now violently arguing with Missus Tubbs, they had just found the said body part. An almost sickening grin like smile etched out in his tan face. An hour or so prior to this incident, he had claimed this town to be too boring for him, but now… Things had become interesting.

The woman in his arms began to move, causing him to avert his gray eyes from the door to the figure that no longer leaned on him. She pushed her hair back and then pulled on it lightly. He could see her body shake a little. Perhaps she knew the victim? Law could hear shuffling next to him and spied Harriet move towards Lavender even more. In a comforting manner Harriet wrapped her arms around the said female. There was a muffled moan from Lavender as she quietly sobbed into Harriet's shoulder. Her body trembled.

If he had known more about this situation, he would have said something. But for now, Trafalgar Law was at a loss for words. Back in the shop, the arguing had ceased, and the door opened before closing. Footsteps approached the office and Missus Tubbs walked in sluggishly, her feet slightly dragging. With a sigh, she brushed past Lavender and Harriet, who had moved to the love seat and past Law to the window. Opening the blinds, she stared out the window.

For the longest time, no one said a thing. Lavender's sobs and and Harriet's murmurs of solace were the only things that filled the air. The only sounds that killed the silence. And then, to Law's relief, the aged woman finally said something:

"I take it that you three heard the news about Benny."

Her voice was grim and filled with bitterness. Law raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Who was he?" he inquired almost instantly.

"He was the son of the man who had just visited my shop. He worked as a blacksmith. Bennie was a fine boy," she explained and then turned her head to gaze at Lavender with a distant look, "he was also Lavender's classmate. They were sort of… sweethearts."

Harriet looked up at the two standing figures in front of her. Her eyes were dull. Her shoulders were slouched as if all energy had been drained out of her.

Missus Tubbs pulled open the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a whiskey bottle. The amber liquid sloshed in the half empty bottle. Unscrewing the cap, she took a swig right out of the bottle, before holding it out to the three other people in the room. Harriet stared at the bottle before looking away, but Lavender, sweet, sweet Lavender, wiped her face on her arm before reaching for the bottle with a shaky hand. While Lavender choked down the burning elixir, Missus Tubbs murmured to herself, "poor, poor Benny."

And then, it was quiet again. Law rubbed his chin, which sprouted a small patch of black hair, thoughtfully. So, whoever went against this occult, were visited by hooded figure and taken away in the middle of the night, and that this Benny, who had just been found (or what was left of him), was one of the victims. His eyes narrowed. He turned back to Missus Tubbs and cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid that I must take my leave so I may inform my crew of the current situation," he informed, "we'll be leaving in a few days, and I want us to set sail as smoothly as possible."

He turned to Harriet and Lavender, bowed curtly and strolled out of the door.

"Thank you for your time," he drawled from the front of the shop, before the bell by the door jiggled.

Dusk had fallen upon Hickorytown. The opaqueness of the sky and the countless stars that littered the sky were breath taking. The night sky was clear of any clouds, and Law had found himself admiring the view from the deck of his yellow submarine. His eyes followed the Big Dipper to the Small Dipper, and at the very tip of the Small Dipper, the pirate captain could spy Polaris. He was no astronomer, but any sailor should know how to read the stars, or at least the basics if they wished the survive out at sea.

Behind him, the floorboards creaked as a large bear wearing an orange jumpsuit approached him. There was a mug cradled in his large paws.

"Captain."

"Bepo."

"I don't like this island," the polar bear admitted quietly and extended his paws out to Law.

"We'll be out of here in a few days, Bebo," the captain replied and took the mug.

Wide eyes watched ahead as the slim figure ran through the field. The tall stalks brushed her sides and arms. Not daring to look back, the strawberry blond continued to navigate her way through the maze. Her breathing came out in quick puffs. It was cold. A violent shiver ran up her spine as the woman in the yellow sundress kept running. Goosebumps slowly crawled up her arms.

The constant beating of her heart rang in her ears. Her eyes searched the darkness for any salvation. Anywhere where she could hide. Sadly, she found none. Her pace became slower as she reached a clearing. It was a circle where the hay had been cleared out of. Stepping into the circle, she turned her head around frantically. In the distance, she heard rustling. Stalks rustled as something approached her. Shadowed figures stepped into her view, and out of fear, the young woman took a step back, but her back hit something. With a loud gasp, she allowed her fingers to feel the hard surface.

Her blood ran cold. It was wood. The figures kept advancing on her, though the wooden object behind her seemed to interest her more. Almost afraid, she turned around and gingerly looked up. Her eyes narrowed in the darkness, trying to see. She could tell it was a pole of some sort, and that something was on the pole. Narrowing her eyes even more, she tried to see. Something warm suddenly splattered onto her face. Out of reflex, her eyes closed.

Her hands flew up to her face as she tried to wipe it off her eyes. Turning her back to the figures, the woman stumbled a few steps to the side as she rubbed the sticky substance from her eyes. When it was off of her face, she opened her eyes. Slowly at first, but then more confidently. Blinking, she could see light. Light… So bright. Something crackled in her ears, and then, it dawned to her. Fire. Her eyes widened as she realized… The field around her was on fire! She- she was trapped!

With a cry of despair, she began to look for a way out. The mysterious figures that had given chase to her were no longer in sight.

While turning and twisting, her eyes landed on the wooden pole behind her. Her movements slowed down until they were completely suspended. The fire flickered in her eyes as she stared in fear. Her mouth hung open slightly as if to say something. Anything… But no noise would come out. It was hard when you stared at the mauled figure of someone who used to be your sweetheart. Tears swelled at the corners of her eyes. Unknown to her, the flames seemed to have moved closer. So close that they almost licked her skin.

Tied high up on the pole was a man, no older than the girl with filthy blonde hair. His skin was pale and bruised, and where a pair of beautiful blue eyes used to be, were only empty, dark sockets that stared into nothingness. Various cuts littered his body, and his legs were nailed to the post with large, rusty nails. The woman could only shiver at the sight. By now, the fire was dangerously close. It was so close, so close that it could burn her. Any normal person would have felt it, but she didn't.

"N-no…" she managed to croak out weakly "n-… NO!"

With a shriek, Lavender shot up to a sitting position, her clammy hands reaching forward before flailing for anything to hold for support. With wide, almost crazed eyes, she stared at the wall ahead of her. Her body trembled and a light layer of sweat covered his pale skin as the bright moonlight hit her terrorized form.

There was a strangled sob for the young woman as she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face into her arms, which she crossed on her lower limbs. Her horrifying dream, still fresh in her mind, triggered a chain of emotions. Grief, resentment, vexation, but most of all… Lavender felt fear. A whole wave of the said emotion consumed her frail body.

Her arms uncrossed and her fingers entangled in her locks, tugging at her roots painfully. Her body shook even more as tears spilled down her cheeks. The face in her dreams. Despite it being bruised and cut… Despite having the eyes carved out gruesomely, she could identify him. A trail of sobs slipped through her lips, and for a brief moment, she found it hard to swallow, for a painful lump had formed in her throat. There was a moan, followed by a stream of shaky, incoherent, whispers.

"Oh God…" she wailed, "Benny…"

Just hearing his name, even coming from her own lips, sent her into such a state, that one might have thought her to be in hysterics. Untangling one hand from her mass of hair, she rubbed her eyes and cheeks in hopes of drying her tears, but her efforts proved to be unfruitful. More salty droplets fell, cascading down her red cheeks.

Despite her...odd… relationship with Benny, it still hurt unbelievably. It was… It was so painful. Another trail of sobs emitted from her. She had loved Benny. They loved each other but they never went official like it was custom to. When she had first heard that Benny had vanished, Lavender denied it. She denied it with all her might, though in the inside, she was crying. Crying and screaming for them to return him. To return him to her. She loved him! She trusted him. He was someone she felt secure with.

"N-nnooo," she moaned as her chest tightened and heart throbbed painfully.

Her chest felt hollow. Before Benny's disappearance, she remembered him telling her something. Something that caused her to distance herself from him. Unknown to her, he would only be around for a few days. And then, he vanished. The memory of their argument weighted heavily on her mind. She felt responsible for his death. No, she was responsible for his death. The very thought of it stabbed her right through the heart. The clock on her bedside table ticked loudly. The gears in her mind turned. There was one thing she could do. Just one…

I have to get out.