Pleasurable Venom
This is where the story shows where I edited huge details from the previous version. I have decided I will have Helain meet and stay with undertaker for a while and then, I am not sure if I want her to move on to being under the queen first and become a lady then meet Ciel and Sebby or if I will have her meet them at the undertakers first then have her go under the queen. Please give me ideas and any other comments, or questions you have.
Chapter 03: Strange Store, Strange Man
"Are you sure you are alright, Miss? I hit you awfully hard with that wood. Not to mention you almost drowned." My gaze travels to his eyes and I nod. "Yes, I am. Thank you for saving me." I thank him and look back down to my bare feet. A light dusting of heat flushes my cheeks and I bite the inside of my cheek.
"Oh, it wasn't a problem. I am glad you are okay, for a moment I thought I killed you." I look up and he is sporting a nervous smile and scratching the back of his head. I grin and let myself be happy for once. "Well, if you are alright I better get back to moving the logs, Mister Sebastian will be mad otherwise." I nod and watch him lift of the huge piece of wood with ease and walk off with it. At the last sight of him, I turn and begin walking again, wanting to be as far from the horrifying water as possible.
My clothes make a sluggish wet sound with every step and it makes me cringe. Thankfully, the sun is out and bright ad quickly dries the water out of the thin fabric. My face drops into a frown and I stop in my tracks to figure out what to do. Sighing for the millionth time today I look up at the twisting clouds riddled about the dark blue background. What are my priorities? Clothing, proper clothing, money, and food. The slight twinge of hunger follows the thought. Yes definitely food. Hmmm… To get both food and clothing, I will need money. To get money I need a job or I will need to steal it. Stealing is out of the question. I would rather not attract the authorities if I can help it. Judging by how much I need to eat and how often I have about two days until my hunger becomes an actual issue to be concerned about. So my deadline for eating is two days. I could hunt and eat the rats scattered around London but that would be a health issue an I don't really think watching a barely clothed woman, decorated in scales, consume a rat whole would be appreciated by the locals.
My nose scrunches up when in the midst of my train of thought an unpleasant odor burns my nostrils. Quickly my hand cups over my face and I begin coughing. My eyes water and I hurry away from the unidentified smell. Around me no other person seems to b aware of the stench so I do my best to look unaffected but I can't help the look of smelling something sour that has settled on my face. I look around for a closed space that would get me away from whatever it is that reeks, my eyes land on a darker looking building, not too far from me, and not really busy looking. I cautiously move towards the gloomy shop, now more curious about what is inside then worried about the fading smell.
The black wooden door looks well polished but several wooden planks rest against the wall next to it. Spiderwebs of every size sprinkle the windows and in between the planks of wood. The the right of the door is a large black box. The size of a regular person and at the top the corners are cut off. Moving closer, I inspect the large and strange box. Several dents and scratches run along the edges, and a dark purple paint lines the trimming of it. I run a gentle finger over the wood and flakes of old paint fall off. This box is obviously old and in need of new paint. I glance away from the box and look back towards the door leading to the inside of the shabby place.
After a moment of curiosity for the box, I give it another quick look over and straighten up. I wrap my hand around the cold doorknob and gently push it inwards. The hinges give cringe worthy screeches and the sound seems to bounce around in the dark building. I only stop in the doorway for a moment, to listen for any signs I shouldn't be entering but none come to I turn around and step in to close the door behind me. Once again a racket of squeaking makes me cringe and once the door is firmly shut I turn back to face the shop.
My vision slowly adjusts to the dim lighting of the store and I blink them a couple of times to quicken the pace. As soon as I am confident enough in myself to move around I take another step in and bite my lip to muffle a squeak when a sting of cold tile meets my bare foot. I immediately look downwards at the offending floor and realize that the carpet is not exactly a carpet but a rug instead. I breathe out a bit of relief and steadily place my foot back on the grey tile. Unlike before, it doesn't shock me that it is cold so I resume my look around the small space.
More large black and wooden boxes litter the floor, taking up most of the space to walk. I am careful not to touch anything. It wouldn't be exactly the best if I broke or messed up anything. A large long table runs down one side of the shop. On it are several books, with several layers of dust coating them and cobwebs dusting over everything. Bottles of varying shapes and sizes dott here and there, also covered in a large amount of dirt and dust. A candelabra containing melted down stubs and cobwebs sits in the middle of the table on top of some more books.
I stop in front of a bookshelf filled with more bottles, some of them labeled but too covered in dust to read what they say and some of them unlabeled but cleaner so I can make out a vague shape of their contents.
On a few of the shelfs, beakers and other tools and books clutter areas. It captures my interest and my curiosity peaks. I quite like how gloomy the place is. It make for a good place to explore. I blink at yet another large black box, but it seems off to me. My eyes narrow and I target the box with all my senses. The wood is cleaner and polished well. It is slightly bigger than the rest and looks new. My muscles tense and I drop into a cautious stance. My skin and scales become hyper sensitive to the chill in the air. My lips pull back from my teeth and without hesitation I prepare for anything.
My hand moves to grip at the edge of the wood and remove the lid.
"Well, hello my dear." I squeak and jump. I move my hand quickly back and spin on my heels to turn towards whoever had startled me. With another squeak my foot catches on something and trip and fall backwards and over one of the boxes on the floor. The fright left my lungs with no air, so I can't gasp when I hit the floor harshly. In my startled state I frantically look up towards the person who snuck up on me, panting in fright. And I frown confused.
They are rolling on the floor clutching their stomach and laughing. The sight confuses me and I tilt my head unknowingly to the side. Why is he laughing? It isn't cruel like my captors, but instead it is filled with humor and lightness. My mind scrambles to put things together. When the pieces settle in place I blush brightly. Straightening up, I sit on the box that tripped me and wait patiently for the man to calm down. Blush firmly in place.
Wiping away some tears, the man sits up and stands, still randomly giggling or grinning. "Sorry, my dear, but the fall was one of the best reactions to me sneaking up on a customer." He breaks off into another set of chuckles and then settles again. "So what is it I can do for you, hmmm?" I blink at him.
"I-I was just looking around sir. I really have no purpose for coming here." I explain looking at my hands folded in my lap. Another light blush layering onto the one still left over from being so startled. " I will leave if you wish." I say, trying to hide my disappointment of not being able to explore the shop some more. He just giggles.
"I never said you had to leave. Stay as long as you wish, my dear. I will brew up some tea and biscuits are in the jar right over there." He points towards a jar resting on the front desk, in a part of the store I hadn't explored yet. "Sit wherever you like, I have to finish up a client but I should be done soon, I will be able to keep you company then. It isn't often I get visitors, and I am sure you know why. I am curious why a lady like you would want to hang around in a place like this." With the last word he disappears into a door tucked into a corner of the store and leaves me to myself. It confuses me. This man confuses me. He probably didn't notice the scales splattered across my skin here and there. But it is odd he would just let me stay, even though I am by myself and poorly dressed, not to mention I am a complete stranger he found about ready to open a box in his store. And his words. I don't know why he has no visitors, I don't know him after all. After several minutes of thought. I take a risk and stand up to examine the jar he pointed towards. He said biscuits and I do need food. So I slide the lid off the jar, it comes off easily and is heavier than I expected but not so much that I can't lift it with one hand.
Once the lid is removed a calming aroma comes from the jar and I grin slightly. Reaching my fingers into the jar, I closed them around a roundish item and identify it as a sort of cookie. I pull it out and look at it in my hand. The shape I find amusing, almost like a dog bone. I sniff it lightly and don't detect any poison, so I bring it up to my mouth and experimentally lick just the tip of it. Crumbs stick to my tongue and I taste them. Instantly I hum, and take a small bite off the edge of the bone shaped treat. It tastes delicious and nothing compared to the tasteless bread I have lived off of for the majority of my life. The treat brings a wide smile to my lips. Yes, this is the best thing I have ever ate.