Stranger Spirits

He Will Never Return [Chapter Nine Part Three]

Without an objection, I nodded my head and quickly strode out of Alfred's home. I walked down the many streets and corridors of Sincostan and honestly, the hustle and bustle of the unknown city felt like the perfect landscape for my current state of mind. There was so much going on and everywhere I looked where the many oddities of a foreign city. Nothing was like home. I'm just roaming aimlessly and alone.

Finally sitting by the infamous Emerald Fountain; I took a moment to let the sound of the water crashing ease my tension. I cupped my hand within the rippling water and splashed my face in an attempt to cool down. Wiping the excess water off my face, and pushing my damp hair back, I looked back at the drawing and realized why I had come here. Looking up from the image I saw the same background that was drawn behind Alfred and Amy: the bakery with its brick layout but this time a different set of flowers set by the window.

My feet leading the way, I cautiously strode towards the front door of the bakery. Are they both even the same person? I'm not even sure. If I'm wrong then I would put this woman under unnecessary stress but then why didn't the person draw the two of them in front of the fountain instead? The Emerald Fountain is a more beautiful backdrop. What if I was right though? Is it even within my bounds to tell her?

The decision was then made for me as the powdered woman opened the front door. "Hello again, where's your friend?" She gestured for me to come in and I followed her into the warm and soothing common room. "You're in luck, I was just about to close early today 'cause I was tired." She sat me beside the front window once again and looked down on me. "Why do you have all of those scuff marks on you? Are you alright?"

"I-I'm not ma'am." I looked up at her and pointed at the seat were Atticus once sat on. "Please take a seat, I may be giving you the worst of news."

"O-Okay." She sat before me she chuckled to ease the tension that was building in her empty bakery. "You're worrying me, child."

I unraveled the slip of paper in my clutches and slid it towards the end of the table. "I hope the Gods are merciful and allow me to be wrong in this hunch." She picked up the paper and stared at the image. "Is this an image of your daughter? Is your daughter's name Amy and did she leave Sincostan with a man named Alfred?"

The woman sat silently, her hands shook lightly. "Who are you and how do you know of my Amy?" Her voice dipped an octave, her voice sounding grave.

"My name is Vaughn Tenderfoot, I was traveling with my friend and a doctor by the name of Alfred." I sniffled trying to fight back the tears welling on my eyes from forming. "Last night, Alfred and some other men sedated me and took my friend...they tried to kill him." I sucked in a deep breath and continued. "In the quarrel between the two of us, Alfred confessed to murdering his wife, Amy."

"What?" The woman took a sharp intake of breath clenching the paper in her hand.

"He had killed her a while ago and escaped the city traveling north to the town of Crestfall where he met us. In an attempt to protect me and my friend I-"

"Get out." The woman silently rose from her chair shadows casting over her face.

"Ma'am."

"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SHOP YOU LIAR!" Her harsh tone shocked me and I stayed in my current position. "Do you think you can just stride into my shop, my home, with-with your crocodile tears and just tell me lies? My Amy is alive! She's going to come through that door one day and tell me of her adventures. She's going to continue our family line and give me beautiful grandchildren!" Her eyes were getting bloodshot as her face turned red with fury from shouting at me.

"I'm so sorry."

"You're not!" She snapped at me. "Get out of here!" Closing the distance between us she grabbed me by my hair dragging me out of her shop. Yanking open the door she pushed me out and I stumbled onto the street. Speechless I watched as she stomped towards the window yanking the flower away from the windowsill. Savagely, she flung her door open and threw the potted plant at me. Breaking by my feet I looked back at her mouth slack. "NEVER RETURN!" She screamed attracting attention towards us as if the shattering pot wasn't enough.