Chapter 22: Surprise Attack

Jack heads down to a nearby bar to plan for tomorrow, and Cacyie was able to fine her way back with the help of her new friend.

               The smell of the early night was in the air, the sun was gone at this point, and only the moon was allowed in the sky, it’s quite low in the sky; telling that it is only begun. Jack sits down in a chair, located in a table in the far corner of the bar, a perfect place to reflect and refill, which is what he is doing. The bar has customers in it, probably all regulars here, with Jack being the oddball out. It didn’t bother him so much, as he was used to being odd one out. The bartender confronts to his table to speak to Jack, “Anything you want to order?” He is firm and calm with his words, his small eyes focuses on him, almost analyzing him. He was the man to see all things that no one should. “I want glass of milk.”

               He raises his one eyebrow at the order Jack made, it was the first he got one like this, it didn’t stop from doing his job. “Alright sir, I will have it shortly.” Some of the regulars started to turn their eyes towards him, overhearing the weird order. As the bartender went back, Jack thinks about his next plan of action, he did want to talk to the king, but the king went straight to bed after, Jack decided to ask him tomorrow. He did feel bad for the king, I bet I’m the cause of his problems, he said to himself. Flashes of the mysterious memories popped up in his head again, Jack quietly held his head together, and breathed heavily as if he was in pain, which he wasn’t.

               He was able to calm down, his forehead leaned on the table and both his arms were on top of his head, protecting him from whatever, he puts down both arms and lifted his head. The sight in front of him was the people staring at him, judging him. He looked down from all those people looking at him. A bottle was put down at his table, he looks up again to see the bartender, placing his order onto the table. “Enjoy.” The bartender said before leaving again. Jack took the bottle of milk and gulped it down in one go. The cold tasty milk hits his stomach, as his body reacts to it. Refreshing him, he is ready to take on more of the day. He puts down the empty bottle, breathing out the as from his body.

               Jack felt completely satisfied, He got up from the table and walk to the bartender, who was in the counters, tending to the other drinks. “Hey, how much for that milk?” The bartender turns around, cleaning one of the cups with a cloth, he looks directly at Jack, “It’s on the house.” Jack was confused about it, “Wait, are you sure? I can just pay for it.” The bartender puts the cup he was cleaning away, “Yes I’m sure young man.” Jack couldn’t do anything except accept his gift, “Well, thank you.” Jack left the bar for the night; he was thinking it was about time to see Cacyie again. “Hey, you come here we need help.” Jack looked around for the voice, he found a guy, titling his head to the side of the bar he just left in. The guy motioned him to follow him, Jack didn’t think twice about it. He went over to the guy, as he disappeared behind the corner.

               Jack was at the alley now, looking for whoever needed his help. Something hard hits the back of his head, something metal, and a crack was heard. The next thing Jack knows he was sitting against the side of the wall, unable to move. He can move his eyes, but his whole body was paralyzed. There stood before him three guys, all holding weapons of some sorts, a sword, a knife, and a metal bat, filled with spike, he can see some color of red on it. “Oh, your still alive.” Jack sees the faces holding the weapons, he does recognize them, from the bar. “Filthy outsider, how dare you come in and plague our beautiful Gerik?” There it was again, an outsider they say. “I didn’t do anything to it, why kill me?” Jack said, blood spilling on the wall behind him. “It’s not what you did now, it’s what you will do next. Our town has not a scent of violence in all these many years, then one day, everything came to be as soon as you and that little girl showed up. You two cause that army to reassemble, our women and children panic, a feeling that haven’t fallen in all these years, suddenly comes to haunt us again.”

 

              He was angry as he was telling his story, and other two were nodding to his speech, all fueling their rage at Jack. “We come to cleanse that plague; tonight, it’s a good night to do it.” All three hold their weapons, high and might of themselves, ready to strike down their foe. Jack said to himself, why do I have to die like this? As all three struck down at Jack, a complete bloodbath, mercilessly killing him, over, and over, and over again, until his body was completely unrecognizable. All their weapons were broken and bloodied, they tossed their weapons at the corpse as they walk away from the scene, stealthy and unscathed.

               The abandoned hotel was finally in sight, as Cacyie sprinted forward to greet it again. It was now early at night by the time she got back, and Ben couldn’t help smiling at Cacyie’s excitement over returning home, He did take a good look at supposedly Cacyie’s home, webs everywhere, the wall withered away, and the sing on it cracked. he never seen a hotel here before. It got up close to close to Cacyie, who was full of glee, “Are you sure it’s your home?” He thought maybe she was in the same situation as him. “It is, come inside.” She runs to open the door; Ben did admit he had his doubts about this. He pressed forward anyway, what did he got to lose? The building was dark, he couldn’t see anything, “Give me a second, I’ll find the switch.” she runs off to the darkness and ben followed her with.

 

              The lights flickered and Ben was blow away with the house. It looks like nothing like the outside, everything is shiny and polished, and the room smells nice. Cacyie was standing beside Ben as she closes the door behind them. “Do you want anything to eat?” He was astonished about what he was seeing, and the beautiful girl that was helping him out. He gulped with anticipation, as his mouth water at the thought of food. “Yes.” she runs off to where the stairs are, “Let me go get Jack, so we can eat together.” She runs upstairs, and Ben helped himself inside. He reached the cafeteria, he couldn’t help but be amazed about how big the room is, the many table that sat in this very room, it was uncomfortable to be in. He grabs one of the nearest tables and sat in it, waiting for Cacyie to return.

 

              After some time, Cacyie did return, the expression changed however, she was more neutral, apart from her happiness from earlier. She calmly entered the room and found ben sitting in one of the tables, “I’ll start cooking, anything you prefer?”  He can tell something was wrong, “What about Jack?” She continued towards the kitchen, “He isn’t here right now, so please let me handle the cooking.” She entered inside the door in the very back of the room. Ben couldn’t help but feel bad for asking that question. He wants to help her, that way she looked so lonely back at the fountain, it made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it. He made his way to the kitchen as well, to help her out.

               He went inside to hear sobbing near him. He went and glance behind the counter to see Cacyie, sitting with her head down on her knees. Sobbing away all the tears that she could. Now he felt worse than before. He slowly sits beside Cacyie, as she screams “Jack, you jerk, how could leave me like this, after all you did for me!” Ben hugged Cacyie, hoping to make her feel better, “What did Jack do to make you feel bad?” She tells him, calming herself down. “He.. sobs*.. He saved me, my home burned down, with everyone I know. I was lost and alone in a forest, and he appeared one day, and offered help. I took his helping hand and he led me here, a new place to call home. Cacyie and ben were able to eat dinner, though Cacyie is still sad for Jack.

               Ben give his thanks to Cacyie for the meal, is was the first dinner he had in a long time, and he enjoyed every second of it. He now had to go back, and Cacyie saw him heading out. “Wait, where are you going?” Cacyie said, holding the dirty dishes, “I need to go back, people are waiting for me.” This was the first she heard of this, “What people?” Ben answered with sorrow, “The other children that were abandoned.”