Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

We left our room at the inn and the innkeeper named Rebecca had been standing in the hallway. She had something that looked like an old and very rusted sword in her hand. It wasn't raised in a threatening manner and she stood there awkwardly, as if we had caught her doing something.

“What do you want, Becky?” The Hag taunted.

“I was just... I thought I heard you yelling.” Rebecca said.

“So, you stood out here the whole time after you heard my yell?” The Hag asked with an evil grin and Rebecca blushed in embarrassment, because she hadn't come into the room to help.

I guess we did catch her doing something. I thought and realized that no one was going to help me.

The Hag waved to me. “Tell her all the horrible things I've done to you, David.”

My throat was lacerated, mostly my own work, and my vocal cords were frozen by the fortifying potion. I couldn't even make a gurgling sound now.

“There, see? David doesn't complain about his treatment. Why should you?” The Hag said with a laugh, grabbed me by the arm, and hauled me down the hallway. We went through the lobby and it had a young man wearing a weird set of clothing and a sword on his hip, who was waiting there at the desk. He gave us an odd look and then his face lost its color when the Hag growled at him.

I guess that's why he wasn't in the hallway with Rebecca. I thought as we left the inn.

The Hag took me over to the docks and pulled me into the large warehouse-like wooden structure. “I need a boat.” She said to the little girl behind the counter beside the door.

“MOMMIE!” The little girl yelled.

A woman that looked a lot like the old hag stood up and came out from behind a large normal boat that she had been working on. Her hair was black and not grey, though. “Oh, it's you.” She said and sighed. “I thought I had an actual customer.”

“You do, Michelle.” The Hag spat and hated that the woman thought she was a waste of time.

Michelle shrugged. “What do you want?”

“A boat.” The Hag said angrily. “What else would I want?”

“A boat fixed. New oars or push pole. Safety devices...” Michelle stopped talking when she realized who she was talking to. “What kind of boat?”

“A large flat bottomed boat, at least twice the size of my old one.” The Hag said and pointed out the end of the warehouse.

Michelle walked over and peered out at the large dock and nodded. “All right, I think I have something. It's over this way in the last slip.”

The Hag dragged me over to the spot and the boat was almost three times the length of our old boat and twice as wide.

I wonder why it's so long? I thought as I looked at it.

“Why did you make it so long?” The Hag asked.

“It was ordered for a shore fisherman that needed to carry a lot of big fishing nets, then he fell ill during the winter and died.” Michelle said and gave the Hag an angry look for a second, then she sighed. “I guess I can't blame you for not delivering health and healing potions during the winter.”

“It's not safe to walk on the ice.” The Hag said without inflection, as if it was an old argument and she had said the line countless times.

“I know, I know.” Michelle said and rubbed a hand over her face. “I lost Simon, too.”

“Which one?” The Hag asked with a gleam in her eye.

Michelle stopped rubbing her face and glared at her. “I won't be selling my boy, so you can get that evil thought out of your head right now.”

The Hag cackled. “If you ever change your mind...”

“He's too old for your liking, anyway.” Michelle said and then gasped. “I can't believe I just thought that.” She shook her head. “Do you want this thing or not?”

The Hag let my arm go and examined the boat very closely for several minutes.

_______________

You have a choice to make. Will you make the right one?

A) Push the Hag. B) Kick the Hag. C) Tap her shoulder. D) Yell (pretend). E) Flail your arms.

I shook my head at the stupid options. I would definitely get in trouble with all of them, except one. I choose C.

_______________

I reached out and tapped the Hag's shoulder. She stopped looking at the boat and glared at me like Michelle had glared at her. I pointed to the boat with one hand and used the other to tap her shoulder again, then I pointed out the end of the warehouse and tapped my own chest.

“You want this huge monstrosity?” The Hag asked, surprised.

'You' I mouthed and tapped her shoulder again.

“Do you know how long it's going to take me to make a boat this size safe for use in the marsh?” The Hag asked, clearly angry.

“My boat is perfectly safe for use on the water.” Michelle said, not understanding what the Hag meant.

“I'm not worried about what's on the water.” The Hag said without looking away from me. “You will need to help me.”

I didn't need for her to spell it out for me as my fear of being filleted escaped my control.

“Very well.” The Hag said and turned to look at Michelle. “We need to discuss the price.”

“My husband's... my office is right over there.” Michelle said and led the Hag away from me. I stared at them as they went into the office and left me alone in the warehouse.

_______________

Another choice. Good luck with it.

A) Stay. B) Run. C) Get in the boat. D) Get in your old boat. E) Talk to the little girl. F) Walk outside.

I didn't even have to think about it. I choose F.

_______________

I turned right around and walked across the warehouse, passed the little girl, and walked outside. Even though my movements were a little stiff, I didn't stop there. I walked all the way back up to the general store and went inside.

“Hello, can I help...” Diane started to say the normal response, then she saw me. “David!” She exclaimed and came around the counter, almost ran over to me, and took me into a bone-crushing hug. “It worked! Your snake juice worked!” She said and let me go. “Thank you so much for...” Her eyes saw all the slightly bloody cuts across my neck. “Oh, no! What happened?”

I mimed a knife in my throat and then tapped my stubby knife.

“Oh, David! You poor thing.” Diane said, sadly.

I shook my head and pointed to my neck and then pointed to the cases behind the counter.

“Would a health potion work?” Diane asked me, unsure.

I shook my head and pointed to another case.

“Healing? All right.” Diane said and went behind the counter to take one of the vials. “You can have one for what you did.”

I shook my head as I accepted the potion, then I poured a little onto my fingers. Diane caught her breath when she saw that I only had three fingers and watched me rub the potion onto my neck, then I drank the rest of the potion. To her surprise, all the little cuts faded away and all that was left was a nasty jagged scar that was half an inch wide.

I felt the change with my fingertips and smiled, because the slice that the Hag had given me was completely closed. It wasn't going to look pretty, I knew that; but, I no longer had a hole in my neck that couldn't be healed. I had taken the Hag's poor attempt to create new wounds to hold the other one closed, to the extreme and pretty much erased the old wound with hundreds of new ones.

“Iiiiii... paaaaaay... baaaaack.” I said.

“No, you gave me that potion for my father and...”

“Losssssst.” I said and shook my head, then I walked away.

I left the general store and walked back to the warehouse where the Hag was negotiating for the boat. I knew she wasn't going to get away without paying or trying to trade her services, since Michelle didn't look like she needed any help from the Hag. I made it back to the new boat just in time, because the Hag came out with a scowl and Michelle had a grin.

“BOY! Get that boat onto the water!” The Hag said loudly and I immediately complied. The strength potion had worn off yesterday and I was still moving a little stiffly. Even so, when I grabbed the front end of the boat, I managed to drag it over to the edge of the warehouse.

I moved around to the back and sat down, then pushed with my feet. I did that a couple of times and then the boat started to tilt. I got up and half-ran, half hobbled to grab the rear tie as the boat slid off and into the water. I looped the rope around the post that was there and the boat came to a stop.

“I can't believe someone so small did that.” Michelle said, completely surprised.

“My apprentice isn't worthless.” The Hag said and walked over to the opening at the end of the warehouse and jumped into the boat.

Apprentice? I asked myself, shocked.

“Get the oars and poles!” The Hag commanded and I grabbed them and handed them to her. She put them into the boat and gave me a glare. “Get the old boat and you better keep up with me.” She said in a deadly voice.

I nodded several times and untied the rope, then did my best to run out of the warehouse, ran down the dock, and untied our boat. I climbed in and picked up the push pole, shoved off from the dock, then was surprised that the Hag was already out of the large area in front of the warehouse, past the large dock, and was entering the waterway that would lead us back towards the spot where we could travel deeper into the marsh.

Come on, come on! I thought and used the pole to push the boat along to try and catch up. Just a little faster! I can't lose sight of her, or I'll have my legs filleted, too!

Somehow, the little boat picked up a bit more speed and it was a little bit easier to push it.

YES! I yelled in my head and pushed and pushed with the pole until my arms were sore, then I pushed some more.