They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

"We have no choice," I said.  Alpha Beast sag his small head in his colorful blue feathers. Resigning to what I said. 

We stepped out of the clearing. Dirty and more homeless looking than those crooked old men I saw loitering in the side street. There's a two lane road stretching to both side, opposite us, are two storey shops and houses with signs that reads MADEL'S INN.

There's an abandoned gasoline station to our left and a waiting shed to our right. I don't know what it's for. There's no bus stop in here. Not even cars or taxis driving by. I see a group of rowdy men in the distance. Hooked up in their racing cars, blaring and banging their cars. 

Car racing. I guessed. The place is quiet, no cops, not much pedestrians. Perfect for car racing. I nudge the others to get inside Madel's inn. 

"But we don't have money." Sam protested. 

"How would you know that?" I raised my brow at him. 

"I check your belongings when you were still unconscious. I don't know how the heck you travel with only clothes and empty cans in your bags." 

"Empty cans?" I directed the question to Magnus. He shakes his head. "Don't look at me. I didn't destroy vending machines to treat myself with can beers." His eyes slide to Alpha Beast. 

I wave my hand dismissively. "Forget it. I don't care. Anyway, we're getting in. With or without money. I'm hungry." 

A sweet smell of nicely grilled chicken came into my nose. And my mouth instantly waters. My stomach is growling, my nose is stuffing air, my neck is craning. 

"Guys I think we should -" Alpha Beast warned. A wave of freshly microwaved pizza and my stomach arched in hunger.

"Dinner," I said. 

"Dinner," Magnus repeated. His face is drowning just by the smell. I quickened my pace towards the inn. All of them followed suit. 

The front yard is pretty steep and rocky. Shards of glass crunch on our feet. We ignored it. Even Alpha Beast's protest was drowned, taken over by the animalistic instinct of hunger.

We reached the front door. A shabby wooden door with a peephole as big as rounded glass ships have. I knocked three times. 

The sound of glass breaking, tables scraping the floor, and bottles falling before it was open for us. I open my mouth to speak, to plead for free food, and makeup stories like 'We're a bunch of teenagers that got lost on our way and am looking for a place to stay.' 

But Magnus shoved me aside. The person who opens is a young woman. In her twenties, I think. She's wearing big glasses crooked under her big nose. Her hair is a disheveled mess, with long blue sleeves and ripped jeans. Her twin braids hair falls loosely on her shoulders.

"Hello, My lad – I mean Miss." Magnus bowed. Sam and I looked at each other. 

"We are a group of dedicated students on our way home from a trip in the mountains. We've come to observe the stars and somehow met an unfortunate accident." Magnus's tone sounds sorrowful. He even hangs his head and pumped his lips. Making him look pitiful.

No one will be convinced of his acting. 

"Oh, poor you! What happened?" The lady covered her mouth and ran her hand in Magnus's arm. He put his over hers.

"Our van, our equipments, our money, everything. It was taken by groups of big men we can't possibly fight. They held my sister – oh my poor mute sister." He reach out to Seven and patted her head closer to his chest. 

"They even went as far as threatening to hurt her if we don't give them what we want." Now he's faking sobs. Sam skidded to my side and keep on tugging my arm. 

"Oh dear! How terrible! Please, please, come in. Rest inside my inn. I'm so sorry you met such a terrible fate!" She nudge us to get inside. Closing the door and locking it twice. A twist in the doorknob then a latch at the bottom. 

She put her hand to Magnus – yes Magnus's shoulders only to guide him to sit at a table right beside the door. She scurried to the back door and tinkered with metal plates. Probably food.

I scowled at Magnus. He took a seat beside Sam. Alpha Beast didn't transform into another human form. He seems pretty worked up over it. While Seven is busy biting her thumbnails. I can hear the slick sounds of her tongue suppressing her saliva down. 

We're all hungry. Got to admit its all thanks to Magnus's terrible acting. 

"How did you do that?" I demanded. Sam nudge closer to Magnus in an attempt to intimidate him. Magnus glances back and forth at us. 

"Kids," he smirk. "Next time I'll teach you how to flirt effectively."

"Oh? So there's a technique behind it?" Sam asked. Magnus pondered. 

"Maybe. But I'm afraid it won't work to the both of you." 

"Why?" 

"Cause you're both ugly." He said flatly and with a serious tone I couldn't resist smacking his head. 

For a few minutes we waited for the lady to come back. We talked about a lot of things. Mostly it was Magnus doing the talking. He shared how he always excelled in gambling back in his realm. How none of his teammates, even the Leader of his troop could defeat him.

That was his second income, he said proudly. That's where he learned how to sweet talk his way around ladies. 

"First, you need a pretty face." He flash us a spine crawling ugly smile. "Then charms." He brush his fingers in his dirty blonde hair and wink. 

I'm sitting, left with the feeling this is déjà vu.  He suck in getting girl's attention. I remembered too late. Beside me, Seven stops biting her nails and peek her way in behind the back door.

"Food," she drawled in our heads that made Magnus shut up. 

"Are you super hungry now, dear little sister?" Seven ignored Magnus's tease and pointed her nose.

"The smell disappeared." She told us. I sniff the air. Indeed it did. I strain my ears. 

"Even the sound of grilling disappeared." We look at each other. 

"Should we go check or…?" 

At that precise moment, the glasses lady, who apparently had herself a new make over burst out of the doors and served us trays with rice, fried chicken, burgers, fries and cola. The color of her lips turned red, her cheeks showed a touch of blush. She still has her glasses on, but her hair is tied in a messy ponytail that looks pretty with her red apron and long grey sleeves. 

Magnus noticed it too and purposely keep on stealing glances at her. Every five seconds they met each others eyes, Magnus curl his lips, then glasses lady would lower her gaze and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. 

I didn't mind them. Satisfying my hunger is a priority. When I stuffed my third burger to my mouth and go for the fries, it disappeared. My fingers bump to Sam. Who apparently is as shell shock as I was. 

"Where's the rest of the food?" I mumbled. 

"So sorry, I'll get more in the kitchen." Glasses lady scuttled on her seat and disappeared. Magnus attempted to follow her but Sam stops him.

"You hitting on her?" he whispered. "Dude are you serious?" Magnus let out a wicked grin and pat Sam's back. 

"If I don't, do you think she'll serve us another round? I need to get on to her good side so we could stay the night for free." Then he winks. 

"Besides, Alpha Beast is having his fun snatching chicken and fries under our feet. If you'll gonna blame someone who ate all the food with wrappers on, it's him." 

I instinctively looked under our feet. Alpha Beast is in there, rounding and blinking his black parrot eyes innocently. 

"Don't you feel bad for her?" Sam started to say… "I mean, I despised ladies – no offense Seven I'm not including you because you're cool and all" he added defensively. 

"But Magnus… you're sponging on her kindness. Don't you believe in karma?" 

Speaking of karma… I think back to the blood hogs head I tuck in my arm earlier. And the decaying body. I handed it to Magnus. He said he has this bottomless pouch where he could tuck her body and head separately. 

Karma… maybe after this. I'll offer Sam his own fair share of revenge, playing the karma. 

Glasses lady came back with twice the amount and we devoured it hungrily. There's also a box of pizza she nudge to my direction, a set of chocolate treats to Seven, a steak with chugs of beer to Magnus and a six layer dip to Sam. Even Alpha Beast who's busy hiding himself at our feet were offered his own share of fried chicken.

"Woah, thank you!" I beamed and help myself with the first pepperoni slice.

"You're welcome. Enjoy your meal Lance." And she smiled.