𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 (𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚!𝙈.𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙓𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧)

Chapter 16

Had the day passed by in a gloom. My visage was far from clear with dark circles engraved from beneath my eyes, mostly because of the sleepless nights. Sir Barron, Jack and my mother seemed to have forgotten all about Merrik as they never uttered out a single question over his disappearance.

I blinked and shook my head lightly to be a bit more enlivened. I darted my eyes upwards and smiled, nodding my head in greeting to Jack's presence from inside the shop. He tear the blackberry filled sandwich off of his gritted teeth and greeted me with a good morning.

His dry greeting took me aback and made me gaze at him from across the shop. "Ran out of puns, I see?" I chuckled to myself and continued my way inside while turning the sign to open. I looked at him at the corner of my eye, his fingers trailing beneath the counter. "Yeah." he muttered.

I took notice of his figure as he seemed to have lost a few pounds which was something I let dwindle for a few days. But to look once closer with his eyes sunken down struck me with worry, making me bite my lip down in guilt. "You look frail, Jack. Are you alright?" I asked with brows lifted, placing the basket slowly on the wooden counter.

He sighed to himself and leaned both of his arms to the edge of the counter, his smile vanished slowly as he finally turned to me. "I've just been having a hard time sleeping, (y/n). There's always this man appearing in my dreams, always threatening me..." Jack explained briefly and wailed his hands around in exaggeration.

Jack had his brows furrowed, hinting that he was not pleased with his dreams of terror. "Whatever for?" I pushed further, coming closer with curiosity lingering through my question. He stared for a moment, reminiscing back to his agonizing thoughts. A sigh of suspire came out of his unsealed lips as he brushed through his raven hair.

He pointed one finger at me, his scowl never seemingly to go away. "You. It's you, (y/n). Whoever this man may be, it wants you alone," Jack dug through his words sternly, while I knew fully well who it could be.

Jack's eyes softened and slowly withdrew his arm away from me. He tapped his shoe on the creaky floor while fiddling with his fingers, "It told me to leave this place...to leave you. But I wont do it! I won't leave you nor this bakery! This place is my home now, (y/n)." Jack said in a panic, skipping a breath and glancing back to my eyes.

"You should take a day off, Jack. I'll handle it from here." I spoke softly and pushed him towards his room. He nod his head and slammed the door close. I breathed out, turning around and tumbling back with a small gasp coming out between my lips. A tall, young woman stood in front of me with arms crossed. She was a lovely one.

With a pretty ebony shade of shoulder-length curls and tanned skin. Her brown eyes stared back at me with a playful sight, with her mouth stretching to a smirk.

Three, little scars were engraved beneath her eyes. She wore a loosely fitted, beige sweater and a tight corset around her waist, with tattered jeans and black boots that tapped on the creaky floor impatiently. With just a glance of her get-up, I knew she was from Blackrum.

I leaned close to the counter and pushed away a few strands of her between my eyes, "Good day!there's stuffed-blueberry pastries on sale if you'd like." I offered, pointing at the basket beside me.

"I'd like to make a special order," she replied back, ignoring my offer over the pastry on sale. The raven haired lady looked at her nails, "I want a small gross of your finest blueberry-stuffed pastries."

She explained briefly while I bit down on my lip and felt my hand fall frozen still, the ink seeping through the parchment. I glanced back up at her and gulped, "And when will that be, miss?" I raised a brow, "Tomorrow, I want it by tomorrow morning."

I dropped my pen on the counter with the thin parchment following suit. "I believe that's impossible, miss. We wouldn't be able to make 12 dozens of those pastries in just half of the day." I complained but the woman only rolled her eyes.

She came closer with a shoulder leaning forward, our eyes glancing back at each other. "Then let me ask ye' one question before I go...who was that man you were with after the disaster of the pub?" she asked, taking me aback with wide eyes.

I knew very well that people had forgotten about Merrik. She tore herself back with both hands touching her ears as she pulled out two wooden earplugs. She threw them midair and caught them in a speed, "From the looks of ye' face there, you know what I'm talking about." she added with a following laugh.

I blinked and sternly turned back, "And what if I do, what will you do?" I questioned once more, squeezing my knuckles to a ball. "Do what pirates do, hunt the tailed-beast! He's a good for nothing creature, that emerald snare? Spiteful bastards I tell ye!" the raven haired lady explained with a loud tone.

"Now, whaddaya say? Will you tell me or not?" she raised one brow with a glare. After our few interactions, I was far from letting out any secrets.

I shook my head lightly and furrowed my brows, "I won't, I'm sorry but you must leave my bakery." I replied back.

She shrugged both of her shoulders and groaned, turning her back as she left with a few words, "You'll regret this, lass!"

As I went on with the day while shrugging off the pirate's comment, the day ended smoothly like butter. "Are you sure you'll be fine going home alone, (y/n)? I just have this uneasy feeling of you going alone..." Jack shuddered under his breath with crossed arms.

I nod my head and chuckled, "I'll be fine, Jack. See you tomorrow?" I raised a brow while he nod his head slowly, his eyes glued on the floor.

With each step I took down on the unpaved road, the moonlight followed me from above. It made me feel tranquil over the serene light. Though, as I tried my best to feel a bit better, my rigid shoulders couldn't seem to get over the daggering feeling.

I stopped in a halt from my steps, hearing one's footsteps stopping from behind me quietly. I looked at the corner of my eye and finally turning my whole body around, but no one was there.

I creepily looked away, but before I could even start running, my eyes was met with a sack over my head. I began to scream, my heart thumping from being unable to see. I felt a huge blow put pressure from the back of my head as I fell on the ground.