~ Power ~

Chapter 17 - The Woman In The Purple Dress

Wendy and Freya walked through the door and the man closed it swiftly behind them and bolted it shut. The girls exchanged looks. Wendy wished that her and Freya had some telepathic link so they could share their thoughts on the situation and what to do next. The man stood there awkwardly and looked Freya up and down.

‘She don’t look hurt to me.’ The man’s mouth scrunched up on one side, it looks like her was eating a lemon.

‘Oh but she is mister. Not so much physically, but mentally and emotionally.’

‘Emotionally…’ the man whispered to himself. ‘A few minutes ago you said that she would keel over on my doorstep, ain’t that right?’

Wendy looked at Freya.

‘Don’t look at her, look at me when we’re talking.’

‘Yes. Of course. Look, we are weary travellers who have been on the road far too long. All we want is a little bit of water and some shelter.’

‘That’s it?’ the man asked, swishing the lemon around in his mouth.

‘That’s it. Maybe some food if you can spare any.’ Wendy’s eyes flickered to Freya and then back to the man.

‘I ain’t givin’ no strangers my good food.’

‘Anything will do really.’ Wendy said. ‘We will be grateful for anything at all.’

‘Alright,’ the man said, a smile stretching out over his face. ‘You can have what I give to my chickens.’

‘Thank you sir. Bless you.’

‘Aw don’t bless me just yet. Take a seat and I’ll fetch ya some water an’ some feed.’

Wendy smiled as the man left the room on a peculiar limp.

‘Bless you,’ Freya mimicked as soon as her was out of earshot.

‘Shut up. It seemed appropriate.’

Wendy looked around the house. There was a picture, hanging on the far wall, of a beautiful young woman twirling in a purple dress in a field of flowers. There were lots of trinkets and some jewellery.

‘Looks like he did move on,’ Wendy whispered.

Freya nodded slowly. ‘Yeah, maybe.’

The girls heard a clanking in the kitchen and both turned towards it.

‘I wonder how he got that limp?’ Wendy said.

‘Maybe it’s–’ Freya began but trailled off when the man re-entered the room. He was carrying a pitcher of water and two cups in one hand and a brown hessian bag in the other. The word ‘Feed’ was written on it in big black letters. Freya bit her lip softly.

The man poured some water into both cups and placed them in front of the girls and slid the bag of feed towards them.

‘Eat up.’ He said and then disappeared again. Freya grabbed the bag and slowly opened it up. She looked inside and then her mouth distorted in displeasure.

‘What is it?’ Wendy asked.

‘Fish heads.’ Freya said, pushing the bag away from her. Wendy leaned towards it to catch a glimpse and then leaned back in her chair.

‘How generous.’ Wendy said.

Freya smiled at her. ‘It doesn’t really matter anyhow. Yes, food would be nice, but our main priority is to evade those crazy lightning…ladies.’

‘That has a nice ring to it.’

‘Lighting ladies?’

‘Yeah,’ Wendy smiled.