User blog:AngryLance/A brave new world, a scared young heart - Part 3

(Incomplete)
 I take a look out the window to see that it’s a cloudy day today. Fitting for my current mood, considering what I was planning to do. Now that I can move around and breathe without feeling like my ribs are painfuly bending inwards, I decided to go outside for a ‚walk’. It was time for me to look around and retrace my steps. Yeah, nothing spells „explore your past nightmares” like gloomy weather. Real fun. Except that I always liked the cloudy skies, they always felt chill and peaceful for me. Before my short coma I faintly remember a cave with... signs or runes or whatever in it, so I had to investigate it for answers, assuming there were still some traces there and hopefuly don’t attract attention. As for anyone or anything trying to pick a fight with me...... I dunno, the thought of violence just makes me shake. I don’t know if it’s disgust or excitement. Nope, definitely fear. Aren’t I a brave guy...

 I put on my clothes; my blue sports jeans, my purple, synthwave themed shirt and my favorite blue hoodie, all articles full of patchwork, yet they look actually pleasant to the eye because of the patterns and the matching colors, even in places where it wasn’t needed, just to make them look symmetrical. Must’ve been Meri; she really is good at this, maybe she should have been a tailor instead, or maybe even an artist. Speaking of Meri, she’s just outside, doing the laundry. I figured it would be nice to say hello to her before I leave. I exit the nice confy bedroom and into the second room, which seems to double as a lobby between the one inner room and the outside, which made me realise her house is TINY. In contrast with the clean, confy bedroom, the lobby looked disorderly, with farming tools and other junk lying around; seems Meri’s kinda bad at space-organizing. Worse than my room back home: I’m impressed. But I’m not one to judge.

 I walked out of the tiny, two-room house and find myself in the front yard, where I see Meri scrubbing on two pairs of overalls, some blouses, dresses and-{Your godamn decency, pal. Eyes straight !}.

 „Hey Meri, how’s it going ?”

 „Hello Lance ! Wow, you really got up ! And you look so lively, I could just pinch you !”. And she proceeds to pinch me.

 „Ow ! Carefull, you got strong hands !”

 „Haww, i’m sorry. I sometimes forget i’m strong for a Holstaur, teehee ! I... get that a lot.”

 „Well, all that farm work must be good workout.”

 „Phew, it is. Going back and forth between my backyard garden of vegetables, selling them and doing errands for other villagers is tough sometimes but I always make it in time. But... it was easier when Papa was around...”

 She got gloomy there for a moment, but then she jolts back to being cheery.

 „Hey, after i’m done with the laundry, would you like me to show you around town ?”

 „Well... not really-no, actually... could you please show me where you found me all those days ago ? If you aren’t too busy that is...”

 „... Are you sure about that ? I mean, wouldn’t it be unsettling for you to see that ? Even if it is close to the village ?”

 „I... appreciate your concern but I... don’t think it’s like that. Besides, I need to look at something, try to figure out what happened. Maybe even look for something I lost.”

 „Oh, I see. Well... alright, i’ll be sure to come with you. In case it you... g-get attacked again. Or j-just scared ?” - She fidgets a bit, looks away and blushes as she struggles to say that, thinking it may be embarassing when she’s just looking after me.

 „Ehh, i’m... sure we’ll be fine. There’s no danger during daytime, right ? Whoever kicked my ass and robed me is probably long gone with all my money and not looking back. The hell with them-uhhh, I mean... i’ll be fine. Say, you sure you aren’t too busy ? I mean, that’s a lot of laundry you got there. Want some help with that, first ?”

<p class="MsoNormal"> „Well, i’m almost done anyway so there’s not much you could do. Hmmm... Oh, I know ! Could you pretty-please bring me some baskets from the house ? They’re next to the door.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> I casually shrug and smile: „Sure, I’ll be right back”. I make my way back inside the house and look after the baskets, which should’ve been near the door but apparently they’re buried under the aformentioned tools and junk. Time to start ‚digging’, then..

<p class="MsoNormal"> While carefully looking around the cluttered room, I suddenly hear two new voices coming from outside. Male voices; one is a bit of a baritone and the other sounds average save for cracking up at times. Booming, harsh and threatening tones... talking to Meri. I stop a moment to listen. They sound REALLY harsh... and Meri sounds terrified..

<p class="MsoNormal"> M: „Oh... He-hello... Is-is everything alrig- ?

G1: „Quiet, cow ! Have you paid your ‚stay’ for this month ? You are running late with your debt yet again, cow !”

G2: „Yes, how many times is it now ? Fifth ? Sixth time ?”

M: „I-I know, I know ! P-Please, b-bussiness has been slow; the vegetable g-grow rather slow a-and I have been running a-around for days to help other v-villagers on errands-"

G1: "We don't want excuses, cow ! Need we remind you that you're only here because the stupid villagers paid us ? Everyone talks about respecting that farmer who sheltered you but we all know they just want a big bussomed whore like you around !"

G2: "Yes, pay up. Or maybe we should consider selling YOU to slavers. A brothel would have paid thousands for a 'slut' like you but we don't want you spreading your filth around."

M: "Eeep !"

I hear Meri wimpering at the guy's batshit remark. Jesus, where did this come from ?

M: "But... but... I-I don't... h-have"

G1: "Don't bother, then. We will see if the other villagers can pay instead. Better pray their work went better..."

G2: "One of these days, the villagers will have enough of your mess and throw you out themselves."

G1: "Just make sure you are not late next time, then. Because it will be your last."

G2: "We will return, wench."

The two biggots walk away laughing while Meri starts wimpering louder, almost bursting into crying. Were they tax collectors ? I hope not; I mean, who would hire lunatics like these ? And why were they bullying Meri like that ?

... And why didn't I do anything about it ? It-It happened so fast, I just... froze in place, not coming out to help her... I just... let them pick on he-No. Quit that, you’re not a white knight, no one likes that shit anymore. And besides, you could have made things worse... {And what if they were rapists, Lance ? Were you going to just stand with your thumb up your ass while they assaulted her ? Be a pathetic bystander '''just like everyone else ? You fucking coward !'''}

<p class="MsoNormal"> I silently snap at myself under my breath and tell my own mind to shup up. Out of all the things to nag me on the back of my head, it has to be guilt. Fuck, I don’t know what to do. I take a moment to sigh and keep looking for the baskets. It still takes me a few minutes to find the damn things until I think of checking under the bed; there they are. Well, I gotta see how Meri si doing. Her whimpering, though muffled, doesn’t seem to subside...

<p class="MsoNormal"> I hurry my search for the laundry baskets and after almost a minute I find the damn things under the bed. Typical me, I always fail a spot-check. I pick them up and make my way back outside.