An Alchemist's Envy

Chapter 8: Cave of Treasure

The last thing I remember was sitting near that fountain, so when I woke up in a bed in some random room, I was very confused.

I threw the blanket off me and jumped to my feet. I quickly slipped on my glove and slowly crept to the door. It was cracked open and I could make out a figure on the other side. Wait- two figures. A man and a woman. They were talking about something.

"Are you sure she'll be alright?" The woman's weak voice spoke, "She didn't look well when you brought her home..."

"She'll be fine," The man spat, which I recognized as the man from before, "Plus, I couldn't just leave her on the ground. Someone would think she was dead."

"Dear..."

"She's fine, she's fine. Now, I'm going out for a while. When she wakes up, don't let her leave. It's safer for her here than out there."

"Yes, dear. Be careful."

The man put on a large coat over his smaller one and walked out the front door. I ran over to the window in the room to see the man walk out into what looked like a sandstorm. He vanished instantly.

"Oh, you're awake."

I turned to see the woman standing in the door. She wore her dark brown hair up in a tight bun and had an apron on over her grey dress. She smiled softly at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks for letting me stay here. I assume your husband brought me from outside?" I asked nervously. It was weird to think he carried me to his house.

"Yes, he did. There was a storm coming and we couldn't just leave you out there in it." She sat down on the edge of the bed, "Stonebrook is infamous for its sandstorms. As soon as the wind picks up, it's a sign to head on home."

"Not to sound rude, but I've never heard of Stonebrook." I sat down next to her, "I've never even seen it on a map."

"We're a very old town that most people believe was torn down long ago. I remember the time when we used to have people flocking to our town, just to get a glimpse of our treasures..." The woman chuckled softly, "But that was a very long time ago."

'Treasures?' I thought to myself, 'What kind I wonder?'

"My name is Lindsey, by the way."

"My name is Glinda Bradford. And you already met my husband, Clark."

"Not to be rude, again, but your husband isn't a people person, is he?" I smiled faintly.

Mrs. Bradford laughed, "No, he isn't. Imagine my surprise when he proposed!"

I laughed so hard I accidently snorted. My face began to burn and she just continued to laugh.

Mrs. Bradford lead me over to the kitchen and handed me a glass of water. It was a little awkward, just sitting there while she worked on the dirty dishes in their sink. I was getting anxious, my leg began to shake as I looked around their home.

It was small, but homey. Not much to look at. But hey, who am I to judge?

"Deary, may I ask a favor of you?" Glinda broke my mind blabber and I nodded. "Could you please grab a few logs from outside? They're right next to the front door. But be quick, don't want you to get sand everywhere."

As I stood, Mr. Bradford walked in carrying a few logs under his arm, along with a paper bag full of food. Before I could even ask if he needed help he slammed the wood down on the floor and glared at me. Sheesh, what's with this guy?

"You're awake." He grumbled.

"And you're still grouchy." I countered.

"Shut yer mouth and help me with the fire."