Jake heard what sounded like weeping coming from the kitchen. His first thought was of Marlo. He went to go and make sure that she was ok.
As he neared the kitchen the weeping grew louder and louder and he could identify who the sounds were coming from. It was Marlo.
He pushed open the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the living room.
Jake stopped short. There, seated at the table, was Marlo. She had cuts up and down her arms and she was bleeding. She didn't seem to notice that though, because she was to busy bitterly weeping and every so often she would softly say: "Master, Master, please. I am sorry. Master!"
Marlo was not the only person in the room. Hovering slightly above her was the green little man. He was laughing and as Jake watched, he moved behind Marlo. Something flashed in his left hand. It was a silver dagger.
Jake could no longer watch the scene before him.
Right before the little man slit her throat Jake cried out,"Marlo!" All of the past days: horror, worry, tears, and stress were evident in his voice when he said that one simple word, her name.
At that Marlo's head snapped up and Jake could see the red rims around her eyes from weeping. Her eyes were open and she was blinking as if she had just woken up.
Marlo looked down at the cuts on her arms and then looked at Jake, "Jake, where, why-"
Jake couldn't believe that she didn't know what was happening. Had she really been asleep? He took a step toward her.
The little man swore in a language Jake didn't know and then, just like that, Marlo and the little man disappeared.
She was gone, and Jake had no idea where to.
He slumped to the ground.
Lady Daniella put the phone down on the receiver. She had just gotten off the phone with her cousin ,Jake Fisher, with whom she hadn't spoken with for four years.
She walked to the other side of the room and pushed past the curtain of hanging beads that separated her home from her shop, which was called:
The Lady Daniella's Mystical Arts and Palm Reading.
"Lady Daniella, "Her apprentice, Lilly, stood before her," There is a man here to see you. He says it is urgent."
Lady Daniella snapped, "If he says his name is Jake Fisher then send him away at once. I will have nothing to do with him and his little girl friend Marlo."
Lilly stared at her blankly for a moment, and then as if a trance had been lifted she spoke again," He says that he has no name and if you do not help him, well, he gave me a whole list of terrible things he plans to do to you and me if you should refuse."
"Oh, very well. Send him into my office at once, Miss. Lilly," Lady Daniella was not the type of person who liked to be threatened.
Lady Daniella sat down at a glass table that was in the middle of a room that smelled of smoke and had hundreds of jars that lined the walls that were filled with nasty looking creatures. The walls were painted purple and there were symbols that lined them.
"Is there any more news of that human girl, Marlo Hope?" A low scratchy sounding voice cam from the doorway.
A man, wearing an outfit much like the one Marlo had seen the little man wearing in C is for Coffee, was standing in the door way to Lady Daniella's office. He had broad shoulders and the only part of his face that was visible, was a scar that ran from the bottom left hand corner of his sharp chin, and extended up to the right corner if his bottom lip.
"Ah, William," Lady Daniella said," Do not worry about her at this moment. Master has already found her, using the tracking spell that I gave him, and has brought her back to our little hide away. I can feel it."
The man, William, laughed a low laugh," Well done Lady Daniella, Master is very pleased with you, one of his humble servants."
And with that he left the room with the excuse that he had important business to do.
Lady Daniella sent Lilly home and closed up her shop for the night.
She laughed softly to herself, " Tonight will be a night that no one will be able to forget."
