Markimash: I'm Afraid to Believe

Chapter Eight

Yami had found a spot sheltered from the wind under a clump of trees about a hundred yards from the river.

Here, they had rested, eating the last of the food Mark had packed in his backpack.

Their long journey was coming to an end and it seemed like the next day was going to be a long, tiresome one.

Mark and Yami fell asleep fairly close, sharing the blanket the best they could.

The next morning, Yami was the first to wake.

He was annoyed to find Mark cuddled against him and even more annoyed when he decided he liked it.

Mark, his head almost entirely on Yami's shoulder, slept only a few moments longer.

Their day was off to a great start.

~ ~ ~

"There it is," Mark said pointing.

Before them, the path wound up only a few more miles before ending in a dark valley that looked impossible to navigate.

Nothing was visible but a few, blurry buildings that seemed to warn danger. Anything else on Final Hope's peak was obscured by shadow and tall pine trees.

"Looks like a fun place," Yami muttered.

When he looked back the way they had come, he could see all the forest behind them and in the distance, many miles away, there was slight smoke rising in a few fixed locations.

Yami supposed that was Black Willow, the isolated town in the middle of no where that had changed his life forever.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Mark had asked when he noticed Yami looking back.

"Yeah," Yami had responded. "But I'll be glad to close this chapter on my life."

They continued walking, each step taking them a little closer to the village Mark had talked so much about.

Yami was mostly lost in his own thoughts.

I hope Mark knows what to say to this... Jess. She seems... different, for sure...

Their path had just begun to split away from the river when, with no warning, a man stepped out from the pine trees they were passing.

Not this again! Yami inwardly groaned.

"Hello Mark and Yami!" The man called, already seeming different than the other people they had met before.

He somehow seemed full of more energy, more vibrant, and the way he talked was slightly different too.

"Another one," Mark whispered. "On my count, run, okay?"

"Hold on," the man said, apparently hearing what Mark had said. "I have some things for you two and I mean actual things!"

"Actual things?" Yami scoffed. "Of course, because those other spirits that offered us supplies were totally telling the truth!"

"I'm different," the man insisted.

Somehow, he seemed honest. Not only was his strange accent somehow alluring, but he was wearing a long grey coat that covered him entirely and on his head was a grey cap.

"Different how?" Mark asked.

The man stepped forward, opening his coat. On the inside was what appeared to be dozens and dozens of trinkets, ranging from spoons to bottles and bits of jewelry.

"I buy and sell!" The man explained cheerfully. "The name is Jack and I sell everything for a very fair price! Come on, don't be shy! Step right up!"