Tales of the Travellers

4

Charms sat somewhat dazed.

They went out the back door of the casino but it felt like she had travelled through some sort of portal. Casino Charlie must've done something, maybe dosed her, either way she didn't feel like herself. She felt dizzy, she felt sick and she didn't recognise where she was.

They seemed to be on a bridge now, the sound of the water below them was evident.

"Lookie here..." someone said.

Charms realised she was kissing the ground as she rolled over. Casino Charlie wasn't there anymore. Instead two other thugs stood before her, each framed by the starlight that hung above them. No other light seemed to show themselves on this dark bridge.

Charms grumbled as she managed to sit up, but soon felt herself be pinned against something. Her vision faulted and she could hardly make out what was before her.

The man seemed to be checking her out, her whole back was pressed against the bridge.

"Looks they the rumours are true. She is a Charmer." He continued to snicker at his find. Before him use to be a young girl with black hair and petite features, but the moment he touched her he watched her hair go lighter until it was a mousey brown and her features become more prominent to that of a young woman.

"We've been hearing about you, going around charming all the fellas in the casinos, you and whoever your partner is," someone else stated. They were hiding in the shadows, and Charms almost missed them.

There appeared to be a small group of men, maybe five of six altogether, surrounding her on the bridge.

Charms could hardly think straight. Charmer? What were they talking about? Her manipulating skills? How would they have found out? How did they know who she was or what she looked like? Was Cameron okay?

She looked around in search of Cameron, if he wasn't captured hoping he would save her. But she didn't recognise this part of the town, or at least not during the night time. The clouds gave off an eerie atmosphere whenever it casted dark shadows on the already dully lit bridge.

It didn't take long for Charms to notice she was in some sort of danger. She didn't catch what the men said, but soon after she was slapped. The slap was strong enough to send her to the floor and her cheek throbbing. Tears stung her eyes as she sobered up and her first instinct was to flee.

She attempted crawling away but one of them grabbed her arms and forced her to stand. Someone roughly held her chin and tilted her head to where she had been slapped. It was painful, it was throbbing against the surface and the way they were holding her face wasn't helping. But for a while now Charms' skin maintained its original colour if she's ever hurt.

Bruises and cuts were never seen, but when her illusion was dropped they were more than real, and hurt just like the real thing.

The man who examined her couldn't see a red mark or any sign that she had been struck, but it was there, Charms was just forced to hide it due to him wanting to see a certain type of beauty.

She could sense his disgusting thoughts about her in his head as he released her. The moment he did her cheek swelled up to reveal where she had been hit. The other man still refused to release her. He held her close, making Charms almost retch from the stink of old fish and the sewerage he was undoubtedly in.

They all gave off that similar smell, they were certainly below working class, so how had they heard about her abilities?

They obviously had an ulterior class than what they were showing.