Prophecies and Lies

Chapter Seven

Huzzah, new chapter. No time to daddle!

Enjoy!

-=-=-=-



          June watched him with a bit of amusement as he finished the story. It was one of his charms, those stories of his; one of the reasons she liked him so much. Terrance's ability to tell a tale, to get the whole room to hush and listen intensely to him, was amazing. For as long as he was talking, everyone was quiet and watched him as he told the story. But when he had come to the end of his tale, and jumped down from the table, onto the floor of the very crowded inn, murmurs arose.

          “What the Hell kind of story is that?” someone asked. “They die at the end?”

          “Yeah, who in their right mind tells something like that?!”

          “That's not how a story goes!”

          Terrance sat down next to June—actually, he sat against her, because there was no more space on the bench—and sighed. “They don't appreciate a good story.”

          “That's because you don't let it end well. You never let one end well.”

          “Amadea's story ended well.”

          “She burned down the monastery and fled town!” she said. Maya burst out in laughter, quickly slamming her hands in front of her mouth. Terrance glanced at her, but shrugged. “You really never let a story end well, Terrance. Never a happily ever after. Why's that anyway?”

          “Perhaps I don't believe in them,” he said. “Or perhaps I am just not fond of them—if every story ended with a happy end, they wouldn't mean a thing anymore. This teaches people that there are still bad things that happen to good people, and that there isn't always a solution.”

          June wanted to say something else, but then closed her mouth and gave out a soft sigh. She had to admit Terrance was right—he was always right. Plus, it were those endings that made his stories so special; the simple fact that he felt no need to end things well made them unlike any other story June had ever heard.

          “The Devil always wins,” she muttered to herself.

          “What's that?”

          “N-Nothing. Just... nothing.”

          Terrance stared at her, a bit wary. “Okay, if you say so...” Lucky for June, Maya yawned at that moment, distracting him; he turned to the little girl with a smile on his face. “Looks like it's time for bed for someone.”

          “No!” she objected, but he got up from his seat.

          “Yes. It's been an exhausting day with a lot of travel an sightseeing. You must go to sleep, or you will be grumpy tomorrow.”

          “I won't, I promise!”

          “I know,” he said as he picked her from the bench. She didn't fight, not wanting to make a scene in the overfull taproom. “Because you are going to bed now. I am tugging you in myself.”

          “But I'm not sleepy yet!” she said. He gave her an all-knowing glance, and she added, “Not really sleepy.”

          “Oh come on, little kid. You just got your bedtime story, now's the time to say goodnight to everybody. You'll see them again tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. You've got plenty of time to do stuff, you won't miss a thing if you're going to bed now. Okay, Maya?”