The Psychic Chronicles Book 1 - Illusions

CHAPTER TWO - THE WORDS UNHEARD

                                                        CHAPTER TWO – THE WORDS UNHEARD

 

A billow of white smoke tumbled through the air from a nearby stand where a merchant had been cooking hams and sausages. A wisp of the aroma tickled Mr. Emerson’s mustache, peaking his interest as the pair rolled by the stand.

          “Do you smell that Molly? We are in the finest marketplace in all of Meracia. You couldn’t find such delicacies anywhere else. I do say we should stop off and have ourselves a quick nibble, don’t you think?” He said, as Molly gave him a look of annoyance.

          “Woodrow, we came by to find the child. If we dilly dally we might miss him.”

          “I must say life will pass you by if you don’t try to enjoy it. Look around you my lady. You are in the middle of the Meracian heart!”

          Molly looked over to see a disheveled woman beneath an awning, which read Ms. Keene’s Meat Kabob. She was selling what could only be described as cooked chunks of rat on a stick. She smiled creepily, revealing a missing front tooth.

          “Yes, the Meracian…heart indeed,” Molly said, ushering the horses to trot faster. 

          “Good day!” Woodrow shouted to the woman, tipping his tall hat.  The woman looked back at him and gave a crooked smile.

          They continued to roll through the brown stone streets passing a variety of vendors, each of them with their own unique items. One man with a large crook in his nose tried to sell them tea kettles made from elephant bones, while another talked up the pelts of furry exotic cats. Molly ignored these interests however, eager to stay on track.

          Woodrow on the other hand seem to take interest in every passing vendor and consumer who happened to be walking by. His eye caught onto one buyer in particular, a woman, who had been examining a stand filled with exotic plants. It was only a brief moment but he was sure he had seen her before she disappeared back into the crowd. 

“Oh look, a fruit merchant!”cried Woodrow, twisting his mustache between his fingers as juicy red apples caught his eye. “We should stop for a moment and gather some for the manor.”

          Molly looked over at the stand unimpressed. She watched as the fruit vendor gobbled down his own advertisements with gusto. She was about to protest the idea when she noticed something odd happening just behind it.

          “We can gather ten pounds,” Woodrow continued, “Yes, that will do just fine if—”

          “Shhh,” Molly scolded, waving her hand subtly, “Look.”  

Woodrow furrowed his eyebrows into a serious glance as he squinted. While the apple merchant was demonstrating a horrific display of ‘succulence’ they noticed a strange phenomenon occurring in the background. A lone apple had seemed to float through the air from the top of the stack and down behind the stand.

Both of them nodded towards one another and began walking towards the stand, but before they could move they saw all the apples tumble down to the apple merchant’s horror. He reached behind and pulled up a boy by the collar, scolding him severely and sending bits and pieces of apple flying through the air.  Molly walked forward to interject but Woodrow placed a hand on her shoulder halting her.