THE KINGS SCEPTRE

CHAPTER THREE: wilderness

part 13

The cottage was built at the edge of the cliff, there were two other each built on either side of the first cottage. They were built inland away from the cliff different from the middle one, even in comparison of size they were small middle cottage was a two storey building. Cottages were built within the forest surrounded by trees on every side, sound of birds chirping and insects filled the air. Only way in was through a dirty road passing in the middle of the forest, at the front of middle cottage there was a parked black BMW.

On the second floor there were three people, one of them was a woman in her late forties she was Betty, another one was a man he had average body and top of his head was bald, his hairs grew in ring formation at the bottom, they called him john and he sat across the table from a teenage boy. The boy had long blond hair roughly kept, piercing blue eyes, small mouth and sharp nose he was Otto. On the floor beside Otto there was a small dustbin half filled with tissue papers containing traces of blood.

Betty stood behind john looking at the picture in the frame nailed on wall, it was a picture of a sunflower field with a setting sun. She had on long violet gown and down she wore black flippers, her hairs were tied in bun style.

"this image was the last thing filled my sight, before I left my home." she said in calm voice, as she stared at the picture. "it's a truly wonderful city nothing compared to these slums of yours."

She then turned toward john and traced her fingers along his shoulder blade. john was fidgeting with his hands, his left foot tapping lightly on the floor. He wished being anywhere else but not in the room, kid seated across from him gave bad vibe.

Betty was involved in d**g business and john with his crew were her suppliers, her drugs mechanism was nothing like those heavy ones cocaine and h****n. hers didn't get person high they just gave a user very tingly feeling and made them dream what they mostly desired she called her product elixer. They functioned in good way but betty was against promoting her drugs to pass as normal medicine, she didn't wanted drawing attention to herself and her group for they had old enemies in the city, that was always bad in business. Betty decided to sell the product off the books that brushed against the law it was accounted illegal for that her product was no better than h****n.

John as he supplied grew ambitious, he wanted to increase their territory of business. He persuaded betty to expand but they weren't on the same page, after john had received his next load, he instructed his men to sell it on the other side of the border in nearby towns, his plan went horribly wrong. The police caught the courier at the border red handed, under little pressure from the police he cut the deal with District Attorney (D.A) to get easy sentence in exchange with names of his accomplices, now the police were rounding up his men in streets. John didn't like the idea of coming to betty from the beginning but he needed a place to hide until the heat had cooled down, sitting in this room he saw it was the worst idea ever.

"you know john, I truly like you." she sighed, "a protection against the law that is over the bridge, police do come here regularly checking for hunters as if there is anything to hunt in these lonely woods. we have made good impression to them and helped them occasionally, that they have became to see us as gypsies and poor souls."

she then paused,

"holding a fugitive will destroy that outstanding reputation, you do know how that is hard to build." she told him.

"I worked for you over four years, the least to do is hide me for some few days then I'll be out of your hairs." john pleaded.

"tsk, tsk, tsk dear John now that last statement hit the mark being out of my hairs does sound wonderful, lemme tell you my little secret. I do hate it when people mess with my hairs." betty told him, then placed her hands on both sides of his shoulders. "do you know why, I built this cottage at the edge of the cliff with that big veranda looking over its edge?"

john became puzzled, then turned to look at the veranda. he thought maybe the scenery pleased her but didn't believe that was the only reason, he then bit.

"no, I don't know why." he told her.

"let me whisper it in your ear." she said while moving her mouth close to his right ear then whispered, "because the bodies I drop into the river are never found."

at those words john jumped from the chair as his hand went for the handgun in the waist, before even his hand had reached it he stuck. He saw and heard everything but couldn't move or control his body. Betty was laughing clearly the situation pleasured her then shook her head sideways dismayed.

"did you really thought that you were my first supplier?" she asked harshly. "ooh, I had other suppliers alright but I give you the credit for being wisest of them all, yet you succumbed like the others with your greed for more money and power, that all there is when comes to your kind money, money, money nothing else."

john's eyes shifted from betty to the boy, Otto was looking at him very hard his face contorted. He got the feeling that he was responsible for his immobility.

"see, you even figured who is compelling you right now, told you I liked that brain of yours." she told him with smile on her face. "john meet my beloved boy Otto. Otto has what you mundanes call superpowers. His aren't of throwing webs and lasers, Otto here is capable of controlling one's action. Weaker your mind is the easier it becomes for him to compel you."

Then betty went and opened glass door leading to the veranda.

"Otto be a darling and bring john to the edge of this veranda." she spoke very calmly while looking at john.

john's eyes widened filled with fear, his body started moving toward the veranda he tried controlling his legs but proved to be futile it was if he was in free motion. when he reached at the edge of veranda he stopped his lips loosened.

"I'm sorry alright!, just leave me be and you won't see me more!" he yelled frantically.

"think I'll pass on that offer." she replied coldly, her eyes hard as stell.

Otto willed john to take half a step and he did, all that heard were his screams as he fell.

"I always love the sound of that." Betty said glint in her eyes.

Then headed back inside, Otto's nose was bleeding betty took the tissue paper from the box at the table and helped him drying his nose.

"he was little hard compelling, I had to take extra effort." Otto told her, his voice was very soothing.

"well, nothing to worry about we are done here, our guide home have returned she'll open the gate and take us back." she told Otto, then cupped his head between her hands.

"do you know location of the gate?" Otto asked her mother.

"of course darling, it's in rods mansion." she replied smilling.

"they are our enemies, their mansion would be heavily guarded."

"that won't be a problem, we'll sneak in the day that traveler going to open the gate. I'm sure she'll get addams family support after all they are most loyal blood to Skyler capital." she told him before standing up.

"will you visit?" he asked.

Betty looked at him wondering what he meant by that, a flash of recognition flickered in her eyes.

"there is no need." she answered then went outside of the room leaving Otto at the table.