"Ha.... ha... Hah!" I panted when I jolted awake, my heart pounding in my chest and I swear I could hear it over my heavy breathing. My clothes soaked in my sweat and the perspiration poured unceasingly down my chest. I cupped my head in my palm, I rarely got a peaceful night's sleep always tormented by that demon in my dreams he was like a parasite and even in death refused to release me. I touched the back of my neck and sighed.
I turned my head to see that the old man left "Probably using the bathroom," I muttered and laid back down staring at the ceiling counting sheep.
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The next day the Old man gave me a chicken sandwich, I was slightly suspicious of where he gained it, but I ended up wolfing it down, throwing caution to the wind. Can you blame me? I haven't had a proper meal in... Well... Ever. I rubbed my bulging stomach in satisfaction. After my meal Barnes let me take a bath in the little stream and gave me a cream to put on my scars, it confused me how he knew I had scars, but thinking he might have seen in while I was asleep I brushed it off.
It also confused me how he had scar cream, wasn't that expensive? When I asked Barnes though he merely told me someone owed him a favour so I nodded my head. A part of me was probably suspicious, but I didn't want to doubt a person who took me in with such graciousness, so one after another I brushed off the warning signs. I completely ignored the obvious, trying to find excuses for his actions, I'm not sure if even I believed them. Thinking back, it really was a dumb decision.
That morning, Barnes took me begging and continuously nagged me on my facial expressions saying stuff like 'Pitifulness is the key' 'Try actin' sick or somethin' that garners more pity' at the end of the five hours I had racked up ten copper coins. I thought it was a good haul until Barnes explained to me that a hundred copper coins were the equivalent of one silver coin and a thousand silver coins were equal to one gold coin. A normal family could live comfortably on five silver coins for a year.
Later that afternoon, after Barnes gave me some food, he told me he wanted me to meet someone, so I followed him outside. "This guy over 'ere is a friend of mine, he's gonna come 'ere every day to train ya at noon, In de mornin', we're gonna go beggin' and after yer done training, we'll go dumpster diggin',"
Barnes pointed to a middle-aged old man who had a muscular body and towered over everything to which I looked up in awe. He had a little black stubble and his black hair had a few streaks of grey. He crossed his arms and looked down at me, examining me. To be honest, anyone else would be intimidated, but I had lived with that 'demon' for 10 years, his intimidation was child's play compared to that 'demon'.
"The name's Dave, nice to meet ya. Barnes, you were right when you said she's got something in her eyes, a fearless look," The man laughed "Sophie will be happy, maybe I'll have a go with her when she starts work," He threw his head back laughing even louder. I tilted my head in confusion. 'Who is this Sophie?' 'What work?'
Just as I was about to ask a question Barnes slapped the man's back. He whispered something to him for a bit before turning and smiling at me. I wanted to ask what they were whispering on about, but Barnes pat my shoulder, wishing me good luck before scurrying away.
With just the two of us left, Dave gave me a light smile, "So Lil girl let's assess your strength how about you come at me with your full strength I won't attack just defend," He curled his finger indicating for me to come at him "Come at me full throttle,"
Getting his signal, I rushed to him at full speed and my brain thought of all the moves I had secretly seen before in the clan trying to decide how to go at him.
Making my decision, I started off my attack with kick aiming at his chest, but what I had imagined happening differed from reality. What I imagined being a graceful outstretched leg hitting him square in the chest was a leg that barely made it up in the air, my leg form wasn't straight causing my leg to barely reach his waist. Once it did I realized the sheer hardness of his bulging muscles, the kick hurt me more than it probably did him. The pain made me stagger back, but the unstableness in my back leg caused me to fall down to my butt.
Dave looked at me with an incredulous expression, I blushed in shame I really didn't expect to fail so badly. Dave held his head in his large palm.
"Hah...It's worse than I thought, looks like we must start from square one," He sighed. 'I wasn't that bad, right' I thought, still blushing as I dusted off my butt and rubbed in soothingly to ease the stinging pain.