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Fearless – A web novel

Chapter 12 – Sore spots and numb parts

Garphy the goblin, the wobbly legged future cellmate of some undescribably menacing giant named Tiny, stood up and gestured for Dinky to follow. The unlikely pair stepped out of the cell where I had been strung up and undressed – probably not in that order- for the last unknown number of hours. And then the door clanked shut behind them. “What?” I asked the door as the lock engaged. “What the hell is wrong with you?” There was nothing much I could do though, so I wrapped the blanket tighter around me and tried to find a way to sit on the chair that wouldn’t cramp my legs or numb my ass. There wasn’t. My ass was numb, my legs were stiff, I was smelly, and my feet were cold. Damn my curiosity.

I heard them mumble on the other side of the door, but I didn’t even wonder what they said. Not one bit curious. I stood up and stepped over to the door, pressed my head against it. Promptly something sharp poked me on the cheek and I yelped in pain. Of course the whispering criminals shut up. I heaved a heavy sigh and sat down on the earthen floor and leaned against the door.

After a moment, the mumbling resumed. Very carefully I pressed my head against the door again and listened hard.

Dinky’s rumble travelled through the wood and transformed into muted bass, no way of hearing specific words. He didn’t sound too happy though. Was that a no? Garphy’s reply came quickly though, loud and clear. “You will do as I tell you, little brother. Ponzi don’t need to know.”

Brother? What the hell? No, seriously weird. My mouth fell open and I would have laughed if I could have. No way. It had to be some kind of guy thing, like my man, or son. Dinky had even said he was an only child hadn’t he? Yeah, he had. Damn right he had. I shook my head and tried to focus on the conversation outside again.

Rumble, rumble, indistinct shuffling, and a door opening and closing. But I heard nothing else I could make out. I got to my feet and whinced at the stiffness in joints and muscles. I hadn’t quite noticed it before, but my wrists ached. I glanced at the shackles hanging from the wall and wondered how long I had been hanging there before Dinky made his unforgettable appearance. I was in pain, but not that much; not enough to have been hanging there long. A few minutes at the most. What did that mean? They didn’t seem interested in hurting me. Not primarily in any case.

I sat down on the chair again and tried to figure out what time it was. I had no more luck than before. I couldn’t have been here very long though. I sketched a quick timeline in my head. Amy, home, sleep. Ok, that was Wednesday night. Thursday had been as normal as it gets. With the exception of a mystery container full of money that was. I sighed. In my philosophy of life, curiosity may not kill the clever cat, but a curious human female might just be a different story. If I had just left that damn thing where it was, Amy wouldn’t be my main concern now. If I had only…

I glared despondantly at the piece of spam with its attached fork. Could a dwarf be brought down by a small female wielding a fork? Ram it through the eye? I shuddered. No, that was just too grose even for me. Choked with spam? Have his throat slit by way of photograph paper-cut? Interesting idea, but after some deliberation of reality vs. fiction, I regretfully left the fork where it lay.

My thoughts returned unairingly to the weirdness of it all. Those two brothers? I gave up right away; it was too much to wrap my head around. I would just have to find out some way. I rubbed my wrists and frowned at the door. It was silent out there. Ok, those two didn’t want to hurt me, just scare me. Why bring me here for that? Why not scare the shit out of me at home, leave with the info or the money, and take off. What would be the point of dragging me somewhere else? I was missing something. They seemed to be crooks with some agenda I couldn’t fathom, and with some kind of concience. The fact that I didn’t scare easily hadn’t bothered Dinky any. Such a sweetheart. I pulled up a hand and slapped myself in the face. Not sweet, not sweet, a giant oaf of a bad guy.

I frowned and thought of something I knew normal people would have thought of right away. Those two unquestioningly male specimence had me drugged and unmoving for who knows how long, and as far as I knew, noone had touched me in any way intimate enough to be called sexual. I took a moment to look down on myself, splaying opened the blanket. I poked and prodded the relevant places, but there was nothing there that hadn’t been there before, nothing sore, nothing unusually sticky. The door flew open. Dinky’s eyes travelled from my big grin, down my arm and the open blanket, until they stuck on my hand between my legs. I didn’t know eyes could bulge so, or that skin could turn so pink. “Just making sure.” I said.

“Well certainly miss Malone, a girl can never be careful enough. Now, You might as well drop the blanket. Your bath is waiting.”

I looked around the raw stone, then i looked past the open door where, down the corridor, another door stood open.

Garphy saw my confusion and nodded. “You didn’t think we were going to let you go home for your cleanup did you?” The ugly son-of-a-bitch smiled and bowed from the waist, sweeping an arm out toward the open door.

Well, no I hadn’t really thought about how I would get a bath. I suddenly wished I had asked for something a bit more challenging for my little friend to accomplish. “So, what else do you have here? A five star restaurant and a disco?” I asked as I drew my achy breaky body up to standing.

Garphy shook his head, somewhat regretfully. “Unfortunately not young lady. But you can rest assured that we have everything we need to make you comfortable. And safe.” He added. “Come now. Let us get this show on the road. Poor Dinky here has had quite enough already it seems.”

He was right. Dinky stood still, with an expression on his face I couldn’t quite identify. It was as if somewhere under a mask of absolute absence of brain activity, something was bubbling and churning, ready to boil and burst the skin open with a tremendous crack.

I brushed past him, offering a brilliant smile on the way, and headed toward my bath.

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Fearless – A web novel

Chapter 11 – making deals

Relatives are relative but criminals are never related where the relative crime is criminally related, relatively speaking.

“Money? Me?” I scratched my scalp and stared blankly at the dwarf. I glanced at the pictures that sat in a pile on the table in front of me and let my jaw drop. I gasped and slapped a hand over my mouth. Somewhat muffled by the hand I asked. “You mean… that?” I gasped again for effect and met Garphy’s dark scowl with a bewildered look. “Money? In that?” I whispered and glanced at dinky. The big oaf avoided my eyes, just kept on inspecting the grains meandering across the small wooden table with much interest. Oh hell, what had I expected? These two were a team, of course. And Dinky did and said what Garphy told him to say or do; without thinking too hard about it no doubt. But was Dinky truly untouchable? I had a feeling that he wasn’t. Then again… I took another look at the little person, still looking at me as a cheating politician looks at the rumour mill headlines; with a mixture of disbelief and pure hate. Was he really scary? Was fear what kept poor Dinky on the leash like a well trained puppy? What was I missing? Or was there something I simply couldn’t grasp due to my lack of understanding of human nature?

Garphy really didn’t seem scary to me. Nor did dinky. Finally I shrugged, deciding to give more thought on Dinky’s loyalties later. When I needed an ally I was sure I could be scarier than a diminished crinkleroot like Garphy any day. For now I said simply. “Nope. Know nothing about any money.”

“Is that so?”

I nodded so hard my hair moved back and forth, stiff and dull it scraped my face. I suddenly longed for a hot bath with lots of bath-salts and bubbles. A bath using all of those wonderful cleaners, scrubbers, moisturizers, stuff that would smell good, and make me soft and all squeaky clean. I stared into nothing for a spell, sighing wistfully. A bath. A hot steaming fragrant bath.

Garphy jerked me out of the tub with a growl. “Don’t play innocent with me young lady.” He stabbed the top picture with a short hard finger, once, twice, each time hitting my photographed backside with a flappy thump.

“Ouch.” I protested. “Watch where you put that thing.” Then I met his eyes. They were very brown, very narrow, and very angry. I wanted to wave him off, just like I would wave away, or even squish any annoying little creature that would dare to crawl on me. And I even lifted my hand and waved it in front of him. “That’s my pretty bum you’re assaulting there, little man. Don’t do that. It’s so rude.”

“You will take us to….”

“Don’t play hard-ass with me, Mini-you.” I interrupted and yawned. A huge luxurious yawn that made my body shiver, my face scrunch up, and my jaws crack.

“Marcy Malone. The money, Miss-”

“Yes yes, sure, what the hell why not.” I was getting seriously tired of that irritating bug of a dwarf. “Fine, the money. I heard you the first time.” I leaned forward, narrowed my eyes, and pulled my lips back in something that might have been a smile, or a grimace, or a final foodstuff-between-teeth check in the rear-view mirror before a job interview. Then I stabbed him in the forehead with my middle finger, once, twice, three times a charm. “I’ll take you to the money, Barfy. On one condition.” I paused and brought my eyebrows up in inquiry, waiting for a reaction.

The thundercloud seemed to ease up a bit as he thought about it. He narrowed his eyes even more and tilted his head to the left, then the right, while drumming the table with his stubby digits. Darumdarum tap tap, darumdarum tap tap. Silence. Then Garphy exhaled and waved his hand. “Name your price Stinky thing.”

I chose not to hear his reference to my quite intrusive stink of unflushed toilet. When it all came down to it, I did stink. I wouldn’t for long though. I would remember his words and at some point the little wobbly-legged criminal would be made to eat them. I nodded. “First. A bath.” I said.

“And second?” Garphy grumbled.

“I’m not sure yet.” I’ll get back to you. Now…” I sat back in the chair and slapped my legs with both palms, eager to go. I smiled. “When are we going? And what are we driving? We have a long way to go.”

I only had one tiny problem I figured. But it wasn’t really anything much to worry bout. I mean, somewhere along the way I was sure I’d figure out where we were going.

Fearless – A web-serial

Chapter 10 – Bright-eyed and bushy tailed

Wide awake, bright eyed and bushy tailed, I was eating again.

After waking up, I had found myself under a blanket, staring up at dinky’s so very blue eyes, and feeling something large push my face from side to side, rattling my brain. “Marcy? Are you okay, marcy? Wake up marcy?” I waited for a second more until my head cleared, then I blinked and swatted his hand away from my face. Well, I would have if I hadn’t been so carefully tucked in that I couldn’t move my arms. I groaned instead. “Look at me Dinky!” I barked. “Do you see my eyes? If you can see my eyes, that means I’m awake, you idiot.” I started shivering and I realized I was still on the floor. Under a blanket yes, but my tender skin still lay on a somewhat gritty and cool dirt floor. How nice. “Up!” I commanded.

After Dinky backed off , I untangled myself from the blanket and made it to my feet, wobbling just a little as I wrapped myself in the itchy smelly fabric. I heard heavy, but short steps behind me and I turned to Garphy. He looked up at me for a long moment. I looked down at his compressed form, wondering for a moment what he was. Well, hell, I knew what he was but I’d never been able to wrap my head around the politics of it. I frowned at his curious gaze, bowed legs and strong arms. I extended a finger and poked him on the forehead. It wrinkled slightly, but he seemed more surprised than annoyed. “I’ve never seen a dwarf up close before.” I said. That annoyed him. He hrumphed and poked me in the belly. Hard.

“I am a little person. Not a DWARF! I am… I am vertically challenged.” Garphy spat out and a dark cloud settled over his wide face.

“I see that. Hell…” something whofted across my face and I turned aroun by pure instinct stepping back, nearly trampling Garphy in my escape from dinky’s toxic breath. I pulled a corner of the blanket up to cover my nose and mouth with it. He had done his sneaky approach number and stopped close. Too close. I retreated another half step and looked up at him. Garphy huffed and went about some unknown business around the cell but I didn’t mind if he sulked for a bit. Little people shouldn’t sit on high horses. They could fall off and get trampled. And who could blame the horse for stepping on… anyways. Dinky was smiling. It was more of a grin and I had the strong sensation of being in a situation where fear would be appropriate. If I had any. Now I was just trying to protect my mortal flesh, so I scowled and fixed him with my trademark disapproving glare. Thank you mother, for teaching me something I can use. “You.” I said very clearly and with endless patience. “Go. Brush. Teeth.”

Dinky’s smile faltered and the teeth disappeared out of sight. “Good enough.” I said. “Now, keep it closed. Don’t open until Christmas.

“Ok.” Garphy’s voice interrupted the string of other instructions I had lined up for the oaf. “Dinky! Chairs, table, now.” He said., and dinky quickly ducked his head and went to follow orders. He disappeared through the big door and a second later, another door opened. I quickly forgot about him and turned to Garphy again. I nodded at him.

“Vertically challenged huh?”

the little person ignored me. If a hateful stare could be called ignoring me, that is, but how would I know the difference? Jeez, little people with big tempers. I mentally tut tut-ed and took a good look around the cell. It took all of six or seven seconds. Stone and dirt. Chains and a muddy puddle of piss. A big wooden door standing ajar, revealing an empty corridor. Some time later, we sat at a small table that dinky had fetched from one of the other rooms. “So, where am I?” i looked from dinky to Garphy and then back again. I raised my hand and tried to look at both of them at the same time, but there seemed to be something stopping me from taking them in as a pair. My mind had difficulties believeing they both lived in the same univers as me, and they were fast buddies. I’ve had my odd aquaintances and some awkward friendships too, but… I decided not to think about it. It made my head hurt. I concentrated instead on the stone wall behind the two of them. the chain hung peacefully, steel links sparkling softly against the uneven dark stone. the open mannicles grasped at the air, waiting patiently for the next abductee. now that I wasn’t attached to them anymore, I could see the small square protrusion on each metal ring, covering the locking mechanism. Quite advanced stuff for a kidnapping dungeon,– sound activated and all– but what did I know? I mean, if I needed to program my dvd, or electronic coffee maker, I asked someone else to do it. As a rule I got my neighbor to come over; he never complains but there is usually a strange look in his eyes. I think maybe I scare him but I couldn’t be sure.

The flat electronic package on the metal cuffs had something stamped on them. Serial number? Was that “ACMe”? Seriously? I squinted to see better, but all I did was screw up my face and I felt cross-eyed from straining my eyes. Whatever it said was too small to make out. I kept staring anyways just for the hell of it for a while, then I directed my attention to a piece of spam i had finally managed to stab with my fork, waiting for a reply. I narrowed my eyes and glared at the glistening cube of processed pork. It was dead, I was sure of it. that didn’t mean it wouldn’t kill me. I put the fork down on my plate and pulled a healthy dose of root beer down my throat and evacuated the air as soon as the sweet bubbly reached my stomach, stirred around a bit, and separated bubbles from drink. Garphy looked at me but said nothing. dinky, bless his fraidycat ass, blushed and fidgeted with a patch on his vest. . He cleared his throat, about to speak, when his puny companion silenced him with a quick glance.

The little man turned to me again. Dinky is a sweet soul Miss Malone, but he wouldn’t have found his way out of here anymore than you would my dear. He is shall we say…easily influenced. But as I said, he doesn’t have the…“ Garphy stole an affectionate glance at the big oaf and smiled a little. “The imperative astuteness for desired prudence.” Dinky gave Garphy a look. Was that hurt in his eyes? Or just confusion. He grumbled deep in his throat and with a sideways wary glance at me, he pressed his lips together, and grumbled some more for good measure. Garphy patted Dinky’s enormous hand with his tiny one and said. “I didn’t call you stupid, my friend.”

I raised both eyebrows. I had never mastered raising just one. “Yes you did.” I pointed out and patting Dinky’s other hand. “He said you were an idiot. And you are.” I nodded and picked up my fork again. Then I dropped it and pushed the plate away. “Ok, so, you didn’t answer my question, Dwarf. Where exactly is this place? And, what am I doing here?” The dwarf bristled. I could almost see the quills shoot out from his hairy little body, making him even more prickly than before. ”So?” I pushed, ignoring his porky-pine impression.
After a long moment of relaxing deep breaths, he took control of himself, no less prickly though, he straightened up, as tall as he would ever be that was, and pulled an envelope from an inside pocket. He handed it to me. Inside was several blurry photos, I flipped through them, looking at them carefully, making huffy sounds, one single appreciative whistle, and a couple of disgusted grunts before I dropped the pictures on the table. I pointed at the top one. “ I like that one. See how the way I stretch out to pick up that bag makes my ass look? Awesome shot. Too bad they are so blurry, or I’d put that in a frame and send to my mother. It could give her a seizure at least. What do you think?” I looked from the image of me bending down in the process of picking something up from the ground, to Garphy, genuinely interested, but I had a feeling that the perfect shape of my backside wasn’t what he was focused on. And I suddenly knew why I was where I was at the moment.

Garphy gave me a steely stare and sighed. An exasperated strained inhalation, then a very long and calming exhale. It took so long before he breathed again that his face took on a tone of purple. I wondered if I would have to topple him backwards and jump on his chest to get his lungs going again. But then he started breathing and time started. His face returned to almost normal.

“Where is it Miss Malone? Where is my money?”

Fearless – A web serial

Chapter 9 – Simply magical

The door opened, a frame filled with brilliant light, obscuring anything else. Not nothing, but the something silhouetted by blinding light didn’t start until half way down the opening. Something too small to be a man, too wobbly to be a child, unless it was a very horse legged stumpy child. The little person carried something through the door and kicked it shut with a heal. A very small voice with a huge sound spoke through my amazement and I knew that whatever “the plan” had been, this was not part of it.
“Dinky!” The voice said, “You can turn on the light again my friend. And you don’t need to hit me over the head with that bottle either. Ms Malone here has no wish to watch you bludgeon an innocent little dwarf I am certain. Isn’t that correct Marcy dear?” The silence was complete, the darkness intact. The little person sighed heavily and snapped two fingers. The cell was bright and inescapable once more. I stared at the ugly thing standing next to a dumbfounded Dinky. Oh, that’s just great. An oaf and a dwarf. I really did know how to pick them didn’t I?

“How did you …?” Dinky pointed a limp finger in the general direction of the light bulb in the ceiling, speaking very slowly. I was almost proud of him for not stuttering or slurring which must have been very hard not to do. Judging by his awed expression it was his first ever encounter with something magical.

The dwarf looked at him for a second and then he got it. He snapped his fingers and the light blinked out.
“Oh, you mean that?” He snapped again and the light returned. He smiled and nodded towards me.
“Marcy here can shed some light in the matter I am sure.”

I raised my eyebrows as it dawned on me. I snapped my fingers. It was a bit awkward as they were chained but after a couple of tries I got the right sound out of my numb fingers and the light vanished. A strangled gasp made me pity the fool and I triggered the sound-activated switch with another snap.
“Not magic my dear fellow, only modern gadgets I’m afraid.” He looked at the shining bulb wistfully for a moment and sighed. “For now.” Names Garphy my dear little big fellow and strung up smelly lady.” He made a stiff bow and handed the tray to Dinky. Slightly flushed Dinky took it. Garphy brushed his hands together and walked over to me where he stood silently for a moment, just looking up at me. He frowned and took a closer look at my hands and wrists. He pursed his lips and clapped his hands twice.

The metal around my wrists fell away with a tiny click and a not so tiny metal clamour. My hands fell heavily with a groan and the rest of me followed right behind them. I fell forward on my face, in the dirt. Garphy’s “Oh dear me.” echoed in my head as I blacked out without even snapping my fingers.