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Episode 9 Continued - Ruthless
“Eeeeep!” Maddox said, shrinking behind Yumi as we got out of the car. “This place gives me the heeby geebes!”
I closed the door behind them, sighing as I gazed up at the town in front of us.
The houses on the street were made of darkened brick, the siding broken and slowly crumbling to the ground below them.
The streets were completely silent, no silent whispers, no air conditioning buzzing through the air, the bushes and trees were wilting and curling in on themselves, and the lawn were full of whitened patches and crumbled rocks.
I glanced over at Yumi who was looking around with a darkened expression, and I gazed behind her to find Maddox still curled under her shadow, whimpering.
I just sighed and stepped over to him, making him squeak when I lifted him by the back of his shirt and pulled him away.
“Master does not appreciate being used as a human shield,” I said cynically before setting him behind Carter. “There. That’s better.”
Carter gazed behind him before looking at me. “Hey! What the hell?!”
I just dusted off my gloves before stepping back up to Yumi, looking around at the town. “Is this what you expected to see, master?”
Her uncovered eye was dark as she continued to look around. “Worse.” Her lips thinned. “By the looks of things… they’ve been missing for more than a week.”
I just gazed back up. “I’m afraid you’re correct, my lord.”
She started forward. “Let’s get this over with.”
I glanced back at the four servants who remained by the car. “Well? You heard her.”
“You know,” Carter said, scratching the back of his head, “I think it’ll be better if we stay here to watch over the car.”
“Yeah!” Maddox piped in. “There are many car thieves around here, you know! We mustn’t risk master’s new limo!”
I just sighed and turned back forward. “Do as you please.”
“I’ll come with!” Cammie said, trotting up to me as Scarlet remained beside the two boys. “If that’s alright with you, Sebastian.”
“I’ll stay back here with these dimwits,” Scarlet said in a dark tone. “Morons.”
“Ey, Scarlet! You already called us dimwits! Did you have to add the ‘moron’ piece?” Carter yelled.
“I had to make sure my point was clear,” she answered angrily.
I just continued after Yumi, catching up with her quickly. “Master, might I suggest that you stay on the streets while I take a look around?”
“I don’t need you to baby me, Sebastian,” she answered.
“I’m not babying you at all, my lord,” I said kindly. “It’s just… remember last time you barged in that house by yourself?”
“Well, do you sense poison in the air?” she snapped back. “If you did, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be standing here. You would’ve dragged me to the forest or something. Stick a gas mask on me.”
I just smiled. “Yes, I would. And, no, there’s no poison.”
“Then stop complaining.”
My eyes glowed a little. “I’m not complaining, master. I must admit, there’s something wrong with this place, indeed.”
She sighed. “Get to your point, Sebastian.”
I gazed up at her. “I wasn’t talking about the carbon monoxide illness. I was talking about your reaction when you opened the door to find that dismembered corpse.”
She immediately stopped in her tracks, and I did with her.
Cammie just remained silent, though was glancing around suspiciously.
“Master, I know you mean well,” I told her. “But you are very young still. You might be able to handle witnessing death and pain, but there are some things you haven’t seen before. Or some that you have, but you’re not ready to see again.”
Her lips thinned with a sudden uneasiness.
“You’re picturing it, aren’t you?” I said then, lashes lowering. “And it’s proving my point.”
“Shut it, Sebastian,” she snapped then, avoiding eye contact. “Just… go. Look around and scan every house. You have five seconds.”
I smiled then, bowing in front of her. “Yes, master.”
And I vanished.
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