Rule of Three Blogfest - Part 3

The golden town - Part 1.

Protagonist: Rina
WC: 600

Prompts:There is an argument AND There is fear of an impending misfortune

The golden town - Part 2.

Protagonist: Mr Cluthe (aka Cluthe)

WC: 600

Prompts: Someone is killed or almost killed

The golden town - Part 3.

Protagonist: Garrett
WC: 600

Prompts: Betrayal is in the air

  Garrett walked a perimeter around the bloody mess of a man that had been chasing Rina only seconds ago. How did this dying man know anything of the well?

  The man’s shallow breaths were ragged. A broken branch protruded from his right side; to his left he hugged the miraculously unbroken jam jar with its precious contents. Garrett’s surprise was replaced by disbelief, to the man’s right, just beyond the reach of his outstretched hand, lay an open book. He knew what it was instantly.

  Traylor’s journal!

  When he was alive he’d run his fingers over those pages, as though they might understand what his eyes could not. The language written within was nonsense to him – The Waters had gifted Traylor with knowledge of ancient languages. Garrett had questioned him on the contents of his journal. The only reply he received was if you were meant to understand it you would. It was his least favourite answer, it infuriated him. He had drunk The Waters time and time again, in the vain hope of understanding everything. But his reward was an unending curse - eternal childhood.

  ‘What did he say?’

  Garrett jumped as Rina spoke from behind him. He masked his surprise at her return with an ineffectual kick to the man’s leg. He was good at lying, just not on the spot.

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Did he say he can save the town? What’s that book?’

  ‘Um… you shouldn’t touch it. No! Don’t do that, it could be contaminated. You don’t know…’

  ‘It’s Traylor’s journal…’

  ‘Well, we should hide it in Herriot’s Pass. The Venti don’t want it falling into the wrong hands. We could study it together; you could turn the pages for me, for… um… us.’ It was the Venti’s interest in that tome that had alerted him to the true value of the unintelligible symbols within.

  ‘No, we need to heal him. He could have answers.’

  Stupid girl, this was not the time for her to start thinking for herself. He watched as she opened the jar, frustrated by his inability to stop her. He was surprised that she didn’t even wince as she extracted the length of branch. She was careless with The Waters as she dowsed his wound and poured a little into his mouth.

  Garrett watched as fresh sprigs of grass sprang up between the brown scrub on the forest floor. At least her wastage was proof that the dwindling Waters still had life within them.

  They waited.

  It was fear that kept Garrett rooted to the rock where he sat. If The Waters were restored to the well would his part in the town’s demise be discovered? Although he shared the responsibility for the thousands that had died, he feared that the dead would seek revenge on him if they knew the part he had played.

  He had only borne Rina’s presence for the information she gave him. Now she had told the Venti about him he knew his father would come looking for him. He had always feared his father, dying had not changed that.

  The man opened his eyes, sat up, and looked at each of them in turn. His proximity to death and intake of The Waters had changed him. Garrett could see the wary understanding as their eyes locked. He wondered what gift The Waters had bestowed upon him.

  The man smiled at them both.

  ‘It seems we have a job to do. My name is Mr Cluthe.’

  He extended his hand, Rina shook it.

  ‘Rina Griswald.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you.’

  Cluthe waited for the boy to respond.

  ‘Garrett Rollick.’