"I’m scared, wife!" Julian said as the trees with unique red leaves and green grass started appearing again—sign that they were getting close to Dreadmire village. His fingers gripped the strap of his seatbelt, and he kept glancing outside like a scared bunny.
Ruby sighed, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "I told you, Julian. You should’ve stayed back in the room."
Julian turned to her with a soft pout and wide worried eyes. "How could I let you go alone, wife? They’re dangerous people! What if something happened to you? I wouldn’t forgive myself..."
Ruby glanced at him with a warm but exasperated smile. "And if something happens to you because of me, what then?" she asked, her voice dropping a little. "That’s why I didn’t want you coming with me..."
Julian leaned closer, his voice soft and stubborn. "Then we’ll get scared together. That’s the deal. We’re in this together, right?"
Ruby sighed again but didn’t say anything. Deep down, she liked his protectiveness even if he looked more like a worried rabbit than a fighter.
"Alright," Ruby said, her voice calmer now, though her eyes were focused ahead, the faint outline of the village’s entrance in the distance. "But this time, we’re not going in like before."
Julian blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I’m not going to tell them about business or fabric or anything," Ruby said, keeping her tone low. "If anyone asks, we’re just tourists. Visiting nearby villages, looking around... nothing more."
Julian nodded slowly, catching on. "That’s smart. If they think we’re here for business again, they might just chase us out like last time."
"Exactly," Ruby said. "But if we act like curious travelers, they might loosen up. Let us explore a little. Talk a little. Once they’re comfortable, I’ll decide if I want to mention anything."
Julian leaned back into the seat, a little more relaxed now. "You’re brilliant, wife. I feel better now."
Ruby smiled faintly, but her heart still held caution.
Ruby didn’t go to the same place as yesterday. This time, after entering the village, she drove past the central area and went a bit deeper inside, where the crowd seemed thinner. But as she moved forward, she noticed something strange. A large group of villagers had gathered under a large red tree, their robes dusty, eyes angry. She could feel the heavy air, thick with stress and frustration.
She quickly parked the car nearby and got out with Julian. A few villagers looked at them, but no one said anything. Maybe because they weren’t too close to the center, or maybe they were too busy with something else.
Ruby and Julian quietly walked toward the crowd. The mood felt heavy, like something serious had happened. Whispers and loud voices mixed in the air. They heard one man say, "We didn’t expect them to do this!"
Another witch added, "We trusted them... and now they’re stealing from under our noses."
Ruby and Julian looked at each other. What was going on?
They stepped a little closer, pretending to be curious travelers just walking by.
The villagers continued their heated discussion. Some were shouting, others were trying to calm things down.
Julian gently touched Ruby’s arm. "Maybe now isn’t a good time."
Ruby nodded slowly, but her eyes stayed on the crowd. "Yes... but I also feel could be the right time, if I say the right words. I just have to be careful."
The crowd didn’t notice them much, as more villagers kept coming and the topic became more serious. A few elders were discussing what actions to take. Ruby listened quietly.
"Our half crop is gone! They stole it!" an elder ghost cried, his voice shaking as the villagers around him listened with worried faces. "We can’t even make our special fabric anymore! What are we supposed to eat?!"
She gently tapped the shoulder of a nearby witch who looked older, her long white hair tied back in a messy bun. The woman turned around with a sharp frown.
"What do you want?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "You don’t look like someone from our village."
Ruby quickly gave a small smile. "I’m just a tourist," she said calmly.
The witch looked at her for a moment longer, then sighed and looked away. "Tourist or not, you’re hearing it now, aren’t you?" she muttered. "Our village is suffering."
Ruby stayed quiet, showing she was listening.
"That big company," the witch began again, voice low, "We stopped doing business with them a year ago. They fooled us once, took our fabric, gave us fake coins and broken promises. So we made a rule—no one trades with them or any company again."
"But last night, those monsters returned like thieves. They didn’t come to buy. They came to steal."
Julian gasped softly. "They stole your crops?"
The witch’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes. The whole southern field. Gone. Uprooted in the dark. The crop we use to feed our people and make our cloth. It’s not just plants. It’s our food, our thread, our bloodline. Do you understand?"
Ruby looked down, feeling the weight of those words.
"I’m so sorry," Ruby said quietly.
The witch didn’t reply, just turned back toward the crowd where more villagers were arguing about what to do next.
Ruby took a deep breath.
This village wasn’t just refusing outsiders for no reason. They were scared. Hurt. Betrayed. And it was worse than she thought. They had no protection, no support, and now their food and fabric were taken away overnight.
As she and Julian stepped back from the gathering, Ruby whispered, "I have to do something."
Julian looked at her, surprised. "You want to help them?"
"Yeah, but for now, I have to keep my proposal a secret," Ruby said softly, her eyes steady as she stepped forward through the crowd.
Julian blinked, a little worried. "Wife, wait..." he whispered, but she was already walking ahead.
He quickly followed her, catching up just in time as a few villagers noticed them slipping toward the front. Whispers stirred among the crowd. Some of the ghosts frowned, clearly annoyed that two strangers were pushing forward when everyone else was quietly standing in line, waiting, listening.
—To be continued...🪄