We Are The Cure : The Plague Doctor's Tale.

Chapter 10

That night Rosalynn slept terrible. She was thinking about the talk with Doctor and couldn't figure out what was the deal behind his unwillingness to show her his face. Or, at least, to eat together. She knew that he wanted to be as sterile as possible but that was almost an obsession. How could he spent his life like that? Always eating alone, never trusting anyone, not even touching...

All these thoughts were rankling Rosalynn. She didn't even noticed when she fell asleep as her thoughts converted into dreams.

In her dream, she was standing alone in the forest. The entire surrounding was covered with thick mist which is why after a while she noticed a silhouette in the distance. She had a feeling that it was the person whom she saw the previous day in the morning outside the inn in Chesterfield. She couldn't tell whether the shadow had good or bad intentions, it was just approaching her slowly, step by step. As the person was close enough, she could spot the white skin, a pair of grey eyes and long brown wavy hair. It was her mother dressed the way she was buried, all black. She was standing ten meters away from Rosalynn and was looking directly in her eyes. Rosalynn wanted to ask her what is it, what does she want from her but soon realised she couldn't say a word. So the two women were looking at each other until her mother raised her hand and was pointing something behind Rosalynn. The girl was about to turn her head back but then she woke up. She was covered with sweat, heavily breathing. It was so odd to her. She was aware that it wasn't a nightmare, just a weird dream. 

She looked at the window and noticed it was already morning. Quickly she finished off her vegetable stew from yesterday and dressed up in her daily dress. When she left her room to get the clean and dry robe from the outside, she heard two voices in front of the house. Rosalynn went on the porch and saw Jack conversing with Doctor. The two were talking about something they have just found on the wooden porch floor. 

"I must admit, I have never seen such bizarre thing in my life." Doctor said surprised. 

"It's Mary's doing. Only this girl is capable of such... invitations." When Jack lifted the item, Rosalynn saw a flat rock with engraved latter X wrapped in sage and thyme. 

"Invitation?" Rosalynn asked and the two men looked at her. 

"Yes. It seems like she is inviting you for a talk. Otherwise, she would have left a dead frog or another dead animal with runes on it." Despite their confusion, Jack didn't seem to be surprised. Just like he was quite used to things like that.

"Is this girl a sort of a witch?" Doctor asked uncertain. 

"Better go and ask her yourself. She lives in the last cottage at the end of that road." He pointed the direction." And for now I have to go. Father Samuel is expecting me. See you around." 

When he left them, Rosalynn and Doctor looked at each other, then at the 'invitation' and at the road. 

"We should be treating the sick. Better this talk be worth our time." Doctor sighed and they both set off in silence.

...

They stopped in front of a small run-down cottage with a herbal garden around the house. Despite herbs and flowers, there was a one grave which seemed odd in that place. The walls and floors were wooden and the entire porch was covered with engraved small runes. Doctor quite confidently knocked on the door. Mary opened them quickly and when she saw him, her face became less happy.

"Well, I've expected the girl..." Rosalynn poked up from behind Doctor's back and Mary brightened up. "Oh, so you make it! Please, come in. Don't mind the mess. I'm working on an ointment." They entered the cottage where was a complete mess indeed.