The World Without Them || Original Pokémon Fanfiction ✓

Chapter Twenty-Six: Foxglove

 The lady said nothing for several long moments. Her brown eyes studied the pair harshly, as if analyzing every detail. Sage stood tall and strong, but Frost could tell that even she was starting to have her doubts. He shifted his weight from foot to foot anxiously.

 This doesn't look good.

 Suddenly, the woman turned her back on them and began walking away at a brisk pace. She looked over her shoulder.

 "Come with me or else I'm leaving you to the wolves."

 The adolescents exchanged hesitant glances before following. Frost could hear his heartbeat in his ears as they tried to keep up with the stranger. He had no idea where they were being led or what it meant for them. Something told him that the black-haired woman wasn't one to mess with. 

 They slipped between houses and onto several different streets until arriving at the edge of the city. The area wasn't nearly as nice as the suburbs they had been in before. The pavement beneath their feet was cracked and weathered, and the houses lining the block were deteriorating. The only noticeable similarity between the outskirts and the wealthy neighborhoods was the dead flowers strewn about.

 "Where are you taking us?" Frost questioned.

 The woman didn't respond. The boy sent Sage a frown, to which she replied with an equally concerned expression.

 Suddenly, the lady veered to the right and made her way up to one of the ramshackle houses. The yard was overgrown with weeds and tall grasses, and the paint on the walls was peeling. Her heels clicked against the short set of stone stairs as she produced a key from her pocket, proceeding to shove it into the doorknob with much more force than necessary. Frost and Sage quietly approached, watching as the door swung open. Noticing their reluctance, she growled.

 "Get inside."

 The Silverkeep native heard Sage take a deep breath before she climbed the stairs and crossed through the doorway. He followed right behind her.

 The room they entered was poorly lit, forcing Frost's eyes to adjust. They appeared to be standing in some sort of living space. A couch was positioned against the far wall next to a tall bookcase. Framed pictures decorated the coffee table and windowsill. An old television sat in the corner. The air was also stale with dust and the nauseatingly strong smell of cigarette smoke.

 The teens jumped as the stranger slammed the door shut behind her. She twisted the several locks that lined the entryway into place, each click making Frost feel more and more trapped. After the last latch had been fastened, she slowly walked over to a large desk off to the left and sat down in the beat-up office chair. The fading sunlight filtering in from one of the dirty windows illuminated her chocolate skin and eyes warmly, however, it failed to make her less threatening, 

 She carefully opened one of the table's drawers. The runaway observed her every movement, but didn't quite register what item it was that she pulled out until Sage shoved him and Mana behind her. His breath caught in his throat.

 In the woman's hand was a black pistol.

 She ran her fingers over the weapon's smooth exterior as she stared at them unblinkingly. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you both right now."

 Frost stiffened. "Pardon?"

 "You asked me if I ever went by the name of Foxglove. In my book, that's a crime punishable by death." Before either of them could respond, she leaned forward in her chair and continued. "I wonder what two young people such as yourselves are doing with such a valuable piece of information. Either you have connections or you went snooping somewhere you shouldn't have. Whichever it is, I think it's in your best interest to enlighten me."