Scorched

3

Cleo quickly trots over to Grasel's hovel. The woman was called a witch by all the villagers, as every single aspect about her shows off as a witch. Starting from her lank gray hair always up in a messy, what was supposed to be a chignon; to her startling hazel eyes which were always filled with intelligence and thought and all the way down to her attire which Cleo could always see from the metal grate through the door was a long ash-coloured cloak. A witch indeed Cleo thought to herself.

The witches home —located behind all the Markets looks like the rest of the other meagre homes —all made themselves from ruined antique pieces of building that was discarded by the marketers, thus causing the exterior to look completely broken down. These rural areas called Beggar Area, are set more off for the paupers. It's these who didn't want to contribute towards the Village that were located behind everyone else, very close to the farms seen in the distance where the farmers grow and plant crops for food. Most beggars abide here along with the rest of the sketchy people which Cleo could rid of but won't as these are Grasel's people and where will Cleo get her new stash? These areas at this stage means the most to Cleo.

As Cleo makes a step towards Grasel's home, the most heavily guarded home out of them all; she pauses and hides behind a ruined wall, which belonged to some beggars as she could hear their drunken selves chanting the song Drunken Sailor awfully. But at least they are distracted which is good for her.

She does a sweep of the area. There was no trellis separating the Markets from Beggar Area as this was an illiputian of uselessness and is known as the bad part of the Markets.

Opposite the wall from where she was hid was the Urchin and Crustacean Market —where all the sea objects like shells and seafoods were sold right at the end of the whole Market area, where sailors won't have to travel far distances to elicit a bewildering amount of sea accouterments, and then sold to the consumers. This Market could easily be her most favourite. There is something about the sea that evokes utter peace within her.

Before Cleo gets caught she decides to move. She discreetly reaches Grasels place. She pulls her hood lower over her face especially her eyes and makes sure her braid is tugged under her shirt before reaching the door.

°°°

Grasel made Cleo enter her home for the first time in Cleo's life. Cleo stalled at that, her mind racing with what kind of trap this may be but when Grasel saw Cleos face she chuckled and merely said that her opiates weren't ready yet. Cleo then released a breath she didn't realize she was holding in and gave in.

Inside the iron-guarded hovel was a rather cosy interior, contrasting the ghastly facade of the other slums-like makeshift homes. The dim room contains a small dining room -worn couches placed against the dark walls surrounding low-lying tables crowded with various herbs, powders and potions and vials filled to the brim with a myriad of different coloured liquids. And on the walls were floating shelves crammed with an ample amount of more potions and vials. Cleo knew the majority of them were drugs. It was Grasel's daily errand. Her source of income.

In the center of the room; inlaid in the ground was a furnace; above it containing a cauldron— the scent of whatever was in there alleviating Cleo's belly to turn over. At the the back of room were several doors leading to other rooms which Cleo could only presume were the bedrooms or more brewing rooms. It seemed that Grasel doesn't stay by herself as well. She is shocked. Two mugs were sitting on the table with two plates of food, the scraps left of it. Yet Cleo never saw or met this other person during her times of purchasing opium. Perhaps it's her husband.

Cleo continues gazing around the home, despite the heat outside the home was lovely, the furnace did increase the temperature drastically but Cleo wasn't bothered at all, she wouldn't be long anyway. She still enjoys the warm loving atmosphere manifesting from here.