Hey guys, back again with a chapter 11. So I wanted to share a few things before I posted this up.
The first thing is just a re-cap of anything you might not remember. This chapter is told from Dewey's perspective, who is the bartender that helped Clover escape from Shelton, his hometown. If you don't remember why Clover had to leave, it's because the mob leader, Brutus, was after him after he got in a drunken bar fight with him. The second part is told from Peter's perspective, a.k.a hangover guy. Try to picture him talking with a southern accent.
(Also, if you don't remember, Ivory went to Shelton after she ran to into Clover for the first time in the woods, and she told Brutus where Clover was headed. Brutus sent his lackeys after him, and they came back empty-handed, so he demanded Ivory to tell him where Clover went. Things got ugly, and Dewey had to step in and distract them so she could escape. After that, Dewey had to leave Shelton, too.)
The second thing is that Prince Alejandro comes in here. In case you don't remember who that is, he's the guy who gave Clover directions to Mamma's inn, and the guy who is trying to turn his fiancee (Carmen), who is currently a dragon, back into human form.
So it might seem like a surprise that Dewey would play a bigger part in this story, because he was more like a side-character in the beginning. It's also a surprise to me too, because I also wasn't expecting him to be a very big character. I didn't realize what a strong personality Dewey had, so he's going to be included a lot more within the next few chapters. I also wasn't expecting Peter to be a main character, either, but it just sort of happened.
Up until this point, I thought Prince Alejandro would be a major character in Clover's Curse, but sadly, he's not. But not because he was a small part, not at all. In fact, he has such a bigger part that I have to write a different novel all for himself.
I realized that Alejandro is on his own mission, and he refuses to involve himself with Clover's situation, like everyone else has so far. I mean, the guy has his own problems; his fiancee got turned into a dragon! I feel really bad, because I know that his troubles are not going to be solved in this novel, so I have no choice but to write his story...after I've finished Clover's.
Anyways, I just felt the need to get that off my chest. Sorry for the rambling. Here is chapter eleven...
Chapter 11 – What Goes Around Comes Around, part one
Inspirational Song: Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas
Dewey
(The day of the escape)
I’d been running nonstop for the last two hours, wanting to be sure that Brutus’ men would never be able to find me, even if they wanted to. Even though I was smaller than his lackeys, I had the advantage of speed. Brutus was a fool that way, hiring lumbering hulks made out of beef but lacking in brains.
I remembered the girl who came to my bar from out of town. When I jumped the town wall, I’d seen her thundering away from Shelton on her horse. She was safe from Brutus, at least. I was glad that she’d escaped. I’d taken one look at her in my bar and knew she was as tough as nails, but I saw that she was a lost kid, just like Clover.
Clover. The little punk couldn’t go a day without causing some kind of trouble, could he? Not that it was his fault. I’d never believed in bad luck and whatnot, but I’d bet my right leg that that kid was cursed. It was a real shame; Clover was a good kid, stood up for what was right, even though it always got him in trouble. What I couldn’t understand was what an imbecile like Brutus wanted from a poor boy like Clover. It couldn’t simply be about his pride.
I snapped out of my reverie and focused on where I was going. There was a waterfall near the far end of the forest, and that was exactly where I was heading to stop and rest. I didn’t know what I was going to do about food and shelter. When I left Shelton, I didn’t even think to grab a map in my hurry to get away from Brutus and his dutiful, feeble-minded followers. I didn’t even know if I was going in the right direction. I only knew that I was heading east.
As I continued to run through the woods, I heard a faint rush of water and knew I was on the right track. I followed the sound until I darted through the trees and found myself on the bank of the river. I sprinted up the bank against the direction of the current.
Eventually, I reached the waterfall. The sun was beginning to set, and the water grew dark in the expanding shadows of the sky. I stopped near the edge of the water and placed my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. When I finally got my breathing rate to a normal level, I dropped down onto my knees and gulped down handfuls of water from the river. It wasn’t until I’d gotten my fill when I got the feeling someone was watching me.
Slowly, I turned around and looked up into the eyes of a young man who looked strangely familiar. But I didn’t get a chance to recall where I knew him from; he was holding a shiny rapier at my face.
“Don’t move,” he said. His voice was deep and velvety, and his speech was subtly accented. “On your feet.”
With my hands held up in surrender, I did as I was told. It didn’t seem like he meant any harm, despite the sword he was holding under my chin. His expression was guarded. Where did I know him from? I scrutinized him for a moment. He was dressed in a red tunic, trousers and cape with white boots and gauntlets. The fabric looked very expensive, so I knew he was definitely not from some small town. I observed his face again, and that was when I finally realized who he was.
“Prince Alejandro?” I whispered.
His blank expression shifted to confused suspicion. “Do I know you?”
I shook my head. “No. I know you. I used to live in your kingdom a few years back. You’re the prince of Benjamin.”
He studied my face, probably wondering whether or not I was dangerous. He had lowered his sword slightly, but then quickly raised it again, making me flinch back. “Who are you?”
“Easy, now,” I worked to make my voice soothing, eyeing the sword held at my neck. “My name is Dewey. I’m a bartender, and I’m from a town called Shelton.”
His dark eyes flickered. “Dewey?”
“Yes,” I said, a little confused, too. Did he know me, too? We’d never met face to face before.
Slowly, he put down his sword again. “I know a friend of yours. I met him in the forest this morning. A boy named Clover?”
I felt my eyes widen in shock. “You saw Clover? You didn’t hurt him…did you?” I was angered by the thought. It was strange, the fatherly impulse I felt whenever it came Clover.
“Of course not!” Alejandro said, clearly abashed.
“Good,” I exhaled in relief. I sluggishly lowered myself down to sit on the boulder and rubbed my temples. I hadn’t been this stressed out in years. “Is he alright?”
“He is fine,” the prince said.
“You know where he is now?”
“I gave him directions to my kingdom. He is most likely on his way now,” then he added thoughtfully, “He’s a troubled boy isn’t he?”
“You have no idea.”
“Actually, he told me he was running from Brutus Incognitos.”
I snapped my head up to look at him. “He told you that?”
“Si,” Alejandro plopped down on the grass in front of me and hung his forearms over his knees. “I knew the man from long ago. Pathetic scoundrel. He was banished from the kingdom by my father. I advised the boy it was the safest place for him.”
Well, what do you know? The little rascal had actually made friends with the prince.
“That was real decent of you,” I said. “Thanks.”
“You are his father?” Alejandro wondered.
“Nah,” I could see why it was easy to assume that. “Just a friend. The kid’s an orphan.”
He nodded once, looking down at the grass. “I see.”
In the silence that followed, I examined the prince again. Suddenly I knew why I hadn’t recognized him right away. The last time I saw him was years ago, when he was still in Benjamin. He’d been much cleaner back then. Now he looked disheveled. His dark hair that I remembered was always neat and tidy was now messy and tangled. It had twigs and leaves stuck in it. His face, though still handsome, had dirt spots on it. It made me wonder what he’d been doing all these years, and why he was holding a sword at my face a minute ago. The rumor I’d heard from distant travelers was that he’d disappeared at the exact same time the princess of Alexandria went missing.
“I don’t mean to pry, but I heard that you left the kingdom a while ago,” I said carefully.
“Si,” Alejandro sighed and gazed at the rushing waterfall as if the answer was behind it. “It is a rather complicated story, mi amigo.”
I nodded in understanding, deciding not to ask anymore questions about it. Suddenly my stomach growled.
“You got any food on you?” I asked him.
He reached behind a bush and pulled out a sack. He drew out a loaf of bread and tossed it to me. I caught it expertly. “Thanks.”
“So, what is your business here?” Alejandro asked.
I bit into the loaf of bread. “You know Brutus?”
He nodded.
“I had to get away from him.”
Alejandro’s face became solemn. “It seems he’s become more dangerous over the years.”
“You said it,” I agreed. “I don’t know what his deal is with Clover, though. He’s obsessed with finding him.”
“Perhaps he has something Brutus wants,” Alejandro suggested.
“Like what?” I snorted. “All he has is that hamster.”
Alejandro shrugged and looked at the water.
“I don’t think you’re wrong though,” I admitted. “This can’t just be about his pride.”
We were both thoughtful in the silence that followed. The sun had set completely over the horizon obscured by the trees. The wind subtly weaved through the leaves and riveted in Alejandro’s cape.
“Where will you go from here?” he asked.
I sighed. “I don’t know. ‘Suppose the safest place to go is back to Benjamin, like you said. It’s going to be one hell of a long journey.”
“There is an inn near the kingdom. It’s free of charge if you need to stop and rest,” Alejandro said.
“It’s free of charge?” I asked in surprise.
“Si. I believe it’s called Mamma’s Inn.”
“Mamma’s Inn…” I repeated, realization dawning on me.
“It’s run by a kind woman named Verena, I think.”
Verena. The name rang like a bell in my mind and brought back many memories. I felt the smile beginning to form on my lips and quickly hid it from Alejandro. But he wasn’t paying any attention to me. He was rubbing his chin thoughtfully and staring at the waterfall.
“Mmm, but it’s still far away from here,” he murmured to himself.
“That’s alright,” I amended. “I know a place; a ranch a little ways away from here. I think I’ll get there in an hour or so if I leave now.” I got up off the ground and wiped myself off.
“How will you know where to go?”
I gazed down the rushing current. “If I follow the river, it should take me straight to it. I’ll stay there for the night and leave first thing in the morning.”
He nodded and pulled himself off the ground and put out his gloved hand. “I wish you the best of luck, mi amigo.”
I shook his hand firmly. “Nice seeing you again, your highness.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” he returned, bowing his head. I chuckled. Even covered in dirt and leaves, he was still as princely as ever.
“Goodbye, now,” I said, releasing his hand.
“Hasta luego,” he said with a slight wave.
With one last smile at the prince, I turned and headed into the night.
***
Peter
a.k.a Hangover Guy
(Two days after he was kicked out)
The heat of the sun, straight up in the middle of the afternoon sky, beat down on my back like a sauna. I kept my eyes on the ground and watched the dying grass crunch beneath my feet. I’d gone two days without food or water, but I honestly didn’t give a rat’s ass whether I lived or died. What was the point? I didn’t have a job or a home, and I sure as hell didn’t have anybody who cared. Not even a dog. Not even a rodent like that little ruffian had at the inn. What was the kid’s name again? Think he was named after some kind of leaf. Clover. The brat ruined what was left of my lousy life. Ah well, such is the life of a drunk man. Boy what I wouldn’t give for a good ol’ shot of Tequila right now.
I’d been wandering around for a while ever since I got kicked out of that miserable slum Mamma Verena dared to call an inn. How could that floozy of an inn-keeper toss me out like I was nothing but trash? She’d regret it, I just knew it. She was probably mourning over me right now. Why wouldn’t she? She cried whenever anybody else left, why would it be any different with me? She’d probably cry more for me, ‘cause I’d been there longer than anybody else.
…Ah, who was I kiddin’? She seemed pretty dang resolved when she had the waitresses throw me out. More than resolved, she was relieved that I was gone; I’d seen her face when I looked in through the window after I got booted. She was happy that I was gone.
Now I was used to feeling unwanted; getting fired from my job as a mail man in Benjamin, and then with my ex-wife telling me to get a life, ‘cause I wasn’t going to be a part of hers anymore. ‘Suppose it was my fault, though. After I got fired, I picked up a real bad habit. Couldn’t blame the ex-wife for leaving me.
When I went to the inn after my life fell apart, Mamma’d been real kind. Said I could stay as long as I wanted till I got back on my feet. It’s too bad, really; I could have made something out of myself if it wasn’t for all that free booze. In the beginning I thought it would be for just the first few nights, but then I started getting drunk every day. Couldn’t quit. When I wasn’t drinking, my head was pounding with a bad hangover. And when I wasn’t hung over, I was drinking. It was a never ending cycle.
Guess that was the real reason why I was such a jerk all the time. Now that I’d spent a couple of days away from the hooch, I could think a little more clearly. And I could clearly see that I had a sorry ass life, and that wasn’t going to change. Like I said before, I really needed a drink.
When I finally looked up from the ground, I spotted a small town surrounded by a wall in the distance. I squinted and looked at the big sign hanging over the entrance. In faded red letters, it read Shelton.
Well, what do you know? Maybe salvation wasn’t so far off!
Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I trudged over to the town. I crossed the distance in a short amount of time and entered through the gate. I couldn’t help but think that this town had lousy security. In Benjamin, there would be guards standing on either side of the entrance. Here, you could apparently come and go as you please, no one to stop ya. Ah well, better for me. I never liked those guards in Benjamin anyways.
Once I was inside the town, I looked around at the surroundings, curious. There wasn’t anything special about the place. I saw a few kids horsing around as I walked along what I deemed was the main street. Small, ordinary houses were scattered on either side of the road, and the people were doing ordinary things. I could see that this was a simple town, with simple people.
There was a woman who was hanging laundry on a clothesline in her yard, and a small girl was sitting next to her, scrawling onto the ground with bright blue chalk. The girl looked up when she saw me passing by and tilted her head in curiosity. The woman – her mother, I assumed – looked down at her and followed her gaze. When her eyes landed on me, I saw the suspicion slowly creeping onto her face. I was used to that look; I gave people bad vibes.
“Clara, go inside,” the woman told the young girl, who scampered into the house quickly. The woman then turned around and glared at me, her eyes full of mistrust, and said in a hard voice, “Can I help you, sir?”
“No,” I grumbled and kept walking.
The same thing happened when I walked past a group of boys and an older girl who were playing around near a water fountain. The girl shooed the boys away when I came near and said in a low tone she thought I couldn’t hear, “Boys, don’t go near that man. He’s creepy.”
I rolled my eyes and walked in the opposite direction. Either the people in this town weren’t used to strangers, or they were naturally little ninnies.
The narrow road that I was now walking on was devoid of any people. A tumble weed rolled across my path and a sandy colored cat hopped down from atop a wall and ran after it. I didn’t know why this part of town was so deserted, but that was fine with me; I don’t like people.
I stared all the way down the alleyway, and there, at the very end of the road, was my salvation. I knew a bar when I saw one, and that was a bar if I ever saw one. It was a pretty nice place. Big and roomy, though maybe a little ramshackle. The letters over the entrance read Dewey’s, but the S was barely hanging off the end. One of the windows was broken, too. It looked like something had gone down in this place, but what did I care? I just wanted a drink, so I treaded over to the bar.
There weren’t a lot of people inside either, which was fine by me. Like I said, I don’t like people, so the lesser, the merrier. But as soon as I walked in, my attention was drawn by a group of men dressed in black suits sitting around table off in the corner that everyone in the bar kept their distance from. It seemed like they dominated the place. Whatever, I wasn’t from this town.
I took a seat near the edge of the counter and looked around for the bartender. I couldn’t spot him anywhere.
“Hey,” I called to a guy sitting a few seats away from me. “Where’s the bartender?”
“He cleared out a few days ago,” the man answered. “Everything’s free!”
Well, today was my lucky day, then!
“Why’d he leave?” I asked out of scarce curiosity.
The man’s face became solemn, and he gazed over my shoulder at the men in dark clothes. “See those guys over there?”
I began to turn my head in their direction, but the man hissed at me not to look.
“You don’t want ‘em seeing you staring. Trust me,” he said. Then he looked around the room cautiously before standing up and walking over and taking a seat closer to me, which annoyed me; I didn’t remember inviting him to sit next to me. He kept his head down and his voice low. “See that guy talking to the elf? The one with the short hair?”
I eased in a side glance so that they wouldn’t see me looking, and saw who he was talking about. He was easily the largest man out of the group, with a buzz cut and a scowl that seemed to be permanent. I could clearly see that the guy was bad-tempered. Maybe even snappier than me, if that was possible. He was leaning over the table, giving careful instructions to an elf who was sketching furiously onto a piece of paper.
“His name’s Brutus. Brutus Incognitos,” the man sitting next to me said. Then he whispered, “He’s a mob leader.”
I slowly turned my head back to look at him and listened with piqued interest.
“A few days ago, he and the bartender got into a showdown. There were too many guys up against him, so the bartender booked it.”
So that explained the broken window and torn down sign. There had been a brawl here, just like I figured.
“Why’d they fight?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know the details, but rumor has it the bartender was trying to protect a kid that Brutus was looking for.”
I felt my eyes narrow in confusion. “What does a mob leader want with a kid?”
“Like I said, I don’t know the details.” He chugged down a shot of booze.
Inconspicuously, I snuck another glance at the mob leader. He looked really intimidating. Especially surrounded by all those lackeys. It made me slightly envious. It was only a moment later when I finally remembered why I was here.
“I’m gonna get a drink.” I got out of my seat and walked over to the wall where all the booze was stacked. It was next to the table where the mob leader was sitting with his devotees, so I was careful not to make eye contact. But once I was there, I could pretty much hear everything they were saying, so I couldn’t help but eavesdrop, pretending to take my time picking which drink I wanted.
“…the hamster, don’t forget the hamster,” Brutus nagged at the elf.
My curiosity got the best of me; I looked down at the picture the elf was drawing, and instantly recognized who it was he was sketching. The messy blond hair, those buggy brown eyes that were too big for his face, and of course, the hamster that he could never detach himself from, perched on his shoulder. It was impossible not to recognize the kid that destroyed what was left of my crummy life. Clover.
A young man with spiked, dirty blond hair was standing beside Brutus, watching the elf’s motions in speculation. “I don’t get it, boss, what’s so special about this kid?” His voice was deep, but youthful, and he had an accent.
“Not the kid, Leon, the hamster,” Brutus grumbled, his eyes remaining focused on the picture. Finally, he told the elf to stop. “Go, that’s good enough.”
The elf obeyed and whisked away from the table of mobsters. Brutus pulled the picture in front of him and stared at it. “If we find the kid, we find the hamster.”
The one named Leon walked around the table and plopped into the seat on Brutus’ right. He propped his feet up onto the table and took the paper in his hands, leaning back to examine it. “Right, the hamster. What’s so special about the hamster?”
“Oh, you’ll see,” Brutus’ tone was omniscient.
Leon crooked his eyebrow, “I just don’t see why we have to chase this little punk to get our hands on… a rat. What is its fur made of gold or somethin’? I don’t see the point – hey, what the hell are you lookin’ at?”
He’d finally caught me listening. I’d been so absorbed in what was happening that I forgot I was watching them in plain sight. Fool!
“Nothin’,” I grumbled.
“You got a problem, punk?”
“Nah, I just…” I wondered if I should tell them I knew who they were looking for. Leon and Brutus, along with the other men, were waiting for me to finish my sentence.
“What?” Leon snapped.
“I know who that is,” I finally said.
Leon turned the paper around for me to look at, tapping it with his forefinger. “This guy?”
Brutus’ eyes were now on me, dark and penetrating. I nodded.
It surprised and pissed me off when Leon laughed. “Yeah, so? Everybody in this town knows who he is, but they don’t know nothin’ about his whereabouts.”
I was about to counter that I knew where he was, but Brutus interrupted me.
“But you’re not from this town, are you?” It wasn’t really question, but I shook my head anyways. Brutus observed me for a moment, then, inclining his head towards the empty chair across from him, said, “Have a seat.”
The moment he told me to sit down, I knew that I’d gotten myself into something deep. I hesitated, but eventually sat down. Leon and the other men were watching me, sizing me up, it seemed. I ignored them. Brutus leaned forward and folded his hands over each other on the table top. “You know where he is, don’t you?”
A moment passed, and then I nodded again.
“Are you gonna tell us where he is?”
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I analyzed them the way they were analyzing me. Though it was hard to tell through their dark demeanor, I could see that they were rich. They were clean-cut, spotless, and the fabric of their clothes looked very expensive. Maybe if I helped them out, I’d get something nice in return. Plus, this seemed like a good way to get revenge on the little miscreant. But first I had to set my standards.
“What’s in it for me?” I finally said.
“Well, you’ll get to keep your life, if that’s worth anything to you,” Brutus replied.
“That’s the thing though; it ain’t.”
Obviously Brutus and his lackeys weren’t expecting my response. A moment of confounded silence passed before they got their wits back. Leon was the one to speak first. “Yeah? How’s about we take care of you out back right now, then?”
I rolled my eyes and disregarded his remark. “Look, I want to help you guys out, I really do; this kid…he ruined my life, let’s just leave it at that. I’m in the mood for vengeance, but if I ain’t getting’ anything in return, I ain’t sayin’ nothin’.”
They all stared at me in the silence that followed, dumbfounded, clearly not used to anyone else setting the rules of conduct. Brutus’ expression was a watered down image of the others’. He was studying me, deliberating.
“If you want to kill me, go ahead and kill me,” I continued. “I meant what I said before. My life don’t mean squat to me.”
Another silence, and then Leon burst out of his seat, livid. “Who the hell do you-?!”
“Sit down, Leon,” Brutus ordered in a commanding voice. Glaring and reluctant, Leon sat down again. I could tell it was hard not to follow an order Brutus gave in the way that he that he administered it.
Brutus placed his folded hands underneath his chin. “What’s your name?”
“Peter.”
“Well then, Peter,” he stretched his hands out, motioning to the other men. “Welcome to the gang.”
“What?!” Leon shrieked, turning ludicrous. “Boss, you can’t be serious!”
Brutus ignored him and looked me right in the eye. “But don’t think that we don’t have standards of our own. If you want to roll with us, there are certain…criteria that you have to meet. Do you think you can measure up to the plate?”
At this, Leon’s indignant expression died down some, replaced by a sadistic eagerness. A smirk slowly spread across his face.
I thought long and hard before I answered his question. I would have told them to lay it on me, but my belly suddenly growled loudly. Brutus looked annoyed, probably irritated that the dramatic silence following his theatrical little speech was flawed by the rumbling of my stomach.
“Not just yet,” I chuckled. “I haven’t slept or eaten in two days; I’m tired and I’m hungry, and I’m in need of some clean clothes.”
Brutus actually cracked a smile. “You heard the man, Leon. Go get him some food and a new set of clothes.”
The smirk fell off Leon’s face, and his eyes widened in disbelief. “What!?” he said for the second time.
Brutus turned to look at Leon, and I was suddenly glad that I wasn’t the one trapped under his fierce glare. “Do it.”
Leon’s anger slowly faded away, the look of rejection taking its place. “But…boss…” he murmured in a way that almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost.
“Now,” Brutus said.
Dejected, Leon slowly got out of his seat. He threw me a murderous glare before he stormed out of the bar. I felt bad for the townspeople who had to cross his path.
I turned my attention back to the mob leader, who was now leaning back in his chair and turning over a shiny knife in his hands. Where the hell was he hiding that?
“Peter,” he began, not taking his eyes off the knife. “If what you say is true, about this kid ruining your life, you don’t need to worry. I’m a strong believer in karma; what goes around comes around.”
And with that, he took the knife and stabbed it into the picture, right in between Clover’s eyes.
***
) just joined in the mob. Like wow 
And it's too bad about the prince. He was really cool. And you know what? Your characters, I believe this, have just taken over your story and are writing it themselves. Dewey wasn't meant to be a major character, but he is. Along with Peter. And Alejandro, well, like you said above. His story lies somewhere else. There is a quote, I gotta go find it.
