Escape (1)

It took three days for Frankie to get better. During those days, Lia and Yolly continued to work in the background either at the shop or being Tamara's assistant while Tamara improved the medicine. Frankie woke up the day after the festival, his eyes clear, though his body remained weak. Thankfully, his delusions decreased until it was gone. Yolly had collapsed in a heap as she sobbed with relief.

The mood inside the shop seemed to be in direct contrast outside. The cheeriness of the people soured with the news of a man slaughtering his family. Then, there was the gossip of someone burning their house located near the foot of the mountain. Every day, there would be whispers about other vile things that happened, but the mayor would not make a move to stop the distribution. At least, Frankie only came out of it with few repercussions compared to the others.

"They said that this drink will make you forget your worries, that's why these people still buy that cursed gin," one of the shop patrons said in a hushed tone. The regular customers of Yolly's shop were good sources of information. "The mayor said that they still have no proof that the drink caused the victims to go crazy."

A low growl came from Yolly. "I bet whoever's making that pays him a great deal."

"Maybe he's colluding with the witch?"

Lia stiffened while Yolly snorted.

"Oh! I heard another thing. They said tonight--"

"Are you still not done?" They did not notice the customer's companion arriving and was now leaning at the door frame. "If you're finished, let us go. There are guards out there, it's scary."

The customer grabbed her purchases and was gone in a blink of an eye. Lia walked to the door and casually peeked outside. Like what the customer said, there were guards stationed on the streets. This seemed like bad news for them. How? She did not know. Her thoughts were cut short when Tamara called them upstairs for lunch.

"We can make our move now," Frankie announced over their meal. When he woke up and began asking why Lia and Tamara were at their house, Yolly told him the details, and he agreed right away in joining their travels.

"You just got better," Yolly said.

"I know my body. Besides, I've held them back long enough." He nodded in the direction of Tamara and Lia. "We'll come with them, right? I'll pack my bags. We can go tonight."

"Tonight? Don't you want to get seen by the local doctor?" Lia asked and exchanged a glance with her mother.

"More like, a local quack. I tell you, you'd have to pay with every word he said. He's focused on fattening his pockets more than making you feel well."

"I think he's right. We should move tonight." Yolly said. "I'm worried about what our customers are saying, and then, there are the guards outside. It's like the mayor's cooking up something."

Lia closed her eyes and controlled her breathing. Yes, this felt like the thing she was afraid the most. "Mother, they have a point. We should move tonight."

It was three against one so Tamara had no choice but to agree. They decided not to open the shop for the afternoon. Instead, they packed and waited until the evening when they decided to slip the town quietly. Once they were able to leave, they would seek shelter in the northern part of the country. It would be a long journey so Lia tried to rest for the remainder of the day.