Sun Kissed Innsmouth
Part Forty Two
The bored man was the only calm member of the party left to arrive at the porch that day. He raised his hands and fanned them out in front of him. He got an easy smile settled on his face before he spoke. “It’s just like the man said, we came in peace. We’re here to make sure no one does nothing stupid. Phillip ain’t the groundskeeper no more, I am. So long as he’s good with that, we got no problems with you people.”
Felecia had a problem though, she had a few to be exact. Half of the felonious pair from the night so long ago was still to be seen and heard. Also, Phillip was likely to answer any challenges left to him. Even ones that spelled his death and the total subjugation of his charge and his progeny. Killing the fiend made sense in light of all that.
New groundskeeper my ass. Felecia heard that thought in her head as she sunk her trigger finger inside the guard and squared up the shot. Phillip’s boy had leaned in during their one training session to date, his breath was awful and he smelled like the goats up in the barn but Felecia still found herself just as offput and equally attracted to the youth. “Take a big gulp and exhale, only pull the trigger when you’re near out of breath.”
Felecia was nearly out of breath and her finger was tightening around the trigger when Phillip called out for her to stand down. The sudden voice calling out nearly forced her hand but she released before the shot was fired. Felecia leaned against the railing there for what seemed like an eternity, the heavy rifle threatening to leave her with no course of action but to set it down and relinquish any hope of having a say in the conversation to come. Finally, Phillip came into view with nothing to show for his mornings hunt.
“So, tell me, Ganly, what does a half dumb fisherman know about the grounds of Rotary house and the Conway estate?
The fiend didn’t linger or worry long on Felecia once Phillip’s voice broke the tension of the moment. “I don’t know much but I stood up. Mrs. Conway knows the score. There’s the village, and then there’s you people. I and mine are in charge of maintaining the grounds, she wants you to stay on as game warden. You, people, can stay out here and hunt for food for the big house, and earn your keep besides. That’s more than fair given what happened.”
Phillip didn’t get a chance to speak up as Felecia found her voice and the strength to yell. Her trigger finger found its way back inside the guard and she spoke slowly so as to let her breath wind down for another shot. “Fair? Fair like you gave a deal to the candlemaker? Fair like you sold your boat for food to a murderer? Fair like you split my face open so you could flee justice!”
Phillip did plenty of his own pleading then, as did the fiend and the men around him. Everyone wanted Felecia to take a deeper breath and calm down. Everyone wanted her to secure her emotions, everyone except for Phillip’s boy. The youth came up and didn’t think twice as he pushed Felecia out of the way and took up the rifle. “Your arm is strong enough for that bow and you’re better with it. Take it up and aim at the guy out in the tree line.”
Felecia didn’t need to wonder then; she reached down and took up her bow and an arrow with an ancient broad head tip and she made ready to aim it at the man out in the tree line still trying to aim his own bow.