Dusty Red ~ Part 5

We're already up to five? I've posted every week for that long? Wow! I'm amazed, I hope you are too. You don't know how lucky you are. Maybe this story thing was a good idea.
I would tell you a little about my week, but not much has really happened except for a mighty battle. But you'll have to wait until Monday to hear about that as it was too long to be put here. Every one would just get sick of waiting and just skip to the story!
But enough about that now, I don't want to keep you waiting anyway. This time option 2 has been voted in. Enjoy!

From behind her, in the house, Flicks heard a shout and then she was flung forwards as, in a crash, the door disintegrated in a massive explosion, the likes of which Dusty Town had never seen.

Her forehead slammed into something hard, something that crunched at the impact. Flicks fell to the ground as splinters flew through the air.

When silence fell Flicks found herself looking right into someone’s face, a face with a rather smashed looking nose. She pushed herself up off Lars and turned to look at old Ron’s house. The door was beyond saving, most of it lying in splinters around her. Dust still floated in the air as she peered inside, temporarily forgetting Kendal. Would old Ron be alright? 

Flicks took a hesitant step inside, then with no warning whatsoever, another explosion rocked the ground, sending Flicks reeling against the wall. A flying piece of wood hit her forehead and she crouched down, arms raised over her head.

When the last rumble echoed away she stood, her head spinning. Flicks stumbled forward, where was Ron?

She had come to like the old man, and he was basically her only friend. Could it be possible he was still alive? What had made the explosions anyway?

Flicks coughed as the dust clouded around her, and she stumbled forward, well aware that another explosion could blow her to smithereens at any moment. Luckily there were no more, and she found herself by old Ron’s work desk in one piece. And there, hunkered under it she saw Ron.

“Ron? Are you alright?”

The huddle looked up, “Flicks! I’d be thinking you’d gone!” Ron crawled out from under his desk and brushed himself off, “It just be a few failed experiments…” he trailed off, looking around him, seemingly just noticing the wreckage.

“I suppose you didn’t mean to destroy your house?” Flicks said, smiling weakly.

“No…I…I….Didnna….” Ron suddenly burst into tears.

Flicks stared for a moment or two, then she patted him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“It be ruined! All my work! All the rust!” Ron’s voice was despairing between his sobs.

“Ron, really, just get hold of yourself. If we work together we can fix your house and your contraptions as well.” Flicks picked up a few bits of metal off a chair and pushed Ron down on it. “Just calm down,’ she admonished him, “Are you hurt?”

“Ruined…all ruined….” was all he said.

Flicks stood back, her head ached and old Ron’s exaggerating was getting difficult to deal with. She put a hand up to her forehead, her fingers met with a rather large bump. At that moment her vision swum and she grasped the table for support.

Old Ron immediately stopped his muttering and stood up anxiously, “Goodness me! You be hurt old girl! Here, you shoulda be the one as is sittin’ down.”

Flicks shook her head, blinking her eyes to clear them, “No,” she replied weakly, “I’ll be fine.”

Ron looked at her unsurely but then nodded, ‘If you be sayin’ so.”

“What made the explosions?” Flicks asked.

“Weel, I’m not entir’ly sure. It could be that,” he said, gesturing to a corner. “Or at least, what that was.”

Flicks looked where he was pointing and raised her eyebrows in spite of herself,  “Was is definitely the word to use. What did it use to be?”

“It were a heater. To heat the room when it be cold.”
Flicks was incredulous, “When does it ever get cold here? Surely you could think of something better.”

Ron glared at her then said, “Weel yes, I was working on it and I be just about to test it when it goes,” he waved around the room, “Boom!”

“You can say that again,” Flicks shook her head, wincing as it throbbed. 

“Well, look at this! A nice mess it is I must say,” Kendal’s voice came from the door.

“weel, what’re ye doin’ ‘ere?” Ron frowned, “I ain’t gonna ‘ave no bisness with the like o’ ye.”

 “Maybe you don’t have a choice,” Kendal growled, “You ‘n me have a score to settle, and the kid as well.”

“What ha’ you got aginst Flicks? She hasna done nothin’ to ye,” Ron protested.

Kendal didn’t reply, he just walked over to the bench, his eyes running over the books that still lay there, half covered in bits and pieces. He rummaged around for a few seconds and lifted something up. It was the jar apparently containing the magic potion.

“Hey!” Ron yelled, “You be puttin’ that there thing down. It be an important experiment!”

“Experiment is it?” Kendal sneered, “Just like the one that did this?” He waved the hand holding the bottle around the room.

Old Ron winced, “Careful wi’ that, it be highly volatile!”

Kendal lowered his hand, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means, weel, it means…” he trailed off, scratching his head thoughtfully, “I think it means it be some‘ow dang’rous.”

Flicks looked at him in alarm, “If it’s so volatile then why were you going to empinar it?”

Both Ron and Kendal looked at her in bewilderment, “What’s that meant to mean?” Ron asked in wonder.

Flicks smiled, “It’s Spanish. It means drink. Hacer usted entender?”

The incomprehension on their faces made Flicks want to laugh. Kendal shook his head, “But we’re getting distracted, I want to know what’s so special about this jar of coloured water.”

Ron looked indignant, “It ain’t jest a jar o’ water! It be verra important and ye need to put it down afor you break it and ruin it jest like ev’ry thin’ else.”

“But what makes it important?” Kendal asked, “It better be valuable otherwise I’ll get yer friend Flicks in trouble fer smashing my mate’s nose.”

“Ye’ll do what?!” Ron asked incredulously, “And jest ‘o would be makin’ the trouble. I’d bet it’d be yerself as did it. Flicks couldna break some uns nose! ‘Specially not a big fellas like your friends be.”

 “Just tell me what this is or I’m going to smash it!” Kendal roared in Ron’s face.

Ron stepped backwards hurriedly, “Erm, it’s a potion…yes a potion….I made it by…”

“What does it do?”

“It…weel, it…umm,’ Ron shrugged, “I havena worked that out yet. I be workin’ on it though.”

“Well, I think you’ll just have to be disappointed,” Kendal smirked, and with all his strength threw the jar to the floor.

“No!” Ron yelled then everything exploded in a flash of fire-like light.

-------------------------------------------

Flicks opened her eyes, dim light surrounded her. She was lying on her back on something hard. It smelt strange, not at all like dry dust or heat. It was cold, very cold. She stood and looked around. Nearby Ron and Kendal were doing the same. The light trickled into the otherwise dark room through a large hole in the wall of crumbling stone. Flicks stumbled towards it, she heard the sounds of the others behind her.

The gap was wide enough to walk through and she did so, lurching into the more open space.
Kendal followed her, Ron behind him. Flicks just stared.

Kendal’s breathing sounded like a bellows, “Where are we?”

Flicks shook her head, leaning against the wall, her face showing her bewilderment.

Kendal turned to Ron, “What happened?” he snarled. Ron simply looked around open mouthed.

“What have you done?!” Kendal yelled, his voice rising almost to a shriek, “You idiot old man, where are we?”

Ron just continued to stare about in utter confusion, where ever they were, it wasn’t Dusty Town. They were…

~

1. Surrounded by huge blocks of stone, looming out of a cloudy wet substance that obscured anything any further than a few meters away.

2. In an ancient mansion, the walls hung with cobwebs and not a sign of life other than themselves.

3. In a beautiful garden, flowers of every colour blooming around them, and the leaves of the surrounding trees a beautiful golden red.

~

I hope that was long enough for every one. I'm not actually even having trouble writing 1,000 words, not really as hard as it sounds. This one was 1,263 words, give or take. 
I can't wait to see what end up happening next. Just choose your favourite and comment to vote!

~ Jane, Misty Maiden