Chapter 4

Jacques’ POV

"I see. That is a wild claim my friend but you know what, how about you and Jacques have a conversation yourselves, yes?"

"That's quite the point why we're here, WHERE IS HE?!" The guard bellowed.

"Say, do you know the muffin man?" Victor told them.

"The muffin man?" They said in unison.

"Yes, the muffin man. The one who lives on the Dury Lane." Victor told them with a suspicious tone in his voice. I couldn't help but cover my mouth and fought the urge to laugh.

"What's the muffin man got to do with all this?!"

"Why is he involved? Why, because Jacques just bid us to do some business there. He was looking very shady when he left which made me wonder what he'll do to the muffin man." He continued before the looming guards immediately dispersed and left the tavern.

"Phew. That was close." I said.

"Yeah, you're welcome."

"Well, I've got to go now." I grabbed my coat and put on my mask. I glanced at my notes, checking my schedules for today, and wandered on the way back to my house when I saw the guards walking furiously back to the tavern.

Victor must have left at this moment so I didn't bother. I tried to remain my posture just as a patient I've been handling the other day smiled at me.

Shit no

"Doctor, how are you?"

"I'm fine, how about you? Have you been doing what I ask you to?" I said glancing reluctantly at the guards who looked in our way. If I wasn't wearing any mask, I could be drenched with sweat by now.

The patient was talking incessantly so I go along with it. I didn't listen much since I was looking at the guards. Luckily, they carried on and a wave of relief washed me.

"Well, I need to get going. Have a good day." I told the patient and made me regret why I helped him live for more days.

"Goodbye, doctor Jacques!" He exclaimed and as if on cue, the guards all veered their attention towards my direction.

"Fuck it!" I sprinted through the streets holding my damn suit up so I wouldn't trip over. Why the hell is this so long?!

"Come back here, murderer!" I heard the two large guys running behind me.

I haven't really gone through many exercises. They're going to catch me! I'm going to die! I took turns as I jumped through corpses and twisted through people carefully.

"Come bring out your dead!" A physician said in a horse, pulling a wagon of corpses as I jumped through and pushed the doctor away.

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry!" I said before whipping the reins. The horse neighed before I held the ropes tightly.

"Damn, this horsey can run."

I look behind and noticed the guards still in my tail and got to grab ahold of the wagon. My heart skipped a beat as I noticed the gleaming knives they had in their hands. They grinned as they tried to maintain their balance over the rancid corpses.

I felt something lumpy in my leg as I noticed a bag of fresh apples. I grabbed it and began throwing it at the pursuers.

"They say an apple a day keeps me away! Grab a bite!" I threw with all my strength as one of them slips and buried their face on the corpse.

Death on delivery

I swerved the horse as the wagon crashes along with the carcasses and the guards. The horse went to a full stop as I feel my body flying towards a heap of hay.

I grunted, my senses going up the spike as I dodged a knife just as I ran out of the straws. I ran with all my strength, turning in random alleys and gates.

"I have to get away from here," I told myself.

At this time, if I stayed in Venice, I'll be a goner for sure. I headed down to Victor's house, breathing raggedly in my mask. I could feel the amount of sweat building in my clothes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked as he opened the door.

I didn't reply and immediately went inside, collapsing in the bed before screaming as I faced a naked woman beside me.

"Ahhh!"

The girl ran away without a dress as I tried to delete what I had just seen. I took my mask off as I grabbed a cloth and wiped myself up. Victor just stood by the doorway, crossing his arms with no shirt on like the bastard he is.

"Close the damn door!" I said.

"I won't unless you tell me what happened."

"They knew, the guards. I'm so fucked up." I said between breaths.

"Well, thank you for ruining my moment." He said glumly as he heads down and prepares tea.

"What am I gonna do?"

"Why ask me? You got a better life. Well, you HAD." he laughed as I shot him a glare.

I remembered the stash of coins I had in my office but I can't go out looking like a doctor.

"Do you have some clothes?" I asked him as he hands me a cup of tea.

"Yea," he said before tossing me a shirt and pants.

"What's your plan?" He asked.

"I'm going away, I can't take this town anymore!"

"Or you'll just wait till they're dead."

"I'll be dead too if I do."

"Well, I can't go with you mate."

"I'm not asking you to," I said exasperatedly.

"Yeah, but where will you go?"

"Anywhere except here."

"The plague is anywhere, Jacques! You can't escape it." He said.

"Then I'll find a cure," I told him before he laughed at me.

"Laugh whatever you want, Victor. One day I'll come back here with a vial in my hand. Saving everyone left in this town." I announced.

"Good luck with that, I'll be here anyway."

"You should really stop sleeping with women, you know," I told him.

"Why? Do you want me to sleep with men instead?"

"No, you bastard. I meant you could get the disease."

"We all die one day." He grinned.

He's right, death is inevitable but the least I could do is try.

"Could I sleep here, just this once?" I asked him.

"Sure, if you don’t mind sharing a bed,” He said before I threw my suit at the laughing bastard.

"Shut up, one day I'll be holding the cure in my hands. I'm going to sleep now, and don't you dare touch me." I said before resting my aching body.

I woke up at the sound of someone groaning. I gasped and saw Victor snoring his life away.

I rubbed my head. I looked out the windows and saw the sky lighting up by dawn break.

I quickly slid on the clothes Victor gave and stuffed my suit and mask in a sheet of fabric.

"What's with all the racket?" Victor groaned as he sat up.

"I'll be going now, Victor," I told him.

“Are you sure about this, bud?”

There was a moment of silence between us before I gave back a determined nod.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck." He smiled groggily before I gave him a quick hug. He patted my back slowly as I heard him sniffing.

"Are you crying?" I said.

"Ew no, my nose is runny."

"Yeah right. Well, I'll be missing you, you bastard." I told him.

"Me too, asshole." He sniffed as I went out into the open streets. I winced in pain as a rancid smell hit my nostrils.

"God, it smells like something died in here."

Well, something did. I made my way into my office and grabbed my stash of coins before seeing a horse with its owner still asleep.

"Shhh," I said as the horse neighed.

I fought back the urge to gag as I saw the owner with its mouth open, infested with maggots and eyes wide opened, infested with flies. Looks like someone’s not waking up any time soon.

I grabbed a nice clean cloth and covered half of my face before riding the horse, chasing the golden dawn up ahead.

The horse's hooves clomped along the streets as I began to feel the fresh air at the end of the town. I grunted in anger as I remembered that I didn't have any map with me.

"Where the hell am I going?" I spoke to myself. I can't just begin a journey without any destination. I sighed in defeat.

Maybe I'll just go back.

A part of me said it while the other protested. I'm already here! And I'm not stopping, a long trip starts with a single step. I'll just go wherever my two feet can take me, or where the horse will take me!

Uggh I must be going crazy

I looked at the rising sun and decided to head west as well. Hours passed and I decided to stop for a rest since the horse must be exhausted. Luckily we were near a river so I let him drink some water.

I decided to walk along with the horse for a while, enjoying the scenery of the forest. There was a crippling thought of death at the back of my mind.

What if this will be all for nothing?

What if I'll get the disease and die?

I winced the thoughts away. There's no way I could get the disease since there were no infected nearby and besides, I could always wear my mask if I needed it.

Herbs!

I have to get some herbs, my stock were very little and my journey is still very lengthy. I smiled at myself, am I really doing this? It's like one of those tales where a man strides across a country just to find the thing he seeks.

An adventure. But what am I looking for? Yes, I know for myself that I am after the cure but what is it? What is the cure?