There was a shout of disbelief from the woods and John burst out from the tree line with his axe raised to strike me down. He had quite a ways to go before reaching me, however.

I broke the kiss with Diane and stepped back from her to get her out of danger. “I think John is upset.”

Diane stared at me, as if she had never seen me before, and remained quiet. Her eyes on the other hand, were huge and she looked startled.

_______________

What do you want to do now?

A) Kiss her again. B) Fight John. C) Yell. D) Run. E) Tell Diane to yell. F) Show off again.

Showing off seems to work well, so let's go with that. I choose F.

_______________

I grabbed the burlap sack of learning items and swung it around as John approached me, then let it go and hurled it at him.

“AHHHH!” John yelled and dropped to the ground as the bag just missed him. His axe fell out of his hand and tumbled out of his reach.

I walked over to his prone form and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. I lifted him up by one hand and shook him. “That's twice you've tried to kill me.” I said and pulled my knife out of my bandoleer.

“DAVID!” Diane yelled and I looked at her, knowing what she was going to say. “Don't. Please.”

“Okay.” I said and let John go. He stumbled and looked unsteady, so I pushed on his shoulder and he toppled over onto the ground. He was well away from his axe, so I went to it and used my knife to cut it up. I tossed the pieces at him and he just stared at them.

“John, you are a horrible person.” Diane said and frowned at him.

“You... you kissed... the Marsh Man!” John exclaimed.

“Does he look like the Marsh Man?” Diane asked and waved at me. “Look, John. Look at the young man that you are so angry at!” She spat. “Look at what a night living in town did for him! Look at what he did for me!”

John couldn't quite look at me.

“I didn't ask him to, John. He did it himself, because he wanted me to know that he might be the Hag's apprentice; but, that doesn't make him who he is.” Diane said. “Unlike you, he can be anyone he wants to be.”

“I want to be the Marsh Man.” I said and Diane looked at me with surprise on her face. “People hate the Hag and how she acts. I know that. We all know that.” I looked at their faces and nodded. “They also respect her.”

“David, you... you're mixing up respect and fear.” Diane said.

“He already fears me.” I said and motioned to John. “He doesn't respect me.”

Diane looked like she wanted to argue, then sighed. “No, you're right. He's afraid you will take all of his jobs and he won't be needed anymore.”

“That's stupid. I'm not a lumberjack.” I said.

“I've tried to tell him that and he said it doesn't matter. Your ability to work with wood is too good.”

“You've seen my boat.” I said to her and she chuckled.

“It's a mess.” Diane said with a smile. “You were brave to come here in that thing.”

“Michelle said the same thing.” I said and then frowned.

Diane took my hand and held it. “I'm sorry that she won't build your boat.”

“She crumpled up the plans and threw them at me.” I said and Diane took in a sharp breath.

“She'll never build anything for you.” John said as he slowly got to his feet. “Especially not after I tell her that you've corrupted Mack's daughter.”

“So, it's not bad enough that you've ruined David's reputation in the town, now you want to ruin mine, too?” Diane asked as she let her anger out. “You miserable piece of garbage!” She spat and John flinched. “Just for that, you won't be allowed in the store anymore.”

“You can't ban me. It's Mack's store.” John said.

“Do you really think that my father is going to want to look at you, knowing it was you that is going to spread all those lies about me?” Diane asked. “Well? Will he?”

John closed his mouth and didn't speak.

“You won't be allowed in my store next year, either.” Diane said and she saw John flinch again. “What? Did you think I wasn't still having it built?”

John's eyes went right to me and Diane laughed.

“No, I didn't ask him and he doesn't know how to build it, because you were being an ass and wouldn't help him.” Diane said. “You are not the only lumberjack that I can find, John. You're just the local one.”

John took a breath and let it out. “I won't let the competition build anything in my town.”

Diane laughed again. “Your town? Really?” She asked. “I wonder what Star would say to that.”

“Why don't you ask her.” John said with a smile.

Diane saw his smug face and sighed. “You've been sleeping with her.”

“A man of honor doesn't kiss and tell.” John said.

“You just told us, you idiot.” Diane said. “As soon as you didn't deny it, we know you are.”

John looked angry for a moment, then shrugged. “No one else is allowed to build anything in this town except me.”

“What if you lost an arm?” I asked and John jerked as if I had hit him.

“D-David, you... shouldn't say things like that.” Diane cautioned me.

“A foot? A hand? Maybe a thumb? What would stop you from working?” I asked. “You sleep with the windows open at night, don't you?” I asked and John's face lost all of its color.

“David!” Diane exclaimed and gripped my hand hard. “Stop that.”

“I'm just showing off.” I said and she relaxed. “John doesn't really believe that I can sneak into his house at night with a magic knife that can cut through logs like air. Do you, John?”

John trembled a little and didn't say anything.

“You can leave now, John.” Diane said. “I have a lesson to teach David.”

“You are making a mistake, Diane.” John said.

“The only mistake I ever made was sleeping with you after Spencer's father left.” Diane said and then she took in a sharp breath. “You convinced him to go, didn't you?”

John smiled. “Yes, and the idiot believed me that life would be better for you and Spencer if he left and joined the army for a steady paycheck.”

Diane's face crumpled and tears started flowing. She let my hand go and covered her mouth with both hands to hold back her sobs.

_______________

You have a critical choice to make.

A) Comfort Diane. B) Run. C) Show off. D) Yell. E) Kill him. F) C&B. G) D&E. H) C&E

This fucker has been asking for it for a while, so screw it. Despite wanting to comfort Diane, I'm choosing E.

_______________

I charged the blade with magic as I stepped forward and swung my hand with the knife across his throat, then I stepped back as if I hadn't done anything.

John looked at me with a bit of a smirk on his face and opened his mouth, I assumed to tell me that it didn't hurt. All that came out was a gurgle and some blood. He took half a step and then his head flipped off of his body and fell to the ground. It was an eight inch long magic blade and cut through his neck as if it was nothing.

Diane screamed and covered her face to hide the sight from her eyes. Several people heard her and came running, asking loudly what happened to make her scream like that, then they saw the headless body. They all looked at me with anger in their eyes.

“He tried to kill me again.” I said, truthfully. “Once was enough. He earned his death the second time.”

I could see that none of them believed me.

“Someone get the mayor.” A man's voice said. When no one moved, he sighed and left to go and get her himself.

More people gathered and Diane cried behind her hands and didn't accept anyone's comfort when they tried to get close. She flinched away from all the helping hands, male and female alike. The women started crying softly at the gory sight, too.

After a few minutes, the mayor ran up the road towards the plot with the man right behind her. She had a determined look on her face until she pushed some of the crowd aside and saw John's headless corpse.

“NO!” Star yelled and dropped to the ground beside him. “No! No no no! Not my John!”

“He tried to...” I started to say.

“SHUT UP!” Star yelled at me and gave me a look of hatred that was pretty similar to the Hag's.

I was still in vigilant mode, so I didn't react to it. I would later, though. That was a scary face.

“You killed a valued member of this town!” Star spat at me.

“He was a liar and tried to kill me.” I said.

“I said SHUT UP!” Star yelled.

“Twice.” I said and she glared at me.

“Someone make him shut up!” Star said and pointed at me.

_______________

Only a minor choice this time.

A) Threaten her. B) Boast. C) Run. D) Cry. E) Plead for mercy. F) Keep talking.

I better do the safe thing and go with B. If they all rush me, I can't fight them all off. I choose B.

_______________

“If anyone comes near me, their heads get added to the pile.” I said and let them all see my knife. There was a significant shadow around, because of all the people, and the glow of the blade could easily be seen. “He didn't even know I cut him until he died.”

Several people gasped and the crowd stepped back from me.

“You won't get away with this!” Star said and her hands gripped John's shirt to shake him, as if she could wake him up.

“Get away with what?” I asked. “He attacked me with his axe and I killed him.”

“What axe?!?” Star asked, incredulous. “I don't see an axe anywhere!”

“The pieces are under him.” I said. “I cut that up, too.”

“LIAR!” Star yelled and Diane was still crying and didn't say anything. “You killed him! A defenseless man!”

I caught the sight of several people as they shook their heads and some of them whispered about getting rid of me, because John had been right.

Mack appeared from his store and ran over to the lot as well. “Diane!”

“DAD!” Diane yelled and turned to her father as he hugged her.

“Shhh. It's all right. David won't hurt you again. I promise.” Mack said.

“My poor John.” Star lamented and tears came to her eyes. “I... I love you.” She said and let out a single sob, then she stood. “You.” She said to me. “I am holding you until the army regiment gets here.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because you killed a man, that's why!” Star said loudly.

“So, it was okay with everyone if he wanted to kill me.” I said and a few of them looked uncomfortable.

“You are not a member of this town!” Star said with satisfaction.

“Yes, he is.” A young woman's voice said. “He used to live here, too.”

I turned my head to look and saw Hope Addams standing there. She wasn't crying and she wasn't looking at anyone except me.

“You cleaned up really nice, James.” Hope said and she smiled.

“My name's David.” I said.

“You can call yourself Boy again for all I care.” Hope said. “I know who you really are.”

“HOPE!” Her sister Linda said and grabbed her by the arm. “We have to go! We can't be seen with him now! He just killed someone!”

“He defended himself.” Hope said, even though she hadn't been there to hear me say it.

“You be quiet! I'm the one that says if he's guilty or not!” Star said and pointed at the blonde haired girl. “He's guilty of murder!”

“What's murder?” I asked.

“When you plan to kill someone and then kill them.” Hope said.

_______________

You have a choice to make.

A) Lie. B) Tell the truth. C) Show off. D) Run. E) Yell for help.

All I can do now is hope they believe the truth. I choose B.

_______________

“I didn't plan to kill him.” I said and she nodded. “When John said that he had Diane's husband killed in the army, just so he could sleep with her, he made her cry and I cut his head off.”

The entire crowd gasped and Diane cried harder on her father's shoulder.

“No! That's not true!” Star exclaimed loudly. “John would never do something like that!”

“We'll let the army sort all this out.” Mack said and Diane clung to him tightly.

“That's what I've been saying!” Star said and pointed at me again. “You men! Disarm him and take him into custody!”

No one moved and a few looked down at the bloody head. I could see on their faces that they didn't want their own heads next to it.

“I order you to grab the Marsh Man and hold him!” Star said and then let a slight scream out. “Someone! Anyone! Tackle him!” She said and no one moved. “By the Son's Light, do something!”

_______________

Another choice. Let's see if it's a good one.

A) Leave. B) Stay. C) Give up your knife. D) Get your things and leave. E) Run. F) Scare them.

I think retreat would be best. The Hag told me to never give up my knife, so I'm going with D.

_______________

“None of them want to die.” I said and held up my knife. It still glowed and everyone took a step back. I walked over to the burlap bag with the reading things inside, picked it up and slung it over my shoulder, and walked back to the crowd.

Star stared daggers at me as the crowd parted. Well, most of them did. Hope and Linda stood there and didn't move as I approached.

“I believe you, James.” Hope said as I passed her.

“Thank you.” I said and smiled at her, then I walked by and went down the road.

No one followed me.