It took me an hour to scrub everything off in the bath. I had brushes, thick cloths, and even rough rocks full of little holes that I used. I had honestly thought that my hair would have been the worst part to deal with and it was actually the easiest. It still took lots of soap and scrubbing, though. When I was done, I dried off with something called a towel, after Rebecca nearly screamed at me for walking around without clothes on and dripping all over her nice wood floor.

After that, she gave me a full set of clothing. It took some convincing on her part to get me to put on underwear, which was like shorts, except you wore them under your pants. It didn't make sense to me, since that gave you two things to take off to use the bathroom. She explained that normal people always wore underwear and helped me put them on right after I put them on backwards. The flap didn't go in the front so you can pee. Go figure.

I put on the brand new pants and the sweater, then Rebecca did something to my hair with a weird looking thing she called a comb. It was when she handed me socks and boots from the large bag that I was sure she was making fun of me.

“David, you need to wear them, in town at least.” Rebecca said. “You don't have to keep explaining that it's easier for you in the marsh when you're barefoot and you can feel what you're stepping on without having to look down.”

“But, it is easier.” I said.

Rebecca sighed. “You said that you wanted to show Diane that you appreciate her teaching you, didn't you?” She asked and I nodded. “Then put on the socks and boots and try walking around in them.”

I sat down and put the socks on and then the boots. Unlike the ones the Hag sometimes wore, these boots were mostly soft cloth and moved with my toes... or lack of toes. I stood up and walked with them. It felt a little awkward, especially since I couldn't quite feel the floor.

“Whew, that's a relief.” Rebecca said. “I was worried you would stumble or fall.”

I looked at her with wide eyes. “You thought that and gave me them anyway?”

“Why else would I give them to you tonight and not wait until the morning?” Rebecca said. “Take them off and keep them on the chair. Sometimes stuff crawls around looking for warm places to sleep.”

I gave her another look with raised eyebrows. She blushed at saying something like that to someone who lived in a marsh. She left the room without another word and shut the door. I transferred the stuff from my old clothes to the bandoleer and hung it on the chair. It just looked like a belt of leather pieces, which was perfect. No one would steal a homemade belt.

I tossed all of my old clothes and the leather poncho into the large burlap bag and pulled it closed. I took off my boots and my socks, covered the tops of the boots with the socks, and laid down on the bed. It was weird that I couldn't smell the marsh, except from the bag and bandoleer that I left on the chair. I used the Hag's vigilance technique and nothing was anywhere around, so I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning and nothing was missing. My things were still where I had left them, even the stinky burlap bag, and I put on my socks and boots. I picked up the bandoleer and the ties of the burlap bag with one hand and left the room.

I wasn't surprised that Rebecca was at the counter and I walked over to her. “Where can I buy something to wear over my clothes because it's cold?”

“You mean a coat?” Rebecca asked and I nodded. “Just head over to Tom's place. His wife sews up some good outerwear.”

“Which one's Tom's place?” I asked and she told me. It was up a different road of town than where I went yesterday, so I was a bit relieved.

“Will you be back tonight?” Rebecca asked.

“I don't know.” I said and left the inn. I walked back to the dock and dropped my stinky burlap bag under the tarp of the boat. I went to the right this time and found the road Rebecca told me about. Two places up was the sign with the needle on it. I didn't knock and just went inside.

“Hi, there!” A woman's chipper voice said. “I can't say that I've seen such a nice looking... young man... around....” Her voice trailed off when she saw my face and the snake bite damage.

“It's cold out and I need a coat.” I said.

She blinked her eyes at me for several moments, then she pointed to several piles of scraps.

“I already have a poncho made of leather scraps.” I said. “I want an actual coat like yours.”

“I need to... check your size.” She said, almost in a whisper.

“I took a bath.”

The woman sighed and came around the small counter to stand near me. She clearly took in a long sniff and then visibly relaxed. “I might have something, if you don't mind spending the Hag's money.” She said and used her hands to measure my arm length and from my waist to my neck.

I frowned for a second. “What's it made of?”

“Tanned cow leather stuffed tight with goose feathers.” She said with a smile.

“How would that work?” I asked, confused.

“Let me show you.” She said and led me over to a corner of her store where she worked. “If the leather is thin enough, you can sew it into large pockets. You stuff in the goose feathers and sew it closed, then sew the pockets together to make the jacket.”

“That sounds like a lot of work.” I said and she nodded. “Do you have one?”

She opened up a cabinet under her table and took it out. “It's really warm when you wear it.”

I touched it and the leather was rough. I also felt the ends of the feathers, since the leather was thin. “You made this quickly.”

“How can you tell?” She asked with slight surprise on her face.

“The feathers are crooked.” I said and touched the sharp tips of each one. “If you took your time, they would all be in the same direction. These will poke anyone that wears it.”

The woman gave me an apologetic look. “I can't have another made for at least a week.”

“I won't need it by then.” I said. “What else do you have?”

The woman looked at the coat and at me, then she sighed. “If you pay for the cost of the leather...”

I paid her a bit more than that, since I knew how hard it was to sew leather together. I also bought the largest burlap bag she had, which was pretty darn big, let me tell you. She was actually smiling when I put the coat on and I left the store with my bandoleer over my shoulder. I walked back down to the dock and walked up the main road to the general store. I looked inside and saw Diane arguing with her father.

_______________

You have a choice to make. What will you do?

A) Wait. B) Open the door. C) Kick the door. D) Knock. E) Cut it in half. F) Yell. G) Burn it down.

You really like fire, don't you? I asked. I want to hear what she's saying, so I'm choosing B.

_______________

I turned the handle and they didn't hear the door opening.

“I can't believe you sold that table!” Diane said loudly.

“It was in my house and I sold it.” Mack said.

“You had no right to do that!”

“What did you bring it home for if you didn't want me to sell it?” Mack asked.

“I didn't want someone to steal such a nice table if I left it outside, Dad!” Diane said.

“You just answered why I sold the damn thing!” Mack said. “I got thirty silver for it!”

“That's ALL?” Diane yelled.

“People around here aren't rich, Diane.” Mack said.

“You pretty much gave away that expensive table for the cost of a healing potion.” Diane said, her voice sad.

“I got ten for the end table, even though it wasn't finished.” Mack said.

Diane sighed and rubbed her face. “Give me the money, Dad.”

“I'll give you half, since that's what we agreed on.” Mack said.

“I did no such thing!” Diane exclaimed.

“Not with you, with the Marsh Man.” Mack said. “Since we don't have a standing agreement, I'll use the last one as the rule. Half for whatever I sell them for.”

Diane let out a growl. “That was for the potions!” She said through gritted teeth.

Mack shrugged. “Take it or leave it.”

“That's not my decision to make, Dad!”

_______________

You have a choice to make.

A) Agree. B) Yell. C) Close the door. D) Burn it down. E) Deny the offer. F) Make a new agreement.

I don't want to deal with him anymore, so I'll choose E.

_______________

“Since you already sold it without either Diane's or my permission, even though you clearly knew it was mine, Diane will take the money.” I said and both of them jumped and turned to stare at me. “I, on the other hand, don't want anything to do with you anymore, Mack.”

“D-D-David?” Diane asked, hesitatingly. “Is... is that... really you?”

“I took a bath for you.” I said and she gasped. “I bought new clothes.” I lifted my foot. “Boots, too.”

A huge smile grew on Diane's face and she pushed past her father, counted out twenty silver coins from behind the counter, and came over to me.

“David, you didn't have to do that.” Diane said. “You told me how dangerous it's going to be for you to go back to the marsh.”

“I still have my old clothes in the boat, so it shouldn't be too bad.” I lied, because it was going to be bad. I didn't want her to worry, though.

“Let's get to learning.” Diane said and held the money out to me.

“That's for Spencer's old things.” I said and she took in a sharp breath. “You said you wanted to sell them, right?”

“I... yes, but...”

“I'll take them home and use them as much as I can this winter.”

Diane looked like she was going to say no, then she put the money into her pockets and smiled at me. “I'll be right back with your things.” Diane said and went to the back of the store, picked up her coat, and came over to me again. She shut the door to the store and I followed her to the house behind the store. She came back out a couple of minutes later with the burlap bag and it looked a little bigger.

We left there and went up the road to where her empty lot was and she sat down on the stump. I left her there and ran to the other side of the property and used the vigilance technique. I immediately detected someone in the woods nearby.

_______________

You have a critical choice to make. This will change how the story progresses.

A) Confront them. B) Ignore them. C) Make a table and show off. D) Gather the firewood.

I'm pretty sure I know who's there. I thought with amusement. I'll choose D, just to piss John off.

_______________

I unfolded the huge burlap bag and filled it up with all of the wood chunks I had cut off the stump the day before. It didn't take me long, since I had left them all in a pile, and I carried the huge bag back over to Diane.

“I have to drop off this firewood on my boat.” I said loudly and she looked at me with surprise. I leaned in close and whispered. “John is in the woods and is watching us.”

Diane gasped, then she smiled. “You go drop that off, then come back here and I'll teach you something that no one will ever forget.”

I nodded and walked over to the road, then I ran all the way down the main road to the dock. I lifted the tarp and put the burlap bag under it, then ran back up the main road to Diane's lot.

“That was very fast.” Diane said, a little surprised.

“I've got the rest of the day for my strength boost to wear off.” I reminded her.

Diane let out a womanly laugh and stood up. “David, I am very glad to know someone like you.” She said and took me into a hug. I was only slightly taller than her, which gave her the option to turn her head up to look at me. She did. “I don't want you to think this means anything besides teasing John.” She whispered to me.

“What are you talking about?” I whispered back.

“This.” Diane said and put her arms around my neck and kissed me.

There was a loud shout from the woods near the property and Diane let out a laugh in the middle of the kiss she was giving me. It was muffled, since we had our lips pressed together, and I put my arms around her and kissed her back as if she was the Hag. It was the least I could do, since I didn't know of any other way to kiss.

Diane's laugh changed into a soft moan when my tongue probed her mouth as if I was trying to lick up as much of her saliva as I could, which was exactly what the Hag did, except it was my blood she had tried to lick up. The technique worked, even without blood to suck up, and Diane stopped pretending to kiss me and actually kissed me. It was a world of difference from her play kiss to her real kiss and we both got into it, quite heavily.