"Good morning little ones." The voice of Old Prophet reached the duo.
Duncan flinched when he heard the voice. But he immediately relaxed when he realized the owner of the voice.
Bella turned to face the entrance of the basement and waved her hand. "Good morning to you too, Oldie."
Old Prophet was wearing a grey pajama as he stood at the entrance.
Old Prophet grumbled. "You are still alive."
Bella crossed her arms and tapped her right foot on the floor. "It seems that you have been eagerly awaiting my death."
Old Prophet coughed in embarrassment and said in a low voice. "If only you knew, if only you knew."
"What did you say?" Bella narrowed her eyes.
Old Prophet hastily replied. "I said its time for breakfast."
"Breakfast?" Duncan asked in stupor.
"Yes, you heard me right. You are going to receive the first breakfast of your worthless lives." Old Prophet smiled in pride.
"It better be good because we have not eaten anything since yesterday." Bella rubbed her hands.
She then whispered into Duncan's ear. "You better carry your dirty bag, just in case Oldie's little breakfast does not satiate my hunger."
"Isn't there anything worth eating amongst the things you carried with you?" Duncan asked in low voice.
"There is none." Bella whispered."Then what the hell have you carried with you?" Duncan whispered back.
"Just som-"
"What are you two rats gossiping down there? If you are scheming on my assassination, then dream on. I have years of experience in hand to hand combat, I hav–"
Bella cut him off. "I am pretty sure you were a competent fellow in your younger days. But my stomach is calling and I must heed its command."
Old prophet clicked his tongue in displeasure. "Follow me."
He then turned around and walked away.
With Bella's help, Duncan found his bag and secured it on his back. Bella led him by the hand while the other hand grasped the wooden stick which was practically useless in such a situation.
While minding the broken stair, Bella led Duncan through the door of the basement.
"Can't you two walk any faster?" Old Prophet asked as he stood a couple of steps away from the entrance of the basement.
"Stop being such a cry baby Oldie." Bella replied as the two came out of the basement.
Old Prophet gritted his teeth and walked away.
Just as the three passed by the entrance of the house, a knock resounded from the door.
"Ah, it must be a kindhearted neighbor." Old Prophet smiled.
Old Prophet changed the direction he was walking to and headed for the door, Bella followed suit dragging Duncan along.
Just as they were about to reach the door, Duncan froze and that made Bella to do the same.
"Don't you smell that?" Duncan asked.
Old Prophet sneered. "Of cause I do. I have been enduring your disgusting stench since yesterday."
Duncan coughed. "No, not that. Don't any of you smell the scent of something burning?"
"Burning?" Bella tilted her head.
Old Prophet's eyes widened. "My breakfast! Our breakfast!"
Old Prophet's figure blurred as he bolted to somewhere inside the house.
Bella shouted to the already fleeting figure of the Old Prophet. "Don't worry Oldie, I can stomach burnt food."
She then turned towards. "Looks like we will have to receive whoever is on the door."
Duncan sighed. "Sure, why not?"
Bella teared a piece of her cloth and placed it on Duncan's hand.
"What is this for?" Duncan asked.
"For your new eyes dummy."
"Oh." Duncan scratched the back of his head.
With less effort Duncan managed to cover his new eyes, DreadCurse with the cloth offered by Bella.
Bella approached the door while holding Duncan's hand."It seems that Oldie has done a decent work in repairing the door."
"The door which you smashed." Duncan added.
Bella shrugged. "Guilty as charged."
She then door knob and thus letting sunlight illuminate the house's insides.
Standing at the door was a short woman in her late fifties. She was wearing a dress with a long, tight, pointed bodice and full skirt supported on many petticoats. She had black hair with gray streaks with a pair of black eyes.
The woman's right hand was holding a basket. "Good morning professor Pro-"The woman froze when she noticed the unfamiliar faces standing in front of her.
The woman narrowed her eyes. "May I ask who you two are?"
"I am Oldie's, I mean Mr. Prophet's new wife and this here is our poor blind son." Bella said as she hugged Duncan with motherly love.
Duncan almost choked on his tongue when he heard Bella's reply.
Wife? Son? Since when? In fact it will not be an overestimation to call these two idiots archenemies.
Furthermore, Duncan was feeling uncomfortable from being in such close proximity to a woman's bosom.
When Bella released him from the embrace, Duncan sighed in relief.
Doubt found its way on the woman's face as she noticed the duo's ragged appearance.
"You are his wife?" The woman scrutinized Bella and shifted his gaze to Duncan. "And he is his son?"
"That is pretty much what I just said." Bella shrugged.
There was a flash, a flash of emotions across the woman's eyes.
Was it betrayal? Was it jealousy? Was it longing? Only the woman knew the answers to these questions.
"I see." After sometime, the woman replied with indifference.
She then handed out the basket she was caring over to Bella. "Please tell professor Prophet, I mean your husband that Sarah brought some fruits from her garden."
"I surely will." Bella replied as she received the basket.
Sarah then turned around to leave but stopped in her footsteps. "Oh, I almost forgot. I heard a commotion last night coming from your vicinity. Do you happen to know anything about it?"
"Ah, let's just say my dear husband fell off from somewhere really high."
"Is he alright?" Worry found its way into Sarah's voice.
Bella reassured. "It is nothing to worry about. He just got....."
"A misshapen skull,"
Sarah paled.
"A broken neck,"
Sarah's eyes widened.
"A twisted spine,"
Sarah's mouth gaped open.
"And my favorite one of them all, the protruding rib."
Sarah seemed to be on a verge of fainting. "Is he alive?"
Duncan let out a weak chuckle. "What Bella, I mean my mother meant was that my father is safe and sound. And I assure you, he is very much alive."
"Ah, ah, okay." Sarah stuttered. "I–I think it is time for me to be on my way."
As fast as her dress could allow her, Sarah sprinted away without sparing the duo a second glance.