Welcome, you’ve stumbled into The Tori Story Series. If this is your first visit to this realm you might want to catch up.

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The Peddler was free… kind of.

He could move about freely and stretch, which he did. In so doing he noticed a limp figure crouching behind bars. It took him a moment to realize he was gazing at himself. Surreal. Peddler was here holding a torch and watching himself who was there huddled in the cell.

Then he remembered what he was doing; he had borrowed the boy’s body.

This is far too easy, he thought wondering why he hadn’t done this very thing earlier. Right as he turned to leave, however, a blood curdling scream pierced his ears. Peddler turned every which way to find the location of the scream, and was quite shocked once he realized it was coming from him.

Well, not him. From the boy.

Shut up! Peddler yelled but couldn’t find voice because of the ear splitting scream. Instead, the attempted words bounced around inside Hunter’s head. I tell you, that combined with the screaming was a little too much.

Peddler forced the hand that wasn’t holding the torch to slap the boy hard across the face. It worked; the screaming ceased.

“Keep Quiet” the Peddler ordered.

At the same time Hunter yelled “Get OUT!”

What came out of the boy’s mouth was an assertive “Keep” and a blaring ‘OUT!” as the two battled each other for the use of the voice. Battle might be a complete understatement. Hunter was unbelievably strong willed— had the Peddler known maybe he would have thought twice before trying to inhabit the boy to begin with. But he didn’t know and here they were.

Peddler had never done this sort of thing before. Honestly, he’d never needed to. Now he understood why Keepers warned against it. “Only in emergencies.” they warned.

Wasn’t this an emergency? Peddler certainly thought so.

Of course because Peddler was inside him, Hunter was listening to all the thoughts running through his head. But once Hunter could hear Peddler’s thoughts he immediately understood there was nothing to fear. The Peddler used outside circumstances to illicit fear. All good Keepers know fear is the most affective way to control. Hunter now realized the Giant was a good Keeper, whatever that was, and meant him no harm. He was just using him to escape.

Still, Hunter didn’t want the Giant controlling his body and did everything in his power to make it difficult for him.

What should have been a simple task— go to Tori, bring her back from wherever she is and make their escape— became an insurmountable task. Hunter made sure of that.

“Tori the Witch?” Hunter asked.

While at the same time Peddler commanded “Go to her Boy.”

It came out. “Go Tori her the boy.”

Hunter would step back and drop the torch. Peddler would pick it up and step forward. It truly was a mess of herky-jerky juxtaposed movements. Sharp turn left, drop torch again, slap in face with the right hand, block with the left, pick up torch. Sprint forward, fall down…

And the yelling!

It was a mess and was oh so comical from the outside looking in.

At long last… and I do mean long last, the Peddler was finally able to overpower Hunter somewhat and they made it into the room where Tori lie.

But the charade continued.

The Hunter Peddler stood over Tori and argued.

“Pick her up!”

“I can’t you idiot”

“Do what I say Boy!”

“I’m telling you I’m not strong ’nuff.”

And it just so happened that that argument ensued right as Gaelon returned with the Magistrate.

What they heard? “Pick can’t up idiot. Do not I strong Boy ’nuff.”

What they saw? Hunter moving, jerking, slapping, blocking, and falling while his facial expresssion changed from anger to sulking to demanding to insolence and so forth. All in super short bursts.

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“He’s possessed.” Gaelon whispered to the Magistrate.

“Well, yes and clearly, the boy no doubt is under some type of strange spell cast by the very powerful but dead witch.” The Magistrate replied, then turning to face Gaelon he added “She is dead isn’t she?”

“Uh… yes” Gaelon answered but still his voice wavered with uncertainty. “What do we do?”

“Burn the boy I guess.” The Magistrate shrugged his shoulders. “He’s gone mad just being left alone with her.”

“And the Giant?”

“Burn them all.”

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