Chapter 4: Labors and Dangers

Charles Elijah Ackerman was a peculiar young man. Since his birth, it was always baffling how honest he had been. His mother had once pulled him aside and asked, "Charlie, why do you always tell the truth? No matter how much trouble you could get into, you never lie." And with that Charlie only answered, "Well, I just can't." It was peculiar and rather eerie, but it made him a trustworthy ally when it came to his honesty, Yet, that also meant he couldn't avoid any trouble if his life depended on it. His mother even took him to get checked at the local doctor, but they found nothing out of the ordinary. He grew up knowing that no matter what anybody said about him being overly honest, he didn't see a problem with it. Until he met Elora. He stuttered and stumbled when talking, and his heart would race so fast that he panicked. And the first thing he blurted out was, "I love you", on the very day they met. Of course, being the kindhearted woman she was, Elora was amused and just laughed it off. From then on, Charlie was always honest and she was anything but impatient. It was meant to be from the start. But those days are long gone. Things would never be the same again, and Charlie won't be able to take another heartbreak. From then on he always made sure he knew what was happening with Mabel. But when Charlie was standing in the middle of the kitchen, worried about where his daughter was, it was quite a surprise when he saw her being hauled into the house with a girl by her side.

Present Time

"I'm sorry for leaving and I'm sorry for staying out later than I should've, and I'm so sorry for going by the school again!" Mabel said immediately. Charlie sighed, pulling Mabel into a tight hug. "It's alright, just please stay out of trouble from now on. And you are...?" He said, turning his attention to hie daughter's new friend. Mabel smiled. "Oh, this is Matilda. I-I mean, Tilly."

Tilly nodded. Charlie took a step back, surprise written all over his face. "Are you...a spy or something?" He asked. Mabel elbowed him in the side, reminding him to mind his manners. Tilly shook her head. "No sir." She simply answered. She extended out her hand for the man to shake. He took it hesitantly, and one thought crossed his mind. "You aren't afraid to touch me?" He said, "No. Should I be?" Tilly asked.

Mabel glanced at her father, desperately trying to figure out what was going on in his head. "Dad, she's not like all the other townspeople, ok? She healed my leg, brought me back home and even promised she wouldn't reveal our village to the rest of them! Please trust me." She pleaded. Her father glanced between the two for a few seconds. Finally he sighed. "Alright, I'll trust both of you, but if any trouble comes from this, you're grounded for life! Not you, Matilda, your parents can deal with you. Understood?"

"Yes sir. And, it's Tilly." She replied. Mabel nodded, agreeing to the terms. "I understand. Since she's already here, can I show her around?" Charlie nodded. "But, she can't go around like that." He said, pointing to her vibrant hair and clothes. He swiftly snatched a cloak out of the closet nearby, and it was plain and dull. "You will have to wear this for the time being, alright?" He said. Tilly nodded, but she was confused as ever. She didn't understand why she had to hide herself, but she wasn't going to ask questions. "I hate to tell you this so early sir. But I have asked for your daughter's hand in marriage, and she has gladly accepted-" Mabel put her hands over Tilly's mouth to prevent her from saying anymore. Charlie opened his eyes wide in amusement. "You really said yes, Mabel?" Mabel shook her head, "No! I never said yes to anything, she's just joking!:

"Well, she didn't say no, if that's what you're asking-" Tilly said, putting on her cloak over her clothes and hair. Mabel quickly said her goodbyes to her father and pulled the other girl out the door. Charlie sighed, glad her daughter was home safe. But the town girl...Why wasn't she scared? She had anything but hesitation around them, which made him wonder if she really knew as much as they thought she did. Luckily, Charlie wasn't the only one with suspicions.

District 5 was thriving. Mabel was excited to show Tilly around, but also afraid at the same time. She turned around to look at Tilly, who was silently following her. "Hey, um...Tilly? You're not gonna...Tell people about the village, are you?" Tilly raised an eyebrow. "No, but I still don't understand why." Mabel stopped in her tracks. "Wait, you do know what I am, right?" She asked. "Stunning. And my future wife." Tilly simply responded. Mabel rolled her eyes. "No, I mean...Don't you know that you're not supposed to even be touching me?" The girl touched Mabel's shoulder, and waited a few seconds. "Seems like you're touchable to me. What exactly are you getting at?" She asked. Mabel felt tears form in her eyes. She didn't want to cry in public, but the moment was too much for her. "You...You really aren't scared of me?" Tilly shrugged. "No, but your mood swings are kinda scaring me..." Mabel looked up at her new friend with hesitance. "Tilly, I'm a Wither."

Tilly stood still for a few seconds, staring at Mabel. Then she grabbed her hand and continued to walk. weaving through the crowds. "Did you hear what I said? I'm a Wither! You know, sick! Probably contagious! I'm an outcast!" The girl said. Tilly had walked until they were both underneath the shade of the tall trees. She grabbed both of Mabel's hands and brought her close to her face. Tilly lowered her voice to a low whisper, saying, " Obviously you're not contagious, you're too beautiful to be an outcast, and now I get the satisfaction of knowing that I was right all along. This seems like an epic win to me, so why are you doubting the fact that I want to be around you? Now, show me around this place, because I'm starting to get a little hungry." Mabel nodded, leading her towards the direction of a nearby Farmer's Market.

Back in town, Mr. Archie felt fully responsible for what had happened to Tilly. Rue was a loose cannon, and she had to be stopped before she could do anymore damage to the students, He felt like he was failing as a teacher, and realized that Tilly's behavior was starting make more sense. He had always wondered why she seemed so disinterested when it came to school, even though her grades were one of the highest in the class. It was because of him, how the school's obsession with Withers had overtaken what they were actually supposed to be taught. In truth, Mr.Archie believed that there was more to the story than what was told. But he had to do his job. His hands were tied, and there was nothing he could do but continue to do what he was doing now. Flipping through the books that sat on his desk, he heard footsteps come into his empty classroom. He looked up to see Thomas Marine standing in front of him with a smile on his face. "Hello, sir! You wanted to see me?"

"I called to ask where your sister was, not the other way around, Thomas." Mr. Archie said with a sigh. "Has she been acting strangely to you, lately?" Thomas shook his head. "No sir, I haven't. But since I have you, I'd like to discuss-"

Tilly peeked her head through the door. "It's Tilly sir, you sent for me?" Mr. Archie perked up, glad to see her safe. "Yes, I was just asking your brother where you were. I'm glad you're okay, Miss Marine." Tilly raised an eyebrow. Mr. Archie had never been this happy to see her. She cleared her throat to speak. "I didn't know you had noticed I was gone, sir." Her teacher nodded, and waved her inside. Thomas waved at his sister, earning a smile from her. "I need to talk to you, Miss Marine." Mr. Archie said. Tilly nodded, but Thomas stayed standing right next to her. Her teacher sighed. "Close the door on your way out, Thomas." Thomas realized he was talking about him, and quickly made his way out the door. As soon as the door was closed, Mr. Archie had a dark look on his face. "Am I in trouble, sir?" Tilly asked. The man shook his head. "You visited the Wither Village, didn't you?" He asked. Tilly took a step away from his desk. "You must elaborate, sir. I can't answer a question that isn't made clear to me."

"Oh, but it can't get much clearer than that, Miss Marine." He said, lowering his voice. "I can tell when one has been in the presence of something they shouldn't have in the first place. Your clothes are spotless, and your hair is fine, but that just shows me that you had something covering up those things. Hiding in plain sight, my dear, that's what it is. Now I'm going to ask the question again, alright? Did you go into the Wither Village?"

Tilly took a deep breath, keeping a straight face, "Yes sir." She said in a low whisper. Mr, Archie's eyes widened. "Good golly." He said, burrowing his face in his hands. He looked back up at her, tears in his eyes. "You, Miss Marine, are the bravest, most pure-hearted person in town. Do you realize what this means?" Tilly shook her head, not used to hearing someone call her brave. "No sir, I don't." He smiled, and stood up from his seat. He took her hands and held them in his. "Come with me, Miss Marine. Oh, and, I suppose someone has caught your eye romantically. Keep them close." He said, pointing to her hair. On the way out of the classroom, she looked in the mirror on the wall and immediately saw something on the side of her head, taking the shape of a little heart.