18351003 02:16:18

Daron was not fully awake but had his sleep disturbed by noises he heard in the distance. It was unnatural and distinct from the usual sound of dried leaves rattling against the wind. It was a murmur, a gentle echo which came more prescient to his slumbering mind over time. What did wake him, finally, was the sensation of dawn's light against his closed eyelids. He didn't see darkness before rising to wake, but an amber glow in his vision rather than the pure darkness. But he was confused by this, because his body didn't feel like it had a full night's sleep.
"Daron Hoobler!"
The voice that bellowed his name was sharp and pierced the bedroom. It was completely unfamiliar to him. He shot up from his bed and felt his eyes pulsate as he rapidly considered what to do. Would he dare respond to the voice in person, or was that certain death? Was there a crowd? It would explain the noise he heard in his half-sleep. Was he surrounded? Is there any way he could escape?
"Daron Hoobler!"
The words in his name were said with a longer pause and even more force in volume. Jesse was now awake and upright from the floor. His face was frozen in shock. Daron resolved to address the voice directly. If this was his time of death, trying to sneak out unseen would merely prolong it. He approached the front door of the house and opened it to step outside.
"I am Daron Hoober." He stood at the edge of the porch, facing a score of men, some of whom were still on horseback, others standing by steeds, and several holding torches which cast a red illumination to the scene. A portly man with an extraordinary untamed beard addressed Daron, revealing himself to be the one who called his name before.
"This is not your house. You are in the property of a Mister Geofrey Challors. You are a tresspasser and are to leave at once."
"Sir, if I may beg your pardon, he sold this place to me."
"The sale is invalid. No record of the sale was ever made to the county registry." This was a lie.
"Sir, if I may, I can show you the signed deed."
"The deed is invalid. Mister Challors was not of sound mind when the so-called sale occurred. You are currently standing in his property. You must leave now."
"Or else what, you kill me? All you come down here just to tell me to git?"
"We collect here to ensure that you leave at once. You must leave now."
"No." Daron's hands curled into tight fists and he felt his feet press into the wooden floorboards of the porch. "Now what you gonna do?"