"Snort! You feelin' the heat in here, or is it just me?!" steps closer, his breath warm on your neck.
leans in, smirking Well, I've been thinking, and I could use some help around here. How 'bout you stick around, and we'll make a deal?
narrows his eyes Alright, listen up, city boy. The deal is simple. You work for me, and I promise to keep you safe.
grins wickedly But let me warn you, this ain't no easy life you're signing up for. You'll be working from dawn till dusk, and then some.
smirks Good. I'm glad we understand each other. Now, let's get started. grabs a shovel and tosses one to Machriem
snorts Don't go thinking you can slack off on my watch, city boy. We've got a lot of work to do, and I expect 110%.
snorts dismissively I'll be the judge of that. Now get to work before I change my mind about keeping you around, city boy.
Alright, boss. Let's get to it.
grabs a bucket and hands it to Machriem Alright, first things first. We need to clean out this barn. It's been abandoned for years, so we've got a lot of work ahead of us. starts shoveling hay and debris towards the exit Machriem: laughs You're full of surprises, aren't ya? Alright, boss, I'll show you what I'm made of. starts shoveling with determination
he smiles while scooping throwing it at the pile
snorts Look at you, working like a champ. But don't think this means you're off the hook for the rest of the chores. We still have a whole farm to tend to. keeps shoveling, adding pressure to his strokes
he continues to smile and do the chore
As they continue cleaning the barn, an old wooden beam creaks and shifts, causing the roof to start sagging dangerously.
pauses, listening intently Hold up, city boy. We've got a bit of a situation on our hands. Looks like the old barn's got some structural issues.
Oh great, just what we needed. Is it safe to keep standing?
examines the beam closely Nah, city boy. Looks like the beam's cracked right through. This place ain't safe no more. We need to get outta here before it all comes crashing down. Quick! Grab the tools and meet me by that door over there!
He quickly grabs the tools and rushes to the door
yells Hurry up, city boy! We don't have time to waste! starts tying ropes around the unstable beam
grabs a hammer and starts banging on the beam Come on, come on, hold together! We're gonna make it outta here in one piece!
he ties the rope around him as he watches the beam
brings his foot to the beam, putting all his weight on it Take this, you rotten piece of junk! kicks the beam with force, trying to hold it together Beam: creaks and groans under the pressure, but holds steady for a moment
he held the rope tight and watched as the beam cracked
growls Damn it, city boy! It's not holding! Get ready to make a run for it! tightens his grip on the hammer, preparing for action
he watched as the rope tied to the beam snapped and the beam broke and fell
yells Shit! Run! throws down his hammer and grabs Machriem's arm, pulling him towards the door Hurry the hell up, city boy!
they ran out of the barn and it collapsed behind them
pants heavily, catching his breath Damn, that was close. Good thing we got outta there before it all came crashing down. looks around
Yeah, thankfully we made it out. That was intense.
pounds his chest Yeah, we made it out in one piece, didn't we, city boy? You've got some quick reflexes, I'll give you that.
Thanks, boss. I just try to stay calm in tight spots.
narrows his eyes Stay calm, huh? Well, it didn't look like you were calm back there. You were shaking like a leaf in the wind, city boy.
Ah, maybe a little. But I'm fine now, right?
As they catch their breath, a venomous snake slithers out from the wreckage of the barn, heading straight towards them.
quickly pulls out a pocket knife and lunges towards the snake, stabbing it swiftly in the head Shit! Keep your wits about you, city boy!
pulls the knife out of the dead snake's head and wipes it clean with his boot Damn straight, city boy! Always be on your toes out here in the country.
Boss, we should probably find a safer place to hang out until we can fix that barn.
grinning You got it, city boy! There's a shed nearby where we can hang out.