Back at the store Miss Blimey and Betty hates Veronica left Fading Boy outside with Rawkous whilst they picked up the supplies. Miss Blimey didn't think it was a good idea at this point to let the storekeeper know that things hadn't gone to well at Old Man Drucker's, and that they had liberated Fading Boy from his dark prison under the floorboards.

Once they had grabbed their stuff and were back on board the Raven they could finally relax. Fading Boy was quite excited about being on a real life pirate ship and couldn't wait to get moving. Presently the Raven coasted out of the harbour and into the safety of the wide ocean. The rain had eased slightly and all signs pointed to a quiet journey. Miss Blimey intended to take Fading Boy to see the Reverend, for on the leper isle she knew that he would be safe and would hopefully grow to become as normal as could be expected.

The sun was setting as Betty H.V took the helm and set course for the Reverend's island. Rawkous could see no other ships within their vicinity, and so Miss Blimey decided to sit Fading Boy down with a cup of hot chocolate and find out how he came to be imprisoned at Old Man Drucker's in the first place. Sitting on two comfy chairs next to a barrel fire on the deck of the Raven, Fading Boy began to recount his tragic tale, and Miss Blimey's brow creased in consternation as the shreds of the boy's story came together.

Born in the sleepy town of Creda, Fading Boy had lived a normal life up until the age of seven. True, his town was haunted by a creature known only as the Faceless but as long as you were in doors by the time it got dark you would be fairly safe. Every now and then one of the town's residents would go missing, but the townsfolk tried not to let this overshadow their lives and got on as best they could under the circumstances. Fading Boy had been one of Faceless' victims it seems because he had the misfortune of suffering from sleepwalking and had walk-slept his way right into the waiting arms of this fiend. Fading Boy was not too sure how he had come to be given to Old Man Drucker, a lonely old shape-shifter who wanted some one to talk at, but it seemed Faceless had owed him a favour. Not knowing much about raising a child, Old Man Drucker had simply locked Fading Boy under the floorboards. Fading Boy hadn't seen sunlight for the last 6 years, and now couldn't remember his original name. He had been called Fading Boy, or just Boy, for so long that it seemed easier if he just stuck with it.

Miss Blimey was growing increasingly angry as the tale unfolded, and decided that it was about time someone taught this Faceless creep a lesson. She turned to Betty H.V and told her to change their course, for Creda. Betty hates Veronica got the coordinates for the place, and found that it wasn't more than a days sail away. Miss Blimey took Fading Boy down to the galley, fed him and sent him off to bed for it had been a long day for the boy.

It was almost light by the time the Raven coasted into the secure little bay that shut Creda off from the rest of the outside world. Not much had changed in this place for over a hundred years and if any of the townsfolk had seen the Raven drifting into their little harbour a wave of concern would have washed over them, for it was almost unheard of that strange ships docked there.

After mooring the Raven Miss Blimey and Betty hates Veronica left Rawkous to watch over the sleeping Fading Boy and walked into the town, which was deathly quiet. Not a soul stirred here, giving the whole place the feel of a ghost town. Betty H.V turned to Miss Blimey and asked her just exactly how she intended to lure this Faceless menace out to fight them.

"I'll just wait in the centre of the main street, it's like the old Westerns, sooner or later the bad guy shows up," she replied.

"That's not much of a plan is....." Betty hates Veronica trailed off as a blood curdling scream interrupted her.

The two girls whirled around. Standing in the street before them was the ghoul Faceless. A malevolent creature, devoid of any form of good looks or charm. He flexed his hands, which were in truth more like talons. He snarled, revealing yellow chipped teeth, and braced himself as though readying himself to pounce. Miss Blimey stared into the creature with nothing but contempt. Betty H.V stepped aside courteously, knowing that it would be best to let Miss Blimey deal with this creature alone.

The two opponents stood facing each other as the moment grew long and the tension began to climb into the high 30's. Finally Miss Blimey broke the silence.

"Leave this place Faceless, you have no call to be here terrorising this town," she demanded.

"Why should I take orders from a slip of a girl like you?" asked Faceless, continuing to flex his claws.

Miss Blimey did not waste time on an answer, but instead she ran full at Faceless, her cutlass drawn. Mincing words with this vicious beast was never an option. Reaching Faceless within seconds, Miss Blimey let her sword fall hard upon Faceless' head, cleaving his skull in two. Faceless didn't even know he was no more.

"That is why you should listen to me," explained Miss Blimey to the half of Faceless' face that rolled to a stop near her boot.

Returning to the Raven Miss Blimey found Fading boy sitting on the dock sobbing gently. Rawkous it seemed had been doing some work of his own and had found out that Fading Boy's parents had long since left the town. No one knew where they had gone. Miss Blimey knelt down and hugged Fading Boy, causing him to stop sobbing immediately and put on his brave face, which apparently he kept for just such occasions.

"Don't worry, I'm going to take you to someone who can help you," smiled Miss Blimey kindly.

"Who?" asked Fading Boy, suddenly curious.

"We just call him the Reverend," answered Betty hates Veronica.

The End