Fado took a deep breath and peered toward me. I could tell she was a little annoyed. Finally though after a few tense moments she started to speak, and when she spoke it was a tone that reminded me of my mother. Indeed mother had used the same tone of voice when she wanted to explain something to me that often flew over my head.

“Okay.” Fado said, shifting her eyes toward the ground. “I need to tell you this, there are certain perils that come with being a girl. It is not all sunshine and rainbows. See everybody knows in Eastern Clock Town there is an old woman. People call her 'Granny'.” Fado paused and took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

At this moment Fado had my full attention.

“Granny sells potions. These potions are used too well, they're not the kind of potions you want to drink. These are the kind of potions you take when you have a bad sinus infection or if you come down with hay fever or you need a boost. No, Granny is a well known practitioner of the Dark Arts. Everybody knows openly worships Majora.” Fado shivered a little.

“I thought that was just an urban legend? You know the Cult of Majora?” I said swallowing hard.

“Oh I wish it was, magic is real. And Granny knows all kinds of stuff. Her potions are well.. brutal. She sells them to boys, and trust me, these potions cost a good deal of money. These boys then slip these potions into a girls drink at the soda fountain. The girl then loses control of herself, she feels faint, the boys then walk her outside.. and normally they escort her to a waiting carriage. The carriage takes them North Clock Town and once there she tossed into the bushes.” Fado shivered.

I shivered a little and felt my blood run cold. All of a sudden the thought of going to the Carnival of Time, in a dress seemed well not as pleasant. It seemed down right dangerous. I mean, I'd thought it would be fun to dress up like a princess from a story book. Dance with a few boys, maybe drink a few glasses of crushed ice wine and maybe even kiss a few after a few glasses. But that was just part of the fun. It was what made the Carnival of Time special.

“There the boys rape her.” Fado said in a tone of voice that was void of any and all emotions. “If the girl is lucky, she wakes up with just her clothes torn and her dress bloody. She is in pain, she can't recall anything that happened. She feels used, she is going to cry. If she is lucky that all that happens, just her dress got ruined and she got used to it, her mouth might feel funny too.” Fado voice had dropped a few octaves.

“And if she is not lucky?” I said, taking a deep breath.

Fado went silent for a few minutes.

“If she is really unlucky, she might miss her period. If that happens, she might need to go see the two old women who run a little potion shop out in the swamp. There are also practitioners of the Dark Arts because they taught granny all she knows about crafting potions and poisons.” Fado closed her eyes and then opened them, they flashed open.
“Those old women have been alive for Goddess knows how many years. Now, some women call them saints, others call them unsung heroins. I say nothing more than greedy old croons who are content to line their pockets with the money of lustful young men who have more money than common sense and who think with the tips of their dicks than their brains.” Fado hissed the last part.

“I'm lost.” I finally stuttered out after trying to take in all that Fado told me.

“Their names are Koume and Kotake.. and their potion mistresses of the highest order.” Fado said in a testy tone of voice.

“And why would this girl need to go see them?” I said trying to piece together the puzzle pieces that had been floating around my head since the conversation started.

“Because, these two women sell a potion that will kill the life forming in her bell. In short, she will go to them to get an abortion..” Fado paused. “You see Granny sells the boys the potion that drugs the girl, the girl gets raped. The girl then becomes pregnant and if she does not get an abortion she becomes a social outcast and her family disowns her. So now, she has to travel into the swamps, pay a large amount of money to these two old women Koume and Kotake who perform the abortion by giving her a potion that will kill the baby inside of her. It also might kill her.” Fado said in a hissing tone of voice.

I swallowed hard. This was a totally different world than I was used to.

“Now, because you're a boy, who will be dressed like a girl, and I'm going to admit you make a very beautiful girl. I mean you even had me fooled there for a moment.” Fado paused. “Some boy will try to flirt with you at the soda fountain or at the Carnival of Time. And because you still should be tied to your mothers apron strings, no doubt you will allow yourself to be swept up in the fun of being flirted with. Of being petted and spoiled.” Each word that left Fado's lips seemed to drip venom.

I swallowed hard.

“And then before you know it, the world around you will start to spin and before you know it, you're getting split open and the boys who a few moments ago were paying you pretty little compliments and buying you ice cold sodas and double scoops of ice cream. Are now shoving their dicks down your throat and up your ass. And trust me, they're not going to be gentle with you. They're going to rough with you. They're going to split you open because your pleasure is not their concern. It's their pleasure only.” Fado leaned a little closer as she spat these words out.

“Oh Goddess.” I muttered.

“And then when they're done with you and they have emptied their sack, emptied it inside your mouth, inside your ass, and they find out that you're a boy in a dress. They're going to take their daggers, and drag it across your throat and open it. And then they're going to haul your lifeless body off. Your mom and aunt would find you floating face down in the Laundry Pool or maybe they will shove your body in the sewers where the Skull Fish will nibble on your flesh until there is nothing left of your bones and your bones will sink to stone bottom. And over time, your bones will either rot away or be washed downstream into the swamps.” Fado eyes seemed to light up.

“Fado you're scaring me..” I said, whimpering a little.

“Good, because maybe I'd scared some sense into that head of yours. It is not easy being a woman. It comes with dangers.” Fado paused. “Now, remember what I said and be careful. Your mother is a good woman, and she thinks she is doing you a favor by having you pose for that picture. But trust me, boys often buy prints of those pictures. So go ahead, enjoy getting primed up, enjoy it. It's supposed to be fun. But remember, their darker forces at work here in Clock Town.”

End of Chapter 7