[ PROLOGUE: A HOUSE VISIT; IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ]
[ "Good evening ma'am, hope I'm not disturbing your peace on this lovely night." ]
Mrs. Carter, the matron of St. Jude's orphanage and also the caretaker of it couldn't help but be confused by someone suddenly knocking on the doorsteps of her orphanage; late at night, all the while it's raining.
At first she thought that it was another woman, or man, dropping off a baby in their orphanage's doorsteps. That has happened on numerous occasions, when it was past daybreak, and mostly when it is raining— rather intensely in some cases.
But what she didn't expect is a well dressed man, seemingly in his 20s, with weird purple eyes that stares down at her; the matron, Mrs. Carter thought of it as contact lenses and didn't bother to question. Instead, what she questions is this; [ "Who are you...?" ]
[ "And what are you doing in this ungodly hour?" ]
Her mind drifted and instantly thought of the man as a charlatan, or someone to offer her insurance— a scam one. Or perhaps a door-to-door salesman that works on nights...
On 2 AM nights at that. Grinning to herself, she thought that would be weird; but that weird scenario is already happening in front of her, so she doesn't know what to say.
Instead of answering back, the charlatan, which Mrs. Carter had thought of the man at the moment, pulling something out of his pocket. A stick of some sorts... And before he could open his mouth, the matron was quicker; [ "I'm not buying whatever you're selling, so leave..." ]
[ "But, I'm no-" ]
Not wanting to hear any of it, the tired matron closed the front doors of the orphanage not letting the mysterious man to get a word out— she could hear the man talking to himself after that, though muffled, but she still didn't care and instead refocused her attention to going back to her office— about to handle paperwork.
[ "Scammers these days." ]
Clicking her tongue, she remembered the days when she was but a young girl having been scammed many times through ways similar to this. She gets scammed from one end to another; and when she finally lowers her guard in thinking that it isn't a scam, then that's when she'll get scammed.
It had gotten to the point that the previous matron didn't allow her to handle the finance aspect, even when going out for groceries there has to be someone guarding her, in fear that she'll get scammed, or lose the money.
Their worries are reasonable, she did in fact lose it, the money many-many times. And because of that she, them, and especially the children suffered thankfully only slightly— if not for her coming from a rich family, then the money she lost would have not been compensated. Thankfully she came from one, though distant.
She walked through the corridor which is pitch dark, if not for the candlelights lighting some parts then she would have not been able to see at all; she then turned and faced an old wooden door, slightly opened, this is her office.
About to open it fully, the matron stopped mid-way in noticing a figure sitting in front of her desk... A parasol hanging by the wooden chair's side, with the man holding a wooden stick.
She looked up at the man's clothes and remembered the charlatan before, and in her inspection, the said man seems to have noticed her; the man's eyes being shown to her in the process— purple... No, wait... [ "H-how...?" ]
[ "How did you g-get here?!" ]
[ "And who are you!!?" ]
Grabbing the nearest weapon at hand, the 60 year old something matron, trained in self-defense due to her upbringing, and seasoned in handling unexpected problems glared at the man who's looking up at her like a puppy.
She looked to the side and spotted her crocodile-leather handbag filled with self-defense weapons, and some pepper spray. Due to the distance she ruled out the possibility of getting a weapon there, and dealing with the intruder.
She instead prompted to do the second best at the moment. And that is taking a defensive stance, away from the intruder; and trying her best to hold on, find a way out, and get someone else to help... With her age it'll be very difficult;
[ "Ma'am..." ]
[ "Please, I'm not here to harm you." ]
[ "I-I promise." ]
The man in front of her still sat on the wooden chair specially reserved for guests. With the man intruding on that with him not being a guest of her, or even known to her before, what, minutes ago— if not seconds. So the matron who have grown to be skeptical— especially with people that intruded on an orphanage filled with hundreds of children currently sleeping.
She worries about their safety.
[ "W-what do you want...!?" ]
[ "M-money, yo-you want money. Th-then grab my bag, there's a-a few thousand pounds there." ]
[ "T-take everything you want. B-but please, l-leave us alone— l-leave the children alone." ]
Afraid for her safety, knowing that she doesn't stand a chance in fighting back if the said mugger, intruder, charlatan ever decided to fight her. Especially in how the said man is fit, seemingly in his early 20s with weird taste in clothing— and ornament, the wooden stick on his hand being a proof of such matter.
Weird clothing also; with the said man wearing a brown sleek trousers, and green suit that has a little flair to it— reminding the matron of a showman, of a circus, that kind of sorts. But also not at the same time.
She observed the man not reply. And instead look at the ground, seemingly in guilt; but the man still didn't speak, and instead tried to calm down his nerves. And before the matron could notice it, the man was already speaking to himself, under a hush tone that she couldn't hear clearly; [ "-eh... AH... oh..." ] With nothing happening after; as expected.
The matron still worried about her life tries finding alternatives, to take down the crazed intruder, and also to protect the sleeping children a floor above her. Praying that the children be safe, that prosperity may come to their orphanage, and that the children live long and healthy.
She watches closely the man, in this time pointing the stick in all of the four corners of the room. Though the stick is well polished, well craven, it is still a stick; it doesn't do a thing... Or so she thought.
[ "rehPAHroh...!" ] With a movement of the man's stick, every mess all around the room cleaned themselves. The debris moving back to the walls, the dust disappearing into nothingness; the objects all around the room, both furniture and paperwork fixing themselves— in the case of the latter in the form of stacking themselves neatly on the table of the matron.
[ "W-what is hap-happening..." ]
She watches in dismay how everything in her office becomes new again. If not for the ornmanets, furniture, and even paperwork in her office; then her office would have passed for being brand new, not having been used before.
But she knew better, she has been using that room for years-on-years without end, nearing thirty (30) years at this point if her memory didn't served her incorrectly.
And now... That same said office looks brand new, with a swish and flick from the man sitting at her office... The supposed charlatan that broke into her office, into the orphanage; now having done her a favor instead of harm.
[ "H-how?" ]
[ "W-what?" ]
[ "I-is this...?" ]
Even happening?
Is her eyes deceiving her?
Have the world gone to... Huh...?!!
Who exactly is this man...?
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 04/13/2025 ]
[ 04/14/2025 ]