The boy heard them , of course he did . He had been waiting in the garden when the one who cleaned the fountain well walked by with a Sister . He had smiled and waved but they didn't see him , no one ever saw him . He was ignored .
Because he was dead .
But he could still see and hear , that was true . He always saw the sun in the sky and when the stars came out . When the owl and raven flew by , he heard them too . He could hear , he wasn't an imaginary thing . He was real . It didn't matter if people ignored him . He could hear and see them .
So he heard what the sister said to the fountain boy , what was his name ? He wondered . He couldn't remember right then but he could hear . So he heard what the Sister said .
" The Reverend father has asked to speak with you . " The Sister said , wait ! it was the garden Sister , she was the boy's best friend .
She always took care of the garden and the boy lived in the garden . She always took care of his fountain and the boy was always by the fountain . They were friends , even if they never spoke to each other .
" Really Sister ? Me ? " The fountain boy had asked in surprise and the boy had moved closer to them as they walked .
" Yes , Reverend father Agner has asked for you , now let's go . " The Sister said and they walked away .
The boy had not followed , instead he had stopped . Something about the name made him stop and think . Reverend father Agner ? He thought , was he the Reverend here ?
After so long standing in the garden, the boy didn't remember how many Reverends there were. He lost count often , his memory seemed to fade sometimes .
I'll go see this Reverend father , he had thought , maybe he's like my Reverend father . With that the boy had vanished from the garden and in an instant appeared in the Reverend father's office .
It was large , dark and clean , the boy thought as he looked around . He had not gone inside the buildings around the garden in a long time . Except for the other day , he had wandered around for only a moment . Then he had seen that -
" Soon , " a voice said taking the boys focus and he turned to the chair in the room . An old man was sitting on it , with two cups of coffee on his table . He was putting something powdery inside one of the cups .
Like a sharp knife something hit the inside of the boys mind . He knew this , this powder . Something about it was ... bad . Was this for the fountain boy ? The boy wondered and felt a sickening tightness in his chest .
" No , not again . " He said but the man infront of him didn't even lift his head , instead he stirred the liquid slowly , making the powder disappear .
" Wicked , wicked , wicked ! " The boy said and reappeared in his garden . He sat down and folded his knees together .
He was going to die , he thought , the fountain boy was going to die . Just like the other boy from - then it hit him . Of course , that person could help . He wasn't like him , he could do something and save the fountain boy .
The boy got up and smiled , disappearing to call on someone who was more broken than him .
...
Serena sat stiffly on the chair inside Sister Anthony's office . Her back was straight and rigid as if her spine was made of steel . But one couldn't blame her , when facing a glare like that one Sister Anthony was giving her .
She had just come for job , not to be burnt by this bitter woman's hate filled eyes .
Things at the shop had been going badly .
That was putting it mildly .
Her shop was crumbling , the rats had started to chew through the wood , and shelves had started to drop , spilling potions and ingredients . Some of them she had put away , only to find them devoured by the black furry devils . She felt like she was in a circus , and herself the clown . Finally after her cinnamon had been eaten , she had given up all kindness for the rats . They would pay for eating her cinnamon !
In two days , she had caught as many streets cats as she could and thrown them into her shop . She had shut everything , making sure neither cats nor rats could escape . Using a spell for ceiling a house aswell , so nothing got out or in . Whichever cat survived , she didn't care , but hoped the rats would die first and then the cats .
But closing her business meant less income than the few she had and so she had decided to look for new opportunities . But a town full of people who thought you were a witch was no place to start . She had considered going to another town or city but she didn't want to beg her husband for money . She would die first .
Then she had heard about the Pearl orphanage looking for a new cook . Something about the last one being as bitter as a rotten potato . Remembering her talk with that young lad , she'd jumped at the opportunity . They hadn't killed her before , she had thought , so they couldn't kill her now . She wasn't a witch , was what she'd say , she was a mixturer of various things . They would hire her for sure .
But she had forgotten who was secretary of this horrid place .
Maybe I could live with the cats and rats ? She wondered as Sister Anthony glared at her still .
" I don't believe you . " Sister Anthony said finally .
" Don't believe me ? What's that mean ? I'm here for a job . " Serena said tersely .
" Oh , really ? You ? The leachers wife ? " Sister Anthony said and Serena felt like she'd been slapped in the face .
" What my husband does has nothing to do with me . " Serena said and before Sister Anthony could say anything she added , " And my husband is no rapist . Every girl , hussy and tramp he's slept with have lowered their skirts on their own . If you're looking to blame someone , look somewhere else . "
Sister Anthony bit her lip from saying something too profane for the ears of a nun and God . Lord , how she hated this woman and her husband . And to think , she was blaming her own sister for giving in to that disgusting man of hers . The woman had a nerve !
Sister Anthony slapped the table to let out some boiling wrath , even though it was the woman infront of her she really wanted to slap .
" Fine , a job you want and a job you'll have . " Sister Anthony said contemptuously , " But if you make a mistake in these walls , forgiveness is not one to come to witches . Burning will be the least you'll have to fear . "
Serena was not listening , she was glad about the job and would have ignored the rest . But right then her eyes were on something else . When Sister Anthony had slapped the table , she had spiller over a bottle of black ink .
Serena's mother had taught her about signs . Signs of good fortune and signs of coming disaster and danger . One sign for bad news was a spilt bottle of blank ink . But her mother taught her something else ; A warning of danger had three signs . This was one .
She turned her head around the chair and looked at the closed door .
Where were the other two signs ? She wondered .
...
The boy appeared in a small room , with a single bed and small window . A drawer was on the corner and it took up some of the floor space .
The person was inside the room , sitting on the bed , looking at the drawer . The boy looked at him , noticing how different he was from him and all the boys around the orphanage .
Wrong skin , he thought and then he took a step and the person turned to him .
" Who are you ? " The person asked .
" Who are you ? " The boy asked him .
" I don't know ." The person replied and the boy nodded his head .
" I don't know either ." He said as if it was okay to not know who you were .
" What do you want ? " The person asked and pulled his legs up to his chest , " To hurt me ? To put me back in ? "
The boy shook his head . He had no idea what the person was saying but he knew he didn't want to hurt him . He wasn't sure he could .
" I need your help . " The boy said , " The boy who cleans the fountain nicely needs help ."
" Who cleans the fountain ? "
" I don't know ." The boy answered , and the person ... changed . What was once his face was replaced with someone else's and the boy was shocked .
" Yes . That's the boy who cleans the fountain nicely ." He said as he looked the person's new face . This person really wasn't like him .
" This is the one who is alone . " The person said looking at his hands .
" He is in danger . Will you help him ? " the boy asked and the person turned back to his normal self .
" No ." The person said .
...
Sister Maria ordered the boys to cook precisely and they nodded their heads but their faces held confused looks . What did cooking precisely mean ? They wondered . They were in the kitchen , Sister Miria having become the new kitchen overseer .
When one boy let her taste his soup , Sister Maria sighed in defeat , this was beyond her . She was a gardener not a chef and belonged outside , not in this smelly kitchen . She had just come back from taking Henric to Reverend father's office and back to tend to the kitchen . Her new responsiblity .
She hated it ! Lord why her ? When were they going to get a new cook ? No nun wanted to spend time in this dark , hot and somehow smelly place . She missed her roses , and their fragrances . Instead she was forced to smell potatoes , sliced cabbages and pig liver . This was her own hell , Lord forgive her blasphemy .
" Sister the bread is done ." A boy said and she nodded her head , fresh loaves of bread for the chapel and Reverend father .
She withdrew them from the oven , smiling at their golden sheen .They had come out precise-
" Oh , bloody cross ." She said under her breath . One of the loaves had come out horrible . It was split clean through the middle . Oh how she hated this place !
.....
" Why won't you help him ? " The boy asked the person .
" I can't . " The person said looking at his hands again . " I can't let go ."
" Let go of what ? " The boy asked .
" Let go of him . He'll never find me if do . " The person said and the boy felt confused .
" But the fountain boy is going to be ... used . " The boy said and the person looked at him .
" Used ? " He asked and the boy nodded his head .
" He'll be hurt and ... he might die . " The boy said .
" Die ? " The person asked and looked at his hands .
" Yes ... Will you please help him ? I know you can . You can touch people . You touched the boy in the dark room yesterd-" The boy said and the air in the room stood still .
" Quiet ! " The person yelled , " Leave ! "
" But the boy - "
" Leave me ! " The person yelled and the boy vanished in fear .
As soon as he was gone the person looked down at his hands and made them into fists . He couldn't let him go . If he did that then there was no way of meeting him if he disappeared .
" All alone ." The boys words rung in his ears like daggers . He put his hands on his head and tried to make it stop but the pain just got worse .
" Please , I don't want to . " The person said desperately .
Then another voice sounded in his head .
" It's hard ignoring your conscious . Just don't ignore it . Everything will be fine if you don't ."
It had been so long since the person heard that voice . He knew it was only a broken memory but it was like he was there . He would have wanted the person to help the boy who was alone .
The person looked out of the small window and at the blue sky . He had a look of absolute grief on his face .
" I'm sorry ."
.....
In Henric's room , the sun was shining through the small window . An amazing feet , since clouds swan around it like sharks ready feast on its light .
Henric's bed was neat and everything was in order . He had taken his crucifix with him that day , tying it around his neck and the only thing in the drawers was the silver mirror .
" Break the bond , "
A subtle whisper ran through the room and the light faded from the window .
" Shear a whole , "
The whisper was a soft voice now and with it , the drawer and window rattled slightly . Outside the clouds had consumed the sun , enveloping it in grey clouds .
" Cleave the stone , "
The wind rattled the windows and the drawers of the night stand opened up . The mirror stared up at the roof , it's surface lucid and moving like water of silver .
" Free my soul . "
With those words , spoken loud and clear , the mirror froze and a crack appeared on its surface . Aswell as the windows of the room . Outside the clouds had turned to a dark grey of ink and smoke , a storm brewing inside them . The wind seemed to be howling like a voice .
If one had listened closely , they would actually have heard something like words .
Words broken and incoherent but words still . Something like ;
" Please ... Help ... Me ..."