Soul Searching

Robin Crest

Mary slept surprisingly comfortably at the church, though the rats moving between the walls was unsettling to say the least. Isaac found rats particularly creepy for a wide variety of reasons. Just knowing the part they played in the plague set him on edge. Plus, he'd heard horror stories growing up of rats gnawing on people's limbs while they slept. He wasn't a big rat fan.

However, once the rats had quieted, Mary fell into a deep and restful sleep. She didn't wake until the cloud-muted sun was high in the sky. She was grateful that the nun had let her rest. Isaac thought today would be a busy day of acclimating to this new place and time. And, after Mary settled in to the orphanage, she'd be able to travel easier and hopefully without much notice.

She slid out from under the thick blanket and found her clean clothes folded in a pile on the chair. She also found a small water jug and basin, which she used to do a hasty sponge bath after shutting the door. The salt of the sea water was sticky and she was glad to feel a bit cleaner. She dried off and changed quickly, tossing the blanket neatly across the bed. Her hair was a tangled yellow mess so Isaac did his best at finger combing it and twisting it into some wild variation of a braid. At least it was out of his face for the moment.

She opened the door barely a c***k and put her ear against the opening. The church was drafty and a cold breeze sliced in through the c***k, but otherwise, she heard no sounds. She opened the door further and the hinge let out a loud squeal. She heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her and knew she had alerted someone. It was Sister Rebecca, who lightly plodded down the tile hallway. A gently smile on her thin lips.

"Good morning Mary. How are you feeling?" She stopped a few feet away from Mary and looked at her, hands clasped in front of her. Isaac replied meekly, "Good. Thank you for the room." The sister smiled again and nodded in acknowledgement. "Are you ready to go visit Robin Crest? It will be a far walk, do you need to eat or tend to any needs?"

Isaac knew from previous vessels in similar timeframes that 'tend to needs' was usually a polite way of asking if you needed a toilet, or outhouse. Mary nodded and the Sister pointed in the direction of the privy. After she used the facilities, she returned to find the nun in the hall, carrying a small blue patterned knapsack.

She handed it to Mary, saying "A few items to start your journey. May Christ be with you." She made the sign of the cross and Mary duplicated it, hoping she did it right. Without saying anything further, Sister Rebecca walked down the hall towards the exit, her shoes once more making echoing clicking sounds on the tiles.

Mary followed, fumbling for her bag, which was actually just cloth tied at all corners. It weighed only a few pounds but she was small and had to carry it awkwardly with both hands. They left the church and stepped into the bright street.

It was a cloudy day, with small streaks of sunlight poking through. She could hear gulls screeching at the nearby bay and smelled briny sea air. There was a chilly breeze and she shivered. She hoped she'd warm up as they walked.

They traversed the bustling streets together, block after block. They walked mostly in silence as they headed deeper into the city, away from the ocean. People were going about their days, selling items or foods, sweeping the streets in front of shops or walking to their own destinations.

Mary noticed a bookshop, a bakery, a cobbler and several fish shops. She was starting to feel hungry, having not eaten since last night, but she supposed it'd be a while longer until she ate. The smell of baking bread wafted past her nose and Isaac swore he was like one of those old cartoons, being pulled away by a drifting steam cloud from delicious food.

She felt herself drool and wiped the corner of her mouth. Get it together! Isaac told himself. Don't be so obvious... He didn't want to draw unnecessary attention during his search. He checked the amulet while he was thinking about it, pulling it up from under the dress front. No changes.

Mary slipped it back underneath the cloth of her dress and turned her attention back to the street ahead, but noticed the nun had stopped and was watching her. "An interesting necklace you have." she said, almost in question. "Family heirloom, perhaps?"

Isaac made Mary's voice stutter and seem nervous. "Y-yes. It- It was my mother's." She laid a hand over it, near her heart. Isaac did his best to well tears in her eyes, though it wasn't terribly hard since his mother had died when he was 11. Not far from the age Mary had died.

The nun's eyes softened slightly and her posture relaxed. "No matter dear. It's beautiful but very strange looking. Still, take care to keep it close. Treasured items do not tend to last long at The Crest. You see, there's a lot of children, and adults there that could use whatever money that necklace would buy. I'd keep it hidden if I were you." She looked at Mary gravely.

Mary nodded and the two of them continued. Nearly 3 blocks later, they approached a large, rectangular building made of grey stone blocks. There was a wooden placard hanging out front reading Robin Crest Orphanage, with a cheery robin painted on it.

The building looked anything but cheery. Moss had crept in between the layers of bricks and the foliage in the yard was horribly overgrown. It looked like a nightmare and Mary had a knot in her stomach. Isaac hoped it was better inside than it appeared.

Sister Rebecca leaned forward and knocked loudly on the thick wooden door. It thudded once then let out an ear splitting groan as it began to open. Mary was tempted to cover her ears but holding the knapsack prevented her from being able to do so.

A short, round, red faced man peered through the cracked door. "Eh? Whatdya want?" Isaac noticed the man's teeth were a sickly shade of yellow/green, the remaining ones anyway. The sister dipped her head in a slight bow and said "Please take this girl to Master Cormont. I wrote him last night, he'll be expecting her."

She gently put her hands on Mary's back and guided her towards the door. "Mary walked through, then turned back and thanked her. Sister Rebecca made another sign of the cross and gave Mary another blessing. "Peace be with you, child. May God protect and hold you." Mary nodded in thanks and stepped inside the dark halls of Robin Crest Orphanage.