The Quadbrid

chapter 3

The stranger stops at my front door, too polite to actually wander in, which I appreciate. But it's bad enough he followed me here, now he's at MY HOUSE? Why? “Hey, it's late, I got work tomorrow, I think you should leave” I said, trying to be polite.

But he just stared. “No, I can't leave. This is where it happened. This is where the spell broke.” I look at him dumbfounded “What spell? Why here? This is MY home and you have over stayed your welcome” I declare.

But he looks at me like he can see THROUGH me, like the bird did. He takes a big breath and pleads “Please, I've searched for twenty two YEARS, and this is the closest I've come to finding her!” I shook my head and after a second, he left my line of sight.

I close the front door, lock it, lock all the windows and the back door, and I even lock the window in the bathroom. Hopefully I've seen the last of that strange man.

I immediately decided to forget the strange old man and go to bed. He's tomorrow's problem now. It was a big day today and I have another big day tomorrow. And as usual, I fell asleep pretty quickly.

I see more images of a baby, a bald baby whose eyes were closed. I saw the purple necklace, but it had words that were shining, but I couldn't figure out what it said. And a voice that seemed desperate said “NYRA! WHERE ARE YOU!”

I wake with a start, I immediately noticed the smell of butter and maple syrup. Did I leave something on last night? I run to the kitchen to see the damage when I see the old man. In my kitchen. Making pancakes. Without permission. “Oh good, you're awake. Sorry, I haven't eaten pancakes in forever. I made some for you too, " he said. He had an accent. One I couldn't place. Like English wasn't his first language.

“You're making pancakes?” I say obviously, he replied “yes” “in my kitchen?” I asked “also yes” he replied I sat down at the table slowly, “without permission” that one wasn't a question but he replied with “yes” anyway. “Why?” I ask.

This one stumped him. “ I was hungry?” He answered. “How did you get in? I locked all the doors AND windows!” I demand. He thinks for a second. “Magic.” he says. I don't buy it. And I tell him as such. “Ok, I picked the lock on your cabin because I was hungry and I haven't eaten in days.” He explained. I felt myself sympathise with him, despite him breaking the law. I shook my head and walked over to the kitchen bench.

Without taking my eyes off him, I grabbed a small stack. I walked back to the table and I sniffed it. It didn't smell like poison. Of course i dont ACTUALLY know what poison smells like, all it smells like is pancake. I tentatively took a small bite. It was the BEST thing I had ever eaten. For pancake batter, it tasted incredible. Sweet from the maple syrup but also salty, just the way I liked them. It felt like my taste buds were dancing. Before I knew it, I was piling more pancakes onto my plate.

“So, who are you and why did you follow me home?” I ask. He looked uncomfortable and decided a simple “im a guy and u were nice” was an appropriate answer. I looked at him in a way that told him it wasn't good enough. “Im someone important to the lost princess, and I really did just head this way coz I felt a spell breaking 2 nights ago” he explained. I accepted that that was all I was gonna get out of him. But I didn't accept that there wasn't more to this mysterious old man.

“Whats your name?” I ask. Silence. “Where are you from?” I ask. More silence. “You need to answer some questions or ill kick you out AND file a police report.” I say. He sighs. “All right, i knew you would need answers eventually. I'm Garrick. And I'm from… really far away.” He said.

“What do you mean really far away? Canada?” I ask, almost jokingly. He looked serious when he answered “further”. What could possibly be further than the other side of the world?

I had just finished my pancakes when I noticed the time. I had to leave for work. So I got my house keys and tried to leave my house, but when I opened the door, someone at the bank was standing there, hand raised as if about to knock. Clipboards, suits, fancy shoes. I knew why they were here. “I'm not signing. This is my land, I'm not giving u squat” I said firmly.

They looked awkward, none meeting my eyes as they dealt a shocking blow. “We went to a judge and they found this forest to be a dangerous biome, so we have an order by him to legally forcibly remove you, and bulldoze everything you've built here”.

I was shellshocked. They couldn't do that. What danger? It has been here since before my adoptive parents were born and they want me to get rid of it? Not want. Want isn't the right word. They are taking it.

I'm going to lose everything. The pond, the beehives, the birds… the new deer family. Gone. “How much do you want to keep it mine and as is?” I ask. They looked at each other sadly as if my question only made them more uncomfortable. Then they looked at the door and taped a white piece of paper on it. An Eviction Notice. Great. I hear the nature around me. They don't know they are losing their home!