The door unlocked and opened. Seren froze. The wave of comfortable warmth came rushing out of the house, making Seren’s nose tingle.

“Can I help you?” The woman asked unsurely.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your day,” Seren said. Trying to hide the shaking in their voice. “But I am here on behalf of Mr. Asche in concern of your overdue bill. Can I take a payment?” The woman’s face went slack-jawed, her eyes round in shock.

“I’m sorry… aren’t you a little young to be an-”

“I’m sixteen.”

“I see. Well, I unfortunately have nothing I can give you.” She shrugged with a smile. Seren tilted their head, listening.

“You have a couple of ingts in your pocket,” Seren said. The woman clapped a hand over her pants pocket.

“How did you know?” She hissed. Seren looked up from under the brim of their hat. The woman froze. “I see. Well… I suppose I must have mistaken.” She laughed awkwardly. Pulling a handful of ingts from her pocket and dropping them into Seren’s hands. By weight, Seren could tell it was around forty-six ingts.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Seren smiled.

“You’re welcome. Now get off my doorstep.” The woman snarled with a fake smile on their face. She slammed the door in Seren’s face. They frowned and sneered at the door. Instead, take the time to count and then record the amount before turning and leaving the doorstep. Smiling at themself with how easy and painless that was. With more confidence, they checked their list for what house was next.

The next house was in the Spring district which made Seren immediately wrinkle their nose at the thought. At least it wouldn’t take that long to knock on the door, get whatever they had in their pockets, get out.

Seren made a definite nod and left the Summer district. They could smell the Spring district before they reached the gate. It was a strong, chaotic smell that burned Seren’s nose as they opened the gate.

The noise made Seren cover their ears just inside the gate. Noise from several kinds of ranch animals, clanging of metal, and shouting of every kind. Kids in thick winter wear ran about the streets, screaming in laughter and throwing around a ball.

Seren felt their heart ache as they wanted to play too. But they had a job to do. Checking the paper again for the address and finding their way to the home in question. Their stomach was reminded of the breakfast they ate as they stepped onto grounds belonging to a butcher.

Chickens and roosters were squawking and chattering in their pens to the side, these looked fat and old. A large sign displayed on the cage proclaimed (after Seren took a few minutes to sound out the words), that they were no longer laying and for sale by weight for meat.

Around the side of the pens, the large amount of blood splattered in the snow and dirt stopped Seren. Hanging headless corpses of chickens were displayed from the eaves of the building. Seren’s stomach lurched at the wood crate filled with dead chicken heads. A little chopping anvil was next to the crate and covered in dripping chicken blood.

“What can I getcha?” The bloody butcher wiped off his hands on a rag before tossing it into a sink. “Meat’s as fresh as possible today.”

“Mhm..” Seren nodded. Unable to speak right away. They swallowed down their breakfast before slipping into their role.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your day,” Seren recited. Not that they were at all sorry to interrupt a butcher in the middle of butchering. “But I am here on behalf of Mr. Asche in concern of your overdue bill. Can I take a payment?” The butcher stared in absolute disbelief. Seren tried preemptively pushing back their hat to show their eyes.

“You’re kinda… short.” The butcher said. “That just a side effect of the fae curse?”

“I am sixteen.” Seren insisted.

“Sure, kid.” The butcher scoffed and took up his knife. “Why don’t you come back on a better day, huh?”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Better day?” Seren asked.

“You see any customers, kid?” The butcher swung his knife around the shop, making Seren step back. “You think I got any money?” Seren had to focus, their hearing compromised by the noise around them but there was a small ringing.

“Yeah,” Seren said. “In there,” they pointed at a little box near the chopping block. He turned to the box and turned back with a glare. As he opened the box, he muttered something about damn fae blood. He scooped up a handful from the box and dropped it into Seren’s hands.

“There. Now fuck off before I hang you up like a pig.” The butcher held the knifepoint at Seren. They nodded and quickly rushed back around the chicken cages. Seren counted out around sixty-two ingts. Placing it into the coin purse and marking down the number. Halfway done, and it was going well. Thus far, they hadn’t thrown or taken a punch, all was going better than they’d expected.

Seren hurried out of the Spring district, the last house was in the Autumn district. The district filled with businesses, which would yield way more than the residential. Seren could feel it as they ran their hand along the bars of the district gates. Beaming with pride and rounding the corner into the Autumn district. Nearly bumping into a crowd just inside the streets of the district.

“Sorry, excuse me.” Seren said as they slipped around the crowds. They needn't have bothered saying anything as the people in the crowds refused to look at them. Seren paused on the sidewalk, looking over the Yuletide shoppers. They filled the streets with no awareness of the carriages trying to get through.

Seren snickered at the misfortune and misjudgment of the carriage owners stuck leaf spring to hoof, back to back to back. All along the streets the sounds of bells and music drifted into every corner. Followed closely by the smells of fresh baked snowbank cookies, melted chocolate for the haystack treats, warm spiced teas, and peppermint and dark chocolate coffee. Seren had never tasted the peppermint coffee, but it smelled divine.

Colorful lights were being strung up over every window and every door. Children pulled on their parent’s sleeves to the display windows where baked goods or new clothes or shiny toys sat in wait to be bought.

Seren traveled along the alleys and less traveled shortcuts. Trying to avoid being tempted by the colors and smells and shiny things. The money in their coin purse weighed heavy on their hip. Whispering to be spent on something delicious, who would know if they ‘misplaced’ an ingt or two? Seren couldn’t stop the sound of temptation in their head but they could control their body, which double checked the address and kept moving. Occasionally chastising themself for their intrusive thoughts.

They reached the address and felt their heart jump up in excitement. The address belonged to a little knick-knack toy shop. It had no lights like the other shops, instead the little display case was lit up by a single little solar light. Seren stopped at the case to look at the little wooden toy soldiers, the wood ballerina music box, an intricately carved mermaid, and a large painted dragon.

Seren smiled before double checking the address and entering the shop. The door’s bell rang once when it opened and again right before it closed. The small store smelled musty and dormant. It itched at the inside of Seren’s nose and caused them to sneeze.

“Bless you,” A person rounded the corner from the unseen parts of the shop. They slid behind the counter and rested their elbows on the counter. “Can I help you find something?”

“Are you the shop’s owner?” Seren asked.

“I am,” The young adult said, “My parents owned the shop before me, but now it’s me.”

“Oh,” Seren said hesitantly. “You make all these toys?”

“Yes, my mother taught me.”

“They’re very nice,” Seren said. Feeling another sneeze stuck in the back of their nose, the only thing keeping their cheeks from burning. They scrunched their eyes and nose and rubbed at it hard.

“It’s the dust,” the young adult said. “I try to keep it at bay, but it is what it is.” Seren nodded and breathed to steady themselves.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your day, but I am here on behalf of Mr. Asche in concern of your overdue bill. Can I take a payment?” Seren said in a single breath. The young adult stared and started to speak. “I’m sixteen, I know I’m short.” The young adult closed their mouth.

“Look. I can see you’re just doing your job. I know how it is.” The young adult nodded. They ducked under the counter and brought up a dusty wooden box. Seren heard the noise of the ingts inside. The young adult hissed. “I’m running a little short today… It’s empty.”

“No, it’s not,” Seren said. They pulled their hat off entirely and shoved it in their pocket. The low light made it harder to see their pupil-less eyes but once the young adult saw them, they flushed.

“Okay, you got me.” they said. “I do have a bit. It’s just a matter of choosing whether to keep the lights on or go hungry…” Seren felt their heart ache, but they tried to keep their face stern.

“I have to bring back something, it’s my job. I have to eat too, y’know.” Seren said stubbornly. The young adult nodded and rubbed at his face.

“Okay, I might be able to spare this.” He said handing over a handful of copper ingts worth about five ingts.

“Is… that all?” Seren asked as they took the ingts. They could hear the box, it was singing.

“If I want to keep the lights on and a roof over my and my children’s heads.” The young adult said. Seren tightened their jaw. “You don’t want to take food from my kids’ mouths do you?” Seren shook their head.

“I guess it’ll do, then.” Seren whispered. “Have a good day,” Seren backed out of the store, shaking. But, they dropped the ingts into their coin purse and marked the amount. At least it was all over.