Carter stared with squinted eyes as he followed the figure draped in a white. He couldn't take his eyes off the side profile as he walked beside them. The figure remained silent; Not even a rustle from the fabric of their robe could be heard as they strolled down the quiet morning streets of the village. After what seemed like an eternity, the figure stopped in front of a towering set of grey metal gates.
As the figure approached the large gates, they pushed them open with what seemed like little strength. The gates creaked as they opened, revealing a path lined with dense shrubbery on either side. Despite the remote location, the road and shrubbery appeared to be well-maintained. The figure beckoned, never once saying a word, just gesturing down the path and urging Carter to follow. The deeper they walked into this path, the more nature seemed to take over, and now, with each step, the sound of twigs and leaves crunching beneath their feet echoed through the quiet surroundings, adding to the sense of nature and exclusion that this location seemed to radiate.
After walking down the trail for a few minutes, Carter and the figure in white saw several clusters of small, simple buildings made of wood and stone in stark contrast to the village's rock and grey metal buildings. The buildings were surrounded by a bustle of life, with children of various ages running around. Some children chased each other, while others threw balls and other objects or ran around as adults chased close behind. The adults and elders in the area were just as busy, hurrying around and tending to various tasks. Some were cooking and cleaning, while others cared for the children and ensured they were safe. Despite all the chaos, there was a strange sense of community and belonging in the air, as if everyone had a role to play and was working together to keep everything serene and organized.
As Carter and the figure trodded nearer and nearer, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the contradiction of the calm, chaotic nature surrounding him. Although he was focused, almost mesmerized by the scene, he also felt an unusual mix of emotions - anger, unease, envy, and so many others. It was a strange feeling for him, almost foreign. He wondered if this was what it felt like to experience emotions or if this was something else.
"Istina, you're back! Thank goodness! We need your help urgently! Aster has climbed up his tree again and refuses to come down until you or Ibada return. Please help us!" The woman in a simple brown dress with greying tied-up hair ran screaming towards the figure in white.
The figure in white Istina pointed at the other groups of children running around, "As…ter?"
"Yes, ma'am, he incited a rebellion amongst the children until you and Ibada returned. He refused to listen to us. When we tried to punish him, he ran while several children blocked our path, and he climbed the tree, giving the other children commands from there. Sigh, like he always does…" The woman looked at Istina with a sad and tired expression.
A small laugh emerged from under the hood, "I und…and."
As the frantic woman rushed ahead, Istina followed, her footsteps unhurried as she hummed a soothing melody that seemed to prick the ears of the children. The children, who had been causing chaos just moments before, burst into laughter as they heard Istina's humming like a hypnotic song; the children rushed to the source.
"You're back! You're back!" the children chanted as they danced around the walking Istina.
Carter walked a distance away, watching everything around him with the same distant, emotionless eyes he saw everything with. His eyes squinted at the deceitful woman draped in white as the children pranced around her, enthralled by her presence and even more loud and chaotic than they were just before their arrival. Even the adults frantically moving around seemed to calm and slow their pace in her presence. Carter couldn't quite put his finger on why, but he knew he hated every bit of it.
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Istina ambled her way behind the woman from earlier, humming as she walked, and with each child she passed, the mob behind her only grew. She stopped a distance away from the most prominent tree around the scattered buildings, and her humming stopped, as did the children. The children huddled together as they watched Istina walk to the tree, and her mouth started to move as she looked up high in the tree.
Carter could see Istina talking to something higher in the tree, but all Carter could make out was a bit of something pink swaying between the green leaves. Then he heard a scream from in the tree.
A child falling or leaping from the tree came into view, his tiny arms wrapped around Istina's neck as they both fell to the ground.
"I knew you'd catch me." The young boy's voice was filled with pure joy as he let out a peal of bright laughter, his mouth widening into a wide smile that revealed a set of pearly white teeth. His pale pink eyes were curled into crescents that seemed to glow with delight. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners and his whole face lit up made it impossible not to smile back at him.
Istina lay on the ground as the child with pale pink hair buried his head into her chest. Despite the chaos he had caused, his bright, innocent smile seemed to infect the adults, who sighed with their own smiles. It was hard to be angry with this cute little rebel. They couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth at the energy and liveliness he brought to the orphanage.
Carter was caught off guard when he heard a high-pitched voice close behind him, along with a stabbing poke into his shoulder. Turning around, he was met with the sight of a young girl with light brown hair that appeared almost blonde under the warm glow of Morin. Her eyes, a piercing shade of pale pink, were narrowed in anger as she stared up at him, making him feel like she was trying to bore holes into his skin with her gaze. The girl's youthful appearance and the innocence of her voice contrasted with the intensity of her stare.
"Are you stupid or something? I asked who or what are you?" The girl asked again with a glare.
Carter stared blankly at the child, knowing she was talking to him but never connecting the words in his head.
The little girl's face grew red as she stomped her feet.
"Aiyah, what is the matter with you?" A voice laced with concern emerged from the crowd of children. An older child with pale pink hair and eyes came walking to the pair in concern.
"Casper, I think this thing is broken." The little girl Aiyah said, pointing at Carter
Casper turned to look at the child with icy-blue hair with curiosity, but upon seeing the child's glazed eyes, he couldn't help but wince. He had not been here for very long, but he had seen a lot of children with those same distant eyes. They never seemed to stay long, except for one.
"Aiyah, why don't you go and get Istina so she can help our new friend here," Casper said with a smile.
Aiyah squinted her eyes, "Do you really think she can help? It seems broken, like Priya."
"It doesn't matter. He is in our care now and needs to be treated like everyone else. Now, please get Istina."
"Fine! I need to scold that Aster anyway. He caused such a problem after I told him not to." Aiyah walked off with a huff.
After Aiyah left, Casper turned his attention back to Carter, "She means well, but she is a stickler for following the rules, and she makes everyone else follow them, so behave, and she will not bother you too much." Casper said with a smile.
"Anyway, you should be comfortable here. Everyone looks out for each other, so whatever you went through outside does not exist here. So you can relax and open up when you are ready, and I suggest either Ibada or Istina for that, as the others always seem to be busy with tasks. Just don't let the new old man hear you. He is kinda creepy."