House of Charity

Chapter 1: Newlands Forest

Leo nudged Emily on the shoulder, a cheeky grin on his pale, red face. Leo was a stout boy with big brown elf boots whose eyes shone a jaded, sophisticated blue in juxtaposition with his playful nature. "I bet you're tired. You're always oversleeping."
Emily was a cis feminine girl with a very intelligent face. Strong hair and brows, which looked almost like a helmet on that cute face of hers which seemed to shine with a lovely radiance. This was only when she was not with her bothersome brother, Leo, though, who always played tricks on her!

 Not in the times of spirits, though. When the rain comes, the siblings sat together on the floor in perfect silence, watching each raindrop on the window race as their breaths fogged up the windows. There, they would watch close with big eyes and trace bigger, pearlier raindrops around the ones that fell with significance. Together, they were continuously witness to something greater than them since they were babies. Silent, calm and tranquil in the presence of spirits unknown; standing by and making space for them to move around freely. 

This winter had been particularily rainy in Newlands. Leo and Emily had come to spend the Winter holidays in their aunties house; Aunt Ralla's House of Charity.. She lived in the Newlands Forest, a beautiful Sasayuan style house where the sun seemed to shine a beautiful golden among the grain of its dark oak makings. Embroidery of Sasayuan tradition in its tableclothes, frames of alphabets and bedsheets. Aunt Ralla never seemed to considere herself as living alone in the House of Charity. She always occupied the space with careful consideration, perhaps deliberately hesitating to luxuriate in the seemingly homely, quaint and tranquil house; like the siblings making space for the spirits she had known befriended and beloved.

"Well, Leo, you must know I'm not just a lousy, sleepy girl. Unlike you, I take dreams quite seriously. I thirst to experience all of them. Thats why I write them down, and in my book, I have brought them with me." retorted the cis girl.
Leo folded his arms together. "Don't you think you're a little underprepared? Surely you will not know peace with empty books and jars."
Emily chuckled. She had a feeling in her bones peace would come to her, she need not have brung anything at all. They continued along the dark, early morning forest path with their oil lamps.

Their skin came to goosebumps as the bitter cold of the Terrible morning danced with the oil lanterns flame. It swooped from side to side, seeming to wither and bounce back against the Cold. The lantern had intention to light the way. It could not go out. 

Leo began, "Mud sticks to my boots. If I fall, surely you will grab me and prevent me from slipping away." Emily says "If you fall, that is very bad news for me simimarly. Without light, I will know no way to the House of Charity."'

Four hours they trudged, but light made its way no more clear from the sky. The dense dark early morning kept stinging at their nostrils with an earthy smell, the snoring croak of frogs in the nearby ice cold rivers. The path had stopped in its corrosion from desire path; created by frequency of people venturing into the forest lessening as they penetrated deeper. Leo took out a slice of bread out of his basket, eating it with fingers green from his copper rings. As he began to nibble on, a crow came and perched on his shoulder. 

"Oh my word, a crow would like to have my bread! By Jove I will allow no such thing for I am a boy of appetite." said Leo. Emily grinned. "You are a boy of gluttony! You had three servings of warm porridge this morning. You lament so to give bread to that little bird? Maybe the bird will manifest ill will towards you." Leo loved porridge. He gruntled, giving the crow the slice of bread in acceptance to the Cis girls words.

The siblings stopped. They heard singing from a familiar voice. Their ears perked up, attentive like dogs in the face of a big slice of veal! It was a familiar tune! Aunt Ralla was hollering into the early morning. A woman of music she was. She tune she sung rang clear through the trees.