Different Dimensions (Black Butler)

The Beginning

November, 1996

A wintery wind blew throughout New York City, chilling those who resided in it's industrial depths. Taxis and cars crowded the roads, slow moving traffic taking up most of the crossroads. Honking from most of the vehicles echoed through the chilly air, an indirect language of cars.

People of all kinds walked hastily on the sidewalks to get home, go to work, go eat, etcetera. Being the most widespread city of cultures and races in the United States, it was also the most populated. Women wearing coats and scarves to hold off the wind of November, some holding onto a child's hand to lead them through the crowd. Men wearing coats and hats walking swiftly through the crowds, hurrying to get home before nightfall. Colors flashed from the people to the cars to the lights of the city and back again. A city of workers, business and trade.

A city of the homeless, deals and thieves.

Every alleyway, every sidewalk not patrolled by police, down into the rundown metros and basements of abandoned buildings, was home to a homeless being. Men starving with ratty jackets and frayed pants begging for money. Women and children fending off the cold by huddling up and hoping to survive. People looting through trash cans in hope of finding tonight's meal.

This November was no different than any other Novembers in earlier years. The winter was cold, the homeless were dying of hypothermia, the wealthy with a home trying to avoid the homeless to hurry on with their business.

However, for a woman of age 51, this November would be different. Edna, a woman clothed in a thick, frayed wool coat, pants too big for her stature, mismatched socks and shoes, and a torn hat, sat at the corner of a tall building with a tin can, begging for change. Her face was worn from time, wrinkles making her seem older. Gray hair, matted and greasy, fell from underneath the hat.

"Change for the poor? Any spare dollars, sir? Miss?" Edna asked the fortunate souls that passed by her. Occasionally, a coin or two would land near her or in her tin can, making a small clink sound as it made contact.

The light of day was slowly disappearing, and Edna decided it was time to find a place to sleep for the night in the cold weather. She got up slowly, her bones groaning in protest as she stood, gathered her things, and disappeared into the alleyway on her left. Trash bins and card board boxes littered the dark and damp places. Rats scurried across the dirty floor, disappearing underneath piles of trash in look for food. Edna held her items, a blanket, her tin can, and a small knife for protection. She walked along the alleyway, the area getting darker and darker as the light of day went away, and she squinted around, looking for a somewhat safe and clean place to sleep. However, what caught her attention was not a clean place free of trash.

A loud cry of a baby is what got her attention.

Edna's eyes widened, the sound coming from up ahead on her right. She quickly made her way there, her internal motherly instincts kicking in despite never having children of her own. Soon she came upon the source of the crying, and knelt down to inspect.

A box about the size to carry a small lunch kit in was covered in trash and thrown away blankets. Holes were cut into the side, either made in production or for the baby inside to breath. Edna set her things down carefully, gathered the thrown away blankets and moved the trash away from the box before opening it.

Inside the box was a not so small baby who was taking deep breaths and letting out loud screeching sounds of crying. The baby looked cold, it's skin pale and malnourished despite it being wrapped in blankets as well. Clipped to one of the blankets was a note.

Edna stared at the child for a second before sadness filled her heart. "Oh, poor child.." She whispered and carefully scooped the child from the box with one arm and read the note with the other.