“Andrew, will you please put down that communication globe. I need you to prepare for a visit to the orphanage. You know how important it is for our standing with those who control the mages guild.” Andrew was using his magical globe to determine how he would destroy his most recent victim. He had determined he wanted to hurt someone different this time. “Okay, mother be there in a minute, need to finish this conversation with a friend.”
His mother thought for a moment then responded, “Andrew, since when do you have friends? I thought that was something you strive not to have at all?” He responded by calling back to her, “Mother, you know how I must uphold perception. Is that not what you’re doing today at the orphanage?”
She flicked her wrist and sent a small spark of energy through the air to sting him in his ear. Andrew responded by saying, “Ouch, was that necessary?” She responded, “You need to show your mother respect, don’t be trying your techniques on me, it won’t work.”
She paused a moment then said, “you know what I do is to uphold a sense that we are a family only concerned with others. How else am I to ever hope to get on the council of mages and change that group of stogy principled cronies.”
Andrew ignored her until she had grown agitated with his lack of attention to her. She then sent a spell that placed a cage around his communication globe. It had the immediate effect of cutting off the manipulations he was busy working on. He was building up the spell to send towards some poor victim that was the latest quest of his trophies to be.
He turned and looked at her with surprise but then she gave him a look that threatened him to say anything at all. Andrew chooses to keep his composure. She then said, “Come, let’s attend this function so we may both get back to those things that make us happy.” He shrugged his shoulders in a way that suggested it didn’t matter either way.
He stood up and went to her grabbing a part of her gown. At which point she waved her wand above them, and they both disappeared in a flash. When they reappeared. They were outside the building where the mages of guild offices were. She liked coming here to see if she could have a chance meeting with any of the ministers. She figured it would help with her longer-term goals. She wanted to get asked to join them at some future point.
Plus, they’re located not far from the orphanage. This, she hoped some of them would see. They might even consider the gesture one of her outward concerns for those less fortunate. Like those that were living and working there.
She looked around to see if any of the mage counselors were out and about. She didn’t notice any of them so told her son to follow her. They both made their way to the entry for the orphanage. It was a run-down building in comparison to those around it.
It obviously was not a recipient of much public support by those who had been blessed, inherited, or taken wealth. So, its maintenance was primarily done by those locals who were talented in the arts of building crafts and took time out of the week to do what they could for the orphanage.
As Alessia, the mother approached the door a young girl opened it and she mistakenly thought she was doing it for her. Instead, as she and her son Andrew began to enter, she let go of the door. Since it had nothing to let it close slowly, it slammed shut on her and Andrew when they were halfway through it.
The mother, Alessia, turned around to give this young orphan a spark of discipline and found herself looking into empty air as if the little girl had never been there. She opened the offensive door and passed inside, she went directly for the orphanage’s matron’s office to give her a verbal beating over the bad behavior of one of the residents. She also wanted to find out who she was.
She entered the office, an older lady with long auburn hair tied back and braided into a long ponytail looked up from her desk. She asked, “What can I do for you Ms. Alessia Wendorff?” Alessia notices that despite her age, this matron had a beautiful look and was well kept considering her position here at the orphanage.
She recovered and asked, “I need to see your photo files on the orphan girls currently living here.” She paused, composed herself some more than continued, “I and my son Andrew had the most unacceptable experience with a young girl at the door who let it close on us just as we entered the door.”
The matron responded, “Could you describe her for me and I might be able to save you time.” She continued, “As you know, our facility is overburdened with orphans these days.” Ms. Wendorff responded, “She was likely ten years of age or so. A slight build, wearing a dress made of brocade, lace, and silk.”
The matron’s eyebrows raised a bit with this description, and she responded, “Come now Ms. Wendorff, what residence of our orphanage could afford to wear such expensive dresses as that?” Andrew pulled on her mother’s dress trying to get her attention. She looked down and asked, “What is it, Andrew?” He responded, “She was not wearing what you describe, she had on a pair of pants and top made of Chantilly lace.”
The matron interrupted them both then asking, “Since you can’t agree on what she was wearing, was there anything about her face that you can describe such as the color of her hair, was it short or long, was it in a ponytail or lose?”
Ms. Wendorff said, “She had honey blond hair that was clipped with a bow in the back with long curly hair flowing down her back. She also had freckles sprayed across her nose and slightly sprinkled on her cheeks. Her face was quite pretty.”
Andrew then said, “But mother, that wasn’t her at all. She had short dark brown hair with streaks of silver in it and cut in a bobby type cut. Her face was tanned as if she was maybe from one of those southern countries.” The matron smiled, almost laughed by this point, and said, “Since it is apparent neither of you can agree I will bring you the files and you can look through them so you might agree on who you did see.” I can arrange some room in the library for you to review the files in privacy if you like.”
Alessia thought but a moment and responded, “Just forget it, I have other places to be. Besides, I am not going to spend my valuable time looking through all those files.” The matron said, “Suit yourself, what else can I help you with?”
By this time, Alessia was quite frustrated with the whole affair and decided it was time to leave. She would take Andrew to lunch so they could recover from this experience. Besides, she had made the proper appearance, nothing else was needed.
She looked at the matron and said, “Thank you MS, whatever is your name by the way, I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before.” I am Ms. Pirlindole. You are also correct as I am newly appointed to this position here at the orphanage.”
Alessia, thought a moment and responded, “We’ll be back, try and get better control over the manners of your residents or I shall have to report it to the council of mages.” She smiled politely and said, “I will make every effort to ensure they always demonstrate the highest respect for those who deserve it.”
Alessia wasn’t sure how to take that, whether she was sincere of making fun of her but thought she had enough of this place so, “Thank you Ms. Pirlindole, I appreciate your concern.” She turned and grabbed Andrew by the collar, leading him back through the doors to exit back onto the street.
She looked up and down the street, no one was about so she said, “come on, it’s time for lunch. “She raised her wand and twitched it with a flick. They both disappeared in a blink. Standing behind them looking through the doors they had just come through was the same little girl they had both been trying to describe. She giggled with glee. Then she went off down the hallway towards the dorm rooms of the orphanage.
When they arrived at the restaurant for lunch, a young girl came up and place the menus down on the table, set the proper placement of glass, plates, and napkins then asked, “Is there anything I can get you before taking your order?”
Alessia looked up with her eyes narrowing quickly in suspension. She then said, “You! This establishment has lowered their standards to allow some random orphan to serve their important customers.” The girl looked at Andrew, who said to his mother, “What are you going on about mother, this girl is not the girl we saw at the orphanage. Are you feeling okay?”
Alessia looked at Andrew, her son then back at the server and this time she saw someone totally different than she had before. “I’m sorry, it’s been a frightful morning. While we were at the orphanage to spend some time with them, some awful little girl treated us with such disrespect.”
The waitress responded, “You mean before or after you showed her disrespect by not even acknowledging the kindness and respect she had demonstrate towards you by opening the door for both you and your son.” Alessia began to lose her temper and said, “Wait a minute, how did you know what happened down at that orphanage. I mean you were there unless…”
Andrew leaned over to whisper to his mother, “Mother you’re making us look like a couple of lunacies. There’s no one here speaking to you. You already ordered and the waitress has gone off to ensure the meals are prepared for us.”
Alessia looked at her son and sent a large spark of anger at him, he flinched, then said, “Mother, what are you doing? I didn’t deserve that. You really need to get control over yourself. ” Alessia looked over to where the waitress had been standing and saw her son was correct. There was no one standing there at all.
Alessia then realized that something highly unusual was taking place. There was either a mage of highly unusual talent messing with her, or she might be going mad. This one scared her a bit as it was not unknown for those who choose to follow the way of magic to become unstable.
Alessia thought to herself, “The historical libraries of the mages guild were full of such references. It was one of the reasons the guild existed. Sometimes, when these types of events came about really bad things could happen to a lot of people.”
Alessia looked over at her son and quietly said, “We’re going home, let’s go! Take this and pay the establishment on the way out. I’ll be waiting outside.” Her son looked at her mother and said, “Okay mother, are you feeling poorly?”
Alessia looked down at him briefly, then stepped towards the door and disappeared to the outside. Once that happened, something shifted for Andrew, the scene shifted and he found himself standing alone outside the old orphanage.
He stood there alone, staring at an empty building that had stood silent for many long years now, ever since his mother had met that strange person one day, she was never the same and in some rare magic event. Went back to the orphanage, he would never know why but they say she walked through the doors and was never seen again.
All the locals said they didn’t know why she was there. The orphanage had been closed for a long time now. It was her father who had stripped it over the ability to support itself anymore. The orphans were all sold into service for various families of influence and wealth in the magic community.
However, it was rumored that one girl, someone who it had been rumored of unusually gifted magical talent, could not be found but had been seen coming and going there at the orphanage whenever her mother showed up there.
Andrew stared into the dusty darkness of the building through the front doors turned and began to walk away thinking, “Maybe the minister was correct, they had said that it was because she like her father had no sense of empathy or compassion for others that something had taken its course and his mother with revenge on her heart, stepped through the portal of madness, and was consumed forever lost in a world that only existed for her.”
Andrew, had been taken in by a particularly nice lady, so opposite of his mother after her disappearance. Without his mother’s bad influence on him, he had come to learn the truth of respect for others, he had in fact become a dedicated person in his adult life to saving any whose life had not lead them towards the better part of what it had to offer.
They said, that it he had learned the art of reflection in the mirror better than anyone else ever alive. That it was through it he discovered the truth of who he wanted to become was more a matter of perception of how he wanted the world to be then what he had been told it had been.
So when next you look into the mirror, is the reflection starring back one that shines brightly with empathy for others, compassion of self, and kindness in service or one of darkness, empty of the tenants of respect?
