Death's Puppeteer

3rd April 1901

The house exuded warmth and safety in the smoke that puffed from the chimney and in the light that poured from its windows and the front door which was ajar since the boy with the rabbit had disappeared through it. From within Enoch could hear the bustle of activity and the scraping of chairs even from the doorstep where he stood behind Miss Nightjar as she swung the door open all the way.

The front hall had a homely atmosphere to it in itself. Coat hooks lined the white walls and below them was a line of muddy boots in all sizes. There was a doorway either side as Enoch hesitantly stepped over the threshold behind the woman. Almost immediately his senses were assaulted with a wave of noise and delicious smells that wafted from the room to the left of the entrance.

"Miss Nightjar's back!"

"She's back already!"

"And in time to eat with us!"

A whole assorted of different voices rang from the room and there was a scurry of feet before half a dozen children hurtled into the entrance and Enoch shrunk back a step as they ran to hug Miss Nightjar who was smiling and patting them warmly on the shoulders as they welcomed her home.

There were three boys and three girls, ranging from about seven to seventeen years of age at first glance. The boy whom Enoch had seen at the gate was among the older along with a red headed girl with freckles and eyes as blue as Enoch's.

More faces were peering from the doorway of what Enoch assumed was the dining room alongside another woman who bore a great resemblance to Miss Nightjar only with more refined and pointed features. Something birdlike, much like Miss Nightjar, glinted in her eyes as she made eye contact with Enoch and smiled warmly at him.

"Who is this, Miss Nightjar?" One of the younger girls, who looked around twelve piped up and was joined immediately by a young girl and boy who spoke together.
"Has he come to live with us too?"
"Is he peculiar too? He has to be, doesn't he to get here?"

"He doesn't look it."

"Look at his eyes. He looks more peculiar than you do, Alexander."

"Alright, alright....settle down at once, children, I'm glad to be home with you all too." Miss Nightjar clapped her hands and all the children hushed to listen to her.

"This is Enoch, and yes, he has come to live with us..."

All eyes in the room, and the children and woman watching from the doorway, turned to Enoch and he felt his ears burn furiously. The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by a dozen people asking questions about him. Twelve hours ago he'd been in his own house in London watching the life leave his mother's eyes.

A sudden gasp made everyone, including himself, look over at the red headed girl who was staring at him in such a strange way it unnerved Enoch and made him scowl at her.

"'e looks awful." A boy with sandy hair who didn't look much younger than Enoch whom he hadn't noticed before, spoke up and Enoch realised that he was the only one amongst the crowd who looked distinctly odd. Scaly flaps of skin protruded from either side of his neck that moved slightly when he spoke.

"Alright that's enough, all of you." The other woman tutted from the doorway and placed her hands sternly on her hips. "You all know what it was like when you first got here, leave the poor boy alone and go finish your supper before it all goes cold. Nigel, would you go and draw a bath first, please?"
There was a general buzz of grumbled agreement and a few of the children had the decency to look ashamed of themselves as they all turned away and filed back into the dining room save for the oldest boy who jogged off down the hall and up a flight of stairs.