#amyways

Eugene has always seen Enoch around. For as long as he has lived in this village with his late wife, the Stranger has been there, leaving requests at a community bulletin board for the woodfolk that rarely go answered. He's always ignored them, as most of the village do, not wanting or needing to associate with them or have the social stigma from doing so.

After Annabelle dies and Ada's condition is at its worst, Eugene finally pays those requests mind. He takes the latest, one that's been on there for months now, for a rocking chair with some rather odd specifications both in dimension, height, and type of wood. Not anything too difficult, but certainly not something a normal person would use.

The Stranger is not around when he takes it with some mild trepidation laced with determination for the cozy figure quoted for a payment. He isn't sure how he will get this chair to the woodfolk who request it, or if he needs to just stop the elusive visitor the next time Eugene sees him, but that's question for after he's completed his task. He scurries home to his workshop, hopeful no one saw him taking the request.

As stated, it is simple work once he has the materials, one he can do with an ease, zoning out during the measuring and cutting and carving and thinking of easier times on the horizon. With this job, Eugene can afford the next doctor's visit and Ada will get better, the marks on her face will finally close and she will heal. Eugene's house and heart are emptier without his wife, but he can't focus on the grief now barely two months old when he is trying not to double it.

As he finishes it, he hears a knock on the door, followed by Ada calling him in a tone that has the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He already knows who he'll see filling the door frame, grateful the village teacher has taken in Hattie for a while as Ada heals. And Eugene is correct, spine going cold at the looming bandaged figure of the Stranger waiting patient outside his front door as Ada dryly remarks to him that they 'match now' for some small talk.

Even now at the tender age of nine, mother killed in front of her, face wrapped as her wounds refuse to close and constantly oozes something foul, Ada is still brave, nothing in her tired posture tense with the creature so nearby. Unlike her father who has to force himself to move across the house, address the Stranger, words of greeting and question if he is here for the rocking chair stuttering as yellow eyes leave their curious observation of Ada's stained bandages and are instead leveled at Eugene. Eugene has never been this close to the man, never quite appreciated the hunched mass of him beneath his coat and his hat and his buckles as his odd hands hang loose at his sides.

The Stranger utters a rasping, strained yes in a tone that makes Eugene sorry he made the man talk and he is quick to state it'll only be a moment before its done if the Stranger will wait outside. He nods at that, stepping back from the door and closing it, and Eugene demands Ada to stay in her room until that thing is gone in a whisper. She agrees, and it does break his heart knowing a few months ago she would've argued the point, put up a fight and called him silly instead of quietly padding back to her bed.

Within the hour, the chair is done and carried out to the Stranger waiting by his cart, who tests it and nods in satisfaction, commenting it is perfect. How he knew Eugene was actively working on the request instead of it just being taken from the board and tossed, Eugene doesn't ask. Instead, he opts to watch as the man loads the completed chair, staying a respectable distance away and unable to stop from jumping when the Stranger turns back to him to hand him his pay.

He doesn't look it over until the Stranger and the clinking of his buckles is but a distant memory between the trees of the woods, but almost drops the money when he realizes there's at least 20% more than the order originally quoted. On top of that, between the bills is a note, scrawled on a yellowing paper torn from perhaps a small journal. On it, title 'to soothe the infection', is instructions on gathering herbs and materials from the woods and what to do with them, how often to ingest them and when.

”oh shit yeah good point…!”

[after a tiny bit of travel and an order of food with the exchange of a few faztokens…Jack got some pizza ! !]

silliest webtoon ever

(technical difficulty’s under cut)