The brunette boy silently slipped through the cracked door, carefully closing it behind him to ensure all evidence of his prohibited entry were hidden. Quietly, he spread his arms out across the wall with his back against it. Tiptoeing down the dim hallway while making his escape from his parents' forbidden master bedroom. An adult-sized fedora sat loosely around his patted down hair, bobbling to the side with each unsteady step he took. His father's reddish-brown flannel shirt engulfed his small body as it drooped over him and dangled down past his knees. Two long tails of his mother's brightly colored scarf trailed along behind him like deflated, striped snakes victoriously draped across his shoulders. Behind him, the rusty-golden German Sheppard nipped at the ends, tail wagging as his tongue drooped from the side of his muzzle.

A small arm rose and motioned for the dog to follow him down the stairs as he cautiously began to descend. Old wooden planks creaked even under the delicate placement of his feet. The dog, on the other hand, had no fears of being caught. He darted pass his 'master' playfully, giving a single bark of encouragement as he leaped to the first floor with his tail wagging. "Shhhh!" the boy commanded.

Peeking in through the doorway, the boy's eyes wandered. Examining every inch of the brightly light dining room for any hints of what he may be getting for Christmas. Shiny foil wrapping paper laid spread across the table. A pile of boxes sat near the edge as his mother unknowingly blocked his view from the gift she was wrapping. The boy eagerly dug into the over-sized shirt pocket, pulling out an ordinary screwdriver concealed within the fold. He held it out before him, waving it across the room in the air while making a soft bizzzzzz sound. Tongue vibrating violently against his clenched teeth. Pulling the screwdriver back, he frowned while shaking it, "No luck, K-9. This mortal has managed to block the sonic screwdriver's reading somehow."

He sighed with a huff and sagging shoulders. Swiveling on his heels, he turned into the living room as the scarf continued to drag behind him, followed closely by Charlie. The pair entered the room before the boy stopped, eyes wide while he spread his arms out in attempt to protect the dog. His attention was drawn to the cylinder vacuum cleaner-like image standing in front of the Christmas tree. "Doctor!?" the robotic voice screeched as it turned to face him. "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Standing before the 'alien', his eyes narrowed and he clenched the screwdriver in his fist. "A Dalek! Why didn't your scanners pick up on that, K-9!?” He turned to face the dumbfounded dog sitting beside him. Charlie returned his gaze with a blank stare and a tilt of his head at the sudden spike of the boy's voice. The canine leaned into the sniff the boy's cheek before sticking his tongue out and licking him. "Eeewww....Charlie! I mean, K-9, you're leaking fluid!" Frowning, he grabbed the middle portion of one of the scarf tails and whipped off the dog slobber from his skin, glare still fixed on the 'Dalek' before him.

Like he did before, he held the screwdriver out in his left hand, making a buzzing sound as he dashed towards it. "I will protect you!"h shouted. Disabling the robot as he jammed the driver into its backside. Riiiiip, the cloth material began to come undone as the metal tip pierced it. A cloud of dust puffed out from the air-sealed bag, covering the boy, dog, and room in a fine layer of soot and dirt. Charlie let out a loud yelp as he hopped around the boy and the vacuum, forelegs bending at the elbows bottom in the air and tail wagging. The boy stumbled into the vacuum and began to fight the hose that suddenly became tangled around him. Both startled and intrigued by the spectacle, the dog let out another booming bark.

"Son?" an alarmed voice called out through an opening door. Too preoccupied with his fictitious fight, he did not hear his father enter the room. "The bloody hell you doing, you pesky lil' sprog?" The boy spun around, snapping out of his imaginary confrontation with the vacuum cleaner. His eyes were wide with shock and fear as he gazed up at the scolding man, instantly dropping the screwdriver as he knelt and began unraveling he scarf from his neck. He frowned and shook his head at the mess.

"I'm sorry, Papa..."

The man sighed, "Look at your mother's scarf...It's all tattered and this living room...Look at this mess!"

"I was just was pretending to-"

"It's just a show on the telly. It's not real."

The boy's guilty stare was fixed the floor, avoiding his father's admonished glare. His shoes scuffed the filthy carpet, making a thin in the dirty threads of weaved fabric, "I just wanted to be a hero...That's all..."

The sorrowful voice faded. Disappearing with the forgotten moment as time elapsed over the lost vessel that held it. Aged to maturity, yet still holding the same boyish charm, Cypher sat slumped behind the steering wheel. While one arm stretched to firmly grip the leather ring, the other held a GPS. His thumb brushed across the screen as he double checked the reading, ensuring he and Migisi were on the right path as they continued down the winding country roads. The jackdaw had settled herself in the passenger seat. Head resting on the sleeve, she tucked herself into the soft fabric of his peacoat, feathers ruffled at the warmth that surrounded her. Her body relaxed to the point of closing her eyes to sleep out of comfort and boredom. She had grown use to the movement of the vehicle but still disliked being confined within it. While Cypher granted her permission to roam, there was little room for her to meander about. The two-door sports car only had a tiny compartment in back that doubled as two backseats but was hardly enough room for a full sized adult, causing her to remain upfront with him. She sighed as she adjusted herself, leisurely picking at a few stray feathers beneath her wing that had been brushed out of place before gawking up at him, silently pleading for something to do.

The man, however, did not return her gaze or even acknowledge her, being too distracted with focusing on the narrow road. Cypher's eyes remained glued to the pavement, only glancing away long enough to ensure he was taking the correct turn on the map. He was not even singing as he normally did on their long car rides together. Just remained silent, and focused. The jackdaw huffed. How dare he ignore her! Displeased by the lack of attention, Migisi began to nip at the polished buttons. Her beak ran around the circumference of the smooth plastic, pulling on them, amused by the soft tap tap that followed her pecks. It would not keep her interest long but the buttons would have to suffice as entertainment until they reached their destination.

Over the hillside, a four-story country home came into view; its Georgian architecture outlined against the white snow surrounding it. The rubber tires began to whine as they rolled across the crumbling ice and snow that had worked its way between the pulverized gravel road, leading up to the front stairs. Cypher eased on the breaks until the car came to a complete stop in the crude parking lot; a square part of the field where the snow had been shoveled away in front of a sign reading Saint Emiliani Orphanage. Migisi's head snapped up the moment she saw Cypher's hand pull the lever between them upward. While she was oblivious as to what he was doing or the importance of properly parking a car, she had learned to recognize his movements. A backward twist of his wrist and the lever pull meant they were about to get out.

Tchyk! she cried excitedly as she instantly rose to her feet. Rocking back and forth from one foot to the other, she glanced around, impatiently waiting to get out of the car. Cypher leaned over and carefully picked the peacoat up, slipping his arms into the sleeves as he pushed the driver's door open. The bottom part of the coat swayed around his slender legs as he stepped out. Adjusting the collar and pulling the two sides together in front of him, he left the door open for Migisi. Eagerly, the jackdaw leaped from her seat over to his before scurrying out into the open. A few flaps of her wings carried her away from the car and into the cold air of the winter afternoon. She circled above Cypher, stretching her wings and examining their new environment while he made his way to the back of the car, fumbling with a few heavy duffel bags before whistling towards her, signaling her to follow.

At first, the bird declined. Having already grown tired of being cooped up, Migisi was enjoying her freedom too much to be ready to return indoors. However, as she watched him from a nearby branch, she saw him begin to enter the house. Chy! Chy! she called out in distress after him, gliding down from her perch, tilting her body to the side in order to fly through the small opening of the double wooden doors. Instead of perching on his shoulder like always, she circled the foyer. Taking in the new sights and smells the strange house had. Her attention was captured by the awe-inspiring glass chandler that hung from the ceiling. Migisi hovered over the railing of the stairs before gently lowering herself, talons wrapped around the thin banister as she gazed up, mesmerized by the sparkling crystals.

She was not the only one observing the elegantly decorated entrance way. Cypher stood on the mat by the front door, spinning dumbfounded like a dog chasing his tail as he gazed around the room. One duffel bag hung over his right shoulder. Another in his right hand and a suitcase in his left. Refusing to leave the front door, he called out for someone to greet them.

Footsteps echoed on the hard wood. Each step growing louder as someone began to approach. Both Cypher and Migisi's heads turned towards the origin of the sound, just in time to see a woman in her early-30’s in a nun's dress hurrying down the hall. "I didn't know we were expecting any appointments today," the nun placed her hands together as she stopped in front of Cypher, baffled by her unexpected guest's luggage.

Setting the suitcase and duffel bag down, Cypher held his left hand out towards her, "Hello, I am John Smith and am looking for Sister Elizabeth Hopewell...Is she here?"

"Oh!" the woman's mouth formed itself into a surprised 'o' shape as she gasped. Taking his hand in her's, she returned the brief handshake. "That is me! I'm Sister Elizabeth; I'm so glad you could make it, Mr. Smith. May I take your bags for you?"

"Quite alright," holding his hand out, Cypher protested.

Sister Elizabeth nodded with a soft smile as she pointed to the stairs, "At least allow me to take you to your room first. You can leave your things there."

"That would be lovely, ma'am," offering her a sweet smile, he dipped down and retook the handles in his hands. A sharp whistle pierced through the peaceful silence, signaling for Migisi to return to him. The jackdaw's feathers ruffled around her as she peered over at him, hssing quietly in annoyance at the ear-shattering noise he made. She tentatively lifted herself into the air before gliding over to him, settling herself upon his shoulder before leaning forward to give him an admonished nip on his lip. ’Don't do that!’

"Oh! Who let the poor little thing inside?" Sister Elisabeth stepped closer to Cypher, examining the bird perched on his shoulder. "He doesn't seem to be afraid of people in the slightest."

"She is a...a bit of a pet of mine," Cypher corrected while craning his neck to the side, trying to keep his face away from the angered crow. "I hope that will not be a problem."

"Not at all! Not at all!" The sister seemed unphased by the strangeness of a man with a wild jackdaw as a 'pet', but perhaps she was only being polite. She smiled as she turned to head up the swirling staircase behind them, motioning for them to follow her. "I must apologize for your room, Mr. Smith," she said while she began to dig through her black gown, searching for the ring of keys that she wore as a necklace. "Most of our sleeping quarters are given to the children, and I'm sure you understand the concern the other sisters and I have regarding a man spending the weekend with us..."

"Of course," he was close behind her, following her as she led them up towards the fourth floor of the house. The air around them had grown colder as they moved to a non-isolated part of the building.

She stopped them at the top of the stairway. The ceiling hung low above them, angled from the sides to the pointed center of the attic, causing Cypher to bend his knees a bit to avoid colliding his head with the low roof. Sister Elizabeth fumbled with the antique bronze key before she opened the door to the small bedroom they had prepared for him. He cringed, at first believing he was gazing into his former cell. The small room resembled it; the same size and layout. As the seconds passed, the pale white walls grew in color soaking in the sunlight that seeped through the thin layer of newspaper that covered the circular window. The moldy cot morphed into a sturdy, older bed with mix-matched sheets and quilts to make up for the lack of heat in the room. A stool had been pushed beside the bed to act as night stand. On the opposite side of the room, a table sat with a lamp for him to use as a desk.

"Can I get you anything, Mr. Smith?" Sister Elizabeth asked as Cypher stooped inside. "The children will be settling down for their afternoon snack soon. Would you like me to make you some tea?"

Setting his luggage down on the bed, he began to sort his things. Separating the equipment he would need for the first night of investigating and setting his laptop on the table while he took his peacoat off. Migisi paraded across the bed playfully toying with the zippers on the suitcase as the humans spoke to each other in their foreign language. Cypher began to dig through his clothing to retrieve his blazer. Quickly taking his vest off and replacing it with the blazer, he took pleasure in the warmth the longer sleeves brought, "Tea would be lovely, miss."



A handful of voices echoed from a few floors below them. Migisi's head twitched from side to side with interest as the noises grew louder. Once again taking her place on Cypher's shoulder, she curiously rode him back to the main floor where a group of children had gathered in the living room with a second nun. They went silent as their eyes fell upon Cypher. They gazed up at him with thrilled, pleading eyes, anticipating an escape from their loveless limbo. "Is he here to adopt us?" "Do you think the mom's pretty?" He heard two girls wishfully whisper.

Behind him, Sister Elizabeth descended from the staircase. Her gaze locking with the other nun's. The other woman was far older. Her eyes were sunken below oddly shaped brows and above unusually puffed lips; skin clearly coated with cream to fight against sprouting winkles. Dyed bangs hung over her blotchy forehead. "I didn't know we had a man visiting us today, Sister Elisabeth," a shriveled voice carried above the children's. It unintentionally silenced them as she shoved her way through the pack, glaring at the young man with icy eyes before her gaze shifted to the nun beside him.

Sister Elisabeth clenched her hands together, and stared down at the floor. She shifted uneasily on her feet before peering up from beneath her hood, "He is not here with an appointment, Sister Anne Marie... He is the one I spoke to you about earlier this week..."

The elderly woman stepped around Cypher, looking him over. Her stern stare was beginning to make Migisi anxious. Hissing, the jackdaw backed herself against his neck. She spread her wing out in front of him in an attempt to protect him as she lowered her head and fluffed herself, giving the illusion that she was much bigger. "Ah, I see you went against my orders...And that he brought a pesky rodent," the woman scoffed.

"I'm sorry, Sister, but the children are terrified and something needed to be done!"

"You deliberately disobeyed me, Sister Hopewell..."

"Pardon me," Cypher quickly slipped in between the two bickering women, raising his hand to grab both their attentions as he stepped towards the children. "I do not believe this is a conversation fit for young children's ears and if I am not mistaken, is it not time for their snack?"

Sister Elisabeth's head hung again as she nodded, "Yes...Yes you are right, Mr. Smith."

"There are still things we must discuss."

"Allow me to leave you two ladies alone and care for the children."

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that, Mr. Smith."

Cypher ignored her; he turned and began to usher the twelve youngsters in the direction that he assumed was the kitchen, "Quite alright, Sister. It is not a problem at all."

"Thank you, kind sir," she smiled at him, relieved to see the children's needs were being taken care of. "There are cookies in the cupboard and milk in the refrigerator."

Behind him, he could hear the two nuns discussion his presence within the house. Clearly, he was not welcomed, though he had grown use to hostility. He followed the kids into the kitchen where they dispersed in silence. Migisi curiously examined each one, intrigued by the mystery that surrounded them. Such noisy little creatures until the scary woman spoke...Then they became quiet, but why? Breaking away from Cypher, she waddled across the table. The children grew antsy at the sight of the bird. A few of them tried reaching out towards her in excitement. She hissed, jumping backwards with her wings shielding her body. She avoided one kid's grubby hands but another pair were reaching for her. Their shouts surrounded her. Wary of their persistence, she retreated to the nook between the top of the cupboards and the ceiling, peering down furiously at them with her feathers ruffled before glaring at Cypher. ’Why bring me here?!’

He rolled his eyes with a shrug before getting distracted by two boys. They had gathered by the window and pointed outward towards the road. "Look at that cool car!" "It's like something James Bond would drive."

"Like my car?"

One of the boys gaped at him, "That's your's, mister!? Are you are secret agent?"

Cypher nodded with a sense of pride while he began to fumble with the cabinet doors, "Somewhat." He pulled the package of cookies out and sat them on the table, then passed out napkins to the children before opening the packet and giving each kid two cookies. The boys returned to the table as Cypher sat a glass before each one. He made his way to the fridge for the milk. "You see, I am a special type of agent. I fight monsters; not people."

Taking a glass of cold milk in his hands, a boy began to take a sip, "Like the Doctor?"

He thought for a moment before an amused grin shot across his face, "Yes, I suppose so. I guess that makes you my companion, Migs." The bird cocked her head to the sound of her name, but remained in hiding.



"There are no such things as monsters," one of the girls replied as she bit into her cookie. "At least that's what Sister Anne Marie says."

"Monsters do too exist," another added. "One's gonna eat Lily remember?"

"Oh yeah! Going to sneak up on her in her sleep and drag her to the basement!"

"Please stop..." the voice was extremely soft and came from a girl sitting at the very end of the table. Fair skinned and light brown hair, she slouched in her chair trying to avoid the other children's gazes as they poked fun at her. She had not eaten any of her snack or drank any of her milk. Instead, her hands were folded in her lap with tears developing in her eyes.

His lips were drawn inward as he pulled one of the chairs out from the table, spinning it around to sit with his arms resting on the back. Gazing at the group of children and listening intently to their mockery, he slowly began to pick up information about the monster living in the basement, "Now now...It is not polite to make fun of her. Monsters can be frightening things. I am sure Lily has every reason to be afraid."

The girl gasped, surprised that someone was defending her. She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced away from him, mumbling weakly, “Thank you...”

"It makes loud screaming noises at night," a boy chimed in with mouth full of cookies.

Rubbing his chin, Cypher continued to take mental notes while the children exchanged their ghostly encounters with one another. All of them seemed overly eagerly to talk about it except for Lily. Footsteps entered the room behind the table; he turned to see the sisters returning as Sister Elisabeth began to cater to the children's growing needs. The children went quiet and dared to not speak a word, fear in their eyes while gazing up at the older nun. Sister Anne Marie stepped up to Cypher's side once again eying him. Migisi noticed the woman's entry and hissed the moment she approached him. Taking flight, she soared down from her hiding place and landed on his knee. She kept her eyes locked on the elderly nun as she huffed.

Sister Anne Marie's lips curled though she spoke calmly. Her contradicting actions and words only put him on edge more, "I have agreed to let you stay until Sunday like Sister Elisabeth requested. She ensures me that you are only here out of pure curiosity."

"Yes, ma'am," placing his finger beneath Migisi's feet, he lifted her from his lap before standing. "I am only here to investigate and put ease to the children's minds. Nothing more."

"Very well...Eh but must you keep the bird?"

He frowned, "I am not leaving her out in the cold for the weekend, miss."

"Then at least keep her in a cage or your quarters..." she said with a sigh as she turned to retreat towards the chapel attached to the house. "If you excuse me, I have some things to take care of."

"As do I," his eyes narrowed while he watched her leave, gulping away the distasteful flavor she seemed to put in his mouth; but there was no time to focus on his paranoia. There was work to be done.



The winter night had fallen early, encasing the countryside in darkness. Thick heavy clouds hid the glowing moon as a snow storm began to stir. Thousands of white flakes fell from the sky and began to pile on the mounds of snow that already laid scattered across rolling hills. The children had played quietly indoors, dashing around the large, elegant rooms of the century old building.

Cypher had seen little of Sister Anne Marie since the afternoon. She seemed to have locked herself in the chapel, away from her duties and left Sister Elisabeth with most of the chores. A third nun was listed a staff member, but she had apparently driven into Abingdon to gather groceries. The snow storm had hit the town first blocking most of the roads and making driving conditions unsafe, leaving the two existing sisters as the only sitters. Cypher had offered to help prepare dinner for the children despite his lacking cooking skills.

Gratefully, she accepted, offering him many sweet smiles of thankfulness while he helped set the table between helping stir the pasta noodles for the spaghetti and coating the loafs of bread with garlic butter. Then served the children while telling them fairy tale stories over supper. They were mesmerized by the tales of the clever three pigs that outwitted the wolf, duckling that became a beautiful swan, and the manipulative cat that requested a pair of boots...Upon which he had to then answer on of the boys’ nagging question of ‘Why did the cat want boots? He’s a cat!’ while he helped Sister Elisabeth clean the kitchen.

It was beginning to grow late. The children had been settled in the living room for a short movie and warm milk before bed to help relax them. All of them were lounging before the telly except for one. Lily stood with her arms crossed behind her back looking up at Cypher as he stood on a ladder and attached a small camera to the wall. She had been quiet the whole time they ate dinner, only reacting to a few of his stories with a smile. "What are you doing, mister?" she shyly asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Setting up a camera so I can monitor the hallway at night," he replied while fumbling with the wiring.

"How come?"

"Well, my sweet, I cannot see monsters on my own. This camera is programmed specially to see things I cannot and record it so I can study it."

"Are you gonna make the monster go away...?" she glanced over her shoulder as if expecting something to crawl up behind her. Slowly, she inched her way closer to him with wary eyes pleading to him for help. Then, grabbing onto his pant leg, she plastered herself against him, taking comfort in his protective aura. “I keep telling Sister Elisabeth but Sister Anne Marie always gets mad...She tells me to stop making up things, but I’m not!” Her eyes burned as her grip around his leg tightened. Her little body shook in fear as she dreaded returning to her room for the night alone.

Kneeling down, he placed his hands gently on her shoulders, "Of course, darling. I am the Doctor after all." He gave her a hopeful smile and a wink.

Lily's face lit up slightly as tears of happiness formed. Standing on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, sobbing into the fabric of his blazer as he returned her embrace. Her cries told him more than she knew; giving him some insight on the traumatizing fear she endured nightly. He held her close and silently hushed her while stroking her back. He thought back to the reluctant way the children acted around Sister Anne Marie as well as the nun's displeasure of having him being in the house. Something about the whole ordeal was nagging at him; instincts hinting at something sinister but what...?

"You have such a way with children," Sister Elisabeth interrupted. She stood behind them holding a tray with a cup of warm tea on it. Once again smiling, "It is still hard for me to believe you're a bachelor, Mr. Smith."

He rose to his feet, patting Lily on the shoulder as he addressed the Sister, "It baffles me as well, ma'am." He gazed downward at the girl still clinging to him. "I believe it is your bedtime, darling. Go now with Sister Elisabeth and get ready for bed and remember, you are safe now." The girl nodded to him as she slowly loosened her grip. Squeezing her way past the nun and following the other children towards the restroom upstairs to brush her teeth. She took a second to look back at him, putting faith into his promise.

Sister Elisabeth stepped closer to him as she offered him the cup, "Sister Anne Marie asked me to give this to you. She wanted to apologize for her rudeness earlier and thought you might like something warm to drink as you worked in the attic."

"Tell her thank you for me, ma'am. I was just about to retreat to my room for the night and do some research on the house," he took the cup off the tray and started towards the stairs. "If something happens tonight, please come and get me, Sister."

He parted from her and returned to his bedroom. Tchky! Migisi scolded him as he sat down at the table, groaning. The jackdaw clearly did not like being kept in the chilly room away from him. She had released her anger one some sheets of paper setting on the table. Ripping them apart and scattering them all over the place. Sighing, Cypher brushed the shreds away before scratching her head; trying to make up for leaving her while he apologized to her and blamed the elderly woman for it. Slowly, he began to win her over again. She coed while rubbing her head against his hand, just happy to have him with her.

She cuddled beside the cup, soaking in the heat as Cypher began to shuffle through what paperwork was still intact and typed on his laptop, accessing old data bases and searching through online archives of local news. Occasionally he reached for the tea and sipped it while reading. He had become so engrossed by his research, he did not hear the very faint steps outside of his door. Migisi, however, did; her head cocked to the side as she stared towards the odd sound that clicked from near the doorknob, but of course, she had no way of knowing what it meant. Her attention was instantly pulled away from the door as Cypher let out a moan. Her head snapped in his direction as she rose to her feet, fretting over him. 'What was wrong?!'



Cypher sat hunched over the desk intensely massaging his forehead. His eyes closed tightly as he cringed; his head split while his vision blurred. Pushing himself away from the desk, he rose to his feet and stumbled towards the door. Migisi hopped to the edge with fearful eyes watching every uneasy step he took. She lifted her legs while she nervously swayed from one to the other; wanting to aid him but having no way to do anything. Meanwhile, he reached with shaking hands for the doorknob. Sweaty palms loosely wrapped around the metal knob as he felt his body grow heavy. He tried twisting the knob only to discover its refusal to budge; someone had locked it from the other side. He chuckled hysterically to himself, feeling foolish for not taking proper precaution earlier while he remembered how Sister Elisabeth needed to unlock the door from the outside.

"A bloody trap..." was all he could murmur before losing all his strength. Not even remembering closing his eyes, he collapsed to floor. The room growing dark around him as Migisi cried out to him; her worried caws fading with his consciousness.