The Tale of the Tablet: Chapter I

Who would have thought that twenty years would fly as swiftly as they had? Certainly not William Tremont, he who made and repaired instruments; he who dwelt in his small blue house which was in the small village which once existed in our world, yet is since long gone and faded into mystery.

He had been alone then, yet was not alone now. Shortly after his return, an odd gift had been given to him and his little house: his niece, Alna, was meant to live with him after her parents had met their untimely deaths. Neither of them had adjusted well to the other at first, especially William, who had not lived with another person for many a year indeed. But adjust they both did, and William was glad that Alna had chosen to live with him, even when offered to be fostered by a few of the childless couples in the village.

She had grown into a young woman with many of the same traits as him — as might be expected, as she was his niece, after all. She shared his aptitude and skill for instrument-care and creation, as well as his passion for cooking fine foods. However they differed in some ways; she was more easily comprehended and tolerated than he, from a social perspective. While he rose and retired early, she was wont to stay awake later, often sitting outside the blue house and admiring the stars on clear nights.