A Brief History of Carsins Manor
There was a gentleman named Nicholas Kirklake who owned a tremendous amount of farm land and was known for his generosity. He donated money to the hospital which was named after him. Mr. Kirklake had decided in this time of dire need that he would make one more donation. After listening to the pleas for help from the townspeople, he donated about five acres of land he never used to the town. On it was built a new orphanage for the children who were left behind after a neighboring town evacuated due to the impending infection. These kids’ parents didn’t want to take them along to safety, either because they were simply forgotten or because they were bad, bad children. The children started to run the streets of the town causing problems for anyone crossed their path. As the children grew more and more unruly, Mr. Kirklake and the town wanted to ensure the safety of the townspeople as well as the children, therefore the teachers and a headmaster would be hired to control the children.
Mr. Kirklake hired some teachers and a man who would be a Head Master / Caretaker named Edwin. At first the townspeople liked the idea that someone like Edwin would keep the children out of trouble. During the time Edwin was with the children he taught them many things to help them survive the world. Most of the children looked up to Edwin as a friend or as a big brother. But after a few months, the townspeople thought that Edwin was teaching the children horrible ideas. They didn’t think that he was teaching them how to respect adults. They would question authority figures instead of simply accepting things the way they were.
Many argued with Edwin about how the children behaved when they would come into town with him for supplies. After several of the children were accused of stealing candy from one of the stores, Edwin was forced to stand trial for their indiscretions. He was able to pay a fine, but was warned that if he or one of the children ever acted up again, they would be evicted from the town.
About five months later Edwin died one night of a mysterious cause. In an overwhelming act of grief, the children buried Edwin in their playground, so that he would always be near. The children had suspected that the townspeople may have something to do with Edwin death. A new headmaster and his three assistants were hired by the townspeople to replace Edwin. The new teachers were strict with the children and never took them out to play, and certainly didn’t bring them into town. Crazy over the loss of their beloved leader and tired of being cooped up in the orphanage, the children killed and ate their new teachers. No one from town came to investigate the disappearance of the new teachers. As far as the townspeople were concerned, as long as they didn’t see the orphans, they didn’t care what happened in Carsins Manor.
But, after being on their own for awhile, the children needed to take care of themselves. Carsins Manor became overgrown and run-down, as did its residents. When the children ran out of food, they began to live on the corn and other plants that grew on the property. What they didn’t know, but Mr. Kirklake did, was that the orphanage was built on a toxic dump for the mysterious chemical…the one that was causing the great infection. With every bite the children took from food grown on Carsins Manor they were becoming less human…and more dangerous than the townspeople ever knew.
The Tragedy of Edwin
I met Edwin one year when I was visiting mother and father in their home town of Sykesville during the winter holidays. My mother and I were out shopping for a Christmas gift for my father. We went to a hardware store to find the tool that my father wanted for Christmas. Edwin was the salesclerk that helped my mother and I find the tool and show us the better manufacturer at a good price. Edwin and I then started talking and found that we had a lot of things in common. Later that week I hung out with Edwin at the local coffee shop. We talked about our similar pasts, especially our childhoods. We discovered that each of us had a sibling that died at early age. As only children, our parents were proud and protective of us.
After the holidays were over, I went back home. I continued my friendship with Edwin over the years. Whenever I got the chance to visit my parents, I would also hang out with Edwin. When I did visit Edwin, he was always spending time with the children of his community. He was always teaching the children things like fishing, conservation and the beautiful intricacies of the outdoors. I remember one time he had shown me a tree house that he built for the children. All his free time was devoted to the children; he never had any time for himself. He was always so kind to the children and their families. I told Edwin I was very glad that He and I were good friends.
But one day he made a mistake on a toy that he was making for a sick little boy. Edwin got so mad at himself that it took me about two to three hours to calm him down. I was surprised to see him so angry at that one moment, but never saw that side of him again.
One day out of the blue, Edwin had told me that he had gotten a job as a headmaster/caretaker at an orphanage. He was so happy about getting the job that he almost acted like little boy in a candy shop. Just before he left to start his new job, I went out to visit him and see if he needed any help with moving. I helped him pack for his move to his new home. He told me that he was going to live in the orphanage and offered to show me pictures of it. I was expecting to see a depressing run-down institution, but Edwin’s orphanage was almost like a mansion. Best of all was the huge yard. It looked like the kind of place any kid would want to live.
After he left, weeks went by. On my birthday he called and told me how great he felt working with and teaching the children. He seemed at peace without a worry in the world.
About two months later Edwin called in distress. He spoke to me about how he thought the townspeople disliked the children. He said they’d turn their backs on the group while they were out together and whisper. I listened to his concerns and gave him some suggestions. I told him to dress the children nicely and teach them some songs so they could cheer up their neighbors by caroling.
I called Edwin to check on him and his children six weeks later. Instead of improving the townspeople’s perception of the children, Edwin had driven them further away. They were disgusted by the mere sight of Edwin and the children. Rumors of what was happening within the orphanage walls grew rampant, and nothing Edwin could do or say would put an end to the lies. Again, I calmed him down like the last time he was upset but he was still worried about the children’s safety and wellbeing. Edwin even thought that the townspeople would try to hurt him, or worse, the children. I told him that the townspeople would have to be crazy to hurt them, especially the innocent little ones.
I attempted to contact Edwin a week later to find out how everything was going, but I was unable to reach him. I tried to visit the orphanage but a shop owner in a nearby town told me that something a spill had happened at the town the orphanage was in and the whole town was barricaded off. I even contacted the local government to see what happened and the government official stated that it was none of my business.
I never heard from or about Edwin ever again. The one thing I feel is that Edwin is still protecting the children and will never give up. |
