Where Do People Go in Magnolia

Not much takes place in the small town called Magnolia. Besides the common bar fights, petty thievery, and weird cases of missing people. Events like these were expected to happen with the lack of security that the people had then. Problems and crimes were to be swept under the rug as many people and good deeds were frowned upon as it showed someone trying to be another piece of meat on the chopping block. It was an unwelcoming place, especially to those that weren’t a part of the family.

This was something a stranger couldn’t see the moment they entered the town.  All he could see was how the town stood in good spirits with parties and events. People clambered and yelled about the streets everywhere he looked. The thought crossed his mind of, “All this commotion about town might make it easier to find her, hopefully.” 

After spending a morning and afternoon asking around in the crowded streets it appeared as if no one would provide him any assistance as he was ignored or declined any invitation to converse. This grew to be very frustrating for he knew that the person he was in search for had moved into this town. Yet it was as if she arrived and hid herself away from the townsfolk cause no one even spoke an ounce of her existence.

He noticed a bundle of people gathering within a certain inn and if he had to guess this was definitely the most popular from the looks of it so he followed the group. Now from that moment it was as if evening turned to night in just a brief few minutes as the stranger lost count in how many drinks he had taken. He never did build a good tolerance to alcohol throughout his life because he had nothing to drink for, he never lived in Magnolia. 

Throughout his time at the inn he met a drunk and the drunk was a bit of a blubbering mess but they were the only person who approached him and wanted to talk willingly.

“So how’s been your first day here friend?” the drunk asked with a few burps following per usual custom. 

“Very dull in my space but exciting everywhere else. Everyone seems to be talking and interacting with one another all the time. They’re all in high spirits but once they hear me they seem to be ignoring me. I’m at least lucky the bartender gave me something in return,” the stranger replied while waving his bottle in the air.

“Ay that’s cause we get plenty of drinks coming through here all the time. It’s what the town is really known for. We forget the sins of yesterday and sing for the glory of tomorrow,” the drunk howled before chugging down a bottle.

“What glory is there to be found in drinking your worries away?”

“Staying alive that’s what my friend.”

After a couple more drinks and laughs the two strangers were getting quite along with one another. That was until another bar fight commenced within the inn. The stranger trying to leave the place immediately instead got knocked in the chin from that same drunk's fist. The drunk hadn’t realized who they hit, they were just relishing in the fun. They were just a drunk, it was in their nature. From that moment the rest of the night was dark and cold.

Once he awoke and took the time to freshen himself up he started his mission again. He took a walk down an alleyway which many in town would be sure to avoid but he knew no better. Without a second's notice the stranger felt a sharp edge against his back and a hand wrapped around his throat. “So I hear you’re new around here old man,” a voice came from the mysterious figure that sounded young yet experienced with this sport. 

“Before you do anything rash you must also hear I am from the Kinsworth family and you could make a pretty penny from my worth as long as I am alive,” the man stood as still as possible while acting as calm as he could be. Something very remarkable as he had never been held at knife point before this moment. 

“You’re not helping your case, instead tell me why I shouldn’t kill you and strip you of that very worth?”

“I’m looking for a woman.”

“Everyone is.”

“Please I just want to make sure she's well and safe. I lost contact with her about three weeks ago and if you could provide me with any information of what was happening between that time I would surely provide payment.”

The thief dug the knife a little deeper. They’ve heard their full share of stories of men looking for women in these streets. They grew up in Magnolia, they knew its secrets.

“Wait! Wait! Just let me show you what she looks like and if you don’t recognize her I’ll still pay you for a direction to head towards,” the man pulled out the image of the girl from his coat. “Please if you know anything about where she is I will give you anything you want so please where is she?”

When tears began to form on the man’s face they dripped onto the fingers of the thief. They’ve never seen a man so desperate that he would cry for the image of a woman. They began to realize this was something different, they’ve heard cries for their lives before and this was not that. So the thief let the man go.

He ran as soon as he was free and fell against the alley wall and breathed shallow and quick. His injuries were catching up with him and he didn’t know when he would collapse. It was just his second day and he was ready to leave. “How could she ever stay here for so long,” he wondered.

“So my payment for sparing you. I want whatever you have on you,” the thief asked coldly.

“My my-cough-you are quick to do business. Surprised you’ve settled with the career of a thief,” the man replied, rubbing his throat. He was finally able to get an eye on his attacker and was shocked to see they weren’t that big which they felt, but they did cover themselves in rags to hide their appearance and features under. Something many thieves pick up as it is better to hide yourself because people fear what they can not see, and if they choose not to fear then they underestimate that fear.

The thief starred in response.

“Alright then here,” the man replied while reaching into his pocket and pulling his hand out slowly so as to not alarm the thief towards any sudden actions. When he finally revealed his hand he showed them a pouch with a sizable amount of gold within it. Not a second later the thief ripped it out of the man’s hand and with it his very life. Now the man’s life was in the thief’s hands. “Please, anything at all is of any help.”

The thief thought they could leave this man with no information whatsoever, leaving him to become a beggar and ultimately become another piece of meat. They knew where the girl was but that involved talking about the Burmingham family and the farther away from them one was, the safer they were. Then again to support, they were just a thief and they got their coin. All they were doing was following their nature. 

“Wait where are you going?”

The thief ran without even sprinting knowing the man wouldn’t catch them. His injuries were too heavy for him to carry. He screamed out for help but no one was going to come. This was Magnolia, a land that doesn’t welcome strangers.

Night approached and day passed. Nothing was different amongst the town folk. Not many thought about the man that knocked on their doors between the night and if they did they slammed the door in reply. He was starving, he had nothing in his possession besides his clothes and name. Things seemed to be hopeless for him as everywhere he headed there was a dead end till one fateful door stood in front of him. 

With that door followed a knock and after that knock came a moment of silence. The man almost left in defeat but as he turned, the knob had turned and what followed was not a slam but another man, the master of the house. He stood straight and looked at the man at his door with interest as one does for a lost puppy. Then the master asked, “Can I help you sir?”

“I’m not sure. Do you usually help strangers?” the man questioned carrying very little hope.

“Sure if they can keep my attention. I’ve got a family dinner to attend to and I wouldn’t want to keep them waiting. With that being said, how can I help you, good sir?”

“Please I don’t want to be a bother, all I ask is for direction. I’m looking for a young adult woman. Please if you know anything - anything at all please tell me,” after the poor man begged he pulled out the picture of the woman and handed it to the master. He took it and gave it a close inspection.

“I’m sorry sir but what is your name if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Walter Kinsworth. I’m sorry but I really need to find her. She’s my -”

“How about we take this inside Mr. Kinsworth? It’s getting late and I would love to be of as much assistance as I can. You can join me and my family for dinner and stay the night if you want. I would hate to imagine you sleeping outside in this cold. Please come.” the master insisted, gesturing for Walter to come inside and Walter willingly followed. 

“Thank you so much. Could I know the name of you as well?”

“My name is Alfred Burmington and as you can see this has been a home of my family for generations,” Alfred led Walters' eyes to the paintings across the wall that revealed all of the past families that set foot in this house. Walter found it weird that not one of the families even looked related to one another. He had noticed as well that where a painting should have been located after all the rest was instead an empty space with only an outline of the frame that was there. 

“What happened to that one?”

“You could say there was a mistake in that one.”

They finally reached the dining room and sitting there was the rest of the famous family with plates already set. The table had 8 chairs with one at each end and three on each side. In the head chair took the seat of the master but on his right sat a young teenage boy who Walter assumed to be his son yet looked nothing like the father.  Not even the mother who sat to Alfred’s left who looked stunning with obvious clues to be his wife, she appeared annoyed from the sudden interruption the evening brought. Next to her sat a young girl who stared at him for almost the whole rest of the evening with interest. Walter decided to sit across from Alfred to save himself the trouble of making anyone uncomfortable. 

“Well everyone this is my new friend Walter. He’s decided to join us for dinner tonight. I know this is sudden but he needs our help and we don’t want him leaving without getting a good meal and good sleep,” Alfred spoke loud and clear so all heard. “Oh almost forgot, can we all come together and make sure we help him find the person he’s looking for as well,” Alfred asked though it sounded more like a command as he took the first bite out of his meal. 

“Oh my god,” Alfred said. “Walter I’m sorry I completely forgot to call for your plate. Can someone please bring me Walter Kinsworth’s plate!”

No one said anything, Walter just watched with interest at everyone as they ate their food in silence. Being of the Kinsworth family he had his fair share of dinners especially with others outside of his family but something felt off between these folks. They were quiet and didn’t speak during what felt like ages. Though Walter would normally wonder what was taking his plate so long he was too uncomfortable by the whole scenario. Everyone was so focused on their food that it was as if they didn’t even remember there were others in the room, let alone a stranger. So he broke the silence with, “Sorry to interrupt but I was wondering in the meantime of me waiting for my meal if I could see if you guys knew where-”

“We know where she is,” the boy interrupted mid-bite looking in disgust at the texture of the meat. Walter wasn’t sure if he was stunned from his straightforwardness or that he finally reached an answer that he was hoping for.

“I don’t have any payment on me now but once I get back home I’ll be sure to send many riches back for her retrieval so if you guys could-,” Walter slowly spoke until it slowly hit him. “Wait, I never showed you who I was looking for, at least not you.”

“Oh but you’re a Kinsworth. You must be looking for the woman that was here before. How shameful, an older man like you shouldn't be chasing after such a delicious young lady,” the wife spoke up while still chewing a tender piece of the meat which she seemed to be enjoying. “Now that I recall, her name was something Kinsworth. Pardon me for being rude. She must have been your wife, wasn't she?”

“She’s my daughter,” Walter almost whispered, unsure as to what was going on. These people seemed to know more than they should have. Unless this was the family she had run to live with. Maybe she was somewhere within the house, sleeping maybe or too busy with a chore or hobby that she wouldn’t eat dinner. The chances for that to happen the day her father arrived, but with how his experience was going that would be just his luck. “Is she here? Upstairs maybe? Anything please anything, I don’t wish to take her away from you guys as I know she made a home here but please tell me so I can see her.”

“Settle down-settle down, yes she’s with us but she’s not fully together,” Alfred answered but seemed to be grinning at the end of his words.

“What do you mean? Is she okay?”

“She’s a part of the family now and everyone that joins the family is forever in the hearts of those that consume that love.”

“Please just give me an answer. I appreciate all this and the hospitality you show me but I need to see my daughter if she’s here.”

“She’ll be out shortly Walter. If you want to see your daughter's face you will. And besides, you're a part of the family too, I’m sure you’ll come to see how we choose to show love to everyone that is a part of us. We are so excited to have the father of such a delicious young woman in our house tonight. We get to see where she gets it from.”

“Why do you keep calling her that?”

“Oh my look at that, your dish is here. We wanted to save that for a special night but since such a special guest arrived I guess we get to bestow it down to you.”

“What a real shame. I was looking forward to tasting the inside of that head,” the boy sighed as he picked the meat on his plate. 

“Now you know tradition, stop complaining and leave the man to enjoy his meal,” the wife demanded while still chewing on another tender piece of meat.

“It’s not even that good. The meat is very bland. I thought it would be more sweeter,” the girl had said while still chewing.

“Ah, it was probably killed too early. Ah well there will be more delicious meals coming soon so no one needs to worry,” the master had pushed aside everyone's worries as Walter's meal was placed in front of him by the butlers.

In front of Walter now stood a metal cloche which he hesitated from lifting. Though he waited so long for his dish he thought what if he didn’t not like the dish. Maybe seeking out a meal was not what he should have been looking for and maybe he should seek out how to live with the hunger. If he did, he wouldn't be disappointed to discover the lack of taste it had or the disgust of its texture or the chewiness of its fat. But the hunger was stronger and it will always be stronger in the hearts of men or women. For it is in their nature to eat. 

So when he lifted that lid, he ate his meal with a smile on his face as he had finally found her and with her he also found a new family to be a part of too. He understood why she stayed here and ran away from home. No longer did he feel alone, she was now a piece inside of him and soon he would be a piece inside of everyone else at that table. He was now a Burmington and everyone forgot about the stranger and the man, Walter Kinsworth. He was now a part of the family as another piece of meat.