It was a day like any other for Mortuus. He wasn't a very busy man, but he did things to help around the town. He checked on the kids at the orphanage, maybe played a few games with them, and then headed to the town square before returning home to the bunker.
As he left the orphanage, a small girl hugged his leg. " Bye-bye, Morty," the girl said sweetly before running back to the other kids. She was a sweet little girl with rosy cheeks and pigtails. She couldn't say Mortuus, so like most of the little kids, she just called him Morty.
Mortuus smiled, forgetting no one could see under the bandages. "Bye, Little Lambs," He said as he left. He called them all his little lambs since the orphanage was called Shepard's Meadow Orphanage.
The orphans waved goodbye to him at the door as he headed on his way. They all secretly wondered where he lived, but no one ever thought to follow him. After all, he was a very mysterious man and could be unpredictable.
Mortuus stepped into the crowd of townsfolk. Little kids were giggling and playing tag, and mothers stood beside them as they talked with a salesperson. Some others were sitting by the water fountain that was at the center.
After Michael and Maria's death, a fountain was added to the square, and a small plaque reminded everyone of them. Most people never pay attention to the fountain, but it is a sweet gesture.
Mortuus, however, often spent hours just sitting by the fountain. Sometimes, he would just sit and talk to it like it was Maria he was talking to. Crazy as it seemed, Mortuus always felt like it was listening to him and not like in an inanimate way.
The warm summer air brushed against his leathery, mangled skin, making the bandages stick even more. As he walked through the town square, he could also feel the cold gazes of the townspeople gawking at his strange appearance.
None of the people who stared hated him besides one cranky old lady. Most just felt uneasy by his bloody bandaged face and hands.
Mortuus walked through the crowd of staring people. He was used to the gazes by now. After all, he did have bloody bandages covering his whole body, even his eyes. It wasn't a distinct look, but it was better than people seeing his disfigured face.
"Why are you dressed like a mummy?" a small child asked Mortuus, observing his bandages curiously. The boy's mother stood away a bit, talking with another mother, and waved at Mortuus.
"I didn't eat my vegetables." He joked. It was better than telling him the truth. Not that he could. Even months after discovering who he was, Mortuus wasn't entirely sure what had happened. His memories were still hazy.
Mortuus's past was violent, while his personality was much the opposite. He had learned some close-up magic while high the one time. He pulled a lollipop from behind his ear and gave it to the child.
Mortuus loved close-up magic, from the simple coin behind the ear to the difficult Raise Rise. The raise-rise was a trick where Mortuus would have a card that seemed to rise without being touched.
The kid giggled with delight at Mortuus's trick. His grotesque appearance didn't turn the child away. In all truth, He loved making kids laugh. Maybe it stemmed from his childhood of being abused and wishing he had someone to care for him and make him laugh.
But whatever the reason, he loved to be like a big brother to the kids of Crater Hollow, and most kids considered him that. The kids at the orphanage that Mortuus helped to open definitely saw him that way.
"I eat all of my veggies, Mr. Mummy." The child said with a giggle. Mortuus patted him on the head and nudged him back to his mother. What a sweet kid, Mortuus thought to himself as he watched the boy joyfully show the lollipop to his mother.
He turned down an alley and made his way to the woods. He had been staying in Mordecai's bunker since the night he ended The Stitcher's reign of terror with a golden bullet.
As he entered the woods, a voice called out to him, "MORTUUS!! WAIT!!" It was the local shopkeeper's wife- Mrs. Middleton. She usually didn't speak to Mortuus; she just gave him a subtle nod and sometimes gave him water from the fridge in the backroom of her store.
The shop was small, only two stories, and built in the 1800s as a trading post. After being renovated in 1929, it serves as a marijuana dispensary. The top was where the Middletons lived with their son, Hansen.
"Mrs. Middleton? What's wrong?" Mortuus asked the short, heavy-built but fragile woman. He had become close with many of the townsfolk after his heroics. And while they didn't speak to each other much, there was still a certain level of friendliness between the two.
"Mr. Middleton asked me to give you these. Said you were running low." Mrs. Middleton said as she handed him a tin of marijuana cartridges.
Mr. Middleton ran the local marijuana distribution, while his wife ran the gift shop. Mr. Middleton opened his store after his father passed away, and it was handed down to him. It only had a gift shop because Mrs. Middleton was a handywoman who loved to make pottery and little knickknacks.
The young couple had become very close with Mortuus after he showed up to cash in the note he had found. It also helped that Mortuus would occasionally walk their son to school. Crater Hollow's weather was always so unpredictable.
He had even gotten pretty close with their son, Hansen. "Thank you, Mrs. Middleton. And tell Mr. Middleton and Hansen I say hi."
Mrs. Middleton nodded and smiled before returning to her store. She was a very busy woman. Taking care of a family was hard enough, but she also had to keep her store in check.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMR4UTiy8Jr
