The bodies were moved out of the box soon after that....and the Boy was left alone.

There was no more blue eyed Hovel, or the strange man Jacob, or the beautiful Nora.

Until....Nora returned.

“Hello.....” Nora said from the crack in the white box as she walked in.

The sound of moving air...and a few beeps later and the crack in the box closed back up behind her.

But Nora was standing with him for the second time that day.

The soft unfamiliar voice had the boy unsure of what to do. So the boy just sat on the floor and simply watched her.

The woman was.....amazing to him.

The boy had seen only a few women in his life. Most of them had come to him in White robes....or as food for the Flame. Nora was something different....something new.

There was a small hesitation in her eyes as she crossed the room. Her large black eyes traced the boy’s face, and unclothed body intently.

The boy was used to seeing this cautious behavior.

All of the men in White had that look in their eyes when they came near him.

Nora didn’t say anything more until she was standing in front of him...looking at the boy openly and softly.

“Hello. My name is Nora....” She needlessly introduced, since the boy couldn’t understand her. Nora blinked at the boy, smiled and then suddenly crouched down in front of him. “My job is to start taking care of you so from today on, I’ll be beside you.” Nora softly told him next, then a small pause filled her voice, as she looked down the front of Brandon’s body.

“Starting off...I think the first thing I’ll be doing as your caretaker, is bathing you, and finding you some new clothes.” Nora shook her head, and glanced back up to the boys eyes. “But first....do you fell okay? Are you hungry? Are you in any pain?” she asked him.

The boy stared into her black eyes...and just kept staring.

After moment or two Nora’s eyes dropped to the floor and she sighed.

“So you can’t speak? Oh well....that’s okay.” She seemed to be saying more to herself then to the boy. Then Nora’s head picked back up and she said. “But we are going to need a name for you.” She said with a small chuckle. “I really don’t want to keep calling you “You” no matter what the Grand Mater says...” Nora mused to herself. Her words mumbled out into the air, as she reached out and traced a finger across the boy’s face.

“What should I call you?”

Her touch was strange....because it didn’t hurt him. The boy still didn’t understand what she was doing or saying, but he simply preoccupied himself with watching her soft face, change from one expression to another.

Suddenly a deep rumble filled the air from behind them.

“His name is not for you to give, beautiful....” A soft timber called from beyond the crack.

After a few beeping sounds the box opened up, and Jacob walked in. His steps and movements slow and confident.

“Jacob.” Softly welcomed with a tip of her head to her chest. “I see you have returned from your meeting with the Grand Master.”

“Yup....now Excuse yourself, Acolyte.” Jacob replied in short order as he walked up to the bed and gestured to the boy sitting on the floor like a doll. “I want to speak to the Cub.” Jacob told her as he started to drop down to the ground.

With a small look of surprise Nora reached out, touched his arm and stopped him. “Um....He cannot speak to you.” She said.

With a small sigh Jacob stood back up and turned to her, the movement bringing him closer to Nora, and making it painfully apparent how much smaller then Jacob she was.

“Excuse me?” Jacob asked her then.

With a swift glance down at the boy she softly replied. “Um, they haven’t taught him any words.” She explained to Jacob. She reached down and petted her hands through the soft dirty blond hair on the boy’s docile head.

“He does not seem understand anything that I say to him.” She said next.

A moment passed, then with a resigned sigh Jacob took a step back and cross his arms over his chest. “What they hell....” He softly murmured watching Nora pet the boys sitting beside them. Then Jacob suddenly tilted his head to the side and asked her. “So Acolyte? What would you age him?”

With a small frown Nora stopped petting the boy’s hair, and blinked over at Jacob. “I’m sorry? What would I age him?” she asked back.

Jacob nodded then said. “Well, you are a mortal aren’t you? And whatever they are using this Cub for his also smells and looks to be human.” Jacob pointed a thumb back at himself as he continued to speak. “I am not human. I do not age like Mortals do. But the Cub seems to be young....So what would you age him? “Jacob finally asked once more.

Nora’s beautiful face dawned with sudden understanding and she replied with a small sad smile directed towards the boy. “I was thinking he somewhere around the age of nine or ten...perhaps.”

A hash barked laugh from Jacob snatched Nora’s eyes from the boy and as she looked at Jacob he simply shrugged and said. “If only...” He seemed to whisper to himself. Then he smiled at her.

“....But then you can’t know....for now ten years will have to do.” Jacob told her, then he stood taller, dropped his arms and cleared his throat and said. “Now sweet Acolyte....I want you to leave me and the boy alone.”

There was strange pause as Nora seemed to be momentarily surprised by the request once more, but this time she didn’t argue.

With a short glance back at the boy, Nora bowed her head to Jacob, and excused herself.

A long and strange pause filled the room that the boy didn’t understand. He watched this strange man. And was surprised to see that the man was simply watching him too.

But there was something else that was odd about the man’s presence. It....drew the boy.

Finally it seemed that the man was done staring at him, because without any hesitation Jacob crossed the room, stood in front of the boy, only to drop down onto his hunches and look the boy dead in the face.

Once more....for a long moment Jacob just watched him....then he suddenly spoke.

His voice was rich and measured....and something about it sent a small trill across the boys mind. And it was also at this point that the boy realized that Jacobs’s eyes were glowing a light yellow, which was odd because the man’s gaze had been black only moments before.

“Hello there?” Jacob softly and boldly said as he captured the boys gaze. “My name is Jacob. I’m going to be hanging around from now on....” After he said this Jacob stopped tilted his head and seemed to consider something before he chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I wonder if you really can’t understand a thing I’m saying to you.”

Suddenly the man reached out and touched him. The warmth of his touch both shocked and pleasured the boy. On an unknown instinct the boy pressed his cheek into the touch.

Jacob blinked, then outright laughed and grabbed the boys face in both of his hands.

“This is amazing...!” Jacob breathed. He stared at the boy intently. A strange and heavy emotion was in his glowing yellow eyes. An emotion that both warmed the boy....and made something inside of him quiver in pain. “Hello Brandon.....” Jacob whispered. “Hello my Lil One.”

Most of what the man said to him seemed like nothing but gibberish to the boy.

But the names he spoke in that moment struck a strange cord with him. The boy quickly realized that he liked “Lil One and Brandon” far better than being called “boy, it and thing”

The boy didn’t understand why....and he lacked the words to ask, so when Jacob suddenly dropped his face, stood up and started to walk away....all the boy could do was stare after him.

Jacob walked away without looking back, but before he left the room completely Nora returned and met him halfway across the room.

The boy didn’t understand what Jacob said to the woman....but that did not keep him from hearing it.

“Hey Acolyte....before you were wondering what to call the boy weren’t you?” Jacob suddenly asked.

Nora’s face brightened in surprise, but with a small nod she agreed. “Yes I was.” She said shortly, then glanced over towards the boy and lowered her voice. “Hovel insists I call him an “It.” Like he’s just some kind of animal or something.” She told Jacob with a small shake of her head.

Jacob shook his head back at this and simply replied. “The Lil One is with a name now and from today fowards. His name will be Brandon.”

Then without another word Jacob left the box.

In this way....the nameless existence, became Brandon the Lil One.

*What do you think of Jacob so far? What do you think his connection is to the Lil One?*