The Border
Date Published: May 27, 2023, 12:04pm
Written By: didba59
I’d like to introduce a new story about an alternative world.Part 1
Freddie Stevens was sitting at his computer and working on his last game project. It was a large fantasy adventure, and he was about to perform the very first playtests. The game was almost ready to play, and he planned to provide the alpha version to his friends.
“It’s time to send e-mails to Tony and Marianne,” he told to himself and opened the e-mail program. Tony and Marianne were his friends and they often helped him.
All of sudden, he noticed an unknown wi-fi network in the list. A wi-fi network wasn’t anything extraordinaire but Freddie lived in a small house about five miles away from the nearest village and he used his private access point with a satellite modem. There were no more access points around. Somebody could wander through the forest but there was no mobile signal there. The satellite modem was the only connection to the outer world.
Freddie liked the life far from the civilization. He could work on his projects undisturbed, and his loyal companions were rabbits and does that came close to his house. The house itself was well equipped and mostly independent on the external power.
The unknown wi-fi network wasn’t the only strange phenomenon. About a month ago, Freddie walked through the forest. He arrived at a small clearing and noticed a strange fog. He was taken aback; it was a sunny day. Suddenly, he spotted a doe appearing out of the fog. The next day he returned to the same clearing and noticed another doe disappearing in the fog. He was tempted to enter the fog, but he didn’t have the courage to do it.
Freddie was staring at the unknown wi-fi network, and he decided to succumb to the temptation and connect. The network was public and unprotected. To his utter shock, the e-mail program disconnected instantly. Freddie didn’t panic and tried to open Google. Google worked but Freddie was not able to find any familiar places or persons. Was he looking at a different world? After browsing several sites, he felt like in a daydream or fairy-tale.
A knocking on the door awakened Freddie from his dreams. Who could arrive at his place? He wasn’t aware of any visit and does didn’t knock on the door. He stood up and walked over to the door. When he opened it, he stared at the visitor in utter surprise.
“Good afternoon, sir,” a small girl at about ten was standing in front of the door. She was short and slender with long dark hair arranged in a ponytail and deep brown eyes. She was wearing clothes resembling a school uniform – a white blouse, a knee length skirt and jacket with a checkered pattern, thick tights and low-heeled shoes. Freddie also noticed a rather big backpack on her back.
“Hey, little girl, how did you get here? Did you get lost? Where are your parents? Are you all alone here?”
“My name is Ann, and I probably passed the Border. Where am I?”
“W … what? What border? My name is Freddie and the next village is Chatsson. I live in a small house and I’m alone here.”
“Don’t you know about the Border? We learned about it and about another strange world behind it.”
“Strange? I live here and I don’t find it strange,” Freddie shrugged, “In either case, come in. We can talk inside.”
Ann nodded and walked in. Freddie showed her the way and they stopped in his small living room.
“Sit down. Would you like to have something to drink or eat?”
“Yeah, please. Can I have a cup of juice?” Ann put the backpack off her back and sat down.
“Of course, Ann,” Freddie left for the kitchen and returned with a cup of juice, “have your drink and tell me more about yourself. Why are you walking through the forest? Can you walk all alone? Where are your parents.”
“I should explain you, sir …”
“Call me Freddie.”
“Okay, Freddie. I am looking for a Caretaker and I don’t know my parents.”
“W … what? Where do you live then? Who takes care of you?”
“Freddie, I live in the Children Centre now, but I turned ten two days ago and now I should find a Caretaker. Children live in the Centers until they turn ten.”
“What happens then?”
“They have to find a Caretaker that will take care until their adulthood. Otherwise, they are assigned to public caretakers. To be honest, I wouldn’t like to get assigned. Some of my friends have been assigned and they complained about the treatment by the public caretakers.”
Freddie kept listening and he couldn’t believe his ears. What world was the little girl talking about? However, he remembered the sites he had found shortly ago.
“Okay, I need some time to cope with everything you’ve told me. You are looking for a caretaker. How did you cross the border? Do you believe to find a caretaker here?”
“Why not. Would you like to become my caretaker?”
“Wait, Ann. It is not that simple. We don’t know caretakers in our world. It would be an adoption and a judge had to assign you as my adoptive daughter.”
“It is simple. Come with me and you become my caretaker in our world. We can return and live here if you want to.”
“Okay, but I don’t have any experience with children, Ann. I’m a bachelor.” Freddie watched Ann and tried to imagine himself as a parent; he didn’t like the word Caretaker.
“Don’t worry, Freddie. I won’t trouble you at all and I’ll help you with all chores. I’ve learned it at the Children Centre.”
“What if somebody comes to visit? How do I explain your presence? Somebody could call the social services.”
Ann kept silent. She wasn’t aware of the laws on the other side. It was simple to assign an adult as her caretaker in her world. Nevertheless, she believed that it could be solved somehow.
“Would you like to try it at least? You wouldn’t be alone here though.”
“I don’t know, Ann ….”
“Please,” Ann made puppy eyes at Freddie.
“Okay then; you convinced me even if I’m not able to imagine a life with a child. However, it is getting late now. You shouldn’t go to the forest in the darkness. Stay here and we will go to your world tomorrow. I’ll make a dinner and find some bedsheets for you. Won’t you get missing?”
“I don’t think so. Children like me can look for their caretakers for several days even if I don’t remember a caretaker from behind the Border.”
Ann suddenly kept silent for about a minute, and she turned to Freddie then.
“Freddie, I need a diaper change. I’ve just peed myself and the diaper is soaked already.”
“A diaper change? Do you need diapers? You are ten though.”
“Yeah, I need diapers. Hopefully I’ll get toilet trained at 18 or later.”
“Well, that’s another challenge. I’ve never changed diapers. Can’t you change them on your own?”
“Sorry, Freddie, I can’t do it. We can learn it when we turn 17. However, it is not difficult, Freddie. I have everything necessary with me,” Ann pointed at the backpack.
Freddie sighed quietly. The parent role itself was a challenge and changing diapers made it even harder. He opened the backpack and pulled out several cloth diapers, a package of baby wipes, a spare pair of rubber pants and spare tights. There was a plastic bag and a changing mat inside, too.
“Ann, is it enough until tomorrow?” Freddie looked at the diapers. There were six large flat diapers there.
“I need two diapers for every change. You will need two of them now, two after dinner and the last two during the night. Can you wash the four diapers after dinner?”
“Of course, I can, and the washing machine can dry them as well.”
“That’s fine, change me now please. I don’t like the wet feeling,” Ann walked over to a couch and lay down. She removed her shoes and tights and lifted her skirt. The rubber pants were exposed, and Ann spread her legs.
“Unbutton the pants,” she asked Freddie. He did it and the urine reek spread across the room. The diapers between her legs were soaked.
“Pull the diapers from beneath me, take the baby wipes and wipe my crotch,” Ann continued. Freddie nodded and obeyed her commands. He put two clean diapers beneath her, powdered her, pulled the diapers between her legs and buttoned the rubber pants. Five minutes later Ann was clean and dry. She put on the tights and shoes and jumped down from the couch.
“The first caretaker task accomplished,” she grinned, “where is the bathroom? We have to rinse the dirty diapers and put them into a pail.”
Ann headed towards the bathroom and Freddie shook his head only. What the hell did he get into?