It was a snowy evening like any other on this side of the city. More mud than snow and rather an unpleasant atmosphere regardless of the time it is.
Cold, freezing weather, like snowstorm it could kill if it wanted to. But there she stood nevertheless.
Tall woman in an exclusive but used coat with holes and burns.
A noble woman? Maybe but not anymore.
She interrupted every bypasser for what seemed to be a plead for help, a shelter or money.
Didn't matter who that would be, even the president himself no one would help. But someone did.
A young adult, a man came out of his modest house outside in his rugged clothes and jogged towards the woman with one of his arms shielding him from the blast of the wind.
"Come with me, I can give you shelter for the time being" he said as he gave his hand to the lady.
She didn't say anything else other than hold his hand and follow him to his house up untill the point they arrived.
"Make yourself at home. Oh, don't take off your clothes or shoes, It's pretty cold here but not as much as outside" the man said.
The woman stood there at the entrance yet to say a word. She looked around.
Old flat with holes in the ceiling, rust on many furniture and dust in the corners.
"Please sit, I will give you something to eat"
The lady sat and not so long after the young lad brought a warm soup, not hot but seemed like it in this conditions.
The man sat in front of her with a bowl of his own, visibly less to eat than what the lady had.
"Feel free to eat... I'm Nick by the way, what's your name?"
Before responding the lady took a sip, and her neutral, cold face turned into a small smile that warmed Nick more than any clothes he was wearing ever could.
Then she opened her mouth as if she wanted to speak.
"Prize-" she whispered.
"What? I couldn't hear-" blast the door opened and the wind let in a lot of snow.
The man grunted and fought hard with the wind, but finally menaged to close it.
"Oof... Anyway could you repeat-"
Table... empty. No sign of the lady whatsoever.
I must be going crazy he though and with said thought in mind he went up the cranky, falling apart stairs into his bedroom, and went to sleep.
"It's so comfortable-" the man murmured.
Then he jolted out of his bad as he always slept on hard, almost frozen stacks of hay.
Nothing familiar about this place. Then he walked up to the window.
"Definitely home..." he said as he recognized the view perfectly, narrow streets and the same building placement.
Then he looked down and saw the same lady down there, waving her hand at his window.
"This must be a dream... Yes, a dream..."
Feeling dizzy he laid down on his bed again, but once he woke up nothing changed. He pinched himself on the arm, very painfully and he felt it.
No way it was a dream now. Confused, but immeasurably happy he promised himself and the unknown lady that he is not gonna waste it.
He lived a happy, peaceful but entertaining life. Changing it all together to become a merchant, trusted and well respected one at that.
The End.