Margaret had been meaning to get a new prescription for some time now, but still the misunderstanding is really not her fault. Anyone with her eyesight would believe a little sweet thing like Maximus to be a dog when faced with them.

How was she to know that she was petting a piece of darkness incarnate?

Okay, _sure. _The little guy introduced him- apologies, themself as Magnum Tenebrosum, but she assumed it had simply come from the radio. They’re always having those silly pretend radio shows after all- so she continued petting the little creature- who pushed into her palm, mind you, so it’s not as if she forced an old one to play puppy!

Did it feel strange? Well, _yes, _but she figured the poor thing must’ve ended up matted from its days on the streets all alone. Did it act like a proper puppy? No, not quite, but again they were so sweet for a stray and Margaret is nothing if not understanding of all of god’s (or maybe gods’? She tries not to think too hard about what little Max’s- Magnus’ existence means in regards to life, death, religion, the overall universe, and existence itself) creatures.

And she promised to take care of them. That’s what really matters, even when she hears whispers of things never meant for mortal ears or when she can **feel** the shadows around her, like a blanket resting heavy on her shoulders.

Besides her eyesight has long since left her so she can’t even properly pick up on the eyes that follow her from the darkness. Just the ones that trail along side her legs when she walks through the hall.

Though there’s also the occasional late night wake up calls that- bless their heart- scares the bejesus out of the poor old woman.

“M̶̧̑͛̄ơ̴̙͖͠͝ť̵̢̮̞͖̀̾̃̏͌͛͠ḥ̵̖͇͈̝̫̊̉͋͝͝͝e̵̫̗̼̦̲̭͉̤̅́̓̋͘r̴̡͖̣̯̻̻̀.”

“**DEAR LORD-**” oh, it’s just Max- Magnus, she means. She is still getting used to that. “Hello dearest.”

“T̶̛̤͖̖͖h̷̝͇̖͒e̷̯̳͍̽͝͠ ̶̡̞̟̝̿s̵̭̤̙̾̿͒̈́m̸̼̞̯̺̈́ȁ̸̛͔̜̠͆l̸͚̖͉̫̂̾̀l̵͙̉́̈̔ ̷̛̰̤̫͐̓o̵͔͇͓͋̆̕n̶̤͙̾̍̏̑e̷̱̲̓̎͘͝ ̴̩͍̌h̴͚͇̓̊u̸̳͚̘̺̔͐͑͑n̴̛̩̖̞g̸̡̛̾̃ę̸̺̞̆̐͆r̴̩̜͓̂s̸̱̮̩͑.̴͈̬̝̏”

And sure enough, little baby Roofus is sitting beside Magnus. His tiny little nails tapping against the tile as he shifts his feet, he whines up at her.

“Aww poor baby, it’s not time to eat yet.” She reaches down to pet Roofus on the head before looking back at Magnus for a moment. “How about I walk you two back to bed and you can come get me when morning comes?”

“Ī̸̭̃̒ ̴͚͑ḍ̸̙̫̔ő̷̘̺̲̍ ̵̛͚n̷̗̲͚͂͂̈o̵̡̾̍ṯ̵̩̄́ ̵̠͌͋̐l̷͎͈̉i̶̮͂̂k̷͕̞̃è̷͚͙ ̵͇̞̺̅̓m̵̙̖͑̃̋o̶̮̼̣͘r̶͉͆ṉ̵̭͉͌̇̚ȉ̴̠͇̑͝n̸͚̗͚͛͒̉g̵͖͋.̵͍̮̲̀́”

“I know, sweetpea, but the babies and I need our sleep. Want a bedtime story?” She pets Magnus as well, who’s being flows through her fingers as they spread throughout the darkness of the hallway. Oh how bright their eyes are. “Goodnight Moon?”

The being of pure darkness, having existed before life or death and long before old Margaret found herself in existence, seems to soften slightly at the idea. “T̵̨͘h̶̯̒a̵̛͓t̸͐ͅ ̷̛͙i̷̿͜s̶̛̤ ̴̫̿a̴̝͛ĉ̶̥c̸̛̳e̷̼̊p̶̪̐t̶̰̄a̴͋ͅb̴̨̑ḽ̷͊e̷̤̕.̵̦̀”

She smiles sweetly and starts walking her precious little ones back to the living room.