With his menial daily task quickly -- yet quite mysteriously-- finished, Stanley was sent here and there to assist the others with what they were doing. Before long, Stanley was sure the looks he was getting from his fellow mill workers were annoyed and to the point of being venomous. Some of them made offhanded comments about how he was looking to show all of them up, and Stanley was certain not all of them were joking. It didn't help that no matter where he went to help, the job was done quicker and more perfect than ever before. Each time, Stanley's work partner would look away do something else or speak with someone, and when they had turned back not seconds later the thing they had been working on was already done.

At current, Hod had decided to take Stanley aside and show him a thing or two about working the waterwheel down by the river. "It's tough work making sure these damned gears don't rust over, what with all the water splashing here and there," the miller was saying. "Pay attention, lad. You may very well be the next one doing this. I won't stay this young forever!" Master Wellman chortled again.

Stanley, who had been drifting through the day despite somehow maintaining the appearance of being hardworking, was too absorbed in his own thoughts. He had certainly developed some sort of brain injury from his fall the night before, he decided. His memories of work today were fleeting and jumbled. None of it was making any sense. As he mulled all of this over, he watched a strangely dressed woman hauling a basket make her way up the path to the mill. Once she had made her way level with the mill, she had stopped and begun staring. Her behaviour seemed so out of place, Stanley was certain she was a hallucination.

"Stan!" Hod called out again, a sliver of impatience present in his voice. He was not a man to keep waiting.

"Sorry, Master Wellman!" Stanley exclaimed, snapping his eyes over to Hod. Even that small of a quick movement made his stomach tumble and his eyes water. Putting a hand to his forehead, he pressed upon it as if that would dull the ache. "I just noticed someone over there; that's all. Do you think she needs any help? She's watching us." He was ready for Hod to retort that no one was there.

Hod squinted, looking over to where Stanley was pointing. He furrowed his brow and put a hand to his beard. "I think her name is Martha... Moriah... Maria! That's it. I suppose I should see what she's after." With that, Hod stomped past Stanley and went up the steps leading down to the river from the path. "God be with you, Miss Maria!" he called out as he walked, waving genially. "What brings you out here?"

Stanley looked past Hod as the miller went over to Maria, an overwhelming sense of dread creeping into his brain. It came unbidden and for seemingly no reason. Something about this woman was rubbing him the wrong way. In fact, for the slightest of seconds they locked gazes, and Stanley felt the most intense chill run down and back up his spine. It caught his breath in his chest, causing him to lean against a nearby support beam. Quickly, he looked away, eyes wide and gasping for air.