Just muddling through life

A day out

Have you ever stood and asked yourself, why? Why are these beautiful children so mischievous? Why can’t they just stand or sit still?  I should have known better then to take them to the Tudor House.  The term stately home should have set off alarm bells. No, stupidly I had made the sandwiches, put squash in beakers, found wellies and put the children in the car.  I had imagined a nice day admiring the home and gardens of Lady Gray.  This was not the day I had planned and I certainly did not expect to meet witches.

As we drove along the long gravel drive looking for parking, Jane hit Tim, shouting,

“Yellow car, no returns.”

“Mum, Jane hit me.”

Ignoring them and now concentrating on reversing, I needed a happy day.

Taking their hands we walked, paid entry and entered the great hall. Tim groaned,

“I’m hungry”

“Later.”

The incident

After an exhausting but long afternoon, it happened, like watching something in slow motion. I saw the face of the screaming tour guide first.  So many times, I have told the children to touch nothing, today was no exception. As I saw the wall vanish, I heard Jane and Tim laughing.

When you are alone with these two it is impossible to stop and read anything. I had taken my eyes off them for a second and now this.  Standing in the centre of the large ornate room there was a plaque. It told of a great superstition, a warning. Small children don’t read warnings.  They had picked up the huge ornamental cup between them, Tim shouting, “We won”.

Maybe this place should not have been open to the public, but people were now screaming and running.  Hysteria over a disappearing wall!

I’m not superstitious and certainly do not believe in ghosts but I now wrapped my coat around me and shivered, and the children had put the cup down.  This was no longer a fun game.

The cup

As the crying started, the tour guides were trying to get everyone out safely.  This was a first for the National Trust and no one was prepared for it.  The plaque had been considered merely a story, but the cup had always been treated extremely carefully, and no one had touched its handles, until now.

Historians had recorded an event in 1783, where it was found that if the cups handles were held at the same time by different people, it was believed that the dead will rise again.  They wrote that white witches had chanted and returned the spirits to their other realm where they needed to be.  Today there are no witches, and the crying has turned to howling.

Why am I now smelling incense?  The children are now sat watching events unfold as if we are at the theatre. The National Trust staff don’t know what to do and a stranger is now trying to take charge.  A blonde-haired guide is trying to ignore what he is saying, and he is becoming more irate.  His plea’s are urgent and being ignored. This was all our fault and running was the coward’s way out.

“Excuse me, but can I help? Seems that you know something here.”

“This cup has been here many years, and it was just a matter of time before this happened. The National Trust have ignored all my warnings but did at least install a sign. Not your fault that your children can’t read. We need a white witch.”

The White Witches

Ignoring his reading comment I now googled, ‘White Witch, Essex’.

“You don’t need to google I’ve already messaged them. They know me, I’m prepared.  Not sure if they believe me though.”

I now phoned the number and explained what had happened.  They had not taken Eric seriously; they had considered him a time waster years ago.  Now knowing there really was a problem they made their plans to leave immediately.  Looking at Eric I could see he was enjoying this. The rest of us were scared but he was wearing his ‘told you so’ smile.

Smelling the aroma of herbs and then flowers, grey smoke was filling the room.  The crying and wailing continued as clouds formed and then disappeared, then reappeared again as if they were dancing.

Hearing the screech of tyres I grabbed the children, surely this was it.  As the giant walked in the guides went quiet. Eric ran up to him but was told to leave alone. Watching his co-workers assemble their equipment this appeared to be a military operation. They had obviously performed this many times before.

Problem solved

Watching the children hold their noses as the scent of lavender filled the room I was amazed at the seamless operation happening around me. The giant, Jack, was giving commands, as a lady started to chant.

Gradually the smoke became thinner and the crying and wailing died down.  Lastly the wall reappeared. No harm done, all spirits returned to where they should be and the room now back in harmony with its surroundings.

A manager now appeared and was talking with Jack about the cup.  Maybe it really was not something that should be on display in a National Trust property.

This was a day that we will be re telling for years to come. However, I doubt people will believe us.  One of those events that if the children mention it at school they will be accused of lying. its not often you visit a National Trust property and meet real witches.

I didn’t know that white witches existed.  There is so much that we are unaware of as we go about our daily lives.  This was a day that we are never going to forget, question is though, next time will the children do as they are told? And not touch!

Written for Write the story photo prompt on Writers Unite

For more see, Sand falling into a new life

The Forest

I was just ten when my mum told me fearfully about Blackwood Forest.  So many stories, scary events, disappearances.  How much was actually true or exaggerated? There were so many debates and  now people are charging to lead trips through it.  Should the forest have been a business opportunity? Possibly not, but here I am at thirty one being talked into the forest adventure experience.

Should I listen to John? He was desperate to do this.  I knew mum would be worried, should I tell her that I’m considering going?

It was a week later when mum appeared at my door with her partner George.  I could see immediately that something was wrong.

“Mel, Sally is missing, she has vanished.  The police aren’t helping.”

“When was she last seen?”

“She was hanging around with Tim, Oh Mel, I think they went to the forest, Tim is missing too.”

John and Tim have been good friends since school.  Sinking into the kitchen chair, I knew where this is leading.  Am I brave enough to really do it?

A tour

Days later the four of us are stood at the entrance to the forest listening to an over excited tour guide. A wet night and this didn’t feel right, looking at mum I can see she is not happy. Hiding under her hood she is holding on to George. A party of maybe twenty people, all being led into the unknown. Listening to Kirsty, this was a very bad idea.

I felt like we were following the ‘Pied piper’ being led into terrible danger.  However, I was curious, but what could go wrong? We were waking into a forest popular for its numerous scary tales in the dark and we were now soaked.  The atmosphere was thick with the fear of those around me.  Kirsty’s voice rattled on, but I had stopped listening, I was focused on where we were stood. Whispering to John and mum I squeezed their hands, I had an idea.

As the group continued on, the four of us gathered around the picnic bench.

“What is happening here? How many times has Kirsty walked around this forest with people blindly following her?

“Mel, why are you reading into something that is not there?  It’s just a tour, showing the sights of the stories.

“What if they are not stories? Something is happening here, I know it is.”

As we heard screams, mum started to cry.  This really was not right, reaching into my pocket, I now dialled 999.

Help

“Incident Blackwood Forest, screaming”. I advised to follow the footpath to the open area with the bench, then go very careful from there”. The operator was hesitant but just twenty minutes later we heard voices.

As the team set to follow the path, they had their lights glowing on their helmets, no one was going missing tonight.

Not knowing whether to go home or stay in the open glade we were consumed by curiosity.  Would we know what is happening if we left. Hearing the crack of a radio a man now appeared.

“Who called this in?”

“Me, what’s happening?

“What made you stay here and not follow the group?”

“Something didn’t feel right, she could have been walking us into a trap.”

Explanation

“Okay, did you know that the leaders of these trips have been either quitting or going missing? this was Kirsty’s first evening, there has been a lot of money made with daft curiosity.   A trip through this forest would be good if it wasn’t eroding.”

“Eroding?”

“There are so many tales of this forest, and ghosts is one of them. People have been reluctant to explore, due to the stories keeping them away”.

We heard rustling as Sally and Tim appeared shivering accompanied by a police officer on a radio requesting ambulances.

A little further up the path the forest was falling away, this was impossible to see in the dark. The forest had claimed the lives of many over the years, but now the recently fallen were being rescued.

As we walked out of the forest, we were silent, there were many dead, the emergency services were busy tonight.  Seeing a news van, we quickly got in the car and left.

Sally then told us what had happened to them.  Blindly following their guide, they had been told to walk slowly and carefully.  This is okay if you are not dealing with the earth disappearing under your feet. They had fallen into a pit that was impossible to get out. Surrounded by bodies that added to their misery.

Months later

We had been the first to not blindly follow.  The tour group are now banned from working in the forest and it is now being explored properly.  More bodies have been found, and it has  evolved that more of the forest is eroding, as if it is literally eating the surrounding wildlife and people that dare to visit.

I am now sat, with my laptop and mug of tea.  The story of the Blackwood Forest needs to be told, and I am going to tell it.  Will it make me money? Who knows? It could be a best seller.

People are now banned from the forest, it’s not safe and the conservationists have taken over.  Searching the internet, I find their number and dial.  My next step is making an appointment to find out more, so I can add facts to my book. A fascinating story with all its tales and then what was really happening, the environment and forests sad ongoing demise.

Written for Writers Unite – Write the story

For more see – A charm bracelet and a strange shop

A stormy night

Have you ever been to the sea front after dark?

Tonight, ominous dark clouds loomed over the open ocean.  The noise of the arcades thrived with the hustle and bustle of life.  Storm Fiona had been forecast, they had warned of a risk to life but who actually listens to all the warnings?  Certainly not the kids running around giggling and couples walking hand in hand.

As I sat on an old bench eating chips, I wondered what had happened to the ever present sea gulls.  All I can hear is people, the sea and wind are eerily silent. Should I have heeded the warnings? and be home tucked up in bed.  No, surely much more interesting to look into the eye of the oncoming storm.

Weather forecasters have been wrong before; something was coming but this was not normal natural weather.  As my pocket vibrated, I knew there was more to this.

“Ashley are you at the front?”  Jonah’s excited voice, shouting to me.

“Yes, it’s quiet here though”

“It soon won’t be” He then hung up.

Jonah was good at sharing half a story, I sensed my evening was about to get busier.

Jonah

As the black van pulled up, I watched as the tall handsome Jonah Wells approached. He was carrying a large case; this was not just a storm.  Pulling out a large device and a map, this was going to be an interesting night.

Many years ago, it had been proposed that on this night the skies would darken, and seaside towns should hide. We investigated these prophecies, few happened but if they did, they could be catastrophic.  This one was world ending bringing with it long-term famine.

Jonah’s research had shown him that Storm Fiona was not just wind but was bringing birds with it, much bigger than ravens.  Other towns had told of family, friends missing after the storm. Could birds take people?  Are these birds? What are they?

Sitting looking out to sea, Jonah told me his plan.

For all the research this man did, I can’t help but admire him. This was big and not something that a closed-minded human would ever have imagined.   The atmosphere was going to change over the next few hours bringing with it migrating birds blown of course and birds unknown to mankind.

Jonah had contacted airport control to warn them to change their flight paths. He hoped they had listened to him as anything flying across here tonight will not stay in the sky.

Hydroxyl radicals

Picking up the device I recognised it as the machine that had been sat in the corner of Jonah’s lab, doing nothing for years.  Tonight, we would see it in action. The Wells Atmospheric cleansing gun, used to pump hydroxyl radicals, a natural cleansing detergent.   Unknown gases were hitting us tonight we needed to fight back before they caused major harm.  Working off a huge battery we now placed it a few feet from us as the black clouds gathered.

Not knowing how long we would have to wait, the casinos were closing now.  A good thing as thankfully everyone was heading home, except us.  Jonah put his arm around me knowing that tonight earth would be at war and few people would realise.

As you go about your daily lives, you are unaware of the dangers or the forces protecting you.  Unaware that five years ago an alien race landed, and it was Jonah that saw them off.  Seven years ago, earth was nearly knocked off course in a storm that would have put us in forever darkness away from the sun.  Jonah fixed that too.  Ever watching what might happen next, I am pleased to know this man.

2 am

Feeling a nudge, I opened my eyes to a bright light and a cold breeze that I’ve never experienced before.

“They are here.”.

Hearing the caw caw of many confused migratory birds, I watched as Jonah started his machine.  The sea was now black and as the huge birds erupted from the clouds, Jonah increased the pressure.  Whirling around they were a shocking sight; they were the size of whales and not from this world.

I now realised that he had his tannoy with a language converter.   He had programmed it with animal. human and alien languages. Now talking  he hoped the birds would understand him. As the cawing ceased, Jonah asked them what they wanted, why are they here?

The Shadox

A deep voice was then heard.

‘We are the Shadox, We want your planet; you humans are not looking after it”

“You will have to get though me first, I’m the guardian and I don’t think you are compatible with our atmosphere”.

Joshua nodded at me to increase the pressure on the machine, allowing more hydroxyl radicals to fight them.

“You can’t take it back that easily, we have your people.”

So that’s where the missing are.

“You leave the earth alone and return our people and I will turn off this machine and yours will be safe.”

As large birds were now crashing into the ocean, they had no option but withdraw.

“What have you done?”

“It’s our atmosphere, it’s not compatible with your birds”.

Things now went quiet, the booming voice stopped, and the large birds vanished.   The normal migratory birds remained,  thousands of them, all pulled here tonight by the Shadox.

People return to earth

I could now hear voices, people returned. Many in the wrong place but they were back on earth and safe.  We learned that they had been pulled to a large muddy field with huts. There had been huge bird people that they could not understand, and they hadn’t known where they were.

Had Jonah not intervened the Shadox had been wanting to take control.  The humans were of no use to them and likely wouldn’t have survived their rule.  They could change the weather as they wanted and would have brought about famine as they are not keen on rain. On their planet they managed without it so earth could too.

Over the next few weeks, the police and news reporters got involved.  Things that looked like dead whales had come in with the morning tide and then the missing were talking about their experience.

This is the thing with humans, we always need to know why.  Many people put the reports down as delusional.  Jonah and I had retreated and were not telling the nights events to anyone.  We knew what really happened, Jonah was a silent hero and wanted to stay that way.

Airport control were talking to no one, but as Jonah worked for the government they had known something serious was about to happen. Lives had been saved tonight! I looked at Jonah and knew he would save many more.

Written for Write the story prompt on Writers Unite

For more see The Mystical City