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Fear in Blackwood Forest
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
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The birds and a quest to save and protect Earth
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
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A pizza restaurant in time
Pizza Palace
Have you ever noticed how cathartic grating cheese can be? The action of removing cheese from the block into a much bigger mountain. At the restaurant we use a machine. No sore arm but a satisfying grumbly rumble.
I’ve worked here at the Pizza palace for six months, and if it wasn’t for my crippling debt, I wouldn’t be here. I would then not be able to tell the story of the Brazenorth restaurant. Why do people choose to go for pizza rather than a Chinese? Italian food verses Chinese verses Indian.
Tonight was the same as any other, until it wasn’t.
Quiet couples are common here, ordinary people just passing through. Tonight’s visitors were not the norm. As I stood listening to the grumble of the cheese grinder, I sensed a hush descend over the restaurant. The normal hum of customers was silenced, something was wrong.
The visitors
Opening the door to the restaurant I saw them. A man, tall, maybe 7ft, wearing a red cape which dragged along the floor and high black leather boots. With him, four men all carrying swords. They looked like they had come from the theatre, but from the stunned look on their faces, something was obviously very wrong.
As another waiter dealt with the shocked customers, some fearful at the sight of the swords. I spoke with our new guests. Not expecting a sudden history lesson and then having to take action that I’ve never had to take before.
Not recognising their language, it was another customer who worked out that they were Vikings. Able to understand old Scandinavian Norse, he interpreted that they had just walked off a Scandinavian battlefield in 900AD and appeared in 2025. Vikings in a pizza restaurant.
As Betty bought them food, free of course, Vikings would not be carrying credit cards or money. I listened to their leader, William and history professor Stephen Clark.
As the customers finished their meals we put the closed sign on the door. They were all to go straight home as not sure what forces were in play tonight, how did this happen? somehow, we needed to get these Vikings home. Thankfully they were not about to harm us, they were too confused.
900 AD
Things now got worse. As the Phillips family opened the door another Viking ran in. The street was gone; we were literally in the middle of a battlefield. A pizza restaurant in 900 AD. Inside it was 2025, the ovens and electricity were all working fine. Outside a whole different world. What has suddenly made us go back in time?
I’ve read the books and watched the films, but nothing could prepare us for this. As Stephen asked the questions it evolved that the Vikings had found a box with buttons on. They hadn’t known what it was, and a feud had started because if it. The box had been put in the charge of William who now produced it from his cloak.
This was advanced technology, maybe not even from the 21st century. Somehow this box had pulled a 21st century pizza restaurant into 900AD. This was dangerous, too much could go wrong,
So, here we are, Vikings, a history professor and a group of pizza workers. The customers were being quietly entertained but they were becoming increasingly anxious.
Things now got very weird. As a man in a suit walked out of the kitchen. Things couldn’t get any stranger. His first question was what year are we in?
Yes, another time traveller.
“Inside it is 2025 and outside 900 AD”
An explanation
I was not surprised when our new visitor produced another box. Identical to William’s.
“I am Martin Chubb, a scientist from the 24th century, these boxes were an experiment, and it has gone very wrong. We had a set of ten of them, then one night there was an incident at the lab and five went missing. It looks like they have been thrown through the time vortex, have you seen one of these boxes before tonight?”
A small boy, maybe seven, now spoke.
“Sir, err, I found this a few days ago, I didn’t think it was anything”.
He produced a third box from his pocket.
“Did you push any buttons?”
“Well yes, sorry Sir.”
“Could I please have your box?” The child passed him the box and then went back to his parents.
So, this was it. Time boxes sent back in time to other centuries. We now had three, so two are still missing. It evolved that Ben had pushed buttons while eating his dinner tonight. The Vikings had also been pushing buttons, these actions brought the two boxes together and the restaurant was hurled back to 900 AD.
A rescue
“Now I need the Vikings to go outside otherwise you will be taken to the 21st century, but please I must have your time box”. The men got up, not wanting to leave their families. They thanked us in Old Norse and left.
Martin now pushed more buttons and soon we found ourselves back where we should be. Opening the door there was the usual street, things were back as they should be. As Martin took back the boxes, he thanked us. With two more to find, I wondered where in time and space they are.
The future sounds like an interesting place. If they are experimenting with time travel in the 24th century with a simple time box, what other inventions will there be? Technology has evolved along way since 900 AD, those time boxes could be a big mistake in the wrong persons hands. Not sure how I feel about that, I certainly don’t want my timeline rubbed out by someone changing the past or future.
Martin explained that he had an idea where the missing boxes are which is how he found us. However, the technology is far from perfected hence how we ended up time travelling tonight.
We all had a story to tell, and Ben will more careful now with any small things that he finds. You don’t expect a small box with buttons to operate a time vortex!
As for me, I’m now wondering on my plan out of here. Maybe I could see if there’s any jobs at the university, Science seems interesting. I don’t want to spend my next few years grating cheese. It has been an interesting night, one that I don’t think my family are going to believe. Well, it does sound a bit of a tall story. Vikings, scientists and time boxes, yes who will believe that?
A new job
It was a few months later that the university contacted me. Stephen had spoken to a friend in the Science department about me and told him the story of the pizza restaurant. It was now that I embarked on a new life. Starting as an assistant, but I am keen. So much to learn and explore, I was grateful for this opportunity.
Funny how things work out. An incident with time boxes in the 24th century which could have meant disaster. Now here I was in a fulfilling job that I enjoyed with people who were curious to hear my story. I still wonder whether Martin found the two missing time boxes, I’m assuming that I will never know, unless I am pulled into another time vortex in the future, yes that would be interesting.
Written for Writers Unite – Write the story
for more see A fork in the road
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