Music shop

When I was a teenager I would  always meet my friends on the top floor of a music shop. It was small and very easy to find  each other. Those precious days before downloading and streaming music.  Those days when you would buy your music and then share it on tapes with your friends.

Would any teen now create a mix tape? Would they know how?  I wonder if future generations will buy Cds.  I still do but my children have never shown an interest. They are both happy with streaming on their phones.

So why am I telling you all this? Music drives so many of us.  All of us like some form of music, none of us would ever imagine they could be scared by it. Have you ever had a song repeating in your head? and then heard it everywhere you go?

This song haunted me for months before the night.  I can replay those times in the music shop, but nothing could have prepared me for this.  In life I had never needed my friends as much as I did then.  So here is what happened, have you ever been told to listen to your inner voice? Yes, you most definitely need to, I was ignoring mine, big mistake!

Our world

A friend told me years ago of a song that made him feel like he was flying.  This seemed crazy to me but he had just experienced something that I should have been listening to.  As we go about our daily lives we miss so much.  Often focused on our lives, our problems our stresses and worries but we keep on going.   How often do you listen to the wind? Actually stand and sense what is happening out there.  Have you ever walked through a wood and heard whistling in the trees or stopped as you thought you heard something, then dismissed it. Yes, me too!

The night is a lonely place,  I should have listened to Sam and accepted a ride home, I didn’t, I walked my usual route listening to music on my headphones.

Walking under the bridge that I’ve walked under many times, my song started playing about being by the river. I smiled seeing the silent water flowing next to me, reflecting the light of the moon.  This was when my whole perspective changed, something happened and I don’t really understand how.

The field

It felt like I had walked into a long tunnel, with a large field at the end, the river had vanished.  I could hear birds singing, and sheep standing quietly, I could even smell lavender and the song was still playing. It was as if I had stepped into a different world.  Now pulling my coat around me, the wind had changed and the night felt darker.  The music was now replaying; I now actually listened to the words.   “I go to the river, I go to the field, the man calls to me and I’m finally healed.”  Does this mean something?  Music is key to our lives, but this field does not exist. Where is the bridge?

Feeling fear now, this was wrong, sitting down I felt sick, what was earth trying to tell me?

Hearing my name, I could hear Sam.  Hear him but I couldn’t see him.  I had a greater awareness now of the dark field and the lavender smell was extreme.

Problems

I had been busy these last few months. Fixing other people’s problems but not looking at my own.  Things had been spiralling and tonight I had ignored Sam when he told me to slow down, take a break from work and look after me. To stop worrying about other people’s problems and sort out my own.  He had advised acupuncture or massage, to just slow down.

Stretching out my legs now I could feel the grass under me as I laid down.  Noticing now that the sky was purple.  This was wrong and Sam’s voice was still talking to me somewhere.

This was a call, listen to your inner voice and slow down, listen to your friends. I had heard this song so many times about the field and healing but ignoring its significance.

A wake up call

Hearing another voice now, I didn’t recognise it, the field was disappearing. I could hear a beeping noise and could feel a tug on my arm. Coming round I looked up at the man looking at me smiling.

This was a wake-up call. I found out later that Sam had followed me home, lucky he did as I had fainted under the bridge and then stopped breathing.  He had dialled 999 and here we are.  The paramedic had brought me back and the music had, for now, stopped.  Realising that the song had said about a man healing someone, this was me. I’m sure it had been a warning; I am now listening!

Listen!

I’ve learnt to listen, to stop and focus on me.  I am too young to be fainting and seeing purple skies and why Lavender and sheep?  I can’t explain the sheep, but I had learnt that Sam had started spraying Lavender scent  in desperation to help revive me. Next step is to talk to my GP and take a break from work. I need to stop.  The world around us is significant, listen to what it’s trying to tell you and any songs that seem to be talking to you, mine definitely was.

We all love music, stop and listen to the words and stop and really listen to the world and your environment.  Listen to your internal monologue and stop if you need to, nothing  is more important than your own health.  Your loved ones need you so work out what really matters. Take each day one at a time and enjoy the company of those around you.  I’ve certainly had a frightening wake up call!

Written for write the story on Writers Unite!

For more see A fork in the road – 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