I am an octogenarian who has taken up writing in late life. I started writing short stories in a group in Second Life in July 2010 and found that i enjoyed it. my name there is Lillian Morpork, as you will notice in the links to Ozlandbard. I have one son, five grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.
It was July, 2011, and time for my annual visit with Andrew. This time I was going to go On Monday July 25th and come home again on Monday, August 1st. Rob had been staying with me pretty much full time, as the commute from St. Catharines was just too costly, so we had talked about it. He made arrangements with is friend Joe. Joe would rent a car over the weekend and they would take me to Dunnville, and then he’d rent again the following weekend to come and take me home again. Great! That should foil Murphy! I thought.
All went well for the trip there, and we arrived on time, with no problem. Rob and Joe stopped long enough to say hi to Andrew, then they went off to find a MacDonald’s for a drink and a break before driving back to Toronto. I got unpacked, and Andrew and I talked and talked. We had dinner together then went back to his room where I sat and watched him play games. And we talked some more.
Since my birthday was on the 5th of August, I had taken a gift I had received in the mail, so he could participate in the day by seeing me open it. Much to my surprise, almost before I had settled down after Rob and Joe left, he was picking up a gift bag with his toes, and giving it to me. He had been able to buy me a gift, too. He is so happy now that he controls his own finances, and was very proud that he was able, at last, to give me a gift. I opened it and found three very lovely wall plaques. I still have to find a place to hang them.
He needed to go to the bank again, so we took the wheelchair and headed out. Only this time, I only had to give him a boost going up those little hills. He walked the chair all the way, while I walked beside him, and, of course, we talked. When we were finished with the bank, I was hot and tired, so we went to a little restaurant a few doors away and had iced tea, and a rest. Then we headed back, no worse for wear.
We spent a lot of time in his room, while he played games and I watched, fascinated by the action, and the realistic graphics. It was a good visit, with only one problem. It was cold! The first night I had to get up and search around. I found a couple of extra blankets, but it still wasn’t enough, so the next day I told one of the girls, and she gave me a quilt. After that, I slept well, all snuggly and warm. But during the day it was a different matter.
Andrew goes to Men’s Prayer Breakfast at his church on Wednesday mornings, so I was on my own until lunch time. The weather was very warm and sunny, so I went outside to sit in the shade and get warm. I found Sid, one of the residents that I had come to know already out there so we sat and chatted. I told him how cold I’d been, and he was quite concerned. “If you would like, when we go in, I’ll lend you a sweater. You can give it to me, or leave it in my room when you go.” He said. I told him I would really appreciate it, and he loaned me a hooded jacket. With that, I was warm and comfortable for the rest of my stay. After I came home, I bought a silly thank you card and sent it to him, to let him know how much I appreciated his kindness.
The rest of the visit went well, we went to church on the Sunday, as we always do, and otherwise spent the time in his room, chatting and laughing. On the Friday, Andrew wanted to go out for dinner – as a sort of birthday celebration. So we found out about Squires restaurant, about a block and a half away, and went there. It was a nice outing, easy to get to, and very good food. They had a working nickelodeon that plays CDs, and it fascinated Andrew. He’s seen them in the virtual world, but never in real life. It was a pleasant break from the dining room at Edgewater, though the food there is good.
When Andrew checked his email after we got back, there was a message from Rob. Joe was not able to rent a car, because August 1st was a holiday, and only the most expensive rentals were left. He gave me two choices. Stay over another night, and Joe would rent a car and pick me up, without Rob, who would be working. Or, if John and Marilyn could come to the rescue again, have them drive me to the Burlington, Go station. Rob would come by Go bus from St. Catharines, and we could go on together from there.
John and Marilyn were willing, as Marilyn’s sister was in hospital in Burlington, so she could visit her while John took me on to the station. They decided to take Andrew along, so he would have that much more time with me, and see me off. But Murphy wasn’t finished. Rob was to arrive on the 4:45 bus. It arrived, five minutes late and packed. Everyone got off, and there was no Rob! We wondered what was going to happen, and John said maybe there would be another bus for those passengers who hadn’t been able to come on that one. However, they had to leave, as Marilyn was waiting for them. So we said goodbye, and they went off, and I continued to wait, and stew. I had bought my ticket, so if I had to, I could take the 6:10 train and get home on my own. It would be a bit of a chore, getting the suitcase on and off, but if I had to, I could do it. And I have noticed that there are a lot of nice people around who are willing to help an older woman.
I sat and chatted a bit with another woman who was waiting for the train. Then a bus came in with ‘out of service’ on the front. But as it pulled in, I saw Rob through a window. He was here at last, and we still had time for the train. He came rushing in and said ‘that bus is going to Toronto, we can take it. Come on.’ He grabbed the suitcase, we went out, and soon we were on our way. There was no more trouble after that. We were more than half way home by the time the train was leaving Burlington, and it was a smooth, comfortable ride.
Once we were in Union Station, I suggested getting something to eat there, so we wouldn’t have to bother when we got home. We did that, and I decided to take a cab home, as I was getting pretty tired. So, although Murphy managed to mess things up a bit, all in all the trip was a success. And I had a great birthday.
On the Sunday after my birthday, Beth and Dave took me to an Irish pub for Brunch. When I saw the name of the pub, I laughed till my sides ached and my eyes teared. It was Murphy’s Law! It’s a very nice, place with good service and good food. A great way to end another happy visit.
My holiday with Andrew was scheduled from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2 2010, and this time, we thought we had Murphy foiled. First, since my niece Beth is a secret shopper, she offered to get a job in the Dunnville area, and drive me there. Then, when I was talking to my nephew Mike, he said they could easily bring me home again at the end of the visit.
But Beth wasn’t able to get a job for the Saturday in September, but did get one for the following Saturday, October 2nd. So the plans were changed, and Mike agreed to take me to Dunnville, and Beth would look after the return trip. Since she was doing a secret shopping job on services at a hotel, she took her daughter Mandy, and four year old grandson Robby with her. They apparently had a great time, and went to African Lion Safari before coming to Dunnville
My visit went well, Andrew had been granted control of his own money, and had opened a bank account. I gave him fifty dollars, and he wanted to deposit it, so we went downtown to the TD bank. He can walk, but not far, as it tires him out very quickly. So we took a manual wheelchair, and I pushed him. The sidewalks in Dunnville seem to have many little hills in them, so it was push hard up, hold back some going down, all the way; and then the same going back to Edgewater. By the time we got back, I was exhausted, and had a very sore area in my lower back, on the right side. I think I had pulled a muscle, as it took a week or more to heal.
As I had understood the arrangements, when Beth and co came to get me, they would pick up something Mandy could eat, and then come on and join us for dinner. But time went by, and we waited, until at last they arrived, at 7 p.m. We had finally ordered dinner and were just finished, so we went off to show them Andrew’s room. Then we headed out, picking up my luggage on the way, and were away by eight or so. Rob had my keys, so we had to go to his place in St. Catharines before heading to Toronto. And that’s when Murphy had a field day.
St. Catharines is not an easy city to find your way around in, so we went around in circles for a while. And to make matters worse, though I had a little phone/address book in my purse, I didn’t have Rob’s address or phone number. Mandy was driving, and we stopped at various places trying to get directions to Vine Street. I knew at least that much of the address. But no one seemed to even know there was a Vine Street, and the one person who did, couldn’t give us directions. Robby was getting tired and stared crying, and saying “Mommy, I need a hug.” Mandy kept trying to soothe him, and after a while, he settled down and fell asleep. Then Beth got the bright idea – why not call the operator and get the phone number from her? Great idea – the operator not only got the number, she connected Beth to Rob, he gave the directions, and we were soon there.
We stopped there for a while, long enough for everyone to stretch their legs and have a drink, and for Robby to give an animated account of his visit to the safari, which was very funny and entertained everyone. About an hour later, we were on our way again, and by about ten thirty, I was home. I do hope we can do a better job of foiling Murphy next year. I am getting extremely tired of his interference!
On October 2nd, 2009, I set out on my annual visit to Andrew. This time, everyone was sure we had out-foxed Murphy, as they had arranged to pick me up in Niagara Falls and return me there on October 9th, ignoring the bus from there to Dunnville entirely. All went well, though it was raining when I left home, and rained for the whole trip to Niagara Falls. The bus was only about half full, at most, so I had a whole double seat to myself. I settled in and relaxed, watching the scenery go by, partly obscured by the rain on the window.
It was actually a restful ride, and when we arrived at Niagara Falls I was not stiff and aching – I had thought I would be, what with the chilly wet weather. It was only a few minutes before Andrew’s friends, my rescuers from last year, arrived. John came in and took over the suitcase, and said “We have a surprise for you in the van.” And what a pleasant surprise it was, too – they had brought Andrew with them. Instead of taking the most direct way to Dunnville, we took a more scenic route, and were able to enjoy the changing colours of fall in spite of the rain, as we chatted, laughed and teased Andrew.
By the time we were in Dunnville, it was long past supper time at Edgewater, so Marilyn decided we should go to their place, and she would make spaghetti and sauce for supper for us. It was very pleasant, and we had a great time. Andrew finally suggested that we head off to Edgewater, as it was half past eight, and I still had to get settled in. He had taken the precaution of collecting the room key and some of the meal tickets for me, so Murphy was foiled again; for the time being, anyway. So shortly we were saying goodnight to them, my bags were stored in my room, and Andrew and I were in his room, logging in to Second Life to spend time with our friends there.
When I went back to my room that night I started to unpack – and found that Murphy had made a sneak attack. I knew I had prepared a bottle of mouthwash, and had a new tube of toothpaste ready to pack. But on unpacking, I found that they were nowhere to be seen. Since we had both decided to sleep late and forego breakfast, all I could do was hope that my breath wasn’t too bad when I went for lunch on Saturday. I wondered what I would do for the rest of the week, and hoped the gift shop could accommodate me. Then someone’s guardian angel stepped in, and Marilyn turned up at my door, to find out the last name of my nephew, whom they hoped would be able to take me back to Niagara Falls on the following Friday. She was going shopping, and was quite willing to pick up what I needed, so that problem was solved, quickly and with no fuss. That trick failed, Murphy!
It was a lovely visit, though it seemed that I had brought the chilly, rainy, weather with me. A few days started out sunny, or had the sun breakthrough for a while, but mostly it was dreary, wet, fall weather. We didn’t go outside at all, but took our exercise by walking the long way back to his room after our meals. I saw again the folks I had made friends with the year before and made new friends, and they all seemed happy to see me. But for the most part, Andrew and I were in his room, on the computer. Some of the time I crocheted or read while he worked away, helping people set up things, or working on his own projects. It was nice just to sit and be together.
Now, as I said, I had been told not to buy tickets for the Dunnville bus, either way, as John and Marilyn were making arrangements to cover that part of the trip. However, the plan to get my nephew to take me back didn’t work out, probably because they couldn’t get away from the farm. John and Marilyn were already booked to be in Hamilton for medical treatments (they are both over 70). In the end, they decided that they could do it themselves. They arrived back in Dunnville from Hamilton around one, had lunch, but were so tired that they both took a short nap. Only they overslept, and it was after three before they woke up. Murphy’s fine hand at work again, of course.
My bus was due to leave Niagara Falls at five thirty. At the best of times, with perfect traffic conditions, it is about an hour and a half drive, so they had planned to pick me up at three. This would have given plenty of time for me to go to the rest room, and buy something at the snack bar if I wanted to. As it turned out, it was after three thirty before John came in, and we were up and out very quickly, as I had already said goodbye to Andrew. All went well, traffic was light (though it was still raining), and we were making good time – until we reached the old Welland Canal. There, the bridge was up, and when we got almost to the bridge entrance, there were signs saying it was being repaired and the road was closed. There was no indication of a detour until then, much to John’s disgust.
Marilyn got the maps out, and started trying to find the best way to go. The light was poor, and she had a hard time seeing the highway numbers and street names, but gave John directions. Well, Murphy swept in with glee, and managed to get us going in the wrong direction, and every time she corrected, it took us farther from the Falls. We went around and around, always almost getting it right, only to find that there was a problem and we had to turn back, or work our way around to find another route.
In the end, it was five o’clock as we hit the outskirts of the Falls, and we were all on edge. Marilyn was getting quite upset, worried that I would miss the bus and they would have to drive all the way to Toronto, much too far when they were already tired. I said if I got to the terminal, I could change my ticket to a later bus, and still get home, and John was just driving and trying to calm Marilyn. My warped sense of humour kicked in, and I was having trouble keeping from bursting out laughing and announcing that ‘Murphy Strikes Again’.
In the end, we arrived at the terminal with about two minutes to spare. John and I jumped out, I grabbed my carry-on bags and he got the suitcase. I didn’t wait for him, I just went rushing into and across the terminal and out to where a bus was loading – not a Greyhound bus, though. The driver had already closed the luggage compartment when I stopped in front of him and asked “are you taking Greyhound passengers to Toronto?”. He said he was, I gave him my ticket, John arrived with my suitcase, I kissed and hugged him thanks and goodbye, and I made it – with about half a minute to spare. And no chance at the rest room.
Fortunately, they do have them on buses – but it is not exactly easy to try to keep your balance while making ready to use it. Or afterwards! Still, I made it, though I nearly landed in a young man’s lap as I made my way back to my seat. So in the end, Murphy was foiled – just barely – and I made it back to Toronto and home. And the promise I made to the people in Dunnville that I would bring the rain back with me? Well, that worked out, too. All of us had sun today. But it was cold!
Oh, and the missing mouthwash and toothpaste? I found those, too – the Tuesday after I got home. I was getting ready to go to my therapy when I glanced down at the wastepaper basket beside the bathroom sink, and there was the bottle of mouthwash. I muttered a few unkind words about Murphy and picked it up, brushed it off, and stood for a moment looking at it. Well, it was unharmed, still sealed, so why not? I opened it and the original bottle, poured the liquid back in, and closed the lid. Then I rinsed the small bottle and put it away – never know when it will come in handy. But what about the toothpaste? Hmmm…maybe…I looked in the wastebasket again, and sure enough, there it was. Well, Murphy, you may have caused me to buy extra in Dunnville, but I thumb my nose at you. Now I won’t have to buy mouthwash or toothpaste next month. So there!
Several years ago, when I was still in Geisha training, my onee-san gave me some time off to go and visit my parents. I was out driving my little pony cart when I realized that a storm was coming, so I turned around to head for home. The storm came up much faster than I expected, and a sudden bright flash of lightning accompanied by a crash of thunder frightened my pony and she bolted. I tried to control her, but before I could, she missed a curve in the road and we went into the ditch. The cart over-turned, the pony fell, and I was thrown out. When I regained consciousness I was soaked, and the pony was standing nearby. The cart was a pile of wood, unusable.
I undid the pony from the ruins of the cart, and taking the reins, tried to lead her onto the road. She was reluctant to move, and when I examined her, I saw that she had a bad cut on her left hind leg. I tore a piece of cloth from my tattered kimono, and bandaged it, then led her onto the road. As best I could tell, we were too far from the main road, and from home, to try to make it, especially since the storm was worsening and the wind was almost at gale level. After a bit of thought, I remembered passing a lane leading into a dense patch of woods, and decided that I might find a place where we would be somewhat sheltered. I set out, slowly, because both my pony and I were limping.
We found the lane, and as we were struggling along I saw through a break in the trees, that we were near an overgrown stream. As we moved on, I saw what looked like a small building, and since that would likely be a better shelter than the trees, I looked for a way to it. There was a narrow path leading off the lane, and it led right to the building, and a houseboat. I was very surprised, first, to see a houseboat there at all, and secondly, because both houseboat and building were in excellent shape.
I headed for the building, and found that it was a snug stable, complete with dry, clean straw on the floor, and a good supply of hay. I left the horse there, and went to examine the boat. It was empty, covered in dead leaves, and apparently hadn’t been entered for some time. I tried the main door, but it was locked with a large lock that was beginning to rust. I went on around the deck, and found an almost hidden door that opened when I tried it. I walked through the house, and found it well furnished, and everything covered in a thick layer of dust.
I checked the cupboards and found dried foods that were still good, as well as balms, ointments and bandages. I took a bandage and balm, and went back to my pony. I removed the harness, rubbed her down with handfuls of straw, spread balm on her cut and re-bandaged it. Then I opened a pipe leading to a water trough until it was full, and left her to rest, knowing she would be warm and dry.
I went back to the boat and proceeded to tend my own injuries. I found dry clothing, and changed, even though it was a man’s. Then, dry and warmer, I prepared a hot meal for myself, using a small stove and the fuel that was neatly stored in a wood box. When I was finished, I could no longer stay awake, and found bedding for the bunk. It had been a harrowing experience, and I was exhausted.
I fell asleep quickly, but was wakened by the sound of footsteps crossing the floor, and stopping beside my bed. I could see nothing, but felt a presence. I asked the spirit if there was something I could do for it, and felt its answer enter my mind. It was the spirit of a Lord who had been selfish and greedy all his life. He had overcharged his tenants, thrown them out when they couldn’t pay without a care for their welfare. He had buried his hoarded wealth, and died alone and unmourned.
Now he could not rest until restitution was made to the families of those he had so mistreated. He told me where he had hidden the treasure, and begged me to be the vessel for his restitution and release. ‘Do this, and I will pray to the ancestors for you, through all eternity. Keep it for yourself, and I will haunt you to your dying day, giving you no peace!’ I promised to see that this task was carried out, and heard his ghostly moan of thanks. Then the presence was gone, and soon I was sleeping again.
When I woke the nest time, it was about mid-morning on a bright, sunny day. I got up, made a meal, and while I was eating I remembered the visitation in the night. I thought I heard a faint ‘don’t forget your mission’ as a slight draft drifted past my head, and answered “I won’t. I will do my best to find the families of the people you told me of, and give the treasure to them.
It was not hard to find the treasure, and soon I had placed the bags on the pony’s back and we were on our way. We were both moving better, so it wasn’t long before we were on the main road, and soon after that a neighbour came along and I was riding on his wagon, my bags in the back and the pony tied to the rear post and following contentedly.
When I finally reached home, I told my father about my experience, and with his help found all the families. All of them were awed and excited when they heard my tale. When they received their share of the treasure, each one blessed me, and the Lord who had, at his death, repented, and though me, atoned for his evil ways.
The night after we had given the last of the treasure away, just before I went to sleep, he came to my bedside again. He thanked me, and blessed me. ‘You have released me. Now I can go on to the next life. You have given me peace.’ His whisper faded, and then his presence was gone. I smiled, and slept peacefully that night. It is an experience I shall never forget.
Inspired by a picture of the corner of a Wild West saloon
Alex Mitchell sighed and looked around. All the old gang were here, just the way they had been that New Year’s Eve so many years ago. Older yes; many white haired, some bald or balding; not as slender and agile, but still the same group as had gathered here forty five years ago. He smiled contentedly, and sipped his drink. Nancy looked over and smiled, too, lifted her glass and glanced around at the people, then took a sip. Yes, she understood how he was feeling; all of them together again to celebrate yet another new year.
As he looked around, he named them off in his mind. There were Jeff and Grace Winston, Rob and Sally Wright, Roberto and Sophia Greco, Hiroshi and Yoshiko Oshita, Tom and Gwyneth Jones, Isaac and Becky Greenburg and Ian and Maggie MacGregor. The ‘Ditzy Dozen Plus’ who first got together in grade ten, back in 1969, and Hiroshi and Yoshiko who joined later. His musing was interrupted by Tom Jones and Yoshiko.
“Lex, I have been trying to convince Yoshi here that we really did dress the gargoyles on the roof of Parkhurst Hall in the Dean’s and President’s robes. She says it’s impossible, they are too high to get up to. Tell her we really did, ok?”
Alex laughed and said “Yup, we did, and now when I think about it I agree, they are too high. But in those days, we would try anything. Boy it was hard to do! We only had a quarter-moon to give us light, and the ladder was at its full extension; getting the robes and stuff up there was an adventure. Then we had to cut and tie them in place. We were considerate enough to take old robes, since we knew we’d have to cut them. There were several times when I thought I was going to fall, trying to reach around the gargoyle while Tom here was just below me handing stuff up.
“They looked great when we were done, though! We had to pay almost all of our allowances to the Dean and President for the rest of that year to replace the robes. It wasn’t fair because they were old ones, but it would have been a lot more if we’d taken the good ones, which were handier.” Laughing, he shook his head. “We decided after that to think about the cost in case we were caught again, before we pulled any other stunts.”
Yoshiko was laughing and shaking her head. “Hiroshi has been telling me some of the things you did, but I didn’t really believe him; though I was part of the gang after I came to live here. I always managed to keep on the sidelines when you nuts went off on one of your pranks.”
By this time everyone was gathered around the fireplace, getting comfortable. For a moment
there was silence as they all gazed at the flames. Then Jeff Wilson said “Remember the
Christmas when we had the big power outage? We’d been out carol singing, and had just got back, dying for some hot chocolate and cookies, when bam! the lights went out.”
Becky Greenburg laughed and said “oh, yes, I remember the mad scramble finding candles and flashlights, everyone running around with lighters and matches. It’s a wonder we didn’t set something on fire. Fortunately, the fire was still going in the fireplace, so we were able to use it to heat up some stew and make the hot chocolate. We spent the rest of the night singing carols and telling ghost tales”
“Yes, that was a fun night. My favourite, though, was when our class at university decided to raise money for special equipment for Sick Kids’ Hospital. The majority decided to make candies and cookies, and our girls got together and made that whacking great pile of stuff! They made three times more than all the rest put together.” Ian MacDonald chuckled.
“True, Ian,” Gwyneth said, “and you bought up half of it!”
Ian laughed. “Yup, I always did have a sweet tooth.”
“My favourite time was when we went to the orphanage and helped the kids make decorations. Some of those kids showed real talent. The angels Annie and Laura made were beautiful, and it was all done with scrap materials.”
“Yeah, the kids enjoyed it, too.” Maggie MacDonald smiled, remembering all the smiles and giggles.
”I think, overall, it’s the winter hikes and cross country ski trips that I remember best.” Roberto Greco said.
“Me too,” his wife Sophia exclaimed, “The silence, the sparkling snow, and the surprises when a squirrel, or some other little creature suddenly appeared and then skittered away. And the Blue Jays or Cardinals flitting around, all so bright and colourful against the snow, it was a magical time.”
Nancy smiled and sighed. “Yes, I loved those trips. No silly boys getting into trouble, just our group of friends, together enjoying the beauty and peace of nature. I loved all the things we did,
all the Christmas decorations and parties and concerts, the birthday bashes, the trips to the lake
for swimming, boating and boat races. It was all so wonderful and perfect, even when the guys were in trouble.”
“We came to it late,” Hiroshi Oshita said, “but I never had as much fun as I did after joining the ditzy dozen!” Yoshiko giggled and agreed. “I was very shocked at first, but it has been wonderful to have all of you as friends.”
Nancy looked at the clock on the mantle. “Time to fill up the champagne glasses, everyone,” she was interrupted by the clock chiming out the first notes of midnight. Alex, Tony and Ian quickly passed out glasses and filled them. They all stood, raised them high, and chorused “To the Ditzy Dozen plus – a happy and fun filled new year with health and happiness to all,” just as the clock rang the last note, and sounds of cheering, bells and fireworks rose outside.
The argument had been going on for at
least six weeks, maybe eight. Everyone
had weighed in on it, from Grandma Ida and Grandpa Isaack right down to little
Delius. Grandma Ida wanted the sign to have an outline of a house, with the
house number painted on it. Grandpa thought just the number would do, on a
not-to-big sign. There were suggestions for floral designs, birds, all kinds of
things, until little Deli said “Why not a picture of cats? Like mine – the one
with the three cats and snow falling?”
They all looked at each other, stunned at
the simplicity of the idea, and amazed at how utterly perfect it was. Mother
Camille (Cammy, for short) picked Deli up and hugged him.
“Son, you are the smartest boy in the
world!” she exclaimed. “That picture would be perfect – though there are more
than three Katts who will be living in the new house. It will certainly stand
out, and all of our friends will be able to find us easily. Who’ll paint the
sign?” she asked the others as she put Deli down.
“Cousin Eartha is a very good artist, and
she painted Deli’s picture. Why not ask her?” Tabitha asked.
“Good idea, Tabby,” Father Thom said.
“You’ll see her at school, so you can talk to her about it. We’ll supply the
board and paint. Maybe she would paint ‘The Katts’ on it somewhere, just so
everyone will know. I wonder what our new neighbours will think?” he chuckled.
The next few weeks were very busy as they
packed, moved, and unpacked again. Then they went to work decorating the new
house for Christmas, inside and out. At last, they would have enough room for
everyone, with room to spare for guests. Tabby was really happy, because now,
Eartha would be able to come for an overnight stay, and they could have their
fill of girl talk and giggles. The finishing touch to the decorating was when
the new sign was put in place at the end of the driveway. It was very easy to
see, and quite decorative, and they were all very proud of little Deli for his
idea. “Now, no one will get lost trying to find us!” Grandma Ida said in
satisfaction.
Christmas day dawned bright and sunny,
with a new blanket of dazzling white snow covering everything. Tabby and Deli
were up very early, eager to open their gifts. Mother made them get dressed and
have breakfast first, then they opened their stockings. There was enough in
them to keep the children busy for some time, while Mother and Grandma Ida
prepared the dinner.
Around one o’clock, Aunt Lilith and Uncle
Madison arrived, loaded down with gifts and trailed by Eartha and Edison, their
twin cousins. After all the excited greetings, and hugs and kisses, the
children dressed and went outside to make a snowman. Many snowballs were
thrown, and a lot of tussling and rolling around in the snow interrupted the
procedure, but eventually their work of art was finished. Eartha had directed
the building, so it really was a very artistic snowman. He wore a red and green
scarf, and a top hat with a bunch of holly stuck in the band. He had four bright brass knobs down his chest
for buttons, the toes of an old pair of shoes stuck out at the bottom, and he
carried a cane hooked to one arm. All the adults came out to admire him. Then
everyone went inside. Dinner was the usual feast – turkey and all the
trimmings, and they all did justice to it. Finally, when the table was cleared
and the dishes put in the dishwasher, they gathered in the living room around
the tree.
“Hooray!” Deli shouted. “At last we can
open our gifts!” Everyone laughed, and
Thom put on his Santa hat and proceeded with the distribution. The large pile
of gaily wrapped parcels gradually shrank, until they were all gone. In their
place was an even bigger pile of torn wrapping and empty boxes. Thom and Uncle
Mad put all of the mess into a big garbage bag and Thom took it to the kitchen.
When he returned to the living room, Thom
settled back in a comfortable chair with a glass of wine at his elbow, and
sighed. “What a great way to start life
in our new Katt house!” he said with a smile.
“I’ll drink to that,” Uncle Mad said,
raising his glass. They all raised their
glasses and toasted the new home, knowing that they would be happy there for a
long time.
Zoe Zelda Zeleski (known as snore to her schoolmates) slowly closed the fantastic medieval book with a satisfied smile. It was a book of alchemy and sorcery from as far back as Merlin up to Nicolas Flamel containing much of the knowledge Merlin, gained when he was travelling the world, waiting for Arthur to grow up and he would be needed. He either met or read the works of such men as the 6th century Indian Kamada, and many others. It was a fairly comprehensive history of alchemy.
Glancing at the clock, she saw it was getting late. Not wanting to miss the pass of two moons across Saturn she rushed to her observatory, settled down at her telescope and zeroed in on the planet. She watched for several hours as faintly blue Epimetheus and almost blood red Titan drifted across the face of the giant ringed planet. When the show was over, she sighed happily and made her way to bed.
She was wakened, much too early, when the cat Ebeneezer jumped up on the bed and walked up her body. When he reached her face, he butted her chin and licked her nose, and mewed, letting her know that it was breakfast time. She reached up, wrapped a hand under his body and placed him on the bed beside her.
“All right Ebby, it’s not that late.” She got up and headed for the bathroom. Finished there, she made a hurried breakfast for herself and filled Ebby’s food and water dishes. Then, gathering her bag of magical herbs, salves and so forth, she left. She had a lot to do this morning.
Her first stop was with Old Lucy Brennan, whose daughter couldn’t make her stick to her diet. She had stomach ulcers and had sneaked some jalapeno, and her ulcer was bleeding again. Zoe dosed her and warned her once again that if she didn’t watch her diet she would bleed to death.
Next call was the Clancy’s. Little Tommy had fallen and cut his head open. His mother was worried but Zoe reassured her that Tommy would be fine. Just keep the dressing clean and use the salve. Mrs. Clancy calmed Tommy down with a cookie, and passed on a message; there was a frantic call from Jock McDonald; his prize bull had gotten into a patch of Water Hemlock and was in a bad way. Knowing how dangerous this was, how rapidly the poison took effect, Zoe rushed to the scene.
The bull was in the last stages before paralysis and death. He was frothing at the mouth, which was badly blistered. He was convulsing violently. Hurriedly taking out her wand, she waved it over the bull, reciting “Retro saevus condico temperavi placidum”. The convulsions stopped, the breathing eased, and the bull dropped into a deep sleep. She treated the mouth blisters with a salve and left instructions for use. Exhausted, she returned home, to rest and prepare for another busy day.
A trap door in the roof opened, and a dapper young man emerged. He was movie star handsome, with light brown gold flecked eyes, and wavy, deep auburn, shoulder length hair. He was not dressed as one would expect for climbing around on dirty roofs; he wore expensive grey slacks, a navy-blue jacket, a white shirt with a tie in blue and grey stripes held in place by a gold tie pin with ‘IV’ on it in tiny diamonds, and shiny black dress shoes.
“Back again, are you?” a deep voice growled. It sounded like several large rocks grinding together.
“Yes, Gargy, I’m back again,” the young man chuckled. “I need your help, if you would be so kind. I have to make a confession, and it must convince the listener to agree that everything I did was justified. I want to read it to you. If I can convince you, I can convince any judge, or anyone else, for that matter. May I read it to you?”
As he talked, he moved forward, settling down just behind and to the right of the gargoyle. There were several gargoyles on the top of the old bank building, but this one had its mouth open, and was the only one that seemed to be sentient.
“One of these days that old attic and trap door are going to be found, and your secret escape route will not be secret anymore.” The gargoyle growled. “And I said not to call me Gargy!”
“Yes, that is a problem. I try not to leave footprints in the dust, and only use it in emergencies. And I don’t know your name, so what am I to call you, if not Gargy?”
“My name is Anaxagoras, meaning master of speech. On my far right is Gregorios, who is watchful, vigilant, and speechless, and between us is the female muse of astronomy, Ourania. They are as aware as I, just voiceless. You may call me Anax since you do not seem to like using full names.”
“Ok, Anax it is. But I really need your help today. If I can’t convince the main people concerned, like judges, I’ll likely spend the next several years in prison, and I am loath to wear that horrible prison garb; to say nothing of the terrible food and wasting a long part of my life in such plebeian conditions.” The young man thought highly of himself; he was, after all, from an old and once powerful family.
“All right, I don’t have anything better to do – go ahead and read,” Anax growled.
“Right, here goes. To Whom It May Concern: My name is Rhett Owen Ghayas Ulysses Endicott IV. Our family fortune was lost when my Grandfather, Rhett Owen Ghayas Ulysses Endicott, second of that name, sold a valuable antique belonging to Grandmother to pay off gambling debts. My Father, third of that name, managed to re-build the fortune to the point where he was able to offer twice what the bowl had been sold for. His offer was refused, as was the offer of three times the purchase price. The object in question is a blue faience bowl, ten inches in diameter, made about 1450 B.C showing a pool and lotus blossoms.
“The antique bowl has been handed down from daughter to daughter since it was first brought into the family by the Egyptian Princess Aneki, daughter of the Pharaoh’s Royal Consort who was hated by his First Wife; she had tried to kill the princess twice. It was handed down as part of the bride’s dowry and was to remain in her possession; each groom had to sign a legal document agreeing to that requirement. I know how much the bowl means to my Mother and Grandmother, and after trying legitimate ways to get it back, I resorted to thievery.
“In the first place, Grandfather had no right to sell the bowl, he stole it. In the second place, the buyer should have considered the illegality of that sale and agreed to sell it back. In fact, he should, if he were honest, have given it back since I had the documents to back up my story. I went to lawyers, and the police to try to recover it legally, and was brushed off with an ‘if it was sold by the owner it was a legal sale.’ I showed them the documents Gramps and my Father had signed proving that my Grandmother and Mother were the owners, and they refused to look at them.
“So I took the only road I could see that would return the bowl to my Mother’s keeping, where it now belongs. It was passed on to her when she married my father. I went to the home of Mr. Charles Robert Campbell, and using a set of burglars’ tools, broke in when the family was away. I found the bowl on a pedestal locked under a clear glass dome, worked out the key to the lock, took the bowl and relocked the dome. I then made my way out, carefully relocking the door and resetting the alarm. I harmed nothing, broke nothing; all I did was to recover an item that had been illegally obtained and held.
“My Mother and Grandmother were both ecstatic when I gave them the bowl and have locked it in a safe place. There it will remain until it is recognised as legally my Mother’s. I ask you please to consider my story, and exonerate me, finding me not guilty of robbery.
“Thank you for listening to my story and reading the accompanying documents.Rhett Owen Ghayas Ulysses Endicott IV”
Rhett looked at Anax, anxiously waiting for his reaction. Anax sat in silence for a
few minutes; then slowly turned his head toward the other two gargoyles. “What do you think?” he growled and paused. Turning his head again, he said “you have convinced all three of us. You took the only path the law left you. We all hope the humans you read this to will agree.”
(To see the bowl, go to) http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/f/faience_bowl.aspx
They stood, gazing at the tiny figure in the crib, emaciated and twisted from terrible pain, and sighed. “How many is that?” the man asked.
“Today, this week, or since the beginning?” the woman replied. “I can give you figures for all three.”
“This week, here at St. Michael’s, for a start.” He told her.
“We have newborns to six months, thirty-five; twenty extremely critical, on full life support and prognosis very poor.” She looked at her notes. “Ten critical, but prognosis is better, five serious but they will probably live. All together from newborns and up to age ten, there are one hundred and thirty-five. At last count so far this week, nine hundred and forty-five. We’ll likely get more in before Saturday. There is some indication though that there will be some kind of damage, physical or developmental in those who do live. We don’t have a large enough
sample of recovered patients to be sure. And that is only at St. Michael’s. There are six more hospitals here, and their figures are at least as bad.”
He pounded his fist on the side of the crib and cursed. “How the hell did this happen? Where did this virus or whatever it is come from? It’s already covered almost half the world. When will it end? How can we stop it, cure them?” He was red faced and shaking, angry and frustrated at seeing so many children, the future of the world, ill, in pain, dying, or becoming handicapped. “It isn’t only Toronto that has been hit. It seems to be all over the world. How many more are going to die before we find an answer?”
“I’ve been wondering that, and I took a look at where it started. I think it was that meteor that fell two weeks ago. I followed the path of the spread of the illness, and compared it to the path the meteor took, and they match perfectly. I am certain that this is something that came from outer space. Could it be that that wasn’t a meteor, but something from a ship we haven’t seen? Could Earth be under alien attack?”
“I seriously doubt that, though from the latest news my wife told me, it could be. First, it wasn’t a meteor; it was a comet that broke up like the Schoemaker-Levy comet that hit Jupiter in July of 1994. It broke up into twenty-two fragments that followed a straight line right to impact. So the pieces hit in a line across Jupiter, and that is what they think happened here. Astronomers and meteorologists are tracking the line backwards to find the first impact, and whatever land might have been affected by fallout as the pieces fell lower into the atmosphere.
“They are thinking now that it may have contained a virus that is not known on Earth or was wiped out with the dinosaurs. After all, they do say that life here probably started with impacts of comets and meteors. If they can prove that the virus followed the same path in its spread as the comet pieces did, at least they’ll know that. They’re already out trying to find all the bits and pieces they can to take back and examine. If they can isolate the virus from the comet debris, it will give them more to work on to find a cure.”
“I hadn’t heard that. I’ve been too busy trying to keep babies and toddlers alive, and ease their pain, as well as following the statistics. I do hope they can find something soon, or the earth will end up with no children under ten. Then what if it starts attacking the older ones? They do get it now, but in a fairly mild form.” The nurse sighed again. “It is all too much, too heartbreaking. How can a so-called loving God allow something like this to happen?” She turned away and nodded to the two men in hazmat suits who arrived with a clear box. They lifted the tiny body and placed it in the box, sealed the box and left.
Death Comes – part 2 –
The line of boxy, humanlike figures walked slowly, line abreast, silhouetted by the sunset. In a helicopter hovering above, three doctors watched as the figures moved, and one or another, or two or three at once, stopped, bent, and picked something up with an odd wand and placed it in the box each one carried
“It looks like they are finding a good supply of comet pieces for us to work on,” Dr. Ricardo Urbani said. “It’s surprising how many experienced people they were able to find for this search. Maybe now we will be able to identify the virus, or whatever it is and find a cure. Too many infants and toddlers have died already!” Dr. Jose Mazza and Dr. James Snow agreed and asked the ‘copter pilot to take them back to base.
Back at base, they joined the other epidemiologist Dr. Maria Perriago who was in the lunch room discussing their work with Dr. Anne Baker, Dr. Ernest Jenner and Dr. Henry Winslow, all involved with the research. Oddly enough, every one of them was a direct descendant of a famous epidemiologist or a doctor who had worked on related areas, such as sanitation and hygiene.
“Hi Rick! We have just heard some news. David Levy, of comet Shoemaker-Levy fame, got curious about this comet, what its orbit is. He is part of the Jarmac Comet Survey at Jarmac Observatory at Vail, Arizona. Anyway, he didn’t just stop with where it broke up and hit Earth he followed its track backwards. He just announced that it was a non-periodic comet and the last time it passed by was at least thirty million years ago, maybe longer.” Maria said.
“Ok, now we know that we can look for extinctions around that time and that might help locate the virus. But I’m putting my money on the debris. I’m sure we will find the virus in it, and we can test it out and give it a name. And find an antidote. Little ones are dying as we speak, we must find the answer soon!”
The others nodded and rose from the table. “Back to the hazmat suits everyone,” Jose Mazza said. “The first lot of debris has been delivered. Let us have at it and see what we can see.”
They all trooped back to the isolation lab, donned the uncomfortable, boxy hazmat suits and James Snow tapped in the code to open the lab door. They separated to their various stations, taking samples with them, and set to work. Hours later, Jose Mazza said “I think I may have something.” He tapped keys and a picture appeared on the big screen on the wall at the end of the room. It showed a small wavy shape, less than a molecule in size. “I’ll have to dig it out and test it, but first I’m going to see if I can find more. I don’t want to destroy the only sample.”
“I’ll see if I can find any in my samples, too” Ernest Jenner said. “If we both find samples you can do the tests sooner. You can do that while I look for more.”
“Good going, guys.” Ricardo said. “The rest of us will continue to search for anything. If we come up with your little critter, we’ll pass the samples on. But we have to keep a wide search going in case that isn’t our culprit.”
Silence settled on the lab as they all bent to their electronic microscopes and the samples of comet debris on hand. Before the day was over, many more cases of debris were delivered. Anne Baker sighed. It looked like it was going to be a long week – or month. With the number of searchers, the cases of debris could number in the thousands. And they had to find a cure!
She set her mind back on the microscope screen, looking for the wavy form Jose had found, or anything that could be a virus. Such a thing could have wiped out the dinosaurs, would this one wipe out humanity?
Death Comes – part 3
One end of the laboratory was blocked off with a frame covered in a heavy plastic sheet. From behind it came the almost deafening sound of demolition as that wall was demolished. The team of researchers and support people had grown to the point of overcrowding, but all are busy. Two more electron microscopes had been added, and six more were in storage awaiting the end of the demolition and expansion of the lab.
Four or five people were crowded around each microscope. Some were sorting the debris and preparing slides for the researcher at the microscope, some bringing in more debris and some removing rejected debris. The work went forward quietly as the epidemiologists and biologists concentrated on finding possible viruses.
The original seven were severely overtired, having working for thirty hours straight with little food and no rest. Suddenly, Ernest Jenner straightened and tapped some keys and a picture appeared on the big screen. “Look, I have found something that may be another virus!” The screen showed what looked like a string of beads, about ten molecules in length. There was a weak cheer, and Ricardo immediately directed the two new researchers to start hunting for more. “As soon as a good supply is found, Ernest can start testing. This is a good sign, folks.” He said, smiling.
Maria Perriago dropped a prepared slide and swore. Then, to everyone’s surprise,
she sat down and burst into tears. “I know this is the most important thing that I will ever do,” she sobbed, “but I just can’t do any more!”
Ricardo walked over to her and stroked her head. “Yes, Maria, we are all at the point where we are so tired we could miss a crucial creature.” He looked around. “There are enough people now to keep the search going 24/7, so I think that we, the first group, can take a break. One good meal and at least eight hours of sleep will allow us to come back ready to work again.”
He turned to Dr. Susan Mead, epidemiologist, microbiologist and meteorologist who headed the second team. “Do you think your group can take over now for say twelve hours? After we’ve rested, we can alternate eight hours on eight hours off.”
Dr. Mead looked around at her crew who all agreed. Ricardo nodded and said “ok, that’s great. Come on gang; let’s go get some well-earned rest and nourishment.” Then he leaned down and putting his hands under Maria’s arms lifted her from her chair and with an arm supporting her, led her toward the door. The rest of the team followed.
Susan Mead turned to her group “Our turn now, everyone. Let’s see if we can find some more little creatures.” As the others reached the door, there was another shout. They paused and looked back. Tony Ricardo was tapping keys and a new image appeared on the big screen. This looked like a centipede, with many tiny tendrils along the sides. It was about four molecules long. Everyone cheered and the group around Tony set to work looking for more of the same.
As they neared the door, Ricardo thought ‘this is going faster now. I hope we will soon find the culprit so we can prepare an antidote. Too many little ones are dying.’ He sighed, but as he was leading Maria out, Susan Mead shouted “Ricardo! She found something, she has found three samples, the slide she dropped has a fourth! We will start testing it right away”.
Ricardo and his team gave a weary cheer, paused and looked back. On the screen was what looked like an eight-pointed star; on each ‘arm’ were many tiny tendrils. The whole thing was about seven molecules across. “Did you hear that, Maria? Your find will be recorded, and they will test it. When you are rested, you will have something to work on.” Maria murmured yes, and they left. Once in the outer room, she allowed Anne to help her out of the hazmat suit, and wearily followed her. “I’ll eat later. What I need now is sleep,” she whispered. Anne nodded and helped her to the dorm.
Death Comes – part 4
“I know I’m behind on the news, but was this a known comet?” Mai Lee Sun asked.
“No, it wasn’t. According to David Levy of the Jarmac Observatory in West Virginia, it was a non- periodic and came through the solar system some 35 Million years ago, about the time meteor impacts created the Chesapeake Bay crater in the U.S., and the Popigai crater in Russia. The latest news from them is that they think it had a collision or very near miss that changed its orbit just enough to hit Earth. The event also weakened the core so when it got close to the sun, it broke up. That’s why the debris was scattered over such a wide area.”
“Oh, like the Schoemaker-Levy Comet 9 some years back! Thank you, I was wondering, if its orbit was known, why there was no warning.” Mai lee went back to preparing slides, and the lab was silent.
Both teams were exhausted; they had been working in twelve-hour shifts for weeks, and not always stopping when their shift was up. Everyone was feeling a sense of desperation, so many children had died, and most of those who had recovered were severely handicapped. The count now was 60 million – 20 to 40 million more than the deaths from the flu pandemic of 1918-1919.
Jose Mazza, Tony Ricardo, Heinz Weinberg and new comer Pierre Beauvais were testing all of the possible viruses found, including one shaped like a triangle,10 molecules high by 4 molecules wide at the base that had been found by Ruth Williams.
“Well!” Jose said, “The bead form Ernie found didn’t get a reaction from the test animals, so I thought I’d combine it with others to see what happened. It killed, or at least deactivated all of them. It may be useful in making an antidote, though. But I think we should try combinations, since we have found that each is relatively harmless alone, but two may be what we are looking for.”
They all agreed and started making combinations of two or three together. The work went on, mixing samples, making a serum and injecting it into selected test animals. Time went by, and still more children died. In fact, it was getting worse, as it was now affecting children from ten to fifteen. And so many of those who had recovered were seriously handicapped, mentally, physically or both, that the future of the human race looked even more drastic.
Several weeks later Robert Bodden returned from the animal section, where two days before, he had injected a rat, a Rhesus monkey and a piglet with a combination of the wavy form and the star. When put together, the wavy form had wound itself around the arms of the star, making what looked like a wheel with eight spokes. He was almost too excited to speak as he rushed through the door.
“It worked!” he exclaimed. “The star and wavy form combination worked! All three animals have developed the illness!”
There was a loud and enthusiastic cheer from everyone in the lab. Roberto Urbani jumped up and rushed over to Robert and slapped him on the back. “Good man! Now we have the virus, we all have to get to work creating an antidote. After it’s made, we have to try it out on the effected animals. As soon as we have one that works every time, we need to become a production facility, and set up facilities in every country that has been affected by the virus and start producing. At last there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Jose Mazza said “I’ve been working with the string of beads, and it had either killed or deactivated all of them. It may be a place to start for the antidote.” This news was happily greeted by all, and they stared preparing slides of the new-found virus to try different combinations of chemicals and other bacteria, especially those that are naturally found in the human system.
“We also have to make plans to help those handicapped children and their families,” Patrick O’Day said. “Many of them have a low income, and the expense of caring for a handicapped child is high. I know, my brother is handicapped, and it made getting along on Dad’s income almost impossible. I put myself through school and sent money home to help.”
They all agreed, and went back to work, now looking for the antidote., and thinking about where and how to set up the facilities for both the antidote and help for the affected families.
Death Comes – part 5
Ricardo Urbani pounded his fist on the table and shouted “Two years! We’ve been searching for two years and still no viable antidote! Millions of children dead, more dying, and now it’s attacking the older ones, even up to seventeen! It’s hopeless!” He slumped in his chair and, elbows on table, dropped his head into his hands and sobbed.
Jose Mazza reached over and put a hand on his arm. It had been especially hard on Ricardo, as all of the youngest generation in his large, extended family had succumbed to the virus. “Don’t give up, Ricardo, we will find it. None of us will stop until we do. There is no one here who doesn’t know exactly how you are feeling; we’ve all lost those most precious to us.”
Ricardo didn’t move or reply, just sat head in hands and stared at the table. The others exchanged glances, wondering what to do when Susan Mead’s voice came over the P.A. system. “Come to the lab right away – I think I have found the right combination!”
There was a moment of stunned silence, and then they were all up and running, including Ricardo, life and hope one again showing in his face. He had been so sure the combination of the star and way forms would be the answer. They had seemed to be working, but only partly; they’d eased the symptoms, but didn’t cure. What had Susan found? He wondered.
Back in the lab in their hazmat suits, they crowded around Susan’s work station. “Hi” she said. “Look at the screen and watch what happens.” She tapped some keys and all eyes turned to the big wall screen. Small wavy form/star wheels rolled along, until the triangle/centipede form overtook it. The wheel was engulfed by the triangle, and soon it began to shrivel. In moments, the wheels were dead.
There was a moment of awed silence, and then loud cheers mixed with sobs of relief. Roberto seemed to take on a new life. “Susan, you’ve done it!” he hugged her and turned to the others. “Everyone – start growing the forms and putting them together. We want a big supply so we can start producing the vaccine here and send supplies to as many countries as we can, so they can produce the vaccine too. The sooner we can start inoculating children, the sooner we’ll have this virus licked.”
The news and combination were sent immediately to other labs world wide, so they could work on making the vaccine. Within weeks people were going out with secured cases of the antidote and the virus forms, scattering to a dozen different countries. Months passed as production started and grew. The first children inoculated were cured, with no or only mild disabilities. Ricardo sighed; it was too late for his family, but he was happy. They had won the battle with this alien
invasion. Even children who had recovered but were handicapped had shown improvement when inoculated.
Two Months Later
“Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow citizens of Earth, I am pleased to bring you Sir Nigel Trent-Godwin, Secretary General of the United Nations, with an urgent and joyous message. Mr. Secretary.”
“My fellow Humans, I am overjoyed to announce that the virus that has been killing and damaging our children, our future, has been conquered. The antidote is now in production in hundreds of locations around the globe, and our little ones are recovering. Even the most seriously disabled have benefited.
“We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who gave up years of their lives to find the virus that was attacking our most vulnerable, and creating the antidote. Most of them are still working at the various facilities producing the antidote; many of them lost loved ones too, yet they persevered. I declare September the 25th a worldwide holiday to be called ‘World Freedom Day.’ God bless all those who sacrificed so much, their names will go down in history as heroes. Happy World Freedom Day!”
The cheers and rejoicing echoed around the world. It could almost be heard on the space station, where the astronauts were celebrating, too.
inspired by a Tarot card painting, with a Woman and lion in the foreground
Gratitude is the sign of noble souls – Aesop
Griselda was in trouble. It wasn’t unusual for her, but this was the worst trouble ever. This last witchy prank hadn’t gone as she intended, and a lot of damage ensued. So the leaders of the covens had ruled that she be put to death. She sat in the magically protected prison room, dejected and alone, deeply regretting her foolishness. She sighed. ‘I really shouldn’t have tried to hang Randy Mason from the flagpole by his suspenders,’ she thought ‘But really, how was I to know the buttons would break on one side and he’d end up hanging by his neck? Good thing Witch Hazel came by, or he’d have died. And I will be dead tomorrow.’
She could see the sky through the small, high window. Night had fallen, and she saw hundreds of sparkling stars, and a sliver of moon. She sat and thought about all that she could have done in what should have been a long life, if she had only controlled those silly impulses to pull tricks on people. Then she heard a sound, and straightened up, turning her head, wondering what it was, where it came from.
It came again, “pssst!” Slowly, she stood, and moved to the door, pressing her ear against it. “Is someone there?” she asked, softly. A voice answered “It’s me, Rusty Reade, Griselda. I’ve managed to distract the guards, and have the keys. I don’t think you have been fairly tried and just can’t sit by and see you put to death in such a horrible fashion.”
“Oh, Rusty, you dear man. If you can get me out of here, I’ll head off into the wild lands. I just hope you won’t get in trouble.”
“Don’t worry, Griselda, I got a potion from a friend, I told her it was to make my girlfriend forget I wasn’t with her tonight. Instead, I gave it to the guards in some wine. All they will remember is that I stopped by for a chat and shared my wine with them. Hold on, now, while I get the door open.” She heard the grating of the key in the lock, the rattle of the chain as he lowered it to the floor, and then the door opened, and there he was.
She stepped out and hugged him. “Rusty, I will never forget this. Thank you. I can’t say enough to thank you properly.”
“You’re welcome, Griselda.” He leaned down and picked up a backpack. “Here, I packed some supplies for you, food and such. And I managed to get into your room and get your magic kit. Just a minute while I relock the cell.” He replaced the lock and chain and soon all looked as it had. “Ok, now follow me. I know the fastest way to the edge of the wild lands.”
She took the backpack, settled it in place on her shoulders, and followed Rusty up the stairs and out into the night. They hiked for about an hour, and then they were there. The border was distinct – on one side, neat grass and flower beds, orderly rows of trees, on the other, wild forest, rampant growth, and the sounds of wild animals hunting.
She looked out over the wilderness, and sighed. Thanking Rusty again, she took the fateful step over the line, turned back and waved. He waved back and wished her good luck, turned and left. With another sigh, she gathered her long skirt in one hand, and set out walking.
Keeping a sharp eye on her surroundings, and using a protective spell to keep off any wild animals, she trudged on. Griselda was a witch. She had graduated from the Seven Rathgows Witchling Accademy last year. She should have received a summa cum laude, but due to her pranks, she got the lowest, just a cum laude. Shaking her head, she wished she had learned her lesson from that and stopped the pranks. Anyway, now she had to try to get to safety. She kept on trudging, her bare feet becoming bruised and scratched from the rough ground cover. I only hope I’m going toward the border with Ozland. I don’t want to spend a night here.
She walked on, watching and listening for possible danger. It wasn’t much more than half an hour later when she heard a very odd sound. It was partly a lion’s roar and partly like the lion was choking. She moved on carefully, heading toward the sound. She just couldn’t leave any animal in the kind of pain that sound seemed to indicate. Soon she came to an opening, a very small, weedy glade, and in the middle was a majestic lion. At least, he would have been majestic, except that he was tossing his head and pawing at his mouth, moaning and roaring in pain.
With the protective spell, she knew she could approach safely. When the lion saw her, he stopped moving and stared then he moved toward her, almost crawling. She saw the pain in his eyes, and a pleading look. Cautiously she reached out and touched his head, and he rubbed against her hand.
“Oh, you poor thing,” she said quietly. “Will you let me see what is wrong?” The lion’s head nodded and he turned so that she could see his mouth. Something was stuck between his jaws, holding the mouth open, and there was blood mixed with the drool running down.
“All right. Be still, and I will see what I can do.” She kept her hand on his head, moved to his side, and quickly straddled him. He stiffened, and he turned his head and his eyes rolled back, looking at her. “It’s all right,” she said as she stroked his mane. “I need to be here so I can remove that stick or bone. Steady, now.”
Reaching around, she grasped his upper jaw in her right hand, the lower jaw in her left, and pulled hard. The obstruction was loosened, and she was able to grasp it with her right hand and pull it out. “Hmm…it looks like a piece of bone. Hold still now and I will use a magic lotion to heal the injuries.” Carefully, she swung her leg back over him, and shrugged the backpack off. Reaching in, she found her magic kit, took out a small bottle, opened it, and rubbed some of the contents on the two open sores. The effect was immediate. The lion’s body relaxed as the pain went, and he lay down at her feet, licking her hand as he did.
Shortly, he stood again, and nudged her, then started walking off into the forest. He paused, looking back, and moved his head in a ‘come along’ gesture. She shrugged into the backpack again, and followed him. Soon he had led her to a clean, dry cave, obviously his den. She was tired, so she decided to accept his invitation, and gratefully settled down against the wall. He stood for a moment looking at her, touched his nose to her shoulder, and left. In a short time, he was back with a dead deer, and indicated that she should help herself. Not liking raw meat, she used the big knife from her pack and cut a large chunk off, cast a spell, and was soon eating hot, well-cooked venison.
Griselda and the lion lived together for several months. He hunted regularly, and shared his catch with her. There was a stream not far away, so she had water to drink, and to wash in. She thought several times that she should continue on her way to Ozland, but wasn’t sure she would be welcome there. She knew Rusty came from there, and he had saved her, but were the others like him? Would a disgraced witch be accepted? She pondered the question often, and always put off a decision till later
And then it was too late. One day, while Griselda was at the stream, a large net came sailing over her, and she was caught. The seven head witches came out of the forest and stood, gloating over her. Behind them, she could see the lion, also caught in a net, unmoving, but she could see that he was breathing.
“You thought you could escape your punishment, Griselda, but we tracked you, and now you will pay. And this time, you will be kept in a cell no one can get to, except us and our guards.” Delphina, the leader of the central coven gloated. “We put the lion to sleep so we can transport him.” Turning to the guards, she ordered “put them both in the cart. We’ll carry out the sentence when the beast is fully ready.”
Two months later, a weary and dishevelled Griselda was shoved roughly into the pit to await her fate. I shouldn’t have stayed so long with the lion. Now he is captured, too. I guess I am just a jinx, and deserve to die. She stood waiting, shoulders sagging and head bowed. She heard the door to the animal pen open. Looking up, she saw an obviously starving lion come, rushing and snarling, ready to rend her body. But as he neared, he slowed, stopped, and sniffed. Then he came to her, licked her hand, and settled down at her feet. All of the witches stared, and gasped. Then Delphina stood up. “Griselda, how have you bespelled that lion?”
Griselda turned and looked up, her hand resting on the lion’s head and explained how she had helped the lion soon after her escape, and had then lived with him, and how he had kept her fed and protected. “I have not cast a spell on him, other than the spell of kindness. He is grateful to me, and will not harm me. Gratitude is the sign of noble souls!”
“It is, and it is true even of the dumb beasts. Griselda, your sentence is remitted. You are free to go. It is our earnest hope that you have learned your lesson from this.”
“I have,” Griselda said. “The lion and I will live in the border between here and the wild lands. Thank you for our freedom.” They walked together to the gate, and out to a new life.
