fredag den 12. marts 2021

Birch Manor - 4 - Return to Unicorn Farm

The prompts are once again at Elephant's Child but are provided by Hilary Melton-Butcher.

This week's prompts are:
Paucity
Inglenook
Heft
Yew
Pergola
     and/or
Greed
Madness
Myth
Traveller
Visualise


     Only a bit of the story. I promise more, but when? No words used.

"Susan," Knud said one day. "Now it's summer, the sun is shining and all the children are coming in a week's time. I think we need a mini-vacation before the invasion?"
"What are you thinking about," Susan asked. "You know, I'm always ready for an outing or two - as long as it does not involve too much social mingling. For being a witch, I'm actually rather shy."

"Yes, yes my own sociophobic witch," Knud said smiling. "I know you are. But the trip I have in mind does not involve any people - that is, except for bus drivers, ticket inspectors, waitresses, etc. along the way. I would like to go back to Unicorn Farm."
"To the Unicorn Farm!"  Susan exclaimed. "Yes, why have we never thought about it. Do you think there is anything left at all? The farm burned down, and it's been a long time and all that."

A few days later, Knud and Susan were again biking to the station. The bikes were loaded; they carried a tent and sleeping bags, backpacks, and of course Susan's old brown suitcase.
"It's just like when we were young, just the two of us and a tent," Susan said happily as they finally got off the train after a few hours of rumbling in different trains. They found the bus onwards, there was plenty of time and after another half hour they were as close to Unicorn Farm as they could get. "Phew," Susan said, "why didn't we bring our bikes along? I did not think this trip was quite as long when I was young, but now ... sigh."
"Yes, we are not used to long hikes any more," said Knud, "It's probably good for us."
"You sound just like Thora," Susan said with a longing smile. "She also always teased poor Gilvi."
"Poor Gilvi! I beg your pardon! He was not poor. He was amazing."

The terrain had not changed, but new houses had been built, the old ones renovated, re-painted, expanded and so on in the past over 50 years. The roads were not simple dirt roads any longer, but broad tarmac roads with lamp posts, road signs, house numbers and so on.
"Well," Susan said, "I remember the name of the road, my aunt and uncle's summerhouse was on, but not the number - only that it was somewhere around the two-hundreds." She said as they found a winding path down to the cliffs. "So, let's go down there and follow the path along the edge. It might be easier for me to recognize the houses from the sea side."
But even the face of the cliffs had changed. Finally Susan stopped. "I think this is it, do you see that row of trees, that could well be the line separating the lands of the Unicorn Farm from the rest of the island ... at least I think it is. That house up there could be my aunt and uncle's summer house. and the cliff has the right lay here, not as tall as I remember, but I was smaller then," Susan said with an insecure smile.
Knud lookd at the house, the line of trees, and finally back at Susan. "I always arrived via the road, and as soon as the portal was built, I used that exclusively, so my memories are quite vague," Knud said shaking his head, "And I was not out there wand-singing every now and then. Let's get closer. Maybe that will help."
They left the cliff and walked over to and along the line of trees. Behind the trees the land was still mostly virgin land. Some houses had been built, but it was clear that the building boom had subsided before reaching this end of the island.

8 kommentarer:

  1. Going back is frequently hard, and disorientating. And yes, somethings are indeed smaller.
    I am looking forward (of course) to reading more.
    How is your back pain? I do hope that the sun is still shining.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Thank you! You understand what I try to say :)
      More wil be coming, my head is full of words and scenes. But my back pains are fluctuation wildly, better, then worse, then almost gone, then at the verge of invalidating. And it's raining. Sigh. But I *will* write. Thank you for asking.

      Slet
  2. Every chapter of this story leaves me wanting more. I always try to guess what's coming next, I haven't been right yet.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Thank you, Karen. I shall try my very bets npot to disappoint you with the coming chapters.

      Slet
  3. Felicidades, Charlotte, porque a pesar de la dificultades que conlleva el tener que utilizar una serie de palabras, has conseguido un relato muy bonito y muy bien hilvanado y narrado.
    Que disfrutes de un feliz fin de semana.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Muchas gracias, Manuel, por tus palabras muy alabandas.
      A tu también un feliz fin de semana.
      Y te piedo pardon por mi español muy mal.

      Slet
  4. You can go home again, yet it is never quite the same.

    SvarSlet
  5. 'Sociophobic witch' - I like that.

    Have a lovely day.

    SvarSlet

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