palomahasenteredthechat - Tumblr blog

palomahasenteredthechat · 10 hours ago

Photo

Wheel of The Year ✧ Yule (December 20th-23rd) ✧ General meanings: winter solstice, new beginnings, rebirth Crystals - Bloodstone, Clear Quartz, Emerald, Ruby, Garnet, Diamond Animals - Bear, Boar, Deer, Eagle, Owl, Tiger, Wren Herbs - Chamomile, Ivy, Mistletoe, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Cedar, Cinnamon, Cloves, Frankincense, Juniper, Myrrh, Orange Deities - Odin, Ra, Isis, Brighid, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, Mithra, Lugh ✧Imbolc (February 2nd✧ General meanings: candlemas, hearth, and home Crystals - Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Onyx, Ruby, Turquoise Animals - Burrowing Animals, Bear, Deer, Groundhog, Lamb, Sheep Herbs - Acorns, Angelica, Basil, Bay, Blackberry, Chamomile, Crocus, Jasmine, Lavender, Rosemary Colors - Green, Brown, Red, White, Pink, Yellow Deities - Brigid, Triple Goddess, Eros, Osiris, Pan, Herne, Aradia, Athena ✧Ostara (March 20th-23rd)✧ General meanings: spring equinox, renewal and duality Crystals - Amethyst, Aquamarine, Clear Quartz, Agate, Jasper, Moonstone, Rose Quartz Animals - Butterfly, Chick, Rabbit, Lamb, Robin, Worm Herbs - Clover, Daffodil, Honeysuckle, Iris, Jasmine, Lemon Balm, Lilac, Lilies, Mint, Peonies, Tulips, Sandalwood, Tangerine, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium Colors - Pastels, Gold, Light Green, Blue, Pink, Yellow Deities - Eostre, Astarte, Aurora, Kore, Osiris, Dionysus, Ares, Adonis, Venus, Aphrodite, and Narcissus ✧Beltane (May 1st)✧ General meanings: may day, love, and fertility Crystals - Emerald, Garnet, Malachite, Rose Quartz, Tourmaline Animals - Bee, Cat, Cattle, Dove, Frog, Goat, Leopard, Rabbit, Swallow, Swan Herbs - Coriander, Crocus, Curry, Daffodil, Dandelion, Dragon’s Blood, Fern, Flaxseed, Hawthorn, Nettle, Paprika, Primrose, Snapdragon, Peach, Rose, Vanilla Colors - Bright Greens and Blues, Purples, Yellow and Red Deities - Bel, Pan, Maeve, Tanit, Flora, Gaia, Danu, Herne, Aphrodite, Artemis, Brigid, and Diana ✧Litha (20th-23rd)✧ General meanings: summer solstice, warmth, and the sun Crystals - Amber, Carnelian, Citrine, Diamond, Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Tiger’s Eye Animals - Bee, Butterfly, Cattle, Horse, Robin, Sea Creatures, Snake, Bird Herbs - Basil, Calendula, Chamomile, Heather, Heather, Mugwort, Wild Thyme, Peony, Roses, Daisy, Sunflower, St. John’s Wort, Cedar, Clove, Lavender, Mint, Pine, Sage Colors - Blue, Gold, Red, White, Yellow, and Green Deities - Aphrodite, Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, Venus, Athena, Artemis, Dana Kali, Isis, Juno, Apollo, Helios, Ra, Sol, Zeus, Prometheus, and Ares ✧Lammas (August 1st)✧ General meanings: first harvest, abundance, and gratefulness Crystals - Citrine, Golden Topaz, Lodestone, Moss Agate, Obsidian, Peridot, Aventurine Animals - Calf, Pig, Rooster, Salmon, Crow Herbs - Apple Leaf, Basil, Clover, Goldenrod, Heather, Ivy, Marigold, Peony, Poppy, Rose, Rosemary, Vervain, Sunflower, Sandalwood, Frankincense Colors - Bronze, Green, Gold, Light Brown, Orange, and Yellow Deities - Lugh, Demeter, Ceres, Corn Mother, and John Barleycorn ✧Mabon (September 20th-23rd)✧ General meanings: autumn equinox, feast, and bounty Crystals - Amber, Citrine, Cat’s Eye, Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire, Yellow Agate Animals - Eagle, Blackbird, Owl, Salmon, Stag, Wild Goose, Wolf Herbs - Bittersweet, Chamomile, Marigold, Rue, Sage, Yarrow, Cinnamon, Myrrh, Frankincense Colors - Brown, Gold, Orange, Red, Yellow, and Green Deities - Mabon, Inanna, Demeter, Persephone, and The Horned God ✧Samhain (October 31st)✧ General meanings: new year, spirit, and potential Crystals - Aquamarine, Bloodstone, Carnelian, Jet, Obsidian, Onyx, Smokey Quartz Animals - Bat, Black Cat, Cat, Owl, Raven, Crow Herbs - Allspice, Calendula, Chrysanthemum, Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, Mint, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Sage, Thistle, Wormwood, Hazel, Benzoin, Sweetgrass Colors - Black, Gold, Orange, Purple, White, and Silver Deities - Crone Goddesses, Hekate, Hel, Lilith, Kali, Ishtar, Arianrhod, Rhiannon, Persephone, Baba Yaga, and Isis

2K notes · View notes

palomahasenteredthechat · 4 days ago

Text

Out of the vault.

Kalla

From Old Norse: "Cry loudly, summon in a loud voice; name, call by name." When someone calls from the other side, who will listen?

No warnings.

There’s damp and then there’s damp, Joe thought. This is definitely the wetter of the two.

He stood, shivering in his long coat, unsuccessfully fumbling for his lighter as Aiden chatted with the estate agent inside. Outside, the mist dampened his curls and tacked with the wind as if it had a mind of its own. Shifting his weight from foot to foot, Joe tried not to show impatience. It had been a long drive down from London to Sussex.

There were there to location scout for Aiden’s film but after the 5th tour all the cottages had started to look the same. If you had asked him, Joe would have said it was mad, renting a house for an entire month for four days of shooting, but no one had asked him. And after weeks of no work, Joe was starting to climb the walls, just a teensy bit, so when Aiden had rung and asked him to make a cameo in his BFI short Joe had agreed. Of course, the way things went, cameo also meant caterer and costumer and producer, but Joe didn’t mind. It was good fun, and he owed Aiden one after being introduced to his quite sexy cousin at a wedding, resulting in one glorious night followed by weeks of the lads taking the piss out of him afterward, but it was worth it.

Joe had given up on the lighter (must have left it somewhere two Tudors ago) when Aiden bounded out of the front, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s settled! We can take possession now. Can you wait a few more minutes? I want drive down to see the marsh.”

Sighing, Joe nodded and got back into the car as Aiden consulted the map before making their way down toward the seaside. Locating his lighter under the seat, Joe smoked as Aiden cautiously navigated the winding road near the salt flat, taking care to pay attention to the signs. Finally, the car stopped at a rise overlooking the estuary below. As if on cue, a flock of seabirds rose as one, hauntingly beautiful as they gyred against the sky.

They sat and watched as the wind rippled the reeds along with the fast-moving tide. Joe was thinking the water looked cold. Aiden grinned. “It’s perfect.”

----

Aiden’s short film was about a young first-generation immigrant student who decides to purchase and fix up an old house for his parents as a way of thanking them for bringing him to the UK. He was tremendously proud of getting the financing for it and Joe thought the script was his best yet and was honored to be a part of it. His role was the previous owner of the house, and he was playing against a young actor who had just come up from his alma mater. All around, a solid project and helping a friend to boot. Aiden had gotten the idea to film in the South East, an area traditionally more well off, to reinforce the class differences in the story. So here they were, enjoying pints in the quaintest of quaint pubs in a tiny village 100 kilometers from home.

“To famous actors,” declared Aiden, deep into his fourth pint. “To friendship.”

Joe lifted his own glass (his sixth) and toasted back. “To film.”

“To film.” They tipped their glasses and clinked.

Later, too pissed to make the drive back to London, they managed to make their way back to the cottage and collapsed in the master and guest bedrooms respectively, their snores drowning out the howling wind.

----

Two days later, they returned to the cottage, toting a boot full of film equipment and luggage for an extended stay. Truth be told, Joe was glad to get out of London for a bit. He was starting to feel as if he was under the microscope once again. Without knowing when his current project would restart, he couldn’t just leave. But Sussex was close enough that if things changed, he could be called back quickly, while being just far enough away no one would think to look for him.

The house was close to the village but isolated enough for complete privacy. A walking trail wended its way toward town but also diverted toward the salt flats. From the back of the house, you could see the lighthouse in the distance. To the north lay a line of trees, blocking the property from the view of the road. It was perfect for solitude or an interrupted film shoot.

Joe spent a pleasant afternoon grocery shopping and prepping dinner while Aiden set up some sound equipment and went over the shooting schedule. Unfortunately, their director of photography rang just as they were sitting down to let them know her car had been broken into and she wasn’t able to drive down for a few days. After some back and forth, it was decided Aiden would return to London to pick her up and caravan with the rest of the crew and Joe would remain in the cottage. Wanting to get on the road, Aiden ate quickly and left Joe to do the washing up as he shrugged on his coat.

“Sorry, mate,” he said. “I’ll be back Tuesday morning and we’ll get this thing properly started.”

“Don't worry,” Joe replied. “I’m fine by myself.” He was quite looking forward to the alone time.

The taillights of Aiden’s car disappeared around the bend as Joe washed the pots and cleaned the kitchen, before heading to the back porch for a solitary drink. He smoked in the darkness for nearly an hour, watching the wind ripple through the grass in the moonlight.

-----

At 2 am, he was awoken by a loud burst of static.

Disoriented, it took him a moment to place where he was, blinking at the low wooden beams on the ceiling and the unfamiliar windows. Moonlight streamed in and illuminated the foot of the bed. Joe lay completely still under the covers, wondering if Aiden had unexpectedly returned.

Another round of static sounded from downstairs, so loud it shook the windowpane. Throwing off the blankets, Joe padded to the doorway and peeked his head toward the stairwell.

“Oi, Aiden!” he called. “You there, mate?”

Silence.

Joe switched on the hall light and made his way downstairs, turning on lights as he went. He looked around the sitting room leading into the kitchen and saw no movement. Turning his head toward the film equipment on the dining room table, he saw the walkie talkie charging base Aiden had plugged in earlier. The red light indicated the walkies were fully charged.

Joe knew from set experience that sometimes walkies could pick up other radio frequencies and amplify cross chatter. A car or even boat must have passed close enough to cause the sudden burst of radio static. He inspected each one to make sure they were turned off and then unplugged the charger from the wall.

Joe had reached the stairs when he suddenly realized all the walkies had been turned off. So how could they amplify sound? At that moment, the static returned, and then Joe heard a voice in the darkness.

“Help! Can anyone hear me?”

Whipping around, Joe hurried back to the charging station and picked up a walkie, turning it on. He pressed the talk button.

“Hello? Can you read me?”

He waited for a moment, making his way toward the window. The voice had sounded close. No response. Joe tried again.

“Hello? Are you all right?”

The burst of static came through once again and then the voice, which sounded like a girl.

“Yes! Hello? Help me! Are you there? I’m so frightened!”

“Yes, I’m here. Where are you? Can you tell me what’s going on?” Joe raced up the stairs to grab his cell phone, in case he needed to call the police.

“My boat is drifting and I’m lost!”

“Where are you?” Joe was frantically pulling up the map on his phone, not sure where even to begin. “Have you tried contacting the coast guard?”

“Please…I’m so frightened..I only wanted to watch the birds..”

The burst of static was so loud Joe dropped the walkie and it skittered along the floor under the bed. “Shit!” Joe dropped to his hands and knees and his fingers grasped the walkie once again. He pressed the button. “Sorry, are you there? Hello? Are you there?”

But the voice had gone silent.

-----

Joe paced the floor in the bedroom, the walkie in one hand and his phone in the other. He managed to get a hold of the local Coast Guard station and report what had happened. The woman said they hadn’t received any distress calls but would have crews do a search of the coastline near his location just in case. Feeling reassured but still agitated, Joe paced for another hour, until exhaustion overcame the anxiety. Finally, he crawled back into bed just as daylight began to break above the horizon, turning the tidewater golden.

Joe slept in, recovering from the unsettling dreams he’d had of rushing water, and headed out to the village for a late breakfast. As he tucked in, he kept an ear tuned to the local news on the telly but no mention of a boating incident.

After his meal, he went for a leisurely stroll along the walking paths, nodding to passers-by but seeing little signs of activity. He wandered down to the same location Aiden had driven to the day before, gazing out at the rapid movement of the tides. Joe was not a nautical expert but even he could see that you wouldn’t want to be caught far out from the path when the tides shifted, changing what seemed like a marsh into a rush of water within minutes.

----

Something told Joe to keep a walkie talkie close by him that evening. Call it a feeling or premonition. It was a bit complicated though, seeing as how he was taking a bubble bath.

The cottage featured an old-fashioned washroom with a deep clawed tub and boasted an array of bath washes arranged artfully on the windowsill. Joe couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a proper soak, so he ran the water as hot as it would allow and mixed lavender and mint bubbles together until he stepped in and sank up to his nose (careful not to disturb the curls). He sat and soaked, listening to the wind outside and the plonk of the tap. The walkie sat next to him on the bath stool on top of his towel.

Joe glanced over at it. Nothing. He went back to giving himself a Santa Claus bubble beard. He had been thinking about the conversation last night, and the oddness of it, and he had a feeling he might have been pranked. Perhaps it was a friend, acquaintance or even (God forbid) a fan that had somehow managed to radio into the house. Joe had had some unpleasant experiences in the past year and a half, and he wouldn’t put it past some people to play this sort of trick.

Just then, the walkie buzzed with static. Joe carefully picked it up and inspected it. He turned it back on and pressed the ‘talk’ button, and said quietly: “Hello?”

More static, and then the same voice. “Hello? Help! Hello?”

Joe sighed, then pressed the talk button again. “Hello, I…received your message last night, and I notified the authorities. I’m going to have to ask you don’t contact me again.” He released the talk button. The walkie remained silent.

After a long moment, the voice blared through once again. “My papa doesn’t know where I am.”

Joe’s stomach dropped. If this was a prank, it was an upsetting one.

“What do you mean?”

“I took his boat…I wanted to see the birds. Papa doesn’t like me on the marsh.”

“Why did you want to see the birds?”

“They’re pretty. But they’re gone now and it’s dark and I’m lost. I’m so frightened…”

Joe took a deep breath. “What..what is your name?”

“Liesel.”

“How old are you Liesel?”

“I’m 11. I’ll be 12 on St. Martin’s Day.”

Joe sat in thought for a moment. He heard scratching on the windowpane, and he turned to look out the window at a tree that was swaying in the wind. He didn’t know if he was being pranked or not, but he couldn’t stop. There was something about the voice that held him.

“Liesel…can you see where you are? Can you see the light house?”

“No, it’s dark. I think the boat is leaking, my ankles are in water. I just wanted to see the birds. Papa said he would get me one for my birthday. I just wanted to see…”

Joe sat up straighter, causing bubbles to scatter. “Liesel…how…how are you talking to me?”

Joe waited a long time, and he wondered if the voice was gone for the evening when it came back, fainter.

“Aren’t you an angel?”

Joe shook his head. “No, I’m not…just…just don’t be afraid. It will be all right. Sometimes I get afraid, and I take a deep breath and tell myself it will be all right. Someone will find you. I promise.” He was gripping the side of the tub so tightly his knuckles were white.

A few more minutes passed, and all Joe heard was the scratching of branches against glass. Finally, the voice came through one last time.

“I’m not afraid. I’m telling myself you’re an angel, even if you’re not. Because I can’t see you, but I can hear you. So I know God is with me.”

After that, the walkie fell silent. Joe stared at it, the water growing cold and suddenly he had to move, had to dry himself off, the feeling of cold water on his skin suddenly making him panic.

_____

The next morning, Aiden returned with several crew members and Sanjay, the male lead of the film. Joe didn’t mention the late-night conversations to any of them. Aiden, sensing something was amiss, asked him if he was all right. “Slept poorly, it’s nothing,” Joe demurred, and that was the end of it.

Over the next three days, the crew filmed establishing shots of the house and marsh, and Joe and Sanjay’s scenes indoors. The walkies remained silent for the rest of the week, only amplifying the voices of those they were supposed to.

The days were long but satisfying, and Aiden was tremendously pleased with the footage they were getting. Sanjay was a bit nervous to work with Joe, but he set about putting him at ease and he ended up being an excellent scene partner. All in all, it was a very productive week.

On Saturday, the crew headed down to the marsh to get a few more establishing shots of the sunrise. Joe followed in Aiden’s car, having stopped for fresh coffee and pastries for the morning’s breakfast. When he arrived, he found the crew milling about nervously. Joe came up to Aiden who was pacing back and forth.

“What’s wrong?”

“Police,” said Aiden. “Not sure but they’ve got a whole section of the marsh closed off.”

Joe gazed over Aiden’s shoulder to see the blue lights flashing in the distance and what looked like a cordoned off section of the marsh.

“Sorry mate. Guess there’s nothing for it now. To the pub, yeah?”

-----

They spent most of the day pub crawling, playing darts and snooker, as news spread that the marshes were closed due to the discovery of debris. Aiden pointed out this was why he’d rented the location for a month, and it was determined that a few crew would return next weekend to grab the shots but for the most part the shoot was complete. They toasted each other and the project and made their way back to the cottage to cook one last dinner together.

Late that night, Joe awoke to the sound of wind pushing tree branches against the windowpane once again. He listened for a long time, thinking of the girl in the darkness. Joe wasn’t religious, but he closed his eyes and recited the Eternal Rest Prayer for the Dead, surprised that he still remembered all the words.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

----

Sanjay, the DP and the rest of the crew headed out first thing in the morning, but Aiden and Joe decided to take one last stroll before heading back to London. Joe needed to get back but was reluctant to leave. Something pulled him toward the marshes, and they walked down the now familiar path to the edge of the estuary. The lorries were winding their way up the road and they moved aside, making way for them, as they came upon a group of villagers huddled together and talking in low voices.

Aiden saw the estate agent and waved. He and Joe made their way over to her. “Do you know what happened?” Aiden asked.

“Oh, such a terrible tragedy. They found the remains of a young girl who’d gone missing a long time ago. I guess the tides had shifted and her boat was found by a hunting dog in the marsh. Just awful.”

Joe felt his entire body go cold. “When did she disappear?”

The agent turned to the group. “I can’t recall…maybe 2005? I remember reading about it in the papers.”

“I think it was 2004,” said another woman. “Painter’s daughter, she was. Quiet girl. Kept to herself.”

Joe broke away from the group and walked to the ledge of the overlook. It can’t be, he thought. Not possible. He closed his eyes and he could see birds, taking flight in the dying light of sunset.

Aiden came up to him. “You all right mate? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Joe laughed mirthlessly. “Maybe I’ve only heard one.” He glanced up at Aiden’s curious expression and smiled grimly. “I’m all right. Just need a moment.” Aiden nodded and turned back to join the knot of women once again. Joe could overhear them as the encroaching mist carried their words toward the marsh.

“She was in the church choir, wasn’t she?”

“Yes she was,” said the agent. “Voice of angel, that one. But I don’t remember her name.”

Joe stood and watched as the tides shifted.

“Liesel,” he whispered. “Her name was Liesel.”

#joseph quinn #joe quinn #joseph quinn fic #joseph quinn rpf #tl cleanse

30 notes · View notes