#(and of course years down the road when Kingsley is comfortable with who he is and won't lose himself to these memories

[captainsparklefingers]

My shipper heart that refuses to let go of widomauk all these years later hears Ashton talking about wearing a tribute to FCG (which is a lovely thought and I'm gonna get teary eyed at the inevitable new art), the second thing my brain goes to is Caleb in Molly's coat, taking and wearing it not immediately after his death, but after Cree has brought Lucien back. When it's been abandoned and forgotten in the mud and rain. Caleb taking it and wearing it on the trek to Aeor to get their lost friend back.

[haileygarciasunshine]

Godricks Hollow

Pairing: Harry Potter x Fem!Reader

Written: December 15th, 2020

Posted: December 15th, 2020

Word Count: 1,665

Warning: None

This was requested from JulzLovDraco4Eva on Wattpad!

Summary: Y/N Granger has been friends with the Golden Trio for as long as she could remember, but her loyalty is tested when the group is on the run.

Christmas Masterlist

Walking through the Hogwarts courtyard, you were engrossed in one of your class textbooks. Your attention being on the book, you weren’t watching where you were going. It wasn’t long before you walked into someone.

“Hey! Watch it!” Draco exclaimed, his voice filled with annoyance. Turning to face you, his expression concerted into something unreadable. “Filthy Mudblood.” He spat. 

“Leave her alone, Malfoy.” Harry’s voice sang through your ears, as he joined your side. 

Rolling his eyes, Draco didn’t bother to respond before he stormed off with his minions in tow. 

“T-Thanks, Harry.” You nodded not bothering to take your gaze off the ground.

“Of course,” He beamed throwing an arm around your shoulder. “What’re friends for?”

Throughout your years at Hogwarts, you had similar encounters. Whenever you seemed to be in trouble Harry always appeared at your side. You were always quick to brush it off as him being protective over Hermione’s little sister. It didn’t take long for the rest of the group to welcome you with open arms. Ron was always protective of you as well, but it was never to the extent that Harry was. 

“Y/N!” A familiar voice echoed through the hall. 

Whirling around you collided with a firm chest knocking you off balance. A pair of strong hands were quick to wrap about your elbows attempting to keep you steady.

Giggling you couldn’t help the smile that made its way along your lips. “Hi, Harry.”

Clearing his throat, Harry suddenly looked visibly uncomfortable. “Hi, Y-Y/N.”

An awkward silence enveloped you both. 

“I...I, uh.” Harry scratched the back of his neck as he was contemplating his next set of words very carefully. 

“Yes?” You questioned, gazing upwards at him with a hint of hope in your eye.

“I...I was wondering if you would want to be my date to Bill and Fleur’s wedding?” He rushed out, his voice wavering slightly.

A toothy grin made it’s way to your lips. “Oh, Harry!” You exclaimed as fireworks erupted in your stomach. Quickly, you threw your arms around Harry’s shoulders as you pulled him in for a tight hug. 

Harry tensed at your reaction, before he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to him. The sound of his chuckles rang through your ears.

“I’ll take that as a yes then.” 

---

On the day of Bill and Fleur’s wedding, there was tension in the air. There were rumors of He Who Must Not Be Named, attempting to rise in power once again. Arthur heard at work that the Dark Lord was planning to overthrow the ministry, but nobody knew when.

Since you were staying at the Burrow until the wedding, you couldn’t shake the thoughts of darkness looming around every corner, while the Dark Lord could strike at any moment.

Being friends with Harry, you knew he would go up against the Dark Lord. But the question that plagued your mind was if you were ready to face He Who Must Not Be Named.

Ron would go, which meant of course your sister would go. She and Ron had been inseparable as of lately. Sighing, you knew you would go to protect your friends. 

Your mind was beginning to become clear as you sat by the fireplace. However, you didn’t hear Harry join you until he nudged your shoulder gently.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” He questioned offering you a warm smile.

“Oh, um.” You sighed. “Just thinking about how everything’s about to change.” You shrugged.

Harry turned his attention to you, as he nodded in acknowledgment. “It’ll be for the better.”

Nodding you locked gazes with him as the crackling sound of the fireplace was the only thing heard. The thought of kissing Harry quickly overwhelmed your mind. 

“Hey, Guys.” Ron greeted as he quietly made his way down the spiral stairs.

Taking a breath, you averted your gaze to your shirt as you smoothed down nonexistent wrinkles. 

Ron quickly bounded over to where you and Harry sat before he took his place in between you. 

“What’d I miss?” He questioned beaming at you.

---

It was finally the day of the wedding. Everyone was scurrying around the house and outside in an attempt to get the last minute things ready. All the bridesmaids spent the day getting ready. Fleur’s bridesmaids mostly consisted of you, Ginny, Hermione, and her little sister, Gabrielle. 

The ceremony went by rapidly, it felt like a blur. When it came time for the reception, you were able to slip away unnoticed. 

Taking your heels off, you walked barefoot through the grass as the brisk night air danced along your skin. Goosebumps began forming up and down your arms. A content sigh left your lips, as you gazed at the stars.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Harry spoke as he walked up beside you.

You hummed in response, turning to face him.

“Harry...You look..”

“I know-” He became flustered, as he dropped his gaze to the ground.

“Handsome.” You muttered as you took in his appearance.

“O-Oh, thank you.” Harry spoke, “You look beautiful.” 

A blush crept its way along your cheeks. Before you could protest, Harry had shrugged off his suit jacket, wrapping it around your shoulders. Quickly he reached down taking your heels from you.

The smell of Harry overwhelmed your senses. Tugging the jacket around you tighter, fireworks erupted in your stomach.

“We should get back before they notice we’re gone.” 

Frowning, you nodded your head. Just as you and Harry re-entered the tent, Kingsley Shacklebolt’s Patronus announced the ministry had fallen, while Death Eaters were on their way.

Harry's firm hand was quick to grab yours, as wedding guests began to panic and Death Eaters began showing up. Harry pulled you behind him as he began searching for the rest of the group.

“Harry!” Hermione called rushing toward’s you, as Ron was fast behind her. Before you knew it, you were staring at the familiar Tottenham Court Road.

Your sister's voice echoed through your ears. “We have to find somewhere to change.”

---

Light snow began covering the ground as you and Harry ventured to Godrick’s Hollow. 

It had been months since you were first on the run. Every day, everyone gathered around the radio listening to the names of the fallen in hopes you didn’t hear a familiar name.

Walking through Godrick’s Hollow, your arm was linked through Harry’s. The small gesture sent comfort through your body. The streets were dimly lit, which allowed you both to venture around without really being seen.

As you walked through the cemetery, you cleaned off the headstone, only to see the very symbol you had been questioning. The hair on the back of your neck stood at attention. Fear began washing over you.

“Harry?” You gently called. Gazing around, your eyes landed on the man.

Confusion danced along your face before you gazed in front of you.

James & Lily Potter.

Kneeling, you pulled your wand out, making a small wreath on their grave. Standing up, you linked your arm back through Harry’s as you rested your head on his shoulder.

“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”

“Merry Christmas, Harry.”

--- 

As you were running through the forest, you could feel your breaths becoming more and more shallow. Death Eaters were chasing you while yelling spells. 

It had been a few months since your group had gone on the run. Hunting Horcruxes began taking its toll on everyone. Exhaustion was being to feel like an understatement. Anywhere you went, everyone was on edge ready for the next attack. Not even the tent felt safe anymore. 

In no time, each of you was captured by the Death Eaters. It wasn’t surprising that they had taken you to Malfoy Manner. 

“Take the rest of them,” Bellatrix spoke moving to stand before you. “I need to have a little chat with this one, girl on girl.” She taunted, as her eyes had a hint of mischief in them.

Gulping, your stomach began feeling queasy at the thought of being alone with Bellatrix. 

Pushing you down, your back was met with the feeling of chilly wood. Before you knew it, she was straddling you as she screamed in your face.

Pinning your arm down, she began carving the word Mudblood into your skin. Tears began racing down your face as you felt your strength weakening by the second. Screams fell past your lips.

“Let her go!” Harry’s voice yelled.

“Well, well, well,” Bellatrix taunted as she got up. “If it isn’t lover boy, here to rescue the damsel in distress.”

---

After the fight at Malfoy manner, Ron and Hermione apparited to Shell Cottage, while Harry apparited to Saint Mungo’s hospital. The whole way, you had insisted you were fine and that you didn’t need medical attention.

Harry didn’t listen to your pleas as he raced to the emergency entrance of the hospital insisting you be healed right away.

Sitting on the hospital bed, you gazed at the ceiling counting tiles. The healer had come in and healed your scar rather quickly, however you were just waiting for the doctor to let you leave.

“Hey,” Harry spoke softly, as he took a seat beside your bed.

You hummed in response.

“I...I’m sorry.” He huffed. “I...I couldn’t stand to see you hurt. I couldn’t stop it..” His voice trailed off as he dropped his gaze to the floor.

“It’s not your fault, Harry.” You whispered, reaching over and placing a hand on his cheek.

Closing his eyes, he leaned into your touch. “I should’ve been there to stop it.”

Gazing at him, you felt the fireworks return. 

“I...I.” Harry let out a frustrated sigh. Opening his eyes, he stood up before taking your face between his hands. He never broke his gaze from you. Leaning down his nose brushed against yours as his breath danced along your lips. Placing a chaste kiss to your lips, he rested his forehead against yours. 

At that moment, nothing else seemed to matter.

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[spoiler1001]

Ship sailing

Caleb and Essek have found themselves in a lovely cottage with fog and clouds. It didn’t affect the ships and those that sailed nearby, but the sun was not an issue. The house sat a fair distance away from the edge of a cliff. The school was down the road. It was a good place, where students didn't need to go to the capitol to learn magic. Of course, it also taught history and arithmetic and even some trades. He wasn’t the only teacher of this school, but he helped build it. Even with Trent disposed of, it was nice to just take a bit of power from the Assembly, not making it the only place to learn magic. Pumat, every so often, would teach a class much to the delight of the children.

Caleb liked to grade papers in the backyard. It was peaceful, quiet. Essek would sit nearby and drink whatever tea Caduceus left for them, because at this point they refuse to drink any tea that the Clay family didn’t make. The air smelled of salt and grass. Wind Chimes rang in the breeze. Essek was reading a book gifted to them by Jester and was entranced by it. His tea had long since finished.

“Essek,” Caleb eventually spoke up, his voice light and joyful.

“Yes?”

“It appears we have a guest.” Caleb sounded on the verge of laughing.

Essek looked up to see the front of a ship leaning against the cliff. The cliff was only five feet from the water so it was easy to get to from the boat. A purple tiefling sauntered up to the two of them a small pouch and twin multicolored swords at his hip. He had gold patterns on that black coat. His hair was longer now, and lighter with sun exposure, with a white streak framing his face. He had gold eyeshadow on his eyes and the gaps in tattoos were covered. His horns were decorated in gold.

“Kingsliegh, you look well.” Caleb smiled. Kingsleigh chuckled and knelt down to hug Caleb before hugging Essek, kissing both of both mens’ cheeks.

“And you two look rested. I take it that the school is doing well.” Kingsliegh took a step back, I’ve brought something for you. Something you may like.” King reached into the pouch and pulled out a quill. “This is enchanted to never run out of ink.” King looked over at Essek. Essek wasn’t expecting much, but when he pulled out a beautiful emerald Essek gasped.

“That better not be cursed.” Caleb flatly pointed out.

“I had it blessed, actually.” King grinned, it will stop the sun from being so… annoying for you.”

Essek hugged Kingsley again.

“Would you like some tea, traveling all this way must have been exhausting?” Caleb offered.

“Do you have any biscuits, by any chance?” King sheepishly asked.

They did. Kingsleigh stayed for a couple days. There were cuddles and everyone was happy. Sleeping with the warmth of a tiefling was something that Essek and Caleb were getting used to. The soft snoring that mixed with purrs was comforting in more than one way.

“It is nice to have you here,” Essek whispered on the final night before Kingsleigh went back out to sea. Caleb was resting in between the two of them, clinging to Kingsleigh’s tail as though it were a stuffed animal.

“It’s nice being here.” Kingsleigh smiled. “Mr. Caleb here is great company. I enjoy being back.”

Essek raised an eyebrow. “...How long have you been back?”

King just shrugged, the multiple meanings of the question were not lost on the tiefling. “Just sleep. I’m leaving early tomorrow.”

Kingsleigh tealeaf was gone when Essek woke up.

Essek had the charmed emerald fitted into a necklace. It didn’t do much in the foggy atmosphere, but in the sunshine of the blooming grove, the gift was well appreciated. The reconstruction of the temple was well on its way, and it was nice to pick up tea and have lunch with the Clays.

Caduceus was always happy to see Caleb and Essek. There were discussions of Caduceus teaching a class at the school. How to blend herbs and make tea. The school was getting bigger and bigger.

Days turned into weeks. There was no word from Kingsleigh. It was concerning. The course that Caduceus taught came and went, helping to keep Caleb’s mind off the worry, but it could only last so long. Eventually, Essek felt concern grow in his stomach.

It was a joyous surprise when the Mollymauk, now written as The Mollymawk- the other title crossed out with the new name painted below it, was outside their house. The crew was unloading things and setting up shop at a local inn. A familiar purple tiefling was overseeing the move, his voice loud and soothing.

Essek couldn’t help himself. He floated his way over to the tiefling, who saw Essek and smiled. There was bruising on Kingsleigh’s face and the tiefling knew Essek had noticed.

“Giant sea serpent,” Kingsleigh answered the unspoken question. “It’s a long story.”

“I am familiar with such a creature. You were gone for a while.” Essek nodded and hugged him. “It is good to see you.”

“It is good to be back.” Kingsleigh grinned.

“King. it is good to hear from you, my friend.” Caleb’s voice traveled through the air and Caleb hugged the tiefling. “You’re hurt,” Caleb whispered when he pulled back, and looked over Kingsleigh’s face.

“I’ll be fine.” The tiefling grinned. “I have something for the both of you.”

King pulled out a couple of golden necklaces, not magical this time. Just two golden chains with sapphires embedded on them.

Caleb and Essek loved them. Wearing them near constantly.

And for years this was how everything went. Every few weeks Kingsley would show up, with new gifts, and would stay for a few weeks, before leaving for the water again.

It was comfortable for them. Kingsleigh didn’t want to stay in one place for too long, but stayed in their life.

It all came to a head in the fifth year of this arrangement. Kingsleigh woke them up, arriving at three in the morning.

Caleb and Essek had rushed to the door, fearing the worst.

“King- it is good to see you, my friend.” Caleb pulled the tiefling inside.

Kingsleigh looked settled into himself, with wisdom in his eyes and white starting to sprout from his hair.

“There’s something I want to show you,” King whispered, pulling up his sleeves. Essek stepped up to get a good look. “I wanted something from home to travel with me.”

On his wrists, where there were no tattoos, on his left was a stopwatch, with dunamantic runes where the hours were marked. Blue sparkled in the outlines. On the right there was a firefly, with red and copper shining under his skin, with where the yellow would go, crushed ruby sparkling in its space.

[sitp-recs]

hi friend. what are your softest recs for someone in need of comfort? -primavera

Hi friend! First of all, big hugs to you 💗 just the other day someone asked for romantic fics and while my definition of romantic is probably different than others, I’ve put together a few of my favorite soft/comfort fics here. I’d also add these gems:

Thermodynamic Equilibrium by @dorthyanndrarry (2017, Teen and Up, 5k)

Harry's far too hot. Draco's always cold. And somehow against all odds, together they create a perfect equilibrium.

Ice Snakes, Glow-worms and Wolverine Stew by khalulu (2015, Mature, 8.4k)

Harry Potter apparently wants to talk to Draco about something, but odd events keep getting in the way of that conversation – and bringing them closer together. Featuring serpentine travels, misbehaving birds, dubious roofing projects, a gay beach, and an unexpected matchmaker.

Tidings of Comfort by @blamebrampton (2012, General, 10k)

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. Luckily for Draco Malfoy, London has places where the tired can rest and recover.

Love, Actually, is All Around by @punk-rock-yuppie (2020, Teen and Up, 10k)

It's Christmastime, and Harry has just started as the new Minister of Magic. It just so happens that Draco works in his office as well, a holdover from Kingsley's tenure. Naturally, love is in the air.

A Song, Incomplete by RurouniHime (2013, Explicit, 11k)

Draco’s photograph took up the entire top half of the Prophet’s front page. Below the photo: DRACO MALFOY DEFENDS SON OF FORMER LOVER. As if that were breaking news.

Solve Us Like a Mystery by tryslora (2013, Teen and Up, 12k)

When Harry stops in at the bookstore where Draco works, they find a surprising shared interest in mysteries. Draco doesn't expect to see Harry again, and he definitely doesn't expect to become the subject of unexpected investigation that may endanger the life of his unborn child, and at the same time, may bring him the kind of happiness he never thought he'd have after the war.

Stealing Sweaters by @dorthyanndrarry (2017, Teen and Up, 13k)

It's their eighth and final year and over the course of several months, Harry and Draco have managed to become close friends. Their friends are entirely certain that they ought to be much, much more. So they just decide to... help things along.

Countdown by dysonrules (2014, Mature, 14k)

When the Wizarding world is plagued by random outbreaks of Dark Magic, the Ministry assigns Curse-Breakers to assist Auror teams on their missions. Harry shouldn't be surprised when Draco Malfoy is assigned to his team, but is Malfoy a Curse-Breaker, or a curse-bringer?

How We Throw Our Shadows Down by thistle_verse (2017, Teen and Up, 14k)

Draco has finally found the perfect, rare piece to complete his collection. The only problem is that the item belongs to Harry Potter, the last wizard on earth Draco wants to ask another favour from.

All Roads Lead Home by @dracogotgame (2015, General, 15k)

Draco is strong-armed into spending the first Christmas after the War with the Weasleys. And Harry Potter.

White as Snow by @bixgirl1 (2018, Explicit, 19k)

After a quick escape from danger, Harry and Draco find themselves trapped in a blizzard, a small cabin their only refuge from the storm. It's the perfect place to recover and regroup — and to have a long-overdue conversation or two.

Nice Things by aideomai (2020, Mature, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

On the Turning Away by @blamebrampton (2014, General, 25k)

It’s one thing to be good at not making a besotted fool of yourself over a man when he's busy being the most famous wizard in the world and you're tucked away quietly in Wiltshire. It's quite another when you have to see him every morning.

Faint Indirections by ignatiustrout (2019, Teen and Up, 29.7k)

Draco Malfoy is the last person Harry expects to turn up in Boston, Massachussetts. But now he's here, and he won't stop requesting books from the library where Harry works.

I'll Floo Home for Christmas by jadepresley (2017, Teen and Up, 39k)

The Ministry Christmas party is the biggest event of the year and Harry absolutely does not want to plan it, and he certainly, one hundred percent, does not have a crush on Draco Malfoy.

Like Lightning at your Fingertips by potterwatch (2019, Teen and Up, 43k)

The problem with living with another insomniac is, eventually, they find out you’re an insomniac, too. When Harry and Draco return for their eighth year, they think they’ll see very little of each other. Then McGonagall assigns them to room together. And the castle starts breaking. And there’s that thing with Potter’s magic.

Seeker, Chaser, Keeper by VivacissimoVoce (2013, Mature, 59k)

Rumor has it that a wealthy investor is starting up a brand new professional Quidditch team and he’s looking for players. Harry and Draco both want to make the team, but there can be only one Seeker. Will competing for the position bring them closer or drive them further apart?

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead) by dustmouth and nerakrose (2018, Teen and Up, 96k)

Malfoy is way too interested in coroner reports for somebody who's definitely not looking for ways to die, Harry wants to be friends with him, and Ginny wants to break up with Harry. Features: Little League Quidditch, an abundance of bath bombs, happy endings, and gay robots in space.

[edgewoodrp]

A recap of character experiences from October 1st, 2019 through July 31st, 2020.

Enjoy!

Caterina Singh

Following the events of the Wolf Moon, Cat tried to do some investigative work interviewing people in town to get a better picture of what happened - and ran into Heather during her investigation.

Caught up with Vice Principal Holloway during the speed meet.

After being followed by someone on a walk home, some friends stepped in to assist.

She threw a birthday party for her dear friends, Madison and Valerie, which turned into drunken shenanigans, with Heather sitting on her lap at one point, and a kiss with Charlotte at another.

Interviewed some townies on what Edgewood Pride meant to them.

Saw something strange during the firework show at Riverfest which resulted in her hospitalization and now there are some pieces that she’s trying to sort out.

Charlotte Kingsley

Confided in Beatrice her idea to host a small Halloween party at the Kingsley family house. It turned into a heart-to-heart, instead. 

Braved the cold to help an acquaintance arrange the festivities at the bonfire on the Bluff.

While driving home on the night of the Wolf Moon, Charlotte (and her car) were attacked by one of the monsters terrorizing the town. It was only thanks to a mysterious barrier spell that Charlotte wasn’t mauled by the monster, and only thanks to Monty that she didn’t freeze to death on the road.

Charlotte recounted what she remembered of the accident to the witches SCC Representative, Rose-Marie Arceneaux the next morning at BHM. She also discovered Logan Cree had been attacked by a creature and admitted as well. Having seen the human face of the one that attacked him, Charlotte attempted to scry for them, but was unsuccessful in locating them.

To keep her mind distracted, Charlotte started helping Karen Pierce with some projects for the PTA.

While out one night, Charlotte met Juliet in the midst of househunting. She put the woman in contact with local real estate mogul and her former neighbor, James Hawthorne, to help speed up the search.

Volunteered to sell raffle tickets at the H.A.G.S. Carnival and sold so many tickets. Many were gifted back to her, so she wrote down other attendees names on the tickets before depositing them in the buckets.

Lost track of an ancient, bespelled tome downtown and performed a ‘lost and found’ spell with the help of Spencer Hawthorne. There were some... unforeseen consequences, but eventually they set things right.

Danced, drank, and played games with all who attended Madison and Valerie’s birthday, hosted by Caterina Singh. Later, per the decree of a Jenga block, Charlotte kissed Cat.

Ran into Monty, Demitri, and Madison at Riverfest in her quest for scented candles and general excitement. 

Helped avert a bar fight from breaking out during Spencer’s birthday at Two Old Cows, but may have learned something sinister about the party crasher in the process. Further research has to be done.

Dominic Kingsley

Dominic has been helping his sisters. Charlotte lost her keys, and Bridgette… well, she just wanted some cheep booze.

He has been busy serving the citizens of Edgewood at the Underworld’s bar.

He caught the magic show at Edgewood’s Independence Day Riverfest and then spent the afternoon with his partners.

At his partner Spencer’s birthday party, Dominic took care of ordering refreshments and cheered on the intense game of darts.

Heather Payne

Heather and Xavier have developed a strong friendship after meeting at the grocery store then reconnecting at a speed dating event.

She did some investigating around the hospital after the strange attacks of the wolf moon. There she ran into Caterina doing some more legitimate digging of her own.

As far as investigations go, she finally figured out that Charlotte was the third Kingsley sibling. The two get along fairly well.

The witch has been meeting up with Spencer to discuss potion making.

Heather has been actually socializing, going to two birthday parties within a few months. At Val and Maddie’s birthday party, she partook in a game of truth-or-dare jenga. At Spencer’s birthday, she let out her competitiveness in a game of darts.

She met up with Maxine at the HAGS carnival as well as the aforementioned parties. The two teamed up for a game of darts at Spencer’s party.

Demetri has been steadily climbing up Heather’s shit list, and they almost came to blows at Spencer’s party. She is growing increasingly suspicious of his motives.

Juliet Hawthorne

Has grown more comfortable being in around Edgewood and has built up the courage to speak to Preston and Spencer (separately, of course) on different occasions. 

Made friends with Charlotte Kingsley after she helped Juliet house-hunt and introduced her to realtor James Hawthorne, another possible descendant. 

Moved out of the motel and into a home the Hawk’s Hollow neighborhood of Old Edgewood to be closer to her family.

Maxine Beauchamp

Sought advice on costume ideas for Halloween, and didn’t get quite the advice she needed

During a town event, where she was drinking in public, she found out about Charlotte’s car accident during the wolf moon

After seeing Maggie openly carrying an axe in public, Maxine offered to aid Maggie in creating an aesthetically pleasing case for it.

Was paired up with Maggie for the speed meet, and chaos ensued.

Subsequently, Maxine is now convinced she can help give Maggie learn the art of flirting.

Devised another plan with some residents to change the endlessly repeating playlist during the H.A.G.S festival (even if it was to something totally inappropriate, it was in a language no one there understood)

Reminisced the pros and cons to bartending with Xavier.

Attended Madi & Valerie’s birthday, and gave the birthday girl a kiss on the forehead.

After some planning with Spencer, she threw a party for her partner with Nic, which nearly resulted in a bar fight thanks to an uninvited guest arrival, whom she is now suspicious is less than human, given his immunities to her charmspeak.

Monica Rodriguez

Moved to Edgewood at the end of September, moving in with her long-term best friend Monty McAllister; she quickly began to establish friendships with people in town and settle into life in Edgewood

Around the holiday season, she and Monty welcomed a golden retriever puppy they named Roscoe into their home

During the Wolf Moon, she stumbled across tracks from one of the wolves, and later went out with several other weres to investigate; they handed off their investigation to the Callaghans once it led to the Olympus development

As things following the events of the Wolf Moon began to normalize, Monica brought home a stray cat

At the Speed Meet, her dislike of Logan Cree solidified beyond first impressions, and she befriended Phoenix Castillo

The Worm Moon saw her having an uncomfortable first introduction with Heather Payne following an earthquake

In the last few months or so, she has been reigniting one of her former relationships—with Gabriel Alvarez—albeit now long-distance

Has started reaching out to and interaction with some of Monty’s childhood friends, including Maggie and Trevor, to forge friendships of her own

At the Riverfest, she shopped and chatted over one of the magic shows. She found herself in the middle of unfolding chaos when something went awry with a firework display on the northern end of the Riverwalk; she assisted in getting people to safety

Monty McAllister

Struggles with his vision dreams drove him to the library, where he ran into Maggie See and he avoided directly addressing his own reasons for being there

Right around the holiday season, Monty and Monica added a puppy to their household

Leading up to the Wolf Moon, Monty experienced some intense visions, some of which detailed the wolves and some of their attacks. Close to 1 AM of the following day, he came across Charlotte Kingsley in the wake of one of the wolf attacks, and brought her to BHM for medical treatment

As things began to normalize towards the end of January, Monica returned home from a Run with a stray cat, which she declared part of their household with only minor protesting from Monty

The Speed Meet saw him further developing budding friendships

Encouraged a long-term friend and Monica’s ex to rekindle that romance

On the night of the Worm Moon, Monty found himself at work handling panic customers of the Lake House Bar and Grill as the haze rolled in

Continuing struggles with his dreams, as well as mounting family tensions over trust fund legalities, have led to a number of sleepless nights. And some sleepless nights have led him to coffeehouse encounters with friends both old and new alike

Monty spent some of the Riverfest exploring all it had to offer. He was at the northern end of the Riverwalk when the fireworks began exploding over the park, and assisted in getting people to safety

Phoenix Castillo

Phoenix is continuing to connect with Juliet and is starting to see her as another family member.

The girl is still frightened of vampire Logan, who barely resisted her blood and then used his to heal her.

She met Maggie at the Winter Solstice bonfire and the two have become friends.

She and her tour group had a scare on the Wolf Moon as something howled outside, trying to get in.

Phoenix and Beatrice initially bonded over their love of exploring the woods and are starting to see each other a bit more in civilization.

She is creating a bit of a reputation with her powers as she encountered other psychics Monty and Xavier who were not happy to have their minds read.

A child spilled their snow cone all over her at this year’s H.A.G.S. Carnival, making a huge mess. Luckily, plenty of Edgewood’s friendly faces were willing to help.

Spencer Hawthorne

Spencer agreed to an interview with Caterina Singh for a piece on Pride in Edgewood

In desperate attempts to find an old magical tome, Spencer and Charlotte decided to cast a lost and found spell… with yet unknown side effects oooooh

He met up with Heather to talk about magic, potions and ingredients

Spencer bumped into Juliet while visiting the Hawthorne estate garden thinking she was an associate of his father (he didn’t reveal that he is James’ son tho) and offered her a tour of the garden; they talked about plants and ended up doing a bit of gardening work in the herbs section; Spencer offered her some of the german chamomile to take with her; he found out she lost her kids

He bumped into Monty at a cafe and they shared what they’ve been up to since high school

Together with his partners they gathered a few people for Spencer’s birthday at the Two Old Crows, where an uninvited Demitri antagonized them almost & ending in a bar fight, but Juliet (working that night) threw him out before anything could escalate beyond some strong words; a round of darts was played, the teams being Spencer/Charlotte and Maxine/Heather with Dominic and Valerie as cheerleaders; Spencer and Charlotte won the darts game

The trio went to the Riverfest on the first day; they reminisced about previous years and talked about proposing new ideas for the next year; the second night they stayed in and went outside to watch the fireworks, strangely only a few could be seen even though they could still hear more going off…

[ewangi-blog1]

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[fairskyabove]

What's wrong with the edmonton version of hadestown?

i have a Lot to say so i’m putting a full list of all the changes under the cut but tl;dr: a lot of the most important moments of the show are different and it’s really unclear what the messages of the show even are now, and it’s honestly hard to imagine this version going anywhere near broadway

first a note about the cast. this is of course subject to opinion (and i’m only going on audio, i have no idea if the staging and visual acting would change my opinion at all), but i thought this cast was overall weaker than the nytw cast. tv and reeve didn’t seem to have much chemistry, and both were weaker than nabiyah and damon vocally. kingsley as hermes is very different, his voice doesn’t have the same raspy quality and doesn’t seem to carry the same weight as the narrator, it doesn’t feel like he has the same knowledge of the direction of the story. i like the expanded chorus and hades’s workers, and i like the new fates. amber and patrick seem like they’re pretty much carrying the show, they have amazing chemistry and both are really strong vocally. it’s definitely possible that the cast got more comfortable after this audio, since all i’ve heard is the second preview, but from what i did hear the nytw cast was much stronger.

this list is really long but i’m sure i missed some stuff, so this isn’t like Officially all the changes. also if you don’t read the whole thing i understand bc it’s a lot but the most important part is the part about promises so i would look at that if i were you! also a lot of this discussion came from conversation with maya @davey-jacobsofficial so this is not all my own thoughts! ok here’s a (mostly) comprehensive list of things that were changed:

a shortened and slightly changed version any way the wind blows was moved to after road to hell, which is a little jarring in the flow of the story. i liked any way the wind blows as a sort of prologue, setting the mood before we get into the story. it established the fates as having knowledge and control, and it felt a little dream-like before we got thrown into meeting the characters. it doesn’t make a ton of sense to me to move it after but anyways

road to hell:

some minor lyric changes in the beginning

hermes introduces orpheus and eurydice differently (orpheus is described as singing to himself on the tracks waiting for someone like eurydice)

any way the wind blows:

there’s a man singing with the fates on some lines, i’m not sure who it is or what the point is (might be orpheus, and the intent might be more clear with visuals)

sister’s gone/brother’s gone verse is changed to “wind comes up, ooh do you hear that sound? wind comes up, move to another town”

hermes comes in after this verse and narrates, he explains eurydice’s character a little and there’s a new part where she asks if anyone has a match and then grabs something from someone, probably meant to show us that she can fend for herself and add a litttle context for all i’ve ever known

come home with me:

initial dialogue is different, eurydice seems more aggressive/closed off, orpheus asks her to make a home right there, she says it’s in the middle of nowhere. he claims spring is coming any day, she says it’s late, they go into “a singer, is that what you are?” and then into the song normally

lyrics from there on are almost the same, a few words changed every once in a while

epic i is completely cut, which i don’t understand at all because it’s kind of important for people who don’t know persephone’s story, and makes the epics less of a recurring thing through the whole story, and it ruins the element of orpheus singing about persephone and hades each separately and then finally together in epic iii

livin’ it up on top:

nothing is changed except the last line of orpheus’s toast, which is changed to “to the world we dream about, and the one we live in now,” which kind of changes his whole world view. in the old version, he showed his idealism, believing they could live in a perfect world that they dream of, which fits with his act 1 characterization. in this version he’s just stating that they don’t live in the world they want to, there’s no optimism and it takes away the whole significance of his toast

all i’ve ever known

no changes

way down hadestown

no changes

wind theme

some new dialogue where eurydice sees everyone else leaving and wants to do the same, orpheus doesn’t want to leave his home, and says it’s her home too. short reprise of the “wind comes up” section from any way the wind blows

epic ii

no changes

chant

added line for eurydice before “all the pretty songs you sing ain’t gonna shelter us” where she is getting caught in the storm, singing about the wind surrounding her and how orpheus promised the wind would never change which would be great build up for promises if they hadn’t ruined it

small lyric change in between verses, orpheus sings “a mighty king, a mighty queen” and hermes sings “this year their fighting made/the mightiest storm you’ve ever seen”

after the next verse eurydice sings “love, can you hear me now/answer if you can somehow/orpheus in all my years/never seen a storm like this” and then back into the normal “now i see/all the pretty songs you sing ain’t gonna harbor me…”

right after that hermes sings “eurydice was a hungry young girl/she was no stranger to the wind/but she had not seen nothing/like the mighty storm she got caught in. only took a minute/but the wrath of the gods was in it”

persephone’s verse after this has some lyric changes, mostly talking about how she doesn’t recognize hades anymore as the man she married

hey, little songbird

a couple words changed here and there, hades’s last part is changed to “hey, little songbird, look all around you/see how the vipers and vultures surround you/they’ll take you down/they’ll pick you clean/if you stick around such a desperate scene/see, people get mean/when the chips are down”

when the chips are down

no changes

gone, i’m gone

no changes

wait for me

no changes

why we build the wall

tempo is slightly faster, not sure why

the larger chorus sounds good, it’s more powerful

no lyric changes

our lady of the underground

no changes. thank god for amber gray

way down hadestown ii

no changes

flowers

no changes and honestly i’m surprised they didn’t screw this up too

come home with me ii

they cut “are you always this confident?/when i look at you i am” which was significant wrt doubt comes in and the fact that orpheus loses his confidence because he can’t see eurydice (creds to maya on this one)

papers

no changes

nothing changes

no changes

if it’s true

added a section where hades’s workers repeat orpheus’s message, then orpheus directly addresses the workers like a rebel leader with some added lyrics (i actually like this part, it shows the workers taking an interest and makes hades’s dilemna clearer)

how long

no changes, amber and patrick are trying their best to save the show

chant ii

added section for the workers before hades enters, after hermes’s introduction, wondering what will happen to orpheus, workers sing small parts throughout the song

there are no other changes on the audio i have, but apparently a section was deleted for later performances

epic iii

no changes

lover’s desire

no changes

alright some big structural changes here. right after lover’s desire there’s a new section of dialogue where eurydice tells orpheus to take her home, and says everything he said in act 1 was true (about spring coming etc), pretty much the opposite of what she says at nytw. orpheus says not everything he said was true, he said the wind would never change, etc, he basically takes eurydice’s lines from the first verse of promises and they’re spoken instead of sung. orpheus says he can’t promise the wind won’t change, eurydice says “don’t [promise], just take me home.” orpheus launches into the second half of promises, starting with “i have no ring for your finger.” orpheus sings his verse, eurydice sings hers, then they have another new section of dialogue. they agree to leave, eurydice asks how, orpheus suggests that they walk. eurydice asks about hades, orpheus says hades won’t be able to tell them no, and he isn’t going back alone. they sing their duet verse.

this change is the one i have the biggest issue with. by changing the order of the songs, we lose the moment where hermes tells them they have to trust each other completely and they realize they don’t. we lose a really important part of eurydice’s character, that she was able to speak up and tell orpheus what’s wrong. in this version she has no complaints, he has to tell her that he he isn’t perfect and he couldn’t keep his promises while she acts like he has no flaws. it takes away her agency in the relationship and makes it seem like she got lost and ended up in hadestown and had to wait patiently for orpheus to come save her, when there is So Much More to it than that. we also lose the entire part where they discuss all the ways they’ve let each other down and how they promise to move forward and do better. we lose the resolution of the issues that have been haunting in their relationship since chant, where they both grow up and they both realize that they can’t have the perfect relationship they talked about in wedding song, but they love each other enough that they’re ok with a realistic relationship (maya’s point). we’ve lost the feeling of hopelessness they had at nytw, from the fact that eurydice had literally sold her soul and believed she would be stuck in hell forever. in this version they act like all of the sudden they can just walk out. ultimately what we have in this version is an empty resolution with no build up. all the tension is gone, they never acknowledge anything that’s wrong in their relationship. instead they make empty promises to be together forever despite the fact that they made those promises before, and in this version nothing has changed since then. in the old version, promises added to the heartbreak of doubt comes in, because there’s a moment of clarity between them and they trust each other, they’re ready to move forward just in time to lose each other forever. taking promises away changes the flow of the whole show and makes orpheus and eurydice’s relationship a lot emptier and less mature, taking away from the tragedy of their story. thanks for coming to my TED talk.

word to the wise

no changes

his kiss the riot

no changes

wait for me ii

still starts with hermes giving the good and bad news (same basic meaning, just with slightly different words)

eurydice asks why orpheus can’t look at her, hermes tells her it’s the gods testing them, connecting the “divide and conquer” method to the wall. hermes asks them if they trust each other and themselves. they say they do without any reflection on their relationship or honestly any proof that they even love each other but it’s fine

orpheus asks if it’s a trick, hermes says it’s a test. the song continues like normal from there and we all pretend this part of the show carries the same weight as it did before even though everything’s wrong

doubt comes in

some lyric changes for the fates. now instead of orpheus and the fates singing “where are you, where are you now” it’s just the fates singing “where is she, where is she now” which is cool when you think about it as them planting doubt in orpheus’s head

orpheus sings an added section about how he can see his future with eurydice, one of the fates responds that his story sounds the same as the day eurydice left him for hadestown, there’s some more back and forth along these lines

eurydice’s comfort has some lyric changes but it’s mostly along the same lines

it’s hard to hear what they say when orpheus turns around, but they 100% took out “you’re early/i missed you” which i don’t even see the point of. it took like 5 seconds of the show and fit so well with the situation, it contrasted the relationships between orpheus and eurydice and hades and persephone, and it showed so perfectly their relationship dynamic! going back to maya’s point from earlier, it was so perfect in showing how much orpheus relies on eurydice for his confidence and how he can’t succeed without her! but i guess we’re taking out all the development of their relationship so we can focus on other things

road to hell

this now starts with hermes saying “alright…” and then taking a deep breath and saying it again as if he needs a minute or he’s trying to calm the audience or something? which i feel like is kind of out of character for him. at nytw, he definitely showed emotion when things weren’t going well for orpheus and eurydice, but i felt like his vibe was more “it sucks but this is how the world is” which is one of the big discussions in the show (does the song “nothing changes” ring a bell?) and it makes more sense for a god who’s been around since the beginning of time and seen all the other greek myths and how they end. i don’t think he would be shocked or panicked or whatever kingsley is doing here. especially considering that he obviously knows the end of the story way the whole time, so he always knows where we’re headed (that’s the whole point of “it’s an old song/it’s a tragedy/we’re gonna sing it again/it’s a sad song but we sing it anyway”), so i don’t know what this choice is supposed to tell us.

there are some lyric changes beyond that, mostly saying “that’s how it goes/that’s how it is” which contradicts his opening but it’s mostly along the same lines. he literally sings “we know how it ends, but still we sing it again” so what was he doing??

there’s an added line at the end where eurydice sings between hermes’s lines “orpheus was a poor boy but he had a gift to give,” asking if anyone has a match and grabbing something from someone exactly like in road to hell which maya thought might be like a flashback? which seems like the most likely thing but i don’t really understand why they added it there, it doesn’t seem like it fits, if anything it should be a flashback to orpheus at the beginning. unless that’s when orpheus and eurydice first see each other or something that’s only visual and we can’t hear it

i raise my cup

no changes, but apparently they moved this song to after the curtain call after this audio was recorded, which is honestly just stupid

if you made it through this i’m very impressed. in conclusion the edmonton version is trash and i have no idea what the creative team is thinking. 

[thetravsnco]

Chapter One

Hey! So, after that long, boring talk about all my writing prospects and why I like Traversal so much, and which I suppose you have seen so many times already, plus that awfully ambiguous(to most!) textpost featuring two characters of considerable prominence, Stalford Lupus and Edward Black, and which has either left you interested or displeased, in which I truthfully yearn that you experience the former, now it is time to start the chapters rolling! 

Here goes...

This was just another ordinary Saturday in the rich autumns of Nottingham, if you asked anyone. They were perhaps famous, even missed, by long-time residents who had known them, or had spent many a part of their childhood basking in the joy and pleasure of marveling at how the leaves would turn red, golden-brown or even a novel shade of yellow specially at this time of the year, as though to match the radiant glow of the sun's rays as they somehow managed to find their way around the place, behind every corner, pipe, gutter and edge, worming its way into the people's houses, where some would be spending their afternoons watching television, for kids playing perhaps a particularly intense video game, or enjoying the comfort of a good book and a cup of hot, strong, freshly brewed coffee and a snack. Never failing to bring joy to even the most sober, sullen and more sober of the history of miserable long-faces, it very gladly warmed up and caught everyone's smiles within a seemingly everlasting radius. And it would truthfully be an understatement to say that the people of Nottingham were none the more grateful for it.

Now, as the sun which I have so plentifully presented in my earlier paragraph shone its contagious smile on a certain street known so as Kingsley Way, there were two children, the only two in Nottingham perhaps, who did not seem nearly as much cheered up as the rest of the sun's 'patients', by the ages of thirteen, leaning against the kind of fence that looked as though it had not been carefully, much meticulously tended for ages and counting, its once pristine white paint now practically unrecognizable as it covered itself with tender peelings and stains or haphazard smudge marks that littered it, over the passing of time that surrounded number four, Kingsley Way, like a venomous anaconda slowly curling itself around its prey before devouring it in one spectacular gulp, though decidedly not with so much a suspense as the latter.

The kids' names were Oliver and Ana Williams, and were twins, as you probably had guessed. At this very moment even the smartest of passers-by could be forgiven for not noticing their whereabouts, for they were very cleverly and henceforth inconspicuously hidden behind a hedge of begonias that lined the entire interior of the fence and beyond, much. Now, this Oliver and Ana Williams were at this moment not remotely enjoying themselves, as their parents...well, you know how most parents work from nine to five, five days a week? Well, Oliver's and Ana's work from five to nine, seven days a week. Mr. Williams was a lawyer, and Mrs. Williams a medical specialist, which meant that she was fairly high in the medical industry. Mr. Williams was often overseas half the year, as he had become quite prominent in the past years and often had to go all around the world to meet fellow lawyers on business trips, or if someone called on him to investigate big overseas cases, and was hardly ever at home. Meanwhile Mrs. Williams often had to stay up overnight to tend to patients, or to do research on 'important things', as she called it, so Oliver and Ana cultivated discipline from a young age and could pretty much get the house running on their own.

Today was just another of the days that they were left to their own devices, needless to say.

"Hey Olive, want to go for a walk down the street? I'm wholly bored to death on such an uneventful day." Ana, younger by three minutes, had still not gotten used to life with the Williams much.

Oliver was the way more mature of the two, but even he understood how dreadful it could be to have absolutely nothing to do, or no business to get round to on a day like this, and he was practically falling asleep. "Sure." He got up, showing just how much he longed for an opportunity to stretch his legs, despite how much he would refuse to admit it if anyone asked. Disappearing into the house, he slipped upstairs and came down a mere minute later with a blue sweatshirt behind a black jacket which his father had gotten him a few years ago after a trip to the States, sleeves pulled up, and denim jeans for his bottom. Ana was already waiting when he came, and together the pair of them stepped out the door and at once again the fresh air greeted them like a rush of cool breeze from the air-conditioner in their respective rooms. Locking the door behind them, they exited the house through the rattled old fence, and set off side by side towards the horizon on the end of the left of Kingsley Way, as far as the eye could see.

They had no destination in mind, but they just kept walking, thinking that it would be no harm to them even if they were just going for a stroll around their neighborhood.

They passed by the other various quaint houses located along Kingsley Way that belonged to their equally strange neighbors, one of which was the famous engineer Riley Marks, in the area at least. Whenever anyone encountered problems with their home appliances, they need not be afraid to call on him. He was very kind to the Williams, and whenever they ran into his lanky stature packed with sinew and over an oversized jumper, he would give them biscuits and go to the nearby Jackson's to treat them to ice-creams.

Next to Riley's was old Ms. Crowley's. She was a catty old lady whom no one dared come close to, as everyone on the street found creepy. No one knew what exactly she did, but word did spread around that she was senile and a witch, and entering her house was like entering a haunted one. The rumor had been passed down for generations, and of course the twins had heard of it, although they had been too young to say anything adverse to it even if they wanted to. What really confirmed their suspicions, though, was that once, many years ago, Oliver was playing with the Marks boy Andrew in the garden, and their ball had flew over to Ms. Crowley's by accident. Andrew went to get it back, but no sooner had he put one leg into the untidy, weedy grass, the front door creaked open, and a pointy, shriveled finger poked itself out of it and waggled itself at Andrew, as though trying to warn him. Andrew started crying, and Riley himself had to come over to get him (and the ball) back. It was still a joke at meetings, but ten years down the road Andrew had still never forgotten his vowing that day never to step foot in that 'crazy old bat's' garden again.

Soon, unknowingly, as the twins neared the end of the street, they came to the dilapidated house at the end of it. Now, this put together with Ms. Crowley's was quite fitting, as they were rumored to be equally haunted. Now, of course there was a reason it was just a rumor. That is, Oliver and Ava knew otherwise, and it was destined to be a secret between them and the house's mysterious inhabitant - Kingston Podmore, with an indeed mysterious past.

Podmore was the only child of a rich family of scientists, and when his parents died, he was the sole heir to all their possessions. Influenced by his family, Podmore had become quite a budding scientist himself. There was also a prophecy written saying that only Podmore could invent something to rid the world of all troubles and evil once and for all, and create eternal peace and happiness. On Podmore's parents' deathbed, they had also made Podmore promise that he will continue to love Science, and use it only for good, not evil. Of course, Podmore agreed, and from then on dabbled in quite a many of various sciences with many clever inventions. He often worked at his inventions in his workshop through the night, sending flashes of blinding green light through the pitch dark skies. It was enough to scare the bravest kid, and further proved everyone's suspicions that the house was indeed haunted. But the Williams, of course, knew better.

"Last one in there's a rotten egg!" Ava squealed excitedly to Ramon, and together they dashed in without hesitation, slamming the door speedily behind them.

Racing down a long corridor, the kids relished in the strong sense of belonging that permeated their surroundings, as it had been so long ever since this place had started to become their favorite haunt. As though by magic, whatever interesting and new surprises that took place inside the four walls of this house never failed to amaze them, or break their boredom and even, occasionally, strike them into a whirlwind of confusion. These trips often ended with them stepping out of the house asking each other quizzically questions like, "How did he do that?" or "How did that even happen?", a bemused but interested look on their faces as they set off on the pavement leading to home.

They had just left a striking marble hall layered with pictures of all sorts of curious people, which consisted of various rather formidable-looking men with curly white hair which Ava thought must've been from a long, long time ago, young people with funky shocking neon hairstyles and nose piercing whom Oliver could relate to a rock star, shiny-headed baldies wearing an expression of fair disgust which Ava readily understood, and long-pillocks with curls and bangs that gave Oliver the impression of snakes growing out of their hair, which almost instinctively made him stick out his tongue in disgust and mouth, shaking his head, Gross!  before he was tugged on the jacket sleeve by Ava and together they boarded a widening, seemingly posh flight of stairs at the end of the room.

"Here!" Ava beckoned at Oliver and together they ran up a few flights of similarly grand stairways until they reached the third floor. Next they hustled down another corridor, this time filled with shining, newly polished knight's armour of all shapes and sizes, and also whom seemed to have been charmed, as they would say things like "Steady there, steady there!" or "Hold your horses!" which usually would definitely have made them crack up, but not today, not now, not when they had a thousand and one things to yet get around to do in this mysterious labyrinth of exploration and wonder, one of which was currently getting to the well-hidden laboratory of their flaky scientist friend.

When they finally got to a bookshelf at the corridor's end, Ana, panting, tapped the third book from the left on the sixth shelf from the top and the bookshelf flipped to its side to reveal a secret passage. Oliver and his sister stepped forward and off they went. It was as though being on an indoor roller coaster. The Williams slid down a seemingly never-ending slide. It was a relief to see the warm glow of Podmore's laboratory, where the twins had to put their hands in front of them to stop themselves falling face-first on the cold wooden floor. They got to their feet to a glance from Podmore, who immediately waved invitingly to them.

"No trouble getting here, then? Hancock's getting worse these days."

Hancock was a poltergeist living in the castle, and whose mischief could not delight him more.

"Not at all, Professor. We didn't run into him today."

"Good, good....well, what brings you here this fine day?"

"We wanted to look at your new project, sir."

"Ah, yes. About that new project....I'll show it to you. It's under here." Podmore motioned to a white cloth in the corner. "I've always been awaiting your arrival to check it out. Here you go."

He lifted the cloth up, slowly. The Williams could not help but stare in awe at the contraption underneath. A sleek vehicle of some sort emerged. It was painted mainly silver and blue, with a neon yellow halo surrounding its top. It reminded one of a rocket. With a transparent window on its side, a small table dotted with various buttons and a keyboard was barely visible.

"Presenting...Traverse 2.0. Made from cutting-edge technology that has been newly invented in the twenty-first century, this is a time machine that is well equipped to travel through the holes of time into the past, future...well, whenever you like for adventures or missions. This machine is lightweight, making it easier to hide in the shadows. This, you will find, comes in very useful during missions. Talking about hiding in shadows...Traverse 2.0 also has an Invisibility function. With the click of a button, Traverse 2.0 will be invisible to outsiders, particularly enemies. Lastly, Traverse 2.0 is built such that I can send messages through texts, or even send a hologram of myself to appear if the need arises, to help you through your journey." Here, after his long warble, Podmore shot a sneaky smile at the kids. Oliver was the first to answer.

"What do you mean, 'you'? Wait...you don't mean..." his confused expression turned into a wide grin when Podmore's quick nod told him his answer. "Wow, really?"

Ana was still gawping at the time machine and when she heard Oliver and Podmore's conversation, she wanted to say something but she found there was nothing to say, so she did the only sensible thing she could think of and closed her mouth. Her brother was already climbing into the time machine excitedly.

"Hang on!" Looking at Oliver's eager smile, Podmore chortled and said, "You need your time travelling suit first."

"But where?" The answer came almost immediately. Podmore pointed to a nearby cupboard. The bottom door sprang open and out came a...

"Portable cupboard!" the kids exclaimed in unison. It looked like a small cylinder at first, just like a can of Coke you could get at the neighborhood convenience store, but when in unraveled, it became a huge object, with poles and hangers hung on them, with many different clothing for various occasions. You could spin it as well. With a flick of his hand, Podmore made the cupboard spin to its left, to reveal two outfits that looked like time travelling suits all right, they looked like what a scuba diver would have worn, and scuba divers had always fascinated the older William.

"Awesome!" He grinned, and, pulling his twin sister, he raced to the cupboard. After donning on their time travelling suits, the twins boarded the time machine and used a button near the window to wind it down. They caught a last glimpse of Podmore shooting them an encouraging smile before they rose up and were blasted into darkness. Never in their wildest dreams would they imagine what adventures they would be wandering into...

All done, yes! Wait for Chapter Two, and, meanwhile, give me a shout in the comments, if there’s anything!

[auskultu]

The Who Ready To Hit You With New Ideas

Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 October 1967

AFTER six weeks with “the last Schmaltz” it is good to find the Who back in the charts with a new single, ‘I Can See For Miles’, in their old “knockabout” style. It is also good to have Pete Townshend back for interviews, employing his brain like a well-oiled lawn mower that clacks around and around, spitting out ideas and attitudes as it churns up the Scene.

Is there a new approach from the group, perhaps, following their successful American tour and the beginning of what almost unbelievably is their first British tour tomorrow (Saturday) with Traffic?

“Yer, what we’re gonna do is hit ‘em wiv it,” monotoned Pete, in his voice for swinging morons. “Punch ‘em in the stomach, kick ‘em on the floor and sock it to ‘em!”

But our story really begins (for those who like to sit comfortably) in the Who’s London offices, where I met manager Kit Lambert, who shook hands in a detached manner and wandered away to take a phone call from agent Danny Betesh.

Mistake Twenty-five minutes later he returned to ask his secretary whether Keith Altham was meeting him here or at a restaurant. Noticing me asleep in one corner, he immediately realised the mistake and banged a fist against his forehead. I was greatly mollified to learn that he recently failed to recognise his own mother as they passed in the street.

We ate an excellent lunch, at which I was under the impression that Pete might appear. “No, rather my fault,” admitted Kit. “I forgot to tell him. However, we’ll go down to the recording studio in Kingsway and provoke them there.” It was 2.45 when we arrived at the studio, but no one else had arrived as yet.

“When should they be here?” I asked “Forty-five minutes ago,” said Kit, resignedly.

Roger Daltrey was first to arrive, wearing yellow sweater, with a large silver cross round his neck on a chain—and trousers as well, of course, as it was a cold day.

Roger said: “The kids in America are very much more together than in Britain. They have something to rebel against. No one wants to be killed at nineteen fighting in Vietnam.

“We’re more a stage group than a recording group…when we play intricate things on stage we explain them…don’t write what I said about Graham Nash…our fans are broad-minded—they have to be!”

John Entwistle arrived with Keith Moon and John said: “Shall we tell him about those school kids who mobbed us in the Blue Boar cafe on the M1 and began stuffing baked beans and tomatoes from our plates into their pockets as souvenirs? All those meletrons aren’t good for your health.” He also did an impression of David McWilliams by holding his nose and singing ‘Days of Pearly Spencer’!

Hurricane Keith said to me: “Where’s yer sixpence for yer cup of tea?” Then hurricane Townshend arrived, rumbling about how he thought it was 3.30 p.m. they were due to start and picked up a packet of sandwiches. “Pig food,” he yelled and threw them back into a carton. Pete likes throwing sandwiches. “See this?” He indicated a suitcase full of tapes. “That’s the Who’s dustbin!” Eventually the storm subsided and he sat in a swivel chair, swinging from left to right as he talked about the new single.

“We were making records for record reviewers before,” said Pete. “They were too flimsy, to poignant, too prissy. They were factory-made. We’ve gone backwards in order to go forward.

“The further forward you move, the more you confuse the fans. We wanted to do something that would be unexpected. Something that would demand something of the public. ‘I Can See For Miles’ was the answer.”

Then, being Pete Townshend, he neatly injected into his lengthy explanation: “And besides which, we had nothing else suitable to release at the time!” As an established group, the Who have a hard core of supporters and they might find the tour with the groups like the Tremeloes and the Herd confusing. “We’ve tried this semi-intellectual approach,” smiled Pete. “We did it at the first house of the Saville concert last Sunday and died a death, because we were following an overwhelming act like the Vanilla Fudge. We were like a cream tea!

“Kit was so worried he tried to way-lay all the journalists in a pub over the road so they would only see the end of the show, but we put things right in the second house. We did a Brian Poole routine—Roger split his trousers, Keith wore a Jester’s hat and knocked his drums about and I kept falling over. They loved it.

“I’ll tell you who is going to be big next year. Groups not afraid to make concessions and mock the whole process. The Bonzo Dogs, for instance, and Dave Dee, because he is not frightened of being commercial!

“In the old days an ‘Emily Scruggs’ used to come into a recording studio, bleat into a megaphone and there it was for ‘posterior.’ Now we get all hang up on six track systems, multi-recording devices and electronic side effects. Electronic music is infinite in variety and eventually you’ll lose yourself and everyone else experimenting with it.

“On our next LP, The Who Sell Out, we’ve got a number called ‘Rael’ which should have been the next single. It’s all about ‘overspill’ when the world population becomes so great in years ahead that everyone is assigned to their one square foot of earth.

“We played it on stage in Manchester and Scotland and everyone just looked at us with their mouths open—the complication was too much. “I don’t want to lose personal contact with people. We want to do longer personal appearance spots, for example.

Identity “I’d rather do longer to give the audience time to identify with the group and get involved with the music. We’re deliberately overrunning our appearances at present.

“It’s like reading a Kingsley Amis novel and wanting to meet the author after you’ve read the book. You meet him, say ‘Hello dear’ and that’s the end of the involvement.”

And so the mowing machine clacked on with blades awhirling: “Stevie Winwood has a legion of fans; it’s inhuman for him to lock himself away like that in the country and detach himself…I’ve heard all I want to of the Beatles’ last LP; now it’s a memory…people aren’t jiving in the listening boxes in record shops any more like we did to a Cliff Richard ‘newie’…’Paper Sun’ wasn’t a hit record, it was a best seller…’Lily’ and ‘Happy Jack’ had simple tunes people could remember.”

“Something you could hum over a lathe,” chipped in Mr. Moon.

When last seen Mr. Townshend was leaping up and down the corridor of the Kingsway studios shouting, “I’m beautiful, I’m beautiful,” and Mr. Lambert was almost visibly counting up studio fees.

[mythicalbelle]

Sins of Trust

Diagon Alley had been the introduction to the world of magic and all that it entailed. Every shop held a memory to me and I had kept a record of them all within the confines of leather- bound journals. Even upsetting memories such as those that involved a younger Draco and myself. Lucius Malfoy had manipulated Draco into being the arrogant brattish boy I had first known at Hogwarts and I was so happy to find out that the man Draco had become during our eighth year was one whom it was all too easy to love. Now, as I lay on the vast bed listening to the clientele of The Leaky Cauldron as they went about their evening; I wished I could go back to that last year of school and tell Draco the truth of how I had fallen in love with the man he was... I remembered lying in his arms as we hid away in his bed the morning of our final NEWT exam just as I lay now, and I'd been so close to uttering those words that would have set me.. us free. Of course, I now knew that I was merely a distraction for Draco - and Ron's taunting words came back to haunt me. He had warned me that I would be used and thrown aside, and the bastard had been right. Draco Malfoy had lulled me into a false sense of security in his home and perhaps I had been foolish in me feeling that the Malfoy estate was my home. I had stayed far longer than I should have done and gotten too comfortable in a place that had been warded to keep Muggle-borns like myself away. Cursing my foolish and vulnerable heart for allowing myself to feel something for Draco, I felt tears slip down my cheeks and soak into my pillows. I had something sad that I would write into my diary - a first for me in regards to Draco and I. Draco Malfoy had made me cry. Curling up under the covers clutching hold of my blankets I thought about both Ron and Draco. Both men had sworn to protect me, and then left me hurting. In Ron's case; both physically and emotionally to the degree I really should have been admitted into St Mungo's on several occasions. Draco had broken my heart once and for all. Astoria Greengrass was originally supposed to marry Draco, it had been front-page of the Prophet when we'd been in Hogwarts. He had succeeded in challenging the betrothal in a private meeting with the Wizengamort and succeeded in having the agreement annulled and like a fool, I had thought then he would choose me to be become the newest Lady Malfoy. When we'd left school without becoming the couple I had naïvely hoped us to be and I'd begun to build a relationship with Ron. It had lacked the fire and passion Draco had experienced. I became trapped and felt that somehow, I deserved to assaults that Ron inflicted on me and the cruelty of his words were down to him grieving for his brother. Every excuse I could think of, I used to survive every day. Crying till I was nothing but a trembling wreck in a blanket fort, I barely heard the pop of the house elf as it apparated into my room, and was unaware as to who she was, although I could guess by the small dress she was wearing that she had come from Malfoy Manor. Surely the Draco I knew now wouldn't rub salt into my wounds and have a house elf follow me no doubt to return my meagre belonging to me. "I can see you elf. Tell me your name and then I must ask you a second question and I need you to be honest." The small creature froze and began fidgeting with the hem of her dress whilst avoiding looking at me. Clearly, she was torn between what I had asked of her and the orders she had received from Draco. Sighing softly, I pulled myself up to sit in the bed, fingers moving automatically to run through my curls and guide them away from my tear-streaked face. "Melly. Missy Hermy, my name is Melly and I tend the vegetable gardens that the late Lady Malfoy created. Master Draco was going to have me aide Missy Hermy in whatever she wishes in the walled gardens Master Draco took Missy Hermy on Hallows Eve." This Melly looked like she had witnessed such horrors as Nagini eating a victim whole. (Although there was a good chance she had given that the Dark Lord had punished Lucius by having the Manor be his main settlement for all those loyal to him...) Nodding softly, I pointedly ignored the sound of an argument taking place further down the hall between Hannah Longbottom and someone who sounded suspiciously like Ron. Whomever it was, sounded just like Ron when he had drunk too many Ogden's finest and become a vicious drunk. Ronald was at work selling jokes and tricks to a flurry of customers down the road at Weasley Wizarding Wheezes... Melly did as I did and looked towards the locked bedroom door and bit her lip thoughtfully. Without a shadow of doubt, the elf was frightened by the disturbance as well as breaking a vow between herself and her Master, because I was sure Draco wouldn't want me to know he was maintaining a watchful eye on me. Or, perhaps I was wrong and Draco was wishing to see where I was so that he could move on with a clear conscious with Astoria. That thought, had me shiver and a feeling of misery consume me.. I loved Draco Malfoy - I knew that now and I felt lost. Returning my attention to the the window, I kept my eyes off Melly so that whatever request she had to follow out could be done without her feeling fear of punishment from a man I knew to be kind to all now... "Melly. I shall return to my book and I won't say a word for I fear my acknowledgement of you has you fearing what Master Draco shall do. Please however, know that I am grateful for your kindness and those of your friends and family at the Manor. I shall miss you all." Those final five words were uttered through a new fit of tears as I wept for something that had never been and never would. I didn't belong really, not here in the hubbub of Diagon Alley, or the tranquillity of Wiltshire with Draco. The pop of Melly's departure had me think of the future, intertwined with the recollections of the visions I had experienced with Draco - none of it now seemed to make sense. I had seen myself with a babe in my arms... I had for the briefest moment thought it meant a family - a child born of love perhaps with Draco though that notion seemed insane now I thought of it. He'd no more permit a child of his to be born a half-blood than Ron suddenly turn his back on the Cannons. Maybe it had been something different indeed; like a new beginning away from magic. Muggle England wasn't completely alien to me and I could survive. No - I would survive after all, I had survived far worse at the hands of enemies and friends alike. Retrieving my favourite quill from my bag along with some parchment and began letters to Harry and Ginny, Ron and Draco. Each one short but to the point - that I would trouble them no more and wished them to let me go and live their lives to the full. The letter to my best friend and his wife was smudged only once where I told them both that they were my kin despite no blood between us. After all, it had been Harry who never strayed on the hardest of days when on the run unlike Ron whom had broken my heart and mind repeatedly with his temper tantrums. I moved from them to Draco. A man whose loyalty and morality had been questionable during the war; but I had kept up my vow to clear Draco’s name and I'd done so although the official notice from the Ministry wouldn't be sent to the Malfoy estate till the following morning; Kingsley had sent a note to me to give me the good news. so that I could leave with my conscience clear. My Mother had always told me that one should be honest with things that mattered to me and those I cared for. I ensured that the note from Shacklebolt was sealed so that it may be enclosed within my own of which I had confessed my heart when I went to my Maker, I would know that Draco would know that he had been loved truly by one who saw him as something more than his name or fortune. Not that it would matter much now, a marriage between Draco and Astoria would have many pure-blooded families believe there to be hope of the 'Lord's ways' returning. His letter was filled with smudges and I was half-tempted to begin again so that my sorrow be disguised from Draco.. As I reached for fresh parchment, I heard the sound of one man approaching whom I had thought not to encounter alone again... The fury in Ron’s voice was one I was accustomed too when he was drunk, something I feared him to be now and I froze with my fresh parchment discarded to the table in a mess as ink from the well spilt over the wood leaving parts of the important notes impossible to read. Nonetheless, I thrust the two letters to the young owl I had been loaned by Hannah and Neville. "Forgive me for not having treats or time to bind these well.. One to Harry Potter and the other, Draco Malfoy. Hurry please." The letters slid into the holsters on each leg and the owl was gone through the window as Ron’s voice echoed through the doorway and I wondered just what had brought him here when I had hoped to find Ginny instead. "WEASLEY! Get the Hell away from that door and leave Ms Granger alone!" Pulling the door open with a bang, I stared at the scene before me - Ron was restrained by an irate Minister. Snood... I should have felt relieved but the same chill I had felt in the moments before the three of us were captured and brought before Bellatrix. Something was wrong - I just had no idea what. Arcturus Snood wasn't one to frequent the Leaky, and yet? When I had fled to here, here I found him. The Minister who had clearly not believed Ron had been the source of my injuries weeks before was the one to come my rescue now. Yet, I felt truly afraid as Arcturus and mine eyes met, and longed for the sanctuary of Wiltshire..

[melissalfinch]

Crushed Falcon by Melissa L. Finch Prologue Elusive Comprehension

An excerpt from my historical/fantasy fiction novel in progress

The carriage creaked and jostled when it met each bump on the road. It had been assigned to deliver myself, my five trunks of belongings and the two gritty-faced men I had hired for help from the train station in Portland, Maine to my new inherited home on Pine Street which I had inherited from my grandmother upon her recent passing. The year was 1909. It was the end of August. William Howard Taft was elected as our nation’s 27th President earlier that year. The weather was heavy with humidity from the low gray clouds that blanketed the sky, bringing on a mild heat, around 77 degrees Fahrenheit. It was in the late afternoon. The sun would not set until around 7:30pm that evening. There was a relieving cool breeze that stirred the leaves of the trees that surrounded the neighborhood. I do not think I could ever forget this day. So clear is it, yet only like a vivid dream.

I do not recall the names of the two men who accompanied me, but our encounter is not very relevant. I recall feeling very stiff with nerves during our 45 minute travel sitting so close together. Their smirks delivered the message to me that they knew of my uneasiness and it brought them some kind of amusement. They had most likely been drinking whiskey the night before because I could smell it on their pungent breaths. As I was jostled about and pushed too closely beside them, feeling the sides of my legs pressed against theirs, I felt like a fool for agreeing to hire these men, who most likely engaged in gambling and various forms of bootlegging. Besides help was probably already out in the front yard waiting for my arrival. I tried my best to look out the window and not think of the likely predicament I had put myself in of being robbed, beaten or something else unmentionable.

I had not been to the house since I was a small child visiting my grandmother, who it had recently belonged to. I had very few memories of it, but the few I had, were recalled with warmth and comfort. I think I remember the kitchen most of all. My grandmother loved to bake me oatmeal raisin cookies. I usually only ate hers. All the other oatmeal raisin cookies I tried always caused me great disappointment. After my family and I moved from Portland, Maine to Boston, Massachusetts when I was 5, Grandmother would often mail those cookies to me. I loved them even though my father insisted they were too dry and hard due to their travel. Sadly we stopped seeing her as often once we moved. Grandmother had passed away just 6 months prior to my inheritance. She had left me her beautiful home and grateful housekeeper Jeanette Kingsley. Jeanette had been with my grandmother nearly their whole lives. She had been my grandmothers maidservant as a teenager, being about ten years younger than my grandmother. Jeanette was there for my grandmother when my grandfather passed away in 1898 and she was there beside my grandmother when she breathed her last breath. I knew that the housekeeper would hate to leave the big beautiful house she had spent so much time in. Jeanette was well into her 50s when I moved in and I knew how hard it would be for her to start over and find work in another household. I knew Jeanette could be just as stubborn and fussy as my grandmother; hence their great friendship. In addition. I didn’t like the idea of living there all alone, so I welcomed her company.

Jeanette Kingsley came out to greet me with enthusiasm. She was a short round Negro woman that smelled like honey and peaches. I wasn’t sure if she had just finished baking peach pies for the whole town or if it was a permanent fragrance that emanated from her pores from spending so many years in various kitchens. She wore a simple dark brown dress with a white apron with yellowing eyelet trim, her hair pulled back in a country patterned kerchief. She gave me a big tight hug. “There you are Miss Sylvia! Oh it’s been too long!” she was breathless with affection. “And I’m so glad you hired some help.” She smiled gratefully at my two hooligan escorts. “My cousin Sammy was gonna come over with Ralph but Sammy’s wife went into labor this morning and Ralph gone done and got himself a real bad cough again. Poor Judy’s gotta take care of him and their four brats now! Oh! But never you mind them. I forgot you don’t know one of these damn fools I’m talkin’ about!” She let out a cheerful melodic chuckle that could only belong to the voice of a regular Sunday church singer like herself. I really couldn’t recall the last time I even saw Jeanette. It had to be over 15 years. The last time I had seen Grandmother was when I was a child. I was 27 when I moved into her home.

My moving men kept their good manners to the best of their ability. Tipping their hats to me after I paid them what we agreed upon at the train station, they went on their way after unloading my four trunks containing my belongings. As they rode off in the hired carriage I couldn’t help but feel ashamed of myself for assuming the worst of them, and suspecting their intentions, when they honestly just wanted to make a little extra living after they saw me disembark from the train, alone and flustered in the big bustling station, struggling to get the attendants to be careful with my trunks which held my clothing, a small amount of jewelry and books, photos and a few other heirlooms. The one with a golden-colored mustache even briefly leaned out the window of the carriage and waved back at me. I could hear them laughing a little as they rode off, most likely making fun of me and my suspicions.

Jeanette broke my distracted fixation on the carriage as it drove off with a loving nudge of her elbow. “Don’t you wanna go take a peak inside? I know ya gotta be itching to run up that staircase.” I gave her a smile, feeling a surge of relief and excitement.

My father and other remaining relatives of course thought I should be getting married and have a husband to buy me a home, a much grander home than this one, no doubt, but after I reached 25 with too many courtships having ended sourly, too many accounts of tender affection and romantic words mistaken for something that would last longer than whenever the next new young lady came of age or entered our social circle, or when my young gentlemen suitors grew perplexed by my opinions and too many words. I would hear the household and other relatives gossip bitterly about me becoming a spinster. It was a very sad and tearful day when Grandmother passed, but when I found out she had willed me her house, a spark went off in my mind and heart. I could get out of Boston and it’s disappointments and heartbreaks. I could get out of the house I grew up in and away from my mother’s ghost who haunted me since I lost her when I was seven years old. Grandmother kept in touch with me as I grew up without a mother. She was really one of the only relatives I was close to on my mom’s side. I often wondered how different my life would have been if she had raised me, feeling some kind of debt to my mother, her daughter, who we lost to a bad flu epidemic. Grandmother would often write letters to me when I was heartbroken over another failed courting, “With every end, is a new beginning,” she would write in her pretty cursive.

My father was not happy when I moved back to my birthplace in Maine, even though I tried to explain that it would be a fresh new start and I would find some way of making him proud. I assured him that my childhood ballet classes would not go to waste and that I would try to seek a career teaching ballet. It was only natural of me to desire a career in which my talents would be used. I had always loved music and the performing arts so much.

When I did leave, many other relatives, including my Aunt Agatha, a nanny, Ms Goviard, along with several maids which included Emma and Tabitha who would tease me profoundly, were all disgusted, especially that I left shortly after my father developed a suspicious cough. Aunt Agatha, Father’s sister would say how I would feel so awful later if something happened to him without me being there to care for him, and that it was completely disrespectful to him, after all he had done for me. I wasn’t sure if such words came out of his mouth or not, nor did I care much. Yes, it can be interpreted as being rather cold, I’ll admit, but my father and I were never close. We had our differences and could very seldom, if at all, compromise. Often I think he didn’t care what I did, just as long as it didn’t weigh down on his name. He was clearly upset that I was the only child being a girl. He wanted the Monbrook name to long outlive him, but he would most likely be very disappointed.

Besides, my father’s house was filled with help, who could provide better care than I was qualified to give. That’s how it always was. Without a wife and mother, my father hired all of the help he could get. I was raised by maids, nannies and housekeepers. I think they were all in a tiff because they just didn’t want be left alone with his grumbling old self.

My grandmother’s large spacious, two story house with an attic and a small basement had five small bedrooms upstairs. The place was still completely furnished from my grandparents life together. Jeanette directed me to the room she thought I’d like the most. It didn’t belong to my grandmother. That was the room, Jeanette stayed in. This one was kept for my cousin Olivia who lived there for a long time before disembarking to London with her wealthy business husband Ryan. All of this Jeannette filled me in on with scandalous excitement. My new bedroom had a great big four poster dark wooden bed with light blue bedding. A large armoire stood against the wall across from the bed near the door. A dainty ivory colored crochet doily covered the top. An inviting rocking chair was situated beneath a tall open window with thin white curtains billowing from the breeze. I stood before the window to catch the view. I looked to my left to see a smaller more simple house with an unkept yard and in desperate need of a paint job. I looked to the right to see another house a bit further away painted a dark brick red color. Most of the houses in the neighborhood on Pine street were built fairly close together. I hoped my privacy would be insured but that my neighbors were courteous and welcoming at the same time. The curtains from the window in clearest view, quickly flashed close. I thought I caught a glimpse of a blur of a redhead escape exposure. Apparently my new neighbors were just as curious of me as I was with them.

For my first night Jeanette made me a fantastic dinner of grilled chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes. I insisted that she did not have to do all the cooking. I would help out, too. We ate together and she busied herself talking about the gossip in her family and how she disapproved of this and that. I could tell it had been a while since she had had anyone to talk to and she was very happy to have me there. I also enjoyed her good-spirited chat.

I think I completely forgot where I was when I first woke up the following day. After all, I had spent the same 22 years of my life in the same house. I could hear Jeanette humming in the kitchen, most likely cooking some breakfast. I spent the afternoon unpacking and getting organized as I did with the next two weeks. I wanted to be respectful to my grandmother’s home and keep some things as they were, but Jeanette kept saying, “This is your house now. You do as best you see fit.” The first thing I wanted to do was get new bedding for my bedroom. As pretty as the blue was, I always fancied having peach and lavender accents.

It must have been the middle of the second week living on Pine Street when I awoke from my deep sleep to the sound of a child's screams and primordial wails. I sat up in a flash, jumping out of bed to find out where these cries were coming from. It was very late at night. I was home alone that day. Jeanette had warned me that she most likely would not be home until possibly the next morning because she had been hired on as extra help at the Andrews dinner gala. The Andrews were a family I was very well acquainted with. I had not been invited to the affair even though they knew I had recently moved into town. I shall explain my estranged relationship with them later.

A loud crash followed these cries and then there was no more. Only faint feminine sobs could be heard. Then there was silence. I was briefly tempted to call out for Jeanette, hoping I had slept through her return home, hoping she would quickly apologize for dropping something in the bathroom to wake me, but that still, dull silence confirmed I was indeed completely alone in the house, and that disturbing noise had come from outside, from one of the neighboring houses.

For half an hour I sat in my rocking chair under the window, ignoring the chill of the merciless long past midnight breeze. By now we had entered September. Autumn was drawing near. The moon hung high and bright in a clear sky, bright enough to shine light down on the brick red colored house to the right of me. There was a dim orange colored glow from an old kerosene lamp lighting up one of the windows. After 30 minutes or so, it was snuffed out and then the house was still and quiet. The same house whose curtains stirred from the redhead watching me the first day I moved in.