Day in a Year Part 2
by
NaOH_r
 
 

Carol spun around, looking all about her but especially up.  She saw the giant form of a woman in a white dress and realized it was one of the local girls, Deirdre.  A second later she was joined by Linda, no Ms. Boyle after this, and the two ordinary women peered at their former companions.  Ms. Boyle spoke pleadingly to her.  'Iím sorry, girls.  This wasnít supposed to happen like this, please believe me.  I was the only one who should have been changed but the moonlight tricked us, it took you instead.'

She paused for a second and spoke again.  'Listen, now, we only have a minute.  You should be okay if you keep your wits about you.  Iíll be back for you, you can cross back over.  Iíll be here next year.  But one thing, remember, whatever you do, donít'  Her voice cut off abruptly as she, and Deirdre next to her, vanished.  At the same time, it seemed to Carol that the quality of light changed, that the shadows shifted and colors changed.  She looked up and around in all directions but could find no sign of any others.  She called out more pleadingly than hopefully, ìMs. Boyle? Deirdre?  Anyone hear me?î  She listened intently for a few minutes.  Nothing.  Then she thought of the only one of her companions who might have been shrunk with her.  'Alison!  Are you here?   Ali, can you hear me?'

To her surprise she heard branches rustle and twigs snap behind her.  She spun around to see a white-clad figure the same size as herself emerge from the edge of the brush surrounding her  plot now grown to a clearing.  Alison shouted and staggered out, disengaged herself from one last grasping branch and ran toward her.  Relieved, Carol hurried to meet her.  Just before they met, though, the light shifted again and the constant breeze suddenly fell quiet.  A light, brief shower fell on them.  Alison ran her hand through her damp, tangled hair and halted.  'Whatís happened?' she demanded.  'Where are we now?'

Carol was so happy to have some company she didnít respond to the otherís impertinence.  'I think weíre on the same hill we were on last night,' she answered mildly.  'The others are gone and weíre alone here.  As to what happened, Iím not sure of it all but I know we somehow shrunk.'  She wondered how much she should share with Alison, not knowing what to believe herself.

Finally she began an explanation.  'I talked with Ms. Boyle last night before you others arrived.  She told me she was trying to visit the Other Folk, she called them.  Only she wanted to visit them herself, not take us.  Certainly not send us.  You heard her say she was sorry, didnít you?'  When Alison nodded agreement, Carol carried on.  ì And she didnít say anything about shrinking, like what happened to us.î

Alison looked at her indignantly.  'Iíll say she didnít say anything about shrinking!  This was supposed to be a nice safe overseas course, not some crazy adventure in the never-never or something.  How do we get out of here?'

Carol forced herself to calm.  Getting angry at Ali wouldnít help matters.  Anyway, as she well knew,  Ali was much better at being angry than she was.  'I certainly donít know how to get out of here.  Iím more worried about surviving for a while.  If there are Others, though, maybe we can find them.  They might help us, if they exist.'

'Certainly we exist.'  Carol and Alison looked to where a new voice was addressing them.  Walking toward them were two people their size, a man and a woman wearing sensible looking boots, shirts and trousers, in various hues of green and brown.  The woman continued, 'And a good thing for you we welcome visitors.'  As they grew near, Carol saw they both appeared to be in their 30ís, both handsome rather than pretty.  Although her hair was light brown and his almost black, they shared striking deep green eyes.

The man spoke as they stood next to the girls.  'Sorry we took a while to find you but we stayed a ways away from this spot until we were sure the others were gone.  We know Linda; we were expecting her to come if she could, so we went to her place in the circle first.  She wasnít there but we knew the Power had acted and that somebody had crossed over.  So we started looking at the other places.  Is it only you two or did any others come?'  He apprised their figures appreciatively.

'No, itís just us,' Carol began, when the light shifted again.  She and Alison glanced at each other but the newcomers seemed not to notice.  'It was supposed to be just Linda but something went wrong, something about the moon, and here we are.  But where exactly are we?  And who are you?'

'Ah, Iím Brigid,' the woman announced, 'and my love here is Sean.  And where do you think you are?  You havenít gone anywhere, youíve just changed a bit.î

ìA change we donít want.î  Alison broke in.  ìIím not interested in adventures like this.  I donít want to be tiny.  You have to get us back the way we were.'

'Youíll go back if you want, but not because we can send you.  We didnít bring you here, you know.  But, since you are our guests for the day, shouldnít we know your names?'

'Sorry.  Iím Carol and this is Alison.  But where can we stay after today?  Ms. Boyle, Linda you call her, said sheíd be back in a year.  Is there someone we can stay with the rest of the time?'

Brigid laughed gently.  'Of course you donít know about our time.  We are the people of your twilight.  We donít see the Sun or the night, only a few minutes of dusk each morning and evening.  A day to us goes by in the same time as a year to you folk.'  She corrected herself.  'A year to the folk you were, anyway.'  The light shifted again.  'Did you feel that?  A day ended and another is beginning where youíre from.  We hardly notice.'

'So weíre stuck here for a year.'  Alison blurted.  'My family, my parents will think Iím dead.  Iíve got to go back now.'

'But we tell you, you canít.' Sean explained.  'People can only cross once in each of your years, women on Bealtaine, men on Samhain.  It doesnít happen for women often anymore and never any men.'  He stood thoughtfully for a moment.  'But why are we discussing this out here in the open.  Brigid, letís get our visitors home where we can show them some hospitality.'  He reached for Alisonís hand and nodded to her.  'With your permission.'  And they were gone, vanished as suddenly as Linda and Deirdre had vanished earlier.

Carol turned to where they had stood and spun back to Brigid.  ìWhere did they go?  Where did he take Ali?î

'Theyíre probably home by now, unless heís showing her some sights along the way.  Come, Iíll show you.'  Brigid took Carolís hand and suddenly they were in a different place, on top of a hill.  Carol looked about and recognized the top of the hill of the ceremony.  She could see the ring of plots below.

'Weíre too small to walk far in the world,' Brigid explained, 'so we have a different way of traveling.  Anywhere we can see, we can go, when we want.  Thatís why we like hills; you can see a long way from them.'  They both stood silent a few minutes, observing the view through several changes of light.  Finally Brigid spoke up again.  'See that patch of eleven thorn trees over yonder?  Thatís my home, where weíre going.'

Carol peered in the direction she pointed.  She could make out the grove Brigid pointed to but it was much too far away for her to make out any details.  'I guess I see.  I guess thereís eleven trees if you say so.'

Brigid took her hand again and suddenly they were in the patch of thorn trees or, more accurately, thorn bushes.  Through a break in the branches, Carol could make out the hilltop they had just left.  'Welcome to our home.'  Sean greeted them.  Carol looked to see him, Alison and another man, very similar to Sean, with the same dark hair and intense green eyes.  'And this is my brother Kevin, looking for an excuse not to work this morning.  Kevin, meet Carol, our other guest for the day.'  From the way they were looking at each other, Carol could see that Kevin and Ali had already met; had already hit it off quite well in fact.  Alison could be a fast worker, she remembered.

'Well, I have things I must do today.'  Brigid informed him.  'You two can take a holiday if you want but Iím staying home to tend to things.  You girls can stay here or go with them.'  She turned and entered the door of a well-hidden partly underground house.

'Oh, Iím not taking the day off,' explained Sean to Alison and Carol, 'just Kevin.  Heíll show you two around, maybe introduce you to some others.  Or you can stay here, talk with Brigid while she works.  Not too exciting, that would be.'

Carol frowned and considered her options.  'I think I will stay here.  Iíve had enough excitement already.  And maybe I can learn a little from Brigid about how you live.  Ms. Boyle will have a thousand questions and I donít want to disappoint her.'

'Not disappoint her!' scoffed Alison.  'After what sheís done to us?  No, if Iím stuck here for a day or for a year, Iím going to try to enjoy it, not sit around watching someone do household chores.  Kevin, you said we could meet some others and see some interesting things.  Iím ready to go.'

'And Iím ready to take you.'  Kevinís tone was more than slightly ambiguous.  He took her hand and they vanished.

'Heíll bring her back here, wonít he?' Carol questioned.  'In time for us to go back, right?'

'Oh, sure, theyíll be back by Samhain time at least.'  Sean assured her.  'We have our supper then and he wonít be missing a meal.  But youíll excuse me.  I have a few things to do right now.'  He looked to the doorway where Brigid was standing.  'Iíll be back for a break at Midsummer time, love.  Until then.'  And he suddenly was gone.

'Come on in, dear, '  Brigid urged Carol.  'Would you like a snack or anything?  Perhaps a bit of a rest.  The day has been...strenuous for you at the least.'  Carol stooped slightly as she stepped through the low door.

'No, Iím fine.  Iím not really hungry and Iím too keyed up to rest right now.  You know, I should be terrified at all this, at being shrunk, at being separated from everything I know.  But Iím not.  I donít understand any of this but I feel at home here.  Itís not uncomfortable.'

'We donít get many visitors of your sort but none of them Iíve met seemed to be frightened.  I thought that was because they all wanted to come here, they volunteered, you might say.  But there is really nothing for you to be scared of.'  She waved an arm about the room.  'We are really ordinary country folk, living ordinary lives.'

As Carolís eyes adjusted to the relative darkness, she saw they were in a rustic kitchen, a lot like the ones in the more remote villages she had briefly visited.  Naturally, she thought.  They wouldnít have electricity or running water here.   'Well, let me help you with your work, if I can.  And maybe youíll tell me about yourself and how you folk live.'

'Wanting to help out!'  Brigid cried in mock astonishment.  'Who would have imagined that?  Certainly not from your lovely friend.  Quite a little princess, she fancies herself.'  She chuckled to herself.  'Well, letís get you to work, then.'

For the next hour or so they cleaned the house, washed dishes, started a pot of soup simmering.  Simple chores which Carol found very comforting.  As they worked, Brigid told her of her life, how she and Sean got along (quite well, thank you) and of local gossip about their various neighbors and kin.  She wasnít sure she approved of Kevin entirely.  'Nice lad, but he should be settling down by now.  Heís still too busy having a good time.'
The time passed quickly enough until Sean reappeared, bearing a skin bag of cream.  ìSomebody left us an offering for Midsummers,'  he explained proudly.  'That doesnít happen as often as it used to,'  he told Carol.  Brigid had prepared plates of light cakes with honey for them, with some huge berries to pour some of the cream over, washed down with spring water and some sort of herb tea.

After their midmorning breakfast, Sean immediately left for more work.  Carol found herself growing drowsy and had to shake herself awake.

'Why donít you have a nap?'  Brigid offered.  'Thanks to you, Iíve got most of the cleaning and such done.  After I do up these few dishes, Iíll be weaving and sewing most of the day.  You can sleep in here where itís quiet while I sit outside.'  Carol protested weakly but allowed herself to be led to a guest bed where the short night, letdown from the morningís excitement and full stomach all conspired to put her into a deep sleep.


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