Visitors in the Night
Without making a sound, Lisa crept downstairs. Everything was in total darkness but she knew her way around the ground floor and made sure she didn't bump into any furniture. She pulled the curtain a little and looked outside. She could still hear the whispers. Now that they seemed closer, they made her hairs stand on end. A sharp rap on the door made her jump. Then she heard the rap again, louder this time. She wondered if she should answer it. Then she heard footsteps as Razzlewitch descended the stairs. Lisa quickly went to hide behind a sofa. It was lucky that she was small as the sofa wasn't a very large one.
She heard Razzlewitch open the front door.
"Hush!" Razzlewitch scolded in a low voice. "I have a helper living with me. It's a good thing that she was so tired last night. She worked so hard. She needs a good night's sleep. Do you want to wake her up? And what are you doing here at this hour of the morning? I thought we were supposed to meet at seven."
"We are sorry, Melody," said a deep voice. "But something has come up. We need to use your cellar."
"Now?" Razzlewitch asked incredulously.
"I'm afraid so," said a female voice.
Who are these people, Lisa wondered.
"I'm sorry but I can't," said Razzlewitch. "Not with my helper sleeping here. I was thinking of taking her out early tomorrow morning before your arrival. She knows nothing of you. And I intend for it to remain that way."
"Melody," the deep voice said warningly, "we had an agreement. We taught you our skills once and you would let us use your cellar indefinitely."
"I know that," said Razzlewitch, "but it also states in the agreement that you use the cellar only when there's daylight."
"It's an emergency," said the female voice impatiently.
"I'm sorry," Razzlewitch started to say when Lisa heard the whispers she had heard earlier on. They seemed to be very close, crowding round Razzlewitch.
"I won't have any of this nonsense!" Lisa heard Razzlewitch say angrily. "You may frighten others easily but I will have none of this."
"Melody," said the female, "your cellar is the only one farthest away from the town square. You know if the council came to hear of this, they would banish us from this land forever. We need your cellar."
Lisa wondered what it was about Razzlewitch's cellar that made it so special and so much in demand by these visitors. She herself had never stepped into the cellar. She hadn't even known that Razzlewitch had a cellar.
"Selena is away," the female continued. "She'll be back tomorrow morning. You know how risky it is with her so close by. We need to use it tonight."
"It's already morning," said Razzlewitch in a dull voice. "Early morning. What makes you think Selena won't be back in a few minutes time?"
"We have our sources," said the deep voice. "Now will you let us use your cellar?"
"Your ways are still rusty, old woman," said the female (rather cattily, thought Lisa). "You have a long way to go before you are as sophisticated in your powers as Wilhelmina in Ever-After or Lucilla in Serendipity. 'Tis a pity that you no longer wish us to instruct you further where our magic is concerned. Where would you be without us? But you knew even then that you owed us. And you still owe us."
There was silence for a while. Lisa wondered if Razzlewitch was thinking it over. Was she going to let them (whoever 'them' were) use her cellar? Then she heard a cry out in the street.
"She's back! Selena's back!" someone screeched. And the whispers started again and grew louder. Lisa suddenly felt very afraid. Not once had she peeked round the sofa to see who these visitors were. Something had told her to stay where she was.
"Soon, Melody," said the female, "we'll be back soon."
"Soon," intoned the others who were with her.
The whispers grew into a crescendo then slowly died away.
"Don't hurry back on my account," said Razzlewitch.
Lisa couldn't help but smile to herself in the darkness. Razzlewitch seemed so calm, so unafraid. Though Lisa hadn't seen who they were, she had felt afraid of them.
Copyright © 2005 Mary-Anne Grosse Ivie
The Fairy Folk and She: A Tale of Friendship and Love
ISBN: 1-4137-9291-X
She heard Razzlewitch open the front door.
"Hush!" Razzlewitch scolded in a low voice. "I have a helper living with me. It's a good thing that she was so tired last night. She worked so hard. She needs a good night's sleep. Do you want to wake her up? And what are you doing here at this hour of the morning? I thought we were supposed to meet at seven."
"We are sorry, Melody," said a deep voice. "But something has come up. We need to use your cellar."
"Now?" Razzlewitch asked incredulously.
"I'm afraid so," said a female voice.
Who are these people, Lisa wondered.
"I'm sorry but I can't," said Razzlewitch. "Not with my helper sleeping here. I was thinking of taking her out early tomorrow morning before your arrival. She knows nothing of you. And I intend for it to remain that way."
"Melody," the deep voice said warningly, "we had an agreement. We taught you our skills once and you would let us use your cellar indefinitely."
"I know that," said Razzlewitch, "but it also states in the agreement that you use the cellar only when there's daylight."
"It's an emergency," said the female voice impatiently.
"I'm sorry," Razzlewitch started to say when Lisa heard the whispers she had heard earlier on. They seemed to be very close, crowding round Razzlewitch.
"I won't have any of this nonsense!" Lisa heard Razzlewitch say angrily. "You may frighten others easily but I will have none of this."
"Melody," said the female, "your cellar is the only one farthest away from the town square. You know if the council came to hear of this, they would banish us from this land forever. We need your cellar."
Lisa wondered what it was about Razzlewitch's cellar that made it so special and so much in demand by these visitors. She herself had never stepped into the cellar. She hadn't even known that Razzlewitch had a cellar.
"Selena is away," the female continued. "She'll be back tomorrow morning. You know how risky it is with her so close by. We need to use it tonight."
"It's already morning," said Razzlewitch in a dull voice. "Early morning. What makes you think Selena won't be back in a few minutes time?"
"We have our sources," said the deep voice. "Now will you let us use your cellar?"
"Your ways are still rusty, old woman," said the female (rather cattily, thought Lisa). "You have a long way to go before you are as sophisticated in your powers as Wilhelmina in Ever-After or Lucilla in Serendipity. 'Tis a pity that you no longer wish us to instruct you further where our magic is concerned. Where would you be without us? But you knew even then that you owed us. And you still owe us."
There was silence for a while. Lisa wondered if Razzlewitch was thinking it over. Was she going to let them (whoever 'them' were) use her cellar? Then she heard a cry out in the street.
"She's back! Selena's back!" someone screeched. And the whispers started again and grew louder. Lisa suddenly felt very afraid. Not once had she peeked round the sofa to see who these visitors were. Something had told her to stay where she was.
"Soon, Melody," said the female, "we'll be back soon."
"Soon," intoned the others who were with her.
The whispers grew into a crescendo then slowly died away.
"Don't hurry back on my account," said Razzlewitch.
Lisa couldn't help but smile to herself in the darkness. Razzlewitch seemed so calm, so unafraid. Though Lisa hadn't seen who they were, she had felt afraid of them.
Copyright © 2005 Mary-Anne Grosse Ivie
The Fairy Folk and She: A Tale of Friendship and Love
ISBN: 1-4137-9291-X
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All contents copyright Mary-Anne Grosse Ivie © 2005
Nothing may be used without the author's written permission.
All contents copyright Mary-Anne Grosse Ivie © 2005
Nothing may be used without the author's written permission.
