Clarry one of our members, an author of some standing, (can I do her justice?) told her story one winter evening, she joined us after a meeting with her publisher. There was about five or six of us there that evening and I just had to write the story up as we had enjoyed it so much it was a must to share. Unlike many of our members, as an author, Clarry had a descriptive style of relating her story and I have tried to tell the tale in her way.
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We all have our moments don't we girls, somehow things just don't fall right...Well, maybe they do, but it's a case of taking advantage of things that arise, nudge nudge, wink wink. Let me tell you about my 'adventure'.
My home was an ancient cottage miles from anywhere out in the country. Comfortable enough, it suited me well as I preferred the isolation while I worked on my novels, I was quite well known for what was politely called 'Bodice rippers'.
I am Clarrisa, my friends call me Clarry so I am going to leave it at that, I won't disclose the name I write under, as from there it is just a short step to my agent finding out and telling me I am bringing the publishing house into disrepute and I can't have that, so Clarry it's going to be, and I am a little bit under fifty, well to be honest forty nine and eleven months.
I suppose, truth to tell, I should have taken some sort of classes or something when I bought the place, with it being so isolated and that. I didn't, so other than simple, and I mean simple, emergency things, the cottage has over the years become somewhat dilapidated, and in need of serious work. However, you guys don't want to hear about my DIY skills, well not DIY to do with household maintenance anyway.
My story starts a few years ago now. I was tapping away one finger typing on my old Imperial typewriter. I wasn't going anywhere, so I hadn't dressed up, I had got up about six in the morning, slopped around for most of the day writing, slurping coffee, you girls will probably remember, well the older ones among us will, pipe cleaner and tissue paper used as curlers, by god did they make us look a sight and because I had a presentation dinner coming up I had decided on a face pack and you all know what they look like, and this one was green!
My dressing gown had seen better days, although I did have a 'best' that I kept for when I had to go away. Same with my slippers, light, well grubby blue, with a sort of artificial fur trim, flannel night gown, to about mid calf with dear little blue flowers and a sweet little lace trim around the sort of deep V neck.
I know its just a bit naughty, but home alone and working, I don't usually wear drawers, nobody around, nobody's business, it also saves a moment or two if I am in full spate writing, I have a pot of coffee for the same purpose. Of course, with the style of tale that I wrote, I have been known to get a bit well you know, and the absence of drawers makes it easier to relieve the tension.
It was, here's the clichΓ©, a dark and stormy November evening, my beloved elderly Alsatian, Herman stirred and nudged me a reminder for his dinner. I flicked the light on as I entered the kitchen only to be plunged in an instant into darkness again. Feeling with my feet across the uneven flagstone floor I returned to the hallway and flicked the light switch. Still the darkness resisted attempts to dispel it.
I groped for the ancient hurricane lamp which I kept beside the dusty book case in the study in the hope of never needing it. I suppose common sense would have suggested that matches or some other method of lighting it should have been kept close to it. I fumbled around; I'm good at fumbling, found the matches and lit the lamp. Turning, I trod on Herman, he yelped.
I muttered a curse; the silence was rent by, first a creaky groan, then a resounding crash of the knocker at the cottage door followed by the same sounds repeated. The old iron bolt made a shocking noise and clunk as it hit the stop. The latch was equally noisy as it lifted. The hinges groaned eerily, I kept meaning to oil them, as I opened the door.
Of course, if it ended there, where would the story be?
All hell broke loose as the old cottage door swung open. My hair in curlers. Face pack on, the guttering hurricane lamp held at waist level and my dear hungry old Herman howled in the most distressing way as dogs do.
I was shocked and horrified as the young man at the door collapsed to the floor with a blood curdling scream, his hair literally standing on end. I say young man, it was dark, and I just had a glimpse as he slid to the floor. Who ever he was he had imagination.
Leaving the cottage door open, I led Herman back to the kitchen, fed him, and closed the kitchen door, I knew Herman would be content there for a while. Passing the hall mirror I jumped out of my skin, catching sight of myself in the lamp light.
I put the lamp down, and carefully returned to the door. The lad was beginning to come round.
"Are you alright?"
He moaned.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, the electric has failed."
"I've broken down...my car...down the road"
He was as white as a sheet and shaking like a leaf as I helped him to his feet.
"You are quite safe...nothing here to hurt you...honestly." I smiled.
I led him to the kitchen, as I opened the door there was a deep throaty growl from Herman in the darkness of the kitchen.
"Good boy Herman, it's alright." The sounds in the darkness of his food bowl being pushed about on the flag stones said that he had returned to his dinner.
I pulled out a chair.
"Sit yourself down." I placed the hurricane lamp on the table.
"Let me get you a cup of tea." I had an old Aga cooker; the simmering kettle was only just off the boil.
As he supped the tea, gradually his apparent shock appeared to diminish, the tremors slowly dying away. Even his hair appeared no longer to be standing on end.
Small talk, I thought. Well, as you do.
"What shall I call you, what's your name?"
I swear, you couldn't write it, no one would believe you if you did. Particularly with the course of events which had got us to this point.
"Damien...Damien Spookes"
How did I ever keep a straight face?
"I don't mean to be rude, but when you opened the door, and the dog howled and all the scraping and creaking noises, and your appearance it scared the, excuse me, shit, out of me."
It wasn't kind of me I know, but I just had to laugh.
"With a name like that, YOU got scared?"
We both had to laugh.
" You had best call me Clarry, most of my friends do. How come I got the pleasure of your company?"
"That's a lousy road, I came round the bend the rain on my windscreen left me all but blind, I wasn't going fast, honest, the tree is down across the road and I skidded into it."
"How unfortunate."
"Yours was the only house I could see."
"It's a good job I was home."
"I almost wish you hadn't been, the scare you gave me. Can you phone the garage for me?"
"If the tree is down, the line will be too."
"How far is the garage?"
"About five miles, but they are not open at this time of the day."
"Not my day is it? Is there somewhere I can get a room?"
This young man, I'd put him at about 19, young enough to be my son, was actually quite presentable. Dark hair slicked down with Brylcream, clean shaven and suited, and it was the first time I had seen those new fangled winkle picker shoes, I guessed that the heels of those shoes was what made him roughly my height.
"Well, if you could put up with sleeping in this creepy old cottage, you could stay the night."
"Are you sure, it wouldn't put you out?"