Prologue:
High on Exmoor, right at the edge of the populated regions, a little valley gave it's shelter to ancient thorn trees and moss covered rocks which framed the rapid stream that ran through. Nothing had changed here for many years, possibly centuries and further down the valley, the only buildings had been abandoned for dozens of years. In fact, apart from the birdsong and natural sounds of the region, it had stood in silence and largely forgotten for at least three generations of man.
Eventually though, the dilapidated buildings in the valley were sold and building and renovation began in earnest. From a mossy ruin, a beautiful country house emerged. Built onto the existing foundations and walls and largely inspired by old photographs of the earlier houses, the new building settled into it's environment as if it had stood there for centuries. A few more years and the weather would stain it to match the older rocks nearby, cementing it into the landscape seamlessly.
The new owners had moved onto the moor from the Midlands and were going to open the house as an exclusive country hotel. They loved their new home and the countryside it nestled into. When the work was complete, they started to recruit local staff and make friends with tradespeople from the surrounding area. Being friendly, outgoing people, as well as shrewd business owners, they found ways to make themselves as much a part of the scenery as the hotel itself.
Life was good and now their hard work was coming to fruition, they looked forward to many happy years here.
Then along came Covid! Along with the entire country, everything that they had worked and planned for was put on hold. Eventually though, the restrictions were lifted and life began to return to normal.
--~--
The party was in full swing, with pounding music, laughter and booze. A LOT of booze! Mike and Saira's vast home was the ideal venue for one of the legendary Exmoor parties. These could go on for a couple of days and had been known to be the conception date for no end of farmer's children. As they had only been able to open the hotel quite recently, due to the end of the Covid pandemic restrictions, Mark and Saira took this as a chance to meet the neighbours properly. The house was full and as people either had enough of the fun or just wanted to find a quiet place to relax and chat, they filtered off into other rooms to seek a bit of privacy. Mark had drawn the short straw and was tonight's designated driver, so he was knocking back an assortment of soft drinks, probably containing enough sugar to keep him awake for several days! Laura, Mark's wife was hanging on one of his arms, trying to stay upright.
'Laura sure knows how to party!' I thought.
Kate and I mingled for a bit, catching up with friends we hadn't seen for ages while grazing on some of the delicious spread which to which everyone had contributed. Most of the goodies were familiar, but other foods were totally new to us. The herby vegetable balls that were the stars of the culinary show that night, Kate guessed, were the work of Saira who had prepared a giant tub of them. She proudly informed anyone who asked that the recipe was a legacy of her Indian ancestry. Once they were warmed in the oven and the delicious smell wafted through the rooms, just about everyone scooped a pile onto their plates. They were washed down by plenty of red wine. It was the perfect way to celebrate the end of the farming year on the moor and after the harvest festival service at the local church, practically the entire congregation had headed up to Mike and Saira's beautiful hotel home in it's quiet valley. Other, non-church going friends had started the party earlier and it promised to continue far into the night, or longer! Thank goodness there were no near neighbours to annoy with the noise!
Kate leaned over and gave me a drunken kiss, "Y'know Sam, we could do a lot worse than spend the rest of our lives here. I don't mean here, here, but on Exmoor! Look at all these people who we know and love! Where else would we find a gathering like this?" She gave a lopsided grin. Kate was always sweet, but especially so when she had had a few... Life on the moor was good, but could be hard for the farmers and it was great for everyone to let their hair down and enjoy themselves!
Eventually, people had either sought out a bed for the night or curled up in a chair or on one of the huge settees in the expansive front room. We decided it was time to call it a day ourselves and leave the more hardy revellers enjoying some late night chill out music. Laura and Mark were ready to go home too and Laura certainly seemed eager to have her husband to herself, so Mark shepherded us all down the front steps and poured us into their pickup truck. On the way home, the three of us who had been drinking started to drowse in the warm vehicle and it was with a start that we arrived at our farm. Slobbery 'goodnights' were exchanged and we staggered into our warm home. As they left, Laura slid across the car seat to snuggle Mark's arm. It had been a good night, spent with good friends and both of us were ready to drop. No sooner had our heads hit the pillows than we were out cold.
The next day started badly with crippling hangovers and the feeling that last night's party might have gotten a bit out of hand. Neither of us could face breakfast, so we fed Ozric, our cat and watched some undemanding morning TV snuggled up together on the settee. Kate was particularly under the weather and had to dash off to the toilet on one occasion. I wasn't feeling sick, just a bit out of it and wondering how some people do that every night.
We tried to do some work in the afternoon, but couldn't really concentrate, so as it was a beautiful Autumn day, I suggested a trip out onto the moor, so that I could learn to walk properly again and Kate could do some sketching for her next painting.
We grabbed some simple food to make a picnic and made sure that Ozric was catered for before we took off intending to go and find somewhere new to visit. We drove out past the hotel, where revellers from the night before were still in evidence according to the number of cars in the car park. Further up the valley, we took a random turning and drove out to an extremely remote spot in the hills. There was a fast flowing stream which filled the air with a bubbling song and some old, moss covered hawthorn trees that seemed to have a character of their own. Kate immediately loved it there and got straight down to the business of drawing and making notes that she could use to recreate the feeling of this place in a painting when we were at home.
I sat around for a while enjoying the late and unseasonal warmth, before kissing the top of Kate's head and wandering off up the valley alone. After a while, I left the noises of the stream behind and stepped out onto the moor proper. One of the many rewards of living out here was the feeling that you could stretch up to touch the sky at any time. It was such a day today so I sat on a rock and let the moor engulf my senses.
I gradually became aware of movement in the grass and a commotion in some of the bushes nearby. It sounded like a crowd of people at a football match, but as if heard from a dozen miles away. I quietly got up and took a step: Silence! Quietly, I sat back down and slowly the noise resumed. This time, rather than going in search of the noise, I walked stealthily up the hill and skirted around to the other side of the bushes. From here, I could see very little more than before, other than the fact that the undergrowth seemed to be alive with tiny SOMETHINGS that were largely unaware that I was now looking at them. I was so intent on watching the strange goings on, that I lost my footing and skidded on the slope.
Instantly, the air was full of a clamour of green and brown. Flittering forms danced in my eyes, forming a weird mist-like swirl. Suddenly feeling disorientated, I curled forward and the lights went out!
---~---
Kate was calling Sam's phone without success. He hadn't returned from his walk, even though he had been gone for couple of hours. Where had he got to? It was getting towards dusk and they really ought to be returning to the farm. She was more than a bit annoyed by now, but this was tempered with a worry that perhaps he had had an accident and was laying cut and bleeding in a gully somewhere! Kate looked up the track in the direction that Sam had headed off. In the distance, there was a strange mist. It seemed to swirl and writhe, almost like a murmuration of starlings. At first, Kate thought it was the first rising mists of the coming night, but then realised that in the middle of it was Sam, staggering unsteadily down the trackway towards her.
Kate was very relieved. She started up to meet him and was almost there when the mist suddenly parted and enveloped her too. Kate immediately became dizzy and almost fell, but the mist seemed to support her and keep her upright. Sam looked dazed, as if he had been asleep and Kate found herself in his arms, holding on as if their lives depended on it.
"Sam!" she called out in a broken voice and then the world went away!
Within the mist, Sam and Kate began to dance. Not the stately circle dance of folklore, but a wild and staccato thing, full of leaps and sudden changes of tempo and direction. They were thrown from movement to movement with no consideration for their bodies. Eyes blinded by some magic in the air they ran and fell, flecks of blood spattering the trees from a myriad tiny cuts. If they tripped, it became part of the dance and soon they were completely covered in scratches and bruises. Time had no meaning as they whirled across the rocks and grasses of the moor, but still the dance took them on. Their eyes wild and saliva frothing their lips, the two humans staggered and rolled through the dance like broken puppets in a windy attic. Eventually sinew and muscle could take no more and their ravaged bodies were thrown out of the maelstrom and onto the unyielding ground.
---~---
I woke first, aching all over. Not in the way that people always say it, but really ACHING all over! It was night now, but the full moon lit the landscape around me with a pale light. I climbed to my feet grimacing, to find Kate balled up next to a rock not far away. Stumbling over to her, I took her gently by the shoulder. Kate was sobbing and I wrapped her in my arms and we hugged each other until I felt able to carry her down to the car. Clothing in tatters, we slowly made our way down the track until we reached the car and the spare waterproofs that we had stowed in the boot. Not glamorous or even very comfortable, but at least we were both warmer and to the outside eye, decently dressed! Once safely in the vehicle, we just sat and stared out onto the moor that until now we had regarded as being our home and safe place. Eventually, I turned to Kate to check that she was alright.
