In today’s episode we read the chapter 7 – Marius’ Disappearance, where we relive the terrible events of the winter of 1925, this time from Farfalla’s perspective.This week's podcast partner is Generally Spooky: linktr.ee/generallyspookyThe Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.comThe Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbellAuthor/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.comJoin Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveriThe Skylark Bell on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/theskylarkbellAll music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.comCannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.musicOfficial Merch Shops: http://www.melissaoliveri.com/storeThe Skylark Bell is brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.FULL TRANSCRIPT:Things with Wings Productions presents: Chapter 7 of The Skylark Bell, Skyedive. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  In last week’s episode, Marius gifted The Skylark Bell to Farfalla.In today’s episode we read the chapter 7 – Marius’ Disappearance, where we relive the terrible events of the winter of 1925, this time from Farfalla’s perspective.Today’s podcast partner is Generally Spooky, also a member of The Boopod Network! If you’re interested in learning about the often spooky and haunting history of Scotland, you won’t want to miss this one! Hosts Eilidh and Kieran sprinkle just the right amount of humour in each episode. Just check the show notes for a link to the Generally Spooky podcast. Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.February 13th, 1925Winter has come. It has been the most brutal, devastating winter anyone can recall. The snow simply won’t stop falling, and it has been bitterly cold. Over the holidays Marius asked Papa for my hand in marriage and Papa graciously accepted. We announced our engagement to everyone just after they’d opened their holiday gifts. Mama was so happy she set aside her usual decorum and let out a loud whoop! Paloma clapped and cheered, and Papa held us both in a warm embrace for a very long time. Marius has been living with us since the Carnifex family moved away last month. James told Gordon Starling his parents are thinking of moving to Europe, but they may return once winter is over. I was surprised at the news; James didn’t even say goodbye to me. Still, I am so happy to have Marius living with us and our engagement no longer a secret. Despite the cold I feel warm and loved and full of hope for the future!Not everyone has been so fortunate though. There was a fire at the Tanager’s farm, and Earl Tanager was killed. I can’t imagine how devastated his wife Phoebe must be, and their children Charlie and Marie. They were trying to keep warm with candles, having run out of firewood for the fireplace. Many families have run out of firewood. Papa cut down the trees in the apple orchard and distributed wood to as many people as he could, but that was weeks ago, and now we’ve almost used all of it. I cried and cried as he and the Starling boys hacked at the trees, there will be no fragrant blossoms this spring. Mama has promised to pull seeds from the few apples we still have in the root cellar, but it will take years for them to grow into the blooming, bountiful orchard we once had.This morning when I came downstairs Papa was standing at the front window staring at the Oak Tree. I knew what he was thinking before he even said anything, and right away I cried “Papa, no!”. I can’t bear the thought of the Oak Tree being felled. My Oak Tree. I have heard its song, felt its heartbeat. It is a living breathing thing and I feel like if it were to die, I would die too. Marius ran into the room when he heard me shout, and Papa explained that we were out of firewood, and he was thinking of cutting down the Oak Tree. I wept and wept and begged Papa not to do it, so Marius offered to go out to look for firewood. I didn’t know what would happen then. I didn’t know Marius would never come home…~~~~~~Farfalla stares out at the Oak Tree from her bedroom window, relieved that it is still standing, and grateful to Marius for offering to find another source of firewood so her father wouldn’t cut it down. She places a record on the victrola and winds it. Music fills the room, and she begins dancing to keep warm. She gets lost in the sound as it wraps around her like a warm blanket, and subconsciously starts humming along, eyes closed, swaying from side to side. Finally, the victrola winds down and the music stops, but Farfalla doesn’t seem to notice and keeps dancing. Her humming turns to the song of the Oak Tree, the one she heard that day when the tree seemed to be singing her name, “Fallalala Lalalalala”. Outside her bedroom window the wind picks up and the Skylark Bell begins to ring.In the mirror of Farfalla’s vanity a mist slowly appears, and a woman’s face gradually fades into view. The woman’s piercing blue eyes are filled with worry, and her mouth moving as if she is trying to shout a warning of some kind, but no sound comes out. Farfalla, still dancing and singing with her eyes closed, is blissfully ignorant of the woman in the mirror. Finally, Farfalla stops moving as the last notes of her song fade from the room. She opens her eyes and see it is beginning to get dark out. Where is Marius? Farfalla furrows her brow and hurries downstairs as the woman in her vanity mirror fades away.“Mama, has anyone heard from Marius?” she asks, walking into the kitchen.Mrs. Shearwater grabs a wooden spoon from a drawer to stir the stew. “Not yet, but I’m sure he’ll be home any moment now. Why don’t you sit at the table, I’ll bring you some food,” she says, shooing Farfalla from the kitchen.Farfalla sits at the table, pushing the stew around her plate with her fork, unable to eat because her stomach is too tight with worry. She remains perfectly still in her chair for what seems like an eternity, silently staring off into space. Darkness fell on Meadow Lane hours ago, and still Marius has not returned. Farfalla may be still on the outside, but on the inside her heart is pounding and her stomach is clenched with worry. Worry and guilt. He wouldn’t have gone out if it weren’t for her. Her thoughts keep swirling in an incessant spiral that gets darker and darker by the minute. Mr. and Mrs. Shearwater and Paloma are sitting in the living room with layers of blankets over their shoulders, the small fire in the fireplace barely providing any warmth.A loud, insistent knock at the door startles all of them. Farfalla turns to look toward the door, hoping with every fiber of her body that it is Marius on the other side. Mr. Shearwater walks to the door and cracks it open so as not to let the cold air in. He nods his head, closes the door, grabs his coat and boots and walks out.Farfalla’s heart sinks. If it had been Marius at the door, he would have come in. Where has Papa gone? Who is at the door? “Don’t worry, Falla,” says Paloma, walking over to her and laying a blanket over her shoulders, “Papa will find Marius, and everything will be fine, you’ll see.” Paloma’s comforting words do nothing to ease Farfalla’s anxiety, she can feel deep in the core of her being that something is deeply wrong. At long last Mr. Shearwater comes back inside, a grim look on his face. He slowly takes off his coat and boots before walking over to the dining room table and taking a seat next to Farfalla. He takes her hands in his and heaves a sigh before speaking. “That was Gordon Starling, he was with a man I’ve never met before. They came to tell me they found Cormorant by the side of the road,” he begins. Farfalla feels tears stinging at her eyes already. They found Cormorant. That means they found only Cormorant. She hears a ringing in her ears that drowns out her father’s words as he tries to reassure her that they will go out looking for Marius as soon as morning comes and bring him home. “The man says he thought he saw him out by Mirror Pond, we’ll start our search there…” his voice trails off.Farfalla can feel a crack spread across the expanse of her heart. She gets up from the table and wanders to the front window. She can’t see the Oak Tree in the darkness outside, but she knows it is there. How could she have been so childish? So foolish?! Suddenly, Isadora Finch’s warning echoes in Farfalla’s mind. She had said something about the tree, then the words “Beware the dark horse in the snow”. Somehow, Isadora knew, and somehow, deep inside her, Farfalla also knows. Marius is never coming home.Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Chapter 8 – The Silence – in which we learn how the silence at Meadow Lane was sparked, and what lead to the house being abandoned.The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating on spotify or a review on apple podcast, they help give the skylark bell visibility so others can find and enjoy the story. If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, mastodon, or on the contact form on my official website, the skylark bell .com. You can also support my work by subscribing to Patreon where you get early access to ad-free episodes as well as digital downloads of the music, and more! Just check the show notes for all necessary links.Once again, thank you for listening – I’m Melissa Oliveri, writer, host and producer of The Skylark Bell Podcast.  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theskylarkbell/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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