In today’s episode Magpie and Lucas explore the contents of the old trunk in the secret attic, and learn something about Scarlet that will send chills down your spine!Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.comInstagram: @theskylarkbellTwitter: @melissaoliveriPatreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveriTRANSCRIPT:Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 9 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  In our last episode, Magpie and Lucas were exploring the secret attic that Magpie had accidentally discovered a few days prior. They were about to open one of the many large trunks stored in the vast, dusty space… a trunk that Scarlet the cat seemed to think they should open first.In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 9 – The Trunk – Where Magpie and Lucas learn something about Scarlet that will send chills down your spine!So get comfortable… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… are you read? Let’s get started... “One, two, three!” he says Lucas as, together, they gently lift the heavy trunk lid.  The hinges squeak loudly and a thick cloud of dust lifts in the air, surrounding them.  They sit still, waiting for it to settle before peering into the trunk…Inside are neatly folded stacks of old-fashioned, yellowing garments – things people would have worn a hundred years ago:  a crinoline skirt, an apron, a wool scarf with matching gloves.  Lucas and Magpie carefully pull out each garment one by one. Something is tugging at Magpie’s memory, but she has so much on her mind she can’t figure out what it is.  At the bottom of the trunk is a long, flat wooden box; they lift it out and notice it is engraved with the name ‘Charlotte Carnifex’.  At last they have discovered the identity of the mysterious ‘C. C.’!  Inside the box, they find a treasure trove of personal items: a worn wooden pipe; a pocket watch, a silver spoon with something engraved on it turned black and illegible; a silver locket which Magpie attempts to pry open to no avail; a small pouch with seashells someone probably collected on vacation; and an ornate hair comb with an emerald hummingbird adorning the top.“Look inside the lid, there’s something tucked in there,” says Magpie, reaching for a small, folded piece of paper which she opens gingerly. “It looks like a page ripped out of a diary,”  she says before reading out loud:12th of February, 1925 It has been a difficult winter.  Many of the townspeople have vacated the area, and moved further     south, and I’ve overheard Edward say we must leave as well.  I make this last trip to the attic to bring a few precious pieces belonging to our family.  Edward has told me he will seal the entrance to the stairway to ensure our most precious possessions are secured should an ill-intentioned person pillage the vacant farms in our absence.  My one regret is that my best friend, my sweet cat Cerise, has been missing for several days.  I fear   she was trapped out in the cold, unable to find shelter, and is now lost to me forever.  Never has there been a more wonderful pet, brought here from overseas by Edward as a wedding gift.  I leave with this letter a photograph of her with my son, James.  I hope that, by some miracle, they will be reunited come spring.My greatest wish is that we will return, and once again make this house, and this land, our home.  If we fail, and you, a stranger, are reading this, know that this house was once filled with joy, laughter and song.  It was surrounded by flowers, birds and wildlife.  It is a wonderful place to be.  Be grateful that you have an opportunity to experience it. Farewell,Charlotte Carnifex“I don’t see a photo anywhere,” says Magpie, looking on the floor around her to make sure it didn’t slip out when she unfolded the note.“Is this it?” asks Lucas, tugging on the corner of another piece of paper sticking out from the lining in the lid of the trunk. Suddenly, the colour in his face drains completely and his hand begins to shake“What’s wrong, Lucas?  You’re scaring me a little,” says Magpie, an uneasy feeling starting to form in the pit of her stomach.“The cat, Magpie, it’s Scarlet!” he says, reaching his arm out so she can see the photo.Disbelief washes over Magpie.  The cat in the photo is identical to Scarlet, every marking in exactly the same place, down to the small bell hanging from its collar.  They sit in silence for a moment, waiting for the initial shock to pass.  Just then, Scarlet saunters over.  “Cerise?”  whispers Magpie.  The cat stops in its tracks, its bright blue eyes directed at them, then turns and runs across the attic and down the stairs, the sound of the small bell on its collar fading behind it.Magpie and Lucas, still stunned, start slowly putting the clothes back into the trunk.  Magpie suddenly lets out a gasp.  On top of the small stack of clothing on her lap is a bonnet - but not just any bonnet, it’s identical to the one in her vision of the young couple in the cart.  “Magpie, are you alright?” asks Lucas, still shaken.“Where are the gloves?” she asks, a little loudly.“The what?” he looks around, hopelessly confused.  Magpie desperately digs through the clothing as though she were on a mission and finally finds the scarf and gloves.  Sure enough, they’re the same gloves worn by the man in her vision.  She can see them, clear as day, covering his hands as they tightly gripped the reigns guiding the horses down the road.  It is all starting to make sense now! The couple in her vision must have been Charlotte and Edward Carnifex, and they weren’t pointing at anything in particular, they were pointing at the land on which they were going to build this very house!  The table in the back of the cart, though a little more worn now, still stands in the dining room downstairs.Magpie sighs and looks up to smile gently at Lucas.  “You know what?  None of this is any crazier than the silence at Meadow Lane,” she says, trying to put him at ease.  He smiles weakly back at her as they carefully put everything in the trunk just the way the found it.  They close the lid gently, stand to brush the dust off their clothes, then head down to Magpie’s room.  “Scarlet!” calls Magpie, upon realizing the cat is not on her bed.  “Cerise!” she tries again.  She faintly hears the tinkle of a small bell downstairs. They walk down and search the entire first floor, but there is no sign of the cat.Lucas flops down on the couch.  “Maybe Scarlet – er, Cerise - just needed someone to know the truth about the house and its original owners,” he says.Before they can delve into it any more, the front door opens and Mrs. Phaeton makes her way into the living room.  “Oh, hello there, I didn’t realize we had a guest!” she says pleasantly, putting down her bags.“Mom, this is Lucas, my friend from next door,” says Magpie, trying to sound normal.“How wonderful to finally meet you, Lucas.  Magpie tells me you’ve been graciously helping her get acquainted with our new surroundings,” says Mrs. Phaeton.“We’ve been having a lot of fun,” stammers Lucas.  “Well, I’d better get going, I’m sure my grandmother could use some help with dinner,” as he stands up he says, “it’s great to meet you, Mrs. Phaeton.”  With that, he hurries out and Magpie is left with her mother, who has no idea about the strange events that have been going on since their arrival at the old farmhouse.“Why don’t we get going on some dinner of our own,” says her mother, smiling as she walks back to the kitchen.“Good idea,” says Magpie, happy to focus on something as simple as food and push everything else to the back of her mind.Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we continue our adventure by reading Chapter 10 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where Magpie and her mom chat about the challenges of winning over the local residents of Pocket!  Before I go, I’d like to thank Phaeton Starling Publishing for this fantastically eerie story, and Cannelle Elanion for composing equally fantastic and eerie music for this 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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