In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 15 – Blackbirds and Blackberries - Where Magpie learns more about Lucas’ past, and notes that birds seem to be part of the mysteries happening in and around Pocket.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 presents: Episode 15 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  In our last episode, we got a peak into Magpie’s secret notebook where she records and sketches details about her unexplained visions. In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 15 – Blackbirds and Blackberries - Where Magpie learns more about Lucas’ past, and notes that birds seem to be part of the mysteries happening in and around Pocket.It’s time to settle in… grab a blanket and a warm drink… let’s get started!A warm breeze is blowing the leaves in the trees overhead, their soft movement making a sound like gentle ocean waves. Magpie and Lucas are sitting on the vast front lawn of the library, enjoying a picnic before heading out to explore an old abandoned barn by the creek“I wonder what her story is?” Magpie whispers, watching Farfalla shuffle down the main street. It’s been a few days since Magpie’s run-in with Farfalla at the diner, and she had finally managed to get the old woman out of her mind, but everything comes rushing back the moment she sees Farfalla across the street.“Who?  Farfalla?!  Bah, she’s just a harmless old lady.  Doesn’t talk, doesn’t hear, just keeps to herself in that little house with all the birdhouses on the porch,” he answers, dismissively.“She must be so lonely!” sighs Magpie, experiencing a sudden pang of empathy.  She scrounges around the picnic basket for a napkin to wipe the bumbleberry pie off her fingers. “Do you think she has any family?” she asks.“I doubt it.  From what the folks in town say she’s just been on her own forever, but she’s older than everyone so I guess nobody really knows,” he replies, appearing completely unconcerned as he helps himself to another slice of pie.Magpie is about to ask Lucas how old he thinks Farfalla might be when the old woman stops in her tracks and slowly turns to look straight at them. Magpie feels a chill as she meets Farfalla’s icy blue eyes.  Out of nowhere, a flock of blackbirds swoops overhead, one of them dropping a large, perfectly ripe blackberry into Magpie’s lap. Magpie looks down, surprised.  Her eyes quickly shift back up to Farfalla but the old woman is already rounding the corner of the street, heading home.“What was that all about?!” says Lucas, wide-eyed.“I don’t know,” replies Magpie, quietly holding the blackberry in her palm.  She gently puts it in the bottom of the empty picnic basket, and they walk to the creek in silence.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “This way,” says Lucas as they step into a field of tall grass off the side of the road. The grass is almost taller than they are, but eventually gives way to a small clearing that is cut in half by the winding creek. Near the creek sits an old barn, still standing proudly, it’s wood siding and roof having survived years of sun, rain, snow and cold.“Are you sure it’s abandoned?” asks Magpie, not wanting to anger one of the local farmers by trespassing.“Definitely.  There used to be a house nearby, but it burned down almost a hundred years ago, and the family never returned… I think the father died in the fire and they were too devastated to start over, so they just moved away,” he says quietly.They are now standing in front of the massive barn doors.  The sound of the rushing creek to the right is surprisingly loud, **CREEK** the recent rain having pushed the water level up the banks on either side.  To the left, Magpie can see remnants of the foundation belonging to the old house.  Her heart fills with sadness, what a tragic story.  “That poor family, it must be devastating to lose a parent,” she says, glancing at Lucas who is staring at the ground, silent.  “Lucas, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but…” “You’re wondering what happened to my parents,” he says, turning to look at her.  Magpie nods quietly, her face filled with tenderness.  Lucas motions for her to follow him as he pushes open the barn doors. Inside, light filters through the spaces between the siding, shining on the dust particles in the air and making them sparkle like tiny stars.  The barn is empty save for some dried-out bales of hay and stacks of old apple barrels. Magpie puts down the picnic basket and they sit in the loose hay in the middle of the floor.  Lucas heaves a small sigh before speaking “When I was little, we were driving home from my aunt’s wedding.  It was a cool fall night and it was getting late.  I was tired and cranky and whining about wanting to get home, so my dad was driving a little fast.  He didn’t realize it had gotten so cold, and that the rain on the road had frozen. Our car hit a patch of ice, spun out, then rolled over into the ditch…” he pauses, staring into the distance like he is no longer in the barn but back by the side of the road that night.Blinking, he turns back to Magpie.  “I don’t remember much after that; I must have blacked out or something. The next thing I remember is sitting by the side of the road next to the car.  I have no idea how I got out, or why I didn’t get hurt, not a scratch! How is that possible when my mom and dad didn’t… They were so badly injured… The doctors couldn’t… They both…” he stops, unable to say the word.  Even all these years later Magpie can clearly see the pain on his face.  Taking a deep breath, he adds, “If only I hadn’t been so whiny, my dad wouldn’t have been going so fast and… maybe…”Magpie puts her hand on Lucas’ shoulder.  “I’m sorry, Lucas.  It must have been horrible for you, but it wasn’t your fault,” she says softly.  “Thank you for trusting me with your story,” she adds, knowing it has been difficult for him to tell.He stares at her for a long moment, like he is deciding whether to continue.  “Magpie, there’s… there’s one other thing. Something I’ve never told anyone before,” he says quietly, “that night, when I woke up in the ditch, I think someone was there with me.”“You mean like a police officer, or an ambulance driver?” she asks, confused.Lucas shakes his head slowly.  “No, before they showed up, but the crazy thing is… I’m not sure that person was even real!  They completely disappeared as soon as the emergency crews showed up.  I know I was young, and a lot of it is very fuzzy, but I distinctly remember someone being there with me in the ditch, comforting me!” he says, looking at Magpie like he’s hoping she can provide answers.“Well, there are definitely strange things going on around here,” she says, “But… I wouldn’t be surprised if a stranger found you and, once you were safe, decided to leave without taking credit.  Do you remember what they looked like?” she asks.  Lucas shakes his head again, “I just remember they were standing behind me, their hands on my shoulders, and that I felt warm and safe, but I never saw their face.”Magpie and Lucas remain silent for a few minutes as Magpie drums up the courage to tell him about her visions, relieved to finally have found someone who might understand, but before she can utter a word, a loud flapping noise from above their heads makes them both jump. Magpie looks up and sees a crow flying near the rafters above. It swoops down and lands in front of them on the barn floor.  It stands for a moment, its head turned to one side, staring at them through its round, shiny eye, then lets out a loud, accusatory “Caw!” in their direction before flying out the double-hinged doors and into the sky.“I guess he thinks this barn belongs to him!” kids Lucas, thankful for the distraction and an opportunity to change the subject.  Standing up, he reaches his hands toward Magpie to help her to her feet.  They stand face to face for a moment. Something about Lucas’ features… his hair… starts to trigger a memory.  “Do I have something on my face?” he asks, reaching his hand up to his cheek.  Magpie realizes she’s staring and blushes slightly.  “No!  Uh.. Just, a little something in your hair,” she says, reaching up to tug a piece of hay out from between his dark curls and holding it up.  They stand very close for a moment, and Magpie feels butterflies in her stomach.  Clearing her throat, she says, “We should probably get going, it’ll be dark soon.” She grabs the picnic basket and they walk out the massive barn doors.  Lucas swings the doors shut and they follow the curving creek back to the main road.  The walk home is silent, but not uncomfortably so.  Magpie feels like her friendship with Lucas has reached a new level, and she decides to tell him her secret before the summer is through.Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we pursue our adventure and read Chapter 16 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where the mystery deepens when a strange object shows up, and Scarlet exhibits some strange behaviour.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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