Flash fiction is fun to try. Every now and then it can really make you think. This is a story from my collection 'In Short . . . Some Stories'.
As is often the case with my stories, it has a spooky twist. It's not always about how good something seems to be to someone else, I am far more interested in what it might make you think about, and what you might take away with you from the experience of reading it. . . I'd love to hear . . . enjoy!
As is often the case with my stories, it has a spooky twist. It's not always about how good something seems to be to someone else, I am far more interested in what it might make you think about, and what you might take away with you from the experience of reading it. . . I'd love to hear . . . enjoy!
The Woman of the Wood
It had been her idea in the first place so she couldn’t really complain. Obviously the two men would want to pair together and leave her to meet the woman from ‘Woodland Britain’. She didn’t mind though, Sue Lamond had a habit of taking the lead role whenever needed.
‘She’ll be here soon’ she thought to herself as she leaned on the small wooden style that marked the entrance to the ancient woodland.
Their rendezvous was for six o’clock at the old outbuilding marked on the map at the far west of Trevalyon wood. Tim and Robin, she imagined, would probably already be delving deliciously into the deep undergrowth surrounding the rich woodland rides that, according to the map, were plentiful throughout. She could visualise Tim with his camera almost ‘tasting’ the insect life – he was a complete boffin, but a very likeable one. And Robin, with his knowledge of woodland plants would surely have a tale or two to tell when they meet up later that evening. But Sue had to wait for a Miss Evie Pollard, the lady from ‘Woodland Britain’ who should have showed up by now! She slipped her hand into her jacket pocket to reach for her mobile for what must have been about the fourth time - still no signal!
The rays of spring sun filtering through the trees concentrated a beam of warmth onto the back of her neck, and as they did so she felt a longing to be able to start her exploration of this invitingly ancient site. Her great love was for its larger inhabitants, she had studied the urban fox and it’s effect on woodland ecology at uni’, the prospect of an opportunity for discovering any new colony of creatures inhabiting Britain’s timeless greenery always excited her.
She strode vigorously through the narrow grass pathways lined with bracken, stick in hand. She had been walking for some time now and she was tired. Now and then her stocking-clad legs brushed against aggressive foliage, her skirt occasionally catching on bramble. On many a spring day had she trodden these parts and many a time had the birds sung her home. She needed that today more than ever, she actually felt quite faint, but she would soon be there, not far now. They would most probably be waiting for her, that was usually the case. She looked forward to seeing them every time, but this was different. Somehow, she knew her arrival at the cottage today was significant. She could see an outline image of the familiar building sharpen between the greenery, ever clearer as she struggled closer. Once there, she laid down on the wooden seat in front of the quaint old building. She felt tired and weak, but they would all be there and she was just glad to be there with them. At ease now, as she sunk into a deep and peaceful sleep.
She awoke with a bit of a start. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep at all. The others should be there soon but she had apparently beaten them to this unusual spot at the west edge of the wood - their agreed rendezvous. As always with enthusiasm, she’d made both mental and physical notes on her way through. She’d seen much of interest. There were flowers, just so many natural spring flowers blooming! and the insect life was prolific, there seemed to be far more butterflies than she would usually see at this time of year. There was also the cottage, or at least the faint outline of what she’d thought to be an old cottage. Falling asleep however hadn’t been in the plan, and was a slightly odd thing to do, even for her!
It was the sound of low voices nearby that woke her. She sat up quickly, quite shocked at having allowed herself to doze off. She rose to her feet ready to greet the two men as they came into view.
“By jove, you’ve beaten us to it!” exclaimed the stouter of the two men as he looked at his watch with mild surprise.
Both men were surprised to see that their friend had arrived before them, but she seemed to be alone!
“Not got her highness with you?” asked Tim, carefully replacing the lens cap on his camera.
“No.” replied Sue. “Well, you see, I waited. I waited for ages - tried to ring her mobile but I couldn’t get a signal. I’m hoping she’ll just be here as agreed . . like anytime now!”
“What did you say her name was again?”
“Evie Pollard, I think she’s a ‘Miss’.”
“Goodness, did you see that?” she remarked, instantly distracted by movement in the long grass. Both men seemed mildly surprised, they hadn’t actually seen the fox that appeared suddenly from the undergrowth to their right; “Quite unusual - to see a fox in a woodland area like this.” Commented Sue.
“This point we’ve agreed for a rendezvous, - it isn’t very significant,” remarked Robin, the other man.
“No, I thought that.” responded Sue, “The conservation map actually shows a building here but it just seems to be remnants. We were working from the same map though, I’m sure it won’t be a problem. She seemed to be quite switched on when I spoke to her.”
“So you have spoken to her directly?” Robin’s eyebrows raised sharply.
“Yes, the other day, just briefly, it was a bad line but we were clear about the time and place to meet up. It’s just that she was supposed to meet me at the entrance first and we were going to have a gentle saunter through. As it is, after waiting for ages I’ve had to rush a bit to get here.”
A disturbance from above caused Robin to look up. Not just one, two, or three, but four squirrels were all busily scurrying between the branches. Suddenly their attention was diverted to shuffling sound coming from the trees behind them:
“Ahh!” came a voice. A woman perhaps in her late sixties emerged, stick in hand, dressed in a three-quarter length brown skirt that allowed just a glimpse of the heavily stockinged limbs beneath. Sue thought she seemed a little old fashioned and somewhat overdressed for such a day.
“It’s lovely to see you here.” continued the woman, “Have you seen them? Are they all still here?” She looked around at three puzzled faces. “The creatures . . . that’s what you’re here to see isn’t it?” Now the woman seemed puzzled;
“Well, yes, along with various other aspects.” replied a slightly bemused Tim.
“Good, good” replied the woman gazing dreamily towards the setting sun.
There was an awkward pause before the elderly lady looked around then suddenly turned. She prodded her stick into the ground as if expecting to find something.
“Well, this is all wrong!” she muttered, peering into the long grass as she began shuffling away from the trio towards the trees with some haste.
“Wait a minute . . . Evie!” called Sue, but the quaint old figure didn’t respond, she just walked off into the trees from where she’d come. Sue glanced at her companions. After just a moment’s hesitation all three made after her. Surely they were owed an explanation, she couldn’t simply turn up late as the representative of a national conservation body and then just leave without so much as word on the subject!
The three followed her into the trees but to no avail - she was nowhere to be seen - gone as quickly as she had come!
“What a cheek, and after I spent half the day waiting for her.” protested Sue indignantly.
They had not to wait another moment before they heard movement in the trees once more. They looked up, but it was a different face that now burst through the foliage; - a much younger one;
“Ahh!” began the cheerful enthusiastic voice; “Evie Pollard,” she offered her hand to the two men, “and you must be Sue Lamond? We spoke on the phone. . .”
The three were silent as they looked blankly at each other. Evie continued enthusiastically;
“I’m so sorry for the delay, as always I got caught doing some research. – Not actually been here before you see, and I always like to research a new venue thoroughly.”
The new arrival looked around slightly awkwardly at the three somewhat bemused faces. Perhaps now would be a good moment to share what she’d found.
“You know it’s amazing what you can discover online. This woodland has a quaint old history. There was apparently a ‘Woman of the wood’ that once lived here in an old cottage. She had an affinity with animals and they used to gather at her cottage . . . in fact, it would be just about here where we are standing! Well, one spring morning she was found dead outside her home, it seemed she had passed peacefully away in her sleep. She lived a solitary life but was well known to the locals and she had often stated with some passion that whom so ever enters this wood always has a duty to care for all wildlife. Apparently she went on to say that when she was no longer on this earth she would still be watching over them and checking up on everyone who ever passes through.”
‘She’ll be here soon’ she thought to herself as she leaned on the small wooden style that marked the entrance to the ancient woodland.
Their rendezvous was for six o’clock at the old outbuilding marked on the map at the far west of Trevalyon wood. Tim and Robin, she imagined, would probably already be delving deliciously into the deep undergrowth surrounding the rich woodland rides that, according to the map, were plentiful throughout. She could visualise Tim with his camera almost ‘tasting’ the insect life – he was a complete boffin, but a very likeable one. And Robin, with his knowledge of woodland plants would surely have a tale or two to tell when they meet up later that evening. But Sue had to wait for a Miss Evie Pollard, the lady from ‘Woodland Britain’ who should have showed up by now! She slipped her hand into her jacket pocket to reach for her mobile for what must have been about the fourth time - still no signal!
The rays of spring sun filtering through the trees concentrated a beam of warmth onto the back of her neck, and as they did so she felt a longing to be able to start her exploration of this invitingly ancient site. Her great love was for its larger inhabitants, she had studied the urban fox and it’s effect on woodland ecology at uni’, the prospect of an opportunity for discovering any new colony of creatures inhabiting Britain’s timeless greenery always excited her.
She strode vigorously through the narrow grass pathways lined with bracken, stick in hand. She had been walking for some time now and she was tired. Now and then her stocking-clad legs brushed against aggressive foliage, her skirt occasionally catching on bramble. On many a spring day had she trodden these parts and many a time had the birds sung her home. She needed that today more than ever, she actually felt quite faint, but she would soon be there, not far now. They would most probably be waiting for her, that was usually the case. She looked forward to seeing them every time, but this was different. Somehow, she knew her arrival at the cottage today was significant. She could see an outline image of the familiar building sharpen between the greenery, ever clearer as she struggled closer. Once there, she laid down on the wooden seat in front of the quaint old building. She felt tired and weak, but they would all be there and she was just glad to be there with them. At ease now, as she sunk into a deep and peaceful sleep.
She awoke with a bit of a start. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep at all. The others should be there soon but she had apparently beaten them to this unusual spot at the west edge of the wood - their agreed rendezvous. As always with enthusiasm, she’d made both mental and physical notes on her way through. She’d seen much of interest. There were flowers, just so many natural spring flowers blooming! and the insect life was prolific, there seemed to be far more butterflies than she would usually see at this time of year. There was also the cottage, or at least the faint outline of what she’d thought to be an old cottage. Falling asleep however hadn’t been in the plan, and was a slightly odd thing to do, even for her!
It was the sound of low voices nearby that woke her. She sat up quickly, quite shocked at having allowed herself to doze off. She rose to her feet ready to greet the two men as they came into view.
“By jove, you’ve beaten us to it!” exclaimed the stouter of the two men as he looked at his watch with mild surprise.
Both men were surprised to see that their friend had arrived before them, but she seemed to be alone!
“Not got her highness with you?” asked Tim, carefully replacing the lens cap on his camera.
“No.” replied Sue. “Well, you see, I waited. I waited for ages - tried to ring her mobile but I couldn’t get a signal. I’m hoping she’ll just be here as agreed . . like anytime now!”
“What did you say her name was again?”
“Evie Pollard, I think she’s a ‘Miss’.”
“Goodness, did you see that?” she remarked, instantly distracted by movement in the long grass. Both men seemed mildly surprised, they hadn’t actually seen the fox that appeared suddenly from the undergrowth to their right; “Quite unusual - to see a fox in a woodland area like this.” Commented Sue.
“This point we’ve agreed for a rendezvous, - it isn’t very significant,” remarked Robin, the other man.
“No, I thought that.” responded Sue, “The conservation map actually shows a building here but it just seems to be remnants. We were working from the same map though, I’m sure it won’t be a problem. She seemed to be quite switched on when I spoke to her.”
“So you have spoken to her directly?” Robin’s eyebrows raised sharply.
“Yes, the other day, just briefly, it was a bad line but we were clear about the time and place to meet up. It’s just that she was supposed to meet me at the entrance first and we were going to have a gentle saunter through. As it is, after waiting for ages I’ve had to rush a bit to get here.”
A disturbance from above caused Robin to look up. Not just one, two, or three, but four squirrels were all busily scurrying between the branches. Suddenly their attention was diverted to shuffling sound coming from the trees behind them:
“Ahh!” came a voice. A woman perhaps in her late sixties emerged, stick in hand, dressed in a three-quarter length brown skirt that allowed just a glimpse of the heavily stockinged limbs beneath. Sue thought she seemed a little old fashioned and somewhat overdressed for such a day.
“It’s lovely to see you here.” continued the woman, “Have you seen them? Are they all still here?” She looked around at three puzzled faces. “The creatures . . . that’s what you’re here to see isn’t it?” Now the woman seemed puzzled;
“Well, yes, along with various other aspects.” replied a slightly bemused Tim.
“Good, good” replied the woman gazing dreamily towards the setting sun.
There was an awkward pause before the elderly lady looked around then suddenly turned. She prodded her stick into the ground as if expecting to find something.
“Well, this is all wrong!” she muttered, peering into the long grass as she began shuffling away from the trio towards the trees with some haste.
“Wait a minute . . . Evie!” called Sue, but the quaint old figure didn’t respond, she just walked off into the trees from where she’d come. Sue glanced at her companions. After just a moment’s hesitation all three made after her. Surely they were owed an explanation, she couldn’t simply turn up late as the representative of a national conservation body and then just leave without so much as word on the subject!
The three followed her into the trees but to no avail - she was nowhere to be seen - gone as quickly as she had come!
“What a cheek, and after I spent half the day waiting for her.” protested Sue indignantly.
They had not to wait another moment before they heard movement in the trees once more. They looked up, but it was a different face that now burst through the foliage; - a much younger one;
“Ahh!” began the cheerful enthusiastic voice; “Evie Pollard,” she offered her hand to the two men, “and you must be Sue Lamond? We spoke on the phone. . .”
The three were silent as they looked blankly at each other. Evie continued enthusiastically;
“I’m so sorry for the delay, as always I got caught doing some research. – Not actually been here before you see, and I always like to research a new venue thoroughly.”
The new arrival looked around slightly awkwardly at the three somewhat bemused faces. Perhaps now would be a good moment to share what she’d found.
“You know it’s amazing what you can discover online. This woodland has a quaint old history. There was apparently a ‘Woman of the wood’ that once lived here in an old cottage. She had an affinity with animals and they used to gather at her cottage . . . in fact, it would be just about here where we are standing! Well, one spring morning she was found dead outside her home, it seemed she had passed peacefully away in her sleep. She lived a solitary life but was well known to the locals and she had often stated with some passion that whom so ever enters this wood always has a duty to care for all wildlife. Apparently she went on to say that when she was no longer on this earth she would still be watching over them and checking up on everyone who ever passes through.”
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