Hey Huli's!! I hope you like this edition of my Huli fairytale. Thanks again to Bea for the editing. I appreciate it so much!
Lisa entered the greenhouse expecting, if not somewhat hoping to see Melvina. Instead, just a tray of food and tea lay in waiting. She sat down to eat and then thought of the journal. She opened it and read Hugh’s description of the night before and his conversation with Melvina. She tried to take it all in as she read. She had just tucked the book back in its spot when she heard a noise at the door. In walked a tall, pale, thin woman with the blackest hair that Lisa had ever seen. Her nose resembled a sort of bird and her eyes were a green like polished jade. She wore black from head to toe with a black feather in her hair.
Lisa felt that she was not only a tall and imposing presence physically but also mentally. She was suddenly aware that her mouth had literally dropped open.
“Good evening. Melvina had to run to town on an errand so she asked me to look in on you. For the life of me I can’t see why. You appear fine to me.”
Lisa had regained her composure. “You must be Mavis.”
“Brilliant of you to figure that out.” She took her index finger and ran along counter in the center of the room. “It’s beyond me as to why Melvina finds you so interesting. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that I could find you interesting because I surely do not.”
“Well, you must find me interesting enough to put a spell on me.” Lisa said it before she had thought it through and then immediately regretted it.
“Don’t flatter yourself. The spell wasn’t FOR you, it was for him. You are just lucky I didn’t turn you into a cat or a bird or something.” Mavis snickered to herself. “In any case, Melvina will be back this afternoon so you won’t have to talk to me again. Good thing too since a storm is coming.” She left as quickly as she had entered.
Something about the tone of Mavis’ voice left Lisa with a cold chill up her back. She crossed her arms across her chest to hug herself and gain some warmth. She reached for the journal and began to write” “Hugh, I just spoke to Mavis. She doesn’t seem to like me very much and I am trying to get my head around it and yet, I am so dirty and tired that I can’t sleep. If it makes any difference at all you are the last thing before I fall asleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. Writing in this book gives me some consolation. Love, Lisa.”
She ate, cleaned up and started to fall asleep when Spirit wandered in and climbed up next to her.
“Hi Spirit, sorry I can’t be more sociable but it’s my bedtime.”
She looked into his huge eyes which honestly seemed a tad more human than animal. The last thing she thought before she drifted off was Mavis’ threat. It could well be her instead of Spirit hunting prey in the garden.
At 4:00 pm a crash of lightening and thunder woke Lisa from her sleep. The door from the house flew open and in burst Melvina with Spirit fast on her heels. She bustled to the table and set her lit candle on it.
“I think you are fortunate that my sister didn’t count of a few things. Thunderstorms are one of those things.”
A crash of lighting hit again and thunder not far behind. The door to the garden flew open and in came Hugh with a few droplets of rain on him. Melvina looked from Hugh, to Lisa. They were both transfixed on each other.
“Well, the rules remain the same I would guess. I am sure you still can’t talk, and if you know what’s best, I wouldn’t try to make any...” her voice lowered a little… “Physical contact since I am not sure what exactly would happen if you did.”
She turned to go back up the staircase and then turned back with one more piece of information. “As soon as the storm lets up it will be back to the well, normal.” With that, she disappeared back through the door.
Hugh stayed still inside the doorway. The lightening behind him gave a surreal feel. He started to walk towards her and she stood. She looked his eyes and saw his helplessness. He looked back and her and saw her tears. They weren’t just tears of sadness though. They were a mix of frustration and joy. Suddenly she remembered the journal and she reached for it. She laid it down on the bench for him to read. He was torn between using his eyes to enjoy her face and reading her words. She pointed down to the book and when he didn’t budge, she smirked and batted her lashes. Then she pointed again. He smiled at her and then looked down and read what she had written. Suddenly he looked up like he was figuring something. Then he looked back at the page and grabbed the pen.
“Lisa, when did Melvina get Spirit? How long has she had him?”
Lisa read his words and then mouthed the words, “I don’t know” as she shook her head. He went back to the journal and wrote, “She had a boyfriend who disappeared a while back!!”
He gave Lisa a knowing look. Her eyes grew big at the suggestion he had just made. Not really because it was a shock, but because she knew it was a very real possibility. She took the book and the pen to write just as a crash of thunder shook the walls of the greenhouse and the lightening illuminated the room in a brilliant white. They both froze for a minute. Her first reaction was to jump into those arms of his. It seemed to be his first reaction to grab her and protect her as well. But when she had almost reached him she remembered Melvina’s warning and stopped herself. She looked at him with helplessness and she saw the same feeling mirrored in his eyes. She pulled her arms up to hug herself and she rubbed her hands on her elbows as if to stifle a chill. She turned back to the book and wrote:
“I will bring it up to her and see what she says. I don’t want to be too pushy…what if we are wrong?” She looked up at him and he could see the mix of hope and fear in her eyes. He nodded in agreement and then motioned that he wanted to write back. She dropped the pen and journal and stepped to the side slightly.
“I agree with you on Melvina. I don’t want to back her into a corner and if we are wrong…who knows what Mavis will do if she finds out we even suspect such a thing?”
He showed the book to Lisa and then another flash of lightening lit the room. He mouthed counting the seconds until the thunder hit. She understood, the storm was moving away and they didn’t have much time, but the rain kept falling so they were safe for now. He wrote more.
“I know we don’t have much time here together, but we will find some way to get out of this. WE WILL! When we do, I don’t think I’ll ever stop touching you.”
Lisa looked at his words and a massive smile erupted on her face. A tear slowly fell down her cheek at the same time. She nodded an enthusiastic “yes” to him and then she took the journal and hid it under the pillow. There was no need to take the chance of Mavis walking in and finding their words. Hugh went to the wall of glass and looked out. The sun was starting to set and he could see the moon peeking through the clouds in the distance.
Suddenly, the door to the garden opened and Lisa rose from her seat on the bench. Helplessly she walked passed Hugh and on to the endless work that lay beyond the door. Everything was wet and cool. She knelt down to begin her weeding but her mind was focused on how to prove what they only suspected.
Back in the Greenhouse Hugh cleaned up, then went to the window for one last look at Lisa before he fell asleep. The moon was almost full and it was so bright now that the clouds had moved out. He wanted to believe that he could somehow get them out here, but something in the back of his mind told him that what lie ahead was out of his control. He fell asleep with a heavy feeling lying over him like a blanket of thorns. If not for pure exhaustion, he would have never closed his eyes.
Lisa entered the greenhouse expecting, if not somewhat hoping to see Melvina. Instead, just a tray of food and tea lay in waiting. She sat down to eat and then thought of the journal. She opened it and read Hugh’s description of the night before and his conversation with Melvina. She tried to take it all in as she read. She had just tucked the book back in its spot when she heard a noise at the door. In walked a tall, pale, thin woman with the blackest hair that Lisa had ever seen. Her nose resembled a sort of bird and her eyes were a green like polished jade. She wore black from head to toe with a black feather in her hair.
Lisa felt that she was not only a tall and imposing presence physically but also mentally. She was suddenly aware that her mouth had literally dropped open.
“Good evening. Melvina had to run to town on an errand so she asked me to look in on you. For the life of me I can’t see why. You appear fine to me.”
Lisa had regained her composure. “You must be Mavis.”
“Brilliant of you to figure that out.” She took her index finger and ran along counter in the center of the room. “It’s beyond me as to why Melvina finds you so interesting. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that I could find you interesting because I surely do not.”
“Well, you must find me interesting enough to put a spell on me.” Lisa said it before she had thought it through and then immediately regretted it.
“Don’t flatter yourself. The spell wasn’t FOR you, it was for him. You are just lucky I didn’t turn you into a cat or a bird or something.” Mavis snickered to herself. “In any case, Melvina will be back this afternoon so you won’t have to talk to me again. Good thing too since a storm is coming.” She left as quickly as she had entered.
Something about the tone of Mavis’ voice left Lisa with a cold chill up her back. She crossed her arms across her chest to hug herself and gain some warmth. She reached for the journal and began to write” “Hugh, I just spoke to Mavis. She doesn’t seem to like me very much and I am trying to get my head around it and yet, I am so dirty and tired that I can’t sleep. If it makes any difference at all you are the last thing before I fall asleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. Writing in this book gives me some consolation. Love, Lisa.”
She ate, cleaned up and started to fall asleep when Spirit wandered in and climbed up next to her.
“Hi Spirit, sorry I can’t be more sociable but it’s my bedtime.”
She looked into his huge eyes which honestly seemed a tad more human than animal. The last thing she thought before she drifted off was Mavis’ threat. It could well be her instead of Spirit hunting prey in the garden.
At 4:00 pm a crash of lightening and thunder woke Lisa from her sleep. The door from the house flew open and in burst Melvina with Spirit fast on her heels. She bustled to the table and set her lit candle on it.
“I think you are fortunate that my sister didn’t count of a few things. Thunderstorms are one of those things.”
A crash of lighting hit again and thunder not far behind. The door to the garden flew open and in came Hugh with a few droplets of rain on him. Melvina looked from Hugh, to Lisa. They were both transfixed on each other.
“Well, the rules remain the same I would guess. I am sure you still can’t talk, and if you know what’s best, I wouldn’t try to make any...” her voice lowered a little… “Physical contact since I am not sure what exactly would happen if you did.”
She turned to go back up the staircase and then turned back with one more piece of information. “As soon as the storm lets up it will be back to the well, normal.” With that, she disappeared back through the door.
Hugh stayed still inside the doorway. The lightening behind him gave a surreal feel. He started to walk towards her and she stood. She looked his eyes and saw his helplessness. He looked back and her and saw her tears. They weren’t just tears of sadness though. They were a mix of frustration and joy. Suddenly she remembered the journal and she reached for it. She laid it down on the bench for him to read. He was torn between using his eyes to enjoy her face and reading her words. She pointed down to the book and when he didn’t budge, she smirked and batted her lashes. Then she pointed again. He smiled at her and then looked down and read what she had written. Suddenly he looked up like he was figuring something. Then he looked back at the page and grabbed the pen.
“Lisa, when did Melvina get Spirit? How long has she had him?”
Lisa read his words and then mouthed the words, “I don’t know” as she shook her head. He went back to the journal and wrote, “She had a boyfriend who disappeared a while back!!”
He gave Lisa a knowing look. Her eyes grew big at the suggestion he had just made. Not really because it was a shock, but because she knew it was a very real possibility. She took the book and the pen to write just as a crash of thunder shook the walls of the greenhouse and the lightening illuminated the room in a brilliant white. They both froze for a minute. Her first reaction was to jump into those arms of his. It seemed to be his first reaction to grab her and protect her as well. But when she had almost reached him she remembered Melvina’s warning and stopped herself. She looked at him with helplessness and she saw the same feeling mirrored in his eyes. She pulled her arms up to hug herself and she rubbed her hands on her elbows as if to stifle a chill. She turned back to the book and wrote:
“I will bring it up to her and see what she says. I don’t want to be too pushy…what if we are wrong?” She looked up at him and he could see the mix of hope and fear in her eyes. He nodded in agreement and then motioned that he wanted to write back. She dropped the pen and journal and stepped to the side slightly.
“I agree with you on Melvina. I don’t want to back her into a corner and if we are wrong…who knows what Mavis will do if she finds out we even suspect such a thing?”
He showed the book to Lisa and then another flash of lightening lit the room. He mouthed counting the seconds until the thunder hit. She understood, the storm was moving away and they didn’t have much time, but the rain kept falling so they were safe for now. He wrote more.
“I know we don’t have much time here together, but we will find some way to get out of this. WE WILL! When we do, I don’t think I’ll ever stop touching you.”
Lisa looked at his words and a massive smile erupted on her face. A tear slowly fell down her cheek at the same time. She nodded an enthusiastic “yes” to him and then she took the journal and hid it under the pillow. There was no need to take the chance of Mavis walking in and finding their words. Hugh went to the wall of glass and looked out. The sun was starting to set and he could see the moon peeking through the clouds in the distance.
Suddenly, the door to the garden opened and Lisa rose from her seat on the bench. Helplessly she walked passed Hugh and on to the endless work that lay beyond the door. Everything was wet and cool. She knelt down to begin her weeding but her mind was focused on how to prove what they only suspected.
Back in the Greenhouse Hugh cleaned up, then went to the window for one last look at Lisa before he fell asleep. The moon was almost full and it was so bright now that the clouds had moved out. He wanted to believe that he could somehow get them out here, but something in the back of his mind told him that what lie ahead was out of his control. He fell asleep with a heavy feeling lying over him like a blanket of thorns. If not for pure exhaustion, he would have never closed his eyes.