The Skylark Bell

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 14 – The Sketchbook – where we get an exclusive, in-depth look into Magpie’s notebook where she records and sketches details from her mysterious visions.

Music: Nightbridge and Visions by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 14 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

In our last episode, Magpie finally came face to face with the mysterious Farfalla, who had a strange reaction upon seeing Magpie. 

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 14 – The Sketchbook – where we get an exclusive, in-depth look into Magpie’s notebook where she records and sketches details from her mysterious visions.

Get comfortable… grab a blanket and a warm drink… and let’s get started

Magpie’s sketchbook is bound in dark blue leather with a gold hummingbird etched into the cover. Inside, the pages are completely blank, leaving her the freedom to write or sketch.   The book came in the mail about two years ago, right around Magpie’s birthday. Initially, she thought her mother had bought it for her as a birthday present, but her mother told her that, unfortunately, she couldn’t take credit for the beautiful gift, and the sender has remained a mystery to this day. 

Magpie gently opens her notebook to the first page.

Her scribbled notes describe the vision she had of the woman in the rocking chair, the one that ended up being her Great-Grandmother Elizabeth.  She runs her eyes over the shape of the rocking chair, the woman sitting in it, the green shawl over her shoulders… A short written update scribbled in different coloured pen provides an explanation for the vision and Magpie considers it resolved, but shivers a little none-the-less as she recalls the moment she found the photograph in the dusty, yellowing family photo album that identified the woman in her vision as the Great-Grandmother she’d never met.

Flipping to the next page she sees a sketch outlining several tall buildings, like the downtown area of a large city, with an old-fashioned car parked in front of a large department store. On the sidewalk in front of the store, a woman is standing, holding a little girl by the hand, both of them with their backs turned to the person viewing the sketch and facing the beautifully dressed display windows. Magpie clearly remembers the day she had this vision, it was a few years ago, and she was sitting next to her mother on a city bus headed downtown for the grand opening of a new art gallery. Magpie still has no explanation for that vision, but since it happened in a large city, she can only assume it has nothing to do with Pocket, so she decides to move on.

The next few pages detail visions she had while they were still living in the city, most feel irrelevant to what has been happening recently, but one catches her eye.  It depicts a dream she once had about a young boy, 4 or 5 years old, with wavy black hair and gray eyes, sitting by the side of a desolate country road next to a badly damaged car.  Could it be Lucas?  She has never asked him about his parents and he’s never brought it up, but since he lives with his grandmother, it would make sense that something happened to them – Was it a car accident?  Was he there?  If so, why had she dreamed about it, before even knowing him?!  She makes a mental note to try to find out more and keeps flipping through her notebook. 

A few more sketches of farmland follow the dream about the little boy, some resemble the area around Pocket, like the sketch of a white house with lace-like trim around the windows and a stunning array of colours in the flowerbed, and a couple of others with rolling fields ranging from bright green to yellow and the dry brown of autumn, but to Magpie they just seem to have predicted that she would move here, and there is no helpful information in them.

Magpie pauses on an illustration of an apple orchard.  She recalls having that vision the night before she and her mom left the city to move into the Farmhouse.  In it, rich fruit dangles from the branches of several trees, bright red apples. Under one of the trees she can see the silhouette of a large horse, but she recalls the vision had been blurry.  What really catches her eye, though, is the outline of a house in the distance, a two-story house similar to the one on Meadow Lane.  Could those stumps behind the house one Meadow Lane have once been a thriving apple orchard? The only note accompanying the sketch consists of two hastily-written words in the margin which read “Overwhelming joy” - words she certainly wouldn’t assign to the house on Meadow Lane today. Under the words is a small sketch, just a faint outline, that looks like a ring etched with a feather pattern.

Unsure what these things mean, Magpie turns the page and finally finds some notes detailing one of her first visions since moving to Pocket.  It is the day she and Lucas were walking by Meadow Lane.  Magpie was inexplicably drawn to the property, and had the beginnings of a vision where she saw two blurry silhouettes.  

 Suddenly, something clicks in Magpie’s mind.  She flips forward to the description of the vision she had day she discovered the secret attic, when Meadow Lane was all lit up and full of life. She skims through her notes and her finger stops on one sentence: “Two lights bouncing, like lanterns being carried by two people walking toward the woods.”  Two silhouettes in the first vision; two lanterns in this one.  She seems to be having recurring visions of the same two people at Meadow Lane, but who are they?!

Magpie turns the page, and sees a note about the vision she had of Charlotte Carnifex and her husband in the horse cart when they first arrived on the site where they would eventually build this very farmhouse. Then she sees a sketch and note about Scarlet, with a quick scribble in the margin describing the fireplace brick with the initials ‘C.C.’ 

The last page in Magpie’s notebook contains the description and accompanying sketch of her nightmare, where everything came together; Meadow Lane, Scarlet, and Farfalla. Every page beyond is blank, this is all the information she has.

 Closing her notebook and tracing the outline of the hummingbird with her finger, Magpie lets her mind wander for a moment.  Meadow Lane seems to be the central part of the story to which everything else is connected, the most important connection being the two mysterious figures she keeps seeing. Now, more than ever, she is determined to get some answers!

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for our 4th Fantôme Friday! Then the following week we will continue our adventure and read Chapter 15 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where Magpie learns about the tragic event in Lucas’ past that shaped the course of his life.

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.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 13 – Where Magpie and Farfalla finally come face to face!

Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 13 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

In our last episode, Magpie came across a photograph of Marius Corbeau, the man from her vision at Mirror Pond, and learned of his tragic disappearance in a snowstorm. 

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 13 – Where Magpie and Farfalla come face to face.

It’s time to settle in… grab a blanket and a warm drink… let’s get started!

Magpie stays home for a few days, watching old movies with her mom and reading adventure books up in her room.  It feels good to just be... normal!... and not worry about all the strange things going on in Pocket.  

Magpie slept in this morning and is lounging on the couch in her pajamas when her mom peeks her head around the corner of the room.

“Magpie, I’m heading into town to ship this canvas to a client, why don’t you come with me?” she asks.

“Sure!  Where’s this one headed?” asks Magpie.  She’s always curious about the different places her mother’s artwork ends up.

“It’s going to a gallery overseas!  I’m hoping if they like it they’ll request an entire collection!  It’s a really great opportunity,” she answers, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.

They talk about art and travel while slowly strolling through town. Next to the post office, some children play in a small park. Magpie stops to drink in the joyful sounds of the swings squeaking loudly as they sway back and forth, the children giggling on the see-saw and laughing wildly as they whiz down the slide.  She is finally feeling calm, everything around her looks and feels normal, and it’s been days since she’s had a vision.

A small bell above the post office door signals to the clerk that they have entered. “What can I help ya with?”  Asks the tall gentleman behind the counter, his large mustache bouncing up and down with each word.  Magpie’s mother explains the shipment details to him as Magpie wanders around the tiny space. The floors are crooked, and creak loudly, making her a little self-conscious with every step. On the back wall there are old photographs of Pocket, some with handwritten insciptions detailing the location and year.   She immediately spots a photo of the Pocket General Store, it was taken the year the store opened, and features the Bunting family proudly standing on the large wooden porch.  There are several photos of the high school through the years, some with students sprawled on the front lawn, others showing them neatly lined up on the front steps.  Magpie looks closely to see if she can spot Charlotte Carnifex, or perhaps the mysterious Marius, in one of the photos, but no such luck.  Scanning the wall, she finds a photo of the Redwing Inn; sure enough there are several horses hitched on the posts outside.  It feels strange to think that the people from her visions were living in this time.

“Ready to go?” asks her mom, tucking her wallet back in her bag.  Magpie nods and they head outside. The park is empty now, the children likely having been called in for lunch.  Magpie and her mother keep walking down the main street, smiling at passers-by, but most of them don’t even make eye contact.

“That’s Mrs. Tuffeto!” says Mrs. Phaeton in a hushed voice, nodding toward a woman on the sidewalk ahead.  Her tone tells Magpie her mother’s got a plan.  

“Mrs. Tuffetto!  I must tell you, those cupcakes you make are wondeful!” says Mrs. Phaeton cheerfully as they get closer.  The woman stops in her tracks, like a deer in the headlights, unsure what to do.  

Magpie immediately pipes up, “Not only are they delicious, they’re beautiful, like edible artwork!”  

Mrs. Tuffetto glances around to see if anyone is listening and takes a step closer to them. “Thank you, that is very kind” she says, her voice barely above a whisper, like she doesn’t want anyone to know she’s speaking to them.  Before they can continue the conversation, she scurries off in the opposite direction. 

“Progress!” says Magpie’s mother, cheerfully.  They giggle softly and continue on their way.

As they near the diner, Mrs. Phaeton suggests they grab a late breakfast.  They saunter up the flagstone walkway and Magpie reaches for the door, but before she can grasp the handle, the door swings open and an old woman steps out into the bright light of day, her untamed white hair surrounding her face like a snow flurry, it had to be Farfalla.  Magpie has an instant flashback, Farfalla looks just like the old woman in her dream! She feels the shiver at the back of her neck extend all the way down her spine to her feet.  Farfalla stops in the restaurant doorway and lays her piercing blue eyes on Magpie’s face.  For an instant, Magpie senses a change in her expression, but before she can figure out what it is, the old woman has turned and is headed down the street. 

“Go ahead honey, you’re letting all the flies in!” her mother nudges her from behind, oblivious to the eerie feeling in the air between Magpie and Farfalla.

Magpie shakes her head and walks over to an empty table near the window. She distractedly orders the first thing on the menu, smiling and nodding at the waitress, and politely listening to her mother’s stories, but in her mind, she can’t stop thinking about Farfalla.  What had flashed across her face in that moment?  Fear?  Confusion?  …Recognition?

“…and I’d like to get the fireplace cleaned out so we can use it this winter,” her mother continues, “Magpie, you barely ate your breakfast!” she remarks as Magpie places her napkin on her plate.

“I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought,” she says, pushing her chair back to stand, “I do like the idea of the fireplace though,” she adds, forcing a smile.

As she and her mom are walking home she struggles to keep up her end of the conversation, her mind is spinning with images of Farfalla’s face.  They finally walk through the front door of their house and Magpie is thrilled to hear a soft meow as she is unlacing her running shoes. “Scarlet!” she says as the small cat trots down the stairs toward her.  She picks up the cat and carries it up the stairs, cradling it in her arms and nuzzling its soft fur. “I’m heading up to my room for a bit, mom!” she calls as she nears the landing. 

“Sounds good, honey.  Thanks for walking into town with me!” says Mrs. Phaeton.

Magpie gently places Scarlet on the bed and fishes her notebook out from under the mattress.  Between her recent visions, the dream she had a few nights ago, and the run-in with Farfalla this morning, she feels it’s time to see if any of her notes can help fill in some pieces of the puzzle.

Scarlet sits on the bed facing Magpie, a strange look of expectation in her eyes…

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we pursue our adventure and read Chapter 14 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where we get a closeup view of Magpie’s notebook in which she sketches the things she sees in her mysterious visions.

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.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 12, Cold Pancakes – Where Magpie visits Lucas and sees a photograph at that stops her in her tracks.

Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 12 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

In our last episode, Magpie had a terrible dream that involved Scarlett, Farfalla, and Meadow Lane.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 12 Cold Pancakes – Where Magpie visits Lucas and sees a photograph at that stops her in her tracks.

So get comfortable… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started!

“Come on in!” shouts Lucas from the back of the kitchen. It is a bright, sunny day and Magpie is excited to get started on their newest adventure, hoping it’ll get her mind of the terrible dream she had the night before.  Magpie and Lucas usually meet at the bottom of Lucas’ driveway, but this time he is running late and has asked her to come up to the house.  Magpie shyly makes her way through the dark living room to the back of the house. The kitchen is surprisingly bright, with soft yellow walls and sheer white curtains filtering the sunlight. 

“My grandma made some pancakes, want some?” asks Lucas, already shoving a heaping plate of steaming pancakes across the counter toward her. “She makes the best pancakes with blackberries AND chocolate chips in them – you’ve never had anything like it!” he says, beaming.

“Uh, sure… Thanks!”  Magpie pulls the plate closer and pours some syrup on the stack pancakes.  She watches as it slowly makes its way down to the white porcelain plate, forming a pool in which she can see a golden, distorted reflection of herself. 

“Where is your grandmother, anyway?  I’d love to meet her!” she says, trying to make conversation.

“Oh… she’s, uh… napping,” replies Lucas, visibly uncomfortable.

Sensing awkwardness, Magpie quickly changes the subject, “So… Where should we go exploring today?”

 Lucas’ mood shifts immediately to excitement. “Well, there’s the ruins from the old mill in the clearing where the creek meets Pine River.  I think we should check it out!  They shut it down about fifty years ago, but there are still tons of artifacts left behind!” He speaks very quickly before shoving one last, large bite of pancake into his mouth and carrying his empty plate to the sink. “I’ll change into my old clothes and grab my boots while you finish eating.” He says. His words sound muffled as he navigates the big bite of pancake still in his mouth. “Meet me on the front steps!” he adds, his voice trailing as he runs upstairs.

Magpie sits alone in the kitchen, poking at her rapidly cooling pancakes.  She can’t bring herself to eat, for some reason her stomach feels tight, like she’s expecting something bad to happen, but aside from the ticking clock everything is quiet. Tick, tock, tick tock… A cloud passes over the sun and, for a moment, the kitchen is washed in grey. The mood in the kitchen changes instantly and the tiny space feels cold and almost… ominous.  Magpie feels a strange sense of relief when the cloud passes and the soft sunlight is restored.  She’s about to walk her plate to the sink when something on the wall catches her eye.  Amid an artful display of vintage photographs, one in particular has caused her to freeze in her tracks.

 “Hey slowpoke!  I thought you were going to meet me on the front steps!”  The sound of Lucas’ voice makes her jump.  Magpie didn’t realize several minutes had gone by.  Lucas is leaning on the doorframe, ready to go.

Shaking her head in an attempt to focus on the present moment, Magpie points to the yellow, creased photograph framed on the wall. “Who is this?” she asks, trying to sound calm and composed, but on the inside she can feel her heart racing.

“Oh, my grandma likes to collect old photos,” Lucas replies casually.  “That’s Marius Corbeau, he lived in Pocket a long time ago.  I guess he disappeared in a snowstorm one day while looking for firewood.  They found his horse… what was its name again?” he pauses for a moment, his eyes turned upwards, scanning his memory, “Oh yeah, Cormorant!... It was wandering near the road; it still had its tack on and everything, but Marius was nowhere to be found, and apparently he was never seen again.” Finishes Lucas, very matter of fact.

“That’s terrible.” Says Magpie, trying to stifle a shudder.

The photograph shows a man wearing layers of heavy clothing, with dark curls sticking out from under his cap.  The image is so faded and worn that Magpie can’t make out his face, but she still recognizes the man from the vision she had that day at mirror pond.  Swallowing hard, and wondering whether she even wants to hear the answer, Magpie, a slight tremor in her voice, asks “What colour was Cormorant?”

“Oh, that’s the cool part!” says Lucas, “Cormorant was completely black with a white mane and tail!  They say Marius brought the horse with him when he came from Europe, and that no one had ever seen a horse like that before! There is a bit of a mystery surrounding Marius though, not only did he disappear suddenly, that’s also how he appeared! They say he landed in Pocket one day, completely out of the blue, and he already knew his way around, like he’d been there before, but no one recognized him! It’s a small town, there’s no way a stranger goes unnoticed. The whole thing is very strange...” he ends, shifting his weight back and forth between his feet, unable to hide his impatience to get out and explore.

Magpie can feel the colour draining from her face.  How can all these visions be parts of reality, history, people from the past that she’s never met or heard of – what are they doing in her mind?!

“Hey are you ok?” asks Lucas, taking a closer look at her, concern washing over his face.

Completely overwhelmed by the events of the past few days, with the images of her dream from the previous night, and Marius’ body landing on the ground with snow swirling all around, Magpie, close to tears, looks down at the ground and stammers, “I… I don’t feel so well, I think I ate too many pancakes.  I have to go!” and with that, she swiftly exits through the front door.

Lucas watches Magpie run down the driveway, puzzled.  Her plate of cold pancakes sits, barely eaten, on the counter.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we pursue our adventure and read Chapter 13 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where Magpie and the mysterious Farfalla finally come face to face!

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.

In today’s episode we will recount the troubling story of The Open House, where our narrator comes into contact with a violent, panicked energy in the bedroom of a nearby house which is listed for sale. Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode for an original song by Cannelle inspired by this story.

Music: Nightbridge and Foreign Emotion by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: The Skylark Bell, Fantome Friday.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

On the last Friday of each month, we pause our reading of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, and instead cover a real-life supernatural, or at the very least, unusal and unexplained, experience.

In today’s episode we will recount the troubling story of The Open House. Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode for an original song by Cannelle inspired by this story.

So get settled in, grab a blanket, a warm drink, and let’s get started…

We had never met the neighbours in the house across the street. They seemed to keep to themselves, and a couple of years after we moved into our house they put their house up for sale. They were already moved out by the time it went up for sale, and my husband – who had only recently become a Realtor – suggested we go take a look and connect with the agent selling the house. My parents were in town visting from Canada and offered to watch our baby while we went across the street to view the home.

The very quaint, modest house was painted a bright yellow and was surrounded by tasteful landescaping. We entered through the front door which had some stained glass in it that created a rainbow on the hardwood floor of the entryway. A cheerful woman greeted us as we walked in. We introduced ourselves and started our tour. Because there were already people viewing the second floor we decided to start with the basement. It was an unfinished basement, typical for the area with nothing notable about it. We moved on the the main floor which featured beautiful original wood trim and staging furniture to make it feel warm and cozy.

By this time the family who had been looking at the second floor was coming down the stairs and wrapping up their tour. We smiled as we passed them and headed up the creaky wood staircase. The second floor was also very typical for a century-old house, with a short landing that opened up to 3 bedrooms which were empty of any furniture. The first bedroom was at the back of the house and had beautiful wood floors. As I walked into the bedroom that faced the front of the house I was hit with an immediate oppresive, panicked feeling. In trying to explain it to my husband later on, I described it as a change in atmosphere similar to stepping from an air-conditioned store into oppresive humid summer heat and humidity. The change in the air was that palpable. I could sense the energy of a woman spinning around the perimetre of the room at a high rate of speed, sobbing, screaming, fearful, irrational, completely panicked… I instantly began to feel unwell - dizzy, and nauseous… The emotions were so overwhelming I immediately stepped out of the room back into the hallway and sat down on a small antique wooden chair that had thankfully been left there. I explained to my husband what had just happened and took a moment to get my bearings. I felt still felt unwell, and very emotional… not with my own emotions, but someone else’s… someone who wasn’t there, at least physically. 

We decided we should leave, and started walking back down the stairs to the main floor. The staircase was directly aligned with the front door and I could see the sunny day outside as we were coming down – in my mind the thought kept repeating “I need to get out, let me out, let me out, let me out…”. Of course once we got back to the main floor the real-estate agent started to chat with us… the two minutes we spent making small talk were quite possibly the longest 2 minutes of my life.

We eventually made it back to our house, but every time I looked out our front windows all I could do was stare at the second story bedroom window of the yellow house across the street where the woman was stuck in an endless loop of terror.

A few weeks later, in chatting with one of the neighbours, my husband learned that many years prior the house had belonged to people who had a volatile relationship. Whether that has any connection to my experience in the home I’ll never know. 

The house sold shortly after that incident and was transformed in such a way that I barely remember how it looked at the time. We have become friends with the new homeowners, they are a lovely family… but I have not, and will not, set foot in that house ever again.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we resume our adventures in Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell.  In last week’s episode, Magpie had a terrible dream that involved Scarlett, Farfalla, and Meadow Lane. Next week we read chapter 12 – Cold Pancakes – Where Magpie visits Lucas and sees a photograph at that stops her in her tracks. Don’t forget to subscribe, you don’t want miss a thing! And now, an original song by Cannelle inspired by today’s story – here is Foreign Emotion.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 11 – Terror in the night – Where Scarlet, Meadow Lane, The Skylark Bell, and Farfalla come together in a terrifying way!

Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 11 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

In our last episode, The Dinner Date, Scarlet made a brief appearance to point out an etching in one of the bricks in the fireplace at Magpie’s house, and the name of the mysterious Farfalla came up again in conversation between Magpie her mother.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 11 – Terror in the night – Where Scarlet, Meadow Lane, and Farfalla come together in a terrifying way!

 So get cozy… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started!

Magpie is walking outside. In the faint moonlight she can tell she is standing by the side of the main road, just outside Pocket.  Behind her, she can hear the tinkling of the bell on Scarlet’s collar ‘jingle, jingle, jingle’. They are walking together, in the dark, heading toward home.  To Magpie’s left is Meadow Lane, the house in the distance completely dark and desolate.  They reach the point where the lane meets the road, and Scarlet starts trotting toward the old, abandoned house.  Magpie, without a second thought, scurries after her.  

Suddenly, Magpie realizes she can no longer hear the bell, even though Scarlet is still running up ahead.  Magpie stops in her tracks and calls out for Scarlet to stop, but there is no sound.  Panicked, she starts running after the cat, and realizes she can’t hear the gravel crunching beneath her feet.  Scarlet stops, just steps from the house, and turns to stare at Magpie, like there is something she wants Magpie to understand.

Feeling apprehensive, Magpie decides to follow the cat, who slowly makes its way to the back of the house.  The cat stands beneath a window and turns to look at Magpie. Magpie approaches cautiously and peers in the window. Inside the house she sees a woman in a wooden rocking chair wearing a long dress with lace trim, two small children sitting on the plank wood floor in front of her. Behind the children is a roaring fire in the fireplace. The woman is reading a book to the children,  and Magpie squints to make out the title: “The Skylark Belle” - Belle, with an E, like the belle of the ball...  how curious! 

Just then, Magpie feels Scarlet brush by her leg. They resume their macabre game of follow the leader and make their way toward the other side of the house. 

Once there, Scarlet steps into a small shed. Glancing back toward the road, Magpie reluctantly follows the cat. The inside of the shed is softly lit by the moonlight filtering through its small windows. There is a workbench below the windows, and on it Magpie can see a large piece of wood that someone has begun whittling into the shape of a bird. Several tools are strewn nearby. Scarlet hops onto the work bench and walks to the far end before sitting next to a small rounded object.  Shuffling carefully toward the cat, Magpie makes her way to the end of the workbench. Squinting, she vaguely makes out the shape of a bell. She can tell there is something etched into the bell but can’t quite make it out in the dark. If she could just hold it and feel its surface with her fingers she might be able to tell what it is… Magpie gingerly stretches her hand out to grab the bell when the cat suddenly jumps toward her, back arched, claws out, its mouth wide open like it is screeching, but of course no sound comes out.  Terrified, Magpie steps back, tripping on a garden tool and falling to the ground soundlessly. She’s never seen Scarlet behave like this before! Unhurt, but incredibly overwhelmed, and dazed by the complete silence, she steps out of the shed to gather her thoughts. 

Magpie looks up at the house, her gaze travelling to the second story window, where she sees a pale face with dark eyes staring down at her, unwavering.  A wispy white hand appears next to it and points at her.  Petrified, Magpie turns and races back toward the road, her feet grinding into the gravel silently.  

The moment she steps off Meadow Lane Magpie is overcome by a cacophony of sound: the faintest cricket sounds like a passing truck, her footsteps like a jack hammer.  She puts her hands over her ears, trying to muffle the unbearable sounds. Finally, everything stops. Magpie lifts her head and looks up, then recoils in horror.  By the side of the road, she sees an old woman, standing barefoot in a long white nightgown, wild feather-white hair flying around her pale face - the same face Magpie saw in the second story window of the house just a moment ago – how can that be?!  Dark shadows gather where the woman’s eyes should be, and her mouth is open wide; from her cavernous throat she screams: “Magpie!  Magpie!  Magpie!”

“Magpie!  Wake up, you’re just having a bad dream!”

Magpie opens her eyes, completely disoriented.  The lights in her bedroom are turned on and her mother, a worried look on her face, is sitting by the side of the bed.  “Honey, are you ok?  You scared me!  You were screaming so loudly!” 

Magpie nods quietly, still shaken from her dream, “I’m ok, thanks Mom.”  She sits up to drink a few sips of water from the bottle on her nightstand.  “Do you… would you mind if I sleep in your room the rest of the night?” she asks, feeling a little silly at her age to be making such a request.

“Of course, I don’t mind!  It’ll be like old times, when we used to watch those black and white movies and fall asleep with our hands in the popcorn bowl,” her mother says, soothingly.  Magpie forces a smile as she gets up and grabs her pillow.  “Where’s Scarlet?  I thought she always slept in your room?” remarks Mrs. Phaeton.

“I’m not sure where she went, she was downstairs earlier,” says Magpie, pretending everything is normal.  She feels a shiver run through her entire body as her memory of the dream, and Scarlet’s role in it, comes back to her.

“Sweetie, you’re shivering!  Let’s get you to bed,” says her mother, nudging her down the hall.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for our third Fantôme Friday episode – The Open House, where we tell the terrifying tale of an unexplained experience in a neighbouring home.

The following week we will pursue our adventure in Meadow Lane and the Skylar Bell by reading Chapter 12, where Magpie visits Lucas and sees a photograph that stops her in her tracks!

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.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 10 – The Dinner Date, where Magpie and her mom catch up on the day, bringing the mysterious Farfalla into the conversation.

Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 10 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

In our last episode, Magpie and Lucas explored the secret attic and discovered treasures from the home’s original owners, and discovered that there is much more to Scarlet the cat than meets the eye!

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 10 – The Dinner Date, where Magpie and her mom catch up on the day, bringing the mysterious Farfalla into the conversation.

 So get comfortable… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… are you read? Let’s get started...

The smell of charcoal wafts through the entire back yard, overpowering the delicate scent of the wild roses.  Magpie loves the sizzling sound as the food hits the hot grill.  One of the great things about living in the country is the variety of fresh produce from the neighbouring farms sold at the Farmer’s Market.  The market is held every Sunday on the sprawling lawn of the library, gathering farmers and artisans from the area surrounding Pocket and beyond.  Magpie and her mother love to wander from booth to booth, exploring various handmade goods like knitted shawls, candles, and jewelry.  But Magpie’s favourite thing is being surrounded by the bright colours and rich smells of the fruits and vegetables. She and her mom love to cook together, hanging out in the kitchen for hours, trying out new recipes or baking treats with the locally ground flour from the small mill in the neighbouring town.

“Magpie, why don’t you go grab the candles.  I think these are just about done,” says Mrs. Phaeton, expertly flipping their dinner so it is perfectly marked by a trellis of black lines.

“Sure thing, Mom.  Do you remember where you put them?” asks Magpie.  

Mrs. Phaeton gets a look on her face that tells Magpie her mom has no idea where the candles ended up.  With a giggle, Magpie scurries into the kitchen and starts checking the cupboards. She’s down to the last one when she hears the sound of the small bell on the cat collar again, this time coming from the living room.  She follows the sound and is overcome with joy when she sees Scarlet sitting on the mantle above the fireplace.  “Scarlet!”  she cries, “I was afraid you were gone forever!  You’re still my cat, and I’m still calling you Scarlet,” she tells the small cat while reaching up to pet her.  Scarlet crosses the mantle and sits on the end of it, looking intently at Magpie and meowing loudly. “Is there something I’m supposed to do?” asks Magpie, feeling only slightly foolish for talking to the cat as if it’s a person. Scarlet reaches down with her paw and strikes one of the bricks below the mantle.  Magpie leans down for a closer look and realizes there is something engraved in it.  She dusts it off with her hand a little and the initials “C.C.” become clearly visible.  “Charlotte Carnifex!” exclaims Magpie.  She stands up to look at Scarlet, but the cat is gone.

“Any luck finding those candles?” calls her mother from the back door.  Magpie looks in the bookcase next to the fireplace and sees the candles thrown haphazardly onto a shelf.

“Just found them!” she yells, and heads back outside for dinner.  

A vase filled with roses sits atop the bright yellow tablecloth.  Magpie inhales deeply, filling her lungs with their sweet perfume, before taking her place at the picnic table.  She tucks the candles into Grandma Lilian’s small crystal candle holders and carefully brings a match to the wick.  The warm glow of the candles’ tiny flames washes over Magpie’s face as her mother joins her at the table, two plates of steaming grilled vegetables in her hands.  They reminisce about Grandma Lilian, their old apartment in the city and dinner dates gone by as the cool evening breeze ruffles their hair. 

“This might be the best dinner I’ve ever had!” says Magpie, breaking into giggles simultaneously with her mom as they collect empty plates and cups.  It’s a running joke between them; every time they do a ‘dinner date’ they congratulate themselves on their cooking skills.

“I stopped by the most adorable bakery today,” says her mother, changing the subject, “They have these wonderful little cupcakes decorated with flowers and birds.  I bought us a couple for dessert.”

“Oh, that must be Tuffetto’s Bakery!  Lucas told me about it the day we moved in,” says Magpie.

“Yes, Mr. Tuffetto, that was his name!  He wasn’t very chatty, and his wife just stayed in the back preparing the pastries.  People here definitely keep to themselves more, don’t they?!  There was a woman there, with bright white hair and blue eyes, she was probably 100 years old!  She was carrying a basket with jars of blackberry jam.  I offered to let her go ahead of me but she just kept staring straight ahead, as if I didn’t exist!” says her mother, “I’m looking forward to the day when we’re finally considered ‘locals’.”  

Magpie’s heart starts beating a little faster… “The old woman’s name, did you ask Mr. Tuffetto what it was?” inquires Magpie.

“As a matter of fact, he did mention it… it was a strange name, Befana?  Farina?” 

“Farfalla?” suggests Magpie.

“Ah yes, Farfalla!  I hung back to look at the marvelous array of cakes and pastries on display, and he did get a little more conversational after she left.  He told me she’s the oldest resident in town and that no one has ever heard her make a sound.  

 She walks around town every morning to do her errands, after that she heads to the diner for the same breakfast every day - blackberry waffles that she washes down with some sweet orange tea before walking home.  On Sundays she drops off a basket of home-made blackberry jam for him and his wife to sell at the market, and in exchange he gives her bread the rest of the week.  We’re definitely not in the big city anymore!” she finishes, laughing.

“Pocket is definitely a quirky little town…” agrees Magpie, remember her encounter with the waitress at the diner on her first night in town.  “So, what’s this new painting you’re working on that sent you to the ‘big city’ for supplies?” she asks, changing the subject.  Her mother launches into the details of her most recent piece of artwork and how their new surroundings, and even the residents of Pocket, have inspired her.   They chat long into the night, savouring their dinner and the delectable cupcakes from Tuffetto’s.  Eventually, the candles burn low and it’s time to go inside.

“Let’s leave cleanup for the morning.  Deal?” asks her mom, stacking their plates on the counter. Magpie is only too happy to oblige, and they head upstairs.

“Goodnight, Mom, I love you,” she says, standing in the doorway to her room.

“Goodnight, my beautiful bird, sweet dreams,” answers her mother tenderly before fading into the darkness of the room across the hall.

Magpie slips under the light blanket on her bed and lies on her back, staring at the closet door dimly lit by the crescent moon outside her window.  Where is Scarlet?  How could she be Cerise, who had lived generations ago?  What is the connection and where is she now?  And what happened to Charlotte Carnifex and her family? Where did they go? And Farfalla, who never makes a sound, and goes about her routine by herself every single day, what is her story? Magpie’s thoughts continue swirling as her eyes get heavy…

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we continue our adventure by reading Chapter 11 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where Magpie has a terrifying experience in the night that involves many of the unexplained things she has experienced since moving to Pocket.  Be sure to subscribe, you don’t want to miss a thing!

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.

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.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

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.

Welcome Back! In today’s episode Magpie and Lucas finally get together to explore the secret attic Magpie discovered a few days prior. What secrets are hidden in the previously sealed-off room? Listen on to find out!

Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 8 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

In our last episode, Magpie’s alone time at Mirror Pond turned into a disturbing vision where a mysterious man and his unusual horse seemed to be trapped in a snowstorm.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 8 – The Attic, where Magpie and Lucas finally get together to explore the secret attic Magpie discovered a few days prior.

So get comfortable… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… are you read? Let’s get started...

“I’m home!” calls Magpie, walking in the door and hanging her backpack on the coat rack, leaving her sketchbook with the drawing of the mysterious man and his horse inside. The house remains completely silent.  Magpie, puzzled, walks to the kitchen. There is a note from her mother on the counter:

Magpie,

Ran out of supplies, driving to the city to get refills, they don’t have what I need at Pocket General Store.  Back by dinner time.

Love you!

Mom

A knock at the door makes her jump slightly. She walks through the dining room to the front door. “It’s just me!” says a familiar voice.

“Hi Lucas!  I thought you were coming over this afternoon!” she exclaims, swinging the door open and waving him in.

Lucas looks at her like she’s from outer space.  “Magpie, it’s 2pm,” he says.

“Oh… I must’ve lost track of time while I was sitting by mirror pond” she says, embarrassed.  Her visions have never made her lose track of time like this before; she finds it unnerving. 

“Who’s this?” he asks, noticing the cat sitting on the dining room table.

“This is Scarlet! She appeared at the back door one rainy day and I didn’t have the heart to leave her outside.  She’s very friendly,” answers Magpie, happy to change the subject.

 “That’s odd, I’ve never seen her in the area before.  I’m sure I’d remember, she’s so unique looking.  I wonder where she came from?” he says.

“I don’t know, but she was very thin.  I don’t think she’d eaten for a while,” explains Magpie. 

Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, Lucas excitedly asks, “So, the reason you invited me over today - you said something about a hidden room?  An attic?”

“Yeah!  I couldn’t believe it!” she says before launching into an explanation of how she accidentally discovered the trap door.  “It was so dark, I didn’t really stay in the attic very long.  I figured since you know so much about the town’s history maybe you could help me dig around up there!” she adds, skipping the part about the vision she had of the festivities at Meadow Lane.

“Wow, I can’t wait to check it out!” he says eagerly.  They make their way upstairs, to the back of the closet, through the trap door and up the creaky steps to the attic. Scarlet follows closely, never leaving Magpie out of her sight.

In the daylight, Magpie can see there are actually two round windows, one at each end of the vast, cluttered space.  She and Lucas make their separate ways to opposite ends of the room and clean off the windows to let in more light.  As their eyes adjust to the light, they are amazed by the quantity of belongings left behind by previous owners.

“Look at this mirror, it’s got to weigh two hundred pounds, how did they even get it up here?!” wonders Lucas, staring at a huge antique mirror framed in ornate silver.

Magpie carefully pulls up the corner of a sheet so as not to lift too much dust.  Underneath she sees an antique dresser with handles of coral coloured shell.  She tugs at one of the drawers and, with a little convicing, it slides open.  Inside she sees an antique hairbrush and a silver plaited handheld mirror, the initials ‘C. C.’ ornately engraved on the back.  “I wonder who all these things belonged to,” she says, holding up the personalized mirror for Lucas to see.

“I don’t know, I can’t believe anyone would leave all their furniture up here!”  he says, turning the mirror over in his hand before placing it gently back in the drawer.

Magpie walks over to a small wooden cradle and gives it a gentle nudge with her finger, causing it to swing softly from side to side.  She bends to look at an etching on the side of it and runs her finger over the letters carved into the wood: J-A-M-E-S.  The cradle stops swinging, restored to its decades-long state of immobility as if the interruption caused by Magpie’s touch had never happened.  Magpie turns and takes a few steps further into the immense room, the sound of her shoes echoing on the old floorboards. “Look at all these trunks!  I wonder what’s inside those!” she says excitedly, pointing to stacks of wooden trunks strewn about the attic.

“There’s only one way to find out,” says Lucas, a sparkle in his eye.  

They make their way to the largest trunk in the center of the attic and are about to open it when Scarlet lets out a loud meow. Startled, they turn to see her sitting on a smaller, dark blue trunk in the far corner of the room.

“You want us to open this one first?” kids Magpie. 

“Let’s indulge her,” says Lucas, walking across the dusty floor toward the trunk, “Maybe she knows something we don’t,” he adds with a wink.

Magpie pulls her sleeve over her hand and frees the top of the trunk from a thick, clingy layer of dust.  On its cover, the same initials ‘C. C.’ are carved and filled in with gold paint.  A large, rusty lock looped through the lid of the trunk hangs open.  “Well that’s a stroke of luck!” says Lucas, sliding the lock off the trunk.  “One, two, three!” he says as, together, they gently lift the 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…

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we continue our adventure by reading Chapter 9 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where Magpie and Lucas make a bone-chilling discovery inside the old trunk in the secret attic.

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.

On the last Friday of each month, we pause our reading of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, and instead cover a real-life supernatural, or at the very least, unusual and unexplained, experience.

In today’s episode we recount the story of The Lady in the Window in which our narrator has a psychic vision in what is about to be their new home...

Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear an original song by Cannelle about this experience.

Music: Nightbridge and The Blue Dress by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: The Skylark Bell, Fantome Friday.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

On the last Friday of each month, we will pause our reading of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, and instead cover a real-life supernatural, or at the very least, unusal and unexplained, experience.

In today’s episode we will recount the story of The Lady in the Window. Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode for an original song by Cannelle inspired by this story.

So get settled in, grab a blanket, a warm drink, and let’s get started…

This happened many years ago, in the same house where I sit now, writing this story, the gentle ticking of the clock in the background. 

I had only recently moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota from Montreal, Canada after a whirwind love story in which my husband and I reconnected after many years appart, fell in love, and got married all within a matter of a few months.  Ready to start our lives together, my husband and I had decided to sell his condo in a different neighbourhood, and put an offer on a century-old house in a quiet neighbourhood that I, still being relatively new to the city, didn’t know much about. But with the tree-lined streets, well-manicured gardens, and small shops and restaurants nearby, it seemed like a the kind of neighbourhood that would be perfect for us at this point in our lives. The little house sat on up on hill, it’s long, steep driveway leading back to a spacious (at least by city standards) yard with a huge maple tree.  The house had been built in late 1800’s, it had quirky closets, wide wood trim around the doors and windows and along the rather crooked floors. I loved every part of it, but my favourite thing of all was the old manual doorbell that worked by twisting a knob that would then unwind and make a sharp high-pitched ringing noise.

The person we were buying the house from was an old high school friend of my husband’s whose family was moving out of state for work. They had remodeled certain parts of the house, but kept the original feel throughout. Because they had already moved to their new home, there was no one living in the house while we were in a holding pattern waiting for our closing date to arrive.  With the owners’ permission, we went to the property with our real estate agent to measure windows for blinds and curtains so they would be ready by our move-in date.

On a bright, sunny, very early spring day we met our realtor at the house.  It was exciting to be there knowing it would become our home very soon. We marveled at the size of the yard, still covered in ice and snow from the long Minnesota winter.  Inside, the cozy house felt warm and inviting.  My husband stayed in the living room with our realtor while I went about the first floor as the sun, unobstructed by tree leaves so early in the year, shon joyfully through the many windows.

Finished with the first floor, I decided to head upstairs.  The steps creaked under my feet as I went up. I took a right and worked my way counter-clockwise through the second floor, first measuring the bathroom windows, then the smaller bedroom - which we were planning on turning into an office until, someday, we hoped to turn it into a nursery (spoiler alert, we ended up doing both those things!).  Last of all, I walked into the main bedroom.  The doorway into the room was directly across from the windows, looking out the front of the house toward the street.  It was a lovely view, being slightly up on a hill.  

Out of nowhere, I had a sudden urge to place my hand on the window, palm flat against the cold glass.  As soon as I did that,  an image of a woman came into my head.  She had her hair up in a bun and was wearing a period dress with a high neck and skirt down to the floor, like the photos I had seen of my great-grandmother in the early 1900’s. The woman was standing with her hand on the window looking out at a lake, and I felt a deep sense of sadness and regret wash over me.

I shook my head and stepped back, taking my hand off the glass, instantly breaking the connection, and thought about what had just happened.  This vision made no sense to me because, though there is a lake somewhat nearby, it is blocks away, and certainly cannot be seen from our house. Though I had experienced other unexplained images like this before, I decided to write this episode off as an overactive imagination. I quickly measured the remaining windows, gathered my things, and headed back downstairs, never mentioning what happened to anyone else.

About a week later, we got a call from the homeowner who was in town for a few days. She mentioned we had gotten some mail at our soon-to-be new address and asked if we wanted to swing by to pick it up.  The next day we drove over and stood on the front steps chatting with her.  During our conversation, she casually mentioned that decades ago the lake had a peninsula that jutted out, stretching several blocks to the south.  Our house, up on the hill, would have had a lovely view of that part of the lake, directly across the street, especially from the second floor bedroom window… The homeowner went on to explain that that part of the lake was filled in in the early 1900’s, and a whole neighbourhood of houses was built on the land… To the great regret, I am sure, of the lady in the window.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week as we resume our adventures in Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell. In our previous episode, chapter 7 Magpie had a vision of a man and his unusual horse lost in a snow storm while she was spending some alone time at Mirror Pond. In our next episode we read chapter 8 – The Attic, where Magpie and Lucas finally explore the secret attic at Magpie’s house.  Don’t forget to subscribe, you don’t want miss a thing! And now, an original song by Cannelle inspired by this story, here is The Blue Dress.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 7 – Mystery at Mirror Pond, where some alone time in nature with her sketchbook proves to be anything but relaxing for Magpie!

Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Twitter: @melissaoliveri

Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 7 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  

In our last episode, Magpie accidentally discovered a secret attic that had been sealed up decades before.

In today’s episode we continue our adventure with Chapter 7 – Mystery at Mirror Pond, where some alone time in nature with her sketchbook proves to be anything but relaxing for Magpie!

So get comfortable… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started

Magpie drinks down the last of her orange juice, pushes her sleeves up and gets started on the dishes. Outside the kitchen window she can see the old rail fence and, in the field beyond it, the Starlings’ farm.  Lucas is spending the morning with his grandmother in the neighbouring town, so Magpie has made her own plans.  She stacks the last of the clean plates in the cupboard with a thud and hurries to the hall closet.

“I’m heading to the pond!” she shouts to her mom, struggling to pull on her boots as Scarlet rubs up against her legs, purring loudly with affection.

Mirror Pond sits across from the old farmhouse in the middle of what was once a rock quarry that had long ago been filled in with gravel.  One of Magpie’s favourite discoveries since moving to Pocket is sitting with her journal on the large rock in the middle of the pond and drawing sketches or writing stories as the water gently ripples around her, it helps her clear her mind.

“Boy, you don’t stop for a second!” laughs her mom, walking in from the sunroom and wiping paint off a long, thin paintbrush.  Magpie’s mom is an artist; she paints bright, unusually coloured landscapes.  She’s not famous by any means, but does well enough that the two of them can live comfortably.  She has finally set up her studio in the sunroom and is working on a commissioned piece for the gallery she used to work at in the city.  “I found some great vegetables at the market to grill for dinner, is it a date?” she asks, picking up the cat for a snuggle. 

Magpie nods. Her mom is a great cook and Magpie loves when they have dinner ‘dates’.  They decorate the picnic table, light a few candles, and stay out well into the night chatting and telling stories.  “Can’t wait!” she says, tucking her notebook, sketchbook and pencils into her backpack, “See you later!”

Magpie gently closes the front door behind her, skips down their long driveway and waits for a pickup truck to drive by before crossing the road. She gingerly hops over an old, dilapidated fence and steps through some overgrown grass to get to the edge of the quarry. From there, she scurries excitedly down the stony path to the pond, and muddles across a few feet of water before settling down on the rock with a satisfying thud. She takes a moment to soak in the sound of the water settling after the disruption she caused wading through it to the rock nearby, a small turtle slowly makes its way onto a fallen log and turns its face up to the sun.  It’s a perfect day for sketching, the still water reflects the feathery white clouds strewn across the sky while the sunlight filters through the leaves and flowers, giving them a surreal glow.

Magpie pulls a shiny red apple out of her pocket and takes a large bite before grabbing her pencil.  She chews slowly, deep in thought, as she starts drawing outlines of the scene before her:  The stones in the quarry, faraway hills, tall grass in the field, the mound of raspberry bushes where the foxes like to burrow, the shadows cast by the sparse trees and bushes and, barely visible in the distance, the roof of the house on Meadow Lane.  For a moment she thinks of what she saw in her vision the night before, when Meadow Lane was all lit up with a roaring fire in the fireplace, music, and people dancing… but she pushes the thought to the back of her mind.  Magpie concentrates on her sketch, relishing the sound of the pencil moving across the paper, bringing the blank page to life.

Lost in her drawing, Magpie barely notices as her mind is slowly overcome by the image of a man on a large black horse, its long white mane and tail flowing toward the ground. The man, dressed in layers of thick dark clothes, is expertly guiding the striking, unusual-looking animal through mounds of snow as the wind whips up a swirl of snowflakes around them.  Dark curls make their way rebelliously out from under the man’s cap as his eyes squint against the winter storm, like he is looking for something, or trying to find his way. The sky and everything around him is a flurry of white, it’s impossible to tell where he is, or which direction he is going. His exhausted, worried face looks vaguely familiar to Magpie, but she can’t quite put her finger on it.  Both horse and man are bracing themselves against a tremendous gust of wind when the man’s scarf unravels and blows onto the horse’s face.  Terrified, the massive animal rears several times and the man is thrown from its back. Magpie winces as the man’s body crashes to the ground.  The horse gallops off and the man is left laying in the snow, immobile, as the wind swirls around him.

A large frog hopping into the pond startles Magpie out of her vision.  The ripples in the water distort the reflection of the sky as the warm summer breeze blows the cattails on the pond.  “Here we go again,” she whispers to herself, hastily flipping to a blank page in her notebook. She starts sketching; snow drifts, large black hooves, a flowing mane and tail, leather boots worn by a mysterious man, his dark, curly hair blowing in the wind…  She has no idea how long she has been sitting there, feverishly drawing, before she holds up the completed sketch; it is surprisingly accurate.  She shudders, recalling how the man’s body hit the ground when he was thrown off his gigantic horse. She takes one last look at her sketch before packing up her things and heading home, the cold winter snowstorm from her vision giving her goosebumps despite the warm summer sun.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for our second Fantome Friday – where we will hear the unsettling true story of The Lady in the Window!  – Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing! 

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.