The Skylark Bell

In today’s episode we read Chapter 30 – Crash - in which Magpie finds herself involved in a situation she had a psychic vision of years prior.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

Official Merch Shops: http://www.melissaoliveri.com/store

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Shittin' Bricks: https://linktr.ee/shittinbricks

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 30 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Magpie and Lucas tried to set their timelines straight by sending Magpie back to warn him not to step under the arch.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 30 – Crash - in which Magpie finds herself involved in a situation she had a vision of years prior.

Be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a preview of a podcast I quite enjoy called Shittin’ Bricks – Hosts Dom and Kate are quite talented at balancing scaring people and making them laugh.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

Magpie stands perfectly still, her eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the wave of nausea and dizziness to pass. She finally finds the courage to open her eyes and uses the light from the small sliver of moon in the sky to try and get her bearings. She is standing by the side of a desolate country road. Nothing around her looks familiar. Magpie shivers and realizes it is quite cold, and an icy drizzle has started falling from the sky. The quiet surrounding her is unnerving, the only sound being that of the freezing rain hitting the pavement and the wind blowing a few dead leaves around on the ground. “It must be late fall,” she thinks, noting that the trees are bare of any leaves and the grass in the field behind her is dry.

Magpie is pondering which direction she should start walking when she sees a pair of headlights coming around a bend in the road to her left. Judging by the position of the car on the road she is not in Scotland, where they would be driving on the opposite side. Magpie suddenly realizes the car is driving much faster than it should be. “Slow down,” she whispers to herself, “you’re going too fa-“ her breath catches in her throat, cutting off the end of her sentence, as the car hits a patch of ice and swerves back and forth. “No, no, no, no!” she shouts as the car flips over. She watches in slow motion as it goes barreling down the ditch by the side of the road. Magpie instinctively starts racing toward the car, paying no mind to her own safety. As she is running, a thought crosses her mind. An impossible thought. By the time she reaches the car, the reality of what is happening, where she is, and when she is, is abundantly clear.

Magpie wastes no time making her way to the back window of the overturned car. She stretches her leg back and kicks the window as hard as she can with the heel of her boot, the glass instantly folding into thousand little pieces. She pushes the glass into the car before peering in. There he is. The small boy with the black curly hair. “Lucas!” she says, clapping her hands, but the boy remains unresponsive. She reaches in and grabs him by the arm, awkwardly prying him up enough to get a hold of his torso so she can lift him through the hole where the window was, and out of the car.

Magpie lays the boy gently in the grass several paces away and walks grimly back to the wreckage. She already knows what she will find, but she feels it is her duty to at least try. One look at the front seat of the car tells her all she needs to know; the driver and passenger did not survive. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, a stark contrast to the cold rain falling from the sky. She takes a moment to compose herself, then walks back to the boy and pulls him onto her lap. “It was never Farfalla with you the night your parents died, Lucas. It was me,” she says, stroking his hair. “I’m old enough to be his grandmother,” she thinks with a bitter laugh. 

Magpie has no idea how much time has lapsed when she suddenly hears sirens in the distance. Realizing she cannot explain her presence there, and not wanting to be asked questions she doesn’t have answers for, she stands up to leave. Just then the small boy moans and stirs. 

Biting her lip while trying to decide the best course of action, Magpie turns him so he’s facing away from the wreckage and stands behind him, holding his shoulders. “Everything is going to be okay,” she whispers, leaning down close to his ear, “Don’t be afraid.” They stand together as the sound of the sirens grows closer. Finally, Magpie sees the headlights up ahead and knows she needs to leave. “These people are here to help you, you stay right here and wait for them, okay?” she says. The boy nods, his eyes fixed on the headlights coming toward them. “Goodbye, Lucas,” she says, giving his shoulders one last squeeze before retreating to the tall grass in the field behind them. 

Chilled to the bone, Magpie cuts through the field toward a nearby farmhouse, using its porch light as a beacon to warmth and safety. She is greeted by a kind couple who take her in for the night, giving her hot soup and warm bread. She tells them she was riding her horse nearby when she fell off and got turned around. They promise to take her back to Pocket in the morning.

The following day, the couple drive her back to town as promised. She asks to be dropped off at the old farmhouse that she and her mother would move into in about a decade. She waves at them from the front porch, thankful that the current residents don’t appear to be home, then walks back to the road that leads to town. “Lucas said he thought the Oak tree in front of Meadow Lane is what brought him back,” she mumbles to herself, her words drowned out by the sound of the gravel crunching beneath her feet. She stops briefly at the bottom of Lucas’ driveway. The letters that spell out “Starling” on the mailbox are bright and fresh, having ten fewer years of being out in the elements than when she first saw them. Magpie glances up at the house, a tightness forming in her stomach at the thought of seeing Grandma Gemma again. All she has to do is walk up the driveway and knock on the door. Magpie stands immobile, hesitating. What would she say? How could she possibly explain who she is and her connection to the Starlings? No, it just doesn’t make sense, and it would only break her heart to see Gemma again after all these years. 

Magpie shakes her head and turns toward Meadow Lane. She sees the large oak tree in the front field. The tree looks like an hourglass that someone has flipped. The branches that spread from the top of the trunk, void of any leaves, look like roots reaching toward the sky. 

Magpie takes a decisive step onto the lane, and is instantly surrounded by thick, oppressive silence. “I’ve done this before, I can do it again,” she thinks to herself. She walks with purpose toward the Oak tree, and stands under it, looking up through the branches at a passing cloud. Taking a deep, silent breath, Magpie circles the tree with her arms. “Please, please, please take me home to Lucas,” she thinks. But nothing happens. Magpie feels a sense of dread wash over her as she recalls Lucas saying that when he traveled from 1925 to her present day, he heard the Skylark Bell ring, and the same haunting tune that Magpie herself had heard as she stood under the arch. Hoping to avoid having to collect the Skylark Bell from the house, Magpie squeezes her eyes shut and starts humming. In one of the second-story windows of the house at Meadow Lane, a woman watches her, and starts humming along. No sound comes out of the woman’s mouth, but Magpie can hear the song in her head. Magpie, oblivious to the mysterious woman’s presence, keeps humming the tune. Out of nowhere she feels the faintest movement in the air, it blows a strand of hair across her face. Encouraged, Magpie opens her mouth and starts actually singing “Fallalala Lalalalala…” again, hearing the song only in her mind. Suddenly, the familiar wave of movement, sound, nausea, and dizziness hits her, and she feels her mind separate from her body as it floats up through the branches of the oak tree toward the sky. 

In the second story window of the house at Meadow Lane, the woman watches as Magpie disappears. The woman smiles, before also vanishing into thin air.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 31, Dealan-de, where Lucas has a terrifying encounter with the mysterious woman that has been flitting in and out of his and Magpie’s lives for years.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating or a review, they’re both greatly appreciated. You can also support my work through a donation via my podcast provider or by subscribing to my Patreon page. There you will get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, writing. You can now also find The Skylark Bell merchandisem including tee shirts, postes, mugs, stickers, and more! Just visit my website, theskylarkbell.com, and click on the “shop” tab. All links are also available in the show notes for this and other episodes.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Shittin’ Bricks. Kate and Dominic are fantastic hosts who take a deep look at things that bring people fear. If you enjoy the supernatural atmosphere of The Skylark Bell you’ll want to check them out. 

Once again, thank you for listening. I am Melissa Oliveri, creator and host of  The Skylark Bell podcast.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 29 – Next Steps - in which Magpie and Lucas try to find a way out of the tangled strings of time and space.

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

Merch: http://www.melissaoliveri.com/store

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Haunted UK: https://www.instagram.com/hauntedukpodcast/

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 29 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Lucas returned to Carnifex House, but had jumped 25 years ahead and found Magpie to be nearly twice his age.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 29 – Next Steps - in which Magpie and Lucas try to find a way out of the tangled strings of time and space.

Be sure to listen through to the end of this episode for a preview of a paranormal podcast I quite enjoy called Haunted UK.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

Magpie hears Lucas walking around upstairs and pours a ladle full of batter onto the hot griddle. She focuses on the sizzling sound as the pancake starts to bubble, then expertly flips it over.

“It smells amazing in here! What are you making?” asks Lucas, walking into the kitchen.

“A Grandma Gemma classic,” says Magpie, setting a plate of blackberry chocolate chip pancakes on the table and motioning for him to take a seat. Lucas sits down, taking in the sweet fragrance which instantly brings back memories of his Grandmother. 

Magpie puts some pancakes on a plate for herself and joins him at the table. They make small talk for a few minutes, then let a long silence hang between them before Magpie finally starts the conversation they had decided to put off until this morning.

“Tell me what happened when you disappeared,” she says simply.

Lucas takes a deep breath before launching into the story. He begins with the small shop behind the Bakery where he found an exact replica of the Skylark Bell. Then he explains how he and Cormorant encountered the red deer on the road and followed it into the woods. He tells her about walking through the arch over the path and hearing the woman’s voice, then how he and Cormorant suddenly found themselves at Meadow Lane. 

“We went across the road to your old farmhouse where I collapsed. When I came to, I was being cared for by none other than Charlotte and Edward Carnifex!”

At this Magpie’s eyes grow wide. “What were they like?!” she asks, enthralled.

“They are the most amazing, kind-hearted people,” he replies. “I even got to meet Cerise!” he adds, a twinkle in his eye. 

At this Magpie’s mouth breaks into a grin. “How amazing is that?!” she says, sitting back in her chair.

Lucas goes on to explain how he connected with the Shearwater family and eventually met Farfalla. He tries to be mindful of Magpie’s feelings in navigating the story of how he and Farfalla fell in love and eventually got engaged. “Then the winter of 1925 came around, and it was terrible Magpie, far worse than anything we read in those books at the library. It was absolutely devastating…” he lets the sentence trail off. Magpie doesn’t pry, she can clearly see the pain and trauma on his face. “On the last day I went out to look for firewood, but the blizzard blew in and I got lost. I was trying to make my way back to Meadow Lane and I saw you, Magpie, sitting on a rock at Mirror Pond! That’s when Cormorant got spooked and I fell off. Then this older man came out of nowhere and was trying to help me. I lost consciousness, and when I came to, I was leaning against the big oak tree in front of Meadow Lane. I could hear the Skylark Bell ringing and Farfalla singing from the upstairs bedroom. The singing got louder and louder, and next thing I know I’m waking up in our living room here thinking the entire thing was a dream,” he ends, slapping his hands against his thighs.

Magpie takes a moment to assimilate all this information.

“What about you, what has your life been like all these years?” he asks after giving her a little time to soak everything in.

Magpie bites her lip and looks up at him. For Lucas it has only been a few years since they were together last, for her it has been decades.

“When you disappeared, I enlisted Manon and Alfred to help me look for you. They got everyone in town to help. They checked the fields, the beach, the buildings in town, the roads… there was no trace of you anywhere. Finally, Manon told me the stories, the ones people in town refer to as The Vanishings.” She launches into the story of Julien’s childhood friend, then tells him about the little girl and her brother. She tells him about the druids and Dealan-dè, and how the people of Pòcaid refuse to set foot in the forest.

“Over time, I got accustomed to living here. I couldn’t imagine moving back to Pocket without you. I never stopped wishing that you would come home,” she says, grabbing both his hands in hers before continuing. “About a year after you disappeared Julien Sarcelle moved back to Pòcaid to take over for his parents. He and I worked closely together, and we eventually developed feelings for each other. After a few years we were married, right here in the back yard. He cared for and farmed the land, I wrote a few books, they were deemed fiction but there was probably more truth to them than I would care to admit,” she says, smiling. “Then one night, after nearly 20 years of marriage, I got a phone call from a police station on the mainland.” She continues, the smiling fading from her face, “Julien had gone to visit his parents and was on his way home his car went off the road. The presumption is that he fell asleep.” Tears well up in Magpie’s eyes.

“Magpie, I’m so sorry,” says Lucas, his heart breaking for her.

“Manon and Alfred never really recovered. Alfred took ill shortly thereafter and eventually passed away, then Manon passed just a few years ago.” She says, leaning back in her chair. 

They sit in silence before Magpie resumes, squeezing his hand for emphasis, “I have had a good life, Lucas, with many years of happiness. I want the same for you. I want you to find love, and live a full, beautiful life.”

Lucas frowns at her, shaking his head. “No, no, Magpie, I love you! You and I, we were just getting started! That night that I disappeared, remember we were going to have a nice dinner out on the patio? I was going to propose to you that night. I had the feather ring with me, I was going to give it to you…” he lets the thought trail off.

Magpie smiles a sad smile, “That isn’t possible anymore, that time has passed. Not for you, but for me,” she says. They sit, speechless, for a long time, pondering the cruel reality of the situation.

Suddenly, Lucas has a thought. “Bear with me,” he says, holding both his hands up in a gesture of surrender, “what if I never went for a ride with Cormorant that day?”

Magpie looks at him, confused. “What do you mean?” she asks.

“Well, now we know a little more about what’s involved with the mechanics of time traveling, right?” he begins, “what if you and I find that arch in the woods, and one of us goes back and stops me from going for that ride somehow? It could change everything! What have we got to lose?”

Magpie ponders for a moment. Everyone she has ever been close to is gone; Gemma, Manon, Alfred, even her mother, who is living out her days at the care home in Brighthaven, her memory having begun to fail nearly a decade ago. It was a rapid decline, and it has been years since she last recognized Magpie. Magpie still goes to visit once a year, but she has already processed the loss of the mother she once knew. Lucas’ idea is a crazy one, but what if it works? What if they could go back and live the life they had always dreamed of? What if she could go back and see everyone’s smiling faces again? Hold them? Tell them she loves them? Magpie sits perfectly still, letting the thoughts swirl around in her mind before looking back up at Lucas. “Okay,” she says.

“Okay? Yeah?!” he asks, not daring to believe he has heard her correctly.  Magpie nods. Lucas jumps to his feet and shouts, “Let’s go!”

“Wait,” she says, grabbing his shoulders to slow him down, “we need to do a little planning first, in case this doesn’t go as planned. I will be the one to travel. I have lived a good portion of my life already; you are still young and have decades ahead of you. I will make arrangements so you can stay on at Carnifex House for as long as need be if this doesn’t work.”

“It’s going to work,” he says, “It has to.”

It takes a few weeks for Magpie to tie up loose ends. She makes arrangements for Lucas to carry on at Carnifex House and speaks to the lovely couple who run the Brighthaven care home to ensure that her mother will be well cared for in the coming years. 

At long last, the big day arrives, and she and Lucas set off toward the forest. It is like old times, they are both wearing their rubber boots, walking across the fields, though Magpie walks more slowly than she did when they were younger. She clutches the satchel in which she’s packed some extra clothes, a few snacks, and her sketchbook. 

They finally reach the edge of the forest and Magpie has a moment of hesitation, the fear of the unknown starting to take over her mind. She looks at Lucas, his black curls blowing in the wind. What if this doesn’t work? What if they never see each other again, after all this time apart? She is about to voice her concern when a sound beyond the tree line catches their attention.

“Look!” says Lucas, pointing into the forest. Magpie takes a few steps into the forest and sees a large red deer standing behind an oak tree. It lifts its head up and stares at them for a moment before disappearing into the shadows beyond. “Let’s do this,” says Lucas, taking her hand. 

It feels like they’ve been wandering for hours when Magpie finally picks up a faint tinkling sound on the breeze. “Do you hear that?” she asks Lucas. 

He nods and holds a finger up to his lips, leaning to try and figure out which direction the sound is coming from. “This way,” he whispers, pulling Magpie toward the right. They follow an overgrown, winding path for several more minutes and finally come to a partial clearing within the forest.

Magpie gasps in wonder when she sees the arch, soaring over the path like a rainbow, “like a gateway,” she thinks. She runs her eyes over the branches, Oak by the look of it, and vines that make up the arch. She notes the trinkets dangling from the ropes and ribbons tied to the top of it. They are gently clashing against each other, creating a quiet but cacophonous symphony. “How does it work?” she asks timidly, turning toward Lucas.

“I’m not entirely sure,” replies Lucas. “I just sort of walked through it. As I went under, I started hearing the singing.”

Magpie turns to him and takes his face in her hands, looking deeply into his eyes. “Whatever happens next, always remember that I love you with all my heart,” she says, a single tear drifting down her cheek.

Lucas nods, “I love you too,” he says, “and I’ll see you very soon.” They embrace for a long moment before Magpie steps back and starts walking toward the arch, her head held high. She looks back toward Lucas one last time, then takes a final step so she is standing directly under the hanging trinkets. She braces herself, unsure what to expect, but nothing happens. Magpie starts to feel a little silly for being so apprehensive. A sudden gust of wind activates the collection of bells, cutlery, and chimes hanging above her head. Somehow their volume seems to have increased tenfold. A melody starts forming in Magpie’s head, and she finds herself humming along. “Fallalala Lalalalala…” she sings. Magpie feels herself getting a little dizzy and closes her eyes. The singing echoes around her, it’s sound lifting through the empty space between the trees up to the sky. She feels a strange sensation, like she is floating outside her body, following the sound up to the sky…

Lucas watches from a few paces back, his eyes fixed on Magpie as she takes a final step under the arch. He sees the trinkets start swinging back and forth and Magpie’s hair blown by an invisible wind that he can’t feel. He watches as Magpie’s body starts moving, like she is swaying to music, perhaps even singing, but he doesn’t hear anything. Suddenly he feels an intense pressure building, like a terrible storm is rolling in. Lucas puts his hands up to his throbbing head and squeezes his eyes shut. An interminable moment later everything goes back to normal, and he can once again hear the birds in the surrounding trees. Lucas takes his hands away from his face and opens his eyes. 

The path beneath the arch is empty. 

Magpie is gone.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 30, Crash, where Magpie finds herself involved in a situation she had a vision of years prior.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts, they help give the podcast visibility so others can find and enjoy the story. You can also support my work by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, behind the scenes videos and more! Just check the show notes for links to Patreon, my website, and social media accounts.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Haunted UK that covers a variety of Unexplained and Paranormal Events. If you enjoy the supernatural atmosphere of The Skylark Bell you’ll want to check them out. 

Once again, thank you for listening – I’m Melissa Oliveri, writer, host and producer of The Skylark Bell Podcast. 

In today’s episode we read Chapter 28 – All that Could have Been - in which Lucas once again finds himself transported, this time back to Carnifex House, but his feeling of relief is short lived

The Skylark Bell is Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

Merch: http://www.melissaoliveri.com/store

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is The Activity Continues: https://linkin.bio/theactivitycontinues

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 28 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Lucas got lost in the terrible snow storm of 1925, and despite a mysterious man attempting to come to his rescue, he never made it back to Meadow Lane.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 28 – All that Could have Been - in which Lucas once again finds himself transported, this time back to Carnifex House, but his feeling of relief is short lived

Be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a preciew of a paranormal podcast I quite enjoy called The Activity Continues.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

Lucas can feel the warmth of the sun on his face. “I made it,” he thinks, a smile slowly growing. He opens his eyes and slowly looks around. His brow furrows as he recognizes the living room at Carnifex House. Realizing he is laying on the couch, he heaves a sigh of relief and starts laughing uncontrollably. “Magpie?!” he shouts, trying to kick off the tangle of blankets covering his legs. “Magpie, you won’t believe the dream I had!” he shouts again. He hears footsteps coming slowly from the kitchen and sees Magpie’s silhouette in the doorway to the dining room. “It was so crazy; I had a dream that I was Marius Corbeau! Can you believe it?!” he says, still laughing.

The figure in the doorway stands motionless. “Magpie? Are you okay?” he asks, the laughter subsiding and giving way to an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Lucas struggles to sit up, a wave of nausea and dizziness instantly hitting him. He lays back down and takes a few deep breaths.

“Oh Lucas,” comes Magpie’s voice from the doorway, “that was no dream,” she says, walking into the room. Lucas turns to look toward her and feels a wave of shock wash through him. 

The woman standing next to the couch is definitely Magpie, of that he has no doubt, but her fiery red hair is now streaked with silver, and gentle lines crease the corners of her eyes and mouth.

“What… what’s going on? I don’t understand…” he says, closing his eyes tightly, hoping perhaps this is the dream, and that he’ll wake up at Meadow Lane after all.

Magpie sits next down on the floor next to the couch and runs her finger along his cheek. “Lucas, you’ve been gone for 30 years,” she says, the words catching in her throat.

Lucas opens his eyes and turns his head to look at her, his heart suddenly pounding so hard he can hear it echo in his head. Tears are streaming down Magpie’s cheeks, and he reaches his hand up to wipe them away. 

“I don’t understand. I don’t… how?” he says, fighting off the urge to shout.

“It’s a long story, and I promise I will tell you everything I know,” she replies, her mouth taking on a sad smile, “but right now you need to rest. I’ll go put the kettle on and make you a sandwich,” she says, getting up off the floor.

Magpie walks back to the kitchen, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts. Is it possible? Has he time-traveled again, this time to the future? Is this what happened to Marius Corbeau when he disappeared from Pocket in 1925? 

Magpie comes back with a cup of steaming hot tea and a tomato sandwich nestled on a plate. Lucas smiles at her, “I remember when Manon made us those sandwiches on our first day here!” he says, sitting up and graciously accepting the plate Magpie is handing him. 

A look of nostalgia washes over Magpie’s face. “Gosh, that was decades ago, I haven’t thought about it in years! I miss Manon and Alfred,” she says quietly.

“Have they retired in the south of France?” he asks, putting the sandwich down to take a careful sip of steaming hot tea. 

Magpie looks at him for a long moment. “They both passed away years ago… as did your grandmother, Gemma,” she says, delivering the news as gently as she can.

The reality of the situation hits Lucas like a ton of bricks and sends him reeling. He and Magpie have lived completely different timelines. He is still 25 years old, and she is now twice his age. She takes his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. He looks down at her hand and sees how time has worn it, the folds of her skin more prominent, and finally the tears come, and he does nothing to stop them. What a cruel twist of fate this is, not only to take him away from Farfalla after he had finally accepted that he would never see Magpie again, but to bring him back to Magpie, to his first love, only to have the life they had dreamed of be a complete impossibility. 

Lucas makes space for the grief he is feeling, then takes a moment to regroup. Suddenly a thought crosses his mind. “Are you married?” he asks, afraid of what she will say.

Magpie looks down at the ground with an almost imperceptible nod. She heaves a sigh and looks back up at him. “Yes, I did get married. My husband’s name was Julien, he was Manon and Alfred’s son. We lived together here at Carnifex House for many happy years,” she says.

“Where is he now?” asks Lucas.

“He passed away too,” she says quietly, the pain of the loss clearly visible on her face, “it was an accident. We never had children, and I never remarried,” she adds, sparing him the heartache of having to ask.

“Magpie, you’re completely alone here!” he says, his heart aching for her.

“Not anymore,” she replies, giving his hand a squeeze that sends his heart soaring.

They take a moment to catch their breath, and Lucas finishes his food. “I think I can stand up now,” he says, tossing the blankets to the side and swinging his legs off the couch. Magpie holds his arm as he stands. He takes a moment to make sure he doesn’t feel faint or dizzy, then takes a tentative step into the room. “All systems go,” he says, smiling at her. Finally, he takes the time to look around the room. Some of the furniture has changed, and the paint colour is different, but overall, it still feels like home.

He shuffles over to the fireplace and looks at the photos on the mantle. He sees a photo from Magpie’s wedding with Mrs. Phaeton, Manon, and Alfred standing proudly next to the happy couple, Magpie looking radiant in her wedding dress. He feels a pang of regret deep within his heart. “That should have been me,” he thinks, a lump forming in his throat. Next to the wedding photo are photos of Mrs. Phaeton, the Sarcelles, and the house at Meadow Lane with a sign above the door that reads “The Lark & Bell Artist’s Retreat”. Next to it is a photo of Lucas himself, standing in the field next to Cormorant. He remembers that photo was taken only a few weeks before the fateful ride that sent him back a century. 

The last photo on the mantle hits Lucas in the gut. It is the old photo that Magpie had found at Meadow Lane the day she rang the Skylark Bell. It had been sitting on the mantle there, and she had brought it home to Grandma Gemma’s for everyone to see. It was a photo of Lucas, as Marius, and Farfalla standing next to each other. A photo that was taken only a few weeks ago in Lucas’ world. With a shaking hand he takes the photo from the mantle and brings it back to the couch. Magpie comes over and sits next to him. 

“What was she like?” she asks, running her finger along the edge of the frame. 

“She was wonderful,” he says, “she reminded me of you.”

“Did you love her?” she asks.

“I loved her, but not like I loved you,” he says after a long pause. 

Magpie nods quietly, she knows exactly what he means.

They sit in silence, a silence deeper than the one that hovered over Meadow Lane when they first met, and look into one another’s eyes. A world of meaning passes between them, the unspoken words hanging in the air, all that could have been…

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 29, Next Steps, where Magpie and Lucas try to find a way out of the tangled strings of time and space.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts, they help give the podcast visibility so others can find and enjoy the story. You can also support my work by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, behind the scenes videos and more! Just check the show notes for links to Patreon, my website, and social media accounts.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called The Activity Continues. Amy and Megan are fantastic hosts who discuss episodes of paranormal television show The Dead Files. If you enjoy the supernatural atmosphere of The Skylark Bell you’ll want to check them out.

Once again, thank you for listening – I’m Melissa Oliveri, writer, host and producer of The Skylark Bell Podcast.  

In today’s episode we read Wingspan Chapter 27, Mirror Pond - in which Lucas experiences the terrible winter of 1925 and Marius Corbeau's mysterious fate, first hand.

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

Merch: http://www.melissaoliveri.com/store

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Spilling The Crime: https://linktr.ee/spillingthecrime

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 27 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Magpie and Julien get engaged during a holiday celebration with the Sarcelles at Carnifex House.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 27 – Mirror Pond - in which Lucas experiences the terrible winter of 1925 first hand.

Be sure to listen through to the end of this episode for a preview of a podcast I quite enjoy called Spilling the Crime. 

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

The terrible winter of 1925 has arrived. Shortly after the New Year’s celebrations, weeks of frigid temperatures and relentless snow falls started taking their toll. Lucas remembers reading about it in Charlotte’s letters and in the books and newspapers at the library, but never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d be living it. 

He is there when Charlotte and Edward pack up their house. He helps Edward and James carry their belongings to the attic. It takes the strength of all three of them to haul the silver-framed mirror that had once been the centerpiece of the dining room up two flights of stairs. He is there when Cerise disappears, leaving Charlotte devastated. He watches as she tearfully tucks the photo of James and Cerise into the lid of the trunk, the photo that he had once held in his hand, the photo that his younger self would find 90 years from now. Once everything is safely tucked away, he helps them wall off the staircase and build the closet in what would eventually become Magpie’s room. He helps them pack their cart and watches with a heavy heart as they disappear down the road, travelling toward a future that is uncertain for them, but for which he already knows the outcome.

Lucas hears about a man’s tragic passing in a fire at a nearby farm, and his heart aches. He remembers reading about the incident while he and Magpie were doing research at the library, he remembers sitting in the man’s abandoned barn with Magpie, the ruins of the farmhouse just a few yards away. But back then he didn’t know the man, he had no connection to him. Things are different now. The man’s name was Earl. He was a lovely, very hard-working man who was proud of his family. He was a wonderful father to his children, teaching them, entertaining them, caring for them. He and Lucas had worked side by side rebuilding the bunting’s shed after the wind blew it down. History records events, it records people’s accomplishments, but it doesn’t record who people are, who they were, not in the most meaningful way. Articles about the tragedy didn’t say “He carried his daughter up on his shoulders so she could reach to brightest, shiniest apple in the tree,” Lucas thinks sadly.

With the Carnifex family gone, the Shearwaters have invited Lucas to stay with them at Meadow Lane. He and Farfalla announced their engagement over the holidays, to everyone’s delight. It was the happiest Lucas had been in a long time, until the cold and snow removed all joy from the town of Pocket. The apple trees in the orchard were chopped down for firewood as the residents of Pocket became more and more desperate to stay warm. One of the last trees standing is the large oak that stands in front of Meadow Lane. Farfalla had desperately begged her father to preserve it, arguing that birds and animals were nesting in it and she couldn’t bear the thought of chopping it down. Finally, Lucas had offered to go out to find more wood and Mr. Shearwater had relented.

Lucas has spent the last few days riding through the fields with Cormorant, searching for any kind of tree the Shearwaters can use for firewood. They have been using what little reserves they have left sparingly, but the pile of wood is dwindling, with no sign of the bitter cold letting up. His first few excursions had been somewhat successful, he’d found some saplings that would tide them over for a few days. Today he has traveled farther than any other outing, but a blizzard blows in as he is making his way home, drastically reducing visibility. Lucas squints his eyes against the howling wind and nudges Cormorant in the general direction of Meadow Lane. They slowly plough through mounds of snow, the wind never relinquishing its hold on the air. Lucas can feel thoughts of Marius’ untimely end creeping into his mind but pushes them away, he needs to focus on getting home to Farfalla. 

Suddenly, Lucas sees a flash of colour up ahead. He squints, leaning forward in the saddle to get a better look. He sees a girl sitting on a large rock. “Magpie?!” he says, his words carried away on the wind. Lucas reaches up to try and pull his scarf from his face so he can see better, but a gust of wind blows it out of his hand and onto Cormorant’s face. The huge animal rears up in fear, throwing Lucas off its back. Lucas lands with a thud, the frozen ground instantly knocking the wind out of him. He can hear the sound of Cormorant galloping away, and takes a moment to catch his breath and think about what to do next. He thinks about the stories he and Magpie heard about Marius, how he disappeared in a snowstorm by Mirror Pond. If he is at Mirror Pond, then he isn’t all that far away from Meadow Lane! If he can get up, he just might make it. 

Lucas turns onto his stomach and lifts himself up on all fours then waits a moment to make sure his arms and legs are unhurt. Suddenly, his hands slip out from under him, brushing away the snow on the surface of the pond and sending Lucas’ face crashing against the ice. Out of nowhere he hears a man’s voice. Lucas strains to make out the words. He senses movement nearby and rolls over onto his back to get a better view. An older man is leaning over him, a pleading look on his face. “Take me with you!” he says, “Please, you have to take me with you.” Lucas sees his bright white snowy surroundings fade to black as he loses consciousness. 

The man springs into action, groaning as he picks Lucas up off the ground and carries him as best he can toward the house at Meadow Lane. He finally reaches the front yard and leans Lucas up against the trunk of the oak tree on the front lawn. “I’m going to get help, I’ll be right back,” says the man to a still unconscious Lucas, before racing toward the Starling farm across the road. A few moments later Lucas can feel himself slowly coming around. He keeps his eyes closed and wraps his arms around himself to fend off the bitter cold. On the wind he can hear the tinkling of a bell, he recognizes the sound of the Skylark Bell. “I must be near Meadow Lane!” he thinks, his eyes popping open. The world before him is washed in white. He can feel the trunk of the oak tree behind him and realizes the house is only a few yards behind. He props himself up against the tree and turns around. In the upstairs window of the house, he can see Farfalla dancing in front of her vanity mirror, her mouth moving like she is singing. He strains to hear, a very faint tune carrying on the wind, a tune that sounds vaguely familiar. Something about it sends a chill down Lucas’ spine, a chill far worse than the burning cold of the blizzard. Lucas closes his eyes, and the singing gradually gets louder. He has no doubt about where he has heard it before. That surreal voice singing that mystical tune. He first heard it in the forest near Carnifex house, an ocean and a century away. Lucas feels dizzy and disoriented, and the sensation of his body and mind separating, floating away on the sound waves.

The old man makes his way back to the oak tree. “I don’t understand,” he says in shock, realizing that Lucas is gone. “He was right here!”

The old man looks devastated as his shoulders slump in resignation. He knows Marius never made it back to Meadow Lane, he read about it years ago.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 28, All That Could Have Been, where Lucas once again finds himself transported, this time back to Carnifex House, but his feeling of relief is short lived.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating or a review, they’re both greatly appreciated. You can also support my work through a donation via my podcast provider or by subscribing to my Patreon page. There you will get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, writing, and I have some fun snail mail gifts for Patreon subscribers coming in the near future!! Check the show notes for links.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Spilling the Crime. Listen to this true crime podcast with hilarious and lively hosts. If you enjoy a good laugh with your dose of the unexplained and mysterious be sure to listen to Spilling the Crime.

Once again, thank you for listening. I am Melissa Oliveri, creator and host of  The Skylark Bell podcast.      

In today’s episode we read Chapter 26 – Happy Holidays - in which Magpie celebrates the season with the Sarcelles and is in for a heartwarming surprise, but not before an unsettling experience threatens to put a damper on the festivities!

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

Merch: http://www.melissaoliveri.com/store

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Paranormal Exposed: https://rss.com/podcasts/paranormalexposed

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 26 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Lucas proposed to Farfalla in the apple orchard behind Meadow Lane.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 26 – Happy Holidays - in which Magpie celebrates the season with the Sarcelles and is in for a heartwarming surprise

Be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a preview of a podcast I quite enjoy called Paranormal Exposed.

Also of note, you can now find The Skylark Bell custom merchandise! Everything from clothing, to mugs, notebooks, postcards, stickers, magnets and more! Just visit my website, melissaoliveri.com/store  - The link is also available in the shownotes for this episode. 

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

“Brrr, it’s freezing out there!” says Julien, pulling off his boots by the front door.

“Well, it’s nice and warm in here,” counters Magie, smiling at him from one of the chairs by the fireplace. 

Julien walks to the fireplace and stretches his hands out in front of the flames. “Have you spoken to your mom today?” he asks.

“Yes, we wished each other happy holidays. She’s planning on celebrating at Meadow Lane, her current guests are repeat customers and they’ve become quite good friends,” she answers. In the months since Magpie’s return to Scotland she has struggled with leaving her mother behind in Pocket, but recently has come to terms with the fact that her mother has built a life there, and is happy.

“My mom and dad are very excited to be celebrating with us,” says Julien, turning toward Magpie. “I’m so excited, I can hardly handle it,” he adds, a boyish grin on his face.

“Once you thaw out, we can decorate the tree,” she says, looking at the bare tree that Alfred had surprised them with the day before, “then I’ll get started on the cookies,” she says, his contagious childlike excitement infecting her.

“Oh, I’m all warmed up,” he says, clapping his hands, “let’s do it!”

They head up to the attic to the decorations stored there, then manoeuvre the stairs awkwardly, their arms loaded with boxes. 

“I’m excited to see what’s in here!” says Magpie. Some of the boxes look quite old and appear to contain things that may have belonged to the original Carnifex family. Magpie opens the first box and finds loads of vintage glass ornaments in all different shapes and colours carefully stored in their original packaging. 

“Fantastique!” says Julien, “I love that mid-century modern style!”

“Why don’t you put these on the tree, and I’ll open the next box,” says Magpie. 

The next two boxes contain more glass ornaments, followed by a box with some small wooden ornaments painted in bright colours. Together they go through boxes of lights and garland, which they string along the beams on the ceiling and across the fireplace mantle.

“The house looks great!” says Manon, walking in the front door and stomping the snow off her feet.

“We found some pretty amazing decorations up in the attic!” says Magpie.

“Wait, you forgot a box,” says Julien , slipping a smaller box out from under the couch. 

Magpie sits on the couch with the box on her lap. She carefully lifts the flaps and gasps when she sees the contents. Inside are several handmade ornaments, they appear to be decades, maybe even a hundred years old. Magpie pulls one out and holds it up. It is a small hand-sewn doll wearing a beige dress and brown boots, hair made of long dark yarn springing from its head. Magpie feels a pang of sadness as she realizes the doll looks very similar to the little girl who went missing in the woods. She pulls out several other dolls, presumably the rest of the family: a woman, a man, a small boy, and a dog. “I think these belonged to the Carnifex family, a very long time ago,” says Magpie, handing the ornaments to Julien who hangs them on the tree. 

Magpie is about to put the box away when she spots one last ornament in the bottom, partially hidden by the crumpled paper that serves as a buffer to protect the ornaments from being damaged. Magpie gingerly reaches in and pulls the ornament out. Her hand starts shaking as she holds it up. The ornament is different than the others, it has been whittled out of wood, and is hand-painted. It is a siren, her tail curling behind her, her long red hair streaming over her shoulders, face upturned with her mouth open, a silver crown of twigs and branches on her head. Where her eyes should be are two holes, like someone gouged the wood in anger. Magpie shudders and places the ornament back in the box. She looks up and she and Manon lock eyes, Manon is clearly in agreement with Magpie’s decision to put the ornament back where it came from.

Magpie gets up from her chair. “Who wants to help me bake some cookies?” she asks, knowing full well Manon is an avid baker. They laugh and make their way toward the kitchen.

“I’m going to walk down to the cottage and help my dad finish preparing dinner, see you in a bit!” says Julien, planting a kiss on Magpie’s cheek as he walks out the door.

“He loves you very much,” says Manon warmly, after Julien has left.

“I love him too,” whispers Magpie. It has taken her a long time to give in to her feelings for Julien. For so long, she felt guilt about moving on, about giving up hope that Lucas would return, but a few months ago when she saw Julien’s face as he opened the door to welcome her back from her trip to Pocket, she felt a warm glow inside, and realized that over the years she had fallen in love with him. 

Magpie and Manon spend the next few hours baking a variety of cookies, some from Manon’s traditional French recipes, and some from the book of Carnifex Family Recipes that Magpie had found stashed at the back of a cupboard when she first moved in. They plan on packing up the extra cookies and handing them out to their neighbours and people in the village as gifts. 

“Voila!” says Manon, pulling the last sheet of cookies out of the oven. As if on cue, the back door opens, letting in a rush of cold air as Alfred and Julien step into the kitchen.

“Great timing!” says Magpie, grabbing a large pot from Alfred’s hands so he can take off his jacket and boots. “Oh Alfred, this smells divine!” she says, peeking under the lid.

“It’s my grandmother’s secret recipe, I will never share it, don’t even try!” he says in jest, “although if you were to offer one of those cookies, I may reconsider,” he adds with a wink.

Julien sets the table, adding a bright red tablecloth and tapered candles as a centerpiece. Magpie and Manon take their seats at the table as Alfred brings out plates of wonderfully fragrant food. They eat and drink merrily, enjoying the warmth and comfort of spending the holidays as a family. Alfred and Manon take the empty plates to the kitchen and start washing up as Magpie and Julien make their way to the living room. Julien adds a log to the fire and puts a holiday album on the record player. 

“Is It time to exchange gifts?” asks Manon, walking back into the room.

“Yes!” says Julien, the boyish twinkle back in his eye. Alfred brings two dining chairs and sets them up so the four of them are sitting in a semi-circle around the fireplace. 

“I would like to go first,” says Magpie, grabbing two brightly wrapped packages from beneath the tree. She hands one to Manon and one to Alfred, and watches their faces as they unpack the beautiful tartan scarves she chose for them at the gift shop in town. In return they hand Magpie a package. She unwraps it carefully, savouring the moment.

“You know you can just rip it off!” says Julien, unable to contain his enthusiasm. 

Magpie laughs and continues to gently unfold the paper from the box. Inside she finds a beautiful hand-carved figurine of a deer, its head held high, its coat painted a deep auburn shade. “Alfred, did you make this?!” she asks, enamoured with the craftsmanship. Alfred nods humbly. Magpie gets up and gives them both a warm hug before placing the figurine on the mantel. 

Next, Manon hands a box to Julien, who rips off the paper voraciously. Within seconds he is holding up a collection of classic French cookbooks, his smile stretching from ear to ear. “You expect me to cook for you every day now, I suppose!” he kids, getting up to embrace his parents. 

Magpie takes the last box from under the tree and hands it to Julien. “This is for you, from me,” she says, shyly. It took her a long time to find the perfect give for him, and she hopes she chose well. Julien unwraps the gift with surprising grace. He gently opens the box and lifts off the protective layer of tissue paper inside. He takes a moment to drink in the contents of the box before looking up and giving Magpie a meaningful look. 

“What is it?” asks Manon, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“It’s us,” replies Julien, holding up a custom painting of Carnifex House, the four of them standing in a row by the front door. Magpie smiles, happy and relieved that Julien seems genuinely touched by her gift.

“This has been an absolutely perfect day,” says Magpie as she crouches down to collect the bits of wrapping paper from the floor.

“Wait, there’s still one gift left to open,” says Julien, holding his hand out to help her up. Magpie looks up at him, a confused look on her face. “I have a gift for you as well,” he says, walking over to the tree. He reaches in and pulls a small box out from between the branches. Magpie’s heart starts beating at the sight of it. Julien pulls the small blue ribbon from the box, then kneels before Magpie as he pries it open. Inside is a beautiful, simple gold ring with a blue stone set in the center of it. “Magpie, will you marry me?” he asks, looking up at her expectantly.

Magpie’s heart feels like it’s going to pop right out of her chest. Thoughts and feelings swirl through her mind. She thinks back to Farfalla and Marius in the apple orchard, is this how she felt? She thinks of her father and mother, who loved each other but were never able to make it work. Finally, she thinks of Lucas. “Where are you?” the thought echoes in her mind. She lets the echo fade away before holding her hand out to Julien to help him up. Standing face to face she looks deeply in his eyes. “Lucas is my past. Julien is my future” she tells herself. 

“Yes, I would be honoured to be your wife,” she says. Julien lets out a sigh of relief as Manon and Alfred jump to their feet with joy. Julien pulls the ring out of the box and places it on Magpie’s finger, then grabs her by the waist and spins her around. 

“And now, we celebrate!” says Alfred, popping the top off a bottle of champagne as Manon turns up the volume on the record player. They dance and sing into the wee hours of the night. Finally, Manon and Alfred head back to the cottage and Magpie and Julien go up to bed. 

Long after Julien has fallen asleep, Magpie lays in bed looking out the small window at the moon outside, running the events of the last few years through her mind. She focuses on the foreign feeling of the ring on her finger, and finally feels her eyes getting heavy. “Goodbye, Lucas,” she says softly, then rolls over to face Julien as she gives in to sleep.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 27, Mirror Pond, where Lucas experiences the terrible winter of 1925 first hand.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts, they help give the podcast visibility so others can find and enjoy the story. You can also support my work by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, behind the scenes videos and more! Just check the show notes for links to Patreon, my website, and social media accounts.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Paranormal Exposed. Listen to the skeptic host’s take on paranormal stories. If you enjoy the the more ghostly side of The Skylark Bell you’ll want to check out paranormal exposed

Thank you, again, for listening. I’m Melissa Oliveri, and this is The Skylark Bell podcast.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 25 – A Fete and a Feather - in which Lucas joins Farfalla for a memorable celebration at Meadow Lane

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Instagram: @the.mop.pod

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

Merch: http://www.melissaoliveri.com/store

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Murder Roadtrip: https://anchor.fm/shannon-quinn6

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 25 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Magpie toured the house at Meadow Lane that her mother has converted into an Artist’s Retreat. 

In today’s episode we read Chapter 25 – A Fete and a Feather - in which Lucas joins Farfalla for a memorable celebration at Meadow Lane

Be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a preview of a podcast I quite enjoy called Murder Roadtrip, which, like The Skylark Bell, is part of the Boopod Network of paranormal and true crime podcasts.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

Lucas navigates Cormorant up the long dirt path to the house on Meadow Lane. After all this time he still feels a small tickle of fear at the back of his neck as he steps off the road onto the lane. All those years of being told not to go there, of listening to the terrifying stories, and knowing how it all ended with Magpie saving the town from the spreading silence by ringing the Skylark Bell…  He heaves a deep sigh and looks back up at the house. His fear is quickly washed away when he sees it all lit up, music and laughter pouring out from every crack and crevice. 

He suddenly recalls Magpie telling him about one of her visions where she saw Meadow Lane all lit up, like there was a celebration of some kind. He turns Cormorant around to look back at Magpie’s house, or rather, the house that would become Magpie’s, across the road. He looks up at the small attic window… it seems like only yesterday he and Magpie were going up the creaking stairs, hearts pounding with excitement at what they might find in the secret attic! Scarlet had followed them on velvet feet, knowing her secret would soon be revealed. He shakes the thoughts from his head and turns Cormorant back around, guiding him all the way up the lane to the back of the house. 

“I’ll be back soon old friend,” he says gently to the horse, tying it to a fence rail at the back of the house away from all the commotion. 

Lucas makes his way to the front door and gives it a knock that sounds far more confident than he is feeling. The door swings open immediately, and Lucas is hit with a wall of sound and smells; laughter, music, the clinking of drinkware and dishes, the smell of beer, roasting food, pie… It’s almost an assault on the senses and Lucas recoils slightly but a large arm encircles him and pulls him into the house. “Marius! Come on in my boy! It’s great to have you!” Mr. Shearwater slurs as he pulls Lucas into the house. Lucas stumbles in and smiles awkwardly. Parties have never been his thing. Someone hands him a glass full of beer and a woman shoves a plate in his hand, filled to the brim with what looks like some type of stew and a couple of thick slices of bread. He doesn’t even have time to thank her before she moves on to her next victim. 

Lucas looks across the room and sees Charlotte and Edward Carnifex, they catch his eye and smile warmly. Charlotte looks stunning an emerald green dress, and Lucas recognizes the ornate dragonfly shaped comb in her hair as the one he and Magpie found in the secret attic all those years ago. Lucas suddenly realizes that Edward’s pocket watch, the one he checks multiple times a day, was also in that old trunk, 90 years in the future. He marvels at the fact that he can see and speak to these people, people he read about in books, in letters, people he saw in creased and faded photographs… people with real feelings, real lives. Something about the realization breaks his heart. 

Lucas shakes off the sad nostalgic feeling. Skirting along the perimeter of the room, he manages to make his way toward the dining table where he puts down the plate and glass of beer. He has no intention of partaking in all the food and drink, he is here for one reason only… Just then he sees Farfalla watching him from across the room, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth. She has caught him unloading his plate. He smiles at her sheepishly and nods toward the kitchen. Farfalla smiles and nods back, and he makes his way carefully through flailing arms and legs and spilling drinks to the small kitchen at the back of the house.

“I wasn’t sure you’d make it,” says Farfalla sweetly as he’s coming through the doorway. It’s much quieter in the kitchen but his ears are still ringing from the noise in the other room.

“Well, I don’t normally go to parties but…” He begins.

“No, I meant I didn’t think you’d make it all the way to the kitchen!” she laughs, walking up to him and planting a kiss on his cheek. Lucas starts laughing too, suddenly feeling the pressure and nervousness dissipate. He looks into Farfalla’s face, as if he’s trying to decide something.

Just then, the kitchen door opens, letting in the sounds of music and raucous laughter. “Falla, come on, we’re taking photographs! Bring your friend!” says a young man with dark hair and large brown eyes.

“That’s my cousin Bruno,” she laughs. “Come on! This way!” she shouts, grabbing Lucas by the hand and leading him back into the living room. 

Bruno positions them in front of the living room wall and steps back to an old-fashioned camera. “Stand very still!” he says. Lucas stares, completely mesmerized by what, to him, is an antique camera.

“Do we have to stand for several hours?!” asks Lucas.

“Shhh! Don’t move!” says Farfalla, giving him a gentle elbow to the ribs

Bruno laughs. “No, that’s how it was with the old wooden cameras, this is the new style! My grandfather got it for me as a birthday gift!” With that he takes their photo. “Okay, you’re free to go!” he says before turning to a petite woman in a long black dress with a string of pearls, “Auntie Freda! It’s your turn!”

“This is our chance, follow me,” Lucas says to Farfalla, a secretive air about him all of a sudden. Farfalla squints her eyes at him but takes his hand nonetheless and lets him lead her through the kitchen. At the back door he grabs two lanterns and lights them before handing one to Farfalla. He leads her away from the house, toward the orchard in the field behind it. This is the moment, he’s sure of it… it isn’t the life he thought he was going to lead, but he has managed to find love and happiness all the same. As they reach the first row of trees, he turns to Farfalla and takes her face in his hands. “There’s something I have to tell you,” he says, his tone serious. Farfalla looks at him, silently, waiting.

“I…” he begins, but something beyond Farfalla’s shoulder makes him stop. Something superfluous, unclear, hazy, yet… familiar. Something way down at the bottom of Meadow Lane where it meets the road. It’s like he can see two silhouettes, children. “Magpie…” he whispers.

“You what…?” says Farfalla, startling him back to reality. He glances down at her face, then looks back over her shoulder toward the road, but there is nothing there.

“I… I have something for you,” he says, struggling to get back on track. He slips his hand into his pocket and feels the cold metal of the feather ring concealed inside. Feeling his confidence return, he looks Farfalla straight in the eye as he takes the ring out of his pocket. “This ring was given to me, long ago…” he begins as Farfalla lets out a gasp, “and there is only one person in the world who should have it.” He says holding it out to her.

“Marius, it’s beautiful!” she says, taking the ring from his palm. “It’s etched like a feather! How unique! Where in the world did you find this?!” she asks.

“It was given to me by someone very special, a lifetime ago,” he says, remembering the day a blackbird left the ring at his feet as he stood waiting for Magpie to come meet him at the bottom of his driveway. The same day they found out Farfalla had died... But here she is, now, standing directly in front of him. This is his life now; it is time to embrace it. “This ring belongs to you,” he says simply. “It would make me very happy if you would consider wearing it, as my wife.” With this, he feels a nervous panic rising in his stomach but shifts his feet to keep it down.

“I would love nothing more,” she says, smiling. “Perhaps, for now, we should keep this between us though, until you’ve spoken to Father. It is tradition after all…” she trails off.

“Of course!” he says, “I understand. Yes, it’ll be our special secret for now, and come spring we can marry and celebrate with everyone in the village,” he says, smiling.

Farfalla unclasps the delicate silver chain around her neck and loops the ring onto it before handing it to him “Would you mind?” she says, turning her back and holding her mass of red hair out of the way. Nervous, Lucas lays the chain back around her delicate porcelain neck and closes the clasp. Farfalla turns back around and falls into his arms, he lets out a whoop of joy and spins her around. Nearby, Cormorant lets out a loud whinny.

“Are you feeling left out old boy?!” Says Lucas, cheerfully.

“Oh Marius, let’s go for a celebratory ride!” she says. Lucas is only two happy to oblige, and the two of them hop on Cormorant’s back and walk silently through the apple orchard with only a sliver of moon to light their way.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 26, Happy Holidays, where Magpie celebrates the season with the Sarcelles and is in for a heartwarming surprise.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating or a review, they’re both greatly appreciated. You can also support my work through a donation via my podcast provider or by subscribing to my Patreon page. There you will get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, writing, and I have some fun snail mail gifts for Patreon subscribers coming in the near future!! Check the show notes for links.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Murder Roadtrip. Our hosts travel alphabetically through the U.S. delving into strange tales from each state. If you enjoy the strange atmosphere of The Skylark Bell you’ll definitely want to check them out.

Once again, thank you for listening. I am Melissa Oliveri, creator and host of  The Skylark Bell podcast.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 24 – The Lark and Bell Artist’s Retreat - in which Mrs. Phaeton gives Magpie a tour of the house at Meadow Lane, which she has converted into an artist’s retreat and art gallery

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Instagram: @the.mop.pod

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Haunted or Hoax: https://linktr.ee/HauntedorHoax

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 24 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Lucas spent an evening with the Shearwaters at Meadow Lane to celebrate Farfalla’s birthday where he offered her The Skylark Bell as a gift.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 24 – The Lark and Bell Artist’s Retreat - in which Mrs. Phaeton gives Magpie a tour of the house at Meadow Lane, which she has converted into an artist’s retreat and art gallery

Be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a preview of a podcast I quite enjoy called Haunted or Hoax.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

Magpie and her mother spend most of the morning reminiscing, looking at old photo albums, and telling stories over coffee and biscuits on the front porch. At lunchtime they make their way to the Farmer’s Market and purchase the necessities for tonight’s dinner at Meadow Lane. They prepare a fragrant cauliflower curry with homemade naan bread, and some key lime pie for dessert. 

“It’ll be just like old times, a real dinner date, with a couple of special guests,” says Mrs. Phaeton, scraping the last of the sauce from the pan into a container before securely replacing its lid.

“I’m excited to meet them, and very excited to see all the changes you’ve made to Meadow Lane!” replies Magpie, licking some excess whipped cream off her finger.

“That pie looks divine! I can’t wait to dig in,” smiles her mom. “Okay, let’s go!” she says, clapping her hands together.

They walk across the road to Meadow Lane. Magpie feels slightly apprehensive, even though she and Lucas spent a lot of time at the house before moving to Scotland, her first thought is always the warning Lucas whispered to her that very first day. “I wouldn’t go there if I were you…”

“A penny for your thoughts,” says her mom, watching her with a sideways glance as they walk up the lane.

“I was just thinking about how time has changed this house, this land, even… me. I used to feel so differently about this place, it was desolate and scary and sad. Now the orchard is growing and bearing fruit, the house is all fixed up. I’m just happy to see Meadow Lane filled with light and music and art,” she says, giving her mom a smile.

As they approach the front of the house Magpie sees a beautiful hand-painted sign that reads “The Lark & Bell Artist’s Retreat”. Beneath the sign, a tall slim man dressed all in black sits next to a bright-eyed woman, her wild hair piled on top of her head looking like it could spill out of its confines at any moment. The man greets them with a polite nod as the woman next to him stands up, a brilliant smile on her face.

“Magpie, I’d like you to meet our guests, Mr. and Mrs. Barnaby.”

“Please, call me Mandalina,” says the woman, her voice hypnotically inviting, as she stretches her hand over the railing, “and this is my husband, Rowan.”

“It’s lovely to meet you both,” says Magpie, shaking her hand and nodding back at the man who in turn cracks a warm smile. Magpie suddenly feels happier and more carefree than she has since her arrival in Pocket.

“Rowan is an author, and Mandalina is a musician,” says Mrs. Phaeton, as they make their way up the steps. She turns to the couple, “My daughter Magpie is visiting from overseas, she’s very excited to see the changes made to the house since she left a few years ago,” she explains.

“Well, I don’t know what it was like before, but it’s a beautiful, and very inspiring place now!” says Mandalina, her hands waving expressively, “and Daniella is an exceptional host,” she adds, smiling at Mrs. Phaeton.

Magpie steps into the house, and it takes her breath away. She has a flashback of walking through the main floor the day she came looking for the Skylark Bell, at the time it was gray, broken, and completely silent. Now the walls have been painted a soft blue, each one decorated with various pieces of art and photographs. The kitchen is a bright open space, with modern appliances, and cupboards painted a soft yellow. Magpie notices her mother has kept the original dining room table, where a multitude of candles burn brightly as soft music plays from the stereo in the living room. 

Magpie walks quietly across the room to the fireplace and looks at her face in the mirror hanging above the mantel. She remembers looking into this very mirror that first day. She had said something out loud; the sound being swallowed by the oppressive, inexplicable silence. She remembers thinking, “this is how ghosts must feel”. Magpie shudders at the memory and leans in to take a closer look at her reflection. She suddenly feels the familiar tingle of a vision coming to her. “Not now,” she whispers to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opens her eyes again, she is confronted with a very different reality in the reflection of the room behind her. She sees the house at Meadow Lane as it was when she first entered it, and she sees herself, timidly walking through the door and taking a few steps into the house. She watches as her younger self feels clumsily for a non-existent light switch, then walks through the main floor, crouching down to look at the broken dishes in the cabinet in the dining room, then walking toward the fireplace. As her younger self steps to the mirror, they find themselves face to face. Magpie stands there, frozen, staring into the eyes of her younger self. The girl in the mirror says “Well, I guess it’s time to head upstairs!” then gets a strange look on her face as she realizes her words have made no sound. 

“Magpie, did you say something about going upstairs?” Mrs. Phaeton’s voice cuts through the vision, startling Magpie. She turns to look at her mother, then turns back to the mirror, but the image of her younger self is gone. How did her mother hear an echo of her voice from several years ago?

“Um, yes, do you mind if I take a look at what you’ve done upstairs?” she asks, grateful for a reason to step away from the mirror.

“Of course not, let’s go up!” says her mom, walking up the stairway. “Rowan and Mandalina are staying in the primary bedroom, but we can go in the other two.”

“Actually, I just want to take a look at Farfalla’s old room,” says Magpie, walking toward the door at the end of the hall. She sees the swallow is still carved into the door and smiles, “I’m glad you kept this mom, it belongs here.” Mrs. Phaeton wraps her arm around Magpie’s shoulders. Magpie leans her head against her mom, feeling the warmth and love emanating from her. She takes a deep breath and opens the door. 

Inside, the room is bright. A four-poster bed takes up most of the space, sheer white fabric draped across the top. A new rug is laid out over the secret floorboard under which Magpie had found the Skylark Bell. The only original items in the room are the small vanity still sitting in the corner and, of course, the bell, still hanging on its ornate hook in the window. Magpie smiles, watching as it swings gently in the breeze, the lark steadfastly clutching a blackberry in its beak. Magpie feels a sense of peace she hasn’t felt since Lucas disappeared. “Everything is perfect,” she says, turning toward her mother, and they head back downstairs for dinner.

“This was absolutely delicious, how very kind of you to cook for us,” says Rowan Barnaby, setting his knife and fork together politely on his empty plate. Magpie is charmed by his wild hair and proper English accent. 

“Your name sounds familiar, I think I read one of your books a few years ago, on the train through Scotland,” says Magpie conversationally, placing a slice of pie on each of their plates. “It was the one about the boy and the ocean, I quite enjoyed it!”

“Oh, be careful about complimenting him too much, his ego won’t fit through the door and we’ll never be able to leave,” laughs Mandalina.

“Well, that wouldn’t be such a terrible thing,” replies her husband, the twinkle in his eye indicating he and his wife engage in this type of banter regularly.

“Well, I, for one, wouldn’t mind one bit if you two stayed here forever!” says Mrs. Phaeton.

“If we didn’t have our son to go home to, we might consider it,” replies Mandalina, warmly.

They wrap up dinner and take the dishes to the kitchen. Magpie starts pulling up her sleeves in preparation for dishwashing, but Mandalina lays a gentle hand on her arm to stop her. “We have a system in place,” says Rowan, coming between Magpie and the sink full of dirty dishes, “Danielle does the cooking, and we do the washing up.” 

“We should be going anyway, I want to show Magpie the gallery before it gets too dark,” says Mrs. Phaeton. They say their goodbyes to the Barnabys and step out the back door. 

“I expanded the shed that was back here, and turned it into a gallery for local artists,” she says, pointing at the shed, now painted a dusky turquoise with a quaint sign that reads “Gallery in the Meadow” next to the door. “We can come back in the morning and I’ll show you inside,” she adds, as she and Magpie slowly make their way back toward the front of the house.

Magpie breathes in the cool evening air. As the wind picks up, she hears the sound of the Skylark Bell drifting down from Farfalla’s bedroom window. Its hypnotic ring wraps around her, covering her like a blanket, and Magpie closes her eyes, giving in to its magic. The wind fades, taking the sound of the bell with it, and the spell is broken. Magpie shudders as Lucas’ first words to her suddenly echo in her mind, “I wouldn’t go there if I were you…”

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 25, A Fete and a Feather, where Lucas joins Farfalla for a memorable celebration at Meadow Lane.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts, they help give the podcast visibility so others can find and enjoy the story. You can also support my work by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, behind the scenes videos and more! Just check the show notes for links to Patreon, my website, and social media accounts.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Haunted or Hoax. Listen to this paranormal investigation podcast that travels around the United States. If you enjoy the haunted atmosphere of The Skylark Bell you’ll want to check them out.

Once again, thank you for listening. I’m Melissa Oliveri, creator of The Skylark Bell Podcast.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 23 – The Birthday Bell - in which Lucas visits the Shearwaters at Meadow Lane to celebrate Farfalla’s birthday, and a mysterious presence attempts to issue a dire warning.

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Instagram: @the.mop.pod

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Generally Spooky: https://linktr.ee/generallyspooky

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 23 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Magpie returned to Pocket to attend the memorial service for Luca’s grandmother, Gemma.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 23 – The Birthday Bell - in which Lucas visits the Shearwaters at Meadow Lane to celebrate Farfalla’s birthday.

Be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a special preview of a podcast I quite enjoy called Generally Spooky.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

Lucas has been spending a lot of time at the Shearwater house on Meadow Lane. Mr. Shearwater has agreed to let Lucas use the shed behind the house as his workshop, and he finds himself there nearly every day working on various projects. Between jobs, he has been busy carving a skylark to which he will attach the bell that traveled with him from the future. He plans on giving it to Farfalla for her upcoming birthday.

Finally, the big day is arrives. The Shearwaters have spared no expense to celebrate Farfalla’s 18 trips around the sun. Meadow Lane is decorated with swaths of fabric and large bows, candles in every window, fresh wildflowers in vases throughout the house. Lucas walks nervously up to the door, holding on tightly to the Skylark Bell, carefully packaged in a box with a blue satin ribbon that Charlotte found for him in her sewing box. Scarlett the cat had quite enjoyed toying with the end of the ribbon, leaving it a little frayed at the ends.

“Marius! Welcome!” says Mrs. Shearwater, opening the door for him. He smiles and walks nervously into the room, which is filled to the brim with the smell of homemade cake.

“Marius, I’m so happy you’re here!” says Farfalla, waltzing into the room, her blue dress flowing down to the floor, making her look almost ghost-like. Lucas is frozen to the floor, awed by her beauty. He comes to his senses and smiles at her.

“This is for you,” he says, holding the box out for her to take. Farfalla grabs it giddily and sets it on a table with a small handful of packages, each wrapped with brightly coloured ribbons.

“Shall we eat? Dinner is just about ready,” says Mrs. Phaeton. Farfalla grabs Lucas’ hand and pulls him toward the dining room table.

“Mama has made all my favourites! It’s going to be absolutely delicious! Then after dinner there will be dancing, Papa even got a new record for the victrola! He bought it when he was in the city a few months ago and kept it hidden so he could surprise me, isn’t it wonderful?!” she gushes, pure joy on her face. Lucas nods, a little overwhelmed, but her energy is contagious, and he begins to feel excited too.

They sit down to an amazing dinner with fresh tomatoes, green beans and other vegetables from the garden, warm homemade bread, a plate with a selection of fresh cheese from the market. Finally, it’s time for the crowning jewel, the birthday cake. Mrs. Shearwater comes in from the kitchen, carefully holding the cake on a platter with both hands. The white frosting of the cake is glowing, reflecting the light of the multitude of candles on its top. The platter that it sits on is decorated with wildflowers from the garden. Mrs. Shearwater sets the cake in front of Farfalla, who closes her eyes briefly before taking a deep breath and blowing all the candles out with one sweep. Everyone around the table claps.

“Happy birthday, Farfalla!” shouts Paloma, her cheeks rosy with excitement.

Farfalla sits quietly, soaking in the moment, a grateful smile on her face.

“Alright dear daughter, you do the honours!” says Mr. Shearwater, handing Farfalla a knife to cut and serve the cake.

“Mrs. Shearwater, this cake is incredible!” says Lucas, digging into his piece. The cake has a different texture than the bakery cakes he’d grown used to in his own time, it is more crumbly, but far more flavourful.

“Thank you, Marius, that’s very kind,” she replies, “it was my mother’s recipe.”

“Is it time for gifts yet?” asks Paloma, unable to restrain herself any longer. “Oh Farfalla, please open mine first! Please!”

Farfalla smiles and nods at her. Paloma races to the table where the packages are waiting patiently, and selects one wrapped with a yellow ribbon. Farfalla slowly unties the ribbon and unwraps the gift. Inside she finds a hand-knitted shawl made of soft blue wool. “Oh Paloma, it’s beautiful!” she says, her voice filled with awe.

“I chose the colour to match your eyes,” says Paloma, happy that her gift has pleased her older sister.

Mr. and Mrs. Shearwater each hand Farfalla a package next. One contains a silver locket on a long chain, and the other a painting of Meadow Lane that Mr. Shearwater commissioned from one of the artists in the neighbouring town. At last, it is time for Farfalla to open Lucas’ gift.

“This is from me,” he says shyly, handing the box to Farfalla. She slowly unties the ribbon, savouring every moment. Finally, the box is free of its restraints, and she gingerly lifts off the lid. She peels back a layer of tissue paper and lets out a gasp.

“Marius!” she says, holding a hand up to her mouth. She looks up at Lucas, her eyes full of emotion. “Did you make this?” she asks.

“I carved the skylark, and the bell came with me from Europe. I had been waiting to find the right person to give it to,” he says, never breaking eye contact with Farfalla.

“What a wonderful gift,” says Mrs. Shearwater, “Farfalla, you could hang it up in your bedroom window, that way you’ll see it every day,” she says, turning from Lucas to her daughter.

“Yes, that sounds perfect!” says Farfalla, still in awe of the Skylark’s craftsmanship.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, the night is young!” says Mr. Shearwater, “Now, we dance!” With that, he walks over to the victrola and puts on a record. They push the table and chairs against the wall to make more space. The next hour is spent spinning one another around, elbows locked, changing partners at regular intervals, laughing at missteps, and stopping to rest and grab a drink. Finally, the festivities come to an end, and it is time for Lucas to head home.

“Thank you for the marvelous gift,” says Farfalla, walking him down the lane, “This has been the most wonderful birthday. I will never forget this as long as I live,” she adds, stopping at the edge of the road and turning to face him.

“I will never forget it either,” says Lucas. He and Farfalla are standing very close, and he feels a warmth spread from his heart to the tips of his fingers and toes. “Goodnight, Farfalla,” he finally whispers before heading home.

Farfalla walks back up the lane like she is walking on a cloud and lets herself back into the house. “I installed a hook in your window for you, it’s ready and waiting for the bell,” says her father, smiling. Farfalla throws herself into his arms and thanks him, then she grabs the box with the bell and runs up the stairs to her room. 

She lays the box on her bed and carefully lifts the bell out. She holds it up, admiring the artistry. The Skylark has its head turned toward its back; a blackberry clutched in its beak. An ornate vine twists through its wings and between its feet then down to the loop where the small silver bell is attached. In the fading light of day and the weak light of her lantern Farfalla can’t quite make out the details on the bell itself. She feels it with her finger and comes to the conclusion that it is engraved with a swirl of birds spiraling around it, and perhaps a few words, but she can’t read them in the low light.

Farfalla lifts the bell through her window and hangs it on the decorative hook her father installed just moments ago. The bell swings back and forth in the breeze, its sweet sound filling the room. Farfalla lays on her bed and closes her eyes, soaking in the crystalline sound.

Unbeknownst to Farfalla, in the mirror of the small vanity in the corner of her room a mist begins to form. Slowly, through the fog, a woman’s face takes shape. She is frowning, a look of concern in her eyes, and her mouth appears to be moving, like she is shouting something, but no sound comes out. Farfalla remains on her bed, eyes closed, peacefully oblivious to the woman’s desperate attempt at some kind of warning...

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 24, The Lark and Bell Artist’s Retreat, where Mrs. Phaeton gives Magpie a tour of the house at Meadow Lane, which she has converted into an artist’s retreat and art gallery.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating or a review, they’re both greatly appreciated. You can also support my work through a donation via your podcast provider or by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, writing, recipes, and more! Checks the show notes for links to Patreon, my website, and social media accounts.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Generally Spooky. Listen to tales from Scotland’s history, legends, and stories. If you’re enjoying the supernatural side of The Skylark Bell, and share a love of Scotland with our characters, be sure to listen to General Spooky. 

Once again, thank you for listening – I’m Melissa Oliveri, writer, host and producer of The Skylark Bell Podcast. 

In today’s episode we read Chapter 22 – Goodbye Gemma - in which Magpie flies back to Pocket to visit her mother and attend a memorial for someone very special, and begins to come to an unbelievable conclusion regarding Lucas' disappearance.

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Instagram: @the.mop.pod

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is The Nightcap: https://linktr.ee/thenightcappodcast 

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 22 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Magpie and Julien Sarcelle spent some time together, and Lucas met Farfalla Shearwater at last.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 22 – Goodbye Gemma - in which Magpie flies back to Pocket to visit her mother and attend a memorial for someone very special.

Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode for a preview of a podcast I quite enjoy called The Nightcap.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

Magpie sits up in bed and looks around at the walls of her old room, it feels like she’s traveled back in time. The room strangely feels both foreign and familiar. This is Magpie’s first time back in Pocket since she and Lucas set off for Carnifex House 3 years ago. It is a bittersweet return. Lucas’ Grandmother, Gemma, has passed away, and Magpie has flown in to pay her respects. 

The smell of pancakes rouses Magpie from her bed. She throws on a bathrobe and slippers and heads downstairs to the kitchen. “Good morning, sweet bird!” says Mrs. Phaeton.

“Hi mom, this smells amazing! What are you making?” asks Magpie, suppressing a yawn as she takes a seat on one of the stools at the kitchen island.

“I made blackberry chocolate chip pancakes, Gemma’s specialty,” says her mom, a nostalgic and sad smile on her face. Magpie presses her lips together, feeling the lump in her throat.

“It’s so sad she died never knowing what happened to Lucas. I feel so guilty,” says Magpie, her voice cracking with emotion.

“Oh honey, I agree it’s incredibly tragic, but it’s not your fault. You’ve done everything you can, and she never stopped being grateful that Lucas had you in his life. She always held hope that he would someday return, and I do too,” says her mom, coming around the counter to give her a warm, comforting hug.

They eat their breakfast, catching up on local gossip, then Magpie heads back upstairs to get ready for the service. She digs her shoes out of her suitcase, then opens the door to her closet to grab her dress. She sees the opening at the back of the closet that leads to the attic, and the memory of her and Lucas climbing up those stairs seizes her heart like a clenched fist. Tears instantly spring up in her eyes, but she blinks them back decisively. This trip is going to be difficult, there will be many hard moments to come, she will have to work hard to keep it together.

“Ready to go?” asks her mom gently as Magpie is coming down the stairs. Magpie nods and they head out to the car. 

The memorial service is being held on the front lawn of the library in downtown Pocket. As they pull up, Magpie realizes that every resident of Pocket seems to be in attendance, as well as some people she doesn’t recognize who have probably come from the neighbouring town of Brighthaven, where Gemma volunteered at a nursing home for several years. They sit and listen as person after person steps up to share their memories of Gemma. Magpie ponders stepping up as well, but she just doesn’t feel like she can do it without breaking down, so she sits quietly and listens to everyone else’s stories. As the service is coming to an end, Mr. Swift claps his hands and uses his booming voice to inform the crowd that refreshments are available inside the school for those who want to keep sharing their memories of Gemma.

“Would you like to go?” asks Mrs. Phaeton.

“I suppose I should. I don’t know what to expect though. Do you think people blame me, for Lucas’ disappearance?” she asks, a small tremor in her voice.

“Oh love, of course not! All this time I’ve only ever heard people sympathize. When I run into people in town, they always ask how you are doing, and ask me to pass along their best wishes. You have nothing to be afraid of,” replies Mrs. Phaeton in a soothing tone.

With that they make their way to the school cafeteria, where an unending spread of homemade baked goods and sandwiches covers several of the long tables. Everyone in town has come together to honour Grandma Gemma’s memory, and Magpie feels a warmth in her heart. She stops to chat with Mr. Bunting from the General Store, then Mr. and Mrs. Tuffeto stop by to shake her hand and ask about life in Scotland. Across the room Magpie spots the old waitress from the diner, who musters up the friendliest nod she can. Magpie is tremendously relieved by the kindness being shown to her by everyone in town.

“With all the socializing, I didn’t get a chance to eat! What do you say we grab some lunch at The Early Bird?” asks Mrs. Phaeton.

“Perfect,” replies Magpie, turning her face to the sun as she and her mom start walking down the main road toward the restaurant. Magpie soaks in the sights and, more importantly, the sounds of Pocket. She recalls that fateful day when the silence started spreading from Meadow Lane toward the town. The day she entered the house on Meadow Lane to find and ring the Skylark Bell. She lets her mind drift for a while, lost in a swirl of memories. Magpie is startled out of her reverie by the sound of the bell above the door as she and her mom walk into the diner. They sit in the booth at the way back of the dining room, the same one Farfalla was sitting in the last time Magpie saw her.

“First, blackberry chocolate chip pancakes, now blackberry waffles and sweet orange tea!” giggles Magpie, “That’s what I call indulging!” She and her mom enjoy a genuine laugh. It feels good to be together again. Mrs. Phaeton visited Magpie in the weeks following Lucas’ disappearance, but the past year and half has been a whirlwind as she worked at converting the house at Meadow Lane into an artist’s retreat and gallery.

“What became of Farfalla’s house?” asks Magpie, suddenly remembering the small house around the corner from Tuffeto’s Bakery.

“Oh, the loveliest young family moved in, the Jacanas. They have two little girls and one boy, just the sweetest kids you’ll ever meet,” answers her mom, “they have taken over making blackberry jam and selling it at the market, and Mr. Jacana also builds birdhouses and other wooden decorations, he’s very talented!” 

They finish their food and Mrs. Phaeton settles up with the waitress before they start walking back to the old farmhouse.

“Tomorrow I’ll show you around Meadow Lane, you won’t believe how different it looks after all the renovations! I’ve got an author and a musician staying there right now, it’s a lot of fun sitting and chatting with them in the evenings when I bring dinner over,” says Mrs. Phaeton. “But for now, I think it’s time to go to Gemma’s house. In her will she stated you could choose any belongings you like, then the house will be sold, and the proceeds sent to the nursing home in Brighthaven.”

Magpie gets a solemn look on her face. Her mom had explained the arrangement to her over the phone before she left Carnifex House, but she had pushed any thoughts of going through Gemma’s house… Lucas’ house… to the back of her mind. Now she and her mother find themselves at the bottom of the driveway next to the mailbox with the name Starling printed on it. Magpie stretches out her hand and runs her fingers over the letters. This is the exact spot where she first met Lucas all those years ago. She bites her lip, fighting the lump rising in her throat and the tears threatening to spill over her eyelids. Her mom, sensing the sadness emanating from her, grabs her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze before guiding her up to the front door and into the house.

They take their time going from room to room, starting with the second-floor bedrooms. Magpie collects a few things from Lucas’ old room; his high school diploma, the rubber boots he always wore on their excursions. She notices a small stuffed bear sitting on the bed. “You look like you’re waiting for Lucas to return,” she says, picking it up gently, “aren’t we all…” she sighs, holding the bear tightly to her chest before putting it into her bag of keepsakes. In Gemma’s room she chooses a beautiful pastel silk scarf that she remembers Gemma wearing at their high school graduation. On the main floor she walks through the living room, not feeling a particular attachment to anything, but a book on the bookshelf catches her eye. She places her finger at the top of the spine and pulls it out. It is a brown, leather-bound book, admittedly very old, with “The Skye Lark Bell” written on it in gold letters. Magpie gasps, remembering an old dream she had of a woman at Meadow Lane reading this book to her children. She pushes the book back onto the shelf, not wanted to bring something home with her that causes such chills down her spine.

“Almost done?” asks Mrs. Phaeton, walking in from the dining room.

“Just about, I just wanted to walk through the kitchen, maybe hang on to that pancake griddle,” says Magpie with a wink.

“Sounds good, I’ll wait for you outside. Take your time,” says her mom, giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking out the front door.

Magpie walks into the kitchen, running her hand along the counter where Lucas had slid a plate of pancakes toward her the very first time she came to his house. It takes her a few tries, but she finally finds the cupboard that houses the pancake griddle and carefully slips it out.

“Alright, that’s it I guess,” she says out loud, her words echoing around the empty room.

Magpie is just about to leave when she remembers the collection of old photographs on the kitchen wall, where a photo of Marius Corbeau once stopped her in her tracks. It was just after she’d had a vision of Marius falling off his horse at Mirror Pond during a snowstorm. Magpie looks at the photo now, leaning in more closely and taking her time. The horse, the man … If Lucas was just a few years older than the last time she saw him, his hair a little longer, if he was about the age he would be now… A shudder runs through Magpie as something dawns on her: Marius doesn’t just look like Lucas, they could practically be the same person.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 23, The Birthday Bell, where Lucas visits the Shearwaters at Meadow Lane to celebrate Farfalla’s birthday.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts, they help give the podcast visibility so others can find and enjoy the story. You can also support my work by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, behind the scenes videos and more! Just check the show notes for links to Patreon, my website, and social media accounts.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called The Nightcap. Listen to tales of the unusual, and unexplained. If you enjoy the strange atmosphere of The Skylark Bell you’ll want to check them out.

Once again, thank you for listening – I’m Melissa Oliveri, writer, host and producer of this - The Skylark Bell Podcast.  

In today’s episode we read Chapter 21 – Moving Forward, Looking Back - in which Magpie and Lucas come to terms with their respective situations.

Brought to you by: Phaeton Starling Publishing and Things with Wings Productions.

The Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.com

The Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbell

Author/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.com

Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

Melissa on Instagram: @the.mop.pod

Melissa on Twitter: @melissaoliveri

All music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.com

Cannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.music

This week's Boopod Network podcast partner is Mums, Mysteries & Murder: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mums-mysteries-murder/id1578866284

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Things with Wings Productions presents: Episode 21 of The Skylark Bell, Wingspan. I am your host, Melissa Oliveri.  

In our previous episode, Magpie and Lucas exist in parallel timelines, where Magpie struggles to accept Lucas’ disappearance, and Lucas tries to wrap his brain around being in 1920’s Pocket.

In today’s episode we read Chapter 21 – Moving Forward, Looking Back - in which Magpie and Lucas come to terms with their respective situations.

Now, it’s time to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink… and let’s get started.

“It must be strange to find yourself in this tiny village after living the big city life in Paris!” says Magpie, expertly placing a warm slice of apple pie on Julien’s plate.

“I love it here,” he answers, his tone so earnest and genuine Magpie has no doubt he is telling the truth. “It is my home, where I grew up. I know the fields, the cliffside, the ocean… I know the villagers are … quel est le mot… ah oui… quirky!” he laughs, exchanging a knowing look with Magpie. Though the people of the village have warmed up to her to some degree, she still feels a bit like an outsider. “And you,” he says, “how are you feeling here now? I was told you were only supposed to stay for one year, but now you are staying indefinitely?” he asks.

Magpie squirms… she hasn’t talked to him about Lucas, only to say that he left suddenly and that she will stay on at Carnifex House on her own. “Yes, I decided I really love the ocean and the beach, and yes, the people here can be… quirky, as you say,” at this she winks at him, “but I genuinely love it here, it feels like home.” She says, meaning every word, but leaving out the fact that she feels like she can’t leave, not without knowing what happened to Lucas.

“This has been the most unusual and wonderful dinner I’ve ever had!” says Julien, placing his dessert fork on his empty plate.

“I haven’t laughed this hard in ages!” says Magpie, smiling at him and admiring the way an adorable dimple forms on his right cheek when he smiles. At first Magpie fought the feelings that were stirred when she was around Julien, but now she is starting to embrace them. She has let go of the guilt she felt in the beginning, when it felt like she was betraying Lucas. She is a young woman with her whole life ahead of her, and after a year of confusion and grieving, it is time to embrace laughter and happiness again. She gets up to gather their plates and bring them to the kitchen. 

Julien follows her with their empty drinking glasses and the leftover pie. “Next time it will be my turn to cook for you! All the French classics like frog legs and goose liver, oui?” he says, winking at her.

“You’re not going to fool me this time!” she laughs. “But all kidding aside, I would love to do this again, I’ve had a really great time.”

Julien nods at her. “Me too,” he says. “Well, it’s getting late, perhaps I can help you clean up before I go home?” he offers.

“Absolutely not, you are my esteemed guest.” She replies in the most stubborn forceful voice she can muster.

“Okay, okay!” he says, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I will see you tomorrow then?” he asks as they are walking to the door.

“Yes, looking forward to it. Bonne Nuit, Julien,” she says as he steps out into the night.

“Bonne Nuit,” he replies softly, then turns and walks toward the caretaker’s cottage. Magpie watches as he disappears into the fog, then closes the door and leans against it, closing her eyes and smiling. Her smile fades as thoughts of Lucas re-enter her mind… Where is he? What could possibly have caused him to leave her like this? When is it okay to move on? Magpie heaves a sigh and starts turning off the lights. It is time for bed, hopefully the night will bring her peace.

~~~~~~

Lucas is so focused on the lights at Meadow Lane up ahead, that he nearly jumps out of his skin when he hears a soft voice say “Hello!” from above his head. He tugs on the reins and Cormorant comes to a stop. Lucas looks up and his breath catches in his throat…. Sitting up on a tree branch, a bright red apple in her hand, is Magpie.

“Magpie!” he says, breathless.

“There are no Magpies around here,” says the young lady, hopping down from the tree. Lucas hops off Cormorant’s back and the pair stand face to face. “My name is Farfalla,” she says, “and I’m guessing you must be Marius?”

Lucas stands in stunned silence for a moment. The resemblance to Magpie is beyond uncanny. He nods quietly then clears his throat before sticking his hand out toward her “Yes, Marius… Marius Corbeau,” he says awkwardly. Farfalla shakes his hand, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth.

“It’s very nice to meet you at last, Mr. Marius Corbeau,” she says. “I’ve heard a lot about you, my father has taken quite a liking to you and your work.” Lucas is surprised by how quickly he starts to feel at ease with her. There’s something about her that makes him feel instantly connected, and, though still cautious to protect his true identity, he opens up to her in a way he hasn’t opened up with anyone else since his arrival. They amble through the apple orchard, talking about everything and nothing. By the time they’ve settled Cormorant into a spare stall in the barn and reached the front door of the house, it is like they are old friends.

“Welcome dear boy!” says Mr. Shearwater as Lucas and Farfalla enter the dining room. “Pull up a chair!” he adds, gesturing toward an empty chair. Lucas takes his seat, directly across from Farfalla.

“Mrs. Shearwater, you didn’t have to go to all this trouble just for me!” says Lucas, amazed at the spread before him. 

“Oh, mama loves to cook, don’t you mama?” says Paloma, winking at Lucas.

“Indeed, I do, and it’s a grand occasion to have a special guest and both my girls home for the summer” says Mrs. Shearwater. 

“So, Marius, tell us more about yourself!” says Mr. Shearwater.

Lucas hears his made-up story spill from his lips almost like someone else is talking. He has told it so many times over the past year it comes out seamlessly. Finally, the conversation shifts to other things; the weather, town gossip, the new post office being built… With the pressure off him, Lucas starts to genuinely enjoy himself. He hasn’t felt this relaxed in a very long time. Across the table, Farfalla glances at him, smiling, and he feels a flutter deep inside that he hasn’t felt since he last saw Magpie. An entire year has gone by, and he hasn’t found a way to go home… he’s starting to doubt he ever will. Perhaps it is time to consider moving on…

“Thank you for everything, I had a wonderful time!” he says to Mr. and Mrs. Shearwater as he reaches for the door. 

“I’ll walk you to the barn,” says Farfalla, following him out into the night.

“You have a lovely family” he says to her as she opens the barn door to let them in.

“Yes, I’m very fortunate.” She replies. “My dream, someday, is to have such a family of my own.” She catches herself then, and blushes profusely.

Lucas smiles at her “That’s a very admirable dream to have.” He says, putting her at ease. “Perhaps tomorrow we could go for a ride?” he suggests, leading Cormorant out of his stall.

“That sounds wonderful,” she says. “Goodnight Marius,” she adds as they part ways.

“Goodnight Farfalla,” her replies over his shoulder as he leads Cormorant down Meadow Lane.

As he turns onto the road he looks up at the moon and thinks of Magpie, a pang of guilt wiping the smile off his face. He tries to reconcile his burgeoning feelings for Farfalla with the feelings he has for Magpie. Pulling up to the Starling barn he settles Cormorant into his stall before heading back to the Carnifex’s house and up to his room. It’s time for bed, hopefully the night will bring him peace.

Thank you so much for listening.  Join me next week for Wingspan chapter 22, Goodbye Gemma, where Magpie flies back to Pocket to visit her mother and attend a memorial for someone very special.

The Skylark Bell is brought to you by Phaeton Starling Publishing and features original music by Cannelle. If you are enjoying this story, please consider leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts, they help give the podcast visibility so others can find and enjoy the story. You can also support my work by subscribing to my Patreon where you get early access to episodes as well as MP3 downloads of the music, artwork, behind the scenes videos and more! Just check the show notes for links to Patreon, my website, and social media accounts.

Before I go, I’d like to share this reel for a podcast I quite enjoy called Mums Mysteries and Murder, whose hosts both live in Scotland and feature one native Scot and an Australian who discuss tales of the unexplained and true crime from their respective countries. If you enjoy the spooky, uncanny feel of The Skylark Bell, you’re sure to enjoy Mums Mysteries and Murder.

Thank you, once again, for listening. I'm Melissa Oliveri and this is The Skylark Bell.