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.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theskylarkbell/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy