Short Stories
Crystal's Journey
(A sequel to The House of Stone & Skyelights )
'It's not like it would be full-time,' said Pearl.
'No. It's not the end of the world,' added Crystal. 'Not quite!'
Annie smiled at Crystal, which took considerable will power. And hit her, with proved to be virtually effortless.
'It'll be for good reasons, otherwise you'd never have had such a dream,' said Pearl. She glared at Crystal in a completely unconvincing manner.
The problem, that's how Annie saw it, was that she needed to publish her songs and music, and she'd had a powerful dream which indicated that the internet was the way to do it.
Annie loathed technology, loved peace and quiet, and had no faith in her own ability to use such equipment. They didn't even have a phone line to the house and only used their shared mobile phone for emergencies. At least, if they ever experienced an emergency, that was the plan. The very idea of converting her work to bites, whatever that meant, and sending them down the telephone wires was totally perplexing. Did they get eaten? How could she look after them?
'Don't worry,' said Crystal, 'we'll get a phone line. Fidget explained about it over the mobile. Then I'll go and visit him to collect your PC.'
'I don't want to own one!' complained Annie.
'Don't worry. I'll use it too!' said Crystal, radiating enthusiasm.
Pearl looked surprised and Annie suspicious.
'As a doorstop,' added Crystal.
They all laughed, and Pearl left the kitchen, feeling that Annie and Crystal would not only sort things between them, but would probably enjoy it.
♥
Crystal checked the tyre pressures again and added a few drops of oil to the chain of her bicycle.
'You're sure you don't mind going?' asked Annie.
Crystal mopped imaginary beads of sweat from her brow.
'Ooh the hardship,' she moaned.
'You can hardly wait to go, can you!' teased Pearl.
'Nope! But I'll try not to enjoy it too much, lest you feel you are missing out.'
Annie peered in the bags attached to Crystal's bike.
'Are you sure you've got everything?' she asked. The huge canvas bags, one containing a tent, and the larger one everything else, certainly were full and well protected from rain by a plastic sheet.
'Yes. Tent, food, water, mobile phone, money, map, tin whistle, matches, tin opener.'
'Couldn't you take a taxi?'
'Over sixty miles!? We'd need a bank loan!'
Annie smiled. Crystal was probably correct, but she felt concerned about her younger sister doing such a lengthy round trip on her own. She knew Crystal was not only very capable but she seemed to lead such a charmed existence that unwelcome events and people with bad intentions found her at least immune, and often totally invisible. That's how it seemed.
Finally, Crystal mounted her bicycle, treated her sisters to a huge smile (very briefly) then set off down the steep rocky path to the road.
'Look after my hens!' she shouted back.
'Don't worry,' said Annie. 'I'll use one as a paperweight!'
'You'll get a truly unique watermark!'
'It's not like it would be full-time,' said Pearl.
'No. It's not the end of the world,' added Crystal. 'Not quite!'
Annie smiled at Crystal, which took considerable will power. And hit her, with proved to be virtually effortless.
'It'll be for good reasons, otherwise you'd never have had such a dream,' said Pearl. She glared at Crystal in a completely unconvincing manner.
The problem, that's how Annie saw it, was that she needed to publish her songs and music, and she'd had a powerful dream which indicated that the internet was the way to do it.
Annie loathed technology, loved peace and quiet, and had no faith in her own ability to use such equipment. They didn't even have a phone line to the house and only used their shared mobile phone for emergencies. At least, if they ever experienced an emergency, that was the plan. The very idea of converting her work to bites, whatever that meant, and sending them down the telephone wires was totally perplexing. Did they get eaten? How could she look after them.
'Don't worry,' said Crystal, 'we'll get a phone line. Fidget explained about it over the mobile. Then I'll go and visit him to collect your PC.'
'I don't want to own one!' complained Annie.
'Don't worry. I'll use it too!' said Crystal, radiating enthusiasm.
Pearl looked surprised and Annie suspicious.
'As a doorstop,' added Crystal.
They all laughed, and Pearl left the kitchen, feeling that Annie and Crystal would not only sort things between them, but would probably enjoy it.
♥
Crystal checked the tyre pressures again and added a few drops of oil to the chain of her bicycle.
'You're sure you don't mind going?' asked Annie.
Crystal mopped imaginary beads of sweat from her brow.
'Ooh the hardship,' she moaned.
'You can hardly wait to go, can you!' teased Pearl.
'Nope! But I'll try not to enjoy it too much, lest you feel you are missing out.'
Annie peered in the bags attached to Crystal's bike.
'Are you sure you've got everything?' she asked. The huge canvas bags, one containing a tent, and the larger one everything else, certainly were full and well protected from rain by a plastic sheet.
'Yes. Tent, food, water, mobile phone, money, map, tin whistle, matches, tin opener.'
'Couldn't you take a taxi?'
'Over sixty miles!? We'd need a bank loan!'
Annie smiled. Crystal was probably correct, but she felt concerned about her younger sister doing such a lengthy round trip on her own. She knew Crystal was not only very capable but she seemed to lead such a charmed existence that unwelcome events and people with bad intentions found her at least immune, and often totally invisible. That's how it seemed.
Finally, Crystal mounted her bicycle, treated her sisters to a huge smile (very briefly) then set off down the steep rocky path to the road.
'Look after my hens!' she shouted back.
'Don't worry,' said Annie. 'I'll use one as a paperweight!'
'You'll get a truly unique watermark!'
part 2
Crystal's Eyes - Poem
Share your views on the Short stories (and poems) blog