Transmissions from Earth
Monday, November 06, 2006
Oh god it was a two hour wait to get through the border yesterday. No excuse for the late update, but I'm gonna pretend it is. However, next week is probably gonna be a Monday update too, because I'll be down at my parents house for the weekend, and hence no access to the story.
3.
Lily blinked. She pinched her cheeks, splashed water from the pond on her face. She wasn’t dreaming. She was awake and in another world. She called out. “I…don’t suppose there’s a frog around here?”
Silence greeted her.
She stepped forward. Clearer now, she called out. “Frog! I know you must be around here. Can you help me?” Still it was quiet.
She walked onto the bridge and peered into the water. Her reflection greeted her. She scowled at the sight of it. It wasn’t a pretty face in her mind. Her hair was plain and brown, of a length that was neither long nor short. She had soft round cheeks and a rather high smooth forehead. She thought it made her look vaguely cave mannish. She liked her eyes though. They were swimming pool blue and always seemed to be asking a question. However, there was no frog to be found, or in fact, any other sign of life. Stepping lightly over the bridge, Lily looked at the spot where she had been standing, then looked down the cobblestone path to the city by the ocean. Shrugging her shoulders, she said to herself, “well, I don’t suppose I have anywhere else to go but the coast.” So, she stepped off and began to follow the trail towards the sea.
After an hour or so of walking, Lily began to tire. Her initial sense of wonder at the place she was in began to crumble at the reality of the situation. She had no idea where her home was. She had no food or water, and she hadn’t seen any sign of life or activity in an hour of walking. Everywhere around her was rolling hills of green grass. Too tired to walk now, Lily crumpled to the ground, her face now covered with a mixture of sweat and tears. Why couldn’t she be home? Things just weren’t fair. As she cried, she began to experience the prickly feeling that someone was watching her. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up and directly into the face of an enormous hare. She startled. The hare had bright, inquisitive eyes, a red velvet waistcoat, pinstriped knickers and a large gold watch chain. A leather rucksack rested lightly on his back, and the shining hilt of a rapier gleamed from his side. Standing easily on two legs, the great hare cocked his head to the side and looked at Lily inquisitively. “Little girl, what seems to be the problem?”
Lily sniffled. “I-I…I want to go home.”
“And where might home be?” His voice was gruff yet warm.
“I don’t know. A long way from here I think.”
“Well dear, everything is a long way from here, really. Sir Basil Worthington is the name. I don’t believe I got yours.” As he spoke his whiskers, combed like a mustache, twitched gently along with his words.
“Um, my name’s Lily. Nice to meet you, Sir Worthington.”
”I say, call me Basil. Lily is a lovely name. Now, you said you wished to be home?”
“I guess so. Do you know how I’d get there? I woke up from a dream and I was…wherever I am.” Lily was standing, and now that she was thinking clearly the tears had disappeared.
“Wherever you are happens to be the great land of Peregrinor, land of travels and journeys. Everyone here is working towards a destination, of sorts. Yours seems to be getting home.”
“Well, what’s your destination Basil?”
“I’m looking for my honor,” he replied curtly in his gruff voice. “But let’s help you find your home first.”
“Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you! I’ve been walking for hours and I haven’t the slightest idea of where I should go.”
“Walking for hours you say?” The hare looked surprised. “Then you must be famished, not to say thirsty as well! I say, let’s have ourselves a meal.” Basil reached into his rucksack and a large variety of breads, cheeses, pies, fruits and flagons of water came forth. Lily ate ravenously as Basil watched and nibbled daintily on some bread and cheese. After she was full, she looked up. Basil spoke. “So, now that you have a little sustenance, what do you say to me helping you find your home?”
“Why, that would be wonderful…why would you do such a thing? You hardly know me!”
The hare eyed her levelly. “I have a hunch that big things are afoot in Peregrinor, and you’re a portent of that. I’d best see you to your destination.”
“Well, if that’s what you want, I’d be very grateful for you to help me.”
“Excellent! We are travelers then, arm in arm. Shall we go?” The hare and the girl picked up the remains of their meal, stood up, and started walking to the great city by the sea.
¶ 10:41 AM 0 Comments
3.
Lily blinked. She pinched her cheeks, splashed water from the pond on her face. She wasn’t dreaming. She was awake and in another world. She called out. “I…don’t suppose there’s a frog around here?”
Silence greeted her.
She stepped forward. Clearer now, she called out. “Frog! I know you must be around here. Can you help me?” Still it was quiet.
She walked onto the bridge and peered into the water. Her reflection greeted her. She scowled at the sight of it. It wasn’t a pretty face in her mind. Her hair was plain and brown, of a length that was neither long nor short. She had soft round cheeks and a rather high smooth forehead. She thought it made her look vaguely cave mannish. She liked her eyes though. They were swimming pool blue and always seemed to be asking a question. However, there was no frog to be found, or in fact, any other sign of life. Stepping lightly over the bridge, Lily looked at the spot where she had been standing, then looked down the cobblestone path to the city by the ocean. Shrugging her shoulders, she said to herself, “well, I don’t suppose I have anywhere else to go but the coast.” So, she stepped off and began to follow the trail towards the sea.
After an hour or so of walking, Lily began to tire. Her initial sense of wonder at the place she was in began to crumble at the reality of the situation. She had no idea where her home was. She had no food or water, and she hadn’t seen any sign of life or activity in an hour of walking. Everywhere around her was rolling hills of green grass. Too tired to walk now, Lily crumpled to the ground, her face now covered with a mixture of sweat and tears. Why couldn’t she be home? Things just weren’t fair. As she cried, she began to experience the prickly feeling that someone was watching her. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up and directly into the face of an enormous hare. She startled. The hare had bright, inquisitive eyes, a red velvet waistcoat, pinstriped knickers and a large gold watch chain. A leather rucksack rested lightly on his back, and the shining hilt of a rapier gleamed from his side. Standing easily on two legs, the great hare cocked his head to the side and looked at Lily inquisitively. “Little girl, what seems to be the problem?”
Lily sniffled. “I-I…I want to go home.”
“And where might home be?” His voice was gruff yet warm.
“I don’t know. A long way from here I think.”
“Well dear, everything is a long way from here, really. Sir Basil Worthington is the name. I don’t believe I got yours.” As he spoke his whiskers, combed like a mustache, twitched gently along with his words.
“Um, my name’s Lily. Nice to meet you, Sir Worthington.”
”I say, call me Basil. Lily is a lovely name. Now, you said you wished to be home?”
“I guess so. Do you know how I’d get there? I woke up from a dream and I was…wherever I am.” Lily was standing, and now that she was thinking clearly the tears had disappeared.
“Wherever you are happens to be the great land of Peregrinor, land of travels and journeys. Everyone here is working towards a destination, of sorts. Yours seems to be getting home.”
“Well, what’s your destination Basil?”
“I’m looking for my honor,” he replied curtly in his gruff voice. “But let’s help you find your home first.”
“Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you! I’ve been walking for hours and I haven’t the slightest idea of where I should go.”
“Walking for hours you say?” The hare looked surprised. “Then you must be famished, not to say thirsty as well! I say, let’s have ourselves a meal.” Basil reached into his rucksack and a large variety of breads, cheeses, pies, fruits and flagons of water came forth. Lily ate ravenously as Basil watched and nibbled daintily on some bread and cheese. After she was full, she looked up. Basil spoke. “So, now that you have a little sustenance, what do you say to me helping you find your home?”
“Why, that would be wonderful…why would you do such a thing? You hardly know me!”
The hare eyed her levelly. “I have a hunch that big things are afoot in Peregrinor, and you’re a portent of that. I’d best see you to your destination.”
“Well, if that’s what you want, I’d be very grateful for you to help me.”
“Excellent! We are travelers then, arm in arm. Shall we go?” The hare and the girl picked up the remains of their meal, stood up, and started walking to the great city by the sea.
¶ 10:41 AM 0 Comments
