Solid Food

"Where is the cow now?"

"She's being cared for in India."

"How did that all work out?"

"The Child of the Earth improved - he's now taking some solid food."

"A good sign for the Menkind."

"True, true."


-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Daughter from the Future

"All's well" he said gently, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

Marley had been holding Charlene's hand, Puck had taken hold of the other. He bent down and gave her a kiss on her forehead in kind.

A crack of lightning snapped just outside the shed and little Charley slipped her hands from their hold and ran outside into the rain.

"Charley!" Marley called, wanting to go after her.

Puck looked at her dismissively.

"But she's wet and alone."

"The rain can't touch her - she's a spirit - you know that. I will send an elf to watch over her, don't worry."

"It's just that I did not get a chance to help her. I think she mistook me you know, for her mother. I must have reminded her somehow."

"No, there was no mistaking." 

"How do you know?"

"Because one day you will be exactly that - her mother. Today you met our daughter ... from the future."

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series 

Unique to the Lock

All of a sudden the rain came down - not just a few drops here and there - but a sheet of water fell heavily on their heads. Marley scooped up Charlene and made it to the first shelter she could find - the Gardener’s shed.

Inside they could hear the rain pelt down on top of the iron roof, and the ground seemed to be filling fast with water. There was a strong smell of manure and in the half light small machinery glinted. The wind bellowed, the door slammed and with that Marley heard someone pushing from the outside - they were locking it!

She strongly jolted the door and shouted very loudly but whoever had fastened it shut was not responding. Her heart sank for the last of the light had gone and there was no electricity in the shed.

She banged once again on the metal door - hoping that the groundsman would hear her - but it seemed he had turned in for the night, absconding from the storm. No sound returned.

"I will concentrate on Puck and he will come" Marley said to herself assuredly - "I know that if I need him, he will know".

Only moments later the door was rattling and her name was being called.

She was relieved. "Why did you need a key?" she chided.

Puck ignored this question not wanting to alarm her.

Marsden had paid the trolls to find her and confine her. They were at liberty (he had said) to do what they liked, so long as she was not wounded in the mounting. Greville, a long time friend to Puck had forewarned him of this arrangement. Oswald had complied. 

The keys these Trolls make use of are not ordinary fasteners - they render any door impassable and are unique to the lock the spell is placed upon.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Charley

She decided to take the child to the local playground to see if she would talk to her there.

Walking up the grassy rise still the child followed on behind.

Marley sat down on a park bench a little distance from the play equipment and the baby girl climbed up and snuggled right beside her. Close up Marley could see just how pretty she was; long lashes, pale blue eyes, framed by caramel colored Shirley Temple curls.

She looked out across the park, the seat was on a small hill and the view of the trees and gardens was quite lovely.

It had grown quiet, strangely quiet for a public place - being the end of the day the usual patrons were now at home eating their dinners and preparing for bed.

Marley could see that she was holding a fluffy white rabbit in one hand and a small book in the other. No words came.

"Do you have a name?" she asked gently. The little girl nodded and then smiled. 

"Can you tell me what it is?"
The little girl shook her head "no".

"May I call you a name of my own then?"

The child moved up yet closer on the seat and put her chubby arms around Marley's neck.

"Charlene! Charley for short (rhymes with Marley she thought) ...how does that sound?"

The child clung tightly and Marley felt a wonderful warmth.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series 

Spirit Child

It had been a fine day earlier, when Marley had been shopping in the card store (the same stationers where she had bought her winning lottery ticket) - (or at least believed she had won it there) - and later went to purchase the store itself with some of the prize money she had received.

Today she was looking for a novelty card to give Puck. It was coming up to their anniversary of a whole year. She was browsing for something with whimsy that they could open together and share a laugh about.

As she stood in front of the card aisle trying to find the perfect sentiment, she reminisced over the times that he had been there for her when she had needed him.

It did not enter her head that he and her had differences at all - it seemed very natural, incredibly natural - almost second nature, for her to be with him.

And as she was standing there, seeing far past the cards with their powerful inscriptions inside, a small child, no older than three, ran up and wrapped her arms around her legs tightly.

She was a 'spirit' child (a ghost of some kind) yet dressed in modern clothing wearing a pink t-shirt with a fairy on the front, very small blue jeans and glittery sneakers with pink Velcro trims.

"She can't have been long gone" Marley first thought pityingly, looking down at the small figure still clutching her thighs.

Marley had grown used to seeing apparitions and otherworldly phenomena. Sharing her life with Puck had given her this vision, which was convenient because she could see now the folk that he would talk to, and he could no longer return to invisibility within the physical world and be unseen by her.

It was a little difficult at first - finding just how crowded every place truly is within the world - with characters of all kinds.

Yes, there had been diversity issues for her and not to mention the uglies that had faces so foul it took moments to get over them.

But once she had got past her own judgements and comparisons Marley found she could flip quite ordinarily from this world into the ethereal and just accept it for what it is. Not only could she see the folk there but now she could hold a conversation with them too.

Marley expected that the child would disappear out of there, for most human spirits very quickly come and go; but instead she followed her from the store into the hairstylist, and the cafe, the grocer, to the refuge where Marley dropped off a dozen bags of groceries - she even followed her into the bathroom in-between.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Bags of Beans

Oswald beamed.

He rummaged around in his grimy pocket and pulled out two teeth and a key. He handed over the key.

"You'll find them kept in the shed behind the Piggery. I've got no use for them myself but I will be requiring a reward."

"How so?"

"Well I'm letting them go and facilitating their release so to speak - could have gone elsewhere you know."

Puck looked hard at him and said, "All I've got on me is a bag of twelve beans - quick growing vines - but I guarantee you'll find a use for them for they can reach thirty feet in just under an hour."

"Make it two bags."

"Done! Two bags of six beans each. Just don't go feeding them to your enemies mind, or the Warden will be after you for murder."

"Fer sure" the Troll grumbled, "A shit that Warden is - got no jurisdiction over our kind."

"He does if you misbehave."

Puck turned the key in his hand watching it turn from gold to silver and back into gold again.

He looked up at the furry face still staring at him. "Thank you for your help Sir" he said respectfully. "I did not mean to be abrupt with you earlier. Good luck with your chances, choices and fare!"

The Troll bowed and disappeared.

That was a close one, Puck thought to himself - for moments there he had almost traded away his kindliness too.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

The Hood

"You do know what rhymes with Puck, don't you?" said the Troll, Oswald, rather smarmily.

"Truck?" glibly replied Puck, who was really over that joke and this Troll.

"Look here friend", the Troll began with an emphasis on the word 'friend', "you wouldn't just happen to be related to them Cappuccino mob by any chance of fate, now would you?"

"Do I look like a dwarf to you?" answered Puck a little curtly - he had desperately needed some silence to collect his thoughts in.

Oswald persisted, "what with your name being Hood and all ... I was only thinking...”

"That was a long time ago Oswald" Puck replied, and then added drily, "and besides, we all wore hoods back then - it was the fashion."

"Style still is today I say,” said the Troll triumphantly, as though he had knitted up the dialogue with reason.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series