The travel agent 4/21

Eve, the Bell’s next door neighbour, had driven in to a large town a few miles away from Holmwood. She went over there every six weeks or so to shop at the supermarket and stock up on the heavier things that were awkward to carry back from the village. She’d finished her shopping, put it all in the boot of her car and walked into the town to find a teashop.

She was looking forward to having a quiet cup of tea and a bit of a rest before driving back home. So as she walked into her favourite shop she was surprised to notice that it was rather more full than usual. She really couldn’t be bothered to find a quieter place, so she ordered tea with a piece of fruitcake and considered herself lucky to find a table in a corner that was unoccupied.

She sipped her tea, had a mouthful of cake and began looking idly round the room. The extra people that had made the place seem full when she’d first entered, were all sitting together round two tables that had been pushed together.

They were all sunburned and looked very muscular. As far as she could tell they also seemed to be shorter than most of the other customers. ‘Looks a bit like a farmers meeting’ she thought to herself, ‘although none of them look local.’

One of the group appeared to be in charge and was talking to the others in the same tone of voice that she usually associated with tour guides. She tried to hear what he was saying, but the accent was a little strange to her ear.

Then she suddenly pricked up her ears in amazement. One member of the group had asked a question, judging by the tone of his voice.

“I’ve told ‘ee afore,” said the leader, “we won’t find that Jennifer Jane round these parts. If we’m found out we could be in trouble with them witches at the Gate.” He looked round, “now bide thy time, questions when we’re back on our own.”

Eve wasn’t too sure what he was talking about, but the words ‘Jennifer Jane’ and ‘witches’ had increased her curiosity. When the group left, she hastily finished her tea and carrying the last piece of cake in her hand followed them into the street.

Their behaviour was a bit strange to say the least. The leader seemed confident enough, but the group following him walked as far away from the edge of the road as they could. Indeed some of them looked quite frightened as cars whizzed by only a few feet away.

They stopped at a pedestrian crossing and one of the strangers was beckoned forward and told to press the button. He seemed most reluctant and took his finger away after he’d pressed it, as if it had been red-hot.

The lights duly turned red and the leader hurried everyone across the road, closely followed by Eve. Fortunately they headed into the same car park where she had left her car and very carefully made their way to one end, as far away from the traffic as possible.

“Noisy and smelly I know, but no more nor what they’d think of horses galloping about and silage.”

“Excuse me,” said Eve, but I couldn’t help over hearing you in the café, do you really know Jennifer Jane and some witches?”

“I’m sorry ma’am,” said the leader in a perfectly normal and understandable accent, “but I don’t follow the point of your question.”

“Well, it just so happens that I’m a witch myself and I know Jennifer Jane quite well.”

The group began mumbling among themselves, then one of them spoke up and asked the leader a question. “Thought there weren’t no witches in these parts young Jarge,” he said.

Jarge didn’t answer him, but spoke instead to Eve. “If you’re really a witch, then do you mind telling me what group you belong to?”

“My coven is known as ‘MAGIC,’” replied Eve proudly, “we have to meet secretly because lots of people round here think witchcraft is bad.

Jennifer Jane is an apprentice to another group called ‘GOW’, but she joined us recently for a ritual by a set of standing stones which had been found locally. She watched us replace one of the fallen stones. Of course we don’t allow juniors or apprentices in our group, but I thought she might be interested in what we did and invited her along for the experience.”

“Reckon she knows the girl,” said Jarge, “them over at the gate are called ‘GOW’ and we know she’s only an apprentice, however clever she seems to us.”

The group of strangers looked at Eve as if she was very important, one or two of them knuckling their foreheads in respect and calling her ma’am, before Jarge spoke up again.

“With your permission ma’am, we’d best be making our way to the next place on our list to visit. It’s been a great honour and privilege to meet you in your own world. Perhaps you’ll do us the honour of making yourself known to us again if you visit us in ours and please give Jennifer Jane our best regards when next you see her.”

They all walked off, carefully keeping as far away from the cars as possible, leaving Eve wondering if she was dreaming.

She drove carefully back to Holmwood, determined to ask Jennifer Jane what on earth the strangers had been talking about.

There was something peculiar about the whole family recently. They were comparitively rarely at home these days and could often be seen early in the morning, walking to the end of their garden and then disappearing into the woods.

Memories of strange events connected with the Bells flitted through her mind, but she found it hard to pin anything down to a particular occasion. She reached a conclusion just as she turned into the drive at home. She didn’t intend to pry, but in future she’d keep a very close eye on their comings and goings, especially where the child was concerned.