Midnight Blues (Short Story) | LMAC FreeStyle Collage No. 117

Over the far horizon, Annabelle's small town sat nestled among the low mountain range. Cheerful with fun-filled activities, she embraced the secluded lifestyle, basking in lazy days and blissful night.

But that was before the trouble began.

Whispers spread of Annabelle's indiscretions. Continued weekend visits to the woods only exacerbated the situation until one Friday night during dinner.

"Why can't you behave like other girls your age?" her father admonished, grilling her on her whereabouts and activities while there. He had no choice but to ground her after Annabelle sat razor stiff, gazing past him. Rumors of inappropriate contact with young boys had gained traction the past six months as she blossomed into adulthood.

Never once did her father consider envy to be the rumor's source. And Annabelle held fast her promise to the old lady who occupied the house in the woods.

Once ordered from the dinner table, in the privacy of her bedroom, the house in the woods consumed her thoughts. She pulled out her sketch pad and recorded her memories, then sketched the old lady as she bent over stirring in her pot. Unfamiliar utensils and pottery lined the cupboards. Herbs and vegetables lay on the wooden table.

Thoughts returned to warnings from both her parents. They fell on deaf ears. The old lady was now her mentor. Words and stories flowed from mind of the "old days" as she put it when she and others operated in the open. People weren't afraid of them. They sought them out for their wisdom.

Annabelle recorded the rituals the old woman taught that intrigued her, though the old lady too issued a warning not to divulge their activities. When finished, she locked her diary, then hid her sketchbook in the secretary as she recalled the old lady's warnings.

"Narrow-minded people are superstitious people," she repeated each time she visited. She'd then continue in a lighter tone. "The remedies I offer will ease the coughing of children; the sleeplessness of adults; rashes, and other ailments. Here taste," she offered as the large odd-shaped ladle was thrust toward her mouth.

Annabelle smiled hearing a solution to her town's illnesses was only a few miles away hidden in plain sight. If only the elders allowed the young people to learn new ways.

But the air of foreboding slowly crept in. An uneasiness overtook her whenever she visited town on an errand for her mother. The fleeting glances over shoulders. The whispers. The rush to distance themselves or turn the other way as Annabelle approached.

Change was only a stone's throw away, waffling in on the tide that brought the cresting waves toward the edge of the woods near the old lady's shack. It was only a matter of time before the explosion of ignorance erupted and spread throughout the town.

Tired of being labeled a name she wouldn't repeat, she blurted out her visits to the old lady in the woods. Try as she could, Annabelle's friends shied away once they learned of her whereabouts when she disappeared each weekend.

There was no turning back once her secret was revealed.

The climax happened one night during the beginning of the winter solstice. Holding torches high above their heads, the crowd angrily advanced toward Annabelle's house. Once there, shouting consumed the household until her father ordered his family remain indoors while he confront the angry mob. He must defend his only daughter.

It took more than an hour for her father to calm the crowd, but not without the help of the local authorities. It was then that Annabelle knew she could no longer reside in that town.

Where she'd go was uncertain, but go she knew she must. If nothing but protect her family she'd condemned by her thirst for knowledge of a different way of life.

But she couldn't leave without visiting the old lady one last time.

The weekend was too far away. Urgency squeezed her chest and knocked the wind from it. As she set out down the path toward the woods, a dawning covered her. She'd never walk this path again. The moment she stepped inside the cottage, peace descended. No longer was she afraid of the townspeople and their hatred.

"There exists a place where you will be welcomed with joy. There, you'll learn more than I can teach you, for I'm old and have forgotten many of my spiritual teachings. Dwell among them and be content. Once you are ready, return and teach others. I won't tell it will be easy."

It was as if the old lady was expecting her. Without a word, she shuffled over to a cabinet and retrieved an old, worn book. Staring at it for a moment, she handed it to Annabelle.

Annabelle stared at the book, then the old lady for a several moments. "How did you know that I'm no longer welcome in my town?"

"All who seek knowledge and a higher calling who see the world through different eyes are shunned. People resent their own lack of understanding and are afraid of what they can't comprehend. Not all teachings are harmful. You're one of the best students to come my way. Don't turn back, else you'll face death for exposing the truth."

Annabelle accepted the open book. She flipped over to the cover and stared down at the odd name, then returned. On the first page read, 'In the beginning'. She immediately closed it as she'd never read such words in any book. The beginning of what? she questioned.

The old lady tucked her arm under Annabelle's and led her outside. She eyed the heavens and spoke words Annabelle didn't understand. Immediately, an enormous eagle appeared and came to rest upon a large tree branch.

"His name is Adino. He will watch over and guide you on your journey. Trust him. When you are ready, he will come. Heed my words. Do nothing in haste. Ever. Now return home and prepare."

The time of her departure had been set in secret for a week.

To avoid angry words she didn't want to take with her as the last memory of her family, Annabelle rose early that Saturday morning. Instead of planning her day to visit the old lady, her thoughts turned to her parents. She ensured her daily tasks were completed, then set the table and prepared their dinner. She opened the jar and only removed a small sum she'd need.

She pulled the kitchen curtain back and searched the skies. It wasn't long before she smiled. With her sack on her shoulder, she turned and took one last look at the only home she'd known for sixteen years.

Reaching into her small suitcase, she removed the note and placed it on the center of the table. She stared down at the words:

'Don't look for me. Midnight blues now direct me. I can't explain yet, for I don't fully understand it. I can take care of myself. Know that I'll be well. I love and will miss you. If you ever have need of me, go see the lady in the woods.'

That it was the stroke of midnight that night when Annabelle finally reached the clearing where the moon cast shadows over the water, she didn't notice. What she did see was an enormous eye sharing at her. She should be frightened, but inside the eye was herself walking an unfamiliar path.

A burning sensation began in her mind, then traveled down the length of her body. She sensed the way would be fraught with peril. She could feel the book she carried pulsating, interrupting her thoughts.

The eruption soon calmed as the eagle, Adino, spread its wings and squawked with soothing sounds, then took flight and guided Annabelle toward the light that had nothing to do with the approaching dawn.

For my current Freestyle Collage, I wanted to depict a lone soul driven from her town amidst rumors of powers she supposedly possessed that she didn't have. She wanders throughout the lands far away from her home with only her trusted eagle to accompany and protect her. However, unbeknownst to her, the old lady she befriended and who the townspeople viewed as a witch watches over her.

Below are my steps in which I utilized Canva, my design program in which began with a blank, white canvas. I then add layers of elements in accordance with my upgraded Annual Pro Membership that includes tools to remove backgrounds, resize, filter, duplicate, and reposition items as required.

Images I included in my project are listed below:

^{Woman with forest in head ~ Fantasy tree ~ Exploding planet ~ Eye ~ Landscape rocks - LMAC Original Contest Photo Round 233 ~ Vulture on a rock ~ Skull in water ~ Gull flying - Contributed to the #LIL by @redheadpei ~ Blue moon - Contributed to the #LIL by @mynatasha.}