Mary ventures a little closer so that she stands even with the older woman.
"It's...pretty," she ventures.
Unnerving. But pretty.
"Should we alert someone? The constables? Police?"
"A priest of some sort?"
Mary doesn't know much about exorcisms and has never given the idea much credence, honestly. But you never know what the right approach will be in Milliways.
"I believe I do," Mary says, after a moment of thought.
"I love my parents and my sisters. And it's inevitable that we'll part some day. People can so easily be carried away by illness or accident, though aside from Mother's nerves, we've been fortunate to enjoy good health for the most part."
"But whenever I've thought of such things, I suppose I've always felt more saddened than frightened at the thought."
She's frowning again.
"Does that make me heartless, do you think? That it's not something I think to fear?"
(Both Mrs. Reynolds and the thing floating over the bar.)
"Mrs. Reynolds?" Mary asks, clutching her grey shawl tightly across her chest as if it may provide some protection. "What is that?"
Reply
Reply
"It's...pretty," she ventures.
Unnerving. But pretty.
"Should we alert someone? The constables? Police?"
"A priest of some sort?"
Mary doesn't know much about exorcisms and has never given the idea much credence, honestly. But you never know what the right approach will be in Milliways.
Reply
"I told Mike. Imagine we'll have a palaver about it and go from there."
Reply
"It's strange," she remarks.
"In the very recent past, I would have been quite afraid of that."
Not that she's not wary. But she doesn't feel the urge to turn and flee.
Reply
Reply
"Forgive me if I'm being overly candid, Mrs. Reynolds, but I cannot imagine you being frightened of anything."
It's like trying to imagine Lizzy being frightened.
"Tea, perhaps?"
Tea is welcome virtually any time of the day or night.
Reply
But as she's making it, pulling from an electric tea kettle and setting mugs,
"Wait. What? O' course I get frightened of things."
Reply
A safe-ish distance from the strange object.
"I've never seen you display such an emotion, though I concede that we do not know each other well."
"I mean it as a compliment, I assure you. It's a dreadful feeling, being afraid of things."
Reply
"But Mary, everyone's afraid o' something. Hopefully. Or else they don't love much."
Reply
"I'm afraid I don't quite follow."
What do love and fear have to do with each other? And why would one hope to be fearful?
Reply
Reply
"I love my parents and my sisters. And it's inevitable that we'll part some day. People can so easily be carried away by illness or accident, though aside from Mother's nerves, we've been fortunate to enjoy good health for the most part."
"But whenever I've thought of such things, I suppose I've always felt more saddened than frightened at the thought."
She's frowning again.
"Does that make me heartless, do you think? That it's not something I think to fear?"
Reply
Reply
"I think there's a great deal of virtue in being pragmatic. Though most people seem to equate it with being stuffy and humorless."
But one must sacrifice for one's beliefs.
"If I might ask, who is it that you fear losing?"
She asks a bit hesitantly. It is rather a personal question. But Mrs. Reynolds was the one who broached the topic.
Reply
But it's difficult to explain to someone so very young.
"Myself, a little. It's scary, getting older."
Reply
Leave a comment