Hawthorn & Ash #97

Welcome to this week’s installment of many micro stories, ranging in length from 100 words to 500 words.

With each story we hope to deliver a little whimsy into the lives of our readers.

SKELLIG MICHAEL

When they left New York for Ireland, friends told them to be sure to go to Dingle and Skellig Michael. Ethan and May met in the 1980’s, waiting in line to see the first Star Wars movie. Now they’d travel to where the last movie was filmed.      

            They hired a boat to take them out implying they were movie scouts. Their plan was to stay overnight, do some filming in costume. May’s  hair was in Princess Leia style braids. Ethan’s light saber was disguised as a walking cane. May wanted to get out before the tourist boats, to hide their supplies. Once the tourist boats left for the day, they’d have the rest of the day and all night to themselves.

            It wasn’t easy to make their way up the stone stairway of Skellig Micheal with all their equipment. Finally, they were  here, Skywalker country. May pulled the nylon blanket out and set it on the ground. She pulled out her altar bits, a candle, food offering, crystals.  It was impossible to keep the candles lit, though.

             May and Ethan sat across from each other, eyes locking on the infinite, and began to chant. Ohm was first, then bee breath. They stood and began qigong practice, to align with the natural energy. The wind began to buffet, but they didn’t notice, and they both began to feel aligned with the energies of this island. May was in a trance state. She began to chat up the monks from long ago in this alternative state. May explained what she and Ethan were there for, how they had met waiting in line during the first Star Wars movies, and this had been their dream.        

            As May explained this, she heard an exclamation of incredulousness and confusion. Silence! SILENCE !  May seemed to hear this from inside her head. Confused,  she looked up. Who was there?  With her third eye she saw a figure, wrapped in dark cloth, wavering before her. There was a strong sense of disapproval.

            Could this be Darth himself? God help her! It couldn’t be. May calmed and tried to imagine the strength of  Princess Leia. She stood regally, dressed in her Princess Leia costume. Behind the dark figure several more silent wraiths began  filling in with light. The sun chose that moment to break through the clouds, and damned if a sunbeam didn’t slice thru the lot of them. And yet they stayed.

            The figures began to chant, circled around the couple, holding crosses up. The chanting grew stronger and stronger. May and Ethan were overcome with the chanting, which sounded like old Irish mixed with old Latin. The crosses held high caught sunlight, and their attention. They fell in a heap.

            Much later, when May and Ethan woke in their B&B, memories of the day were foggy and they were both very hungry. May said,” Ethan, how about I comb out these braids, clean up, and we can find a restaurant?”

If you enjoyed this story you can find it and more in the Hawthorn & Ash 2023 anthology.

AVAILABLE HERE!