Writing and receiving letters via virtual post

[HenryX]

Hello all,

@Sophia1 @Shaz51 @Exoplanet @Appleblossom @Adge @Flax @Arizona @LostAngel

{~1000 words}

Gosh! Sooty seems to have got himself into pretty bad shape, I hope he is alright. He's not sounding at all like the sometimes serious but normally playful, mischievous character I remember. In fact, rather gloomy. Maybe he has had too much partying, telling of war stories, tall tales and Dwarven Ale at the Dolgrens', dwarf king's hall.

"

We know that the “Little Girl with no name”, had followed the deer, in order to find a way out of the woodland for she and her companions. Little Bee, Gumnut Bub and Horrace Bat had followed in a gaggle. However, those other mischievous characters, the woodland imps had set a trap for whoever might stray in that direction. The imps were reclusive characters and resented the activities of others in, what they considered, was their woodland. They also knew of a treasure chest that had been found. They had even seen the treasure chest, but had not been able to get it open. While they were away, looking for tools with which to open the chest, someone had hidden it again. Indeed, it had been hidden so carefully that, search as they might, they were unable to find it. There were various tracks, going in different directions from where they had seen the chest. However, there was nothing that gave any clue as to which track was used, along which the chest was carried, to hide it again. They were so extremely annoyed and agitated that, if you know the story of Rumpelstiltskin, you would have thought that he was merely having a little social dance compared to the furious stamping, shouting and banging of the imps.

"

The imps were so determined to find the treasure chest that they formed a plan to trap anyone who they thought might know where the chest was hidden. Unfortunately, the deer had been an innocent and unknowing accomplice in this impish plan, having attempted to lead the Little Girl, Little Bee, Gumnut Bub, and Horrace Bat out of the woodlands toward the castle. The first that the deer knew of the trap was when she heard a loud shriek from the Little Girl, followed by a tumbling sound as Little Bee, Gumnut Bub and Horace Bat all fell into a deep hole in the ground. The hole had been covered with thin branches and leaves, to disguise it and make it look just like the rest of the forest floor. The imps had been determined that neither the Little Girl nor her companions should leave the woodlands before the imps could find the hidden treasure chest.

"

Sure enough, the intrepid little band, as they followed the deer, though not exactly in its tracks, all ended up falling into the trap that the imps had so carefully set. The deer, somewhat startled by the noise and the sudden disappearance of the companions, and not knowing what else to do, had quietly slipped away, into the woods.

"

As the Little Girl lay in the hole, that had served as a trap prepared by the imps, she began to wonder who would miss them or, even if they did, how would they know where to look for them. She knew that Cook would have been busy, preparing the evening meal, the Professor normally worked in the library until it was time to wash and slip on his jacket before dinner. Vanessa, the ballet teacher, had joined the woodland excursion earlier, but she had gone back to the castle to prepare lessons for the following day. So what could they do?

"

The Little Girl realised that the only chance to get help would be for Little Bee or Horrace Bat to fly to the castle to fetch assistance. It was decided that Horrace Bat would fly back to the castle and into the kitchen. He would have to let Cook, who so often looked after Horrace, know that there was a problem. Cook would surely know that, if Horrace had come back without the others, there was something seriously amiss. It would be she who would have to let the Professor and Vanessa know of the problem. While Horrace Bat was away, Little Bee was prepared to defend the Little Girl and Gumnut Bub with her sting, if necessary. The Professor, Cook, Vanessa and Horrace Bat would have to be quick about finding the Little Girl and her other companions before it was too dark to safely continue searching.

"

Despite how Sooty had been feeling, it was he, with the help of the deer, who eventually found the remaining trio of friends and alerted the Professor, Cook, Vanessa and Horrace Bat as to where they were. Needless to say, they had not thought that they would need rope or a ladder to rescue the trio. But the imps had not dug the hole so deep as to prevent their rescue. So, the Professor, Cook, Vanessa and Horrace Bat, all working together, were able to help the Little Girl, and Gumnut Bub from the hole, while Little Bee performed a celebratory Bee Dance, in order to lighten everyone's spirits after this frightening end to the woodland exploration.

"

Everyone was very happy to be back in the safety of the castle. They all had a wash, dressed and came to the dining room for the evening meal. Sooty was given two fish cakes, for which he was most appreciative. The deer was given some fresh trimmings of garden vegetables, the greater portion having been part of the meal for the people in the castle. Horrace Bat was given a very special preparation made by Cook, that she knew Horrace especially enjoyed. Gumnut Bub was given special attention and Little Bee was given some nectar that cook had carefully put aside for just such an event.

"

With Best Wishes

@HenryX

PS. Hi @Flax , I've been over to the AbsoluteWrite site and offered a short intro. There are certainly a lot of resources and information there that, I believe I will enjoy, as I get more involved in writing. Thank you, @HenryX 

[Sophia1]

Hello all virtual letter writers and story tellers..

I have decided not to tag anyone as many people are having individual struggles still..

I want to respect everyone's space and feelings..

I am feeling strong enough to write on here today....I cannot assume that this is the case for everyone else because I suddenly have found some adrenaline..

So without further ado..........................................

Following on from last post....well written as an overview including everyone respectfully...

The little girl ....at times known as a Selkie Fowlk....at times known as the nameless little girl...was still in shock, whilst seated at the dining room table ...a beautiful spread of food for all..

She was not used to having her friends sharing a meal with her...in fact was not even aware that her friends were known about...

She loved every minute of having them there but still felt distanced...as though she was out of her body ...looking down at the large gathering of friends of all kinds with professor, ballet teacher, piano teacher, cook as well..

She was not aware that her mind started to wander and in her daydream state she was reminded of how she met deer....now seated at the dining  room table...

What about those imps? Where were they now? Why were they so mean? Not even thinking about lost treasure...

Her thoughts then went to how could she now manage more adventures? Would she be monitored more closely.?

She must come up with a plan in adance to be ready to leave at a minute's notice..

She excused herself from the table thanking all of her friends and castle members for such a lovely meal shared together...A huge thank you also for allowing her friends to be invited....making the most out of the opportunity...milking it??...could she please have them all over on a regular basis?... 

A few exchanges of hurried looks with some eye rolling...resulted in...we will of course think about this my dear...we at first need to have a serious talk with you..

At once the little girl yawned.....feigned feeling faint...exhausted....needing bed immediately..

Without any further fuss she was assisted upstairs to her bedroom....helped and tucked into bed...phew

Once the nameless girl could hear nothing from the other side of her door....she lit a candle and delved into her cupboard which was so big that she could climb inside and close the door....in search of her school satchel..

She had squirrelled away some biscuits wrapped carefully in a tin...some fruit cake...sliced and similarly stored...a few bananas and a couple of shiny apples...

Tomorrow she would find a hip flask that professor used which she must rinse well  as it had a strong odour that smelt like methylated spirits...

Sneaking out of the cupboard....hiding the satchel under the bed...blowing out the candle....she climbed into bed..

Talking to herself about her next adventure...this time much further away from where they had entered the woodlands...

She would set a trail of crumbs to follow..

She would set a trap for the imps....she could  use some shiny ornaments that were on shelves around the castle...very dusty...still appealing to the greedy imps..

She jumped out of bed as she remembered that she had not been back the the library and needed to check that the large bevelled glass with leadlight window needed to be closed...

Carefully she made her way down the stairwell...by shifting her bottom from step to step should someone just appear..

On entering the library she felt the cool air....closed the window..

She then noticed the same book was open on the desk..

Glancing at the page again as she had taken a candle with her which she then lit....she noticed a story about a magic coin that had been stolen centuries ago...this coin had magical powers to bring a wish made by the beholder of the coin at any given time....She read the fine print...the person had to have good intentions otherwise the wish could trick the beholder at a later stage...

Carefully closing the very large book with quite a huge effort and stifling her coughing...so much dust...who cleaned the castle?.....something shiny dropped out..

Oh my thought the nameless girl ...there it was...the magical coin...

So unbeknownst to the girl...the coin would return to the book...unbeknownst also to all previous users..

The girl held the coin snugly in her left hand...admiring the shine....noticing a change starting to come over her...a sense of growing larger and far more powerful....

She had not made a wish yet...

The coin then spoke to her in a whisper in celtic tongue..

oddly and with great surprise the nameless girl understood the meaning..

make a wish ...translated version....

be careful....

She closed her eyes very tightly as little girls do when they are told to think about something carefully in particular wishes...

I wish that I could fly.....I want to be able to fly all over the island and see what else surrounds the island where I have never been away from.

A voice from the coin..."you must have food, water, warm clothing, a raincoat with a hood" 

You must not breathe a word of this to anyone else.

Do you solemly promise to abide by these rules? Yes, Yes please said the little girl..

She rushed to the big cupboard in her bedroom. lighting her candle....located the required clothing...then reaching under the bed retrieved the packed satchel..

With all of her provisions together..including her special teddy bear packed under her arm underneath her warm clothing and raincoat with a hood..

Suddenly she felt her body elevated....pass through walls..fly high over the castle...grassed lands and finally the woodlands..

She could clearly see the large lake beneath her glistening from the moonlight..

How astonishing her eyes had adjusted to the night sky and moonlight...She was able to see in the same way as other creatures..

She flew for what seemed like hours..bravely turning on her side...diving low... skimming just above the lake water...smelling the plantlife..

Something caught her eye.. an object made out of wood moving along the surface of the lake carrying 7 little people...she had not seen a wooden river boat before..

she took a photograph in her mind and flew higher,,,higher into the sky....feeling shaky...unsafe...

turning around she said out loud.... home please..

next morning she awoke...what a dream she had had..

🤔

[HenryX]

Hello @Sophia1 and everyone else

I like your continuation of the story Sophia.

With Best Wishes

@HenryX 

[HenryX]

Hello @Sophia1 @Shaz51 @Exoplanet @Appleblossom @Adge @Flax @Arizona @LostAngel

We haven't been active on the "Writing and Receiving Letters..." thread for nearly 3 weeks. Is there any interest in resuming activity in the thread?

Both Sophia and I had not placed other forum addresses in the last of our posts, so members may not have been aware of at least those posts, unless they had checked the thread. If there is interest, would someone care to follow Sophia's last offering? I've got to go right back and take a run-up to get into it, though I can say that I have been pleasantly surprised at my past few offerings. Having not previously thought of myself as a writer at all and especially in fantasy or storytelling. However, with some stimulus and a desire to contribute, I was pleased to have been able to take part in the story.

With Best Wishes

@HenryX 

[Sophia1]

Hello @HenryX 

I found this post by surprise...I check every now and again to see if any new creation has landed here..

I saw your post and thought...

Brilliant..

Two of us is a good start and enough to champion the cause..

Busily attempting to respond to notifications elsewhere today I did not find the one from here..does not mean that it was not there though..I might not have gone back far enough..

We have an interested prospective new member...

Please extend a warm welcome to @RedHorse who has already shown much promise in writing about the garden..

Keen to write virtual letters and stories..

We must encourage such enthusiasm..

I am going to re-invite some of our past writers...bearing in mind some people are dealing with much in their lives..

The other thing to be mindful of is that some of us with our own struggles also are carers therefore not only care for ourselves...others as well...in some instances more than one person...

The caring role can change within seconds and have a huge impact on free time..our energy levels..

I will include your names ...

At the same time I am letting you know that there are definitely no expectations or any pressure to contribute...even read ..just want to let you know that you are still valued as having had a big impact on this thread..

@Exoplanet @Appleblossom @Shaz51 @Adge @Oaktree @HenryX @Sophia1 

others who have visited and or contributed briefly still valued @Anastasia @LostAngel @Arizona @Emelia8 @Flax 

All ideas are welcome...

If your story does not follow on with others...welcome also..

Quirky works well here..

Creative minds let them flow...

Please remember respect...encouragement ...appreciation...acceptance is paramount and mandatory..

Any objections or concerns can be written on the other administration virtual writing group thread located also under Lived Experience/Social Spaces

Again respect for all ...

All sounds very serious..

So back to some fun sharing where our minds will take us..

@HenryX  a big thank you for pushing me back here....It was on my list of things to do...I was actually going to write to myself...

Why not!

feeling spirits rise already...enthused...excited...

I will start off with something from last story...to allow follow on or new ideas..

Sophia 💛spreading warmth to all

[Sophia1]

Selkie fowlk also known as little girl or nameless girl was looking around her allowing herself time to work out exactly where she was..

She felt in a state of confusion as she remembered being able to fly..

The exhilaration she felt from such a capability was bigger than her..

She remembered noticing the surroundings of the castle and flying out over the lake, the seas thereafter..

Then she was reminded of sighting 7 figures in a wooden riverboat out on the lake once she had turned around intending to return to the castle...

She wracked her brain for what else had occurred in this ....what was it a dream??

It felt far more real and a part of her than some dream..

Had she been delirious after such an adventure with her many friends and tricks by those mischievous imps..not very nice at all imps..?

That is right she had left a trail of crumbs..

Then there was deer ..I wonder where deer is now?

Her satchel was there at the bottom of the bed.

She looked inside and found crumbs from cake and biscuits plus a very brown looking apple core..

Hip flask with water almost empty..

Then she remembered her visit to the library before this mysterious trip..

She crept down the stairs once again very carefully so as not to gain attention..

She had no idea whether it was morning afternoon...daylight filtered through from rooms where doors were opened..

Once in the library she went straight to the book...

Goodness...the gold coin was back on the page..

Closing her eyes as tightly as she could..

she wished that she could fly again..

find the riverboat with the 7 figures..

what would happen now?

Who would like to continue?

Sophia

[Sophia1]

Hello @Exoplanet @RedHorse 

I have added more to the last story..

Read for yourself..

If not your style..

would love to read something that you would like to write about.

sophia

[Oaktree]

Hello to all who pass by this place. Might think up a new story to post here. Love to you @Sophia1 

Meggle

[Oaktree]

Hello my dear old friend @Sophia1 

How are you?

I don’t come by the forums very often anymore but I do think of you all from time to time. My dear old friend @HenryX seems to be taking a break too. I have left him several messages which he has not shown that he has read by supporting them. Very unlike him! I do hope that he is ok. He was feeling depressed last I heard of him. I do worry. I hope that he gets in touch soon. 

But what of you? Last I read you too were struggling a bit and not online too much. I wish there were new stories to read here. I miss the fun we had when you first started this thread.

Thinking of you and all the gang @Shaz51 @Appleblossom @Lilaca @NatureLover 

@Emelia8 @Anastasia @Ripples @Exoplanet @everyoneIhaveforgotten

[Oaktree]

Dear @Sophia1 @Former-Member @tonys and @LeChuck 

This is Sophia1’s sacred little imagination space. It began as a place to write letters but quickly morphed into a story writing place. I know we already have the saloon in introduction but I thought we could have this space too for a different story. What do you think?  It took me a long time to hunt through my profile to find it so I hope it was worth it. 

I would ask one favour though? Please don’t read all the previous posts. I don’t remember the exact details but I hurt poor Sophia along the way. I want this to be a fun and safe space again. @Sophia1 this is your space. What would you like to do?

Much love,

Meggle