Starlight Stranger

This was an entry for a short story competition I submitted to, it was fun to do and though I didn't proceed to the next round the feedback was nice so here's 'Starlight Stranger.'

    “Where were you when time stopped?” Valerie froze. The voice was sharp and new. She could scarcely hear her skirt rustling against the dirt road. She turned to her left, absentmindedly adjusting the cloth over the basket hanging on her arm.

    There, in the alleyway, stood a boy with hair so blonde it seemed to glow. “Starlight,” she thought. The boy was examining the stained glass of the church windows. They were admittedly the nicest part of her small town.

    “When was the last time a new person arrived?” She took in the pristine caramel skin of this stranger; his coat was clean. New even. His trousers looked pressed. A stark contrast to the last newcomer. An old woman passed through town months previous, leaving her with a handwritten book. It was taking her time to decipher, but it seemed to be a book filled with drawings of plants. The words in the margins were uses and remedies. It was too bad she couldn’t ask more from her.

    But this new stranger was young. Different. What caught her attention most, though, was when his gaze fell on her. His eyes. Crystalline green.

    She could hear her mother’s words ringing in her ears loud and clear, “Green eyes are a sign of magic they say.” She had smiled sadly at her when she said it. Under the watchful gaze of the pastor, her mother had berated her for missing her prayer. All the while, her mother had a blank look in her eye and a paper smile.

    “Excuse me?” She squeaked, remembering herself. Valerie must have misheard him. The man had an easy smile, paper just like her mother’s.

    “Pardon? I didn’t say anything. You might want to be careful. Hearing voices is…” He paused, looking her over. She cowered inward at his gaze. She tucked a wisp of blazing red hair under her bonnet. Her hand patted the top of her head to assure its presence as he continued to gaze upon her.

    “Valerie. You know you shouldn’t be out on your own.” A warmer, more familiar voice startled her. Her eyes filled with the sight of her neighbor Adam, the lumberer’s son. Light brown hair and blue eyes marked him the most desirable in the town. He was broad-shouldered and seemed to loom over her. His arms crossed instantly. His eyes dropped to the basket she carried in her arms. “Did you go collecting herbs again? You know how folks feel about that.” His voice dipped but carried all the same at the end of his sentence.

    “Sorry,” she mumbled clutching the basket tighter, “I was just…” her head turned to look at where the man with starlight hair was once standing. Nothing. No one.

    “Were you talking to someone?” Adam said with an abundance of obvious caution. She shook her head violently before gathering her wits. She started toward home forcing Adam to follow her the last leg of her journey. Her skirt swished, and her apron caught periodically on the heavy basket in her arms. Little loops and frays littered the cloth over her hips.

    “How’s your ma’?” Adam said. Valerie pursed her lips. She was sixteen now and the perfect age to marry. Having ill family members wasn’t a good look, or so her mother said, but it was hard to lie when she wasn’t ever able to make it to Sunday church. “The pastor asked me if he should give your family a visit.”

    She shook her head lightly. Her eyes fell to the herbs in her basket, and a little shame filled her, “Alice is starting to cough, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Valerie was determined to make something to heal her mother and sister. If she could help them, maybe she could help more people. At least that’s what she told herself to justify the lavender from the pastor’s wife’s garden carefully covered at the bottom of her small pile.

    Adam promised to be by at dusk with today’s meat haul. Their family had been a big help since her father’s sudden passing last year, but overall, it had been overbearing.

    Before she could open her front door, it swung open, the doctor looked a bit pale, but gave her a warm smile, nonetheless. “I’m afraid there’s nothing more I can do. It’s in God’s hands now.”

    It was pleasantly warm inside compared to the fall air outside. Nights were beginning to cool down, and Valerie had to be sure the fire was kept going.

    In front of her was a simple one-room home, the kitchen was in the entryway and to the left at a lower level than the rest of the house along with a small dusty dining table. The living room was in the back right corner, and the bed they shared was off to the left of the home. Currently, their mother was sitting up propped on a pillow with Alice curled up with her head on her lap. Her mother’s hair was a dull mousey grey/brown and currently a tangled mess. Valerie made a mental note to brush it today. Her face was a pasty white from weeks in the house, and her eyes were nearly sunken and dark ringed.

    Valerie crossed to her workstation by the fire. She threw a few small logs on and stoked it, watching the flames crackle to life. She removed her bonnet, took her mortar and pestle, and set to work. She ground some small ginger root she had scavenged as well as some willow bark. She heard the older people talk of seeing savages peel and chew its bark. And lastly, the small bundle of lavender. She took extra care with each petal. Her brow furrowed as she studied the book’s curly writings attempting to make sense of the letters on the page.

    It was the only book they owned other than a bible, and it could scarcely be called a book. The pages were crumpled and bound by twine. There was no cover.

    “Valerie, the water is boiling over.” Her mother weakly called. Valerie jerked, spilling the three powders onto the table. She whispered a curse before pulling the water off the fire with as much care as she could muster. She stumbled to the water trough where they bathed. She only had one bucket left that was meant for cooking dinner. Otherwise, she’d have to make her way out into the quickly approaching night. She swept up the powders storing them into separate vials before handing one to her mother and sister.

    “Alice, bathe and help mother wash off. I’m going to fetch more water before night falls.”

    She didn’t wait for a response and instead set out with a bucket in each hand. Adam would be by soon, so she needn’t worry for her mother and sister. He would most likely start the food, and she could finish when she returned.

    Walking to the stream, she heard the faint sound of humming. She glanced around the well-worn path wondering who could be out other than herself. Most everyone was sensible enough to have retrieved their water before now. She found herself stopping to listen for the eerily beautiful notes that warbled in and out of her ear. Could she be imagining it?

    With the stream now in sight, the humming had stopped. Valerie set upon her task, filling each bucket with river water. She hiked her dress, apron, and underdress into her waistband and set into her task. When she turned to leave the water, movement stilled her.

    On the bank sat the man with starlight hair. He looked upon her with amusement. His lips were quirked in a half-smile, half-smirk. “A bit late for fetching water.” He mused. She bristled. She looked him once over, then turned to leave. “A bit feistier so far from town. Not too brave of you, missy. They say there’s been some odd folk about recently,” he stopped. She stopped, "Said to be giving out some strange items." Valerie's blood ran cold. “I’d be careful of any items from such people. Women especially… can’t be too careful of witches.”

    Being closer now, she could see small imperfections in his once perceived flawless skin. A small mole on the corner of his eye and edge of his ear just hidden by the locks of fine hair. “How did you…” she started. He held a single slim finger to his lips.

    “They’re watching,” he spoke. A tree branch cracked beneath footfall. Valerie stood silently. The two buckets grow heavy in her arms. The pastor’s daughter and the jailor’s son were just at the tree line in a heated discussion. A windswept through snatching at her loose hair. Horror filled her chest with the slow realization that she was bonnetless and the two figures had caught sight of her.

    In a desperate attempt to flee, she took off, ignoring the whine of her muscles. She took the back way and arrived behind her home. A sheen of sweat clung to her hairline, and she cursed.

    “Not very smart to take off running like that.” The man stood propped against her home, his hair shimmering in the quickly disappearing light. He didn’t seem sweat ladened or even winded.

“How?” She breathed.

    “Valerie!” Adam’s voice sounded from the front of her home. She looked behind her to ensure she had no pursuers, then turned back to find the man once again gone. She stifled a huff and came around to where Adam stood. He looked at her with wide eyes. She was certain she looked mad. Shoes long forgotten by the stream, skirt tucked, and hair windswept. She dropped the bucket to the ground and gasped in pain. “What is this?” Adam shouted. Valerie winced. Her mouth dropped in abject terror at the item Adam held to her face.

    “How dare you go through my things!” She came back shrilly. He looked taken aback at her outburst. His face quickly changed from open concern to cold.

“I’ll be taking this. Meat is inside.” He stood at his full height and turned to leave, “Don’t be stupid Valerie.”

    Her mother was now gently tucked into bed. She turned to see Alice was curled up on the rug in front of the fire with a light blanket on her. What she didn’t expect was the man looming over her sister. A scream lodged itself in her throat. The shadows blocked out everything but the shape. He was lanky and tall, taking long strides until he stood before her. “So, you’ve now lost the book.” He huffed. If she wasn’t so terrified, she’d think his remark was childish.

“W-who are you?” She spoke.

    The smile he sent her was blazing, “God’s favorite of course.” He tapped his nose and winked, “And I have a proposition for you, little one. Steal that book back, and I’ll help you.”

    When he said nothing further, she faltered, “Just that? Just like that?”

The smile he gave her was eerie and far too perfect.

    Morning came far sooner than she wished. Her plan was simple. Sneak in and out and be done. She assumed Adam would keep the book in his room, and since winter was fast approaching, he would most definitely be out with his father at the mill. Before leaving, she fed both her mother and sister, giving them each another dose, and assuring her bonnet was secured before leaving.

    The edge of town was always quiet. She scarcely saw a soul on her walk. Upon arriving at Adam’s, she saw his mother and sister hanging the wash. Their house had many windows, affording plenty of light and more importantly access. It didn’t take her long to find her way to the right window and even less time to shimmy her small frame into the opening. Regardless of ease she still found herself falling to the floor of the room in a heap. The sound seemed to seize her heart, and she waited with bated breath for the sound of footsteps. Anything.

    When none came, she let out a soundless sigh. It was no surprise that the first place she looked for held the prize she was after. Her heart soared as her hands landed on the parchment. With haste, she made her way to exit when voices made her freeze, “I don’t know pa’ Valerie’s been acting funny. I’m worried she might have a sickness.”

    Another male grunted, “We’ll have a talk with the pastor. Hear he’s got a special friend in town now. S’no good for women to be on their own like that.”

    Valerie scoffed mentally but held her breath as they passed the window. Just before she threw herself out, she saw a small child in the doorway. Their eyes met, and the child let out a shriek. Deftly Valerie threw herself out the window and into the woods leaving the baby’s cries far behind her.

    Once she arrived home, the man stood before her. He held out his hand. She looked down at the curly script of the front page, her eyes lingering on its contents before she begrudgingly handed it over. The man’s face seemed to split in two. She couldn’t look away.

    Despite the flicker of firelight behind her, she followed the strange man into her home. There in the kitchen was her mother. She was smiling and had her arms held open. She rose from the bed with an ease she hadn’t seen in months. Alice came bounding up jumping into her arms. The scent in the air was heavy with lavender and ginger. She felt warm. A smile split open her face. Her bonnet slipped from its place on her head allowing her fire-red hair to billow down to her waist.

    She held her sister close and pulled her mom into her arms as well. Her frame was so thin and frail. She seemed weightless. Valerie buried her face into their hair breathing deeply.

    Just then, there was a knock at the door. Valerie stood wiping her eyes. Adam, his father, and the pastor stood in the torchlight. Valerie had no idea when it had become dusk, but she welcomed the men in. They nodded, studying the home. Her mother began speaking with the pastor, and Valerie sighed deeply taking at the moment.

    "Valerie, who is this?" came her mother's weary voice. She looked up to find the man with starlight hair propped at her workstation. He looked relaxed. The pastor jumped, stepping forward to take the man's hand.

"Valerie dear, you know this man?"

    Valerie fought the urge to make a face, "In a matter of speaking." They said in unison.

"Witches abound sir’. Miss Valerie here has been a devout helper." The man’s smile frightened her, but she returned it all the same. Her mother and sister were well, and time seemed to stand still.