Fionnuala

    I thought back to what Fionnuala told me two days ago, “I need you to take a deep breath.” she’d said and then she told me the good news she carried my babe. Fionnuala and I would run away to Toronto away from Patrick Thoron, the rich brute, her father bade her marry. My distant cousin offered me a job and a place for us in Toronto where they couldn’t reach us.

     Night fell and still Fionnuala didn’t appear. I entered her father’s house and felt a pain in the back of my head. When I awoke I found the house empty devoid of furniture as if she’d never existed at all. 

Finally I went back to the cliff hoping against hope that somehow she reappear. Night fell and as I took one step towards the edge of the cliff I heard, “Frederick, my love you’ve finally come.”

She looked so different. Her hair had turned white overnight and her face was lined with wrinkles. What had they done to her?

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Waiting for you,” she said.

        Fionnuala smiled, and the air around me swirled with pinpoints of light until it became all encompassing. Time had no meaning. I looked at her seeing once again the woman Id first fallen in love with and I realized that this was what I had been waiting for all this time; for we were now together for eternity at last, no one could ever keep us part.

©Sheilagh Lee March 28, 2018

A Dime a Dozen

“We’ve got them both in the interrogation rooms,” the cop said to his boss.

“Really you have the Duke and Duchess of Naples each of them claiming that the other is trying to kill them? Why are you treating them with so much respect it’s not like they’re real royalty; Ferdinand of Sicily created so many duchies that they’re a dime a dozen and not equal to our duchies.”

“She was a lady before her marriage, rumour is she married him for his money and title. He came into the title due to the death of his third cousins once removed in the waning days of the Second World War. She has scars, burns and bruises that she can produce but we can’t figure out who is telling the truth.”

         The heads turned as they heard shouting from the interview room. As they ran towards the rooms they realized the Duke was in with the Duchess.

“You promised you weren’t going to do this anymore,” they heard the Duchess say.

“Me, I did nothing. Here just have a drink and calm down darling.”

When they entered she was drinking something from a china cup. Then she dramatically fell to the floor croaking, “He’s poisoned me.”

       A few weeks later the Duchess recovered and the Duke was later convicted of attempted murder. The Duke died in prison. The Dowager Duchess lived happily enjoying the social scene her husband had kept her from and raising her three young sons. On hr death bed she admitted she lied and had the Duke killed in prison but her sons just laughed and thanked her, as he’d been a terrible father and had beaten them and tortured them every day of the young lives before his death.

 ©Sheilagh Lee March 21, 2018

Muse

Muse

The last month not one word came from my head and into my computer. I poured a scotch and until I was hammered.

“Muse where have you gone?” I shouted, “I can’ see you anymore”

An eerie screeching sound permeated and filled my heart with dread.

“You just couldn’t do it yourself could you?” a beautiful woman stated appearing before me out of a puff of smoke.

She had hair of gold long and flowing; her the colour of violets and…

“Good grief, even the way you picture me is sexist. Mind if I transform myself into another image you have?”

I nodded speechless and she transformed into a nondescript woman with short brown hair who wore glasses and had brown hair.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Duh, your muse, Calliope.”

“But my muse is just my inner voice.”

“Just like a man always taking credit for a woman’s work.”

“If you’re my muse where have you been the last month?”

“What am I your slave? I went on a well-earned vacation.”

“Are you going to help me now?”

“Already demanding things from me; can’t I have five minutes to get back in the swing of things?”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s better. Let’s begin.”

Calliope dictated a story to me and then disappeared. I reformed and made it my own. The story was an even bigger best seller than my other books maybe that’s because I gave credit where credit was due with a dedication to my muse.

 ©Sheilagh Lee March 14, 2018

Bittersweet

“Do you really need them now?” my nanny had asked about my cars as we went to the park. I run away at the park finding myself lost. Night came and I lie down on a bench and sleep until my parents come.

        I awoke to a young woman and a man. They seem familiar. They’ll take me to my daddy, so I go with them. The young woman spoke into a box like on Star Trek. I was frightened the young man comforted me. We reached a building and a young child ran to me then magically he turned into a man. I was baffled, how could this happen? I looked at the man and he looked like my dad, but he wasn’t my father. I searched my memories as he took my hand gently and hugged me.

“Dad, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

       I looked again at the man and I was scared he called me Dad; but I was a little boy wasn’t I? He sang to me, ‘You are my sunshine.’ and the memories rushed back, this was my son, Alan and my grandson Kevin and my granddaughter Helena had found me. My memory had failed me again; how much longer would I know them?

“Dad, I’ll be there with you, always,” my son said.

        I smile, for that is what I always said to him and he has brought me home. They love me let that be enough for it’s all I have.

 ©Sheilagh Lee March 6, 2018