In this episode we meet Lucas, the boy next door, who takes Magpie on a whirlwind tour of Pocket. Lucas is very knowledgable about the history of the small town, but for some reason he holds back when Magpie expresses interest in a spooky abandoned house nearby.Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.comInstagram: @theskylarkbellTwitter: @melissaoliveriPatreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveriTRANSCRIPT:Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 2 of The Skylark Bell. I am your host Melissa Oliveri. If you recall, in our previous episode we were introduced to our main character, Magpie, who just moved into an old farmhouse on the outskirts of a small town called Pocket.In today’s episode we’ll read Chapter 2, Lucas, where Magpie meets the boy next door who takes her on a tour of Pocket, but seems reluctant to talk about both the spooky abandoned house nearby and a mysterious old woman named Farfalla!So get comfortable… grab a blanket, a warm drink… and let’s get started.The cool spring air hits Magpie’s face as she walks down her long driveway. The cloudy sky makes the early evening seem darker than it should be. It casts a grey haze over the countryside. Magpie takes a deep breath and fills her lungs with the earthy smell of wet dirt and wildflowers, not at all fazed by the muddy puddles along the side of the road. In fact, she’s surprised by how comfortable she feels in the country after living in the city all her life. She passes by the driveway that leads to the house next door; next to it a large mailbox with a bright red flag perches atop a thick wooden post. Next to the flag, worn letters spell out the surname ‘Starling’.Across the road, a little farther down, she sees a long lane leading to a delapitated two-storey house. The house is completely dark, it looks like no one has lived there for decades, and Magpie is instantly intrigued. She is so focused on the mysterious house she doesn’t hear footsteps coming up behind her.“I wouldn’t go there if I were you,” says a voice in her ear. Magpie startles and turns around quickly. A boy about her age is standing by the side of the road next to her, wearing worn jeans, dark rubber boots and a chunky knit sweater. Tousled black hair falls around his face and his grey eyes look completely serious.“Excuse m-m-me?” she stammers, her heart still beating rapidly. “You must be the new girl,” he says, “I’m Lucas Starling, I live…”“…oh, next door to me,” she says. Lucas looks at her, puzzled. “How did you…? Are you psychic or something?!” he asks suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.“Psychic?” Magpie pauses, narrowing her eyes at him – how could he know? “Um… no, I saw your mailbox,” she says, pointing to it in the distance. “Ahh…” he says with a single nod, which sends his black curls waving back and forthThey stand, staring at one another for a moment, awkward silence between them, until Magpie realises he’s waiting for her to introduce herself. “Oh! I’m Magpie!” she says, reaching out to shake his hand. “My mom and I just moved in today. I’m heading into town to grab some food, which restaurant would you recommend?” she asks.A smile teases the corner of Lucas’ mouth. “You’re from the city, aren’t you.” It is more of a statement than a question. “There’s only one restaurant in town, it’s called The Early Bird. You might want to hurry though, they close in about an hour,” he adds, glancing at his watch.“Oh! I guess… I didn’t realise…” Magpie feels completely foolish.“Why don’t I walk with you, so you don’t get lost,” Lucas says with a wink. Magpie looks back at the abandoned house. She wants to ask Lucas to tell her more about it, but she is afraid he’ll think she’s weird, so she smiles at him, nodding, and they start walking toward Pocket.Lucas leads Magpie down the main street of town. It is mostly lined with tidy, two-story homes with ornate trim around the windows, large front porches with swings and rocking chairs, and well-manicured flower beds. As they near the center of the small town he begins to tell her about the handful of businesses that line its main street.First, they come across a gas station with old-style pumps from the 1940’s. “The gas station used to be a hitching post back in the day, before people had cars. The main building housed a tavern, I think it was called The Redwing Inn, for people passing through town on their way to the larger cities on either side. The outside was painted bright red, I saw it in a painting once,” says Lucas. Magpie can hear the passion in his voice, he’s very knowledgable and very interested in the history of the town.“That...
