Episódios

  • The Skylark Bell - Teaser Trailer

    The Skylark Bell - Teaser Trailer
    Oct 17 2020

    Teaser Trailer for The Skylark Bell Podcast - launching January 2021!

    Intro Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

    Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

    Instagram: @theskylarkbell

    Twitter: @melissaoliveri

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theskylarkbell/exclusive-content

    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    1 minuto
  • The Skylark Bell - Introduction

    The Skylark Bell - Introduction
    Jan 29 2021

    In this episode, we will be introduced to the story of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell. Our main character, Magpie, must figure out what has caused the mysterious silence at Meadow Lane before it spreads to the entire town!

    Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)

    Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.com

    Instagram: @theskylarkbell

    Twitter: @melissaoliveri

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveri

    TRANSCRIPT:

    Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: An Introduction to The Skylark Bell. I'm your host, Melissa Oliveri.

    Each episode of this podcast will feature one chapter of my book, Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell. On the last Friday of each month, we'll take a break from the story, and cover a real-life supernatural, or at the very least unusual and unexplained experience.

    In today's episode, we'll be introduced to the town of Pocket, it's newest resident, Magpie, and the mysterious house at the end of Meadow Lane.

    So get settled in, grab a blanket, a warm drink, and let's get started...

    Meadow Lane sits on the outskirts of a small town called Pocket. There is no sound on Meadow Lane. No crunching gravel under people's feet, and not a sound if they yell or clap their hands. It stays surrounded in a thick veil of silence at all times. The wind doesn't blow there, there's not a bird in the sky overhead, and not a critter running through the tall, dry grass.

    Since Magpie and her mother moved to Pocket, Magpie has felt drawn to the mysterious, disheveled house. She hears stories about the young brokenhearted woman who cursed the property, and whisperings about the mysterious Skylark Bell.

    What really happened at Meadow Lane, nearly a century ago, that could erase all sound from the land? And who is the strange old lady who wanders through town without ever speaking a word?

    Magpie has a secret that not even her mother knows about. She has visions from the past, like slow-moving pictures, and suddenly they all seem linked to the inexplicable silence that hangs over Meadow Lane.

    Will she put the puzzle pieces together before the silence spreads to the entire town?

    Thank you so much for listening! Join me next week as we officially embark on our adventure and read Chapter 1 of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, where we'll be introduced to our main character, and the town of Pocket's newest resident, Magpie.

    Be sure to subscribe, you don't want to miss a thing!

    Before I go, I'd like to thank Phaeton Starling Publishing for this fantastically eerie story, and Cannelle Elanion for writing equally fantastic and eerie music for this podcast.



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theskylarkbell/exclusive-content

    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    4 minutos
  • The Skylark Bell - Chapter 1, The Old Farmhouse

    The Skylark Bell - Chapter 1, The Old Farmhouse
    Feb 5 2021
    In this episode we are introduced to our main character, Magpie, who is just moving into an old farmhouse on the outskirts of a curious little town called Pocket.Music: Nightbridge by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.comInstagram: @theskylarkbellTwitter: @melissaoliveriPatreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveriTRANSCRIPTION:Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 1 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  In today’s episode we’ll begin our adventure with Chapter 1, The Old Farmhouse, where we are introduced to our main character, Magpie, who is just moving into an old farmhouse on the outskirts of a small town called Pocket.So get comfortable… grab a blanket, a warm drink… and let’s get started. “Phew, I think this is the last one!” says Mrs. Phaeton, setting a large box on the dining room table.“We did it!”  says Magpie, her bright blue eyes twinkling and a proud, excited grin on her face.Magpie’s real name is Margaret Phaeton; as far as she can remember no one has ever called her by her actual name.  As a baby she was attracted to shiny things, just like the Magpie, and it was her father who gave her the nickname.  Magpie doesn’t remember her father, he left when she was just a baby, so it has always just been her and her mom.  Until today, Magpie and her mom lived in a small apartment in the city, but her mother finally managed to save up enough money for a down payment on a large Victorian farmhouse on the outskirts of Pocket.  The house is like an old-fashioned dollhouse, with a wraparound porch, peaked roof, reddish-brown siding, and white shutters on the windows.  It sits far back from the road at the end of a long driveway lined with trees.  Large, blooming lilac bushes reach up to the second-storey windows, which are all adorned with window boxes just waiting to be filled.  Tulips and daffodils grow along the bottom of the porch and lush, green fields radiate all around.  Behind the house, a small storage shed is covered in ivy and wild rose bushes whose sweet fragrance drifts through the entire backyard.Magpie loves the farmhouse.  It feels like it is filled with history, and the energy of the families that lived there before hers.  The massive front door opens to a wide stairway leading to the second storey.  Wide planks of dark wood make up the floors of the house.  The sheen of varnish can still be seen along the edges of the walls in some places, but mostly, an uneven patina has formed in the areas where countless footsteps have tread.To the right of the entryway, a large opening with pocket doors leads to a dining room which features a large built-in hutch with ornate etchings in its rich, dark wood.  Behind the dining room is the kitchen where bright light filters through ruffled lace café curtains in the windows and a large porcelain sink divides the heavy wooden countertops that line the back wall.  Along the side wall, an old-fashioned turquoise enamel stove gives the kitchen a feel of days gone by, it faces the long kitchen island in the middle of the room.  A row of hand-made wooden stools lined up along the back of the island provides a more casual place to grab a quick bite.  To the left of the entryway is a spacious living room with a brick fireplace and a thick wood mantle on which someone has left an old clock.  But Magpie’s favourite room is the sunroom; it sits in the back corner of the house, connecting the living room and the kitchen, and is painted bright yellow with white trim around its many windows and along the ceiling and floor.  Through the sheer curtains billowing in the breeze she can see rolling fields of tall grass.  Upstairs, three mid-sized rooms with creaky wood floors make up the bedrooms.  Two of them face the front of the house while the master bedroom faces the back and connects to a small bathroom with a claw-foot bathtub.  Magpie’s room has a big, bright window looking out toward the front of the house where she can see the quarry and pond across the road.  The uneven floorboards are faded and scratched from years of furniture being moved across them, but Magpie is absolutely charmed by the sense of history.  Her favourite thing about the room is the closet.  Though it is awkward, with its door tucked in the corner of the room, the inside stretching along the entire wall like a tunnel, and its ceiling angled by the roofline of the house, Magpie doesn’t mind that it’s weird.  She plans to use it as a secret hiding place where she can bring a lamp and do some quiet reading or draw sketches.There are a few remnants of the previous owners strewn throughout the house.  The back shed is filled with gardening tools, a wheelbarrow, shovels and plant pots.  Inside the house, a thick rug sits in front of the stone fireplace and fills up most ...
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    9 minutos
  • The Skylark Bell - Chapter 2, Lucas

    The Skylark Bell - Chapter 2, Lucas
    Feb 5 2021
    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...
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    9 minutos
  • The Skylark Bell - Chapter 3, The Early Bird

    The Skylark Bell - Chapter 3, The Early Bird
    Feb 12 2021
    Magpie has an uncomfortable encounter with one of the locals, and gets the sinking feeling that earning the trust of the residents of Pocket may not be as easy as she hoped. On the bright side, she manages to learn just a little bit more about the mysterious abandoned farm across the street!Music: Nightbridge and The Early Bird by Cannelle (www.cannellemusic.com)Find The Skylark Bell online: www.theyskylarkbell.comInstagram: @theskylarkbellTwitter: @melissaoliveriPatreon: www.patreon.com/melissaoliveriTRASCRIPT:Things with Wings Productions, with the support of Whimsical Productions and Collected Sounds presents: Episode 3 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  If you recall our last episode, Magpie met her next door neighbour, Lucas Starling, who took her on a tour of the town, but remained guarded when it came to sharing information about the spooky abandoned house across from them, and the mysterious Farfalla. When we left them, the pair had just arrived at the restaurant.In today’s episode we’ll continue our adventure with Chapter 3 – The Early Bird – where Magpie has an uncomfortable encounter with one of the locals, and gets the sinking feeling that earning the trust of the residents of Pocket may not be as easy as she hoped. On the bright side, she manages to learn just a little bit more about the mysterious abandoned farm across the street!So get comfortable… grab a blanket, a warm drink… and let’s get started.Magpie and Lucas have stopped in front of a short walkway.  At the end of it lies a quaint building with turquoise siding and a bright, hand-painted board that reads ‘The Early Bird’ in large, bold letters.  Magpie notices the Open sign in the glass door and heaves a sigh of relief, she was getting nervous that they were going to be too late.  They walk through the door and up to the lunch counter where they each sit on a bright red swiveling stool. Magpie looks around; The Early Bird has a great retro feel, with rows of booths lining each side of the restaurant, black and white tiled floor spreading across the expanse of the dining room and brass light fixtures glowing along the turquoise walls. Being in there almost feels like travelling back in time… “What’ll ya have?” asks a dry, scratchy voice.  Magpie turns to see a petite, older woman in a white vintage-style waitress uniform, cap and all, staring at her from across the counter.“Oh!  Ummm… I guess I haven’t seen a menu yet,” she says politely. The woman looks at Lucas, and with a nod in Magpie’s direction says, “She ain’t from here, is she?” in a disapproving tone. “Magpie just moved here, she’s living in the house next door to mine,” says Lucas, meeting the waitress’ gaze with steely eyes.  The waitress mutters something under her breath and pushes a paper menu across the counter.“We close in twenty minutes so yer prolly gonna wanna hurry up and choose.  And we’re outta the meatloaf, just so ya know,” she adds drily. “I… we… I guess just a medium cheese pizza… to go, please.”  Magpie can barely speak, she’s completely thrown off by distrust emanating from the woman.  The waitress grabs the menu and scribbles on a ticket, slips it across the shelf between the lunch counter and the kitchen and rings a bell to alert the cook of her order.  “Have I done something wrong?” whispers Magpie, turning to Lucas.“Nah.  You know, the people of Pocket have lived here for generations, there hasn’t been a new family in town since… well, I guess mine, when my great-great-grandparents moved here… and they’re just barely starting to trust us!” he says, laughing.  “I’m just kidding about that last part, it’ll be fine, just give it some time,” he adds in a reassuring tone.Magpie smiles at Lucas’ joke, but she’s only half listening.  Through the opening in the wall between the kitchen and the lunch counter she can hear hushed whispers between the waitress and the cook, who both keep glancing suspiciously back her way. Finally, the waitress comes through the double-hinged door to the right of the lunch counter, a pizza box in tow. “That’ll be ten dollars,” says the waitress, holding out her hand.  Magpie pays for her order, grabs the pizza box and she and Lucas leave the diner.  The waitress stands behind the glass door, her eyes fixed on Magpie, and flips the sign to ‘Closed’ as the diner’s brass light fixtures go dark behind her. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ It is now sunset and the sky is quickly getting dark.  Magpie and Lucas walk swiftly down the main street toward their homes. As they near the old abandoned house, Magpie opens her mouth to ask Lucas if he knows anything about its history, but before she can say a word a flock of blackbirds lifts out of the grass, startling them.“Whoa, that was weird!” says Lucas, his brow furrowed, “You don’t usually see birds near Meadow Lane…”.  ...
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    8 minutos
  • The Skylark Bell - Chapter 4, An Unexpected Guest

    The Skylark Bell - Chapter 4, An Unexpected Guest
    Feb 19 2021
    In this episode Magpie lets us in on her most closely guarded secret, and meets a new, unusual, and unexpected guest!Music: Nightbridge and Visions 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 4 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  In our last episode,  Magpie had uncomfortable encounter with one of the locals and started doubting she would ever gain the trust of the residents of Pocket. But she did finally learn the name of the abandoned farm across the street, the mysterious Meadow Lane.In today’s episode we’ll be reading Chapter 4 – A Surprise Guest, where Magpie let’s us in on her most closely guarded secret, and meets a new, unusual, and unexpected guest!So get comfortable… grab a blanket, a warm drink… and let’s get started.“Magpie, have you seen my umbrella?!” Mrs. Phaeton yells from downstairs.It is mid-morning and rain is gently tapping the outside of the windows. Magpie is sprawled on her bed, concentrating on her notebook.  Without looking up from her sketch she yells, “I think it’s in the back corner of the hall closet!”Magpie and her mom have been working hard over the past week, unpacking all their belongings and making the big airy farmhouse feel like home.  In her spare time, Magpie has been hanging out with Lucas, who’s been showing her around town and filling her in on some of its history.  They’ve been exploring the land surrounding Pocket every day, taking long walks through the fields, sitting by the gurgling creek that flows into Pine River, checking out old foundations from buildings that fell apart long ago, and ambling down the dusty road to town, but she still hasn’t managed to get him to open up about Meadow Lane… Yet!“Found it, thanks!  I’m heading into town for a few groceries, be back soon!” shouts her mom.  Magpie hears the thud of the heavy front door closing and her mom’s footsteps going down the front steps.  She finishes her sketch and jots down a few notes in the margin before closing her notebook and tucking it away safely under her mattress.Magpie keeps a secret from everyone, even her mother.  From the time she was very young, Magpie has been able to see images from the past come up in her mind, like mini movies, or moving photographs.  These ‘visions’ come to her randomly and she can never tell when they’re going to happen, or why.Last year, she was at her Grandmother Lillian’s house sitting in an antique rocking chair when she was overcome by an image of an old woman, her snow-white hair up in a bun, sitting in that same rocking chair knitting a green shawl.  A few months later, as Magpie was helping her mom pack some moving boxes, she found a dusty old photo album on the top shelf of a closet.  She flipped through it haphazardly and landed on a faded photograph of the woman from her vision. “Who is this?!” she asked her mother, surprised.“That’s you’re Great-Grandmother, Elizabeth!  I haven’t seen that photograph in years!  Oh, she loved to knit.  When I was a young girl I saw a television show with a girl wearing this nifty red scarf.  I wanted one in the worst way so she knit me one!”  Magpie’s mother kept rambling off memories of Great-Grandma Elizabeth, but Magpie was no longer listening, she had never seen a photograph of someone from one of her visions, and she found it unnerving.  There have been many other instances where Magpie has had visions of people and places she’s never seen before, so she secretly records everything in her notebook, hoping someday she’ll be able to put all the pieces together; who they are, where they’re from and, most importantly, why they are appearing in her mind!Magpie gets off her bed, throws on a light sweater and her favourite jeans, and heads down to the kitchen to make herself some toast with jam. Despite the gentle rain still falling, the kitchen is warm and welcoming. Magpie pulls a loaf of French bread from the pantry, cuts two thick slices, and places them in the toaster, then goes to the fridge and grabs a jar of blackberry jam that her mother bought at the farmer’s market over the weekend. The toast pop out of the toaster and she gingerly grabs them and puts them on her plate before spreading each slice evenly with jam from edge to edge.  Holding her plate in one hand, Magpie wanders into the sunroom, watching the rain fade slowly, daydreaming about the people who sat in this very room, looking out these very windows, and what they might have been thinking about, or feeling.  She sits in one of the wicker rocking chairs, quietly savouring the sweetness of the blackberry jam while watching fat rain drops glide along the edges of the ...
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    12 minutos
  • Fantôme Friday #1 - Jack's Room

    Fantôme Friday #1 - Jack's Room
    Feb 26 2021
    On the last Friday of each month, we pause our reading of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, and instead cover a real-life supernatural, or at the very least, unusual and unexplained, experience.In today’s episode we recount the story of Jack’s Room in which our narrator has a haunting experience with a long-departed relative.Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear an original song by Cannelle about this experience.Music: Nightbridge and Jack's Room 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: The Skylark Bell, Fantome Friday.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  On the last Friday of each month, we will pause our reading of Meadow Lane and the Skylark Bell, and instead cover a real-life supernatural, or at the very least, unusal and unexplained, experience.In today’s episode we will recount the story of Jack’s Room – and be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear an original song by Cannelle about this experience.So get settled in, grab a blanket, a warm drink, and let’s get started…I was only a child, maybe 9 or 10 yeas old.  It was Christmas time and my father, step-mother and I were visiting relatives in Quebec City, Canada, which was about 4 hours away from where we lived. Rather than get a hotel, we were going to stay at my Great-Aunt Marselle’s house since she was on a trip overseas for the holidays. Great-Aunt Marselle was my father’s aunt, her sister being my Grandma Rachel.The house was a curious old house with a strange layout and big heavy antique furniture.  It had belonged to my Grandmother’s Father, my Great-Grandfather, originally, where he had raised his son and four daughters first with my great-grandmother, then with his second wife after my great-grandmother passed awaya.  He was a successful business man, and the house sat in an upscale neighbourhood. I had been in the house countless times for gatherings that often included up to two dozen family members, whether we were celebrating Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas, the house welcomed us year after year – but this was the first time I would venture upstairs, and actually stay in the house overnight.We parked in the driveway and took the front walkway to the door.  It was that time of night when the sun had just gone down and the sky was a dark blue, making black silhouettes of the trees and surrounding homes.  We stumbled through the entryway with our suitcases and I made my way to the front parlour.  Suddenly, a flash of white streaked across the room in front of me and I let out a shriek! My father quickly flipped the lightswitch, and in the glow of the antique light fixture I was able to see my Great-Aunt’s white cat, who was aptly named Fanfan (which was short for Fantome, the French word for ghost).  The cat was quite old and deaf, and meowed very loudly, unable to hear itself anymore.We made our way into the house, turning lights on as we went, and hauled our suitcases up to the second floor. I was put in a small room at the end of the hallway while my father and step-mother were in a larger room just down the hall.  Exhausted from the trip, we decided to go to bed early. I don’t remember anything specific happening in the hours that followed, I just remember feeling absolutely terrified.  The walls of the room were covered in wallpaper that had a vine pattern to it, and I felt like the vines were going to twist around me, trapping me in this room full of frightening, negative energy.  I was the type of child who was afraid to bother her parents. Normally, I would not have been fussy about which room I was put in. Normally, I would not have been pushy about wanting to change rooms.  But nothing about that room felt normal. I WOULD NOT stay in that room, so much so that my parents ended up letting me sleep in their room, which was pretty unheard-of in our household. Something about what I said or how I was acting lead them to believe I couldn’t stay in the little room at the end of the hall.About ten years later, while on yet another drive to Quebec City with my father, I asked if he rememberd that strange night at Great-Aunt Marselle’s house when I was afraid to sleep in the little bedroom with the vine wallpaper.  My dad replied “Oh, you mean Jack’s room?”  I paused and looked at him, perplexed. I didn’t recall a relative named Jack.  “Who’s Jack?” I asked, and my father explained that Jack was the brother of my Great-Grandfather’s second wife.  He was originally from Montreal but, for one reason or another, was living with his sister and her new husband at the house in Quebec City. We arrived at our destination and visited with my Grandma Rachel and aunts and uncles. The ...
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    13 minutos
  • The Skylark Bell - Chapter 5, Sunset on the Bridge

    The Skylark Bell - Chapter 5, Sunset on the Bridge
    Mar 5 2021
    In today's episode, Lucas finally tells Magpie the impossible truth about Meadow Lane, that there is NO SOUND there at all. Magpie struggles to understand the connection between her mysterious visions and the abandoned farm.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 presents: Episode 5 of The Skylark Bell.  I am your host Melissa Oliveri.  Welcome back! In our previous regular episode, Magpie let us in on her most closely guarded secret, that she has visions of things that have happened in the past, and she met a surprise guest, an unusual cat who appeared suddenly at her back door, then hinted at a connection to the old farmhouse before disappearing just as suddenly.In today’s episode we’ll be pursue our adventure with Chapter 5 – Sunset on the Bridge, where Lucas finally tells Magpie the impossible truth about Meadow Lane, which seems to trigger the mysterious visions that Magpie struggles to understand.By now, you know what to do! Get comfy… grab a blanket, a warm drink… and let’s get started.“I hope we’re in Mrs. Piper’s class next fall, she’s big on field trips and local history,” says Lucas. “Ugh, I can’t think about school yet, summer just started three weeks ago!” Magpie exclaims, dramatically putting her arm against her forehead and feigning exasperation.  They both start giggling as the mud oozes under their rainboots.  “I’m glad you decided to come out,” Lucas says, still smiling.  “Hopefully that’s the last of the rain!”  Magpie and Lucas have made plans to watch the sunset from the bridge over Pine River, but the rain was threatening to ruin their plans.  Now, the thick mass of gray clouds is blowing farther away with each gust of wind, and the evening sun is shining brighter and brighter every minute.“Well, you know us fancy girls,” kids Magpie. “We don’t like it when the rain messes up our hair!”  Lucas lets out a loud laugh.  Magpie is a bit of a tomboy, with wild reddish hair waving in all different directions.  There’s no way she’d let her hair get in the way of going out and exploring!  They banter back and forth as they amble down the road, but their chatter quiets swiftly when they realise they’re nearing the dirt path that leads to Meadow Lane.“That place gives me the creeps,” mutters Lucas, staring at the dull grey structure in the distance.  It’s the first time he’s broached the subject, mostly dodging it over the last few days.“Why?  Because it’s abandoned?” she asks, hopeful that he won’t change the subject again.“No, that doesn’t scare me.  It’s… the history… “  he begins, hesitant to go on, “you’re going to think I’m crazy.  That we’re all  crazy!” “Try me,” she says, thinking nothing could seem any crazier than her visions. He takes a deep breath before continuing, “Apparently, there is no sound on Meadow Lane,” he says, stopping to wait for her reaction. Magpie looks puzzled.  “What do you mean ‘no sound’, like no people making noise?  I don’t get it,” she says.“No, no, not like that,” he says, “I mean NO sound.  Not a footstep as you walk up the lane, nothing if you speak, or cough, or clap.  Not a creak on the wooden steps, not a noise if you stomp your feet on the porch, not a bird chirping or an animal calling.  Not…  One…  Sound… Ever!” he ends, emphatically.“Is it true?” asks Magpie, thoroughly intrigued, confused and a little scared.“Well, nobody dares to find out because the older folks in town say people who stay on the property more than a few minutes never utter another word!  On windy days, the grass around the house doesn’t even move, and there are never any birds or animals there… it’s really creepy,” he answers, running a hand through his wavy, jet-black hair with a visible shudder.“How can that be?  What happened there?” asks Magpie, a small tremor running through her body too.“No one can explain it, it’s the strangest thing.  Some say it was cursed by a young woman who lived there, after her fiance died… but those are just rumours, I dunno,” he says, his voice trailing off.They’ve come to a complete stop in front of Meadow Lane.  There is something frightening about it, but Magpie also feels strangely drawn to it, almost like she belongs there.  She subconsciously starts taking a step onto the dirt path, and an image immediately begins to form in her mind. She can see a silhouette.  No, two silhouettes!  It’s all very hazy.  She can see a series of trees lined up behind the house, and a large animal, maybe a horse, running in the field, a flock of birds overhead… Her vision is just beginning to take shape when suddenly she feels Lucas ...
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    15 minutos