Anyway, behind the scenes. . .
Amelia knelt next to the clay washtub, holding her hypha under the water as she rubbed the grime off of it. All of the fairy-women in the colony were sitting outside her little house, scrubbing the last few mycelium that the men had brought. Most of the ferns had been torn up in the eager hunt for mycelium. Amelia had loved roaming through the forest of waving fronds, but she couldn’t feel regret at the moment. She was too happy that there was food—and too overwhelmed that she was regarded as a hero. If everyone had known that she had almost kept her find a secret. . . she felt like they were giving her too much credit, but she couldn’t quite find the words to tell anyone.
Finally satisfied with her cleaning, Amelia tossed the hypha into the basket woven out of tulip leaves that sat beside her. The last of the mycelium was thrown into another basket beside her, as the men—including King Titus and Ryan—scrambled out of the ditch they had dug. A cheer went up as Queen Elva, who had been directing the women, shouted, “Done!”
Feed the whole colony? Amelia flew slowly back towards her house with Jerry tucked under her arm; above the path from the tree-stump castle, over the Bluestone, down the little path she herself had made. Her mind was whirling. She hoped she could keep her composure before the King and Queen through this puzzled delirium.
Such sweet girls! Her group has grown a lot since she started. I’ve been so blessed to know all of these girls!
We were gone all morning and all evening in addition to BL, so I didn’t get this posted. . . and I was gone almost all day today too! So anyway, here we are! Enjoy the story–we only have two more left!
Amelia woke up feeling miserable. She found the leaf that she used as a cloak in cold weather, wrapped herself in it over her nightgown, and went outside. The walls of her house were dry by now, and she leaned against the warm mud-bricks and furrowed her brow at the breeze-tossed leaves above her. But she didn’t really need to think—she knew what was right and she must do it, no matter how hard—and she knew it. But she thought for a long time anyway; because it was hard, terribly hard.
I will try consistently post every Tuesday (I think they’ll be 6 parts), but if I miss a day I’ll fudge and post it late (or early, if I see it coming). I thought you guys would appreciate that more than my skipping a week for the sake of regularity.
Once I remembered that, I knew I had a good excuse. More than an excuse, it’s a good reason. But I have a little news first. . .
. . . Today is Michael’s Adoption Day!
Exactly three years ago Little Brother and I officially became siblings–but really, he was my brother all along. We were family even before the finalization, no matter what legalities were in place. We were so blessed to be able to bring M right Home from the hospital!
Now, read away:
Amelia set Jerry on the ground and bent down beside the mushroom. She grasped the base of the stalk in both hands, snapped it off, and swung the fungus over her shoulder. It was taller than she was, but light as a feather. She carried it back to her house, tripping on an overeager-to-keep-up-with-her centipede. She brought it inside and laid it on the table.
Hey, guys! We just got back from a family vacation to Minnesota (pictures forthcoming). It was super fun, but it’s still good to be home!
Unfortunately, my computer is being finicky today, and won’t let me get to my word processor, so I can’t post more of The Mushroom Feast. If we can’t get things up and running today I’ll pick up again next Tuesday.
Sorry about the delay!
Amelia woke up and looked around her home in the dim sunlight that crept in between the shutters. She was lying on her bed, on top of the coverlet, completely dressed, with Jerry curled up on a fold of her pink rose-petal skirt—needless to say, unusual. Storms must scare her worse than she’d thought. Last night seemed like a dream.
“Now tell me all about it! I guess that you have been having adventures, which was not quite fair without me.” (115)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Spoiler alert: There are big happenings in the next part! I’m so excited! The title is going to make sense soon.
When Amelia had been twelve, only a year after her father had died of the bee-sting, her mother had followed. People said she died of sorrow. The little fairy went to live with an aunt and the little house her parents built had sat empty until Amelia turned fourteen, when she went back to live in it. She had lived there alone (except for Jerry) since then, and she knew how to handle thunderstorms.
I’m back. I’m sorry I didn’t get the “Mystery Quote” done yesterday. I had no inspiration for what book to quote that morning, and then I just never got back to it. I guess I’m running out of books.
Last week’s quote was from Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, and the [she] is Rowena. Spencer and Ellen got it right, and Spencer also guessed who [she] was. Great job, guys–especially considering that neither of you have read the book!
And, like I said, I’m running out of inspiration on books, so I’m going to take a break from “Mystery Quote” for a while. I’ll still have my story to keep me posting regularly. I’m considering doing something weekly after I finish posting The Mushroom Feast, and before I start posting The Sacrifice, but I’m not sure I will.
Anyways, I’ll let you read! 🙂
Amelia stayed at the Hawthorns’ for nearly a week, because Cianna said the spider-bite should be washed and bandaged every day, and she couldn’t reach the spot on her neck very well herself. The dizziness went away in a few days, and the burns were long gone even by that time, so Amelia did her best to make herself useful while she stayed. She helped Cianna cook and clean their large tree-stump home. It seemed as big as a mansion to her, after her little one-room house; and she felt uncomfortably as if she were staying in a palace with a king and queen. She felt inferior, though neither of the Hawthorns would ever have tried to make her feel so.
