The young oak tree 3/8

Mary stood at the kitchen window and watched Jennifer walk along the garden on her way to work. Dave came and stood beside her and put his arm round her shoulders.

“Don’t worry old thing, she’s always been safe before, however long it may have taken for her to get back home. I still trust Abigail’s protective spell.”

“I’m not so sure. Who ever is trying to get rid of her is getting craftier with each attempt. You never know what they’re going to try next.”

“I’ve got to go to work myself now, but I promise we’ll all get together this evening and see if we can work out how to deal with this problem.”

He left the house and a few moments later Mary heard the car drive off up the road. She went back to the washing up still feeling worried. She had the strangest feeling that something awful was about to happen. It would be a great pity if the family was forced to give up their knowledge of the fairy folk, but if it was necessary to keep her daughter safe, it would have to be done.

She had just finished drying up the breakfast things and was putting the plates away in a cupboard, when a movement at the end of the garden caught her eye. It wasn’t the day for Jumping Jim to do the housework, but somebody was moving about in the trees.

She relaxed as she suddenly thought that it might be Eve next door going out for an early morning walk, then tensed again as two strange men came out of the trees and walked towards her.

They were studying a piece of paper and waved to her when they saw her looking out of the kitchen window.

“I’m sorry to bother you ma’am, but we’re trying to find Jennifer Jane’s house, we’ve got a message for her mother.”

Mary checked that the back door was locked, then opened the kitchen window. “I’m her mother, what can I do for you?”

“We’re from the alternate world,” said one of the men quietly, looking round too make sure nobody else could hear him. “I’m afraid your daughter has had an accident on her broom, and she can’t be moved. She’s asking for you, so we’ve got a flying carpet in the woods back there to take you to her as quickly as we can.”

‘I knew it,’ thought Mary, ‘something was bound to happen sooner or later and today’s the day.’
She hastily wrote a note to Dave, to tell him where she’d gone, then ran out of the house with the men, to go and help Jennifer Jane.

Sure enough, there was a flying carpet waiting and she made herself comfortable as they flew carefully through the trees, then speeded up as they passed Wilfred at his pool. A few minutes more and they were in the fog.

“Timber Creek please.”

Mary relaxed a little more. At least she was being taken in the right sort of direction. It was only a short trip from the fog near the timber yard, to either Esmerelda’s shop, or the Witches’ Home. However, the carpet was taking rather longer than she expected to come out of the fog.

“This ain’t right Joe,” said one of the men. “We should be through by now. The boss is going to be upset if we don’t deliver soon.”