Under the blankets, Lily’s teeth chattered and she held her breath, hoping whatever was outside would soon go away!
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The strange scratching sound carried on for perhaps another fifteen minutes.
But, finally, the footsteps receded, leaving only the quiet hooting of a lone owl to occasionally break the uneasy silence, hovering outside the cottage.
And, after an hour or so, Lily drifted back off to a deep, but distracted, sleep…
...
The next morning, Lily washed and changed into fresh new clothes.
She made herself a cup of coffee and a big bowl of muesli to make up for the supper she had missed last night.
Then she waited until the morning sun was shining brightly on the cottage.
“It will surely be safe to go outside now!” Lily declared, positively, but still a little worried about things that go bump in the night.
And so she opened the door… but just a little bit… and with a large degree of trepidation!….
But what was this?
There, neatly folded on the threshold, was her big warm winter coat.
Along with a note, in large, scrawly handwriting.
“Aha!” Lily realised: that must have been the weird scratching sound last night!
To be honest, she was much relieved at that thought, and so she sat on the front doorstep and calmly set about reading the note:
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“Dear little friend,” the note read, in very scratchy handwriting.
“I am so sorry for startling you.
“You see, at first I thought you were a nice, tasty deer.
“I am not used to company, I have lived in the forest for such a long time, ever since I arrived in this strange land, washed up from a ship which had travelled from the eastern reaches of Russia.
“Anyway, I am very sorry for grabbing your coat by mistake. Here it is returned, safe and sound to you. You will hopefully find it here next to this note in the morning when you wake up. Unless one of those pesky deer has eaten it.
“I will not bother you again, but please do pop in to see me, if you are passing by the Fallen Cedar in the future.”And the note was signed,
“your good friend, Vera.”“Well now,” Lily pondered, in the bright light of day. “this Vera doesn’t sound very scary at all!”
“Perhaps I overreacted, or jumped to conclusions…” Although Lily wasn’t at all sure that she sounded - let alone looked - much like a deer!
“Ho hum!”
Nevertheless - on balance - Lily felt a little embarrassed about the whole situation, and decided to make amends as soon as possible!
And so, Lily set off down the path once again, and made her way into the forest.
Stepping carefully along the mossy branches
Over those fallen branches and sharp, crackly twigs…
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Until, finally, she reached the Fallen Cedar, and called out a tentative:
“Halloo?”
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“Vera?”
..... to be continued....
