The Titans (NaNoWriMo - 10)

"You can stay here but what will you do if you "You can stay here but what will you do if you all.." I gestured at her size.

"It depends on how strong our magic is. I told you we are different, from abroad, some call us aliens although we prefer our name."

"You mean Titans or the magic ones?"

We sat on the sofa and went through the books on the first shelf. I did it before but I had no intention to give up. Not after I remembered Carmen did the same and I couldn't help thinking she found something. The smallest hint was welcome.

"I can still go home. Once invisible I even fit into the smallest hole. It's just a bit harder to get some rest. Are you sure these are all the books there are?"

Rosemary studied the books on the lowest shelf.

"I could swear I saw different books once I was here."

"You know what? I thought the same."

"Is it possible the collection of books changes by itself? We should write the titles down and check them the next days."

It was a good plan but I wondered if it was worth the trouble. Within a few days, Carmen would be back and we had to tell her about our latest adventures. 'Adventures' was what Rosemary called her transformation and she added excitedly to it even more adventures were waiting for them. The Titans would be back or at least their great, great, great-grandchildren would be. Her age was still a mystery since she had a hard time remembering it but from her stories I imagined her community -like she called it- lived for hundreds of years underground and served mother Nature after some questionable god with a huge ego and big mouth framed their young leader and made him carry the celestial vault till the moment they came to his aid. At least that story she told me and I read something about it in a book called 'The greatness of the Greek'. It sounded like an age of suspicion and lives filled with anxiety.

"That god," she spat out the words, "was a monster, a cheater and rapist but what did those people know at that time? He ruled by spreading fear, fear, and lies, and hardly anyone was educated during those days. A few false prophets set up complete nations. The Titaniums... They tried to fight back, to free the people. The time wasn't right... Wars are no good, I know but neither is a tyrant."

I listened to her and thought about what she said as I did with everything.
After I made us some tea we wrote down the titles of each book. It went faster than expected.

"It's quite a list. Are you sure we have written down each one of them? No books are hidden behind these?"

I shook my head. I checked it several times and searched the house but this was the only place where the books were stored. The next days we would check them again.
After I cleaned up I brought her some sheets, one of my pillows, and a small blanket.

"You can sleep on the sofa, tomorrow we'll see. Does Basil know?"

"He knows, knows, and is preparing.... Are you still there?"

She felt a bit uncomfortable by my lack of response and tried to catch my attention by jumping up and down.

"Hello, Isaaa are you still with me?"

She pulled at my robe till I finally responded.

"Who made this bookcase? It's not made by the cabinet-maker. Someone else did."

"What do you mean?"

"He leaves his mark, the cabinet-maker I mean. In everything he made, even in the hen house, he left it. Look here, and here, and here."

I ran from the table to the cabinet and pulled a chair away from underneath the table to show her the mark. Each piece of furniture had one except for the bookcase.

"She might have brought it along with her or..."

"Or?"

"Or it was already in the house at the time she moved in," Rosemary proclaimed enthusiastically.

"She didn't build the house?"

"No, she did not. She changed it but the house was there. If you ask me it was a present from Mother Nature herself. Talking about presents... I have something for you."

She pointed at the coffee table.

"Feel free to unwrap it," she giggled as she saw me staring at the package that hadn't been there earlier. Not one but two teacups she had made for me. The cup was a copy of hers. I forgot she promised me to make one for me too.

"One for you and one extra. Perhaps if you like to invite someone, someone like me," she smirked.

"You can bring your cup."

"I'm afraid it will be too small for me if I... We need to make more, more cups, I'll bring mine if you invite me and you have a spare cup. It's okay."

"Thank you so much. I will cherish them and promise to be careful. I need some rest now it was a long day, one with more adventures than I expected. Don't wake me up if you are awake, please," I begged while I rolled with my eyes.

"We'll see, we'll see, don't count on me," she grinned while she laid down and stared at the ceiling.

We ended the night happily. The owls arrived back home and with Rosemary around and her knowledge I expected to find Atlas soon and If not him the book that knows all answers or at least some hints about the promising land mentioned by Basil. If the dark days continued and they left it wouldn't surprise me if the community would try to find it.



Two more days if not three passed by. Rosemary kept me company most of the time. We had a look at the 'animals' farm' where the carpenter kept building what he called 'stables' for the good food. I wasn't sure if that moment would ever arrive. Carmen disappeared and she told me long ago hardly any animal was left in the outside world and the villages became a forbidden area. I knew nothing about a bigger world, other villages or cities since she never took me over there. It was the book about 'the Greek' that made me wiser and Rosemary assured me the village I was born and sold wasn't the only place to go. Still, I could hardly recall the last time we ate meat and the owls were the only living animals I saw lately. It was as if the animals we once observed during the first days of my arrival all disappeared. When exactly was the last time I saw a bird, a living one busy building the best, heard its sound?
I didn't want to discourage the man at work and entered each one of his buildings with great enthusiasm and tried them out like he asked. There wasn't a single time he didn't change something after I paid a visit. He was clearly a perfectionist and loved his work more than anything.

"How come you don't change, are not growing?"

I noticed he remained the same.

"I didn't take it. I am fine with the person I am as long as I can do as I like. If you excuse me I need to finish this. You already did all those things on your to-do list?"

He pushed me out of the little cottage he built while he swung with his hammer.

"Sorry, girl but I better finish this before the lady of the house checks in."

"Is she coming home?" I asked hopefully.

"She always comes back home, my dear, she always does. Off with you, I'm sure you have things to do."

Rosemary was at work in the herb garden. It was unclear if her new size was a plus but she was as happy and helpful as always. I watched her from a distance. It felt as if she talked to someone although I didn't see anyone.

I thought of her words 'I'm not invisible' she had declared to me more than once. Since the moment she changed she remained visible but by now I knew better. She had the power to be invisible, she told me herself. Once invisible she fitted everywhere, only getting sleep was harder.
Did she talk to her people, instruct them what to do? I remembered I asked her if she was their leader and her answer at that time wasn't very clear. They all seem to listen to her although Basil, Longbeard, and the other female seemed to have authority too.

The carpenter was right. I had my to-do list and hanging around wasn't part of it. He assured me Carmen came back and by now Rosemary was tall enough to give me a welcome hand.
The owls flew away except for Carmen's and mine next I searched the trees for some fruits left and inspected the fields. No weed, no plants, mother could rest.

Once back home I checked the front four.
A big surprise waited for me. I couldn't believe my eyes! Animals. Animals were dropped at the front door. Was this what Carmen meant by checking the front door early in the morning. It wasn't that I forgot but it wasn't early either. Hastily I dragged the crates inside. Chickens, some geese, and some rabbits. I hoped they wouldn't spread any diseases but there was no other way to take them to their new home. 'Animals' farm' would have its residents from today on. After I closed the door I pulled the crates over the floor into the direction of the patio.

"You need any help?"

It was Basil who suddenly showed up with a legion of magic ones.

I nodded.

"I hope their homes are ready, that carpenter isn't the fastest around here he keeps changing what he built," he grinned while he winked at me, "boys..."

As one they lifted the crate and disappeared. Not only they vanished in a flash but so did the crate. Shocked I looked around me. The animals had looked a bit dizzy as I found them, found them later than I should have. Would they survive the extra shock?

I pushed the next crate outside and hesitated. Those geese didn't look very active.

"They are drowsy, not sick, at least.."

Rosemary suddenly stood next to me and observed them.

"They'll be fine. Let's take the rabbits outside. Basil will be back s...."

"You called me dear," he looked upon her and smiled. The fact she must be a giant to him didn't seem to scare him. She smiled back and patted him on his head.

"Off you go," he said and gone the geese where.

"Shall we take over the bunnies?" she asked.

"It's a long walk I am not sure if I can carry that crate over there. You believe you can?"

She grew but was still over one head smaller than. Altogether not an impressing length for an adult.

"We can use some magic..."

"What kind of magic?"

"I can make them smaller just like I did with you, make them invisible or..."

"Or?"

"Or we fly."

She busted out of laughter as she saw my face.

"Why do you laugh at me. I can't fly, they can't fly," I pointed at the rabbits, "do you see any wings? Stop laughing!"

I already felt bad enough for forsaken my tasks and Rosemary kept laughing as if nothing had happened and everything turned out to be fine.

"What makes you take everything so serious Isa? Without life is already hard enough. You cannot change what happened let's make the best out of it. Go stand at that side and lift that crate, we will... fly these bunnies overveeeer."

Of course I did as she said. I lifted the crate, hold it, and... the ground underneath my feet disappeared.

"Hold on, we are at our destination before you can count till ten."

If she was right I don't know. I didn't feel like counting till ten, didn't know what I felt except for a strange feeling in my stomach. Before I opened my mouth to mention it we landed. It was Rosemary who landed on her feet while I landed on my face in the mud.

"Soft landing you made sweetheart," Longbeard said while he tried to stand up to stumbled over his beard again.

"Didn't I tell you to shave it off?" Rosemary asked in a stern tone.

"I did, I did, believe me I did it was longer ago."
He tried to stand up as quickly as he could while pulling his beard out of the mud.

"Longbeard?" I whispered, "I like you, you and your beard."

He smirked at muddy me and disappeared in a flash.




Basil and the cabinet-maker both already had checked on the chickens in the hen house but my friend insisted on examining them too.

"I expect they have to recover from the journey. Rest, water and food is all they need. They are young. I have no idea how old they are but with some luck, you can expect the first eggs within a few moonss," Rosemary said.

"Moons, that long?"

"You cannot force nature. Give them what they need and in a few weeks they find their way around here and know where to lay an egg."

I looked at the chickens and felt disappointed. I never thought it would take so long to produce one single egg.

"Let's hope for a rooster, eggs only will not bring us any further," Basil remarked.

I gaped at him.

"Basil, you are growing, you all are and your hair!"

"What a pity I am not the only one with silver hair," Rosemary yammered.

"But you are the most beautiful. We better hurry and find a place where we can stay with the whole clan and look after each other."

"The stables are not occupied," the carpenter remarked, "at least not yet".

The four geese were still young and already walked around. I hoped they felt at home with us. Not much later the rabbits hopped around in their new home.

"They can't dig themselves out, no worries," the cabinet-builder said. He wasn't much taller than the rabbits and I wondered if he could ride on their back but also how he knew. Who told him which animals would find a new home with us? After I went for corn and grain, left some fruit, dried grass and enough water behind I stood behind the fence and followed animal life. Each one of them looked healthy and at home except for the chickens. It felt good to have more animals around.

- - - - - -

All those memories, memories of a life long ago, keep me alive. The warm thoughts of the friends I made, all those talks we had, and the adventures we shared.
There were so many it's hard to recall each one of them. I might if I am here long enough and the world didn't end but first I need to sleep. It's getting colder.
Once they said the temperature on earth increased. How wrong they were. Interfering in Mother Nature's life was always something people loved to do. Pretending knowing better but at the same time they destroyed with every step they took. The only thing I can do now is waiting till it is all solved. Luckily enough closing my eyes, being covered by the blanket, is still the best part of my life.

Earlier episodes

Shelter - episode 1

Home - episode 2

Shrunk - episode 3

The magic ones - episode 4

Screaming - episode 5

Storytime - episode 6

Luminous - episode 7

Growing - episode 8

The dream - episode 9

Total amount of words episode 10: 2511


Not the entire episode is published.

#kittywu #nanowrimo #forthechildren #freewrite #tale #nanowrimo2020