Chapter 1

"In the deep winter nights, when the year is at its darkest and the stream flowing under the old wooden bridge has frozen still, you can hear a low howling sound if you focus very hard. Some people claim that it’s just the winter winds blowing in the mountain peaks to the north; others never admit to have heard anything. But I know what it is. I know because I have met him. I can feel a chill running down my spine just by talking about him. It was a night just like this more than sixty years ago. The town wasn’t lit up with electricity and tacky flashing neon lights of course, as it is today. Even cars were rare; most of us relied on our horses if we were to travel locally, especially if we were to travel to the mountains. Back then there wasn’t even a single road leading to the mountains, so the only way was to go there either by foot or by horse.” She leaned back in her rocking chair and smiled as she saw the wide open blue eyes watching her in amazement and in utter silence. You wouldn’t believe that she was the same little girl that had driven her mother insane just a few minutes ago. She stopped working the needles and laid the knitting on her lap. “Are you sure you want to hear this?” She asked and nodded as she saw the little one nod eagerly. “Hmmm… oh well, I guess you’re old enough, but just remember that I warned you.”

“Mhm.” The little girl said and nodded eagerly once more as she did so. She was biting her ponytail even though her mother had warned her that she would be bald till her next birthday if she continued to do so.

“Ok, Sophie, dear. But first I need you to fetch me a candle, this one is nearly burned out and I don’t want to be sitting in the dark when I’m only halfway through my story.”

“Moooom, caaaandleeees.” Sophie cried out immediately and ran towards the kitchen where she knew her mother was. Her small feet tapped hurriedly over the wooden floor of the living room as if she was afraid her grams would forget the story if she wasn’t back fast enough. A tree on the road to Auxpellier had fallen over the power lines; blackening the whole town and had them living in a Spartan manner since late afternoon. Sophie had run amuck the first few hours, Marlene had told her, not being able to watch cartoons on the TV, or even finding funny clips on the computer; that sometimes helped to cheer her up when she was angry. Finally Marlene had brought her here knowing that she usually behaved when she was at her grandma’s house. And that she had done, for an hour or so before she grew bored and felt that her “behaving-time” had come to an end.

 

She could hear the low murmur of Marlene’s voice now struggling to keep up with the all too excited girl. Finally they found a candle and within seconds the girl was standing by her side, holding out a candle for her to take.

“Thank you, Sophie, dear.” She said and leaned forward in the creaking rocking chair to light the new candle, dipping the wick in the old candle’s flame, careful not to drip wax on the table.

Sophie sat down, her legs crossed and waited for her grams to finish with the candle. When she did she leaned back in the rocking chair again and picked up her knitting. “It was a night just like this, sixty years ago. I was but a girl, no older than you are now.” She started and flashed a smile to Marlene, standing in the doorway with a smile on her face, saying a soundless thank you.

“A mining company had come into town and was interested in prospecting our mountain for coal. I remember my father’s anger when he heard of this, your great grandfather, Bernard. The whole town was in an uproar and at one time he let me come with him to one of the many town meetings; which were common then.”

 

Reviews

[Stephanotis]

There may have been a few grammar mistakes that hinted that you speak English as a second language, but having the mindset of a fluent Swedish-speaker gives this story a tone that English-speakers rarely, if ever, get to see. It's got a dark, fairy tale quality to it that I really like. When I got to the end, I could swear I smelled snow and pine.
Some technical mistakes:

so the only way was to go there either by foot or by horse." - In the first paragraph, I didn't see a starting quotation mark at the beginning of the spoken lines.
"she usually behaved when she were at her grandma's house" - "were" should be "was"
"A mining company had come into town and were interested..." - "were" should be "was"