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Novella: The Spring

By Charlotte Squire

Trouble’s brewing for a small rural community who live near the most pure waters on earth Te Waikoropupu Springs, in Golden Bay, New Zealand. A foreign company plans to buy the sacred waters and cut off all access to the sacred waters, not to mention their plans for the water. Cue an unlikely group of people, with one thing in common, inherited psychic powers. They’re drawn together to create a powerful, positive force to fight for the springs.

Chapter Three

Across three bush clad hills and one small stream that only flowed after it rained, a seventy six year old woman stood glaring at her husband. He knew what she was doing but he’d long ago learned to ignore her when she was glaring. He lingered over his cross word and waited for her to stomp out the door. She soon obliged, grabbing a raincoat she headed outside. “You’re not dead yet!” She threw over her shoulder as she looked for her old dog. He smiled slightly when the word ‘passionate’ appeared on his crossword.

She took her dog and leaned into the wind as she followed the trail long ago cleared by their farm hands. She needed to be outside, she needed to tune inwards and forget the daily tedium of meals and watching over the accounts for the farm, and worrying about her husband who appeared to have decided he was an old man now. And she needed to clear her head before the two of them headed out to take their children and their families for pizza that night to share their news. She stopped in at the chicken coop visit her girls.

“Oh you’re all in a fluster because of that possum last night aren’t you?”

In response the eight hens raised the volume worriedly.

“Don’t worry my girls we’ve fixed that hole, he won’t get back in.”

She stepped outside the coop and took a deep breath. She felt her pulse slowing, her breath steadying. She raised her arms, sweeping away the remnants of night terror that lingered around the coop, she sent it up into the sky and it was gone in rush of wind. The hens stilled. She swept in the calm, plus hints of fun and pleasure for good tasty eggs. The girls took up their regular level of cackling and as the normal was restored.

“You’ll be right now my girls,” she said as she swung her jacket over her arm, feeling a little hot. “Come on dog, lets walk up to the old water pump.” She shivered slightly. “Troubles coming, but help’s coming first.”

To read the first two chapters of The Spring, scroll down on Happyzine.co.nz

The Spring will be available to all Happyzine readers until Monday, when only Kea Group members can access the novella as it unfolds.

Tags: novella, the spring