An extra post: A story, too late, but inspired by a prompt which was too good to miss. Write On Edge, the writer’s hub, published a requirement that a piece written should include the words ‘To The Moon”. It brought this unsettling picture by Blake immediately to mind. And a strange encounter.
It was as she padded past the tiny alley on the walk past the river that she decided to explore.
The world happened on these banks. Tourists milled, City workers took the scenic route, Shakespeare buffs eyed the inflated prices necessary to get into the Globe, art lovers swarmed across the bridge from the City to meander round the Tate Modern.
She had long ago eschewed taxi and tube, and these days got her exercise by donning Nikes and power-walking to most of her appointments. She was getting rather efficient and now found herself with 15 minutes to kill before she need push through the glass doors to appraise the latest design brief.
It would give her a chance to explore Cardinals Cap Alley. A narrow whitewashed crevice in the midst of the bustle, it had always appealed. It was quiet. Mindful. But she’d never had time to look before.
She stepped between the narrow whitewashed walls of a place which had once sheltered Winchester Geese; women of the night.
It was not a long alley. She came to a ladder, propped against the wall, and peered upwards. There was a pair of old hobnail boots: workmens’ boots. And a pair of dark trousers which looked incongruously homespun in this day and age.
“Excuse me,” she called to the boots.
A mass of strawy hair shaded the worker’s face. But the tones, when they came, were not unfriendly.
“Can I help?” came the West country burr.
“Yes- well, I just wondered what you were doing up there,” she said. It sounded rather facile, now she had come to ask.
But the man up the ladder did not seem to mind. “Oh, I’ve been helping around here doing odd jobs for a while now,” he said.
“Oh really?” she said, by way of conversation. “How long?”
“479 years, give or take,” he rejoined.
A madman.
She froze, hr heart thudding. She began, slowly, to back away, cursing her foolishness in coming down a narrow alley away from the crowds. The sounds of the bustling riverbank murmured over her shoulder: but funnelled by the narrow brick walls, they sounded unearthly.
The man spoke again. And in his voice, inexplicably, was the knowledge of what she was thinking.
“I’ve helped many young ladies like yourself.”
Everything in her wanted to put distance between her and this deeply unsettling man.But it seemed she had lost control of her legs.
Nightmarishly, she could not move from the spot. And when she shouted for help, only an agonised whisper escaped.
She longed with all her being for that 2:30.
“Where…” she whispered through dry lips…”where does the ladder lead?”
“To the moon,” was his answer, delivered dead pan with all the assurance of directions to the local supermarket.”It’s time you and I were getting on, now.”
A design team sat round the great polished table overlooking the river at 2:40pm. Some tapped toes; others looked impatiently at their watches.
But, unbeknown to them, their client would not be coming.
Kate Shrewsday 
Most excellent write, Kate.
Thanks, Andra 🙂
intriguing,leaving so much…..
Yup: more of a prologue, really.
Very neat. Lovely piece of writing.
Cheers Roger 🙂
Good writing, indeed. And the moral is: never speak to strange boots. 🙂
Completely. You never know who – or indeed what – might be in them.
Love it 🙂
Thanks Fiona 🙂
Loved it. Take a ladder to the moon over Sainsburys any day.
Providing, of course, that really is what is on offer up the ladder. This bloke could be a total crackpot. Sainsbury’s versus horrible fate, Sainsbury’s versus horrible fate, now which to choose…
Ahhh… great piece, you had me frozen in my shoes…
Thanks Smidge. A chance to doodle 🙂
How very captivating, Kate, reminding me of the Twilight Zone.
it is, Penny, that’s exactly right. I have no idea which recesses of my mind it came from.
Very eerie Kate, but very good…
Thanks, Tom 🙂
LOVE IT! beautiful writing and also i love that image.. c
It is amazing, isn’t it, Celi, insightful and ahead of its time. Blake was a funny old bod.
I love the warmth of the beginning descriptions but the ending? Creepy, dark, sinister. I’m not sure what’s going on but I’m pretty sure that it ain’t good! 🙂
PS. I met a fantastic historical character this weekend: Christian Welch/Davies, I’m sure you can use that one! 🙂
I can, and have you run her by Cameron? Sure she’s heard of her- or even been inspired by her! What a wild child she was!
Kate, I do love reading English authors… You paint the characters so well. Thanks!
Thanks Amy 🙂 Nothing like a bit of storytelling, is there, when all’s said and done…
“Reach for the stars but keep your feet on the ground.” Theodore Roosevelt.
Quite, Carl. Keep away from mysterious ladders. Clever Roosevelt 🙂
Ooh I’ve got the ducky bumps now 😉 Awesome flash fiction Kate. I also love the Blake picture (but don’t find it unsettling at all – rather magical and full of possibilities).
Thanks Gabrielle 🙂 I’ve been in two minds about that picture for as long as I can remember: it expresses a yearning it is difficult to put into words, but also expresses to me the desolation of change. The moon is awe inspiring, but remote. Perhaps we spend our lives striving for something which can seem unfamiliar when it arrives?
Uh oh. What I love about this is the banality of a regular day turned on its head. Good one, Kate.
Thanks BB. Change comes upon us when we least expect it so often, doesn’t it?
Ooh! A good read 🙂
Cheers Tilly. No creepy crawlies in it. And don’t think I wasn’t tempted.
😀
Nicely done Kate – a wonderful piece, full of intrigue and possibility 🙂
Thanks Linda 🙂 One day you should see the alley….
Oooh.
Oh, I love it. So straightforward and unsettling.
Cheers Cameron. Fabulous prompt. I’m guessing the response across the board from WoE contributors was considerable.
Well, I didn’t see that coming! Very unsettling, and from the dark side of Kate 🙂 It’s a nice place to visit sometimes…good for the imagination, certainly. My first thought was to be reminded of one of my favorite children’s stories, Eric Carle’s “Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me”–but that story isn’t sinister! Ha! Debra
I didn’t start out to write something dark: I love Blake’s picture. But sometimes, Debra, these things write themselves…