| The Festive Feast | |
|---|---|
 The perfect festive setting. | |
| Series | Moments in Time - Fable Stories by Ben McQueeney (Teethman, Wes Green) |
| Writer | Wes Green |
| Chapter Chronology | |
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Merry Xmas to all you fable fans! I wrote this moment as a gift to you all! Merry Xmas from Mr Green.
The Festive Feast[]
Wilma lived with her family in Brightwood forest. She had lived there her entire life. It was a lovely place to live if you knew how to take advantage of all the great things the forest had to offer. She knew the forest inside out. She used to explore every corner of the forest when she was a little girl. She knew all the best places to forage and all the best areas to hunt. She was feeling particularly happy as she had managed to land herself a massive wild boar for the feast. Granted, it wasn’t turkey or goose, which had become the tradition in Albion at this time of the year, but it would still provide an ample festive feast for the whole family.
The afternoon was turning to early evening and it was becoming dark quickly. The embers of the fire burned brightly and the crackle from the burning wood could be heard every now and again snapping away blending into the other forest sounds. The air was cold but the warmth of the fire made it pleasant to be outside.
She had skewered the large pig over the fire and every now and again turned the crank to ensure even cooking. The whole living area smelt of cooked bacon. The sweet aroma of the honey glaze and the cooking meat was making her mouth water. She decided to prepare the wild vegetables that she had foraged as well while the pig was cooking, as it would still be an hour or so before the pig was cooked through.
Yes this will be a great festive feast for the family.
A moment later Wilma’s husband, John, could be heard placing his things by their tent that was close to the cooking stove. She always knew when he was approaching as he often was very clumsy. She always joked that he was the “Mr. Clumsy” as he would often bang into things and trip over.
“Oh… you’re back! Did you have any luck my dear?” Wilma said lovingly to her husband continuing to turn the crank rotating the honey roast pig.
“Unfortunately not. We ran into some bandits though.” He said as he nearly tripped over a tent pole.
Wilma grew concerned and immediately turned to face him. He looked scruffy, dirty and tired. John was a mage. He would hunt using his basic magic ability. He always carried a small magic staff, that he would use to conjure up magic while hunting. When he and his brothers were out hunting they would occasionally encounter bandits and sometimes these encounters ended with hazardous conclusions. Only last month one of Wilma’s second cousins, Sam, had been brutally slaughtered by some bandits.
“Bandits? Oh dear. Is everyone OK?” Wilma said concerned.
“Yeah….. We managed to hurt one of them pretty bad and they went running off. Hopefully they won’t come on our land anymore.”
Oh good we’re safe for now then.
She turned her attention back to the pig.
“You’re my Hero” Wilma said in a flirtatious way rotating the pig.
John barely noticed Wilma’s affections before her words reminded him.
“Oh yeah that reminds me. Granddad Philip and Paul think they saw a bunch of Heroes wandering around the woods. We need to keep an eye out for that.”
If it's not bandits it's heroes.
Wilma decided to put her husbands concerns to rest.
“Relax dear husband. I have been out all afternoon and haven’t picked up as much as a single scent of a hero. Our lands are free….. What I did catch though was this.”
She moved to the left revealing the browning pig over the fire. John was visible pleased by the site of the cooking meat.
“I thought I could smell something delicious! And vegetables too! You’re a great wife. This is going to be the best festive feast ever.” John grabbed his wife and gave her a loving kiss and a prolonged hug. She felt warm safe and secure in his embrace.
“Where are the children Love?” she said while he squeezed her gently.
“They are collecting water at the stream with your sisters and your parents.” He tore a piece of charred pig from the belly and ate it quickly before she had a chance to intercept. She slapped his wrist in a playful way.
“You naughty boy. Don’t do that. You will have to wait like the rest of us…. Why don’t you make yourself useful and set the table” She said jokingly.
John laughed.
“I’ll give you naughty boy later. I have yet to give you your present.”
He gave her a quick wink before started to set the table for dinner.
She watched him for a while. He wasn’t the most graceful person in the world. But he was hers.
She got back to what she was doing. It was the most family they had ever entertained for a festive feast. Close to eighty family members were due to arrive any minute to join in the festivities. Wilma was looking forward to seeing her four brothers and eight sisters. They were all incredibly close. Except these days unfortunately it was harder to all get together as everyone had to work, hunt and all had their own families to provide for.
Yeah this will be the best festive feast ever I can’t wait!
She noticed she started to smile to herself as she grabbed a sharp peeling knife from the basket.
They won’t be long now.
She was right.
The first to arrive was Aunt Tina and Uncle Gary along with her six of her cousins. Auntie Tina’s kids were of varying ages and they were all happy, playing games and singing as the arrived in the camp. Wilma greeted each of them with a hug and kiss. After she finished greeting them, John’s mother and father arrived with some of his siblings. More and more began to arrive and before she knew it the camp was a hive of activity. Everyone was very happy to see one another and the sound of laughter and festive spirit filled the air.
Last to arrive were Wilma’s children. They arrived carrying buckets of water to drink and cook. They had been to the stream with Wilma’s sisters and parents. They too looked really happy to see family they hadn’t seen for months and immediately started greeting family members. Sara and Rachel, Wilma’s two youngest daughters immediately started showing everyone their dancing skills. Ian and Tom, her middle two boys, had already started play fighting as they always did.
She had a look about and mentally counting up all her children.
Oh yes all twelve children are here.
Another smile crept out. She was very happy.
She noticed her eldest son Jamie approaching.
“Mother the pig smells great! I can’t wait to have some I’m so hungry! I love this time of year. Did you know that it might snow later?”
“Snow? Oh dear.” She said genuinely worried that it may affect the festive feast.
“It will be great mother! Me and the boys are gonna build a snowman and have a massive snowball fight. The girls don’t want to play in the snow though because they’re boring.”
“Don’t call your sisters boring…Little girls like different things to boys OK Mr? Be nice it’s the only time of the year we all get together like this OK?”
She gave the boy a hug.
“OK mother. I love you.”
“I love you too. Now go play with the other children while I finish the cooking.”
The boy ran off to join the other children, who appeared to be playing with marbles.
The party was in full swing now and night had fallen. She noticed in the sky that there were clouds but it didn’t seem as though it was going to snow anytime soon.
I better get the food done!
She got back to preparing the vegetables beside the fire. Everyone around her was having a great time and she was loved it. It was the first time in months that she had felt this happy.
She quickly prepped the last of the potatoes and started the carrots. As she pealed as quickly as she could, she sensed something looking at her. She looked up and out into the forest in front of her. About twenty yards away was a big dark green bush. It was moving in a different way to the other bushes around it. She stared at the bush for a few minutes. She noticed what looked like two little twinkling lights at the base of the tree.
What is that? Is it an owl? It could be the reflection of the moon on some wet leaves.
She decided to call her husband to come over and have a look.
It’s probably nothing. It’s better to be safe though.
“Hey John? Can you come and have a look at this?” she called over to her husband who appeared to be taking part in an ale drinking competition with many of the male members of the family. He placed the tankard down and ran over.
“Good evening my Queen. How can your King assist you?” He said slightly slurring his words.
She grabbed his hand and pointed it towards the twinkling lights in the bush.
“Can you see that? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?”
John looked over at the lights and squinted. She watched his expression change from happy to terrified.
“They’re eyes! Wilma. EYES!”
He grabbed Wilma and moved her behind him to protect her. He turned to the whole family and shouted at the top of his voice.
“EVERYONE DOG! DOG!”
As John shouted the twinkling eyes in the bush became fierce and quickly without warning the massive creature lunged out of the bushes and headed straight for John barking as it ran. The massive dog pounced on John and the force of the impact knocked Wilma to the floor. John started to hit the beast with everything he had continuing to shout as he did. The dog was too strong though and easily broke John’s defences. It latched on to John’s neck with its razor sharp teeth and violently shook him like a rag doll.
It all happened so quickly. Wilma got up off the floor and tried to help her husband.
The peeling knife I need to get the peeling knife.
As she picked up the knife she heard a crack. That sound was the sound of John’s neck breaking. It was like the sound of a snapping branch.
In her shock she froze. The dog dropped her husband’s lifeless body on the floor like a piece of meat. Her knees went weak. She dropped to her knees. The realisation of what had just happened left her numb and motionless. Time seemed to slow down around her.
She heard everyone shouting and screaming but it just sounded like a massive blur to her. The male members of her family closed on the dog wielding their axes and swords up high shouting and screaming as they ran.
And then the heroes stepped out of the bushes from where the dog had sprung.
There were two of them. A large red haired woman covered in armour carrying the biggest hammer Wilma had ever seen and a slightly smaller man wearing typical hero clothes and holding a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other.
Oh no.
Wilma knew exactly what these heroes were capable of.
“Don’t attack! Run! You have to run! They’re too powerful” she pleaded with the members of her family who ran by her about to attack the dog.
They didn’t hear her or didn’t care. They wanted revenge for John and they were going to do everything to try and seek it.
Just before Uncle Henry had chance to slam his axe into the skull of the dog he was shot by the male hero straight in his face. The spatter of the blood covered Wilma from metres away. She could taste his blood.
“CAN YOU NOT SEE? TURN BACK!” she shouted again.
That still didn’t stop them attacking, another group attacked the dog at once from different angles. Only to be exploded by a fire that came out of nowhere. They burned alive screaming as the last traces of life turned to ash. The male hero was obviously the more powerful of the two and the others had also realised this and had left the dog and were now heading straight for the male hero. They were met by the huge hammer of the female hero who crushed two of Wilma’s cousins in one swing. She could hear the crushing of theirs bones from where she was kneeling.
Wilma continued to watch as each one of her family were brutally murdered by the two heroes and the dog.
She could do nothing to save her children from been burnt, bitten and crushed by the heroes. Her whole world was shattered. She could do nothing. She lay face down on the floor motionless with her hands over her face. She couldn’t face watching the massacre anymore. She could only continue to hear the carnage run its course.
“Sparrow watch it….” The female hero said.
“Take that…..” said the male.
“That one nearly got me…..” the female said again.
After a while the sounds of battle were over. It was deadly quiet. All that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the heroes. She just wanted one of the heroes to come and end her life as well. She didn’t want to move her hands away from her face as she didn’t want to see what had happened.
She felt the snow then. She hadn’t noticed before but there was now heavy snow falling over her as she lay there. She started to shake. She didn’t know if it was through pure fear or the cold of the snow on her skin.
She heard footsteps approach.
“Sparrow. I think there is one left here its just laid on the floor.”
Wilma heard a second set of footsteps approach. The fear made her start to cry.
“I’ll do this one.” The Male hero said.
Wilma didn’t move her hands from her face. She was too scared. She felt the sword in her back plunge deep through her body. She thought that she would feel pain. But she didn’t. She felt relief.
She was relieved that she would soon be free of this nightmare.
The sword was ripped out of her. She didn’t have anything to be afraid of anymore as her time in Albion was nearly over. She moved her hands from her face and turned over opened her eyes to look at her camp.
Everyone was dead.
The snow made her camp look so peaceful and calm. She looked down at her stomach that was gushing with blood. She felt the veil of darkness descend upon her. She lay back down and looked up at the falling snow from the sky.
At least I didn’t survive.
She could hardly see as her tears filled her eyes.
She closed them.
Not long now. I will join my family. I will escape this.
The last thing she heard was the heroes talking.
“Look Sparrow the little buggers have made a lovely honey roast pig. Looks like it’s nearly done as well. Yum Yum. We can have a right ol’festive feast.”
The male Hero started to laugh.
“I always knew that Hobbes would be good for something.”