Absorbing an Ancient Scene #AtoZChallenge

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Shandon Belltower, Cork, Ireland Created by Kglavin

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The 26 eclectic-genre short stories for my #AtoZChallenge are excerpts from travelogue notes by

fictional character Gahlen, who first appears in SHARDS OF MEMORY – Oral History in a Heartbeat.

Each A-to-Z daily post is a stand-alone tale - partly true, partly fiction.

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Absorbing an Ancient Scene

Genre: Exploration with Comic Relief

(313 words)

Chiming bells sent us searching for an access to the steeple tower. We scrambled in typical sibling rivalry fashion toward a narrow stone staircase. Naturally, I came in last, but not due to my bum leg. I had stopped to dip my fingers into another holy water font. Carved in jagged lettering along its facade were words I assumed were of Irish dialect. While I recognized certain words as English, their meaning escaped me. I copied the letters, exactly as they appeared on the font, into my notebook for future research.

MAD  ETHIS  PANT

AT  THEIR  CHAR

GES

By the time I reached the stairwell, my sisters had begun their climb toward the bells. With each step, I felt the space between the staircase walls diminish. Though not one to suffer from claustrophobia, I experienced a heightening fear. Obviously, my overactive imagination was at work.

Fairy tales had been the path my grandparents chose to teach me the intricacies of my ancestry. Had this stairwell once witnessed a dastardly act that bled into the walls - my sensitive nature absorbing the ancient scene and translating the event into a current dread? Reluctant to analyze the surroundings further, I urged my legs to climb faster, adrenaline seeking to overpower . . .

Before that thought fully formed, my sisters called down to me. “Stop lingering, Gahlen. The sealant on the rock steps is potent enough to make you start hallucinating.”

With a shudder of relief, I rushed upward, the poetic rhythm of Shandon bells urging me on. The panoramic view from the tower made my efforts worthwhile. In silence, we surveyed the city. I snapped several photographs knowing I could never fully capture the tranquility of the River Lee rippling through the Irish countryside of Cork. My overactive imagination would have to suffice.

*Craftsmen MADE THIS PANT (font) AT THEIR CHARGES (for their patrons).

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#AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal

April is fast approaching, which means 26 days of blogging about topics from A to Z, literally. Each day's subject corresponds with the letter of the day: the 26 letters of the alphabet for the 26 days of April (Sundays excluded).

Themes give authors a steady focus and allow readers to anticipate the topics of each blogsite. For more information about this event, please visit: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Enough 'splaining!

My Theme:

A virtual travelogue by a virtual traveler

Short tales of various genres (300 - 400 words), excerpts from a companion piece to my historical novel (Shards of Memory: Oral History in a Heartbeat ) based on family genealogical research. The narrator in most of the short tales is the novel's young character, Gahlen.

Each post tells a complete story for a quick and entertaining read. The tales cover a variety of genres. 

Ancestral lands included:

In Western Europe - Belgium, Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Bohemia;

Cork, Ireland;

Quebec, Canada; and

Wisconsin, USA.

A small sampling of the eclectic blog post topics:

Salt Mining in Bavaria;

Ghent on a Rainy Day;

Potawatomi Wives;

Nave of Irish Church;

and

Yeoman's Daughter

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My anticipation mounts to read posts of other participants!