Twisting Time - A Halloween Tale

Tommy's Adventure Or What Time Is The Party?

It was Somewhat close to All Hallows Eve when Tommy went out riding on his pony Prince. They had taken a lovely ride through the countryside, but as Evening approached, Prince was spooked by a herd of horses that raced past them. This had happened one other time, that the Castle Horses were visible to Tommy's Pony, and it was just around this time of year..... All Hallows Eve when the Veils of Time grow thin and the unwary person can find themselves crossing into a World very like their own... but NOT theirs at all..... and that OTHER time, Tommy had visited the Medieval Castle and met Henry and Belle and Old Meg. So when Prince set off after the Castle horses, Tommy wasn't worried at all.... in fact he was looking forward to seeing his friends again. But then Prince raced faster and Tommy lost his hold and fell hard to the ground......

And Prince ran on after the herd....

Trying to catch up with them.....

As they raced for the Castle stables......

And when they finally arrived, Kicks, the Stable boy was surprised to see Prince, but remembered him from before........ he expected Tommy to come running after.....

And even Henry told Belle that they would probably be having a visit from that little Lad......

But he didn't arrive!

What had happened?

Well, when he fell, he hit his head and the wind was knocked out of him. And before he could gather his wits..... a pair of mischievous Garden Fairies found him lying there in the grass!

Oh dear, oh DEAR said the Fairies.... we Can't leave him lying here.....

Perhaps we can bring him home with us!

And they put a small spell on him and whisked him off to their house in the Woods!

And when Tommy woke up....

he had NO idea where he was.....

or HOW he had gotten there!

All he could remember was that he HAD to get to the Castle to find Prince and bring him home!

But he wasn't sure which way to go......
So he sat there while he tried to decide.

It was not long after that Joanna, who had been out for a walk in the woods, came across a VERY strange sight indeed!

There, ALL ALONE, in the middle of the woods sat a strangely dressed young boy....

Who looked like he was Very lost and confused!

"Hello there", said Joanna.... "Can I help you find your way home"

"I'm on my way to the Castle" said Tommy, "but I'm not sure which way to go."
"Well, I'm sure we can find the way" said Joanna... "Why don't you come with me..."

Tommy agreed, and so they came at last to the Lovely Old Dollhouse just as dark was settling in.

As they stepped inside the Hall, Tommy had the strangest feeling that he had been there before... it looked SO familiar... but he couldn't remember WHEN that was......

Joanna introduced him to Victor,

because by now she knew Tommy's name and a whole lot of other things about him too....

Victor asked him more questions... thinking he was dressed up for Halloween in Old Fashioned Clothes.... but Tommy didn't understand what he meant at all!

This was what he wore Every Day!

Victor looked at him in a Kindly way and asked who his parents were..... and Tommy told him very politely that they were "Mother" and "Father" because he really didn't know their names!

Joanna seemed a bit worried... but she told Victor that they would probably be at the Castle for the Halloween Party..... Everybody was going... so they could just bring Tommy with them...

Tommy was no longer listening to them..... he had noticed something ODD about the candle light..... They didn't seem to be CANDLES at all! And yet they burned brighter than any light he'd ever seen.... and never flickered at all!

This was something he had NEVER seen before.....!

Meanwhile, you MUST be wondering about this Halloween Party at the Castle......
Well, Ken has been getting the Castle ready for his Annual Halloween Costume Party....

He has found some wonderfully spooky props.....

And a whole set of Ghost chairs...... how perfect!
You can hardly see them at all!

And some more skeletons.... It must be the theme for this year......

The Guard looks as though he was left on duty for a bit too long.....

Just WHICH century is this NOW?

Guard Ian says "I hope you are planning to come to the Party.....

and feel free to bring a friend..."

But Meanwhile.... in our Victorian Time... when Tommy doesn't come home and neither does Prince.... Caroline starts to fret. She is SURE he has gone to the Castle. And she KNOWS he Knows he shouldn't go there alone! Their parents took them on a tour of the old ruins recently.... and they were careful to tell the children that the place was NOT safe to play around in.... and it MAY even be Haunted they said! She is convinced that Tommy has gone there to tease her.... hiding so she will have to come find him...... which is really Very Annoying!
She tells Beatrice that she has to go look for Tommy.... she is going to the Castle.....

Beatrice says "Me too!"
Caroline says "You can't come you're too little!"
Beatrice says "Then I'm telling on you!"
"Fine", says Caroline.... "you can come, but no crying like a baby!"
"I'm not a baby!" says Beatrice.

So they set out for the Castle..... walking over the Meadows......

And they only looked back once as the rooftop of the Farmhouse disappeared behind them.......

Hoping to find Tommy at the Castle before it got too late.......

All Hallows Eve...... TO BE CONTINUED....!

Twisting Time