The Year of Our Lord 1436 In the Highlands of Scotland
Kieran stared out of his small window gazing at the green fields stretching out from the castle to the highlands beyond. He was in deep thought. He wondered if he had been dreaming of the petite girl with long brown hair in a place that was so unlike anything he had ever known before. Did he really go to that place? Had he been a travelling bard, or musician, as he had been referred to then, or had his head somehow been damaged when he fell that night a year before.
He shook his head. He must have dreamed it all. Scotland was his home. He could never have lived in a place called America in a year over five hundred years in the future. Yes, he had become daft in the head.
He learned early that he needed to keep these imaginings of his to himself. He had tried to share his thoughts with a few of his closest friends, but the looks he received in return made him quit. He felt their eyes on him as he passed. He knew they wondered what had happened to him for him to have such crazy ideas. Even dreams weren't an explanation of how he could describe such wondrous things. Carts that ran by themselves. No horses. Big things that flew across the sky. Dreams. Nothing more. Or were they?
Kieran had heard of a woman in the forest who might be of some use to him. She was a healer. Several of his friends felt he should visit with her and have her make him a potion to help forget such crazy thoughts. Today he would travel to her cottage and see what she said. The dreams were just as real to him as his hand before his face, and the girl, Selena, even more so.
Selena came to his dreams every night. No matter how he tried to forget her through strong drink. And he did drink a lot every night. He had continued to travel as a bard and play for his keep each night at a different castle, only now he had no interest in the girls he met. He would see them staring at him with a look of invitation, but he never went to them after he was finished on the dais. He would quickly leave the hall and make his way to whatever tiny room he had been given.
Brianna, the blond girl who he was with when he fell, followed him mercilessly. She wanted him, and she made sure he knew. He avoided her as much as he could. She would sneak up on him from behind and had tried to pull him into an embrace several times. She was a strong woman, and he usually had to forcefully remove her from himself. "Don't touch me," he had said to her last night as she began to wrap her arms around his neck. He quickly took his own arms and pushed hers away from him. She look shocked and hurt. But, no matter, he didn't want her. He wanted a dream girl he couldn't have.
"A guess you were only playing with me that night. I see you looking at the men in the hall. Is that what you want?" she'd spat at him as she walked away. "Those very same men you stare at, stare at me. I know they want me."
"So go to one of them." Kieran had said. So be it if she thinks he wants another man. At least it will stop her constant pestering, he thought. Kieran rose from the bed, dressed, picked up his harp and left his room. After asking for his mount, he rode in the direction of the healer's cottage. Hopefully he would find some remedy there.
Selena sat on her front porch watching the birds as they rifled through the grass for bugs and worms. A year had passed since that awful night at Stan and Jill's bar. She had cried every night for the first month. Eventually she became numb. She had been given a gift from the Goddess, but it had been taken from her. Why, she wondered. Why had he disappeared. She had spent hours at the book store pouring over spell books looking for one that she could use to bring him back. No luck. She had even looked on the internet.
She had consulted a psychic, but that hadn't helped at all. The woman had "seen" sorrow and a very large loss to her heart, but that was obvious. She had cried through the entire reading. Tarot cards didn't help her either. The Tower in an upside down position and the 8 of wands continually appeared in her readings. The meaning was clear. Her foundation was destroyed and she had a lot of sorrow. Even when her friend, Lee Ann, read the cards for her.
Selena was miserable. Her life was suffering, and it was time she tried to forget the tall, dark headed musician who invaded her thoughts at all times. Kieran wasn't here. Maybe he didn't even exist and she had dreamed the entire thing. That would have been a plausible excuse, had the entire world not mourned his disappearance.
Disappeared. that's what had happened. Luckily for her, she was never accused of any wrong doing. And neither were Stan or Jill. The man who was at the bar that night was plastered all over the tabloids. "Man in Bar Witnessed Kieran Ferguson's Disappearance." He had become an over night sensation. Everyone wanted to hear his fantastic tale of the handsome and talented Kieran as he had disappeared in front of the man's eyes while he was kissing a beautiful girl with long brown hair.
Even Selena had been bombarded by paparazzi as she went about her daily routine. They would pop up at her grocery store, or at the mall as she was trying on clothes. She finally had resorted to buying clothes on the internet. And she had to have her groceries delivered. But after a few months, the paparazzi no longer followed her. They didn't sneak up from behind her and yell her name startling her and then reporting that she was beside herself with grief. They had even published articles claiming that she had murdered him and buried his body somewhere "undisclosed." She knew this because she had every single tabloid in her living room. Selena decided she needed to move out of Memphis. Maybe even out of the country. Tomorrow she'd look for job openings in Bali. "Maybe there they haven't heard of me," she thought.
Through all of the stress of Kieran's disappearance and her own heartbreak, she had finally had to admit herself into a hospital for treatment of anxiety and depression. The doctors there never judged her, but they did pity her. She could feel it and see it in their eyes. Now she took anxiety medication daily and hoped it would one day it help her forget.
Kieran stared out of his small window gazing at the green fields stretching out from the castle to the highlands beyond. He was in deep thought. He wondered if he had been dreaming of the petite girl with long brown hair in a place that was so unlike anything he had ever known before. Did he really go to that place? Had he been a travelling bard, or musician, as he had been referred to then, or had his head somehow been damaged when he fell that night a year before.
He shook his head. He must have dreamed it all. Scotland was his home. He could never have lived in a place called America in a year over five hundred years in the future. Yes, he had become daft in the head.
He learned early that he needed to keep these imaginings of his to himself. He had tried to share his thoughts with a few of his closest friends, but the looks he received in return made him quit. He felt their eyes on him as he passed. He knew they wondered what had happened to him for him to have such crazy ideas. Even dreams weren't an explanation of how he could describe such wondrous things. Carts that ran by themselves. No horses. Big things that flew across the sky. Dreams. Nothing more. Or were they?
Kieran had heard of a woman in the forest who might be of some use to him. She was a healer. Several of his friends felt he should visit with her and have her make him a potion to help forget such crazy thoughts. Today he would travel to her cottage and see what she said. The dreams were just as real to him as his hand before his face, and the girl, Selena, even more so.
Selena came to his dreams every night. No matter how he tried to forget her through strong drink. And he did drink a lot every night. He had continued to travel as a bard and play for his keep each night at a different castle, only now he had no interest in the girls he met. He would see them staring at him with a look of invitation, but he never went to them after he was finished on the dais. He would quickly leave the hall and make his way to whatever tiny room he had been given.
Brianna, the blond girl who he was with when he fell, followed him mercilessly. She wanted him, and she made sure he knew. He avoided her as much as he could. She would sneak up on him from behind and had tried to pull him into an embrace several times. She was a strong woman, and he usually had to forcefully remove her from himself. "Don't touch me," he had said to her last night as she began to wrap her arms around his neck. He quickly took his own arms and pushed hers away from him. She look shocked and hurt. But, no matter, he didn't want her. He wanted a dream girl he couldn't have.
"A guess you were only playing with me that night. I see you looking at the men in the hall. Is that what you want?" she'd spat at him as she walked away. "Those very same men you stare at, stare at me. I know they want me."
"So go to one of them." Kieran had said. So be it if she thinks he wants another man. At least it will stop her constant pestering, he thought. Kieran rose from the bed, dressed, picked up his harp and left his room. After asking for his mount, he rode in the direction of the healer's cottage. Hopefully he would find some remedy there.
Selena sat on her front porch watching the birds as they rifled through the grass for bugs and worms. A year had passed since that awful night at Stan and Jill's bar. She had cried every night for the first month. Eventually she became numb. She had been given a gift from the Goddess, but it had been taken from her. Why, she wondered. Why had he disappeared. She had spent hours at the book store pouring over spell books looking for one that she could use to bring him back. No luck. She had even looked on the internet.
She had consulted a psychic, but that hadn't helped at all. The woman had "seen" sorrow and a very large loss to her heart, but that was obvious. She had cried through the entire reading. Tarot cards didn't help her either. The Tower in an upside down position and the 8 of wands continually appeared in her readings. The meaning was clear. Her foundation was destroyed and she had a lot of sorrow. Even when her friend, Lee Ann, read the cards for her.
Selena was miserable. Her life was suffering, and it was time she tried to forget the tall, dark headed musician who invaded her thoughts at all times. Kieran wasn't here. Maybe he didn't even exist and she had dreamed the entire thing. That would have been a plausible excuse, had the entire world not mourned his disappearance.
Disappeared. that's what had happened. Luckily for her, she was never accused of any wrong doing. And neither were Stan or Jill. The man who was at the bar that night was plastered all over the tabloids. "Man in Bar Witnessed Kieran Ferguson's Disappearance." He had become an over night sensation. Everyone wanted to hear his fantastic tale of the handsome and talented Kieran as he had disappeared in front of the man's eyes while he was kissing a beautiful girl with long brown hair.
Even Selena had been bombarded by paparazzi as she went about her daily routine. They would pop up at her grocery store, or at the mall as she was trying on clothes. She finally had resorted to buying clothes on the internet. And she had to have her groceries delivered. But after a few months, the paparazzi no longer followed her. They didn't sneak up from behind her and yell her name startling her and then reporting that she was beside herself with grief. They had even published articles claiming that she had murdered him and buried his body somewhere "undisclosed." She knew this because she had every single tabloid in her living room. Selena decided she needed to move out of Memphis. Maybe even out of the country. Tomorrow she'd look for job openings in Bali. "Maybe there they haven't heard of me," she thought.
Through all of the stress of Kieran's disappearance and her own heartbreak, she had finally had to admit herself into a hospital for treatment of anxiety and depression. The doctors there never judged her, but they did pity her. She could feel it and see it in their eyes. Now she took anxiety medication daily and hoped it would one day it help her forget.
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