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The lost monocle

A story of unlikely events and bad intentions

By Jean-PierrePublished 3 years ago 2 min read
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The lost monocle
Photo by Jack Finnigan on Unsplash

Our story takes us back, back farther than we dare to wonder, to the start of the 18th century.

It's a dark misty night on the banks of lake Serpentine, the fog drags across the lake like a lost ghostly mother searching for her lost wanderlings. The moonlight hides an eery feeling of lust and despair of 18th century London. In the distance, a light comes crawling closer. It's Elizabeth, a young beautiful redheaded maiden making her way back from a long night's work at the Rusty Raven In where she does everything from cleaning rooms to cleaning tombs. The lantern is dangling at a slight angle showing her tiredness but is moving faster showing her urge to get home and fall in her dusty old splintered bed.

As she makes her way passed the old maple tree hanging on by a branch she hears a soft whimper...

Hello? Is anyone there, Hello

She stops and turns around rapidly thinking it came from the water but she hears it again and suddenly feels pressure on her arm.

Mam, I need your help, I'm afraid it's urgent!

She has never been much of a talker so she nods and follows this stranger into the tall dying grass behind the old tree.

As she walks behind this stranger she thinks in her head...

What is a man dressed like he is from Chaltnam doing out here in the middle of the night? He is wearing a tight fit suit with a cane and seems to smell nicer than any of the rugrats from my part of town. He has a slight limp to his right, I wonder if he was in the war? But what is he doing here? What am I doing here?

She continues to follow him down a small path leading deeper into the forest behind the lake. The longer she walks the more she starts to become paranoid.

Where are we going? I know I said I would help you sir but I am getting a little bit scared.

He turns around rapidly and grabs her arm, looks her straight in the eye, and says

No need to be worried little June bug, I just need help back here for my favorite monocle. It was a family heirloom and I lost it around here somewhere after coming out for a walk in the fresh air earlier today.

She looks at him while he still holds her arm and nods once more.

Part one ends here, follow along for more,

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