Beth smoothed down her apron. The caller was squeezed into a frayed, black, woollen coat, the bright silver buttons straining at the effort. The woman spoke in a lilting Irish accent. “I’m Fred’s wife.” Beth took a startled breath. “You better come in,” she said. “The baby’s sleeping.” #WriteCBC

”Hello?” He looked at her as though she were a stranger, not someone he’d shared a bed with just two nights before. “Hello? Is that all you can say?” she almost screamed. He sighed a deep, long, sigh. “I think you want my identical twin brother, Simon. I don’t suppose he mentioned me.”

Yes, no problem for you to share. Pic is of me doing my best to raise awareness at this morning’s Parkrun. Helps that I run very slowly!

I always used to wonder why my mum took SO long to get out of the car and come into to the house to feed her three hungry teenagers after she got home from work.

To take a #LeapOfFaith, leaving behind a 30+ year career in comms, before simultaneously finishing my first full rom com and becoming a wedding celebrant, so couples can trust me to write their #LoveStory

Mum’s hair blew wildly around her face. ‘He’s my brother, Jack!’ The fire and wind subsided, sunshine breaking through. ‘One winter he wouldn’t let go. Mother Nature trapped him under the earth. Dreams of a White Christmas gave him strength to return. Now you have saved us, Ella.’ #5ActFestiveStory

The fire! Ella had spent a decade denying her power, now she needed all her strength to ignite it once more. Her body regained its warmth and the rug crackled, setting the door alight. A high pitched squeal from the other side, then silence. Mum took Ella’s hand. ‘You did it!’ #5ActFestiveStory

Ice started cracking the windows, obscuring their view of the world outside. ‘He’s close! There’s no time!’, her mother half screamed, rushing to the back door and turning the key. The last thing Ella remembered was seeing her face, as white as the wall of snow blocking their way.
#5ActFestiveStory

Her mother stayed silent, slowly turning the card. Peering over her shoulder, Ella saw a stately home, the house and surrounding land shrouded in fog. ‘Where’s that?’, she asked this time. ‘Home’ her mother whispered, then more loudly, drowning out the hyms, ‘and we must go today’. #5ActFestiveStory

She ripped it into pieces that fluttered onto the ground like the perpetual snow outside. How had they found her? She had told no one where she was going and no one sharing this cramped and cold B&B knew where she had come from. #5ActFestiveStory