ctewrites

[ctewrites]

This work of fiction will try to stick to the genre of fantasy. All the subgenres of portal, magical realism, grimdark, paranormal, romantasy, sci-fi fantasy... toss these scribbles into a blender and hit the smoothie setting.

The writer will try to see if Oakley is available to guide you to the mead hall in the lands ruled by Raedwald to meet Wulflaed - a witch who has the power to move between alternate worlds - or is it one of many worlds? Could it be in a bubble reality? Oakley doesn't know, and she cannot explain how she can take you to meet the völva who, from all measurable estimates, lives in 7th century East England during the time of the Anglo-Saxons.

Oakley is a scientist - or at least she would be if her life hadn't gone horribly wrong in the summer of 1993.

At least, she thinks it was 1993. In her timeline back on Earth. Or here on Earth, in the place she believes circles the star she learned was called the Sun.

~ 1 ~

You see, as someone trying to interview Oakley for my podcast, she's a little hard to pin down. When I moved here to Ogdensburg, New York, I never thought I'd meet a teenager quite like Oakley. I've taken to write these posts when I meet her to see if she'll tell me a bit more about her travels. I'd really like to see if I could meet Wulflaed the völva as she sounds fascinating.

Oakley doesn't seem to think so. I've suggested she may have encountered what we here in 2024 might interpret to be a witch, or known then as a völva in 7th century England. After all - this young mother of seventeen is known for being adept with the practice of Nigon Wyrta Galdor (Nine Herbs Charm). Oakley is currently adapting to 21st century technology, and loving how quickly she can research and record her observations of Wulflaed. According to Oakley, Wulflaed can wipe away skin ailments, and provide powerful elixirs and other ingestibles that could compete with the best modern pharmaceuticals. Wulflaed may have more powers that Oakley either refuses to acknowledge, or simply cannot articulate into a decipherable interpretation.

Oakley isn't convinced that völva - witches - exist, whereas I like to hand judgement over to preoccupy those who can't think of anything better to do. I like the idea of witches, and Wulflaed seems to fit the description nicely. Oakley doesn't seem to take me seriously on my request to join her at the next meeting with the witch, but has deputized me to become her journalist.

I've always wanted to time travel and space travel. Oakley appears to be irritated by this ability, as if this wonderful gift is a vexing inconvenience. I think it would be fascinating to experience the times Wulflaed lives in, and learn if she has real magic or just really excellent tools for advanced science. I want to see if Wulflaed may have a deeper understanding of how the Universe -or universes? - might work using the web of Wyrd. It's possible that she would never call herself a völva, but she apparently uses a staff that would hint she is wand-wed. Either that or it hides precision tools... sort of like a Swiss army staff for as yet to be labeled witches or scientists.

At some point I will have to tell you how I met this girl, but first I must convince her to take me along. Right now I'm hinting that Wulflaed should be brought onto my podcast. Oakley ignores these suggestions and seems to forget why she shares with me this magnetic tale. I would dismiss her as foolish had I not seen her appear in a blink before my eyes walking my dog along the Oswegatchie river the other night. In truth, Oakley has appeared and disappeared several times over, all within eyeshot of my house. Once right in my living room. I jump out of my skin, catatonic with a heart that might explode every time. Oakley seems only mildly irritated.

I've decided it's better to find a way to start with the first memory Oakley shared with me, and get as linear as possible with her experience. I only get snippets of Oakley's recollections using what she hands to me. I can only describe it as a virtual reality headset that might come straight out of a Steampunk cosplay convention - a vintage aviator hat with welding goggles with a full face snorkel underlay. When I first put it on, I was in a cinematic experience that engaged my full senses....

~ 2 ~

Oakley stormed out the back of her grandmother's kitchen, snagging her jeans on the jagged edge of the broken screen door that clung to rusty hinges.

Words from her mothers mouth swarmed in her head, stinging her eyes that sprung wet tears she scraped away with the back of her hand. "Spend the summer here". "Try it out". "I just can't with you anymore!"

Tripping down the bent and uneven three steps of the makeshift back porch, Oakley couldn't feel her feet on the gravel, but the heat of the late afternoon sun warmed her exposed skin instantly; a stark contrast from the chill of the AC from the disheveled bungalow discarded behind her.

This was Ogdensburg? Ugh. No thanks. Why wasn't she touring colleges for science programs like her mother promised? No. Instead she was dumped here, like forgotten cargo that would tip into the St. Lawrence and wash her downstream.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR.