The Oil Lamp & The Lost City

‘Calling Laura. Calling Laura’ says Isaac, the lord mayor of Weymornington

‘I am here Lord mayor Isaac’ says Laura looking at the oil lamp chamber.

‘Laura as you know winter will soon be falling upon Weymornington. You are the only person that can make sure we are warm’

‘What is it you want me to do?

‘I want you to go into the New Forest and pick some chickleberries that will make the chickleberry oil’

‘When would you like me to do this sir?’

‘Chickleberries can only be seen at night and in moonlight. You will be met at the entrance to your house by what is called The Night Pony. The only pony of that breed to exist in the New Forest, and in the world. You will mount on the pony and he will follow a tawny owl that will take you to the chickleberry bush that disappears at daybreak. Once you have picked the chickleberries, the owl will guide you past a chickle nut bush where you will pick ten nuts. The next day you will make up the oil for the oil lamp and when I say that people are feeling the cold, you will light the oil lamp to help keep the city warm.  Do you understand all that?’

‘I do Lord Mayor’

‘Good.  Now you will need these words’

‘Go on’

‘Halum iveu livinia corum quwendora.  Can you repeat them?’

‘Halum iv gwendora’

Laura doesn't quite get the hang of these strange words that mean nothing to her whatsoever, and they have never been seen in the English dictionary either. Instead they are only ever used in Weymornington but occasionally used for various important purposes in the outside world. 

After a few attempts Laura has learnt the words. However she can only use them when the Lord Mayor says.  Now that Laura understands what has to be done, Isaac instructs her to leave the house for the New Forest quietly after she hears the town hall clock chime midnight, and tells her that there is a ring on her chest of drawers with a tiny jewel in it that she needs to put on before going out  

While this conversation has been going on, Laura’s mother Harriette has been outside on the patio quietly listening to everything she’s been saying.

‘Laura, what on earth is going on?’ asks Laura’s mother walking into the living room

‘Nothing mum’ replies Laura sitting down on a chair 

‘Nothing, I would hardly call it nothing, listening to the words of nothing else but garbage you were saying to the lamp’

‘Mum, you don’t have to worry about a thing’ says Laura trying to keep her mother calm

‘Laura, I think you need to see a doctor, I mean talking to a lamp’ says Harriette lost for words

‘Go on’

‘I just say for argument's sake, you started talking to the light in the classroom, what would teachers think?’

‘They’d probably call you and father in to say I’d gone off the rails’

‘Exactly, now I am taking that lamp away for your own good’ says Harriette reaching for the lamp

‘No mum, you cannot touch that lamp’

‘Why on earth not, Laura, what has got into you?’

‘Do not say who I am Laura, but say those words that I just taught you’

‘I’ll do that’

‘Laura, you are at it again, what is wrong with you?’

‘Halum iveu livinia corum quwendora’

‘And again’

Halum iveu livonia corum quwendora’

‘Once more please’

‘Halum iveu livinia corum quwendora’

‘I’m calling your father, this is becoming ridiculous’ says Harriette getting up from her chair 

‘Hello Christian speaking’

‘Darling it’s Harriette, I think Laura’s lost her marbles’ says Harriette sitting on a chair in the kitchen

‘What do you mean?’ asks Christian sitting at his desk

‘She’s started talking garbage to the lamp I bought’

‘We’ll have to get rid of it’

‘She will not let me touch it’

‘Well then try again’

‘Okay, I’ll call you back if I have any issues’

Harriette goes back into the living room only to find Laura still in conversation with the lamp.

Now I would you to kneel and say it

‘Halum iveu livinia corum quwendora’

‘Now Laura I want you to get up and say it again twice, and looking at your mother with hands up pointing at her’

‘I’ll do that.  Halum iveu ivinia corum quwendora.  Halum iveu ivinia corum quewendora’

‘Laura, you go on talking to the lamp, I need to sit down and have a sleep’ says Harriette, all of a sudden feeling extremely tired.  

Christian decides to ring Harriette’s phone and even though it is vibrating in her pocket, it is not waking her up as she has gone into a deep sleep.  Christian tries several times and realises that something might be wrong, and decides to come home.

‘Laura, what is going on, I’ve been trying to call Harriette, but she is not picking up?’ asks Christian walking in the door

‘She suddenly got tired and decided to have a sleep’ replies Laura feeling a little guilty

‘I’ll go and wake her up.  Harriette, Harriette, wake up, I’m home.  Harriette, wake up, I’m home’

‘Hey, it’s you, Edward, I knew you’d come back to me one day on your black stallion, isn’t it so nice to be back in the wild west’ says Harriette waking up in a completely different world

‘Harriette, it’s your husband Christian, you are in England, not the wild west.  Edward walked off on you seventeen years ago, then we met two years later’

‘Why don’t I make you your favorite English dish, Shepherds Pie?’ asks Harriette standing up

‘Laura, what have you done to your mother?’

‘You know mother, she can go a bit crazy from time to time’

‘This is anything but crazy, and that lamp is going’

‘No it is not going’

‘You are ten years old, and you do not talk to your parents like that. We make the decisions round here, not you,  Clear.  Now go to your room’

‘No’ says Laura sitting by the lamp and guarding it

‘Did you hear what I just said?’

‘I did, and if I go to my room, you will take the lamp away, which I will not let you do’

‘Excuse me, just who do you think you are?’ says Christian trying to control his temper

‘I am doing something which I cannot tell you or mother about’

‘You will tell me right now what you are doing’

‘I can’t, I’m sorry…’

‘Laura my child, you must tell your father that if you tell them, it will bring bad luck upon you for life’

‘Okay’ says Laura looking at the lamp

‘Laura, there you go again, who is it you are talking to?’

‘Dad, I cannot tell you or it will bring bad luck to all of us for the rest of our lives’

‘Tell me’

‘I have been sworn to secrecy for all of us so I cannot tell you, and I will remain here for the sake of the lamp’

Harriette goes back to sleep and wakes up at 8.pm, remembering where she is, but  with no memory of the day's events whatsoever.  Christian has cooked a large dinner as they feel they all need it.  Laura goes to bed at 9.pm and takes the lamp with her, and her parents are confused as to why she is bringing the lamp with and the fact that she can take it away.

‘Laura’

‘Yes dad’ replies Laura walking out of the sitting room

‘You said that your mother and I can’t touch the lamp, why are you taking it away with you?’

‘Because dad, I am the only one who is allowed touch this lamp, and bring it where I want it’

Later on that evening, Laura goes to bed, and a few hours later she hears the town hall clock chime quarter to midnight, and starts to get ready to go out.  Just before midnight, she puts on the ring, and a few minutes later, she hears the town hall clock chime midnight, and quietly creeps out of the house.  The night pony is just arriving at the gate as Laura steps out the door, and lies down on the ground, and as she walks out the gate, he looks towards his back directing her to get on him.  As the full moon is shining across the fields of Hampshire, and is picking up parts of the hedge, Sunbeam slowly rises from the ground, and Laura holds onto his main.  He walks back in amongst the windy narrow lanes, with the moon catching almost everything in its path.  They walk past a row of terraced thatched cottages set back from the road and bordered by a long old stone wall with curtains drawn and distant lighting seen through windows that might be in a hall, stairs or landing area, and after that they come to the entrance to the New Forest and are met by the tawny owl who leads them along a long hilly path that is  boarded by tall trees of various shapes and sizes.  About ten later, Laura feels her right hand tingling a little and it is a message from Isaac

‘Laura, can you hear me?’

‘Yes I can Isaac’ replies Laura following the tawny owl along the forest path in amongst the moonlight

‘How is everything going for you?’

‘I’m getting on fine thank you’

‘That is good, I am delighted to hear it.  Now when we are just about to reach the top of the path, the tawny owl will turn into the forest.  Then Laura, you must listen to me very carefully’

‘Go on’

‘You will follow him and about ten minutes later, you will come to an opening with an ancient walnut tree in the centre of it.  Now as you enter the path, there will be two paths at the other end of the other end of it.  The one on the left has a cottage as you enter it.  You must avoid going on that lane because there is a wicked witch living in that cottage, so you must avoid it at all costs because she only comes out at moonlight. She will stop you from passing her cottage, so you must go up the next path with the hawthorn bushes that are on either side of the path.  Now she will convince you that it is good luck to break off a branch as it will bring good luck to you’

‘Buit will the not fairies not come for you if you interfere with a hawthorn bush?’

‘Oh what a wise child you are, because you are correct, and that is why you must avoid what she tells you’

‘Is there not another way I can go up?’

‘As there is a full moon, the chickleberry and nut bush will be on the other side of where it normally is, and that is the only way of getting to it’

‘I will follow your instructions Isaac’ says Laura ‘I can see her doing a very strange dance’

‘Those are dances of the middle ages, and quite rare too’

‘Hello my child, you look scared, well don’t be.  I am Agatha’ says Agatha looking at Laura with her piercings eyes

‘Hello Agatha’ says Laura feeling a little frightened

‘Now I want to bring you good luck, so what I want you to do is to walk up the path on your right, and break off a piece of the hawthorn bush as it will bring you good luck’

‘Do not say you were talking to me’ intervenes Isaac 

‘Okay’

‘You’ll do it’

‘Hush Laura’ says Issac

‘I will Agatha’

‘Good girl, I will look forward to seeing you on the other side’

‘Do you go to the other end?’

‘Of course my child’ replies Agatha ‘That is when I have someone good like you who will break off a branch of the hawthorn bush.  You see the fairies will not allow me to go near the field, only people like you, who I have convinced’ 

‘I’ll start walking up the path now’ says Laura setting off

‘Laura, you are not going to listen to her?’ asks Isaac

‘I;m just telling her what she wants to hear’

‘Good girl, now you will soon be arriving at the chickleberry and chicknut bush’’

‘I’m still following the tawny owl, and I think I can see moonlight shining through fields round the corner’

‘You’re right, you are nearly there’

Laura arrives at the field, and the tawny owl lands on top of the chickleberry bush, and Isaac tells her when to stop picking the chickleberries.  After that, she is led by the tawny owl to the chicklenut bush.  Once picked, sunbeam canters across the field to another path and Isaac tells her that it will lead to where she came in.  However trees start falling in front of her as an angry Agatha who is trying to trap her but eventually sunbeams front legs turn into wings and he starts to fly,  and once out of the New Forest, they both safely land, and Laura brings back the chickleberries to the house that has has to make the next day.

The next day, Laura goes to school, and her teacher Miss Humphries arrives in class and gets started on the day's teaching.

‘Good morning children.  This morning for history we are going to talk about places that have been lost in the past’ says Miss Humphries standing by her desk

‘Miss Humphries’

‘Yes, what is it Laura?’ 

‘There is the lost city of Weymornington’

‘Laura, outside this minute’ says Miss Humphries raising her eyebrows and frowning’ says Miss Humphries marching her out the classroom door ‘Laura, you do not ever mention that city, now get back into class

‘But….’

‘I want no more out of you’ says Miss Humphries walking into the classroom with the high ceilings and large tall paned windows

The day ends, and Laura gets home, and starts making the chuckleberry oil.  She has the ring on her finger while she is making the oil, and then she hears from Isaac

‘Laura, can you hear me?’

‘Yes’ replies Laura standing by the cooker in the kitchen

‘That not wise mentioning Weymornington to Miss Hunphries’

‘I’m sorry Isaac’

‘Do not worry, you have been doing a very good job.  Now I am leaving a ring with two tiny jewels on it, now I  want you to wear that to school tomorrow morning’

‘Why?’

‘Because you will see a very different Miss Humphries’

The next morning comes, and after breakfast, Laura goes upstairs to put on the ring, and then leaves for school.

‘Good morning children, oh I am starting to get a rather strange aura in the room.  My goodness, a cathedral on the hockey pitch.  There was never one there before.  My goodness, the sky has gone purple.  If that hockey pitch hadn’t been replaced with a cathedral, I would go for a run as I have all of a sudden got so much energy.  Now the subject for today is….Og gosh, what was it again?  I remember.  Why did squirrels eat stew for dinner in the nineteenth century?  Oh my goodness, the classroom is going around and around in circles’

‘What has happened to Miss Humphries?’ asks Charlotte

‘That woman has gone completely mad’ replies Edward

‘But the daft idiot has completely lost control of herself’ says Victoria

‘I certainly don’t see a church on the hockey pitch’ says Markess

‘Neither do I’ says Chelsea ‘That woman has completely lost it’

‘I say children, isn’t it nice to be in the Netherlands, and looking at the tulip fields’

‘What?’ asks Arabella ‘Miss Humphies has lost the plot

‘I say more like the land of the never never rather than the Netherlands’ says Victoria

‘Laura, now the only way you can answer is me by saying right, not you were right, but didn’t I tell you that you would see a completely different Miss Humphries?’

‘Right’

‘Now it sounds as if you are agreeing with the other children’ says Isaac

One week later, in Weymornington, winter has well and truly arrived, and one morning, Laura wakes up and hears Isaac very stressed.

‘Laura, come in Laura’

‘Is everything alright Isaac, you sound very stressed?’

‘Winter has fallen here, and we are all very cold.  You must now light the oil lamp to keep us all warm’

Laura goes and gets a small bottle of the oil she has made up, and starts to light the oil lamp.

‘You are back Laura, good girl, now light it on low, and then gradually turn it up’

‘Here goes’

‘Oh Laura, I have been so cold, and now I am beginning to feel warm.  Now very gently turn it up’

Laura very gently turns it up, and Isaac turns away from the oil chamber and makes an announcement to the people of Weymornington.

‘My people, can you feel the heat?’

‘Yes we can’ reply the people of Weymornington

‘Why do I see all those different colours from the oil chamber?’

‘Because Laura they are a sign of heat, warmth and happiness and a sign of thanks from the people of Weymornington’

‘I have been happy to help them’

‘I can take care of the oil lamp from here and make sure it does not get out of control but for now Laura, your job is done’

THE END