CHAPTER 9 BRIDGING MEMORIES: TERABITHIA RECLAIMED

 This is a reimagined version of the classic tale The Bridge To Terabithia. This is a part of my NaNoWriMo or the Novel Writing November Exercise.

 

              A GAZE FROM THE PAST 

Leonie's eyes widened in horror as May Belle's threats escalated, her voice growing louder and closer. As she closed the bedroom door, she heard May Belle's furious footsteps storming up the path to Rosemont Greene's front door. The incessant ringing of the doorbell got on Leonie’s nerves. She held her breath. Patches' tiny heart beat against her chest where she held the kit protectively.

Maybelle thumped on the door impatiently. Leonie hesitated, unsure of what to do. She couldn't just ignore it. Hiding lil Patches in her wardrobe, she took a deep breath and steeled herself to open the door to face May Belle's twisted, angry face.

May Belle's expression changed in an instant, her face morphing into a mask of innocence. "Leonie, dear, have you seen Patches? I can't find her anywhere, and I'm worried sick!" She looked past Leonie, her eyes scanning the interior of the house as if searching for any sign of the kit.

Leonie was taken aback by May Belle's acting, her words dripping with sweetness, but her eyes gleaming with a malevolent intensity. She forced a smile, trying to keep her tone light. "No, I haven't seen Patches since...since earlier, when I was in your garden. I'm sure she's just hiding somewhere, May Belle. Rabbits can be quite good at that, you know."

May Belle's gaze lingered on Leonie, as if sizing her up, before turning away, her voice clouded with disappointment. "Ah, yes, of course. I'm sure you're right, Leonie. I'll just have to keep looking, then." 

As she turned to leave, Leonie caught a glimpse of something dark and twisted in May Belle's eyes, sending a shiver down her spine.

*****

On this Sunday afternoon, Leonie walked up the path to the Aarons', the scent of a freshly mown lawn and spring flowers lacing the air. Patches, the little rabbit, was safely hidden away in her bedroom out of sight, but the memory of May Belle's threats last night still made her cringe.

Her heart was a bit heavier with Patches' fate weighing on her mind. She was determined to play it cool and not give anything away.

May Belle was all smiles as she opened the door. She chirped about how she'd been searching high and low for Patches, but Leonie was having none of it. She played along, pretending to be worried about the missing rabbit.

Meanwhile, Leonie's mind brewed a story. She would tell the Aarons that she saw Patches hop off into the woods, and then they would stop looking for it altogether. It was a fool proof story to save Patches’ life.

Lost in thought, she was greeted with warm smiles from Elaine and a friendly nod from a distinguished looking man with twinkling blue eyes who was seated at the head of the table..

"Ah, Leonie, dear, come meet my husband, Oliver, he’s been looking forward to meeting you." He rose from his chair to shake hands with Leonie as she approached.

"So, you're the one who's been keeping May Belle company," he said jokingly. "I hope she's not causing you any trouble."

Leonie shook her head, feeling a bit like a mouse caught in a trap. "No, sir, she's been lovely."

The lunch was a lavish affair, with roasted meats, steaming vegetables, couscous and freshly baked rolls. Oliver was a good host regaling them with anecdotes and funny stories from his business trips.

As they ate, Leonie's gaze wandered to the walls, where framed photos and paintings hung. Her eyes landed on a particular photo, a beautiful grey rabbit kit with piercing brown eyes eating carrots among tall stalks of Hyacinths in the Aarons' garden.

"Is that...Patches?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Jesse, sitting across from her, followed her gaze and shook his head. "No, that's Winnie Grey,” he said with a tinge of remorse.

Leonie's mind spun. Winnie Grey? "Oh, a different rabbit?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light. The name was familiar! Ellen had mentioned a Winnie Grey…so Winnie Grey was a pet rabbit!!

Jesse's expression was hard to read, but he offered nothing more, just a quiet, "Yeah…. Winnie Grey was our first pet rabbit who died a few years ago.”

“It was my pet rabbit! Don't touch that picture! ”, May Belle who was silent, chimed in out of the blue making Leonie jump out of her skin. She recoiled her hand from the photo frame as if stung by it.

“That goddamn Leslie who's house you're staying at right now would come over often just like you to play with Winnie Grey. How dare she make Winnie Grey like her more than me? Are you going to make Patches like you more than she likes me?” She threw a sinister glance at Leonie's way. Leonie felt her skin crawl with this uncalled for confrontation. 

“May Belle! That's enough! “ Oliver’s icy tone was final. After throwing uncomfortable glances at all of them, Leonie wished that she had never brought up the sensitive matter.

“I'm sorry…I didn't mean to..” she began close to tears at this sudden unpleasant turn of events but Oliver waved it away kindly. “Think nothing of it, Leonie…it's not a big deal as May Belle makes it out to be.”

Elaine spluttered something about a dessert and made an awkward retreat into the kitchen. She returned with a tray of Tiramisu topped with whipped cream and butterscotch schnapps. Everyone ate in silence. The only sound was the clatter of spoons scooping the Tiramisu and the crunch of the wafers.

******

As Elaine and Oliver cleared the table, she suggested Jesse and May Belle take a walk to the farmyard to show Leonie, Moo Babe, the white calf born to Miss Bessie a couple of months ago. Leonie jumped at the chance, eager to escape the tension.

May Belle scowled as she rushed over to her mother, agitated. "Why are you making her meet Mushu?" she demanded in a tone dripping with possessiveness. "It's our calf. And I have named him Mushu. It's not Moo-Babe. For the last time!"

Bringing down her fists in a defensive tantrum, she emphasized the name, her eyes daring anyone to contradict her. "Moo Babe Moo Babe, you all go on like you forgot what it's named." 

Jesse rolled his eyes good-naturedly, a small smile playing on his lips. "Sorry, May Belle. I forgot you renamed him."

Leonie smiled trying to diffuse the tension. "Mushu's a lovely name, May Belle. I'm sure the calf loves it."

May Belle nodded her expression softening slightly as she took Leonie's hand. "Come, I'll show you Mushu. He's really cute."

As May Belle led Leonie to the farmyard, Jesse followed close behind with May Belle proudly showing off her calf Mushu.

Leonie walked into the barn, the scent of hay and warm earth enveloping her. Miss Bessie, the Aaron's gentle cow, was munching on feed in her stall, her large brown eyes watching Leonie with a quiet gaze. And in the corner, near a patch of sunlight filtering through a window, was Moo-Babe curled up after her morning feed.

"Hey, little one," Leonie said, her voice softening as she crouched by the stall's edge. Moo-Babe immediately nuzzled Leonie's outstretched palm. Leonie giggled scratching behind Moo-Babe's ears. The calf leaned into the touch, emitting tiny pleased sounds.

As Leonie stroked Moo-Babe's downy coat, Miss Bessie nudged her gently with a solid shoulder.

“Hello there, Miss Bessie", Leonie murmured, her hand finding the cow's broad neck. Bessie lowed softly, a comforting sound. Moo-Babe, still pressed against Leonie, looked up with big dark eyes.

Leonie stayed there, breathing in the barn's calm and in the serene company of the cows.

May Belle appeared at the barn doorway, her gaze narrowing slightly seeing Leonie with the calf. "You like animals," she said, tone neither warm nor cold.

Leonie straightened slowly, Moo-Babe protesting the withdrawal with a small bellow. "She's lovely," Leonie said of the calf.

Leonie's fingers danced through Moo-Babe's soft fur, the calf nuzzling her palm with gentle presses. May Belle lingered by the barn's doorway, her eyes narrowing into slits as she watched Leonie wholly absorbed in the calf's antics.

Moo-Babe, sensing May Belle's gaze, paused mid-prance, her big eyes swiveling between the two girls. Leonie, still chuckling, didn't notice the shift in atmosphere.

May Belle's jaw tightened, her knuckles whitening where she gripped the doorframe. She took a step closer, her voice a fraction too bright. "Mushu likes you," she said, the words landing awkwardly in the barn's warm air.

Leonie straightened,"She's so sweet," she said, smiling at the calf. May Belle's answering smile looked...pinched.

"She likes me best," May Belle said suddenly, moving to stand between Leonie and the calf. Moo-Babe sidestepped closer to Leonie, nudging her hand again for scratches.

May Belle glared, pursing her lips . "I must take her to the fields for grazing," she said abruptly. "Mum needs help with chores. I can show you.” The moment hung briefly awkwardly before Leonie nodded. "Sure.”

Leonie nodded, backing away slightly as May Belle moved to clip a lead onto Moo-Babe's collar. Without another word, she led Moo-Babe out of the barn, the calf trotting to match her quick steps.

As they worked alongside Mrs. Aaron doing farm tasks, May Belle watched sidelong sometimes, her expression unreadable. Leonie sensed... tension. Not knowing why.

That evening, Leonie couldn't shake Moo-Babe's warmth from her mind. Nor the odd feeling with May Belle’s undercurrents.

She sat by the window with Patches snoozing on her lap. The lake glimmered with the colors of the sunset. 

The late evening shadows lengthened.

Moo-Babe too was perhaps sleeping cozily in the barn by now huddled against Miss Bessie... 

The  exhaustion of the day seeped into her. Tomorrow was another day … an arrangement had to be swiftly made for Patches. Hiding her away forever at home wasn't a permanent solution nor was it possible. Maybe…just maybe…Ellen would agree to take her in....

Leonie drifted off into fitful sleep tossing and turning as the moon rose higher above the rooftops.

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To Be Continued...