TellersQuest: 1. The Girl

1. Keira could't help it. The wine dribbled between her lips and ran over the back of Sally's hand as she struggled to stop trembling.

2. "Come off it! You take your pleasures too far!" Sally squirmed. It was then that Keira groaned and crumbled to the floor unconscious.

3. "Lyra? Is that you? Keira has collapsed. What should I do?" she asked. Lyra was Sally's professor of healing in the Theosophy Department.

4. "Trembling ..." Sally glanced at Keira's pale face. "At home. How long? I'll be here." And she hung up as a sharp knock came at the door.

5. Blast! Bloody wrong time. Blighter'll have to wait. But the knocker insisted. Sally brought Keira's hand to her lips and kissed it.

6. Struggling to her feet, Sally reluctantly went to the door. She hung suspended hesitating about opening when a new rap startled her.

7. Knock. Knock. Why can't people use the bell? Sally unlatched the door, pulled it open and peered out. There stood a girl. "You called?"

8. 4ft tall, shoulder-length auburn hair and piercing green eyes. Even the prominent chin. She looked like a younger version of Sally.

9. "What the ... !" Sally gasped. Not waiting to be invited in, the girl pushed passed Sally and stepped inside. "Where's your ailing friend?"

10. Hearing Keira groan, Sally hurried to the bedside where her friend was lying unconscious. Ignoring the girl, she knelt next to Keira.

11. Keira's eyes fluttered open. She looked uncomprehendingly at the young girl who'd also knelt down next to her. "Who're you?" she asked.

12. Keira spoke with much effort. She looked confused and troubled. Sally didn't want to bother her with a girl scout out to do a good deed.

13. "How do you feel?" Sally asked, taking Keira's hand in hers, trying to shut out the unwanted intruder. Her friend was hot and clammy.

14. "Good mornin', Keira," the girl said. "I'm An. I've come to heal you." Then she leaned forward and brushed Keira's hair from her face.

15. Sally was furious. What a cheek! Walking in unbidden and promising to heal her love. Load o' nonsense. "Get out before I kick you out!"

16. Sally leaned menacingly. "I would't if I were you," An hissed. Sally took a step closer. "I don't intend to steal your lover," An said.

17. Sally was flabbergasted! The thought was unthinkable. No words could describe the profound scorn and distaste she felt for the girl!

18. Keira giggled, nervously. "Keira! That doesn't help!" Sally exclaimed. "Sorry. I can't help it. She looks so very much like you, Sally."

19. An nodded in approval and placed her hand gently on Keira's forehead, her eyes closed in intense concentration. Keira stopped giggling.

20. "There's a disturbance in the Earth's energy fields," An explained, her eyes still closed. "You seem particularly sensitive to it."

21. "Energy?" Keira asked, pushing up on her elbow causing her pendant to fall free from her tee-shirt. "What's that?" An asked surprised.

22. An reached for the pendant but Sally pushed her away. "Get your filthy hands off!" An was not flustered, she caught Sally's hand and ...

23. ... rolled over dragging Sally with her. Then An sprang easily to her feet and returned to Keira. Sally remained sprawled on the floor.

NOTE: I realise what Edward de Bono meant about evolution: given a new brick a day to build a tower, comes a time you want to restart.

24. An gently removed the pendant from around Keira's neck while Sally struggled to her feet then the girl pelted for the door and was gone!

25. "Hey!" Sally shouted bounding to the door. She was about to open it when there was a knock. Furious, she yanked the door open and ...

26. ... launched into a diatribe about girl thieves and pendants only to notice that standing there was Lyra Enquist her professor of healing.

27. "What girl?" Lyra asked once Sally had calmed enough to explain what had happened. "I didn't see a girl on the stairs" Lyra told them.

28. "That's not possible. She just left." They hadn't just dreamt it. She turned to Keira for confirmation. Then she remembered the pendant.

29. Keira got to her feet unsteadily. "How do you feel?" Lyra asked, interrupting Sally. "Weren't you ill?" Keira shook her head, perplexed.

30. "I..." Keira rubbed her forehead. "I feel quite OK." She didn't seem so sure. "Ever since that girl took the pendant, I've felt better."

31. Sally made tea and they sat at the table in Sally's spotless kitchen eating ginger biscuits while they tried to grasp what'd happened.

Go on to Episode 2.