Temporal Exploring 101 - Branch Cut

V.8 A roll in the hay

It all started innocently enough.

Nancy, Liz, Mallory, Natty and I – and before you are going to ask, yes, Sneakers too – were on yet another hike through the fields and meadows of Lord Kerrington's estate.

Of course, Sneakers was not hiking in the strict sense of the word. She was riding in the sleeves or sometimes also, in a pocket of Lizzie's blouse.

It was not raining, for a change, not even a light drizzle. Even better, the sun had come out and it was warm enough for us to have a picnic. This might turn out to be the last warm day of the year, according to the weather forecast.

Matilda had packed a basket with fruit, sandwiches and boiled eggs as well a thermos with tea and several flasks filled with juice for us. We had arrived at the destination of our little excursion, a wooden picnic table flanked by two wooden benches located close to a barn.

We were all of us hungry and thirsty from the hike, even Sneakers who had not actually engaged in that activity. Lizzie had brought a carrot, grains and a bit of cereal which the little rodent avidly devoured.

After we had eaten and drunk our fill we were sitting on the benches and looking around contentedly, none of us eager to start on the hike back to the manor house.

That is, until Mallory grew restless. She got to her feet and stretched.

"What's that over there?" She pointed to a building perhaps a hundred meters away that looked like another barn to me.

Nancy shrugged. "It is just a hayloft."

"I'll go and have a closer look at it," Mallory declared. She looked at me. "Care to join me, Hart?"

"Sure, why not."

I figured she was using this as a pretext to create some privacy for the two of us so we could squeeze in a bit of kissing and making out. Needless to say, I was not averse to that.

Mallory and I walked over to the hayloft.

"Yesterday, I realized something about you, Hart," Mallory told me, as we were walking towards the hayloft. "You are in the habit of overthinking stuff. Like when we were planning that trip to Brighton and you attempted to anticipate every little thing that might possibly go wrong. That's the reason why you worry all the time. Seriously, you need to relax."

When I did not reply immediately, she continued, "Also, there is no need for you to weigh each and every one of your words when you are talking to your friends. Why don't you try to be a bit more spontaneous? Just say what comes to your mind."

I pondered that. "I don't know if that is such a good idea, Carmichael."

"Oh come on, you can do it, Hart. Everybody can."

I was not convinced. Overthinking stuff had served me well, so far.

Perhaps not in the case of romantic relationships, though. Maybe I ought to give it a try, after all.

"I shall think about it, Carmichael."

Mallory laughed.

The hayloft turned out to be a space above a barn that could be reached by climbing a long wooden ladder. And it was filled with, you guessed it, lots and lots of hay.

"Let's go up there, to the loft," Mallory suggested.

She started to climb up the ladder. I followed her.

It occurred to me that it was a good thing that I was not scared of heights.

On the other hand, even if I were, the sight of Mallory Carmichael climbing upwards in front of me would have offered me ample diversion.