Held To Ransome

Blue Sky Thinking

She sat on the edge of the grassy bank, just watching. There was definitely something in the water. She could see the head bobbing. What was it? A person? No, too far out. A seal? Maybe. A sea monster? Hopefully! Her imagination could do with a prod!

She'd gotten up early, notebook and pencils in her bag, and come to watch the sunrise. The water of the estuary was silver grey at the shore, blending into a mottled peachy gold towards the impending sunrise. The sky just a vibrant echo of the sea - or was it the other way round?.

Slowly, the sun peeked over the horizon like a slumbering giant coming to life, its fingers clutching at the sky as it hauled itself out of bed. The water danced with sparkling lights and the warmth of the summer morning to come as yet an unfufilled promise.

Callie shivered slightly and did the zip up on her hoodie just a little more.  She stared at the indistinct shape, and it dived below the water again, taking its identity with it. A mermaid. She nodded. Yep. Definitely, a mermaid. 

She smiled and reached into her bag, pulling out the thermal travel mug containing her cuppa. Releasing the lid, the steam floated into the morning air like a Will 'o the Wisp.  She watched the droplets as they rose and floated away.

Taking a sip, she put her notebook down, sketch half finished. She would put the colours in later from memory. Somehow, that had become her signature style. Memory-like snap shots of the marshes around her. All had one thing in common, though.

Noone.

Not a soul.

Just sky and marsh and water. No two views  were ever the same. No two glances ever the same. Just the way she liked it.

Somewhere behind her, she heard a car rumble along the road.  It was too early for the postman, too late for the milkman. They still had both here in at the edge of the civilised world.

She turned and craned her neck to see. At this hour, the headlights were still on, so the car was an anonymous flash of white light. It pulled up somewhere a few hundred yards away, and the engine stopped.

After the unexpected rumble, the silence was deafening.  She waited, no movement. Maybe they were just here for the sunrise, like her. Unlike her, they relished their comfort.  After a minute or two, she turned back to watch the remainder of the morning's show.

Finally, a little after 6.30, the sun was fully up. The sky was no longer peachy grey.  It was the palest blue, a white veil of high cloud, and a yellow sun beginning to appear from behind its peach dressing gown.  The birds began to sing, and somewhere, someone switched on the soundtrack to summer.

She drained the last of her tea and put the cup away.  Looking at her semi-completed sketch, she held it up to compare to the scene.  Nodding, she put it too away. Not bad, getting better. Not quite Tate Gallery standard but passable.

Everything stashed away, she scrambled to her feet, stretching.  She'd become stiff with sitting, but the feeling of the muscles coming to life reminded her she was alive. She was free to actually feel something other than stress.

Beside her, a skylark soared, and she smiled.  Yep, another day in her little corner of paradise. 

As she turned to head back to the pub for breakfast, she saw the car was still there.  It was black and shiny and very expensive. It was also empty.  Whoever it was had gone for a walk. 

Passing on, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. She'd had a car like that once, too. She'd gotten rid of it and bought a small, cheap runaround after her 'crossroads' as she now called it to herself. Maybe one day... she mused.

In no time at all, she was back her house, dumping the bag and washing her hands of pencil marks and moss where she'd been clambering over the marshes.  Saturday was always breakfast at the pub day. Staying there, she discovered randomly that they did the BEST pancakes and bacon and maple syrup outside the States.

As she walked to the pub, the car from the marshes drove by. She couldn't see the driver but they drove carefully and considerately given the car and the time of day.  Her eyes followed it and watched as they stopped a little further up, outside the pub.

She slowed her pace, not quite ready to engage with anyone at this time in the morning.

Tom stopped the car and breathed out slowly. The sunrise was everything he'd hoped it would be. He watched as the light broke over the estuary. As he sat in the silence, a movement to his left caught his eye.  A figure stood and stretched. It looked, even from this distance, like a girl. Who was she? Why was she out here this early - and alone? His natural curiosity fired up. 

He looked at his watch. He'd left the house before dawn, hoping for a little time to himself before the rest of the crew turned up. Preliminary location days were always hectic. Pulled from pillar to post, he rarely had time to enjoy what often turned out to be beautiful scenery.

He decided to walk a little and stretch his legs. Climbing out the car, he walked in the opposite direction to the lone woman. Someone who rose this early did it for a reason. Conversation wasn't one of them.

When he got back, the walk having been every bit as refreshing as he'd hoped, she was gone. Slightly disappointed, he got back into the car and headed to the village. It was still early, but he knew the pub did breakfast from 7.30, so he headed there. As he drove, he was mindful that powerful, loud, cars and sleepy villages didn't mix well, so drove slowly. 

It was a pleasant surprise when he turned a corner and saw the mystery woman walking in the same general direction. Maybe she would be up for a chat now.

He pulled up outside the pub and waited. In the rearview mirror, he could see her eyeing up the car. He knew she recognised it by the slight falter in her step.

As he watched and waited, she seemed to slow. Was she put off by his presence? He hoped not. There was only one way to find out. 

Callie opened the door and walked into the now familiar bar. She seemed to be alone. Maybe the driver had changed their mind.

Colin greeted her with a smile and a nod. "Morning Callie - usual?"

"Please, Col." She grabbed a paper from the bar and retreated to her usual table in the corner.  She sat down with a sigh and relaxed. Opening the paper, she hadn't gotten beyond the headlines when a voice broke into her silence.

"I'm awfully sorry to intrude, I just wondered if you could recommend anything in particular for breakfast?"

Callie looked up into a smiling face. A VERY familiar smiling face. 

With a slight gasp, her mind shut down, and, without a second thought, she blurted out, "Me?"

There was a silence you could have cut with a blunt butter knife. Then ,slowly, the man's mouth twisted into a smile, then a laugh.

"Ok, so after we make mad passionate love here on the slightly sticky floor, is there anything you recommend to eat?"

Realising what she'd actually said, and obviously not meant, Callie wanted to curl up and die.

"Oh God!" She wailed and covered her face, mortified.

"No love, not God, not even a Norse one. Tom, Tom Hiddleston, pleased to meet you!"