The Days End

The day is over.

Red skies herald the days end.

As birds find sleep bats flutter against the orange and red hues.

Coolness touches as calmness descends.

The day has ended…

Soon a new day will dawn.

Simon 😊

Goodbye…

The world now seems different that you’re not here.

You had some funny ways, but that made you you.

You were always happy, laughing, tough in a way but kind.

But now you’re gone.

The world won’t be the same.

Goodbye Norm. See ya later I hope.

Monday Motivations – Mechanoid Christmas

Esther is always typically seasonal in her Monday Motivations writing prompts, so this week The theme is Christmas Eve. As I write this I have no idea what to write… So this is going to come as it flows:

Mechanoid Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas… Dave started. Then stopped. It seemed that a mechanoid had a few issues with Christmas.

“Why is it twas the night before Christmas sir?” Dave asked McKinley.

“Because it just is, it’s old talk and sounds good, now just tell us the story!” McKinley told Dave.

“Twas the night before Christmas and the five mechanoids were charging their sub systems with…”

“Stop!”

“Why sir?”

“It’s too technical, I’m bored already! They only need to be sleeping!” McKinley instructed Dave,sitting back in his seat with his feet on the console. Seanna walked in behind him, she slid her arms round McKinley and kissed his cheek.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“I’m trying to get Dave to be creative. I have asked him to recite a night before Christmas story with him and his mechanoids in it.”

“Is it working?” Seanna smiled.

“No.” 

“No? How come?”

“He keeps being mechanoidie and making things too technical”

“That’s who he is surely?” Asked Seanna.

“Don’t you start Seanna, let me give this a go! Now from the top Dave!”

“Twas the night before Christmas and the mechanics were in sleep mode. All noise was below 40 decibels and their foot receptacles hun up by the heat exchanger unit…”

Seanna laughed… “What is this?”

“Still will you?” Protested McKinley “this is the closest I’ve got!”

Seanna tried to stop laughing but couldn’t.

“Can I ask you about Christmas sir?” Dave asked.

“Sure” McKinley replied. Seanna had calmed down a bit at this point.

“Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, a figure from Christian religion.”

“Yesss” McKinley agreed.

“Yet it is not held on his actual date of birth, but instead at a time of year celebrated by other beliefs near to the Winter solstice on Earth.”

“Ok…. What’s your point?”

“I’m confused. Why do humans celebrate Christmas then? It seems to be irrelevant.”

McKinley looked over at Seanna who looked at him and shrugged. “It seems like a good thing to do!” Was McKinley’s answer.

The mechanoid looked at him and made a beep that seemed like some kind of robotic acceptance.

“Now, start again. You be quiet this time Seanna!”

Dave started again “Twas the night before Christmas and the mechanics were in sleep mode. All noise was below 40 decibels and their foot receptacles hun up by the heat exchanger unit. Unit 3586C stirred when a motive force was detected coming from the heat exchanger. He saw a human with long white busy facial hair and a red suit emerge. His diodes froze with fight…”

Seanna burst out laughing…. McKinley wasn’t going to get his mechanoid Christmas story at this rate!

Simon 😀

Monday Motivations – Flashback

Esther’s theme for his weeks Monday Motivations is flashbacks and this gave me a world off opportunities… But I found it had to pick a good one. This is what I came up with:

Flashback

Sitting on the beach on a warm Autumn day, the sun setting with hues of purple, orange and red. The day dying as the year too draws to it’s own end.

With eyes closed thoughts wash over him like waves on the beach.

Thoughts of years past, of people, places things that until now we’re long forgotten.

Images vivid in his mind, some bringing a smile, others a tear.

Lost in the sea thoughts he realised that some were flashbacks to times long ago, others were flash forwards, dreams of a life maybe to come. Despite his years he knew that as long as he could dream he could still live and gather more images, more flashbacks to re-live. 

Simon 😀

Monday Motivation – Eternal Darkness

Esther’s Monday motivation theme this week was darkness and this is the story I came up with:

Eternal Darkness

We had just left the wormhole that brought us here for a brief time we were in normal space. There it was before us. Our destiny, a circle of  blackness, darkness like I had never see before. Even the glowing gasses that shone brightly as it was being annihilated couldn’t light it up. This black hole named Goliath for our mission sucked matter, light, time, energy into its immensity and destroyed it was a sight that I could see but not even start to comprehend. They say when you look into the abyss the abyss looks into you but here there was nothing looking back. The darkness before us was something that I could never imagine in my worst nightmares.

Our mission was to find the other end of eternity, we were going to sit in orbit of this black hole, just outside its event horizon and wait for it to come. There was no obvious way of going back, it was humanity’s last chance to make its stamp in time and we had volunteered for it. 

I felt the manoeuvring engines guiding our vessel, the Chronos towards Goliath. The blackness filled the viewer gradually until nothing else could be seen.Despite the immensity of what we were witnessing, no one spoke. The first and perhaps the last humans to ever see a black hole. 

The operations manager looked around and announced “We’re in orbit around Goliath” His tone was a mix of  dark certainty and achievement “The gravity shield is in place and working perfectly. We should be able to maintain this orbit for as long as wee need to.” 

“How far are we from the even horizon?” I asked.

“One million, four hundred thousand kilometres. As close as we dare.” He replied.

I was in command of the mission to discover the end of the universe and of time. This is my story.
Simon 🙂
 

 

Minecraft Steve and the Lost City – Part 5

Steve watched eagerly as Preeta entered the courtyard of the light temple Somehow and he wasn’t sure how but the monsters were not aware of him. Slowly he made his way forward until he reached the centre of the courtyard. Preeta stood there, he held out hs staff and mumbled some words, the monsters instantly turned and looked at him. Striking the ground with his staff Preeta yelled out.

“Now be gone!”

A flash of light radiated out from where the staff struck the ground. For a moment Steve was blinded, when his vision cleared he couldn’t believe it! The monsters were gone! Rushing down Steve went to join Preeta. Seeing Steve approaching Preeta shouted out “hurry crafter, the monsters will still keep arriving from these… Things” Preeta was pointing the the spawners. Sure enough in no time zombies and other monsters were appearing again.

Steve had to think of a way to destroy the spawners. It was then that it hit him. Lashing out at the monsters he took them down. Hurriedly he turned, setting down a crafting table he used the explosive he had collected from the killed creepers and in not time he had three blocks of dynamite.

Fighting his way forward again Steve for fight up to the spawners and placed the blocks of dynamite. Lighting them he turned to Preeta “Run Preeta! Head for the door!”

The two of them ran as fast as they could, reaching the door just as the explosion hit Preeta hid himself from the blast. Steve was blown out of the doorway, yelling as he hit the floor. The blast soon subsided and Preeta made his way over to Steve.

“Crafter – are you alright?”

“Yes… I’m fine!” Steve coughed and spluttered “Just give me a moment – I’m ok!”

Turning around to see his hang work Steve exclaimed “That’s how you do it!”

“Nicely done crafter!”

The light from the day had almost gone and it was getting dark. The two of them walked towards the door to the inner chambers of the light temple.

“Once we are inside we will not have to worry about monsters young crafter!” Steve handed Preeta the key, taking it Preeta pushed it firmly into the lock and turned. The mechanism seemed heavy, but not stiff or sticky as a rusted lock might be. Pushing the door, the light dazzled Steve. Like morning sun on a summer day the light streamed from the door.

“Let’s go in shall we crafter?”

“After you Preeta!” Steve replied “I have no idea where or what this is.”

“Have no fear crafter, we are near the end of the journey!”

Following Preeta into the light Steve hoped very much that he was nearing the end of his journey. This whole adventure was something Steve hadn’t expected or wanted. Preeta stopped and motioned to Steve.

Steve couldn’t believe it, in front of him were hundreds, or maybe thousands of people. They were stood like a statue army. “Are these the people of the city?” Steve asked

“Yes crafter, they were imprisioned here. Now we’re here we can set them free, I need your help one last time to set them free”

“Waht do you need?” Steve asked.

Looking at Steve, Preeta grinned “Not much! A crafting table to start with!”

“And next?” Steve asked as he placed a cafting table on the floor

“Your diamond sword!” Preeta saked. Steve wasn’t sure about this. It was his only protection and giving it up would mean any attacker could easily over power him.

“Are you sure about this Preeta?”

“Oh yes!” Preeta replied.

©Simon Farnell 2016

No ownership claimed on images

Find other stories from the Adventures of Minecraft Steve: Adventures of Minecraft Steve

Carry me to my purpose

I feel like a ship at low tide.

Marooned. The wind my blow but it cannot take me.

So like thr ship I wait.

Wait for the water to carry me so the wind can push me. 

When this happens my only limits will be where the wind can take me and the water will carry me.

Only on that day, like the ship an i fulfill my purpose, only on that day can I be fulfilled. 

Simon 🙂

© Simon Farnell 2016

No ownership claimed on image.

The Titan Mystery – The Conclusion

Though the darkness of deep space a lone spacecraft moved slowly towards a rippling tear of energy in space. The Atlas, the ship sent to rescue the Tycho and it’s crew moved towards its reported position.

“We’ve not been able to pick up the Tycho on sensors Captain and they should be here!”

Captain William Roberts sat back in his chair, thoughtful.

“When was the last time we had contact with the Tycho?”

“Only a few hours ago to inform them of our arrival sir!” The communications officer answered.

“Raise them again and get them to re-confirm their position please.”

“Sir!”

Captain Roberts had read the report from the Tycho. It was quite a story, he wouldn’t ever say he didn’t believe it but he certainly had questions. But if they’re supposed to be here and are not, then perhaps the time leak from this Titan could explain it.

“They’ve confirmed their position sir.”

“Well you better tell McKinley that his problems aren’t over yet. I think he need to be thinking about passing though that time tear because it seems he’s in the right place at the wrong time!”
McKinley sat there, sunk in his seat. Dumbfounded as he looked across at Seanna.

“What do we do now?” She asked him. McKinley couldn’t answer, he had run out of all of his ideas now. He was looking forward to an end to all of this, so much had been lost to get the Tycho and what was left of its crew here. This was meant to be a routine survey and reconnaissance mission and it looked like now that the only chances they had were to either brave the rift or die on the Tycho when the supplies ran out.

After a pause McKinley hit the console on his chair, breaking the controls. In whT seemed like a rage he got out of his chair and headed off the control centre “you’re in command Seanna!” He shouted, everyone was silenced. No one dared speak until after he had gone.

“Hello sir, I’ve not seen you for three days. How can I be of assistance?” Dave asked McKinley as he arrived on the loading deck.

“It seems we’re stuck in the wrong time! Can you think of how we are going to back to where we should be?” McKinley asked Dave strongly. He had calmed a little since leaving the control centre, but his unhappiness was obvious.

Dave was thoughtful for a moment “I think the term wrong time is incorrect, we are in a different time than you want to be is more accurate!” McKinley rolled his eyes and was about to boil over again when Dave started  again “there is a way to try and get back to your own time. The problem is that it’s going to be dangerous and there is no guarantee of any success.”

McKinley was listening as the mechanoids carried on with his explanation “the rift is a tear in the fabric of space time, we have to enter it in order to find your way back. The problem is that because it is a tear it is likely to be visible in the same point in space across a vast section of time. Where to exit the rift is the key and considering the current condition of your spacecraft, we will be at the mercy of the powers we find in there.”

“Ok, let me get some of my people down here. Between all of you I hope you can make a plan that could work!”

“Certainly sir!”

McKinley called down the chief engineer, Jearo and some other science officers were also called and while McKinley was involved he could no nothing much except listen to the ideas and plans a bouncing around. For hours it carried on until finally a plan was hatched. It was still risky, but the mechanoids were going to need a few days to carry out a partial overhaul of the drive coils. This would enable the Tycho limited but useful propulsion. Dave was going to modify the navigational sensor arrays to be able to lock in on a time signal from the Atlas, essentially making it a crude time locator and guidance system. The core needed to have the coolant and linings repaired and then re-calibrated to operate at a different phase of entertainment to allow better propulsion in the rift and also not damage the reworked coils after their repair. Is was a big job and in the meantime the crew were preparing for the worst. Messages were sent to the Atlas in case the worst happened.

McKinley had just walked into his quarters and flopped onto his bed when Seanna came in. She too looked exhausted and grimy from working on the core all day.

“We did it!” She exclaimed, the exhaustion in her voice was obvious. McKinley stuck a thumb up of approval.

“Well done! We’re good to go tomorrow then?”

“Yup!” Seanna walked over, flopping onto the bed next to McKinley. Wrapping their arms round each other they both settled in for some much needed sleep.

“Do you think we will make it?” Seanna asked. “I was starting to like life and find it interesting again!”

“I wish I knew Seanna.” McKinley answered, kissing her forehead.

“This has been the most messed up mission ever don’t you think? I mean look at what’s happened. We discover a ship, it’s stuck in time and we get trapp-” a snorw came from McKinley. Smiling Seanna rested he head on the pillow next to him, but wasn’t able ro sleep like McKinley.
Seanna woke late and alone, without pausing for anything she made it up to to control. McKinley raised his eyebrows as she made he way onto the deck looking a little ragged.

“Good afternoon! Glad you could make it Seanna!”

“Where are we at?” she asked.

“Tyson has just get the Atlas to send signals at times intervals, acting as a time beacon. All the checks have been completed and we’ll be ready to start in about an hour when the coils are charged. Can you take the guidance panel as we all need your keen eye to look for the right way to go!”

“Certainly” Deanna replied. Manning her station the crew prepared for this one last journey. Like n impending sentence it was the longest hour ever to pass. Eventually the call came through:

“Coils are charged commander!”

McKinley took a moment to look around at the assembled crew. Each of them looking back at him. He wondered over to Seanna she put he hand in his for a moment and looked up at him “let’s do this yeah?”

Neila called over “All stations have called in, all systems are go and all lights are green!”

“Let’s do then! Take us in!” McKinley called out. The Tycho’s engines vibrated briefly as they pushed the craft forward towards its destiny. The rift that had almost destroyed themselves to escape from was now their target. In a few moments the pull of the rift was pulling them ever faster towards its heart.

“Keep her steady!” McKinley called out.

“We’re accelerating fast commander!” Neila called out ” in less than a minute were going to moving faster than our engines can push us!”

“Can we still navigate?” McKinley replied.

“Yes, but it’s getting harder!”

“Do we have a lock yet Seanna?”

“No! I’m trying to find it!” Seanna yelled back

“Keep at it!” McKinley yelled back.

For what seemed like endless moments the rift was getting closer and larger in the forward view. Turbulences of untamed power rocked and buffeted the small craft. Neila shouting out the damage sustained and isolating each in turn. Suddenly the crew were thrown onto their panels as a huge metallic crash was sent through the Tycho.

“Hull breach at the forecastle!” Neila shouted out, the deafening roar drowning her out. “Were going to get shaken to pieces at this rate!”

“Have we got it yet Seanna?” McKinley shouted.

“I think so, it’s hard to tell but there’s  lot of noise!” She shouted back. “I’m sending the heading to the guidance computer!”

“Give it all you can Neila!”

“Damn right!” At that the engines of the Tycho sprang into life, the ship shaking as it tried to fly straight and true. McKinley looked at the red lights all over the ship’s readout. His thoughts were resigned that this was it. There was nothing more he or anyone else could do. The swirling depths of the rift flashed and crackled with unimaginable power pushing and pulling the tiny craft around. A huge flash shot before McKinley’s eyes and then there was nothing, darkness. Silence.

“Am I dead?” McKinley thought, he wasn’t sure if he thought or spoke it. In those moments he realised he couldn’t be dead. Or… Maybe he could. Staring into the darkness he rose from his chair, swirling in the mists of balack shapes like monsters swirled and moved within it, then there were flashes of moments, the Titan mission,then previous missions, even further back to when he was a young man and had first started serving in the space core. Then he saw moments from his childhood, moments long forgotten, friends long missed. He  felt sorrowful and happiness as the moments played before him back to when he was a mere baby.

Then darkness again.

McKinley stood or so he thought in what felt and seemed like nothing. Gazing ahead until light filled his vision like the curtains open in the morning. He blinked as he tried to see around him, closing his eyes again he tried to open them. Gradually he was getting used to the light, his vision clearing. He saw a figure standing in front of him.

“Who are you? Where is this?” McKinley asked.

“Welcome McKinley.” Came a voice, gentle yet powerful. McKinley had heard it before, but he couldn’t recall where from.

“It’s good to see you again, take your time, don’t fight it my friend. You took your time! I never thought you would come!” The figure said to him.

For a few moments McKinley struggled with his eyes, clearer and clearer they became. He became aware he was standing on on sand, the sea washing over his feet. He was suddenly aware of Seanna, she slipped her hand into his.

“Will he be ok?” She asked.

The voice laughed. “Patience, in good time. It’s taken him more time to awaken properly!”

McKinley felt Seanna’s soft lips on his cheek. “Come back to us old man!” She whispered, he could tell she was smiling. Seanna wouldn’t let his hand go, in a few moments his vision cleared. He looked around to see the crew on this desert beach in the middle of a vast ocean. He looked over to the vista of a ringed plated in a deep blue sky and moons easily visible in the sky.

“Where is this?” McKinley asked.

“Don’t you k ow where we are? Or who I am?”

“Endevin?” McKinley whispered. “How?”

“Welcome to reality my friend!”

Too stunned to answer, McKinley looked at Seanna and smiled. He had no idea how or why. But he felt more alive now than he had ever done in his life. Like the moment of being born and feeling, sensing for the first time. Life, had somehow just begun!

Simon 🙂

© Simon Farnell 2016

Ester Newton’s Monday Motivations – Fireworks.

I know ive left it late but Esther as always runs her Monday Motivations slot and as is seasonally typical the theme was Fireworks.

Fireworks:

Henry liked to watch the goings on at number 24. Every Thursday Linda would go out with her friends to play Bridge. This normally lasted for a few hours. This left her husband Erik alone, for about five minutes. You could set your watch to it, five minutes after Linda left Tina from up the road would sneak into Erik’s house by the back door. 

It was like a military operation, every Thursday. Henry had first noticed this going on over a year ago, he said nothing because he thought it was funny. Tina was young, about Henry’s age he couldn’t fathom what she saw in Erik. Henry fancied Tina and hated that Erik was seeing her like this. 

“Old fart!” He thought. 

Normally Linda was out for a few hours and Tina somehow managed to get out minutes before she got back. But something was different today, Linda pulled up and got out, she was at least an hour early. Opening the window so he could hear what was going on across the road Henry listened, right now he would love to be a fly on the wall. Henry smiled as he heard a shriek and then shouting. 

Henry’s grin widened, he didn’t know what was going on in there, but it was Fireworks for sure and not the type that Erik wanted!
Simon 🙂

The Beast – Halloween Story Challenge

The moor. Always a cold and unforgiving place, but at this time of year there was an air of power and death about it, as if it wanted to try its best to consume anybody on it. Melissa had got the call about 4pm about deathly moans coming from somewhere near the old village, as the nearest ranger she had to see what was going on. David was supposed to have joined her by now she thought as torch shone out in the blackness.

“Damn him!” She muttered to herself, pulling out her radio she tried to raise him again but heard nothing but noise. She stood there for a moment, about to turn back because whatever it was had either gone or was dead by now, either way she couldn’t help it.

The cry that shot through the night at that second made a her blood run cold, she had heard nothing like it before. For a moment she thought it’s not dying but wants to cause death. Banishing the thought from her mind as she comforted herself that in the natural world it didn’t work like that. At least not with anything natural in Devon. Walking towards where she thought the cry came from she carefully watched her way, the recent rain had made the ground very soft underfoot and the moor was full of sink holes, keeping to the path was essential. Again she tried to raise David on the radio. Nothing. Fuck.

Something really strange was going on, then in a second she stopped. “What was that?” Melissa thought. Blood, loads of it. The cry rang out again, getting closer, Melissa reckoned that it was now less than a hundred metres away. The thoughts that ran through her head were spiralling out of control, could this be David’s blood, was he dead, or just hurt?

Every fibre of her being told her to turn and run but she knew this was now useless. If the beast making this cry was tracking her, running would only ensure her demise. She had to think her way through this. Drawing her commando knife she walked forward, the torch now off, relying only on her own night vision. She wasn’t sure if this was going to help, but she knew it would make her location a bit less obvious. The fog was thickening fast and her visibility was getting shorter and shorter.

Her thoughts were to find a place where she could hide and give the beast  more of a challenge and her a fighting chance. An old moor house wasn’t far from where she was, the path turned to meet it not far ahead, every step she took she was convinced more that a monstrous animal would leap out at her. At the corner of the bend a dead and gutted Pony lay. The sight made her nauseous and sick when she was met with it, but she also felt relief, it wasn’t David.

Turning the path she walked slowly, her hearing trying to reach out to detect the approaching beast, the knife held out ready to strike in an instant. Melissa knew she was prey now, nothing she had seen on the moor before had prepared her for this and being alone her only hope was the old house. The fog was thick, but a bright full moon was pushing it’s light through, she could see the roof of the old house as was feeling some relief. Then the cry again. it was even louder this time and it was right behind her. Maybe only twenty metres back, the house was further than that ahead.

Melissa in a blind panic broke her walk and ran, her breathing hard but pushed with adrenaline her legs sped her as fast as was possible towards the relative safety of the old house, picking up the torch from her belt she shone it ahead to show the door. Old and mostly rotten she headed for it as she was suddenly thrown to the ground with a thud. Sliding along she gathered her senses and quickly turned lashing out the knife and the snarling creature.

In a flash of the dropped torch she made out the hideous shape of the beast. Like a dog but huge and the face was almost human she thought. Again the beast leapt towards her and her knife was slashed wildly in it’s direction. A howl of pain echoed from within it. Melissa’s feet slid as she struggled to get up and ran to the door of the old house. The howling had stopped, she knew it was closing in for a strike. Her hand met something metal and jagged. Pulling it free she turned and swung it at the attacking creature.

“Get… the… fuck… away!” She screamed as she smashed the body of the beast, now whimpering the beast retreated. Melissa pulled open the door to the old house, without her torch the was no light to see much at all. She pulled the door shut and found some old joists to brace it. Then turned to she where she could hide. In a corner was an old cupboard, the door creaked as it opened, screaming as a bird flew out if it. Her heart racing still she climbed in and pulled the door shut.

For what seemed like hours she waited, listened. Nothing came. Eventually the adrenaline wore off, exhaustion overcame her and she fell asleep.

 

Through what seemed like wild dreams Melissa saw brightness, the shape of a person and her body being shaken. She thought at first the beast had found her, then she realised she was waking.

Melissa… Melissa… Wake up!

Her vision cleared, the face she recognised. The light blinding her, blinking wildly she looked up.

“David?” He smiled as she recognised him. Then she realised she was shaking with cold, this wasn’t just any cold she was cold to the core. David helped her out of the cupboard, her legs stiff and numb. Melissa tumbled over as David tried to help her. Helping her sit up he put a thick blanked around her, he gave her a flask cup of sweet tea. Clasping it with her shaking hands she sipped on it, it felt good. The hot liquid warming her from the inside.

“What happened?” David asked.

“Something… Some beast attacked me!” Melissa shivered “Where were you? I was almost killed!” 

David said nothing, let’s just get you home and warm. You can tell me more about the beast later. Nodding Melissa was helped up, slowly making her way out of the house, covered in webs a Land Rover was waiting outside. David helped her in, the engine was running and the heat felt good. David got in next to her and drive off.

“How did you find me?” Melissa asked.

“Your trial led me here, there was some hell of a struggle outside!”

“It was… I almost died and you were nowhere!” Again David said nothing, Melissa noticed that his hand was bandaged and bloodied and there was quite a cut on his face. His hands were covered in mud as well. 

“What happened to you? You’re in a mess!”

“I fell and rolled down a ditch Melissa, don’t worry about it!”

Melissa suddenly felt cold again, glancing into the back she saw torn and muddied clothes, covered in blood. At that instant, she realised the impossible. Her blood ran stone cold, she didn’t know where they were going right now, except deeper into the moor, this wasn’t the way home and she knew it. Looking back at David she cleared her throat. 

“Where are we going?”

David said nothing, he looked round at her. His eyes had changed, his pupils slitted and angry.

“Do you ever stop asking questions?” he growled, his human tone had gone and was monstrously wild. Melissa’s hand had been close to her knife. Screaming at him she drew the knife and plunged it into his heart. Un latching the door she threw herself out of the car, landing hard onto the muddy floor.

Turning to watch the Land Rover drive into a mire, it stopped suddenly. The engine was still revving as it started sinking deeper into the murk of the mire. Standing now, breathing hard as tears ran down her face, she simply watched, listening to the dying cries of the beast as it sunk with the car. In a few short minutes the roof was covered and it was gone. 

Nothing was left except silence, the birds resumed this cawing and chirping as Melissa turned and started the long walk back. The time was early afternoon, she would be lucky to make it back before dark.

Simon 🙂