The Five Paralangua: Part One (special preview)

If it’s not the rooster who wakes me up, it will be one of the Golden Girls. Lately, I’ve been able to squeak in some extra sleep during the mornings, but today the Golden Girls aren’t having it. They’re causing a fuss in the yard, and as I roll over towards my window I can see Sophia glaring inside at me.

“Hold your horses, girls!” I fussed as I stepped out of bed. “I’m getting up!”

They’re making a racket out there, and I have to wonder if old lady Murphy’s mastiff has come sniffing around the fence again. He doesn’t do anything, he just seems to have a crush on my girls. Which they don’t take as kindly to.

By the time I’m dressed and ready, the Golden Girls have calmed down. Their mooing has stopped, and the rooster has decided to make the alarm now.

“What’s up with all of you?” I called out, holding the feeding bucket. “You were making such a fuss! I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a noise complaint from town.” I was walking to the storage shed when I noticed a strange print in the mud. It wasn’t one of the Golden Girls, and it certainly wasn’t one of the chickens or sheep. It was large, massive really, and it reminded me of a scene from that old dinosaur movie.

“What on earth?” I muttered ot myself. I was studying it closely when Rose started sniffing around my head and nudging the bucket with her foot.

“Alright, alright,” I huffed. “I’ll get your breakfast.” The girls had all the hay and grass they could ask for, but that morning offering of grains was not to be delayed at any cost.

I was hefting scoops of it into their troughs when I heard the phone ringing from inside the house. I quickly finished off the feeding, tossing some along the ground for the chickens as I raced inside.

I was breathless when I grabbed the phone, so the caller got an earful of heaving breathing before I answered. “Riley Farms, we’re out of eggs,” I said.

“Stella?”

I walked to the fridge to get myself a drink. “Yes? Who is it?”

“This is Alice Dunlop from the festival planning committee.” She sounded quite meek as she said this. Usually the festival committee members were a bit hoity toity.

“It’s about the chosen for this year's festival.”

“I plan to attend,” I huffed. “I told Mrs. Greenhill I already was fulfilling my role as chosen.” I took out the orange juice then went in search of a cup. I was excited to attend this years festival. A few years ago, I would have skipped out too, but once I moved back home, it became a north star for me. Some people found being one of the chosen for the Festival of Ash to be too daunting or too frightening. The Paralangua were a site to behold, depending on how you looked at them of course. Living in Charcourt, you got your chance to spy them occasionally. They didn’t come into town but maybe once or twice a year, and if you did see one it was probably one of the elders. But they were monstrous, pale, clay creatures, who I always found a fascination with.

“Is that why you’re calling? Did she forget to fill out the paper again?” Mrs. Greenhill loved her chardonnay.

“No, she did.” Her voice quivered in a strange way. “That’s the thing, Stella, you’re the only one who has confirmed.”

I hesitated reaching for a cup and stood still. “You mean out of the five chosen for this year-”

“You’re going solo,” Alice stated plainly and nervously.

Has this ever happened at the Festival of Ash before? One or two have certainly not shown up each year. But four?

“We’re going to have a meeting with some of the elders. They want you to attend if that's possible at all. Just to discuss what could possibly end up happening at this year’s ceremony.”

“They still want to go through with it?” I gasped. “Even if I’m the only one there? What would be the point?”

“There’s still five of the parlangua attending.” Of course, they never missed a festival. But still, this didn’t seem like the kind of ceremony worth having. Five on one!

Oh my god, five on one? Is that even possible?

“Stella?” Alice said gently, pulling me from my thoughts.

I gasped. “Oh, yes! I can attend.”

She sighed with relief. “Good. That’s good.”

That made me wonder if there was something going on behind the scenes. It would also explain the dinosaur sized footprint left in my yard. Someone was trying to sneak a peek.