Author: M. B-A, Word Count: 666
Featured in Spooky Archaeological Story Moot: Live Stream – Halloween 2023
Charlotte was an archivist at a local museum. Occasionally the elders of the village bequeathed donations in their Wills. These artefacts were received with gratitude. After all they were beloved of the recently deceased, but they were also intriguing unknowns. Today’s accession was from a house clearance. The MacLeods had mysteriously quit the village one night leaving a cluttered old house for their children to sift through in their wake.
Charlotte gasped as she carefully unfurled the crumpled newspaper from the apple crate sitting on her desk. A bone china tea set, too ‘gaudy’ for auction, but too fine to ‘chuck in the skip!’ It was delicately glazed, rimmed in gold, with repeating deep blue latticework framing vignettes of ornamental gardens, temples, peacocks and koi fish ponds.
Resting a teacup in her upturned palms, the ceramic was so fine Charlotte could perceive day light through the vessel itself!
“Bone china is composed of up to 45% bone ash” she remarked to herself. “Typically, these are cattle bones. Consequentially, some notable producers of fine china were located close to farmers markets and slaughter houses!”
As Charlotte contemplated the gently glowing cup, her thoughts wandered “What if there were no cattle? Would any bones do?” Her head cocked to one side, staring into the cup, she became possessed of a singular notion “What if they were my bones? What if I were this cup?”
Charlotte gradually noticed a sound, quiet at first but becoming louder, as if the vessel were resonating like crystal. Light was no longer merely passing through the cup, but emanating from the china itself! It began to pulse in her hands with the rhythm of a heartbeat, pounding in her ears. It was her heart! And it was the cup! At once bright and dark, loud and quiet, all consuming, swirling, swelling, shrinking! Charlotte’s eyes rolled back in her head and a sensation overtook her, like falling into a deep, dark ocean, but as she succumbed Charlotte realized that she was not rushing to the watery depths. She opened her eyes and as if in slow motion realized that she was falling through the air. In fact she could see the empty chair she had been sitting in… she had become the tea cup!
Charlotte was plummeting! All she could think about was smashing apart on the red carpet floor! She’d always hated that carpet. It was thin, cheap, bought on a council’s budget. The horrid carpet rushed towards her, she braced for impact. Would she feel any pain? What would it feel like to shatter? Would she ever be whole again?
‘THUNK!’ she landed with a sickening blow. Eventually she worked up the courage to take a look. To her relief she was in one piece!
“Of course!” She exclaimed. If she could have slapped her forehead with her hand, she would have. It may seem counterintuitive but bone china, thin and elegant, was surprisingly hardy. Charlotte’s relief soon gave way to exhaustion and she passed the night, intact, on the office floor.
Charlotte awoke with a start, as harsh florescent lights flickered high above her. She glanced up at the clock, it was almost 7am. The office door, gargantuan from her perspective, slowly opened as the Cleaner shuffled in backwards, trailing a rumbling trolley of cleaning supplies into the room.
“I’m down here!” Charlotte tried to call out, but scarcely a whisper could be heard. The Cleaner did his rounds and was about to leave when…
“What’s this?” He stooped and scooped Charlotte off the ground.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, “Help me!” still, nothing could be heard. The Cleaner looked around the room, nodding as his eyes fell upon the desk. Carefully, he placed the teacup back into the apple crate and departed. The office was dark once more. Charlotte sighed, wondering if she’d ever be human again?
“Charlotte? Is that you?” Came a familiar, Scottish, voice; muffled by the crumpled paper that surrounded her. “For what it’s worth, welcome to the clan!”
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