Full Circle

Gerald looked out of his bedsit window and pondered.

The street looks different, somehow. I’m sure there’s a storm brewing. Why’s Mr Hecklethorpe’s there? I’m sure it collapsed. Did it collapse? Nah – I must have dreamt it.

That cheese must have been strong last night. I’m getting flashbacks on my dream… Mr Hecklethorpe’s house; some really annoyed women standing half-naked in a field. And chariots. I can’t make head nor tail of it.

And I’m pretty sure I was a baby. Weird.

He picked up his pad and pen and started to write.

The Gods and Goddesses gathered in the Great Hall on Mount Olympus, for their daily view on the affairs of the mortals who live on the Earth beneath them. They were looking for someone special; someone they could use as a toy in their daily manipulative games. Someone open to suggestion that would do exactly as they commanded.

Gerald’s telephone rang, so he promptly answered it.

“Hello.” Gerald snapped, subconsciously.

“Erm, hello,” stuttered the voice on the other end, “is that Athena’s?”

“Sorry, you’ve got the wrong number.” Gerald wondered who or what Athena’s was… and why it seemed to strike a chord with him.

“Ah, sorry mister,” the elderly-sounding lady said, somewhat annoyed. “This phone of mine is utter rubbish. I’m going to scrap it – throw it away – it’s always misdialling. Sorry to have bothered you.” She rang off.

Gerald picked up his pad and pen again, and read his first few scribbled words. Realising Athena was one of the Goddesses on Mount Olympus he felt a shudder run down the length of his spine.

Now that’s a coincidence if ever there was one! He thought.

He put down his pen.

I can finish this some other time. I think I’ll nip and see Mum.

Absent-mindedly, he tore the page from the pad and tossed it into his waste paper basket before heading out.

***

Decades ago, I began an occasional bit-part story called Legendary Circles. The tale crosses time and space and the great divide between mortals and the Gods of Mount Olympus. Being a bit-part series, the story segments appeared out of sequence, with some earlier parts being set after later parts and vice versa. As such, there are huge gaping holes within and between the segments, which is both intentional and unplanned in equal measure, as each segment sent the story off in a different direction.

This is the final segment of the series, part twenty. It carries on in part from the previous part, but separated on a different level. It draws in the original part, and snippets from other segments posted along the way. I wanted to bring a little closure on the tale… something I tend to do very rarely with my tales.

It’s meant to come, as the title says, full circle; also in reference to the Legendary Circles overarching title the series had. I had a great deal of fun writing both it and the characters, and, as there are so many holes, I may add in another sneaky part or two as time goes on. You never know!

All parts of the story are now linked in the Storylines menu, should you feel the need to read them from beginning to end. Or any old way really… it may flow better that way!