“I don’t believe in any silly `fairy curses’ mother, you know that’s nonsense!” said Brenda Scarry a
“I don’t believe in any silly `fairy curses’ mother, you know that’s nonsense!” said Brenda Scarry addressing her mother Helen. The pair were making their first visit to Ireland but not to their surprise as tourist, but as the new owners, thanks to the bequest of a grand uncle Brenda had never heard of and Helen had not seen since she was a child, of a rambling old estate complete with an 80 room mansion, three of which had holes in their roofs and been taken over by owls, and of interest to the pair at the moment, a huge allegedly fairy cursed hedge maze.“I don’t know dear” said Helen, “the locals said the horrid thing is called the dreaded swapping maze and anyone foolish enough to go in it will be lost for hours, or even days, and when they get out they find that things of theirs have been traded with another person who has gone through it, or if they go with a companion or group they have things of theirs swapped about… Never to be returned!”“Sure Mom, maybe I’ll end up with your gullibility for superstition,” said Brenda laughing. “Look, there’s no Wi-Fi and no television out here and there is nothing better to do, and look, I’ve got a candle to make things even spookier, it’ll be fun. So come along or stay here and wait for me, I’m going in.”“I don’t like it,” said Helen, “but I’ll go if you are.” In they went, and were soon lost in the old dark maze. After a time it became as if they were in a trance, taking turn after turn until time seemed to lose all meaning. “Look ahead mother” said Brenda “At last the way out!” “Wasn’t that a grand waste of time?” said Brenda turning to look at her mother, her mouth dropping shock on seeing how Helen had changed during their tour of the Scarry Maze, Helen returned her look with equal amazement. The maze indeed had done some swamping, perfectly trading the ages of the two so that now the daughter looked like the mother and the mother young enough to be her offspring.“Oh my! What a lovely shade of white your hair has gone.” said Helen looking for something optimistic to say.It took some time, and a few more trips into the maze to see if they could change back. But when they not only stayed the same, but even emphasized their transformations they did what any proper pair of Americans would do.They got a lone, buffing up the manor house and grounds and plotted to make a profit, with a bed & breakfast getaway featuring horse riding, a small golf course, and to be use the main attraction a trip through the Scarry Maze, led by Madame Brenda Scarry herself. All secretly in the hope that she would luck out with a fortuitous second swap with someone. Helen however was little if any help, she now spending much of her time larking about with the young folk of the nearest town. Leaving Brenda do the best she could to calm down the guests on finding their heights, weights, genders, and whatever swapped after their trip in the Scarry Maze. “Thank god I make sure they sign a waiver before going in”, though the wily old dame that Brenda had become. Helen Scarry beforeHelen Scarry after full swap.Brenda Scarry beforeBrenda Scarry after full trade -- source link
#age progression#age regression