Story one: Treasure Hunt

The oak that sighs
The gate that ties
A basket low
Your way will show

Everyone knew about the creaking oak, although sighs was an odd choice of word. Not for Darren. We would all notice the ominous wailing creak of a slowly dying oak, Darren would only hear the whispering sigh of the outer leaves in their perpetual dance. Thinking of him in his version of here, caused a warm smile.

Now it was in my mind I barely heard the creak above the breathy ballet. The style into the woods was now a small wooden gate. Had I really not been there in that long? As I approached the gate I saw that the catch was broken and the gate tied up with baler twine. Too long it seemed. Tied on the far side of the gate was a small basket. One of those ones you get easter eggs in and then have no idea what to do with. He’d even left in the shredded straw. Underneath was the final clue.

Doe eyed jitters
Noon time glitters
Nature’s treasure
Joy beyond measure

I turned it over just in case. I’d never been a fan of cryptic crosswords, they inspired exam level panic as I was forced to confront the depths of my stupidity head on. This wasn’t some pointy head trying to prove his existence, this was Darren and he wanted me to work it out.

Joy beyond measure was surely just the prize, so I could discount that. I was guessing I would find the prize by noon? That’s pretty precise though, maybe Darren would appear at noon? Nature has many treasures that glitter; gold, silver, precious stones. So I’d got as far as Darren appearing at twelve with something sparkly and being very happy.

As the tinny jangling resolved into a yellowhammer’s ditty I realised I was sitting down. Darren was going to propose! I was going to be Mrs Winters and learn to bake!

Deep exhilarated breath, what was down here? A junction; straight ahead was the next village, right circuited the woods, left just petered out. Except as a child, and important member of Robin Hood’s band, I had pushed on and startled a deer drinking from a stream. Had I shared that story?

At the stream a rug covered a lumpy rock. I sat and practiced looking surprised. The steady dance of water into a small rock pool was making me need the loo. I looked around and there was nowhere obvious he could be hiding. With a burst of warmth the sun cascaded down through a gap in the canopy onto the rock fall. The dazzle of dancing light on the water left spots on my eyes and radiated from every tree.

No ring. Only Darren could write that and then show me light on water. Then I laughed out loud and raised my face to the sun. And only I could enjoy dancing around my own private glitter ball.