Adelle’s Teapot, a short story of Atonement, TN — Wednesday Writing & #ThursdayDoors

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Image collage by Teagan
Image collage by Teagan

Hello everyone.  It’s good to see you. My post is doing double duty today, for Wednesday Writing and Thursday Doors. 

I wrote the story below several years ago as a teaser for book-2 of my Atonement, Tennessee series, Atonement in Bloom. In this story I bring up the grandfather of mysterious twins, Annie and Adelle Metatron — Enoch Metatron. He never actually appeared in the novels.  However, he plays a very important part in one of my works in progress (WIP), which is NOT set in Atonement).

Recently I’ve had the urge to open the door between that WIP and my current serial, Atonement in Zugzwang, and let Enoch have a role. 

If you read the latest episode (or click here if you didn’t) you know that young Donny Metatron went missing.  Donny would be Enoch’s great-grandson. That said, I have a request.  Would you read this very short story and let me know if you would like to see more of the Enoch character?

Adelle’s Teapot: A Short Story of Atonement TN

Heavily altered CGI Teagan
Heavily altered CGI by Teagan

The inventory notes Annie recorded were part of an ancient list, passed down through the Metatron clan.  For the most part, the older the item, the more power it held.  The kind of power varied widely.

The Mirror of Truth and Justice Most Poetic could show one’s true self.  The mirror could be playful, cryptic, devilishly mischievous, or brutally honest.  It almost seemed to have a mind of its own.  In age and in power, that mirror ranked about mid-way on the inventory list.  Annie shuddered to think of the havoc she had known the mirror to wreak.  As for the strongest items… that didn’t even bear considering.

She kept many of the items hidden in plain sight in her antique shop.  It had been easy enough to steer Ralda Lawton away from a special quilt.  Ralda, the new owner of the Sunhold estate, did not need that star design quilt, but someone else would.  However, the brass Bed of Dreams was meant for her.  The bed wasn’t strong in power, but it was effective.

Looking down at the ancient list, Annie noticed something glowed through several layers of paper.  She knew the glow came from the script identifying an item that was very old indeed.  The luminous writing meant an item had awakened.

Her hands shook as she leafed through the pages to the very beginning of the catalogued inventory.

“The teapot,” she whispered.

Annie took a shuddering breath.  It was simple and unassuming in appearance, but the teapot was the oldest item listed in Annie’s inventory notes.  It was also arguably the most powerful.  Because of its unique properties, the teapot had always been kept separate from the other items.  Adelle, Annie’s twin sister, was the teapot’s custodian.  It was safely tucked away in the attic of the Victorian house that was Adelle’s tearoom and home.

Lexica
Lexica

A brew has not been made from that teapot in living memory.  But what else could awaken the pot but the alchemy of water, heat, and the right combination of herbs, flowers, and leaves? Annie pondered worriedly.

“Oh no, Adelle,” Annie muttered as she put away the ancient ledger.

The door banging shut behind her, Annie rushed out of her antique shop.  Her platinum hair shone in the moonlight.  She skidded around the corner and ran down the town square.  Annie stumbled to a stop.  She gazed at the night sky in open mouthed astonishment.

Above Adelle’s tearoom, the sky shimmered with a golden aura.  When Annie looked farther up into the sky, she saw an even more astonishing sight.  The entire town of Atonement rested unaware beneath five columns of light pillars.  The columns of light pulsed through the clouds.

“Adelle!” Annie gasped to no one.  “What have you done?”

With a hand to her chest, Annie continued toward her sister’s home.  She fell going up the front porch stairs.  As she righted herself, Annie saw that the front door stood open.  Then she realized that every door and window in the Victorian house was open wide.

“My God, Annie!  Are you alright?” dark-haired Adelle exclaimed as she helped Annie to her feet, guiding her twin inside.

Lexica
Lexica

Annie allowed her sister to lead her, gasping for breath and shaking with fright, to the kitchen table.  There Adelle poured a cup of tea. 

Annie turned horrified eyes from the teacup to her sister, but she took a sip of the tea Adelle pressed upon her. 

No.  Even Adelle would not be audacious enough to serve me from that teapot, Annie thought.

She took a bite of cake or scone or some baked treat that would ordinarily have been delicious.  However it might as well have been cardboard in her mouth.  Without even realizing what she was doing Annie crumbled the rest between her fingers never looking at it.  She stared blindly out the kitchen window into the darkness, too stunned to process the thousand thoughts in her mind.

“Adelle, why in heaven’s name would you let the teapot awaken?” Annie finally asked.

“It couldn’t be helped.  I needed to talk to our grandfather,” Adelle replied.

“That wouldn’t be difficult for you.  After all you have a gift for that kind of thing,” Annie said drolly.  “Why would you use the teapot for that?”

Her sister’s mouth curved to that self-satisfied, cat-with-a-bowl-of-cream smile that Annie knew all too well.

“Which grandfather,” Annie asked, closing her eyes, and bracing herself for the answer she already knew was coming.

Adelle pursed her lips then made a reluctant but sardonic grimace.

“The Metatron one, of course,” Adelle replied, looking less smug by the second.

Annie groaned and dropped her head to the kitchen table, her pale hair falling to cover her face.  Forehead against the polished wood, she rocked her head side to side.  Finally, she looked up at her raven-haired twin.

“Tell me this is not happening,” Annie pleaded hoarsely.

“It really couldn’t be helped, Annie.  I had to consult Enoch,” Adelle replied apologetically.

“What could possibly be that important?” Annie demanded.

The ironic twist left Adelle’s mouth.  She looked into her sister’s eyes, coldly serious.

“Cailleach Bheur,” Adelle stated.  “Beira the Crone.”

♦ ♦ ♦

For the purpose of this post/my question, please ignore the reference to “Cailleach Bheur.”  As I said that part is a teaser for Atonement in Bloom, in which she has an important role.   

Now, would please let me know in a comment if you want to meet Enoch Metatron in Atonement in Zugzwang?  Thanks for visiting.  Hugs.

♦ ♦ ♦

The Atonement Series

Atonement, Tennessee

Full series of e-books with one click:  relinks.me/B087JV25JT Kindle:  rxe.me/HGSVA8A Paperback: relinks.me/1481826948 Also in Spanish, translated by Olga Núñez Miret! The title for the Spanish-speaking market is Expiación y Magia

Atonement in Bloom

Kindle:  rxe.me/5RRBLH Paperback:  relinks.me/1726882128

The Glowing Pigs, Snort Stories of Atonement, Tennessee

Kindle   rxe.me/LTBDNH Paperback   relinks.me/1725891972

♦ ♦ ♦

Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. It’s hosted by Dan Antion.  Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).

2023 Badge Thurs doors teresa-my-camera-and-i

Thanks for opening this door.  Hugs!

 

This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 and 2023 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

 

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44 thoughts on “Adelle’s Teapot, a short story of Atonement, TN — Wednesday Writing & #ThursdayDoors”

  1. Pingback: Weekend Serial — Atonement in Zugzwang: Episode 19, Featuring Fraggle – Teagan's Books

    1. Thanks for voting, Liz. Ah that naughty mirror… 🙂 It plays an important role in both of the novel, particularly in book-1. I think it has a Dante-esque take on justice. Here’s just a small paragraph from where it is introduced in “Atonement, Tennessee.”

      “The lower center of the frame was engraved. I polished at it with the edge of my long-sleeved T-shirt. The writing was so elaborate that it was almost impossible to decipher. “See in your reflection, truth and justice most poetic,” it read.”

      Thanks for reading and commenting. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. Loved the Gaelic name, Cailleach Bheur, the hag, destroyer goddess who ruled over disease, death, wisdom, seasonal rites, and weather magic! If we can’t meet her, I’ll settle for Enoch!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. You are so kind, Noelle. Cailleach Bheur plays an important role in the second novel of the Atonement series of books, for which this story was a teaser back in 2016 — Atonement in Bloom. I enjoyed writing her character. Thanks for your great feedback. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. I appreciate you taking a moment to weigh in on it here, Dan. I had a thought this morning that might make it work — particularly if I use the lights from this story…
      Now my self-question is, do I use it now, or hold it in reserve for a larger battle? Sigh… the life of a pantser. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  12. Yes, bring him on, I agree with GP that he is itching to be part of the current Atonement series. Great story snippet. You make your fantasy worlds so realistic, we feel like we have actually visited them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your kind words, Pat. LOL, I’m used to the “things” from readers driving my stories — not stubborn characters. o_O
      I try to tread that fine line between worlds, between our world and anywhere adjacent to it, so that the stories seem real. Thanks for that feedback. I’m happy you think so. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. LOL. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; You’re my only hope”?
      Actually, GP, I believe you have a good point. Do you remember the story a few years ago I was working on (still unfinished) and you helped me settle on a character name, and you also suggested Violet Lightning as a vehicle? Enoch has a large, important role in that one.
      Many thanks for reading and commenting. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

        1. You really did. The facts and historic names you have me sparked ideas that brought to life a character and his backstory that otherwise might have been… cardboard. Ugh… I really, really want to finish that book. So many ideas, so little time. 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

    1. 😀 Thanks, Chris. That seems to be the unanimous vote as of 8:45AM. Doing so might move the story along to a faster (too abrupt) conclusion than I anticipated. I need to figure out a way to ease him in, rather than my first imagining of his entrance. Or maybe something even bigger gets involved. Or maybe… Oh horsefeathers. I don’t know. LOL. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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