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The story below has been published on the Pen to Print website.

Legend Of The White Hanky

Bellow and Straker were fighting to the death in the streets of Beverley. Bellow had Straker on the floor at sword point. Straker pulled out a bloodstained handkerchief and waved it in surrender, then it disappeared. Bellow plunged his sword into the deepest artery on his throbbing neck, then made off.

A few seconds later a monk came strolling past.

Straker saw him, and uttered in a detached voice, “Come and save me!”

The monk stopped. Straker had been lucky, and the injury missed his vital organs. The monk bandaged him up so he could get off.

“Thanks for that,” Straker called out. “Otherwise, I would have been done for.”

Straker struggled to his feet and stumbled down to the market. He approached one of the sellers.

“Do you have any handkerchiefs that I might buy?”

“Of course, many, take your pick.”

Straker took one and pushed it into the top pocket of his suit.

As he walked towards the minster, he passed a spooky looking cottage, and shuddered.

“Come in, I’ll show you around,” an old woman’s voice said.

“I’m not sure that’s a brilliant idea.”

Regardless, he followed her in.

As he entered, he could see a massive cauldron bubbling away.

Straker said abruptly, “Are you a witch then?”

The witch replied, “Yes, but I am a good witch.”

“Do you know what?”

“What?”

“This morning, the hanky which I’ve saved for nine years suddenly disappeared.”

“Vanished?”

“Exactly, now I need to find somebody who can help me to locate it.”

“What can you give me, that I could turn into the handkerchief?”

Straker reached into his top pocket.

“This is the replacement hanky that I bought.”

“That should be ideal.”

“Take it.”

The witch began to chant diabolically. The hanky lifted from the witch’s hands and whipped about endlessly in the air. Then after, it laid gently on the floor. The witch went to investigate.

 “I want to see if it has taken on a new persona.”

The witch peered deep into the scrap of fabric.

“The hanky will now have a different lifestyle.”

“How do you mean?”

“Every night the hanky will go on a haunting spree of the streets of Beverley.”

“But why though?”

“Because it’s imbued with Anna’s presence.”

“How do you mean?”

“That now it can be used to contact her.”    

“I love the sound of that.”

“And the hanky, will you take it with you?”

“Yes. Its laden with Anna’s spirit.”

As he was about to leave, the hanky flew up into the centre of the room, then gently floated back into his hand. He pocketed it and was off.

Now Straker took the hanky back to his digs. As he entered, he was frozen by a scream that chilled him. It came from an upstairs window, and he rushed up and peered out. The hanky moved devilishly about, as if commanded by strings. Then he lost consciousness.

The next morning the hanky flew through the letter box and landed in his hands. There was a familiar voice.

“Straker, it is I,” a woman’s voice said, “Anna.”

“It can’t be.”

“I’ve been brought back to you. But I must go out on these awful nightly hauntings. Can’t you rescue me from that?”

Then Anna magically appeared from the hanky.

“See I’m real.”

“Now I must kill off the hideous hanky.”

“Okay.”

Straker positioned himself with the sword above the hanky, ready to do the awful deed.

With an icy tone, she said, “That’s my other half.”

“But this could work. It would be like having an exorcism.”

He was about to plunge his sword in, when he heard the pleading voice of his darling cry out.

“Don’t kill it! Have pity on the hanky. Don’t forget there’s also a little of your love in there.”

Straker pulled his sword back.

“Allow it to go and live a new life.”

Straker replied, “But to go and do what?”

“Improve its ways, then maybe it’ll do you a good deed.”

Then the hanky spoke, “Thank you Straker for saving my life.”

“It was nothing.”

“I know I’ve led an awful existence. But now all of that will change.”

“But what will you go on and do?”

“I will become a bastion for the poor.”

“A lofty aim, but is it realistic?”

The hanky went on. “I may be a ghost, but with the help of human connections, of which I have many, I will be able to carry out great deeds.”

“Do you know what this means?” Anna said to Straker. “Now you can be my groom.”

At that, there was the swoosh of a sword as it arced before her, neatly carrying Straker’s head away.

Johannes Bellow a man with a murderous wrath stood above her.

“I had to finish him off.”

Blog Post Title One

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.