Rose Among the Stars, an exclusive story...Chapter 1, The Mist

Rose Among the Stars is a companion storyline from my novels The Hopeful Romantic and newly-released The Galway Girls. I hope you enjoy it!

“In Ireland, this world and the world we go to after death are not far apart.” W.B. Yeats

A deep blue mist surrounds Rose. The mist rises and falls, still, she feels calm and peaceful here, like floating in warm water. Rose feels like she’s been in this place for a very long time, perhaps forever.

Yet now the mist begins to swirl round Rose. Something’s changing. It’s the light. The spinning blue mist clears, revealing a golden glow. It reminds Rose of the sunrise in the Wicklow Mountains, where she lived nearly all her life. But she is in Wicklow—at the farm! There’s the small stone cottage she shared with Seamus, the old, well-kept barn, with the new calves penned next to it. And the steep green pastures, as beloved to her as if the place was her own child.

She sees the bridge over the river, and a short distance away, the bog where Seamus cut turf every summer. As she draws closer, the farm disappears, to reveal rows of modern houses. Rose realizes there's nothing for her here.

The blue mist thickens, and begins to swirl again and Rose surrenders to wherever the mist takes her. Time passes…or perhaps no time at all. Suddenly, the golden light returns. The outline of a farm emerges. But she’s not in Wicklow. This is a new place.

Green hills, not quite as steep, with a patchwork with low stone walls, dotted with sheep and cattle. Rose can make out a barn and a grove of fir trees, a stone farmhouse and an oak tree with a swing. Rose would like to keep floating in the blue mist, but this place calls to her.

And so does wee Kerry. Although she doesn’t know it. Yet.

Find more about The Hopeful Romantic and The Galway Girls on my Village of Ballydara page!