Solstice - The Goddess Awakens

Lola felt instantly lighter as she soaked up every last ray of sunshine walking through the town towards Solitude Park, which was nestled in the middle of Ballyvalley on the banks of the River Bann. Lola couldn’t believe how the place had been transformed. The once drab play park now had a Japanese garden with small oriental winding pathways lined with lavender. There were mini-satellite mounds dressed in wooden benches and willow trees and, in the centre, a new outdoor amphitheatre, harking back to ancient Greece. Steps had been introduced down by the river’s edge and that was where Ruby sat waving at her.

Ruby Carter always seemed to bring a smile to Lola’s face – no matter how bad she was feeling. That’s why she was one of her oldest and dearest friends. She was different to Lola in many ways, but their friendship worked.

‘Well, how was work today?’ asked Ruby, her facial expression indicating she already knew the answer.

‘It was alright. The gruesome twosome were pretty much the same, but the editor called me up for a bit of a pep talk before I left, and that made me feel a bit better,’ replied Lola, with all the optimism she could muster. There must have been a slight break in her tone that alerted her friend that she was bluffing.

‘Just spit it out, Lola,’ demanded Ruby. ‘Stop trying to be so decent! They’re prats! Just go ahead and let it all out. I mean look at you! You look like you’ve been dragged through a ditch backwards.’

‘Oh thanks, Ruby! We can’t all be as fabulous looking as you, you know!’ retorted Lola, a bit stung by her friend’s comments. If Lola looked as drained as she had felt over the past week, then she was sure Ruby was right! But it wasn’t work that was troubling her and she didn’t want to get into it with Ruby.

‘Don’t be such an idiot, Lo! You know what I meant.’ Ruby’s tone immediately softened, the genuine concern written on her face.

‘You are so much better than them. You shouldn’t let them get to you like this – that’s all I meant. Some day you’ll work for The Guardian and they’ll still be stuck where they belong in the Ballyvalley News.’

Lola knew she was right, well about the ‘not letting them get to her’ part anyway. After the week she’d had, she wasn’t sure about The Guardian.

‘I know, Rubes. I know. It’s just… Listen, I refuse to waste any more energy talking about it. I’m off! It’s the weekend, we’re heading away and I can’t wait! So, are you organised?’

Lola listened intently as her friend rambled on about make-up and whatever outfit she was going to wear. Ruby was the epitome of female, not just her curves and the way she looked, everything about her; she was a real girl. She loved make-up, her glossy celebrity magazines and high fashion.

‘So, Lo, what are you planning on wearing?’

‘I’ve finished my dress, after what seems a lifetime, so I think I’ll wear it with my red shoes. You know, the patent ones with the peep-toe and little bow?’

Ruby’s face looked blank.

‘The ones I got for two quid in the charity shop?’ reminded Lola.

‘Oh yes,’ sighed Ruby. ‘They’re lovely,’ she offered, but Lola wasn’t fooled.

‘Yeah right,’ Lola laughed, ‘like you would buy anything in a charity shop, Ruby Carter! You wouldn’t be caught dead!’

Feigning offence and indignation, Ruby tried to muster a response. ‘What? What do you mean? I go into charity shops.’ Lola raised her eyebrow, unconvinced. ‘I do!’ continued Ruby, in vain. ‘I do ... to give clothes and stuff.’

With perfect timing, Ruby’s phone started to ring and buzz, Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’ cutting through the tranquillity of the park.

‘I rest my case,’ laughed Lola. Indignant, Ruby answered the phone. Her tone changed immediately. Lola could tell it was a member of the opposite sex that was calling. Who it might be – well that was another thing entirely. She found it very difficult to keep up with all her friend’s admirers. Lying with her back on the smooth, hot stone, Lola closed her eyes and listened to the birds going about their work. The gentle gushing of the nearby river encouraged her to relax. She blocked out Ruby’s chat, forcing herself to remember what had been different in her dream the previous night. The warm sunlight filtered soft yellow through her fine eyelids. Too embarrassed to talk to anyone about the dreams, Lola had finally turned to the great oracle – the internet – for solace.

After sieving through various articles, from the sublime to the ridiculous, one particular item stood out. It detailed how Native Americans believed recurring dreams were messages from the other world, such as warnings or omens. Lola thought that this notion was a bit far-fetched, like one of Arthur’s stories, but she was aware of an unease deep within her. A feeling she couldn’t suppress no matter how much she tried. The light behind her eyes momentarily faded as the sun slipped behind a thin veil of cloud, only to re-emerge. There it was, in an instant she had it. The thing that had eluded her memory. Until last night there had only ever been darkness in the chamber, but now, now there was light. From where or what, she couldn’t tell.

‘Well, slackers!’ The familiar voice made Lola jump, and she turned with a start to see Clara and Orla approaching.

‘Well, ladies.’ Lola struggled to re-adjust her eyes to the light. ‘So are we all ready for our road trip?’

‘Yep, I’m packed and all,’ said Clara brightly.

The fact that Clara Stewart was packed didn’t surprise Lola or any of the girls. It was a well-known fact that she had a serious case of OCD. She’d probably had her bag packed for a full week. This was good in some respects, but living with someone who was obsessed with tidiness caused tension in their university house from time to time, especially between her and Lola.

‘I’m almost sorted,’ offered Orla. ‘I’m really looking forward to getting away.’

‘Has this got anything to do with a certain boy called Peter, by any chance?’ jibed Lola.

Orla’s robust denial did nothing to convince her friends. The traitorous blush rising to her cheeks told them all she needed to know.

‘No it has not,’ snapped Orla defensively.

Seeing the resolve on Orla’s face, Lola, Clara and Ruby – who had just ended her call – looked down at the ground and towards each other, seeming fully scolded. Unable to keep up the pretence any longer, they all broke into fits of laughter, even Orla couldn’t resist.

‘Right, my lovely ladies, as I am sure you can guess, I’m not ready. So I’ll have to make tracks.’ Gathering her jacket and bag, Lola arranged to meet the girls in an hour. Leaving the park, she made her way through the busy town and headed towards home to pack her bag for what would be their last weekend together for three whole months. She would be without her girls but at least she still had Arthur. For the first time that week, Lola felt a glimmer of hope.