Something for the weekend: A Tuscan Fantasy
This is Civita de Bagnoregio. It’s an abandoned town in the ancient volcanic regions of Tuscany, populated these days by cats and tourists, but dating back to Etruscan times. While we were visiting, we witnessed one of the most terrifying thunderstorms I can remember; then, in desperation to get back to our car before dark, we walked through the storm over that impossibly steep and somewhat narrow causeway. Not a jaunt for the faint hearted, I promise. It’s the inspiration behind this short story, a small fantasy piece that occurred to me while I edged my way back to the safety of the visitor car park.
‘Barra’, my Tuscan ‘heroine’, is named after St. Barbara, an early Christian saint and martyr whose legend is associated with lightening. The story is not set in any particular time; maybe long in the past or far in the future. I had some interesting tussles with Barra’s character; although I felt sorry for her at the start, she ended up being less of a heroine than I’d originally intended. The decisions I made about her made the story finish on a dark note I wasn’t expecting.
‘Chosen’ by Louisa Brann
Have a read and please leave a comment or drop me an email to tell me what you think. Writing improves faster with feedback!
Louisa Brann 