There’s a story that you won’t read in history books. It’s a truth that you only hear in my village. The Pendle witches were innocent, but there is a real witch in the Forest of Bowland. My name’s Thomas, and I grew up in Barley, which is...
Excluding some tropical species, such as coconut and banana trees, no tree can survive long without branches. And yet, defying all explanation, I saw a pair of branchless oak trees in the summer of 2015. When I use the word “branchless”, I’m not referring to a...
For context, I am a middle-aged man who lives on the outskirts of Parbold, a small English village. My house is the only one on a long, winding country road, but it does have a bus stop. From my bedroom window, I can see it...
Nearly three years ago, when the pandemic began, I moved my family to a small hamlet in the Scottish Highlands. I won’t give you its name. I wouldn’t want you to find this place. That being said, I can no longer keep this secret to myself. Before...
