The Mysterious Ice Skates

Twenty year old Edith, tall, blond hair, blue eyes and slender build had just finished her night shift as a licensed practical nurse at the Halifax Memorial Hospital. Still in her scrubs, her nursing uniform she was tired and ready to go home for bed to sleep during the day in her apartment that looked over the harbour. During the summer when you looked over the harbour you could see buskers performing away with lots of passion and happiness on the boardwalk. She waited for the #7 Robie Bus with strong dark roast coffee in hand from Starbucks which was nearby. She was trying to get as much of the drink in her stomach before the bus arrived as you were not allowed to drink beverages or eat food on the bus. Soon the bus arrived so on she climbed. When it arrived at her stop she only had a few feet to walk until coming to her apartment building. She lived on the second floor in room 200. She walked up to her room and noticed a parcel in front of her apartment addressed to her. “What could it be” wondered Edith. She took it inside and opened up the parcel. Inside was a pair of shiny brand new ice skates. “I always wanted new skates” thought Edith to herself. She tried on the skates. They fit her perfectly.
Suddenly the inside of her apartment became like a tornado as black smoke appeared and sucked Edith into it. When Edith came to she was lying on cold wet snow outside. The sun was shining above her in the sky. Edith sat up wondering where she was. She noticed her skates were still on her feet. “There is no way I am going to take my skates off and walk barefoot in this cold snow” thought Edith. “My feet would surly freeze to death.” She stood to her feet and began awkwardly walking in ice skates through the snow until finding a walking path. She walk and walked it seemed like for hours until coming to a beautiful log cabin that was situated right near the mountains. She walked up to the lodge and knocked on the door. It was opened by a young lady who looked about her age. “Come in Edith we’ve been expecting you.” “My name is Kathy.” Spoke Kathy. “Before I come in I want to know where I am” said Edith. “You’ll find out everything once you come in. It’s not safe to be talking outside.” Spoke Kathy. So into the cabin walked Edith. She took off her skates and left them by the front door, which was made out of oak and then followed Kathy into the living room where their sat two other young women on a couch. “First of all let me introduce everyone to you” said Kathy. “This here is Mary-Lee James and she is from Montreal, Quebec. Anne here is from Vancouver and I am from Ottawa” said Kathy. Now that introductions are over I want some answers said Edith. What do you want to know asked Kathy. How did I get here? How do you know my name and how can I get home said Edith. Answer to your first question you got here by a tornado said Kathy. I know your name because I was told that you would be coming said Kathy and I don’t know how you can get home. Any more questions asked Kathy. Yes where am I asked Edith in Olympian town said Kathy and tomorrow were going to meet Stella the lady who brought us all here said Kathy
So the next day early in the morning the four women sat in the living room with the fireplace crackling away and fleece blankets wrapped around them. They were all talking and drinking English Breakfast Tea when there as three sharp knocks on the door. Kathy got up and left the room when she came back Stella was with her. Hello everyone my name is Stella. I am a witch. A good witch mined you and I have magical powers. It was me who sent you all skates and caused tornadoes to bring you to Olympian Town a town that has winter all year round.
Why us asked Mary-lee with a beautiful French accent. Because you four have a strong desire at becoming famous ice skaters. And what are we supposed to do in Olympian town asked Anne. That I will leave to you girls to figure out for yourselves said Stella then she got up and left. Wait the girls called out after Stella but it was too late she was gone. I had so many questions I wanted to ask Stella said Edith. Yeah I know said Kathy. So did we said Mary-lee and Anne in unison. Well said Mary-lee she did say that all of us want to become famous as ice skaters could that have anything to do with why we are here. I don’t know said Kathy. The girls pondered it for the rest of the day but had no clue on why they would have been brought together in a foreign land.
The next day the girls knew that they would need to get jobs as the food in the house was starting to run out. Anne applied at the library and got a job. Back home she had been a librarian. Mary-lee got a job as a dressmaker, Kathy was able to find work as a teacher in the local school and Edith got work as a licensed practical nurse in the hospital. Now that they all had jobs they would work during the day, come home in the evening and laugh and chat together telling tales from back home over dinner. Well one evening when least expected guess who showed up. Stella. She wanted to know if the girls had figured out why they were in Olympian town and they said no. she then and said time is running out and with that she left. The girls wondered what she meant by her ominous words. They thought and thought about what Stella had said. Anne then said okay so we all like ice skating and dream about becoming famous ice skaters. Correct? Correct said the other three girls. And we are living in a town called Olympian town said Edith. That is covered in snow all year round add Mary lee. I think I know why we are here Kathy said suddenly with excitement and a gleam in her eyes. Why asked the other three girls. Because we are supposed to compete in the Olympics in ice skating. Suddenly there was a knock at the front door. The four girls ran to the front door and opened it. Outside stood Stella. Can I come in asked Stella. Of course of course said the girls. So into the cabin walked Stella. She settled down on the couch in the living room. And then looked at the four young women. You have figured out why you are here. To compete in the Olympics but that is not all. You see out in Olympian town we only have the Olympics every 10 years. Well I guess I had better start at the beginning. Along time ago Olympian town use to be a town that had all four seasons. But one day an evil wizard named Jonathan hexed Olympian town with a curse. The only way to break the curse is to have four young women who dream about becoming famous in a winter sport compete at our Olympics and win. If you lose you live in Olympian town permanently until the curse is broken that is. If you win you get to go back home or you can choose to live in Olympian town. The choice becomes yours. So what you are saying is that we are going to have to compete in the Olympics whether we like it or not. Yes exactly. Well when do the Olympics take place. It starts on June the 1st. So we need to spend every spare minute practicing for the Olympics. Yes. And I hope this is the year that the curse is broken Then Stella left. The girls had no idea what to think about what they had just found out. But then Mary-lee who could be very spontaneous said to the other three girls I’m going to the local pond to do some skating. Come on it will be fun. So the girls put on their ice skates grabbed a boom box. And headed to the local pond. That first night they spent hours out in the cold skating and just enjoying each other’s company. Every evening after that first night the girls would go to pond and skate. They would coach each other to keep up the good work and keep on practicing.
Spring had now arrived although it still looked like winter in Olympian town. The girls still worked daily and skated every evening. Each girl noticed that she was getting better in skating. Mary-lee found herself sometimes dreaming of her Montreal. Every time she thought of Montreal she thought of the maple syrup festival an annual Quebec festival which she always loved to attend no matter if the weather was nice or not. She liked the maple syrup in Olympian town but it was not as good as Montreal syrup. Anne found that she didn’t miss her hometown as just like back their were mountains looking as glorious as ever. Mountains was her one love. Kathy missed the parliament buildings from back home and she missed living in the capital city of Canada. And Edith missed the patients in the hospital that she worked at back home. At times mostly when lying in bed at night She wondered if she would still have a job back home or if her job had been given to someone else. Birds were now chirping and flying through the sky and perching on trees. Squirrels would chase each other up trees and deer’s were sometimes spotted near the cabin. Finally the day came for the girls to perform and compete in the Olympics. All their hard work paid off and they gave a shining skating performance. Since the girls had won and broken the curse the choice was theirs to stay or go back home and what do you know. The girls had become so fond of Olympian town that they decided to stay. They started up a skating club and began to coach new and future Olympian skaters. And that is the story of the mysterious ice skates.

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