Once upon a time...

H&H’s winter short-story competition conjured up a feast of winter tales for the judges, from the poignant to the magical. Here are this year’s two winners

- Elizabeth Bywaters

Adult winner Of Undefined Value

THE irregular beats of the irregular strides sounded on the hard tarmac road, only beingstifled when the ageing lady stepped onto the mud at the gateway to the field. Gnarled, grey fingers fumbled with the cold padlock until the heavy chain eventually fell away. Pushing the gate away from her, she entered the field and waited. This was a ritual that had been taking place for many years. She waited. Nothing happened quickly between the two protagonists these days.

The old mare lifted her head in acknowledgement. After a few moments of seemingly silent communication between the two, the horse moved slowly through the cloying mud to the gate. The faded, wet headcollar was yet again placed gently over the soft ears and the two walked stiffly back to the stable yard. The lady, the elderly matriarch of the establishment whose only role was to tend to the old mare, put the horse in its warm stable in the quiet area of the yard and departed to her cottage a short walk away. The horse turned attentively to the fresh haynet.

The lock on the bottom of the door banged noisily as it was opened, followed by the shudder of the top bolt moving along to allow the stable door to open. In stepped a young teenage girl.

“I have been desperate to see you, Misty. I have had such an awful week. The girls at school have been horrible, deliberately not inviting me to Christmas gatherings and saying the usual mean things.”