"It's settled then."

Flash fiction. Try number two.

“It’s settled then.”

Julia found it to be the most useful phrase. In a world that denied her gender power and influence at every turn, “it’s settled then” was the one shred of control she had.

It never failed her.

Any debate she found herself a part of. Where to travel. Who to invite to an event. What dress to wear. All were ended quite easily in her favor with that one simple phrase.

That afternoon the subject of tea arose. Mama wanted felt it would be a welcome change to venture into the forest. There was a spot where she claimed to have seen fairies as a girl.

No one believed her, but no one told her that either.

Julia didn’t particularly want to take tea in the forest, but when her father and brothers argued against it, she used “it’s settled then” to thwart them.

She loved her mama, which is to say she felt… something… for her. Maybe it wasn’t love, but whatever it was it was more than she felt for any men in her life.

Julia merely waited for her mother to speak in favor of taking tea beneath the trees and would chime in immediately after with her magic phrase.

Julia discovered at an early age that, for whatever reason, all parties were powerless against “it’s settled then”. Once the magic was spoken, Julia found everyone suddenly in agreement.

That afternoon as she squeezed into a yellow floral dress, and chose a suitable bonnet, she watched the help disappear into the trees, carrying tables and chairs. One of the maids followed with a cart for the tea and sandwiches. It looked like she was having a time of it so she asked Sarah, her maid, to see if she could be of some assistance once her corset was tied.

Between the garden wall and the trees, the sun ducked behind the clouds.

Julia lowered her parasol and regarded the sky suspiciously. It seemed to be contemplating rain.

If only “it’s settled then” worked on the weather, she would insist that afternoon tea was concluded before any showers were permitted to start.

Mama led them to the spot. A small clearing with yellow and white and purple flowers.

The round table with its chairs and place settings were positioned perfectly in the center.

Only Julia noticed the small circle of stones beneath it. She kicked one slightly as she sat.

The gentle breeze turned violent.

The clouds turned dark as coal.

There was a drop of rain. Thick. Heavy. It landed on Julia’s nose.

Then another, and another.

Within seconds the sky opened up.

Julia’s parasol was no use, but she opened it anyway.

Then the earth shook. The trees lurched. The wind screamed.

The help fled.

The men hid beneath the table.

There was no room for Julia or mama.

It was mama who heard the voiced first.

“The deal is complete. The girl will be forfeit.”

She wept and protested.

“Mama. What is happening? What do they mean?”

Mama tore through the wind to Julia and held her with every shred of her might.

She frantically went from failed attempts to sooth Julia to failed attempts to reason with the tempest.

“I was just a girl! I didn’t know!”

“No matter,” the storm wailed. “The bargain was made. The price must be paid.”

“Never! She is mine. Mine I tell you! You can’t have her!”

She closed her eyes, against the torrential downpour.

The forest laughed.

“Do not fight. She will be loved. She will be one of us.”

Julia closed her eyes and held her hands over her ears. She just wanted it to stop. She wanted it all to just stop.

She couldn’t take it one moment more.

“IT’S SETTLED THEN! IT’S SETTLED THEN! IT’S SETTLED THEN!”

In a moment, wind stopped. The rain disappeared. The sun returned. The forest was returned to its former state of peace.

The men crawled out from beneath the tables.

Mama opened her eyes.

“Julia? Where is Julia?”

“JULIA!?!”

A yellow butterfly fluttered past mama and into the trees.

“JULIA!!!?!?”

victorian era woman, young, wealthy, wearing a yellow floral dress, a bonnet, holding a parasol