Tuesday Tales: From the Word CLEAN

Welcome to this week’s edition of Tuesday Tales. We have a word prompt again. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones, my contemporary romance with paranormal elements. Enjoy.

Marina, hair quickly getting plastered to her head, wrapped her raincoat tightly around her, pressing her handbag to her side as she followed her fellow passengers down the stairs and along the tarmac to the terminal doors, wishing the airport had been large enough to have a covered walkway or ramp into the terminal. Unlike the weather in Inverness earlier, the sun had vanished, replaced by vicious wind and a bone-chilling rain that didn’t exactly scream “Welcome home.”

Determined not to let a little water cloud her spirits, she hurried inside the airport terminal. She followed the signs to the baggage claim area. Not having to go through customs saved time and within twenty minutes of landing, she’d loaded all of her bags onto a luggage cart, grateful to see they’d all arrived with her. That had to be a good sign.

Pushing the luggage cart ahead of her, she went through the automatic doors into the arrivals area and stopped cold. Where was everyone? She’d only made one stop after getting off the plane, a quick trip to the lavatory before going to collect her luggage, but of the fifty or so people who’d been on her flight, she was the only one left.

The Stornoway airport was a far cry from the larger ones she’d seen on her journey here. There were no bars and restaurants, no large waiting areas, but the place was clean.

She sighed. At least she hadn’t been followed here. There was no sign of the man from the airport, the one she was sure she’d seen again in Inverness.

Glancing around, she took in the posters depicting sheep on the moors, a castle, the harbor, and of course the Standing Stones of Callanais, this one taken at night with the Aurora Borealis in the background. There were advertisements for stores selling Harris tweed, and even one noting that all overseas Christmas cards had to be mailed by November 30 to ensure delivery before Christmas.

Christmas. With the rush to get here, she hadn’t even thought about that holiday. She would miss Thanksgiving in two weeks and Halloween at the end of the month of October. Did children Trick or Treat here. Considering where the bed and breakfast was located, it was unlikely that she would have children come to the door even if they did. As for Christmas, it would be strange to celebrate without snow, but the odds were that she would be doing so alone.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.