'The Fell Race'

The second story in Rosalie Parker's Sparks from the Fire is a compact tale of strange events on the Yorkshire Moors.

It begins with parents in a small village coping with the aftermath of a baffling accident. A couple of teenagers have been injured in the eponymous event, despite it begin a frequent and hitherto innocuous contest. The parents keep their offspring indoors, but speculation mounts via social media.

It seems that a mysterious cloud descended upon the fell runners, and that they all suffered 'missing time'. UFOlogical speculation results, among other Fortean musings. But in the meantime some former competitors have started to feel the desire to re-run the event. Do they hope to dispel the mystery, or embrace it?

This reminded me of Algernon Blackwood's tales such as 'A Victim of Higher Space'. There is a power lurking near the village, something real enough to swoop down upon humans and change them in some way. But whether that power is evil, or even intelligent in our sense, cannot be known. Or rather, nobody who may find out can communicate their findings to the rest of us.

More from this collection tomorrow, if I'm spared. I do have to go to the Co-op later...