Set in a German college/university, I live and spend time in my brother's prof. room. I'm helping him clean it out for his use, the man before him left a lot of books that I am sorting through.
While looking through the shelf of encyclopaedias one catches my eye. Written by P.Pan it is titled 'an Encyclopaedia of Beasts and the Supernatural' I flip through and am blown away by the illustrations. Beautifully detailed and with great composition. A little frustrated by my own failed attempts at illustrating I envy the artist.
The following days I continue to clear out the office, I get a very annoyed at the double door that is either refusing to stay shut or leans over and somehow ends up being 20cm off the ground. But whenever anyone walks past it slips back to being an ordinary door.
Next to this strange door is a part of the wall that juts out creating a strange box in the wall, I push at the walls a little and one folds in as if it were meant to. I cautiously try and lift it back to its original position but I can't grip it and pull it up because my hand is always in the way. It ends up flipping out onto the floor and I see strange writing on the floor of the weird wall box. I lean forward and try to get a better look but the writing is tiny. I step inside the box and peer at the marking, behind me the wall lifts off the floor and shuts soundlessly enclosing me in the box. I get a little fright and push it out again.
At first, I am a little confused because it is the same room... however all the furniture is different and all the books I had stacked on the floor are gone. Turns out I am now in the same building but in the middle ages.
Venturing out into the corridor and down into the big communal kitchen, I am intrigued and deciding I quite like the people and the way of life. I offer to stay on and work in the castle library.
I settle into life in the middle ages and meet lots of interesting people. There is a large mess hall/room next to the kitchens where everyone eats together at large tables. It is here that I meet most of the castles inhabitants and people that live nearby or are passing through town.
I enjoy talking to those that come to study philosophy or other sciences, in particular, I enjoy the company of a group of naturalists that are trying to collect all specimens of plants and create encyclopedias of flora and fauna.
After I've been at the castle for about 3 weeks a new man sits with the naturalist group. He is a little shorter than me, with whispy orange hair that floats around his ears. When I go to join the group a friend introduces him as Pan and I instantly liked him, he is conducting a study on mythical or unknown creatures.
Over the next few weeks I often listen to him talk about them, I’m one of the few people that seem to be interested. We become friends and I eventually tell him about the time travel box because he gets too curious about where I’m from and the fact that I seem to be schooled in mathematics and have a weird way of talking. He believes me but doesn't push me to demonstrate or prove what I am claiming.
One of the other men at the castle gets suspicious too and wants to gather others to declare me mad. Possessed by the devil, all because he wants my position as a library assistant.
Pan meets me outside the mess hall one evening and takes me outside. He tells me that there is a group gathered that are worked up and want to have me thrown in jail, he says I don’t have many options, and the best is to go back to the future. I place both hands on the sides of his head feeling the wispy red hair there and plant a small kiss on his pouty lips. I tell him I prefer the other option where I stay and become his wife. He smiles and says he was very much hoping the same but didn’t want to make presumptions.
We fall into a daily routine, he goes off and searches for creatures and I cook, clean and maintain the garden.
After some time it seems like we cannot have children, this makes me a bit sad. We try all sorts of things, even remedies from the town's women. To distract me Pan takes me on some of his expeditions. Turns out I’m quite adept at finding creatures and have a knack for figuring out facts about them.
One day we are at a river and Pan is searching for a 3 headed wolf who had been spotted by a fisherman. I am on a double-sided floating contraption ready to drag him to safety should the beast get upset. I float past and Pan wades out of the brush in a hurry calling to me 'WENDY!'
I laugh and try to slow down the contraption. He swims after me, his long beard swishing in the water. He hooks his stick through mine but I jerk too quickly and he loses hold of his end. He grabs onto it again and I swing him around to the other side of the floating barge so he can climb on. Behind me the big head of a wolf comes closer under the water, it raises its head up and out of the water. On either side, two further heads emerge and all three stare at me curiously.
I laugh with delight and on the closest head, a pink tongue lolls out of its mouth. I turn to Pan and tell him it’s not a danger, they are like puppies, giant husky/wolf puppies. Pan smiles happily and studies the beast that looks at us expectantly.
Back in our cottage, Pan starts writing down everything he can about the creature, I do a little sketch and show him later on. He is very excited and adds it to his folder on the 3 headed-wolf.
After some time Pan has collected enough creature biographies to compile into a book, an encyclopedia of beasts if you will.
He invites a publisher over for tea and Wendy makes a cheesecake. After serving the cake she leaves them to discuss the possibilities of a book but is soon asked to join the discussion as the publisher is very taken by the stories but also by the illustrations.
I agree to design metal plates to be printed as illustrations for the book. I argue that there should be colours in the illustrations. Going along to the printing factory to have a look, while there we figure out a way to print a colour blend across a page with only one metal plate. Otherwise, it would get too complicated and expensive, printing more than two plates per page.
Back home at the cottage we continue living happily, we tend the garden, I cook and Pan writes. We go swimming in the lake near the cottage and meet up with people from the castle at their weekly markets where we trade and barter things we’ve grown or offer writing services.
Eventually, the man who was convinced I was mad again comes and creates rumours. The witch trials are picking up in popularity and everyone is afraid of those possessed by the devil or otherwise doing suspicious, witchy things.
Because I gather a lot of herbs for cooking I am accused of witchcraft. It gets extremely tense and eventually, Pan begs me to return to the future otherwise I will be killed. We are both crying and I again put my hands on the side of his head as I have done a thousand times before and kiss his pouted lips hidden amongst his springy beard.
I go back to the future.
-
2 years later Pan stumbles through the time travel box and lands in Johnathan’s college office. The ruckus attracts a maid and she then goes to fetch professor Darling, who sends her away. He introduces himself to the small man before him, who has wispy red hair and a long bushy beard with moustache. He has a round belly and is wearing breeches, muddy boots and a faded green coat with tails. He has a small suitcase in one hand and looks a little bewildered but straitens up and holds out his hand and introduces himself as Ser Peter Archibald Pan. Jo is excited and tells him that he is Prof. Johannes Darling, Wendy’s brother. The excitement is catching and Pan asks if Wendy is here.
As if in answer Wendy’s voice can be heard from downstairs 'Pan, Pan!'
As she came in the main entrance, a maid told her that some weird period dressed man with an insane beard was in Jo’s office. Wendy rushes up the stairs and into the room her face filled with hope, she is wearing a cotton dress with small black shoes and a bright blue coat. Her hair is cut to shoulder length and it floats around her head. Pan almost doesn’t recognise her but embraces her all the same. 'Oh, Pan, my Pan' she whispers and Jo excuses himself. She again places her hands on the sides of his head and pats his wispy hair and kisses him lightly.
She takes him to her room and upon passing, asks Jo if he would be so kind as to find some clothes and shoes for Pan. In their room, She tells pan that in this time everyone is expected to be very clean and that the clothes are quite different. He would stand out in his current attire. He smiles and asks if everywhere and everyone is as clean as here, and if in comparison he stinks? She grins and shows him the adjacent bathroom. He is fascinated by the plumbing and after letting her help scrub him reasonably clean gets into the tiny round bath where she again helps him wash his hair and scrub his back. He asks if it would be better if he cut his beard shorter, remembering something she had told him before they were separated; that men in her time liked neat shorter beards. She agrees and cuts his beard short and trims his moustache.
After he is dressed in a moderately well fitted day suit and black shoes they go downstairs to meet the little collage family. One of the few female scholars/historian is fascinated to see that Wendy is a head taller than Pan, but they look perfectly content with each other. Wendy’s hand casually placed in the nook of his elbow. She also notices that Wendy has become very very thin, and this is the first time she has seen her smile or truly awake/animated.
They sit down and make the introductions while Wendy goes to get some cake. They eat cheesecake and Wendy and Pan seem to have a small silent conversation with their eyes as it is served. Jo is fascinated that his sister is obviously deeply in love with this small rotund man with wispy hair and a goldfish mouth. As they talk it is evident that Pan is passionate about the creatures that he studied. Pan's books have become quite famous these many years later and are still a top seller.
They move on to dinner and then retire. Wendy and Pan go up to her room where she hands him a night shift. While starting to explain the night toilette (brushing teeth, not with willow branches but a brush), they are interrupted by Jo and Wendy goes with him to discuss something. Pan asks if he should join but Wendy declines, he is curious but nods and says he will wait up for her. When she comes back in she turns off the electric lights and changes into a night shift of her own. After brushing her teeth and using the facilities she comes to the bed but only sits on the edge. Pan reaches over and places his hand on her back.
‘I understand you might not want to talk about the last 2 years, but I need to know…’ she stiffens, staring away from Pan. ‘are you here… to stay?’ she asks her voice becoming a whisper.
He sits up and draws her into his arms. ‘Yes,’ he says. She shudders against him and they stay like that for a while, wrapped together, rocking back and forth with the strange modern sounds from outside echoing in her small room.
In the morning, over breakfast, they discuss what they want to do now. He asks if they cannot continue what they did before. She nods, then says ‘I would love to’ placing her hand over his. ‘we just have to figure out where we want to live and how we will manage with money and all that. This time is different from where we lived. People need to work a lot more and hardly anyone lives off their land.’
Jo joins them, surprised by how they are keeping a socially acceptable distance and yet he feels as though he has interrupted something intimate. Wendy faces Pan as a flower does the sun. Jo does not know Pan very well but can tell by the way he looks at her and respects her, that he returns Wendy's affection. Jo reminds himself that they have been married for over 10 years, even if the last 2 years they lived apart. He glances and notices they both still wear their wedding rings and recalls that he never saw Wendy without it on.
Jo says they can always move into the old Farmhouse he and Wendy grew up in.
It seems like a great idea, Wendy mentions that it would be best to avoid city centres with Pan. He didn’t enjoy Köln, let alone the little town near the college back then. ‘Far too many people, so many horse carriages and brightly lit shops’. Jo laughs and agrees that cities in today's time won’t be a good fit then.
After breakfast they go back up to Wendy’s room, Pan eager to show her something. He takes out the suitcase he had with him and opens it. He has taken all the earnings from his book along with his notes of all the creatures they discovered on their big trip to Scotland 5 years ago. Back then they had agreed not to publish these as they belonged to the Scottish people. The german book market was unkind to english publications, topics about Scotland were especially unpopular.
Wendy is amazed at how much gold he got paid and agrees to help him complete a collection of Scottish creatures to make into a book with her illustrations.
They move to the country and renovate the run-down farmhouse.
One day the historian scholar comes over and asks if she may ask Pan some questions. Wendy agrees, and so Pan and the historian go for a walk through their beautiful gardens. ‘There are many many things I wish to ask you about the past, but the ones that won’t leave me alone are ones about your relationship with Wendy.’ she says a little flustered, Pan nods bemused.
‘I’m aware that in your time some topics are not openly discussed and I apologise in advance if I bring said topics up. If I do please do not feel obliged to answer them.’ Pan nods his understanding, still a little bemused.
‘I cannot help wondering, you and Wendy seem to be very… how do I put this... you do not show your affection, at least not physically, when in the company of others.’ Pan raises an eyebrow at her, ‘What are you asking, I take it in this time it is more common to do... what exactly?’
The historian looks a little flustered ‘well, nowadays it is usual for couples, or married people to kiss in public, to hold hands to embrace or be physically close. I suppose I am also asking… I’m aware you two were married a little over 11 years ago.’ It wasn’t a question but Pan nods anyway. ‘And I’m assuming .. ahem. I'm very interested in social patterns and want to know how relations have changed. That is, you do not have children. So I was curious as to how often… if at all. You and Wendy sleep together?’ She takes a large breath now that she has gotten those words out. Pan is quiet for a time, they continue walking in silence as he considers his answer. Just as she starts speaking to say he mustn’t answer, he replies ‘Wendy and I consummated the marriage if that is, I assume what you are asking. And as to children, we tried. God, we tried all the remedies and hints gossip comes up with, alas we were not blessed with little ones. Even if it would have made Wendy very happy.’ They continue walking in silence for a time and the historian grapples with her inappropriate curiosity of their, and furthermore the sex lives of the middle ages.
After they pass a small river where he gives her a hand to help her cross the wobbly stones, she continues. Pan is somewhat relieved it is on a different topic. His relief is not long-lived though, her questions are regarding why he came to the future. She continues to ask what he did in the 2 years when Wendy was not with him.
‘I came here… ‘ he seems at a loss for words and a little upset, his full lips pressed together. ‘I suppose they must be answered together, so I will start at the beginning. Just before Wendy left the plague had been rumoured to have hit neighbouring towns. After Wendy left I put a sign out the front of our property to show plague had come to our house. No one came near us and after 2 months when the sickness had passed and the survivors crawled out of hiding I simply told everyone the illness had taken my Wendy away too.’ It was the first time the historian had heard either of them refer to the other as theirs. Pan seems to be taken by emotion, but straightens up and clears his throat before continuing. ‘The townspeople were all mourning and I couldn’t bear their pity. After some time had passed, some of the older women had a mind to matchmake and set me up with another wife. Something I had absolutely no interest in. So I decided to travel through the west of Prussia. In some ways, it was to continue my work, in others it was simply to get away. Upon my travels, I met many interesting creatures and people alike.’ He says with a small smile. ‘Around 3 months before I came here, I met two young men. Jacob and Willi, who was on a scholarly journey not unlike my own. I was researching creatures of a supernatural nature, they were recording stories and tales of the supernatural.’ The historian interrupts, ‘Not brothers by chance? By the name of Grimm?’ she looks at him trying to hide her excitement. ‘Why yes, I believe they were.’ He answers surprised. She seems pleased and explains that their books have been published and are also very very well known today.
‘They were two fine young gentlemen, very driven. They were, however, not of such a friendly inclination towards the supernatural as Wendy and I are.’ He muses his moustache before continuing reluctantly. ‘Another fellow by the name of Radcliff joined us in Ulm. He was a monster hunter and got on splendidly with the brothers. Trading stories and speculations. I didn’t like him on principle although he was nice enough. Everyone makes a living the way they know how.'
We were both good at finding the supernatural, the difference was I recorded what I found and made a living from publishing those findings. He made money from capturing and killing those creatures, butchering them and selling their parts. Or getting a reward from scared folk who were afraid of something unknown.
At any rate, we parted ways, only for me to meet him a few weeks later in Wuppertal where a mysterious man with a mouses tail was hiding in a cave. Radcliff wanted to kill him and sell his tail to the highest bidder. I tried to convince him not to kill, merely drug him and cut off his tail. Morbid as that may be, I argued with my own conscience that it was better for the poor fellow to live without a tail than to wind up dead.’
Pan paused and looked up at the sky wistfully. ‘I should have known Radcliff had no intention of taking my advice or listen to my pleas. I managed to get to the mouse man before he did, only he had a gun and 2 shortswords on him. Radcliff and I got into a fight. A very big ugly fight. I’m not very skilled at wrestling, I know how to shoot a gun and how to cut up a dead animal for meat. But this was survival and it was so very... ugly.’ Again he paused and looked into the distance. ’I killed him I did.’ He said without any emotion, his shoulders slumping. ‘He was a brute, a killer. And yet, he was still a man. To many what he did was heroic. And yet when it came down to it I valued my life above his.’ At that admittance, he looked down and seemed to study the glass and the rocks on the ground.
‘Soon after I realized I would surely be found out and tried for murder. I fled back home and gathered everything important and came straight to the … the contraption that Wendy had told me about. Next thing you know I’m in 1924 and my beloved Wendy…’ he seemed at a loss for words and broke off.
They had come to a break in the trees and looked over a paddock with cows and sheep.
‘Did you miss Wendy during those 2 years?’ the historian asked calmly.
‘With every breath, every thought.’ She nodded in understanding and began to tell him of the last 2 years in which she had met and gotten to know Wendy.
‘In the beginning, she was a little disoriented, understandably. She seemed uncomfortable in such tight clothes, in showing her ankles, wearing her hair out. But she was determined to make it work. She got a job working at the printers. She got lodgings close to Prof. Darling. But I noticed that there was a sadness to her, it was as though all the work was only to keep her mind off something, or obviously someone. Two weeks after she came to this time, a group of the scholars went on an outing to some museums. Prof. Darling couldn’t come but Wendy came along. It was in one of the literary stores of a museum that we came across an encyclopaedia of Supernatural beasts by P. Pan that I noticed she became distant. She seemed very distracted. One of the younger scholars noticed too and some shops further down he insisted we go in to see some of the displays about famous writers. One of these displays featured a small red-haired man who had collected facts about the supernatural. It was essentially a shrine with facts and made-up fantasies about you. How you lived, speculations of where your ideas came from. The pictures looked nothing like you mind (a lot more handsome she thought). But it affected Wendy far more than any of us could have foreseen. She left and went straight back to the college. She stopped eating, stopped talking. It was as though a sickness, a darkness had descended on her.
Prof. Darling was the only one who could convince her to wash, to eat, to talk with us. She continued working and she sat with us at meals. But it was as though she wasn’t really there.’ She paused and looking sideways at Pan saw his eyes were filled with tears.
‘Until you came along that is. She was alive again, full of vigour and passion. She laughed and cooked. It was an unbelievable transformation.’
They continued walking and when they came back to the House Wendy greeted them warmly from the vegetable patch.
Pan went over to her and the historian decided to give them some privacy and went inside to put on a kettle. It had gotten quite late and Wendy offered for the historian to stay the night and depart in the morning. Pan mentioned that their couch was quite large and he could vouch for it’s sleeping comfort. The historian seemed confused and wanted to ask Pan about this. So with Wendy outside gathering things for dinner, Pan explained that in his time Wendy would take to bed during her monthly cycles. So for two or three nights a month, Pan slept on the couch. An exercise he reassured her he found very enlightening. He would stay up and revise his texts. Therefore even in this time where medication meant Wendy could go about her day to day activities every day, Pan still preferred to spend two nights a month on the couch.