Smells Like Dark Honey

Author’s Note

During one trip to the Scottish Borders, I heard tell of, in two separate conversations, the honey man and the mole catcher.

Our host mentioned, in the first, that they had run out of honey. It was alright though, since the honey man was coming next week. She’d be able to replenish her stock.

In the second, when one of the molehills on the lawn tripped a toddler as she played, our host tutted and apologised. She told us that she had called the mole catcher and that he was late.

I liked the sound of those people immediately. I began to think of them as the Honeyman and the Molecatcher.

Once I eventually told their tale, they had no names only capitalised titles. I wanted the story to have a timeless feel, not anchored to a decade, with a call back to simpler times, and a whiff of nostalgia.

I like this world, and I’ve more to tell here.

Lifetime Events

• Published in jamscary.com (June 5th 2022)