Mrs Frimbly's Festive Diary (short story)

Mrs Frimbly's Festive Diary was the eleventh short story in the Christmassy Tales anthology written by Paul Magrs. It featured characters from Magrs' Serpent Crest audio mini-series (part of the greater Nest Cottage Chronicles series) and his other audio series, Baker's End.

Originally posted on Magrs' website in 2013 as Mrs Wibbsey's Festive Diary.

Plot
Fenella Frimbly has been preparing a small selection of festive treats in case "You Know Who" returns. She recalls how when she had been out at the village store in Happenstance Village, Deirdre Whatsit had asked her if she was intending on joing herself and Tish Madoc for eggnog, but she refuses, as she is still angry with Tish for novelising their adventures. On the way back to Baker's End, Fenella hears a strange, deep buzzing.

A day later, on her way to the butcher, the vicar asks Fenella if she will come to the pantomime on Boxing Day. She refuses, as she feels she has a duty to look after Baker's End, in preparation for the inevitable return of her friend. For the second time, she hears a buzzing, and this time its accompanied by the smell of burning wires. She heads back to the cottage, pours herself a glass of sherry, and resumes knitting "the longest scarf".

Early the next morning, there is a thump on the door, but Fenella ignores it, not thinking anything of it. Later, she finds a card has been slipped under the door, on it a note saying that "this unit will return".

On Christmas Eve, Fenella surprises her neighbours at The Hollyhocks next door by turning up unexpectedly. The festive party goes on, and some of the guests talk in hushed tones about Fenella and her adventures, and Tish corners Fenella, trying harder to know about her past. Shortly after, Fenella slips out, returning to Baker's End. In the kitchen, she immediately realises that she isn't alone. Grabbing a cricket bat as a defensive measure, she comes across a robot dog. The dog introduces itself, establishing that it means no harm. Fenella realises that it was sent by her friend.

Next to the hearth, Fenella asks if her friend is okay, and the dog doesn't know. Late that night, as she sleeps in her bed in the attic, she can hear the robot dog moving around, going though cupboards.

She awakes, seeing the dog at the foot of the bed, shrieking at it. She calms down, and the dog somehow makes Fenella remember her past with Mr Frimbly, and how she had destroyed his crystal ball after years of spending hell with him, how he had then vanished overnight, being found in the morning by the Cromer police, who discovered he was eyeless, and how then she had the worked in a museum. After this, she calls the dog a hound from hell, instructing it to leave.

On Christmas Day, Fenella is feeling especially festive, and she and the robot dog converse about the adventures that Master had experienced. Fenella remembers these herself, but is unsure if she actually experienced these adventures first-hand or is remembering a time when her friend told her about them. Suddenly, the dog springs up, and he sets off out of the cottage, beckoning Fenella to follow. They race down the green, as their friend has returned!

Characters

 * Fenella Frimbly
 * Deirdre Whatsit
 * Tish Madoc
 * Mike
 * Vicar
 * Robot dog

Mentioned only

 * "You Know Who"/"Master"
 * Mr Frimbly

Continuity

 * Tish Madoc is a writer and cousin to Deirdre. (AUDIO: The Hexford Invasion)
 * There were once lizard people (PROSE: In the Sixties) under Wenley Moor. (TV: Doctor Who and the Silurians)
 * Tish finds Mike attractive. (AUDIO: The Hexford Invasion)
 * Fenella dismisses the idea that the buzzing is from hornets. (AUDIO: The Stuff of Nightmares, et al.)
 * Happenstance Village had been transported to space two years prior. (AUDIO: Survivors in Space)
 * Fenella's friend gifts a robot dog. (TV: A Girl's Best Friend, et al.)
 * Fenella recalls her past prior to meeting her friend. (AUDIO: The Dead Shoes, et al.)
 * The dog tells Fenella of the time his Master and his young friends had met the the Sinisterest Sponge. (PROSE: The Sinister Sponge)
 * Tish Madoc and Deirdre originated from AUDIO: The Hexford Invasion.