It was a long run but somehow she never lost strength. It was too important. But as she got closer she could see lights around the front of Ty’s cave and there was much discussion happening. She slowed and came up, standing behind a bush to listen and catch her breath.
“She left. I had hoped she would stay, but her gear is gone,” Christy said to the gathering of people. There were many there spread out in front of Typhoon the Dragon.
“So she failed the Valley! She failed everyone here, she failed me!” Typhoon roared. Her eyes flashed and smoke left his nostrils but she heard grief not anger in his roar. An elf from the fruit tree groves raised a hand. He was standing just about ten feet on the other side of the bush she was hiding behind. Sapphira found herself trembling, almost ready to run.
“Do not be too hasty Typhoon. She is a woman of extremes. Extreme desires can make for extreme doubts. She also is an intelligent woman however. Wherever she is I am sure she is learning more about herself right now than she ever has,” the elf said.
“Do you think she will be back, and not leave?” Ty asked the elf with a growl.
“I think it is possible. She is too smart not to realize it, and when put to the test that woman always ends up where she should be.” He turned to Typhoon.
The Dragon snarled, and said, “If we are wrong then she gets away, goes out into the world with knowledge of us as well as stones given to her by the Professor. We cannot stand that!”
“I do not begrudge the woman the gift. She is the one to truly appreciate those stones, whether here or there. It was freely given with no strings,” the Professor said humbly from the other side of the gathering.
“It does not matter. I have the duty to keep these things from happening and I now have to go get her. Then she must be confined until we can be sure of her loyalty to the valley. I have no choice,” he proclaimed and everyone was silent, watching him.
Sapphira saw Christy and Matt looking worried along with everyone else. She had caught her breath and told herself, now or never dummy. She stepped forward, up next to the elf who had spoken for her.
“No need Typhoon. I came back,” she said, dropping her pack on the ground. It squished, soaked in syrup as she was. Everyone stared at her and the dragon’s eyes were the fiercest. To avoid him a moment more she turned to the elf from the grove.
“Did you hear me coming?” she asked. He smiled slightly and shrugged with a wink. His humor bolstered Sapphira and she walked towards Typhoon the Dragon in all his rage. She tried to adjust her sticky clothing and hair but it was not working so she gave up. Let them see her at her worst, she decided.
“I came back,” she said stopping in front of the dragon.
“Why did you leave?” he growled.
“I was afraid,” she answered.
“Of what?” he asked
“Of myself. I realized this almost at the top, near the rim, before I turned back. I ran here to tell you, to tell everyone, what I attempted,” she said.
His eyes locked with hers and for the first time she knew the reason to avoid looking in a dragon’s eyes. They consumed her.
Typhoon saw everything about her. There was nothing about her he did not know in an instant. Unfortunately she too saw everything about herself. Her greed and stubbornness. Her greed and laziness. It was all there for her to recognize and she accepted it. She had always known those things about herself. Then she saw her fear and it was him. Love. She loved him. It caused her to tremble in fear, but it was too late to back out now. She heard his voice in her head.
“Tell them all now, release your fear. It must be done to complete the healing of your soul my Princess Desire!” His voice was sounded human in her head. He released her eyes and she turned to face the silent audience for her shame.
“I was afraid of me, because I am in love. I was running from it,” she began. She realized another piece as well.
“I have fallen in love with this valley and all of you, too. That scared me. Despite my every need and desire being met with kindness and a good heart I felt I had to leave. I came back because I want it. As well as him,” she said, turning to point at the dragon who had shrunk back down to being Ty the human while her back was turned.
His smile almost lit up the night with the stars as he came forward and put his arm around her. The crowd cheered and congratulated her. As they quieted down Ty removed his arm that had become sticky touching her. She blushed and looked down at herself. She was covered in syrup and her clothes were bunched and ridiculous-looking. Her hair was a sticky mess and even her face was covered. The audience shouted the question too.
“What happened, what happened?”
Sapphira sighed. They did like a good tale.
“I was running back here and as I was going by the maple syrup barn I ran into a barrel that overturned on me,” she admitted.
“That’s what happened to it!” she heard and saw Hardcore slap his forehead. He was a big man who did love his syrup.
“So how was it?” he asked. Everyone laughed. Sapphira licked her lips and gave him a thumbs up. Ty licked his fingers and agreed.
“You best yet,” he told the man.
“Yes, we have confirmation. My next batch of Maple Beer will be done in a month!” That got a cheer, mostly from the dwarves, and laughter. She realized an impromptu party was being started around them in celebration and she tried to brush off her arms, watching the crowd.
“You will get used to your desires darling,” Ty told her. She hugged him
“Will I get used to always ending up covered in food?” she asked jokingly.
“If that is what your desire. I stand ready to lick you clean whenever you need it,” he promised. This was going to be an interesting life, Sapphira thought.
THE END
Bonus Story 13 of 40
Her Dream Come True
Tessa James held the lottery ticket in her shaking hand, and stuffed it back in her pocket to hide it from the people milling about the corner store. She couldn’t believe her eyes when the scanner had declared her a winner. And not just any winner, but the winner.
She had to get out of Alta Loma quickly and find the nearest lotto office before someone found out she was carrying millions in her pocket.
The only problem was, Tessa didn’t have a car and she had no idea where to find the nearest California lottery office.
She walked out of the store briskly, passing a homeless man on her way. He was a regular, sitting in the streets day after day with a sign pleading for help. Tessa always gave what she could, but living on her own and barely scraping by herself made it hard for her to do anything.
But today was different.
She reached into her left pocket, the lotto ticket still firmly shoved into her right pocket-and pulled out a ten dollar bill. She placed it in his hand, smiling at him warmly.
“Hey Sid, what’s the good news today?”
“The world’s going to end any day now, Baby, but you’ll be fine until the end.”
Tessa guessed Sid’s age to be about sixty, a full forty something years older than Tessa herself. She didn’t know what had led the man to become street dependent, but she could guess. Most everyone she knew was one missed paycheck away from living on the street. Tessa was no exception to this, though her situation had changed drastically overnight.
The trolley station was within sight, and Tessa breathed a sigh of relief. It would only take her a few minutes to get out of crime-ridden Alta Loma and to the downtown area. Once there, she would find a quiet place to get the information she needed.
She looked at her watch. It was only ten in the morning. She had plenty of time.
She flashed her monthly pass to the metro guard and climbed the stairs of the middle car. The only open seat was next to a middle-aged white man, so Tessa smiled at him and asked him if the seat was open.
To her surprise, he smiled back and moved over, giving her plenty of room to sit without being jammed against him. Which
was good, since her pocketed hand was between them, and she wasn’t about to let go of the ticket, or bring it out and show it off.
People had died for much less in her neighborhood.
Tessa’s stomach was in knots as the Trolley lurched forward and sped between each stop. She tried to breathe slowly, in and out, staying as calm as possible. Which was difficult, because she wanted to scream to the rooftops that she was a millionaire!
A woman and a small child got on the trolley, sitting across from her and the gentleman beside her. The little girl was no more than four, carrying a tattered dolly that had seen better days. Both the doll and the child had blonde hair and startling blue eyes.
The little girl looked at Tessa, smiling broadly and waving her little pinky finger at Tessa.
“Can I touch your hair?” the little girl blurted out, completely unashamed.
“Jenny, don’t be rude,” the mom turned to Tessa and smiled an apology, “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Tessa said, smiling at the little girl. “Of course you can touch my hair.”
She bent over and the little girl reached out, feeling Tessa’s hair and marveling at the texture.
“I wish my hair would stand up like that.” The little girl’s face was full of awe, and Tessa couldn’t help but laugh.
The mother opened her mouth, her face turning red with embarrassment, but Tessa held up her hand.
“No worries. She’s just curious. She’s not the only child to say something about my hair. The natural look isn’t really in right now.”
Tessa winked at the little girl, “I like your hair too. When I was little, I wanted to have blond hair and blue eyes just like you.”
“But your eyes look like chocolate. I like your eyes.”
“We always want what we can’t have, but I’m going to tell you what my mom told me; you are beautiful just the way you are and that’s something to be celebrated.”
Jenny sat back in her seat, smiling shyly at Tessa over her doll’s head. Jenny’s mom mouthed “thank you” to Tessa before looking out the window and watching the scenery pass by.
And just like that, they’d dissolved to the Californian default; preferring to look out windows rather than connect with their fellow man.
Tessa looked up and saw a large public library as the trolley pulled to a stop. She jumped up, careful to keep her hand in her pocket and waved good bye to Jenny. The little girl blew her a kiss and Tessa blew one back. Her heart melted.
She walked quickly down the platform and had to force herself not to run into the library. The woman at the information desk greeted her and directed her to the computers in the back. Tessa chose one that was in an empty row and quickly looked up the location of the nearest lottery office.
Relief flooded through her when she saw that it wasn’t far. Maybe another thirty minutes on the metro bus line and half a mile on foot. She could be there in an hour.
She checked her back pocket, making sure her wallet was still safely zipped inside. These jeans weren’t exactly in style, but Tessa didn’t care. In a neighborhood where people lifted wallets all the time, she liked the added security of an extra step to get to hers.
She closed the computer screen and left the library, stepping up to the bus stop right outside a few moments before the bus pulled up. Pulling out her wallet to flash her pass, she gave the driver her biggest smile. He was driving her to the beginning of her new life. Even if he didn’t know it, she was still beyond happy to see him.
*****
“You’re a winner, Ms. James.”
Her entire world changed in an instant.
Tessa played the words over and over in her head as she rode the trolley back home. After taxes, she was just over fifty million dollars richer, and she was riding public transportation. It would take up to twenty-one days for them to deposit the money in her bank account. Until then, she was still living the way she always had.
The next few weeks would be hard, but Tessa knew she could get through them. All she had to do was keep her good fortune to herself and she would be out of Alta Loma in no time at all.
Or so she thought.
Within a week of winning, the news had spread like wildfire.
Her phone started ringing off the hook from morning to night. The diner where she worked was suddenly packed with customers; all wanting to see the girl that had won millions. She was constantly harassed.
On the twenty-first day, Tessa sat on her couch, trying to remain calm. She had splurged and bought a new cellphone. The bill wasn’t due for a month, but she was nervous nonetheless. She couldn’t afford the high-end smart phone otherwise, and she had locked herself into a contract.
She had checked her bank account several times already since midnight, but it still showed the same balance. Six dollars and sixty-three cents.
Tessa took a business card out of her wallet and dialed the number of the lottery office. She asked to speak with Morton Phillips, the man who had confirmed her winnings. She was connected almost immediately.
“How can I help you, Ms. James?” His voice was cheerful and friendly.
“It’s been twenty-one days and I’m wondering when my winnings are going to post.” She tried to keep her voice light, but panic was setting in.
“It’s twenty-one business days. You have about a week before your payment will process.”
Her heart sank. She couldn’t wait another week. There was no way the money she had would last that long. Fighting back tears, she looked at the stack of overdue bills. It was Friday. Monday morning her electricity and her water was getting cut off. She didn’t have a week.
“I can’t wait that long.” Her voice caught and she tried to hide her fear.
She heard Morton sigh on the other line and she waited, hoping he had the answer.
“If you take your lottery documents to a bank, you can probably get a personal loan.”
Tessa looked at the clock. It was a little after one o’clock. She could get to the bank in time, if she hurried.
“Thank you, so much,” she said and hung up the phone.
She looked around the room, wondering if anything there was worth keeping. Her furniture had been in the apartment when she had moved in, and other than that, she hadn’t really accumulated much.
She grabbed a worn backpack and stuffed her meager personal effects in it. Walking through the entire apartment, she didn’t see anything else to bring along.
Tessa didn’t know why, but she found this sad. Twenty-six years old, she had been in the apartment for almost a year, and all of her prized possessions fit easily into a backpack.
She turned the lock behind her and left the key on the hook beside the apartment manager’s door. If the bank didn’t give her the loan, she didn’t know what she was going to do. But she wasn’t going to come back here again.
The sound of the main door closing was heavy, full of symbolism and marking a new chapter in her life. She vowed that once this door was closed, she was never going back.
*****
In the months since she had left her old neighborhood, Tessa had fallen into an easy rhythm with her life. Being a millionaire wasn’t what she expected it to be, but she didn’t have any complaints.
The waiter arrived, handing her a strawberry daiquiri and waiving away a tip as he walked away.
Inundated with requests from former friends and people she knew she had never met, Tessa had been hiding out at the resort for almost three months. As much as she wanted to spend the rest of her life enjoying mixed drinks by the spa overlooking the ocean, it was time to get back to reality.
She had a meeting with a realtor in two hours to look at a house she found online. After that, she would have to start figuring out what direction her life was going to take. She’d fumbled a bit there, wondering at how many choices she had now that her world didn’t revolve around making enough to get by and paying just enough to keep the wolves at bay for another week.
Worse t
han the random callers at her home and her former job were the suiters here at the resort. Her milk chocolate skin and wild curly hair were a novelty here, and she was exhausted by the attention. Like the people begging for a handout back home, these men were no different. They were looking for their next meal ticket, a woman with more money than sense to invest in their next big scheme.
But Tessa was streetwise, and she knew a hustler when she saw one. She was ready to make a living for herself somewhere where she didn’t stand out like a sore thumb.
Checking the time, she left the spa and got ready for the meeting. It was time to get back to reality.
The valet brought her car around, and she smiled as it pulled up. It had been parked for most of the last few months and Tessa hadn’t had much time to enjoy it. She’d gone modest, choosing a Mercedes Coupe in champagne beige, and soft leather beige interior. The dealer had tried to talk her into something more extravagant, but she had laughed and rolled her eyes. She wasn’t interested in broadcasting her presence wherever she went. Mercedes were common enough in southern California that she didn’t have to worry about calling too much attention to herself.
She slid into the seat, loving how the soft leather felt against her legs when the skirt of her business suit rode up slightly as she sat down. She tipped the valet and drove off, speaking the address of the house aloud so the GPS could guide her.
There was already a car at the large, wrought-iron gate when she pulled up thirty minutes early. A friendly woman in her fifties got out of the car, extending her hand and introducing herself.
“I’m Cherie. You must be Contessa.”
“Please, call me Tessa.”
Tessa took in the beautifully landscaped yard beyond the gate. The house wasn’t visible from the paved easement, which was already a plus. Cherie got back into her car after typing in a code for the gate.
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