shaundoed

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 5

Lady Luck: Another of the fae who draw their power from renown more than items or deals. This fairy gained notoriety during early human civilization, often posing as a god while interacting with the human realm. People would offer sacrifices in exchange for her blessing, a typical fairy ritual.

As word of her power spread, along with the offerings of more and more people, Lady Luck was able to consolidate her magic and lay claim to a quickly expanding empire in the faelands. With subjects in two realms, her influence doing nothing but growing, and more power than she knew what to do with, she found herself becoming the target of other prominent fairies.

Rather than risk devolving into the brutality she had witnessed in the human realm, Lady Luck made the difficult decision to step away from her lofty role. She faded from the fairy realm to avoid the horrors of war, a sacrifice many still honor to this day. On the thirteenth day of every month, it’s not uncommon to see her symbols hanging over doorways, shown in defiance of the lords who stepped in to take control of her fractured empire.

Not much is known of her whereabouts today. Some speculate she simply shifted her appearance to blend in with the commoners she once ruled over, while others think she may have decided to stay in the human realm. The only part of her legend that all agree on is this. She is still out there, still formidable, and will return. It was assumed she would make herself known as the first fairy war started, but hope has dwindled as the conflict nears its twelfth year. 

Summer was still walking high in the clouds, overjoyed with everything in life when she got home. The stairs posed no challenge to her, and she ascended them like a child running up a hill. She wasn’t even out of breath by the time she got up to floor seven, and was filled with giddy glee as she sunk her key into the lock of door 734. All was right in the world, especially when she pushed the door open and inhaled the remaining scents of her sandwich from Ralv’s. 

“Gonna need to go there again,” she said with a grin, setting her purse on a nearby countertop after removing the sealed box.

Her favorite part of getting a new phone was the unboxing. Pulling the box open, peeling the plastic from the sleek, smooth, shiny surfaces, and turning the device on for the first time all made her so excited. Setting the phone up was a breeze, and it had a reasonable charge after getting things as she wanted them. She went through all the setup for the AI, and established herself as owner of the device which now would recognize her voice. Sure, technology might get out of hand and take everything over someday, but today… Today she was happy with the helpful bit of tech in the palm of her hand.

After getting everything set and synced with her phone carrier, she felt compelled to try the various built-in apps. It came with all the standard bells and whistles; Gmail, texting, calls, the play store, and of course the camera. Summer tapped the camera icon, flipped it to the front lens, and snapped a quick selfie. Her smile faded when she noticed something behind her, what looked like a green blur. It had the appearance of something the camera hadn’t been focused on moving too fast to be captured. She sat up on the couch with a startled gasp, nearly dropping the new phone in the process.

“h-Hello?” she asked the hopefully empty apartment, wondering if she should grab a knife or the pepper spray from her purse.

There was no response, and she looked at the phone’s screen again. The barely noticeable blur was still there, and she swiped the picture to make the image move. As her finger guided the picture up, the small green smudge moved as well. It was definitely in the picture, and not some strange imperfection on the screen.

“Maybe…” she said quietly, hoping it was just a faulty lens. 

She put the camera in selfie mode again and took another picture. The worried expression on her face looked back at her from the screen, with her couch cushions behind her. There was no smudge in the background this time, just her dark kitchen.

The lighting changed behind her as she inspected the image, and she jumped in her seat as she turned to look at the kitchen. Things had just gotten darker, and she vaguely remembered leaving the lights… on? She shook her head as she tried to convince herself that the light must have been off, there was no one else here, but… Her life had just taken an unexpected spin into things outside of what was “normal.”

With a shaky breath and shakier hands, she brought the phone up again. The camera focused on the kitchen, adjusting to the darkness it contained. Just before tapping to take a picture, she switched it to selfie mode again and pressed the button. Her clearly shaken face looked beyond the camera’s lens, and this time-

“Shoot!” said the man behind her. 

His image was captured in the picture just over her shoulder. The obnoxious lime green hat was dipped low over his face, but those dazzlingly jade eyes peeked from below the brim. Summer jumped and spun around, swinging a hand wildling at the creep. He dodged quickly, dipping under her wrist with his hat tumbling to catch up. She ended up swatting the hat away, and took a frantic step back as it sailed through the air.

“Hey! What gives?!” he asked accusingly, suddenly at the wall beside her bathroom.

The green trench coat fluttered as he caught the smacked hat, and he shot a knowing grin at her as she searched for anything to say. Her mind raced through a series of fractured questions, none of them making the journey to her mouth. Instead, she looked at him, wide-eyed and mouth agape with little more than astonished sounds riding every puff out from her chest. 

“Now you know how I felt,” the strange man said with a satisfied smirk. “Gettin’ seen by a human, made me feel all…”

An exaggerated shiver tumbled down his form after placing the hat back onto his head. It was an odd hat, not that the hat was the most unusual part of this whole situation. The vibrantly green hat looked to be some cross between a fedora and a beanie, with the stern brim curving around his head while the flexible dome formed to his scalp.

“Not my best moment, but suppose it ain’t all my fault.”

“What?!” she shrieked suddenly, a full word finally able to form on her tongue.

“What… what?” he replied with a knowing grin.

“You- you’re- how’d- what?”

Summer hated how frantic her voice sounded, and how her mouth and mind refused to cooperate. The stammering was frustrating enough, only made worse by the stranger’s reaction. He chuckled while leaning against the wall, crossing his arms casually. The low end of his coat fluttered around his calves as the toe of one green shoe settled into the wood floor, his legs crossed down by his ankles. 

“Lemme help ya,” he said with a wink. “Name’s Gavin, I’m a leprechaun. How I got in here and remained invisible… to most folk, is magic. As for what…”

The jovial explanation stumbled to a halt while he seemed to ponder the last… question. Summer tried to clarify, but it was nothing short of impossible to find the words. Her mind hadn’t settled at all with the answers provided. If anything, it just gave her more questions, and much less certainty with her world.

“Hmmmm…” he mused while stroking his beard. His hand started over where his chin must have been, and glided down the six-ish inches of curled, twisting, fiery red hair. “I do need somethin from ya…”

Her eyes darted to the table beside her kitchen, where the laptop was still situated on the flat surface. The golden tie lazily spilled from between the screen and keyboard, and she wondered if that was what this Gavin was after.

“I have myself a bit of a problem, you see,” he continued, dropping his casual stance against the wall.

The leprechaun - if that was even possible - pushed the sides of his coat back while his hands sunk into a pair of pockets on his almost shimmering trousers. His slacks were a mesmerizing shade of green, and gave off the appearance of shimmering emeralds with every slow step forward. The couch still separated them, providing at least some sort of barrier.

“There’s a… guy, let’s say,” he said with a gleam in his eye. “Took somethin’ rather important from me.”

“I- I don’t know,” she replied, trying to force the shakiness from her voice. Her eyes went from him to the laptop, back to him, then to her new phone still clutched in her hand. “I don’t have dating advice?”

“Wha? No!” Gavin responded with a quick chuckle. “I don’t wanna date him, I need to get something back from the guy.”

Thoughts of calling for help darted through her mind, but who the hell would she call? What were the police going to do? Surely they didn’t respond to 911 calls about leprechauns, that would only result in her being taken to some mental facility.

“I can see that ya still strugglin’ with this whole thing,” he went on. “Maybe we can take a deep breath, sit on the couch for a minute, then talk a little?”

“Why should- what do you need me for?” she said much too fast for her liking. 

Taking the leprechaun’s advice despite her extreme reservations, she took a deep breath. She held it for a few seconds, then exhaled slowly. Another breath in seemed to actually help, and her hands started to be noticeably less shaky.

“Thaaat’s it,” Gavin said calmly. “Nice and easy, in… then out. You got it.”

He stood at the couch, still facing her with his knee leaning against the cushion. A gentle expression was on his face, and he seemed genuinely invested in helping her through the strange situation. 

“I toldja already, I need some help gettin’ somethin’ back.”

“Why me? Why can’t you just… invisible your way in and get it?” 

“Because,” he starts, gesturing to the couch with one hand. “I’m not allowed to take from humans.” He sits on the couch with a derisive snort, rolling his eyes with obvious annoyance. “Even if they are the ones not following the rules.”

Summer sits on the couch as well, but as far from Gavin as she can. Her hip nudges against the armrest, and she leans a little to the side.

“Someone… they stole from you?”

“That’s the gimmick, innit?” Gavin replies with sarcastic glee. “Steal the gold and hold it for ransom…”

“Ok,” she says slowly, still trying to let everything process in her mind. The pieces fall together, despite how absurd everything has gotten. “So… this person, they took your gold in exchange of a… wish?”

The word felt weird as it pushed from her mouth. Could it all really be so simple? Sure, the tooth fairy - fairies, they accept something in return of… what she wanted most. But, are the other myths and legends based on real things, too?

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he replied with a tired sigh. “It ain’t that simple, like some child’s tale. If ya take the gold of a leprechaun, since we can’t just take it back, ya can extort some magic from us. It’s all we really have to ‘earn’ our gold’s safe return.”

“That… it just doesn’t sound right,” Summer said, her brow furrowed in thought. “You shouldn’t have to earn it back, it was yours in the first place!”

“Right? Now ya gettin it!” He seemed ecstatic that she was catching on, “And most people - after gettin’ what was asked for, they’ll just give the stolen gold back. But not this guy, ohhh no.”

“Ok… ok, so… you need me to… steal it back?” she asked hesitantly.

“When you say it like that you make it sound bad,” Gavin replied with a smirk. “I already did somethin’ for him, you’re just… collectin’ a debt, is all.”

Summer averted her gaze to the TV, fidgeting with her fingers while looking at the blank screen. It seemed simple enough, but could she really bring herself to take something from someone? Even if it was owed to Gavin, it still sounded like stealing to her. She looked up at the ceiling while contemplating, and avoided bringing her attention down to the leprechaun on her couch.

“Who… where would I have to go?” she asked, trying to choose her words carefully.

“You were already there today,” he replied, confirming the suspicion that had been brewing in her head. “That Ralv, ya think he can make sandwiches that good if there wasn’t anything magical about them?”

An exasperated laugh broke from her lips as she finally brought her eyes back down. The leprechaun was reclined back, settled between the cushion and armrest on his side of the couch. He had one leg on the sofa, bent at the knee with his foot suspended from the couch beside his other knee. His face was propped almost sideways on one hand, the elbow of his supporting arm planted on the armrest while his other arm laid along the cushions.

“They are pretty good sandwiches,” Summer relented.

“Thanks,” he said with a grin. “A secret recipe that reminds ya of ya best time, whether the consumer knows it or not.”

“If I go and… take the gold from Ralv…” she pondered aloud.

“The sandwiches will still be just as good, don’t worry ya little head about it,” he said assuringly. “The magic is already there, he’s just gotta return what he took.”

“How will I know what I’m looking for?” Summer asked.

“Ya think that lug has a whole hoard of gold? Like some kinda dragon, or somethin’?”

“Don’t tell me dragons are real now, too,” she retorted, hoping her tone didn’t sound as pleading as it felt.

“Well…” he mused, knowing full well that they indeed did exist. “I can promise ya that I won’t make ya go that far…”

It was all rapidly becoming too much for Summer. She stood from the couch and began pacing back and forth in front of the TV. Gavin watched as she nervously moved about, hoping she would agree to help.

“So…” she started, stopping her parade of one. A shaky sigh shuddered from within, and she began pacing once more. “Leprechauns are real, and tooth fairies, and dragons?”

“Uhhh, tooth fairies?” he quipped, looking at her like she said something derogatory. “They ain’t exactly interested in teeth, lady.”

“Summer,” she said with a nonchalant tone.

“Thanks, all I knew you as was fifty-six, but figured that wasn’t ya name…”

She stopped pacing around and looked at him. Her eyes flicked to the laptop on the table behind him, but quickly returned to the impromptu guest sitting on her couch.

“What do you mean, ‘they don’t want teeth’?”

“Well, sure,” he explained. “That’s what most of ya know about ‘em. Telling the little runts about the tooth fairy comin’ for their teeth in the night. Leaving little gifts or whateva under their pillow. But, they got tons of ‘em. Not really interested in collecting more.”

“They collect things?” she asked while actually feeling everything click.

Of course they would be after more than just teeth. What other reason would they have for taking her phone, and the feather? One question remained; what else would they be interested in collecting?

“For sure, they collect things.” Gavin caught her eye movement, but dismissed it with a shrug as he went on. “Anythin’ that holds value, like, we’re talkin’ value more than what ya can pay your bills with, get me? Sentimental stuff, important things, something ya’d miss if ya didn’t have it no more.”

“And give you whatever you want in return,” she said, her voice betraying the distraction she felt in the moment.

“Well, yeah. Within reason,” Gavin replied. “They ain’t gonna bring anyone back from the dead, and probably won’t go killing nobody, but… what do you keep looking at?”

Summer sent her attention back to him, unsure if she should tell the leprechaun about the tie. But, if he knew about the tooth fairies - collectors, since that seemed a better term - then, maybe he could help decipher the strange writing on the golden fabric?

“You didn’t make a deal with them or anything, didja?”

“Well-um, no, not exactly,” she tried, not knowing what that would even look like. “I’ve been visited, kinda? In my dreams?”

“Your dreams? In the worlds between?”

Gavin got up from the couch and looked to the kitchen. His eyes glanced about, searching the small dining area, then down the hall to the bathroom and bedrooms. After seeing that no other fae were present, he let out a relieved sigh and turned to face Summer again.

“Those are some dangerous ones, believe me on that. You don’t wanna be on their bad side.”

“But, what does that mean?” she asked, trying to understand all these new things being thrown at her. “The worlds between? It sounds-”

“The dream world. It’s somethin that’s kinda between our realms. A weird in between where everyone can interact, mostly safely.” He paused while pulling his hat from his head, and brushed a hand through his curly hair. “Not to get too much into history, but it’s just… kinda common ground for everyone.”

His hat was placed back onto his head after the brief explanation, and he looked at Summer again. Summer was still sifting through all he had said, and found herself surprised that it all mostly made sense. 

“I’ll help you,” she agreed, reaching out a hand for a handshake. “But I need you to do something for me, if you’re able.”

Gavin was just about to take her hand, but the smile on his face dissolved into a look of frustration. He raised both hands into the air as though to show he was unarmed, and took a step back. 

“Ohhh, no, I’m not falling for this again!” he exclaimed. “All you humans, ya all just lookin to take advantage!”

“W-no, I just need some help,” she tried, retracting her hand like it had been bitten. “There’s something… if you can read it?”

That seemed to pique his interest. Gavin looked back over his shoulder, again searching the kitchen and dining area for whatever Summer had looked at earlier. He nodded while turning his attention to her again, a smirk back on his face.

“So, you did make a deal with them…” he said coyly. “Idiot girl.”

With that, he was gone. Summer was shocked that he would have been so crude, and leave so abruptly. One second he was standing right in front of her, and the next - vanished. It would have startled her if she were anyone else, still clinging to the reality she’d been told to believe. Instead, she groaned her frustration and let herself fall onto the couch. 

The clock on her phone told her it was already 7:45, and she groaned again as her stomach made its presence known. She would need to do something for dinner, but most certainly didn’t feel like cooking anything herself. It had been a while since her last grocery outing anyway, and she knew there wasn’t much for her to find to eat in her apartment. Summer knew what she would be doing for supper, before her conscious self had even made the decision.  She groaned defeatedly as she rolled off the couch, and allowed gravity to carry her to the floor. It was a silly stunt that only amused herself, but one that also helped spring her to action. Ralv’s Deli was in her future, which she simultaneously looked forward to, and dreaded. With the gift card stashed in her purse, she was out the door and down the stairs, though much slower than usual.

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors

Seeing Stones: There are many tools and enchantments one can use to detect or see fairies and their influence in the human realm. Many fairies try to avoid attention, oftentimes shrouding themselves in one way or another, and portals into and out of their world are very rarely able to simply ‘be seen.’ Some devices even allow the user to see who is fae-touched, or under the influence of a fairy.

Seeing Stones are one of the few naturally occurring objects that allows the user to see such things. They can only be used by the one who found it, and can sometimes be located along the shore or under water. These flat stones have been worn by water or wind, capturing the essence of eternity within a smooth, polished out circle. 

Holding a Seeing Stone up and peering through it may reveal more than the user is expecting. Caution should be exercised while using one of these stones, as it is quite easy to get caught up in the revealed magic, and distracted from obstacles nearby. Being exposed to such wonders can also be overwhelming. Be sure to take glances, rather than stare. Many minds have been lost while gazing through a Seeing Stone, leading to speculation that these stones may be to blame, rather than what is seen.

It was shortly before noon when Summer left Boggury and Associates Legal, her new workplace where she knew she would feel right at home in no time. Not even a day in, and she was already quite comfortable there. The jitters she had earlier in the day had essentially abated, and there was genuine hope for her future, which was apparent in her cheery gait down the sidewalk. She actually had to focus on not getting too carried away with the excitement and joy running through her, having almost smacked more than one fellow pedestrian who accidentally wandered too close. An occasional thump against her chest reminded her of the pocket watch-turned-pendant, swinging and bouncing with her every step.

The smell of freshly baked bread permeated the air as she walked, and her stomach grumbled an annoying reminder of her skipped breakfast. A glass door swung open right in front of her, with a small bell announcing its sudden movement. Someone rushed through the open doorway, carrying with them a small paper bag and the heavenly scent of warm baked goods. Summer took a deep breath in, mostly through her nose as she turned towards the source of the delicious smell.

“Ralv’s Deli” greeted her eyes on a banner plastered to the closing door, along with a cartoonish figure of a bearded man holding an assortment of breads in his arms. The stereotypical chef’s hat leaned off the side of his head. Behind the caricature was a four leaf clover, which somehow felt out of place and appropriate all at once. 

A bell rang above the door as it swung open, snapping her from a swarm of thoughts she hadn’t even realized she had fallen into. The memories of those thoughts blinked out as soon as she was pulled back into reality, and the alluring aroma rushing out to her was a nagging reminder of her hunger. The next person who walked through with one of those precious baggies actually stopped to hold the door open for her! Another wave of tempting scents drifted around her, sealing her fate as she thanked the devil at the door and wandered in.

If it hadn’t been for the fragrant waves crashing into her on the walkway outside, Summer would have been utterly overwhelmed when she stepped inside. Her mouth began to water as so many different types of breads assaulted her nose, each variety obviously cooked within this previously unnoticed store. Some neatly woven challah caught her eye as an employee brushed melted butter across the baked hills, and she was nearly mesmerized watching the trickling rivers run down into the crisp valleys. The oblivious employee shook poppy seeds over the freshly buttered delight, but a booming voice snapped Summer from the stupor.

“Forty-seven!” 

Summer snapped her head toward the sound, loaves of French bread, brioche, bagels, and plenty of other amazing morsels blurring through her vision in search of the voice’s source. Behind the glass counter illuminating all of the fine breads on display was a large, burly man. He towered over the back of the counter, holding a tray with one large hand. The white apron he wore was clearly sporting puffs and streaks of flour, and it struggled over his strong chest as a thick, Boston accent again bellowed, “Forty-seven! Ya orda is ready!”

He was a spectacle to behold, with a hairnet secured down around his chin to cover his dark beard. A chef’s hat rolled forward, partially obscuring a gleaming medallion of some sort as he looked down at the smaller man who approached, smiling giddily as he handed over the tray. The white coat swelled over his arms with the movement, giving Summer the impression that he belonged in some bodybuilder competition more than a bakery. 

The customer walked to a table and took a seat. His tray held a serving basket, and nestled atop a sheet of deli paper was what appeared to be the most delicious roast beef sandwich the hungry girl had ever seen. It was sliced in half, with a generous pile of house made potato chips sitting between the slices. With a restaurant like this within easy walking distance of her office, Summer knew Ralv’s Deli would be a nearly daily stop. Assuming she could afford it…

Realization struck her like lightning. Through the interview and into a half day of work, no talk of salary or wages had come up. Surely her contract had that information? She could always ask, but what if they’d discussed it and she had simply missed the conversation? A mental note was made to review her contract as soon as she got home, and if it wasn’t in there… probably just not bring it up until her first paycheck. With a shake of her head, she knew she would have to ask. This line of work doesn’t have room for people who are too nervous or afraid of stepping on other people’s toes to get answers. Besides, maybe Mrs. Boggury would appreciate her forwardness in asking about-

Her line of thought was interrupted as another number boomed through the storefront.

“Forty-eight!”

Someone scurried forward to claim their order, a baggie with a receipt stapled to the side. The line stemming from the register moved again, but someone was staring at her. It was unnerving enough to distract her from the delicious sights and smells all around, especially when his piercing, jade eyes didn’t dart away. There was no attempt to convince her that he wasn’t looking right at her, and every time she glanced his way his eyes remained fixated.

The guy was standing on the far side of the deli, leaning back against a wall in the corner. He was wearing what appeared to be a long, dull green trench coat, hanging lazily open down his front. Under the coat was a forest green shirt, with dark buttons lining the center from his fiery red beard to his golden belt buckle. Loose, emerald green slacks covered his legs, with a lined texture that reminded her of corduroy pants.

Summer removed her glasses, trying to look casual as she followed the line forward. Another number boomed through the restaurant, and number forty-nine rushed ahead to take her lunch. The stranger in the corner was reduced to little more than a green smudge against the wall as Summer wiped the lenses of her glasses with the fabric of her navy top. She nearly dropped her violet glasses while bringing them back up, forgetting the large pendant hanging from her neck. With a start, she hurriedly grasped the eyewear before any harm could come to them, and placed them back on her face.

Surprisingly, the figure was gone when sight was restored. The line moved forward again, and she followed. Both fifty and fifty-one were called back to back as she tried to rationalize what had happened. Had anyone else seen him? Where did he go? Would people think she was crazy if she spoke up? So many worried thoughts tumbled through her mind, that she was utterly unprepared when it was her turn to place an order. 

“What can I get ya?”

A girl, no older than fifteen or sixteen, stood on the other side of the counter. She gave her best customer service smile to Summer, but clearly wanted her customer to hurry with their order. Based on the accent and dark hair, Summer guessed this was Ralv’s daughter, though there was no time for pleasantries. Her eyes quickly scanned the menu, searching for something that sounded good to her grumbling stomach. An image of the staring man danced through her mind again, distracting her from the task at hand.

“Uhh… roast beef?” she asked hesitantly.

“What kind of bread?”

While the young girl had almost perfected the customer service face and expression, Summer was mildly surprised at her need to learn the voice. There was more than a little annoyance in her tone, as though the type of bread should have been included in her initial request. Then again, maybe it should have been? Her only experience with a shop like this was a chain where the sandwiches were listed out with all of their ingredients, and you would have to ask for any deviations.

“Wheat?” Again it came out like a question. Summer kicked herself mentally, and tried to get a handle on the situation. “With onions. And, easy on the tomato, uh… swiss cheese, please.”

She felt a little better with the nearly complete order. Resisting the urge to smile at such an easy accomplishment, Summer waited for the girl to have another problem with her list.

“You want any sauce or lettuce?”

Another mental kick as she tried to find some list of available sauces. How could she forget something so basic, leaving her with a dry sandwich? She agreed to the lettuce in an attempt to buy more time, but settled on mayonnaise instead of any house special sauces. There would be time to try those later.

“Chips?”

“Yes, please,” Summer replied with a genuine smile. 

“What kind?”

The lack of emotion other than nonchalant annoyance was beginning to grate on her. Summer kept the smile and kindness in her tone, reflecting on something her father used to say when urging patience. ‘You never know the battles and hardships someone else is facing.’ It rang through her head just as clearly as if he was standing right behind her, and she clasped a hand around her grandfather’s pocket watch. Assuming the young girl was annoyed with something in her life rather than her current customer, Summer shrugged.

“Surprise me,” she said with a chipper tone.

That seemed to catch the annoyed girl off guard. She hit a few buttons on the register, keying in the ordered sandwich, and then paused. Her brow furrowed as she strummed her fingers over the glass countertop. 

“You… wanna be surprised?” 

“It’s my first time here, I don’t really know what’s good,” she responded. “You seem to know the place pretty well, I figure you’ll send the right chips my way.”

“Fine,” the girl said through an exhale. “Anything to drink, or ya takin’ it ta go?”

Now Summer was the one getting annoyed. She tried not to show it, still holding to her father’s saying. If she hadn’t just had the most amazing morning, it was doubtful she could have kept her demeanor. Sarcasm and a snarky attitude was scratching at the surface, but she remained warm, and as pleasant as she could.

“To go, please.”

If it hadn’t been for that strange, staring man, she may have wanted to stay. It would have been a good opportunity to become more familiar with the menu, but she knew there would be other chances in the future. As it was, Summer just wanted to get home and away from… wherever he had gone.

Her eyes flicked through the store while paying for her lunch, trying to make the search seem like a casual glance. The person in green didn’t appear to be around anymore, but she certainly hadn’t seen him come up to claim his order. Could it have just been a figment of her imagination? Maybe he wasn’t actually staring at her, but getting rid of the trash remaining after lunch? No scenario seemed likely, but she continued to try to convince herself that it was all just an innocent misunderstanding. That, at least, would help keep her skin from crawling.

“Fifty-six!” 

The big man boomed Summer’s number, and she walked up to claim her baggie. She flashed a smile to him as she reached out, but he was still holding onto it. Other orders had been set onto the counter to wait for their owners, but Ralv hadn’t released her little bag.

“I heard you hadn’t been here before,” he said in a softer, soothingly deep voice. “Put a little somethin’ extra in it for ya. Ya know, as a thank you.”

“Th-thank you…” Summer’s face felt hot as they burned a shade of red.

He finally released her order, and she scurried to the door. The embarrassment of being singled out so unexpectedly continued nibbling at her cheeks well on her way home, but pleasantly enough it made her forget about the starer. She rushed up the seven flights of stairs and made it to her floor’s landing before remembering the green man. Her heart was racing from the climb, but she steadied her breathing as she cautiously looked all around. The stairwell and halls were clear, so she felt comfortable walking to her own door.

She unlocked her door and stepped inside, leaning her back against the closed barrier as a sigh spilled from her chest. Without even looking, Summer dropped her briefcase and engaged the deadbolt to further secure her door from whatever may or may not be lingering in the hallway. Her heart raced, hammering away at her chest as she focused on the rhythmic ticking from her grandfather’s pocket watch. 

Before long she finally managed to peel herself away from the door. The bag from “Ralv’s Deli” hung heavy in her hand, and she was so very eager to rip it open. Her quick advance to the table came to a halt when she saw the golden fabric spilling from her closed laptop. Somehow, she had managed to forget the supernatural elements of the last couple days, and another rumble from her stomach fought to keep her attention on lunch. She set the still closed bag beside her laptop, eyes locked on the reflective logo squarely in the middle of the plastic panel.

Another sigh escaped as she subconsciously reset herself, preparing for the mental task at hand. The shakiness rippling through her was largely thanks to her unanswered hunger, so she went to the kitchen for a drink to accompany her sandwich. Some sort of alcohol would help with the stress, and sheer craziness of her situation, but she’d never cared much for the stuff. Having been so focused on maintaining a strict budget, she had little more than a half-finished jug of kool-aid, and water from the tap. 

Returning to the table with a glass of grape kool-aid, the ice cubes clattering around the juice’s top, she sat down and scooted her chair aside. The movement pulled her away from the laptop with its clenched tie, but her eyes were drawn to the impossible sight. She still had difficulty accepting that this could be happening, but reflecting on all the reasons why this should be impossible simply wasn’t rational. The proof was right there, clamped between a keyboard and screen with golden remnants rolling out of both sides.

A sharper breath was pulled into her lungs before being exhaled as a more forceful sigh. She took the bag with one hand, and tugged the top of it open with the other. The paper ripped along the staple that had held it shut, and that glorious aroma escaped into her apartment. Inside was her sandwich - neatly folded inside of a sheet of checkered paper, a plastic baggie of chips which was twisted and tied shut, and a plastic card. Her brow furrowed as she remembered what Ralv had said as he handed her order over. “...put a little somethin’ extra in it…” tumbled through her mind as she picked up the card. The same cartoonish figure from the restaurant’s door was there on the card, along with a sticker with “$5” written on it.

“A gift card?” she asked no one. It was a nice gesture, and one that would most definitely bring her back to the store, but not at all what she had expected. Really, she didn’t know what she expected to find in there after all of that, but the small gift brought a smile to her face.

Her attention quickly returned to the wrapped sandwich. The gift card found a home on the table as she unwrapped the warm delight, and she took a deep breath through her nose as the toasted bread came into view. Despite it being just a roast beef sandwich with mayo and lettuce, it looked and smelled wonderful. She held the sandwich with both hands, giving the crisp wheat bread a gentle squeeze. Mayonnaise leaked from around the lettuce and meat packed inside, and her mouth watered as she brought it closer. Her teeth sunk into the bread, cutting through with a satisfying crunch as her tongue was finally permitted its first taste. 

Maybe it was the hunger, or perhaps her overall mood from such a great day. No matter the true source of the sensation she felt, Summer knew “Ralv’s Deli” would be a much too frequent stop for her. Heaven was the only acceptable word to describe it. Goosebumps spread down her arms, and she found herself fighting a shiver as her tongue flicked through the roasted beef. The lettuce was so fresh that it provided its own crunch to every chew, and the bread… She tilted her head to the side, releasing a pleased groan as the flavors and scent burned into her mind. 

The chips were every bit as good, somehow. They were warped, browned and perfectly salted, having clearly been sliced in-shop before getting cooked that day. All in all, Summer couldn’t believe that such a lunch would be so easily affordable, but she dared not question it. She would simply make use of the deli for as long as she could.

Once lunch was finished, the distraction regrettably taking its place as a memory as she wiped her mouth with a paper towel, a splash of gold nagged the corner of her vision. She looked at her laptop, mere feet from where she sat, and took a long sip of kool-aid. The ice nudged under her nose as the cold liquid streamed beneath her lip, washing remnants of the sandwich down her throat. Her eyes flicked away, looking at anything but the laptop with its ensnared tie, but her mind was racing around it. 

‘How do I find information about fairies?’ she pondered. ‘Reliable information…’

Over the next few hours she would stumble through dozens of websites, seemingly hundreds of articles about fairies. The tie sat mockingly beside the laptop as she typed, scrolled, clicked and searched, without finding an ounce of information that seemed credible. Obviously there wouldn’t be much research paper from some PhD on the subject, let alone the specific one… trio she was looking for. Still, she expected to find something other than page after page of information that danced around the subject when not directly contradicting the last.

“This is hopeless…” she said, leaning back in her chair with a sigh.

The clock at the bottom corner of her screen caught her attention when the final digits hit :00. Her eyes widened and she stood from her chair with a gasp, shocked that it was already five. So much time had slipped away during her fruitless search, and she still had to go find a suitable cellphone to replace the one taken yesterday.

‘Has it really only been a day?’

The thought tumbled through her mind, leading a parade of recent happenings through her mind. She went back to the door and retrieved her briefcase. Her keys were already on the table, but the briefcase had her wallet secured inside. After a quick change of clothes into something slightly less professional, she was ready to go.

It had been a little too long since the last time Summer had done laundry, leaving her with little more to wear than the lime green, form-fitting leggings and loose pink running shirt. Two colors she generally felt opposed to wearing, but beggars can hardly be choosers. 

She was still a little apprehensive, remembering the green-clad starer from the restaurant, but he hadn't seemed to follow her home. There wasn't much reason to think he'd be waiting for her anywhere, but the memory left her on edge. Her heart beat expectantly as she went down the stairs, fortunately not finding anyone the whole way down the stairwell. Plenty of people were going their respective ways out on the sidewalk, but no one was wearing even as much green as herself.

Feeling confident that the dreaded starer was now nothing but an uncomfortable memory, Summer began walking down the sidewalk. The bus did have a route including the electronics shop she had in mind, but it was such a nice day. She felt inclined to walk the mile or so, happy to breathe the fresh air and take in some sun. It wasn’t long before the shop was in sight, and her mind spun through all the ads she had seen for cell phones. 

Nothing super fancy was needed, but this was going to be her first official phone. Something she would rely on to help her keep her schedule, maintain a pace with her boss, and maybe even handle client calls and texts. It would need to be reliable, secure, and have plenty of storage space. Not that most phones were lacking in storage, most had enough memory to rival some laptops. Her mind began to wander through the advances of technology while still considering which phone would be right for her needs, and still had the headspace to wonder just how her life had progressed so rapidly.

The sliding door wooshed open when she got into range of the sensor, bringing her automatic walk to a halt. She had just been approaching on the sidewalk with the whole parking lot separating her from her destination, and now she was in the store? Without even noticing? This wasn’t necessarily anything new, but she had assumed the earlier experience with the man in green may have had her more on her toes. She certainly didn’t need to add “kidnapped” to her agenda.

That morbid thought brought a smile to her face with a secret giggle, and she had to roll her eyes. No one was going to kidnap her, certainly not in broad daylight. Even so, the thought, while ridiculous and humorous, sent a chill down her spine. 

“How can we help you today?” asked a smiling, uniformed man.

He was about a head taller than her, and his expression appeared genuine. Summer scanned him quickly, taking in his blue eyes, the blonde wave of hair on his head making the style look intentional, while at the same time giving the appearance of being carefree. His yellow shirt was neat and wrinkle free, and he was wearing black slacks light enough to be blown against his legs when the door opened behind her again.

“Just,” she started, catching a breath she hadn’t realized she had lost. “I’m looking for a new phone?”

The tone. That voice that always seemed to carry a question with it. It was something she had long struggled with, and the darn thing kept creeping up on her. She had managed to keep it under control at her new job, and even mostly during the trainwreck of an interview. But now, with everything in the world seeming to be working out for her, and a cute guy? She felt like her high school self all over again.

“We have some crazy good phones,” he - Manny, according to his nametag - said. “I can show you, if you like?”

Summer nodded at the offer, and followed Manny to where the phones were located. Neither said a word until they arrived at the phone section, and Summer began to wonder if he was as taken as herself.

“Here we go,” he said, sweeping a hand over the wide selection. “Looking for anything in particular?”

“I don’t know, really,” Summer started, though she had a pretty good idea. “What do you recommend?”

“Well,” Manny replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with one hand. “Samsung has the best camera option, in my opinion. If you want something with a great display and sound, then I would recommend the latest Pixel. Motorola has been struggling lately, but I do like this year’s flagship. It would be a good option for gaming.”

Noting the obvious exclusion, Summer crossed her arms and leaned casually against the display table. She arched an eyebrow and gave the guy a smirk.

“What about these iPhones I’ve heard so much about?” she asked sarcastically. 

Manny chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. The gesture made Summer’s heart beat a little faster, and she felt just a little warmer. 

“Apples are for eating, not electronics,” he finally said with a grin. “Though, if you wanna be trendy…”

He added some extra spice to the final word and let it linger, but it was obvious he wasn’t an Apple guy. Summer nodded while glancing over the phones on display. She didn’t have an iPhone before, and had heard nightmare stories of making the switch between the operating systems. It didn’t seem particularly appealing, especially while trying to get used to a new job. No sense in struggling with a new phone, and letting her career suffer for it.

“I’ve been a Samsung girl since my first phone,” she said with a sigh. “It’s always nice to have a good camera.”

Would a camera be important at her job? Each phone had its own space on the long tables, and she was able to do side-by-side comparisons. Their hard drives were almost identical when it came to storage space, and every phone was almost the same. It was just the little technicalities that separated them, each with its own… draw.

“Google’s AI is pretty great,” Manny offered. “That was my deciding factor.”

“A-I?” Summer asked, glancing at him.

“Artificial intelligence,” he replied.

“Thanks, yeah. I know what AI is,” she said with a smirk and an eye-roll. “What sets it apart?”

“Oh- uhh…”

Now it was Manny’s turn to feel warmer, and Summer had to concentrate to avoid laughing at him. His cheeks burned red as he stammered, and his eyes avoided hers while he pulled a phone from his pocket. A nervous laugh escaped from him as he unlocked the device, and pressed a few buttons on the display.

“Their AI is Gemini. It’s been really helpful for school and stuff. The voice recorder app- um, it can transcribe what is recorded into written notes. The security is really good, too, keeps information from being accessed by… outside people.”

He was flustered, clearly. Summer listened intently to what he had to say, nodding and smiling as he spoke. It was… cute, honestly. But, he hadn’t shown her anything on the device he’d pulled from his pocket. She found it odd he would retrieve it at all, if he wasn’t going to use-

The critique was interrupted in her mind as he finally turned his phone around. Everything he had just said was displayed on his screen, stammers and all. She looked from the screen to him, only a little annoyed at the confident smile now plastered to his face. 

It was everything she had set out to find. Secure, useful, and with technology that wouldn’t be lacking for at least a couple years. The price wasn’t outlandish, either - well within her budget. Even if it wasn’t, Mrs. Boggury had offered advance pay to help cover the cost. 

“Sounds like everything I’m after,” she said with a bright smile. “What colors are available?”

“The pro comes in a few different colors,” he explained, pointing to the circular depictions of each color. Summer was drawn to one of the indicated options instantly. She had never been much of a fan of it before, but porcelain suddenly seemed like the best of any option. Manny retrieved the phone she had selected, and walked with her to the front of the store. This journey involved much more conversing than before, and by the time she was leaving with her new phone in hand, she felt as though they’d just finished their first date. Which was odd, since they had set that for a couple days from now.

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 11

Father Time: Often considered the oldest of all fairies, Father Time has earned a place in the upper echelon of the faerealm. He is often depicted as being an elderly man with a long, white beard, though his appearance and age can vary greatly. This fairy has a near-mastery of time, and its effects on the worlds and those who inhabit them. He can influence the flow of time, making it appear…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 10

Dreamcatchers: These artifacts are powerful protectors from the influences of the dream world, often referred to as The Worlds Between. The barriers between the human and fae worlds are weakest in dreams, which can lead to interactions between occupants of the two worlds. Having a proper dreamcatcher hanging over one’s bed, specifically right over one’s pillow, strengthens this barrier and…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 9

The Fates: These creatures have been in power longer than any can comprehend. It has been suggested they burned into existence the instant reality erupted from the void, but none know for sure. Little is really known about these entities, shrouded in mystery within their mountainous refuge. What is known about the Fates is simple. There are three of them, they work together, and they know…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 8

Mother Nature: This entity is among the most powerful in the Faerealm. She is responsible for maintaining the equilibrium of all nature between the two worlds, a task that has become significantly more difficult following the disappearance of the Heart of the Ocean. That, with the addition of the first ever fairy war, has sent the natural world into a tailspin as she struggles to restore peace in…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 7

Genies: Not to be confused with their banished counterparts, Djinn, Genies are powerful creatures capable of granting wishes to any fortunate enough to stumble upon one. Often, these entities are trapped within mystical items; be it a translucent stone, ornate lamp, enchanted musical instrument, or anything bearing considerable power. They’re locked away in a pocket dimension, and are only…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 3

Dragons: Dragons are an incredible rarity, with only seven known to be roaming any world. These dragons came from another mystical realm long ago in search of safety. Nothing is known of where they’re from, or why they fled their original world. It’s assumed the knowledge has been lost to time, considering they’ve been lingering for thousands of years.

A dragon pulls their magic from their horde. Their vast collections can be anything, but must follow a general theme. If a dragon is gaining magic from a large quantity of furniture, they will not be able to add piles of gold to increase magical output. Similarly, it has been observed that dragons can mix ‘like items,’ such as furniture, carpets, rugs, dishes, and other household items.

In this respect, the greater and more ‘diverse’ a dragon’s horde, the more powerful and vast their reach. A dragon with millions of one coin will likely not be able to match another who possesses thousands of apples, oranges, bananas, apricots, grapes and other fruits, though the coins have a considerably longer shelf-life.

There are times when dragons have been observed changing their horde. With lives spanning eons, it is understandable that a dragon may get bored with the same thing, and wish to shake up their den. When this happens, it is likely that the dragon will seek the aid of a Collector, lure unsuspecting travelers into their lair, or take the shape of other creatures. Taking on a new, unassuming shape allows them to interact with others, thereby adding to their horde without drawing too much attention.

Gentle sunlight kissed Summer’s nose as she stirred in her sleep. She turned from her back, laying on her side with the golden rays dancing across her cheek as her hand drifted into a nearby flower. The struck flower shook from side to side, spilling petals and pollen onto the sleeping girl as her eyes fluttered open. 

Surprise furrowed in her brow as Summer shifted on the ground, her fingers curling around a fistful of grass and soft green growth. The scent surrounding her is familiar somehow, though she can’t place it apart from just… overwhelmingly flowery. It’s not overwhelming to the point of being unpleasant or unbearable, but every breath she takes seems to erase just a little more of her worldly worries. She smiles as she sits up, her hand following the stem of the nearby tulip up to the bulb. The petals of this flower are the most vibrant magenta she’s ever seen, more beautiful than she ever thought possible in a natural flower.

She turns her head to the sound of wings, unable to tell if they were more like a bird or bee. The rapidly flapping wings stopped as soon as they started, and she turned to see a trio of elegantly dressed individuals. Each person stood not taller than her shoulder, even as she sat in the field, and they seemed to be waiting for something as she stared back at them.

The one in the middle, dressed in a skirt splashed with colors as varied and vibrant as the flowers around, stepped forward. A pair of wings sprouted from her back, and her hair shined like gold. Summer looked at her wings, noticing the patterns and similarities they shared with those of her partners. The other two had nearly identical wings, though their attire was noticeably different. She let her eyes take in the colorful suit of the one to the woman's left. The suit was neatly fitted over a silver, button-down shirt, with a golden tie framed between the lapel. On the other side was another figure wearing a full dress, flowing elegantly down to the ground. The dress and suit were what she would consider tie dye, while the skirt in the middle looked more deliberately… speckled.

“Who are…” Summer started to ask, but her question faded to mute as the woman standing in front of her reached out a hand. 

A gold shimmer drifted down the woman’s arm, and the other two smiled reassuringly as small fingers drew near. Her fingernails were well manicured, appearing finely polished and neatly filed, and rounded on the edges. Summer’s eyes followed the unknown woman’s hand up as her fingers reached her head, but she winced and moved away when she felt the woman pluck a hair from her scalp.

“Ow-Hey!” she protested, rubbing the stinging spot missing a single strand. The pain was already gone, it was just one hair, after all. It was more the suddenness of the violation that had made her react in such a way, but the trio was already onto their next task.

The three small creatures each pulled a hair from their own heads, giggling as they worked. Summer stopped rubbing her head, sitting up straight with her legs crossed, her hands in her lap as she watched them with curiosity written on her face. There was some tune being hummed between the three of them, a melody she couldn’t place. It was hauntingly beautiful, mesmerizing even, and impossible to tell which of them was humming it. She decided all three had to be making the song as they worked, there were simply too many notes for one or two to hit at the same time.

Summer decided the creature in the skirt was the leader. The other two handed their single strands of hair to her as she retrieved a vial from a pocket. She uncorked the top and filed each hair into the vial, with the four strands dissolving into what had been a nearly invisible fluid. With the hairs all deposited into the vial, the woman secured the cork back into place and shook it violently, her giggle interrupting the melody being hummed by her partners.

To her right, the little creature had pulled what looked to be an alabaster pen from within the dress. Summer had been so preoccupied with what the first had been doing, she hadn’t really noticed where this other one had gotten the pen, but it made sense it had come from some unseen pocket. Then again, it may have simply been from thin air as far as she knew. The one on the left now held the tie, the golden sheet hanging from either side of a presented hand as a calm breeze drifted through.

Satisfied with the swirling concoction in the vial, the middle creature uncorked the container and accepted the pen from the partner to her right. The contents of the vial glittered and swirled, a chaotic mess of crimson, gold, and brown. Summer sent a hand up to her head again, letting her auburn hair waft between her fingers as the tip of the pen lowered into the open vial. She tried to see if there was some button or lever used, but couldn’t find anything on the otherwise smooth pen as the liquid inside the vial vanished. The pale siding swirled with life and color, growing darker as the vial emptied. Streaks of brown, red, and gold replaced the alabaster visage, shimmering as they churned together.

The suited one handed over the tie with a closed-lipped smile, the tune continuing to tickle Summer’s ears as the middle creature quickly accepted. Her hands were full now, holding the vial with the pen protruding from the open top in one and the tie in the other while the tie-dye pair hummed at her sides. She held the items with a smile on her face, but Summer could tell there was annoyance in her yellow eyes. The dreaming girl tried not to laugh at the spectacle as the middle fairy cleared her throat, giving the items in her hands a quick, curt shake to get the attention of her partners. She was not successful.

Summer covered her mouth in an effort to conceal the laughter as the suit-clad fairy reached forward to retrieve his tie. The one in the dress seemed blissfully unaware that anything was amiss as she continued to hum, swaying back and forth to the rhythm with both hands behind their back. She wondered if these three had rehearsed, or done anything like this before, or if this was their first time as the middle fairy slapped the suited hand away, grumbling her discontent. The suited fairy looked across to the dressed fairy, seeming to connect dots, then leaned back and waved. It took some time and effort, which also distorted the hummed melody, but eventually the oblivious fairy glanced over to see the frustration in the other two.

There was some definite attitude in the way the middle fairy held the vial and pen at her partner. With a sheepish grin, a pair of hands reached out and held the vial, and the dressed fairy even bowed as the pen was extracted. The tune began again, this time all three of them most certainly humming their own specific part. Summer watched, her eyes growing heavy, as the middle fairy held the golden tie aloft. She dragged the pen over the fine surface, with words appearing on the shimmering fabric. That’s the only way she could describe it, appearing. They weren’t being written, there weren’t any deliberate strokes of the pen or anything so… practiced. No, the pen swept across the tie once, leaving a full paragraph. Then again, with another paragraph. Again and again, over and over until the whole tie was covered in… words?

With every inch of the golden tie occupied in something that might be confused for text, the middle fairy held the alabaster pen to her right. The dressed fairy accepted the pen and placed the tip back into the empty vial. She stashed the pair of items into her dress before helping the other two hold the tie horizontal. They each used one hand on the tie, holding it in front of them, letting the sunlight shine off the flattened material. Summer looked into their faces before reaching out herself, a tentative hand fighting a tremor as it neared-

An alarm pierced her apartment, blaring loud from the kitchen. Summer bolted upright in bed, gasping for a breath that she couldn’t have possibly been holding. Could she? She ran a hand through her hair, the already distant memory of her dream escaping through her fingers like the thousands of strands of hair. Hair… She remembered one being taken in her dream for ink? A contract? 

She turned in bed, a hand already on her pillow. Her heart raced as she realized she was holding her breath again, and she forced herself to breathe. One, two, three deep, calming breaths rolled in, then out of her lungs as her hand held her pillow in place, and she wondered just how stupid she would feel when she found an old, weathered cardinal feather under it. When the pillow was removed from its usual spot, however, she wasn’t entirely sure if she was surprised or not to find a neatly rolled, golden tie where the feather had been.

The alarm kept chiming, the mechanical melody repeating the same several notes over and over in the background of her senses as she let the pillow fall back onto the tie. Shaky breaths rolled in and out of her chest, but there was no chance of finding any calm as she brought the cushion back up. Again, the golden tie caught the sunlight, gleaming pleasantly as she stared down at it.

“Ohhhhh…holy…” she murmured with a steady exhale, finishing the lengthy breath with, “okay…”

Summer suddenly felt nauseous as the pillow fell from her trembling hand. Everything spun around her as her once firm grasp on reality unraveled. She had lost her belief in all things magic, knowing there was no such thing as fairies, yet… Here was proof! Proof that they not only existed, but worked the way children believed? Was that even possible? How had the whole world gone for so long without acknowledging any of this? She leapt from the bed and rushed to the bathroom, unsure if she needed to vomit, shower, or both. 

Instead of losing whatever remained in her stomach from the previous day, Summer tapped a key on the laptop to stop the alarm on the way to the bathroom and stood at the sink. She held the smooth surface around the bowl firmly, panting as she gazed into her reflection. The woman looking back at her appeared to have aged considerably, her hair a ragged mess, bags under her eyes, and an expression of abject disbelief casting an array of wrinkles across her features. Apart from that, she thought she still looked pretty good. Not quite “first day at a high end law firm” good, but nothing a bit of preparation couldn’t handle.

A trembling hand brushed beside her head, sweeping some messy hair back behind her ear. Her first day was in just a couple of hours and there was so much to do, but she couldn’t bring herself to start any of it. All she could do was stand at the sink, looking at herself in an attempt to retain the final shreds of her sanity intact. That must be it, though. She was simply having a mental breakdown, and probably just… imagined the tie from her dream under her pillow. It was the only logical explanation, after all. In all likelihood, she was still halfway dreaming when she looked under her pillow, both times. 

She let a crazed laugh tumble from her lips, dropping her head over the sink and losing the staring contest with her reflection. There weren’t any likely scenarios here, only facts and tangible evidence. The tie was there, she saw what she saw. Going back to her bedroom to see it again wouldn’t change anything. Even so, she found herself apprehensively making the short journey from the bathroom, crossing between the kitchen and living room, and standing in the open doorway of her bedroom. Her pillow rested on the bed, obscuring any view of what could be under it as she contemplated her next move.

“This is ridiculous,” she said under her breath, forcing herself into her own room. 

Ridiculous or not, the false sense of bravery bolstering her vanished as she stood next to her bed. She looked down at her pillow, an object designed for sleep and comfort, now looking so ominous as it smothered a mystical secret. Part of her wondered how bad it would be if the apartment burst into flames in that moment, purging the world of whatever lies beneath her pillow so she could continue on with her oblivious life. The other part…

The other part sent her hand down, heart racing and nerves on edge as her fingers settled on the pillowcase. Hesitation threatened to derail the whole thing, so before she could back out of it her fingers curled into the pillow and yanked it away, sending the light cushion sailing across the room. It thumped into the wall near the foot of the bed and slid to the ground as she was left staring down at the balled up tie. The tremble had returned to her hand, as well as traveled down to her legs, as she reached for the golden roll.

Impossible, yet here, right in her hands. That was the only way to describe the tie she held, having to remind herself to breathe as she turned away from her bed. The strength seemingly abandoned her knees, and she fell onto her mattress with a sharply inhaled gasp, but her attention was solidly on the tie that she was unrolling. More golden fabric shimmered into view as it spread between her parting hands, and she shook her head in disbelief as the writing shimmered across the lengthy bridge. It couldn’t have been more than two feet long, but every inch of it was covered in elaborate, criss-crossing, zig-zagging… gibberish?

Summer forced her eyes to scan the tie every which way in an attempt to make any kind of sense of what was written on it, but it was utterly hopeless. She’d taken a few semesters of Latin, several years of Spanish, and had learned more than enough French and German to get by. Chasing fascination, she’d studied Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean, but never had the time to really learn enough to have a real hold of the languages. What was scribbled across the tie resembled no language she’d ever looked at, and she doubted it was anything anyone would recognize. 

“What am I…?” she mused aloud, wondering what she was supposed to do now?

Her father had pretended to be a translator way back, but somehow she doubted he’d be much use with this. She held the tie on her lap, looking through the open doorway of her bedroom, and seeing her laptop still sitting on the kitchen table. If answers were out there, surely they existed online? Time continued to tick from her grandfather’s watch as she got back to her feet and walked to the kitchen, setting the tie beside her laptop and firing up a web browser.

“Just a quick search, then right into the shower with me.”

But she knew it was a lie. The two hours she had saved for herself went with her down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and wonder, bringing her no closer to answers than staring at a wall would have when she started. By the time she looked down at the digital clock at the bottom corner of her laptop display, she had hardly half an hour to get to the office for her first day, a magical feat in and of itself considering the commute would take at least fifteen minutes. She jumped from her chair and closed the tie between the folded panels of her laptop as panic pushed her through the apartment.

“Ohhh, no-no-no-no-” she muttered, hurrying to the bathroom for another rushed shower.

Two days in a row, she got off on the wrong foot. Today, she was not only late again, but hadn’t bothered laying out an outfit the night prior. She had to hustle through selecting a wardrobe, which left her with mismatched socks. Not exactly the end of the world, but something that left her feeling self conscious on her first official day. Fortunately, her navy slacks reached all the way down to her shoes, hiding the odd socks from sight.

No one would consider the rest of her deep blue attire out of the ordinary, except perhaps the ornate pocket watch she had decided to hang from her neck with a thin, silver chain, like a large pendant necklace. The professional looking, faux leather briefcase pulled it all together, though it wasn’t filled with anything more than a few pens and blank sheets of paper.

The commute went faster than expected, mercifully, which got her to work right on time. A phone was already ringing when she walked through the door, but someone was quick to answer it with a courteous, “Boggury and Associates, how may I direct your call?” Summer approached the front desk, eyes sweeping through the main lobby and down the hallway she’d walked the day before. She didn’t exactly know where to go from here, and hoped the attendant behind the desk would be able, and willing to help, and that she wouldn’t make too much of a fool of herself.

Summer made an attempt to look for Mr. Haberly after walking through the doors, but found no sign of him before being greeted by a stout, smiling woman. She looked to be in her mid thirties or early forties, and no more than five feet tall. Gray strands formed shimmering streaks through her hair, and her vividly red blazer really stood out among the more dull colors worn by other office personnel. Wrapping the whole ensemble together was a pair of rainbow-rimmed glasses, the complete color spectrum lining thick lenses nestled on either side of her small nose.

“You must be Summer!” the woman said with thinly contained enthusiasm. 

Everything about the woman seemed so out of place. This was a major law office, considered elite in any legal circle. Yet, here was someone who looked like she belonged at Woodstock, or some other music festival. Trying hard not to judge a book by its cover, Summer put out her right hand with a more conservative smile. She, after all, had just spent hours of her morning searching the web for ways to read fairy writing.

“Yes, Summer Tyme,” she replied, avoiding the urge to roll her eyes for what was doomed to come next.

“Oh, my favorite time!” said the woman, taking Summer’s hand with a firm shake. The woman took a moment to laugh at her own joke, and Summer put forth the effort to giggle as well, pretending like she hadn’t heard it dozens… hundreds of times before. “I’m Vivian Boggury, and- yes, that Vivian Boggury,” she added with a smirk after seeing Summer’s reaction.

Boggury and Associates Legal, the law firm in which Summer now stood. The one she had just recently been hired to… work for, in some way? What was her job here, again? The interviewer, Mr. Haberly, he hadn’t actually assigned her one, and now she was shaking hands with the head of the firm? Summer looked around, trying to conceal her bewilderment and feeling more than a little star struck. She had never managed to put a face to the name, but Vivian was someone she genuinely admired. To be meeting her, and touching her on her first day… dream made.

“Our resource manager was ranting and raving about you all afternoon yesterday, you must have made quite the impression.”

The way she said it had Summer feeling strangely defensive. There was a glint in the woman’s eye as well, as if she suspected something, but how could she? It’s not like anyone in their right mind would ever suspect fairy magic at play in any kind of job interview. Summer tried to keep herself calm, holding the handle of her briefcase with both hands down by her belly as she offered a pleasant smile.

“I- um, what do you mean, ma’am?” she asks, hating how shy her tone sounds to her own ears.

“What I mean,” Mrs. Boggury replies, her voice losing a hint of the friendly tune as the legal warrior comes out, “is I expect far better from my legal assistant. You’ll be here no later than half an hour before eight, ready to get right into it. Understood?” Summer was nodding, though she didn’t quite understand what the woman was getting at. “No more of this ‘coming through the door without a moment to spare’ nonsense.”

A nervous hand ascended her torso, clasping around the wide pendant hanging from her neck as her new boss spoke. Summer hadn’t even really noticed the movement of her own hand, but feeling the cool, firm texture of the clock within her palm and fingers, the steady tick-tick-tick tapping lightly against her grasping skin managed to calm her.

“Of course, Mrs. Boggury,” she offered apologetically, nodding her head and bowing slightly. Her cheeks flushed a little at the gesture, wondering if she had pushed it too far. Who bows anymore? “It won’t happen again, I-”

“Good,” Vivian interrupted with her warm, pleasant smile back on her face. “Unpleasantness out of the way, once and for all. Now, follow me?”

With that, she turned and began walking down the hallway. Summer remained where she stood for a beat, but hurriedly followed. They walked at a surprisingly quick pace down a hallway, doors on both sides of the polished, hardwood path. The hall wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to Summer, who had been down it just the day before. She noticed that many of the same doors remained open, along with the one through which she finally spied Mr. Haberly. He waved at her as she rushed to keep up with Mrs. Boggury, but her window of opportunity was barely wide enough to offer a smile before they were out of view. The hallway continued a few more doors, which presumably led to a few more offices before they reached the end.

At the end of the hall was another door, standing open and leading them into an expansive room. Vivian strolled in without even gesturing Summer follow, but the girl knew well enough to continue her pursuit of the tenured woman. The hardwood floor abruptly ended at the doorway, where lush, deep crimson carpeting took over. It was thick and startlingly cushioned under her feet, nearly making Summer lose her footing as she stumbled into the room. Mrs. Boggury didn’t turn around on her way to the executive desk, but Summer could hear the woman chuckle a little.

“Careful on the carpet,” she said as she got to the neatly carved, oak desk. “I should have warned you about the change in floor texture, it tends to throw people off the first time or two.”

Summer waved a hand with a dismissive smile, hoping to do nothing more than forget the near spill. The last thing she wanted now was to trip and fall, make some kind of comic relief scene out of herself where her briefcase flies across the room. She fought the urge to laugh at the image of her nearly empty case popping open as it smacked against a wall, and focused instead on her surroundings.

Beside the colossal desk that obviously belonged to Mrs. Boggury was a smaller, less extravagant one. It looked like an afterthought, with how it was pushed up against the side of the fine wood, the darker, more polished surfaces a stark contrast to the cheaper, sandy facade. The walls framing the door they’d walked through supported framed qualifications, licenses, and accolades, while the other three were lined with windows facing the sunny morning. In the middle of the office was a leather couch, forest green with matching armchairs on either side.

“Take a seat,” Vivian offered as she did the same in the chair behind her own desk. The chair looked to be the same material and color as the couch and armchairs in the middle of the office, and reclined slightly as Vivian sat back against it.

Summer looked at the smaller, less impressive desk beside Mrs. Boggury’s skeptically, wondering when the training and onboarding would start. It was right up against the larger desk, situated to face the more tenured woman. A difficult gulp struggled down her throat as Summer thought this certainly had to be a joke, some elaborate prank? There was no way she’d be working for Vivian Boggury on her first day, right?

“Go on,” Vivian said with a smirk, sitting forward and taking her wireless mouse in one hand. Her attention was on the wide-screen monitor on her desk, but she was addressing Summer as she spoke. “It’s not going to bite, and we’ve got work to do.”

Every nerve was on edge as though she expected the rug, or in this case, dense carpeting, to be yanked out from under her feet at any moment. She practically jumped when the office phones on both desks rang in unison, but managed to maintain just enough composure to not drop - or throw - her briefcase. Summer placed her briefcase on the desk beside… her? keyboard, eying Mrs. Boggury suspiciously as she then took the back of the chair behind… her? desk. The chair was on roller wheels, but the thick carpet made moving it more difficult than it would have been on most other floors. She eventually had it pulled back far enough to take a seat, then hop/rolled herself forward until her legs were neatly tucked under the desk as the phones stopped ringing, a steady red light showing that someone… Phil, had answered it.

“Good.” It was said through another smirk as Mrs. Boggury typed something, her monitor tilted just far enough out of Summer’s view to be nearly impossible to see. “Now, what exactly did Bill say you would be doing here?”

With a nervous laugh that she quickly tried to play off as genuine, Summer replied, “Uhh… nothing, really? He just said to show up at eight.” She realizes that she’s fidgeting with the thin framed monitor, and brings her hands down to the keyboard as though Mrs. Boggury might instruct her to type at any moment. “For… onboarding,” Summer adds, unsure if she should look her new boss in the eyes.

That didn’t seem to be the response she was looking for. Summer jolted upright in her seat, rising quickly from an unintentional slouch as the respectable woman let out a loud laugh. For how sudden and startling it was, the laughter was so genuine that Summer soon found herself resisting the urge to join. She dipped her head to hide the smile, and felt her cheeks burning red as the other woman began to regain control of herself. 

“...sorry, I-” she started, but was promptly cut off.

“No- no, I’m sorry. Bill was going on and on about you all day yesterday.” Mrs. Boggury had retrieved a tissue from her desk at some point, and was using it to dab away the tears in her eyes. “He seems to be your biggest fan. Just… singing your praises so much, I kind of figured you were some… some… accomplished professional!”

Again, the woman tumbled into hysterics, laughing uncontrollably into her tightly clasped tissue. Her face was a concerning shade of red at this point, and Summer was beginning to feel embarrassed - as though this was the prank, and she was the punchline. The laughter diminished with the help of some calming breaths, and Mrs. Boggury was able to finally get herself back to normal once more.

“I apologies, Ms. Tyme,” she offered, clearing her throat with a hand over her chest. “I certainly didn’t mean to lose control like that, but…” there was a pause while the woman was clearly trying to keep from breaking down again. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, “...Mr. Haberly doesn’t often speak highly of our interviewees. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him be so excited about a new hire before.”

“So… should I…” Summer puts a hand on her briefcase, feeling more out of place than ever. She pulls it closer to her, letting a third of it drift over the edge of the desk. “I should go, then?”

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Boggury says with a dismissive wave of her hand. Her hands glide over the keyboard as she continues to work, aggressively typing things just out of Summer’s view. “Aaaaand… done. Ok,” she says, turning to face the younger girl. “Mr. Haberly- Bill, as most of us tend to call him, he may have a knack for sussing out new hires, but I always look into the people he approves. Even the ones he can’t stop talking about. Especially when they’re supposed to be my personal assistant.”

The young woman was at a loss. Her hand slid off of her briefcase, nearly sending it toppling off of the desk - her desk, which she would be occupying every day as long as she proved her worth. Which she very much intended to do, just as soon as she picked her jaw up off of the floor. 

She recovered just in time for the door to open. It sounded much further away than it actually was, and helped shake her from the stupor as a man strode through. He was wearing a pale blue, long sleeve, button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and deep navy slacks. The guy appeared to be in his mid thirties, with thin rimmed glasses and short, curly hair atop his head. A green folder gleamed in his hand as it caught the sun from one window, and Summer could see several papers contained within.

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Mrs. Boggury said, commenting on her employee’s reaction. “Thousands of miles from home, fresh out of college, and now you’re working in a field actually related to your degree!”

A nervous smile formed on Summer’s face as her heart raced. There were few times in her life she’d ever been so excited, but none of them compared. Maybe the one when she found out she had officially passed the Bar, qualifying her to practice law, but even that was iffy. 

“No, it’s just…” she started, trying to carefully find the words. Her coworker placed the folder onto Mrs. Boggury’s desk, was thanked, and turned to leave. “...you’ve been a kind of hero of mine for years. Role model might be a better term, but I really aspired to be like you. Working for you would have been a dream come true, but… with you? Directly?? I might cry…”

“Well, don’t do that on these files,” Mrs. Boggury cautioned with a smile. “They’re your employment contracts and other legal documents.”

Summer wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but had very real tears in her eyes. Her hands had an annoying tremble, and she doubted if her signature would look quite right. A few steadying breaths shook in, then rolled back out as Mrs. Boggury walked her through each form, talking as though she had been through all of them a hundred times. In all likelihood, she was probably the one who drafted them in the first place.

After the necessary signatures and approvals, Summer was shown how to navigate their computer programs. They had custom software for note taking, calendars, clients, bills, court filings, research, and everything else they’ve found useful over the almost thirty years of service. There was so much, it was absolutely mind-boggling that anyone could keep it all straight. Summer had a little headache coming on while clicking through one and seeing how it interacted with two, three, four others. 

“You can sync the computer with your cell phone easily enough,” she explained. “Either sign in with your network account on both devices, or you can scan the QR code on the screen.”

Mrs. Boggury looked at Summer expectantly, as if waiting for her to do one or the other straight away. Panic roared to life in the young woman's heart, and chaos sprinted through her mind. She had no phone to take out, of course, but what was she to do? There was no way she could tell her new employer what happened to her phone, she'd sound like some kind of lunatic! She could say it was stolen, but… would Mrs. Boggury want to help? Launching an investigation would lead to more problems, for sure. Saying she lost her phone would just tell her boss that she was a poor, irresponsible choice for an assistant, and likely see to her contract termination before the day's end. 

With a calculated swipe of her hand, tucking some auburn curls behind her ear and adjusting her glasses to disguise the nervous tremble in her hand, Summer offered a soft chuckle. It came out far more forced than intended, but she assumed it may potentially help the lie she was about to tell. 

“The-um… My phone,” she started nervously, glancing into the woman's piercing eyes before sending her gaze away. “I… It's kinda embarrassing…” Summer looked down to her lap. “I dropped it into the toilet this morning.” She could feel her cheeks burning scarlet, the crystal clear tell that always ratted out her every deception. With any luck, it would actually assist it this time. “I was going to try to fix it tonight after work, but there are cracks all over the screen. It doesn't look good…”

“Well,” the seasoned lie detector replied, “you'll just have to get yourself a new one, then. I can't have my assistant going around with a cracked, potty phone, can I?” 

Summer giggled down to her lap, but kept the smile as she dared to look up. Whether Mrs. Boggury had fallen for it or not, she decided it didn't matter. Lying wasn't something Summer enjoyed, and she internally vowed to never do it again to her employer. She felt dirty for misleading her this time, even though the truth would have been far less believable. Frankly, a more likely scenario would be my dog ate it, a classic tall tale that made Summer laugh again while trying to remember her network credentials.

“If you need some help to get a new phone, we can set you up with an advance,” Mrs. Boggury said nonchalantly.

She was typing on her keyboard again, her eyes focused on her monitor. Summer looked at her, unsure if she heard the woman correctly.

“Sorry, what did you…?” she wasn't sure how to ask, scared to question the offer further but certain there had to be a catch.

“Getting a new phone.” Mrs. Boggury said, her tone level as she looked over to Summer. “They aren't necessarily cheap, especially if you still have to pay off your old one. I know not everyone can just… go out and upgrade on a whim, especially someone fresh out of college.”

The young woman was stunned. She'd heard horror stories of unpaid internships, underpaid positions, and devalued positions. People being taken advantage of across the board in all walks of life. But… here, this place… She fought the tears threatening to form in her eyes as she learned how right she was to idolize this woman. 

“I should be ok,” she assured her employer. “I still have enough in savings to get through what I thought would be a lengthy job hunt.”

“Great,” Mrs. Boggury said with a smile, “you can leave early today. That way you’ll have all the time you need to get a replacement phone.”

With a nod, Summer turned back to her monitor. She looked at the calendar that very much reflected Vivian’s. They had an extremely full schedule. Between scheduled hour-long meetings with clients, conference calls, and court filings, there was undoubtedly plenty of unscheduled research time. Add to that any other unexpected interruptions, and she was certain that this first workday would surely go well beyond five this evening. 

“Should I take off after lunch, or…?”

Mrs. Boggury sent another email on its way to a client at blinding speed through the internet. “I think today has been a pretty good start,” she said, turning to look at Summer to offer a smile. “Don’t want to overwhelm you so soon now, do we?”

While Summer was more than a little grateful for the early dismissal, she didn’t want to appear too eager. She took a moment to scroll through her own email, wondering if she looked silly considering there wasn’t much more than a few setup prompts in her inbox. ‘Before much longer, perhaps she would be the one typing rapidly to keep up with the high demand,’ Summer thought, trying to imagine the kinds of inquiries and requests she may receive. In any case, she did want to take care of her phone issue, and have enough time to brush up and study more on California Law. She longed to prove her worth sooner rather than later, and closed out of her email app before shutting down her computer. Plus, there was that… other thing nagging at her.

“I’ll take you up on that,” she replied to her boss, returning her warm smile.

After securing her copy of the contract she signed within her briefcase, the paralegal stood from her seat and turned to leave. The phone rang again, for the hundredth or so time, and Summer made a mental note to try and keep count of how many phone calls come in tomorrow. She walks through the office, thinking of coming back bright and early to the place she works, for someone she genuinely admires.

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 6

The Lords: Since Lady Luck’s disappearance, the faerealm has been split into several different kingdoms to better keep the peace. A group of powerful fairies banded together, an alliance that has been referred to as The Lords. While their influence only covers roughly a third of the inhabitants of the faerealm, their unification provides more than enough power to remain undisturbed.  The…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 5

Lady Luck: Another of the fae who draw their power from renown more than items or deals. This fairy gained notoriety during early human civilization, often posing as a god while interacting with the human realm. People would offer sacrifices in exchange for her blessing, a typical fairy ritual. As word of her power spread, along with the offerings of more and more people, Lady Luck was able to…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 2

Leprechauns: These mythical creatures from Irish folklore are generally described as small, green-clad beings. They’re considered mischievous, and are often associated with shoemaking and wishes. While they’re rumored to hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows, this is nothing more than a common misconception. As we now know, rainbows have no end for gold to be hidden. Rather, they store their vast wealth within a pocket dimension, which they generally keep in their coats. 

On occasion, a leprechaun may be caught or tripped. This is the only way to separate them from their gold, which they’ll do anything to get back. Some may resort to granting wishes in exchange for their lost gold, while others are open to bartering. Others still may resort to less kind methods, often resulting in terrible misfortune for the mortal foolish enough to cross them.

A leprechaun's  source power is among the most specific of all fae, coming only from their private horde of gold. The more gold they have, the more potent their magic. As a fae, they are dictated by fairy law, meaning they are unable to steal or take without asking. This limits them to the gold they're able to add to their collection, as they are not even allowed to mine it should they happen to stumble upon a vast wealth of it in the ground. Due to this, the majority of their gold is quite recognizable, coming in the form of coins, ingots, or jewelry. 

If a leprechaun loses all of their gold, they will slowly deteriorate as the lure of magic becomes unbearable. Many of these 'broke' leprechauns will often succumb to the temptation to steal, which fuels them with tainted magic. Hideous disfigurement scars them, marking them as untrustworthy as they stumble deeper and deeper into unlawful practices. They will lie, cheat, and steal whenever and wherever they can, and any wish they chose to grant will surely have sour, often disastrous outcomes.

Time wore on for young Summer. As with any little girl, she grew into a young woman and forgot the ways of magic. Most people outgrow their beliefs in fairies, Santa, and other mythical creatures, no matter how reinforced they may be, and Summer was no exception.

The young lady found her calling early, dedicating her time and talents to a career in law. Debate and forensics were her usual after school activities through high school, and the accolades earned saw her way into an ivy league school. A harsh turn in fortunes stole her chance at Harvard and Yale without a full ride, however, but the scholarships she did earn afforded her the opportunity to attend Stanford. 

Over a thousand miles away from home, having just graduated in the top percent of her class, and too broke to even get chicken broth for her next meal without tapping into much needed savings, Summer now questions her very future. Unpaid internships don't exactly help with the bills, and her roommates have all moved to more… acceptable accommodations. 

Her eyes scan the screen of her smartphone, desperate to find a way to pay the bills that doesn't involve selling lewd pictures. The interview for what she hopes will be her beginning with a prestigious law firm is the next morning, hours away according to the clock in the upper corner of her device. It would be perfect to land feet-first with the firm headed by the woman who has been so inspiring during her long academic career, but she knows the likelihood of getting her first choice is pretty slim.

The help wanted website has countless offers in the area, but nothing with a right fit. Everything either pays too little, requires too much time, or isn't remote. A shudder jolts down her spine at the thought of multiple commutes per day. City buses aren't the best mobile offices, but what else is she to do? With a defeated sigh, she calls a halt to the search and checks yet again to make sure her alarms are set for the morning. 

5:00 AM

5:05 AM

5:10 AM

5:15 AM

5:20 AM

Every five minutes for a solid hour, starting six hours from now. She scolds herself for staying up so late hunting for additional employment, and tucks her phone under her pillow. Another sigh rushes from her lungs, and she longs for an answer. Some effective solution, the perfect job for her. Something with the law firm that satisfies her course requirements, and pays a lot. 

Her closed eyes finally relax as sleep takes hold. A peaceful dream dances through her mind, coaxing her deeper into the unconscious fantasy. Trevon, her high school boyfriend, looking dashing in his black and gold tuxedo. His hand is held out for hers, and a ring glints in the light as she eagerly takes it. He guides her from the limousine with their friends smiling broadly, and he pulls her up against his chest. The smell of cherry-blended bourbon is heavy on his breath as his lips sweep down to hers.

It's their senior prom, everything so right and wrong all at once. Her dress is gold, but… wasn't it blue? And… Trevon's tux… the trim was silver, but now it’s gold? As doubts of the memory crept in, he pulled her up into a kiss to push them away.

Acalicia and their other friends were all dressed in extravagant colors, far more vibrant than they actually would have been on the night. As the night wore on with strange, distorted music guiding them along, Summer found herself questioning more and more of the prom. She tried to focus on her friends, looking at their faces and attire. Their eyes were just a little too big, their noses too small. Every time she felt as though she was about to make a breakthrough, Trevon was there to take her by the hand and lead her away. The warmth of his lips settled against hers, and she melted into him on the dancefloor when it clicked.

The butterfly wing patterns all around her vanished as her eyes opened to the harsh sunlight pouring in. Summer sat up on her bed with a start, gasping for her first conscious breath of the day. She brought a pair of fingers to her lips, surprised to still feel Trevon’s kiss lingering as her heart continued to race. Her first love still had that effect on her, and she almost wanted to text him, but…

Wait- what time was it? The sun was streaming in, and her alarms hadn’t gone off yet? Or, did she sleep through? She sent her hand under the pillow in search of her phone, only to find the cool sheet. Confusion grew in her mind as the dream was mostly forgotten, and she turned onto her hip on the bed. Summer pulled the pillow away, lifting it with one hand to fully examine where her phone should be.

She spent far longer than necessary searching all around her bed for the missing device. It was nowhere to be found, having mysteriously vanished at some point in the night. Panic now replaced the confusion as the young woman hurriedly got ready for the day. She had no idea what time it was, but knew she was late for her interview. Her shower was rushed, breakfast skipped, and wardrobe thrown together. Hardly the first impression she’d intended to make.

Add to that, tardy.

“Miss Tyme, appropriate,” her interviewer said sarcastically. 

The big man leaned back in his chair on the other side of his oversized, oak desk. A groan echoed from the chair under him, and he gave a rather obnoxious smile as he placed his hands behind his head. His elbows extended from either side of his head, giving him the appearance of a cobra baring its fangs. 

“Mr. Haberly, if you can just-” she tries, hoping to get the opportunity to make her case. But, what case is there to make? Her phone magically vanished in the night?

“I’m sure you have some clever excuse,” he interrupts dismissively. With a sigh, he leans forward and brings his hands from behind his head. They clasp together on his desk, and he levels his eyes on her. “Here at Boggury and Associates Legal we don’t just… give jobs to people who show up whenever they please, you know.”

“I realize that, Mr. Haberly, I really do,” Summer continues, not willing to lose her chance. “If you could-”

Another wave of his hand cuts her off. “I've heard quite enough miss-” he starts, but something strange happens. He coughs as a bit of shimmering dust bursts between his eyes, but the interviewer seems to take no notice of the sparkling mess falling from his face. A hand wipes across his head, his fingers focusing on his eyes as he stammers for a moment. The frustration from earlier seems to melt, and his posture eases in his large leather chair.

“Mr… Mr. Haberly?” she asks cautiously. Summer leans closer, placing a tentative hand on his desk. 

The interviewer looks at her, his expression shifting from one of relaxation to a confused attempt at recognition. Summer could tell he was trying to recover the situation, watching as he tried to remember who she was, but it just didn't seem to be clicking for him. Mr. Haberly cleared his throat, smiling awkwardly as he swiped a paper across his desk. He looked at the paper, which happened to be her resumé's cover letter, when he finally began to catch up.

“Ms. Tyme, yes. A little late to the interview, but… that does happen, doesn't it?”

His tone was completely different. So much so, that it was startling. Summer stared at him, trying not to gawk as he looked up with a kind smile. One hand peels the cover letter open, pulling it aside as he proceeds with the interview. 

“You had stellar marks in college, came highly recommended by your professors, and…” he retrieved a paper from the small pile, “...have a letter of recommendation from the Dean of Stanford Law? Impressive, to say the least.”

“The- the dean?” Summer questions. She hadn't really ever met the dean while at Stanford, though she had made the dean's list every year. And… wasn't a letter of recommendation something that needed to be requested?

“Indeed. Needless to say, you'll be a great addition to our team. When can you start?” Mr. Haberly settles the stack of papers together on his desk again, looking at her expectantly.

“Oh, I-” The young woman has to fight her inner surprise in order to understand what is happening. The job is hers? Just like that? It went from being read to filth for showing up late, to being given the position because of… She blinked before any other weird thing could happen to shift her luck. “I can start today, sir!”

“That's the spirit!” he said with a bright smile and genuine laugh. His hand slaps the desk as he leans back in his seat, and he swivels to the side behind his desk. “Just the ethic we're looking for around here.”

Mr. Haberly stands behind his side of the desk, a commanding presence with a mere five foot build. What he lacked in height, the man made up for in obvious character. The interviewer beamed a broad smile at her, reaching across the wide desk with one of his meaty hands. Summer reached back, still partially stunned with the turn of events. His hand encased hers, and she fought to keep her face from showing signs of distress as he gave her a firm squeeze.

“Welcome aboard, Ms. Tyme,” he said with a smirk. “We'll see you in here tomorrow at eight for onboarding. Business casual will be expected, something like what you've got is fine.”

After a vigorous handshake and another moment of disbelief, Summer nodded. She swept fingers through her hair, not surprised to feel a tremor in her hand as it hesitated over her scalp. A laugh escaped with a sigh, and she sent her hand from her head with an apologetic wave.

“Sorry,” she started, ending the wave with her hand over her lips. “Just so unexpected. I really… it's a dream come true to get this job, sir.”

“The dream starts tomorrow, miss,” he said, not understanding the situation. 

How could he? Summer didn't even understand. She had seen the dash of glitter strike his head, knew of the wish in her heart when she went to sleep the night before, and hadn't been able to find her phone this morning. Even with all those pieces, she couldn't put the puzzle together. The magical, illogical puzzle she'd been conditioned not to believe for most of her life.

As she made the commute home; walking from the large office building to the bus stop, riding the bus to the stop closest to her apartment complex, walking from there to her tall building and then climbing up flight after flight of stairs - her mind wandered through the possibilities. Possibilities, these impossible thoughts swirling her mind, refusing to connect the dots that should be obvious. It was right in front of her face, if she could just-

Her door stood before her. #734 looked back at her, and she looked down the hall. Summer glanced back at her door, absent-mindedly fishing the keys from her purse while thankful she'd had the presence of mind to not forget her purse along the way. Had she really wandered the whole way home without noticing? She unlocks the door and pushes it open while still thinking about much too many things, then steps inside with a sigh. 

“I tested…” she says to herself, setting her purse on a small table beside the door. 

Memories of the test run through her mind. That day she'd had doubts about the tooth fairy when she was… what? Seven? Eight? She kept knowledge of her lost tooth from her parents, as far as she knew, and wished for something greater. Instead, she got another cutesy little note and silver dollar. The same stuff she continued to get until her last one came out at 10. 

Summer stumbles into her small bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. The rushed shower this morning and the commutes left her feeling more than a little grungy, so another was in order. Plus, after getting the job, she more than deserved a nice, long, hot shower. She turned the dial to the right temperature, dodging the cold stream as it flowed by her head. Steam gradually filled the room as her clothes went into the hamper, joining the overflowing wardrobe already spilling out. Soothingly hot water greeted her in the shower when she stepped in, and she let her thoughts run through her mind once more while her body relaxed under the wide nozzle.

Sure, there was that time she thought the tooth fairy was real. When she wished for a little brother or sister, and got both hardly nine months to the day of the tooth going under the pillow. Of course, her parents had something to do with that, too, so… Last night there wasn't a tooth under her pillow. What - did someone break into her apartment and steal her phone? And… nothing else? 

That certainly didn’t seem likely. It wasn’t like she had much else to steal, but… The idea of what else could have happened sent a chill down her spine despite the hot water cascading down her skin. She tapped her toes in the steamy stream working its way to the drain before reaching for the body wash and loofah, breathing the fruity scent in deep as the soap shifted from a gel to sudsy goodness.

She washed herself slowly, thinking about her apartment. It had always seemed safe, and her neighbors were so friendly and helpful. While she was in a hurry this morning, she really didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. And… if someone had broken in, then more would have happened. The television, or her laptop, anything else would have been taken with her phone. In all likelihood, the phone had fallen somewhere she couldn’t reach or see, and she’d just been too frantic and rushed to find it. 

The water turned off over her head with the final drips falling down onto her, and she stood tall again with a sigh. She nodded to herself, feeling much better about her situation. Logically, the phone was still in her apartment. A reassuring laugh tumbled from her lips, though she didn’t feel it any deeper. It was little more than a sound, only meant to convince her of some truth she still doubted.

With slight hesitation she pulled the shower curtain back, relieved to see no one in the bathroom with a knife. The young woman released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and laughed at herself. This laugh was a little more genuine, continuing as she stepped out of the shower and onto the mat. She grabbed a towel and dried off quickly before wrapping it around herself, and gave her hair the same treatment. Now more convinced that a murderer wasn’t lurking around every corner for her, she walked out into her living room, then decided to go to her bedroom for some clothes so the real hunt for her phone could begin.

After a thorough search of her room, looking high and low in the kitchen, and effectively pulling the living room apart, she returned to the bathroom. There were only so many places for the stubborn device to be hiding, and this was the last one. She pulled out every drawer, looked under the sink, behind the toilet, and even in the tank - just for good measure, but found nothing out of place. No sign of her phone anywhere. She retreated back to the living room, sitting onto the couch with a confused exhale.

Her laptop still sat on the kitchen table in plain sight. If nothing else, she could always set an alarm on it to wake her up in the morning for her new job. As for telling time… She looks at the digital clock on her stove, mocking her as an incorrect time flashed from the kitchen. The microwave wasn’t set either, displaying “0:00” while waiting for other commands. Summer shook her head, cursing herself for her procrastination.

“So, the laptop is my only source of communication, and time,” she muttered to herself. Of course, there’s the television with its streaming services. She could always turn that on, and-

Summer leaps to her feet with a sudden realization. She dashes into her room and drops to her knees beside her bed to retrieve the box that she largely ignored in her earlier search. “Keepsakes” comes into view atop the box as it slides out from under her bed, and she unlatches her ornate box while sitting on her heels. A sentimental smile curls the corners of her lips as she looks inside, seeing so many artifacts of her past. 

An aging cardinal feather rested atop her collection inside the box. She picked up the feather by the stem, twirling it in her fingers and watching the crimson spin. The bristles had begun to separate, and the red wasn't as vibrant as she remembered, but it still seemed to captivate her. Setting the feather aside, Summer carefully sorted through the other items. A couple marbles, some coins, several small notes written by her parents and coated in glitter, as well as the neatly folded acceptance letter from Stanford. Under the letter was what she sought, with memories bursting in her mind as it gleamed up at her.

The item she needed for the time being was her grandfather’s pocket watch. She smiled at the memory of him, feeling happy to have such a relic and so many fond moments to look back on. Sadness rushed in next, knowing there wouldn't be any more memories added, and she wished she could just call him again. 

Pulling it from the box, she felt the watch ticking in her fingertips. The intricate, silver shell caught the light, reflecting beautifully as she turned the palm-sized device in her hand. There was a golden ring around a bluestone in the center of the ornate shell. He had said that it was the same kind of rock in Stonehenge, though she didn't really believe all of his stories. Around the golden ring were the roman numerals as they would appear on a clock. These were carved into the silver, with other pieces of bluestone embedded within the gaps. 

Inside the watch was a polished bluestone face set behind a crystal lens. Golden roman numerals lined the rim, with a golden hour hand pointing to the VIII. A silver minute hand stretched over the II, suggesting it was just around 8:10, but… was that during daylight savings? She rolled her eyes at the outdated practice, but headed to the kitchen to double check the time. 

Her laptop did confirm the time, and she smiled at how reliable the thing was. With the watch ticking away, sure to keep her on time for all appointments. Until she managed to get a new phone, at least. The watch didn't have an alarm built in, but her laptop would have that covered for now. She pressed the silver button at the top of the timepiece, letting the ornate door swing open, and felt strangely content to watch the second hand tick its way around the circuit.

The lost phone still nagged at her, however. Summer closed the watch with a metallic click, and held it in her hands as they settled in her lap. She looked at the television screen, her own reflection on the couch staring back at her on the dark surface, and wondered if such a thing was even possible. Magic, fairies, some mystical creature visiting in the middle of the night to take her phone in exchange for… a job? The young woman needed answers, and, finding that to be the desire of her heart, came up with a plan. 

Simple enough, she mused to herself. Just find something she could do without, put it under her pillow, and see what happens. A written proclamation, contract, or some acknowledgement, that was all she needed. Something to let her know she wasn't completely losing it, any indication that what she dared not expect was… actually happening?

It was ridiculous. She felt legitimately crazy while looking through her kitchen drawers for a utensil she wouldn't miss, should it actually be taken by the tooth fairy. Spoons, forks, and other cutlery shimmered idly as she hesitated, knowing how stupid it was. If this really was the work of the tooth fairy, why did she… he? Why did they take her phone? 

The spoon she intended to offer shined well enough as she inspected it, mulling the possibilities. She held the handle between her thumb and index finger on one hand, and slapped the convex side against her opposite palm. The pocket watch ticked audibly on the counter between the smacking of stainless steel against flesh, when something clicked in her mind. She tossed the spoon back into the drawer and slammed it shut, then snatched up the watch.

Summer had a hunch. From baby teeth to her cell phone, the items taken so far had all had some level of importance to her. Offering a simple spoon might be a slap to the face to any fairy that may come to make an exchange, and she didn't fancy taking chances. Sure, it was more likely that nothing would happen and she'd find her phone randomly placed in the freezer or something, but… if there was a fairy, if this was all some magical force, the last thing she should be doing was insulting it.

Instead of the spoon, Summer went back to her still open Keepsakes Box. She took the feather off the top of her other items, and actually felt apprehensive as she closed the box back up. It was just a feather, but it was also the first thing she'd put into the box. There was something special about it, which made it all the harder to part with. Which also happened to make it the perfect offering. She took a breath as she spun the feather in her fingers, and made the wish.

“I need to know,” she said aloud, willing herself to feel it in her heart. Summer placed the feather under her pillow, thinking of all the ways she wanted the fairy to make itself known. She couldn't keep images of a well worded contract out of her mind, like the terms and conditions everyone always ignores before clicking Agree and Continue. This one, she knew, would need to be read word for word, assuming she wasn't going completely mad.

Despite it being early, Summer decided to turn in for the night. The laptop had several alarms set, the watch was placed on her nightstand, and she found herself slipping into sleep to the tick-tick-tick tune of her grandfather’s watch. Before long, anxious anticipation melted into dreams, and she would finally have an answer that had been delayed for so long.

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 4

Seeing Stones: There are many tools and enchantments one can use to detect or see fairies and their influence in the human realm. Many fairies try to avoid attention, oftentimes shrouding themselves in one way or another, and portals into and out of their world are very rarely able to simply ‘be seen.’ Some devices even allow the user to see who is fae-touched, or under the influence of a…

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 1

Father Christmas: Like most fairies, Father Christmas' origins are shrouded in mystery, and therefore confused in various versions of folk lore. Also referred to as Saint Nick/Nicholas, Santa Claus, Big Red, and Kris Kringle, it's easy to see how this legend gets obscured.

Common truths and understandings of Father Christmas paint him in a positive light. He calls the northernmost point of the human realm home, spreads joy and wonder among their children, and is often pictured as being a happy, jolly fellow in mostly red attire. This image was popularized by the Coca Cola Company, who featured him in advertisements for their flagship beverage in the 1930s. It's unclear whether Father Christmas himself is a frequent enjoyer of ice cold Coke, but it is not uncommon to see images depicting him with a bottle of just that in his mittened hand.

It is known that he has an army of elves at the ready. These refugees of the fae realm are understood to tirelessly work on toys and other delights, which Father Christmas delivers to the children of the world once every year. Attempts have been made to inspect the workshops, but none who have gone have ever managed to return. Foreboding, admittedly, but there's little reason to suspect wrong-doing.

When Summer was little, a decade and change before a fateful day in a distant jungle, she had a different kind of fateful day. Her first lost baby tooth lay in the palm of her hand, a tissue in the other to stop the slowing trickle of blood. Proud parents beamed at each other, turning their attention to their daughter as they warmly congratulated her on the milestone.

“Look at that!” her mother said with shivering glee. 

A tight hug followed, along with a kiss to her cheek even as the mildly frightened girl fought to contain the bleeding gap between her remaining teeth. She looked to her father, also kneeling down to her level, and the joy in his bearded face helped provide a sense of calm. The big man was always a good source for composure, and now was no exception. Despite the taste of her own blood, a giddy giggle shook from around the tissue.

“We'll need to put that under your pillow tonight!” he said with his deep voice, an excited tone making it a bit louder than normal. “Gonna have a visit from the Tooth Fairy!”

They'd been talking about the tooth fairy for days, weeks even. As soon as she told them of her loose tooth, it was tooth fairy this and tooth fairy that. Now, it was finally time! Night couldn't come soon enough, she'd finally have her own visit! Her own bit of magic, that she wouldn't have to share like when Santa or the Easter Bunny came. It was like her own holiday, a fairy coming to visit her!

She insisted on wearing her nicest dress for the occasion. It was meant for Halloween, but one night before the big day wouldn't hurt. Mom could clean it, anyway. The sequins and sewn in jewels sparkled as she climbed into bed, her honey-yellow skirt bunching up around her legs when she laid down. Emerald lace tickled the side of her face, but she would look the part of someone welcoming a fairy, no matter how uncomfortable sleeping in a princess dress might be! Her parents smiled as they tucked her in, sliding the tooth under her pillow before her mother began a bedtime story.

It was one of her favorites, but she couldn't even try to listen as her mother went through the tale. Every changing voice she did so well, and the loving hands gingerly tickling her through the blanket did little to distract her from what lay beneath her head. She made it all the way to the end, hearing her mom finish the story with “happily ever after,” and was only a little bit sleepy. The fingers she had in her mouth, the same two she always sucked when sleep was so annoyingly close, felt the awkward absence of her tooth, and she wondered if it still rested under her pillow. 

The light clicked off, leaving her in the dark. Only a brave puppy night light warded away the inky black of night, and she hardly noticed as the illuminated puppy led her into sleep. Random dreams plagued her as she fought to keep the rest of her teeth from falling out. She hadn't checked if her lost tooth was still under her pillow, but now her pillow and bed were nowhere to be found. The ocean crashed and rocked all around her ship, not unlike the one she was made to tour when her family went on that cruise. Every wave sent another tooth from her mouth, and she chased after them down narrow halls and into her classroom.

No one had teeth in the classroom, except for their teacher. Mr. Vanderbilt was being swarmed by flying teeth, swatting at them and crying for Summer to help. All of her classmates turned to look at her as she stepped forward to help, unsure of what she could really even do, and the weird dream turned nightmare. Toothless grins grew wide all around her, and her friends slowly stood up from their seats. Their faces were wrong, featureless as they kept rising, growing taller and more foreboding. She stepped back, shrinking away from the monsters surrounding her until they reached in and took her by the arms.

“Summer? Summer?” her father asked with growing concern.

She woke back in her room, her heart racing and eyes going wide as soon as they opened. Her throat hurt as though she'd been screaming, and based on the expressions her parents wore, that might not have been far from the truth. Dad's hands were on her arms, and she was sitting up with him standing beside her bed. He held her firm, but his strong grasp was gentle as he coaxed her from the nightmare. 

“Scary,” she huffed, drawing in another breath and letting her father provide comfort. “That was so- so scary.”

“It was just a dream, sweetie?” mom supplied, though it sounded like a question. She sat on the bed beside her, an understanding hand sweeping up her blanket-coated leg.

Summer nodded, rubbing her head as her father sat beside her mother. She fought the urge to cry, not wanting to let the bad dream sour her appearance for her special guest. A gasp shot into her lungs as she sat up straighter, and she looked expectantly at her parents. Concern was washed away from their faces with a greater enthusiasm, and she kicked her foot away when she felt her father pinch one of her toes.

“Did she- did I miss it?” Summer asked excitedly. She turned and picked up her pillow, delighted and disappointed all at once. 

There, where her tooth had been, sat a single, shining silver dollar. She picked it up with a wide smile, catching her reflection in the coin as she held it before her face. Under the coin was a little note, and a small scattering of glitter.

“What does the note say?” dad asked, bringing her attention to the note before she really noticed it.

Lifting the pillow a little further, Summer could see there was a tiny piece of paper. It glinted in the light as it fluttered from the pillow’s movement, and she slapped her hand down in pursuit of the small paper. Glitter spread from her striking hand, and she giggled as the shimmering dust settled on her skin and the sheet below. She fetched the note and held it up, turning the paper over in order to find where the fancy writing seemed to start.

“I can’t read it,” she said with some frustration. “It’s in weird scribbles…”

Seeing his daughter’s cute face so focused on the small note, no bigger than the coin in her other hand, Mr. Tyme gently reached for her arm. His hand held her forearm, relaxing her features as she looked up at him. From behind her father, Mrs. Tyme fell in love with her husband all over again, cherishing the bond that was so clear between father and daughter. She smiled while sliding an arm over his shoulder, and their daughter sighed as she watched her mother’s face settle beside her father’s. 

“Ohhh,” her father said, nodding his understanding. He’d written the note in cursive, momentarily forgetting that his daughter hadn’t yet learned to read or write in that style. Before his mind could get lost in a tangent of whether or not the schools would even bother teaching the dying skill, he shook his head and chuckled. “Must be Tooth Fairy-ese.”

A snort burst from beside his face as her mother suddenly pulled back, trying to refrain from laughing too much. “Tooth Fairy-ese?” she whispered behind him with a playful poke to his ribs. 

After flinching from the jab with a smirk, he made a show of “translating” for their daughter. “Dearest Summer,” he read, squinting and turning the letter as though struggling to make sense of the inscription. “Congratulations on losing your first tooth! Here is one dollar, just as shining as the ivory gift you’ve given. More will surely come as you get older, and more offerings are presented. Be good, and listen to your parents. Especially your father, because he is so charming and good looking. Yours, the Tooth Fairy” He turned to smirk at his wife, who delivered another knuckle-jab to his ribs.

Summer rolled her eyes as her parents got lovey, kissing on her bed, and made her feigned disdain known with an audible, “Eeewww!”

“See?” her father said with a grin, holding out the sparkling note for her to inspect. “Says it right there in Tooth Fairy-ese, plain as day! The Tooth Fairy thinks I’m cute!”

Glitter clung to her fingertips as she took the letter from her father. Her parents bickered playfully before kissing again, but her attention was focused solely on the glinting sheet in one hand, and the shining coin in the other. There didn’t appear to be enough written on the note to say all her father had read, but she couldn’t make sense of the strange markings. She would just have to take him at his word, for now. Perhaps, in time, she would be able to find someone else who could help her read what it said?

She stashed the note in her keepsakes box - an ornate box handed down to her by her grandmother. It was slightly larger than one of the boxes her shoes come in, and made of wood. Intricate designs were carved into the wood; flowers, clovers, rainbows, horseshoes, even a unicorn on one side. On the top was the word “Keepsakes,” and the front had a metal clasp firmly secured that she could easily use to lock and unlock the box. She unclasped her box and set the dollar onto a cardinal feather she’d found earlier in the year. On top of that went the note, and she gave her lucky marble a quick rub before placing it back into the box and locking it up again.

Within another few months, Summer was in a similar situation. Another baby tooth had emerged from her mouth, making way for an adult version. She held it up proudly for her parents to see, and they prepared their daughter for another visit from the Tooth Fairy. The dress was already nearly too small, but she still managed to fit into it for a night with the tooth under her pillow.

Mrs. Tyme regaled her with a tale of a little girl who lost a tooth, much like herself. She listened intently, completely absorbed in the story as the little girl begged the Tooth Fairy for a puppy, or a kitty, rather than the quarter the fairy had intended to leave. Many times, Summer had to keep herself from interrupting, fearful that correcting the story would result in her own reward being lowered from a dollar. If the girl in the story only got a quarter, then what’s keeping the Tooth Fairy from ripping her off just as bad? After finishing up the story, with the girl having learned a lesson in being thankful for what you’re given rather than pleading for more, her mother tucked her in with a kiss to the forehead. 

“Good night, sweetheart,” she said with that special glint in her eyes. 

Summer smiled back and rolled onto her side, the pair of fingers in her mouth making it difficult to get her own “good night” out. Her mouth felt odd again with another tooth missing, but she was excited at another chance to see the Tooth Fairy. Heavy eyes drifted shut, leading her into sleep with the brave puppy shining bright in her darkened room.

Another frightening dream plagued her through the night. Shining coins, large enough to crush her, rolled after the small girl as she ran screaming down her street. Every scream sent another tooth from her mouth, and each tooth twisted itself into a coin, the sinister face mocking her as they all chased her down the road. Eventually the coins caught up, and she felt the ground rumbling beneath her feet as they rolled circles around her. Rough vibrations shook up into her knees as the surrounding coins crept closer and closer, their menacing presence making her crouch low and pray that they just leave her alone.

“Summer!” 

She wakes with a scream, shaking her leg from her mother’s hand. Her mother had been holding her knees so tight through her blanket and dress, that she still felt her fingers on her legs even as her hands now reached for her face. Mr. Tyme rushes in a moment later and drops to his knees beside the bed with his wife. The look of concern on his face did little to comfort their daughter, but his warm hug brought a stillness no words ever could.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, more to his wife than his daughter. 

Mrs. Tyme began to answer, but was cut off when Summer provided a response. She wiped a tear away and fought through a sniffle, needing to be strong for her father.

“Just a bad dream, daddy,” she said, wincing as another sob trembled from her chest. 

Her father hugged her again, and she felt her mother’s fingers scratching down her back. Despite the situation, she liked the reminder of how much her family loved her. She held them tightly, letting their warmth push the lingering memory of her nightmare away, not even remembering the previous bad dream. 

“Did the Tooth Fairy come, at least?” her dad asked, his tone shifting from concern to something more jovial. 

“It’s hardly midnight,” her mother chimed in, “I doubt she’s had a chance to visit…”

But Summer was already checking under her pillow. Her parents’ hands remained on her back, their comforting presence encouraging her, and she gasped when she saw the much less frightening, motionless coin sitting atop another note. A short streak of glitter extended from the pair, giving them the appearance of a comet on her pink bed sheets. 

“She came! She came!” the delighted girl exclaimed, holding both the silver dollar and note in one hand. Summer held the tiny note in front of her as she let the coin fall to her blanketed lap, wondering if the Tooth Fairy liked, or even noticed her fine attire. There wasn’t any mention of it last time, and this time it felt like a much greater sacrifice. Again, the note was written in that same, strange writing. She’d forgotten to try to find someone else to read it, and was forced to let her dad translate once more.

“Dearest Summer,” he started, adjusting his voice to a higher pitch in an effort to sound like the Tooth Fairy. ‘As if he knows what she sounds like,’ she thought with an eye-roll. “I was so pleased to find another tooth under your pillow! They’re simply the best teeth, and I cannot wait to collect more. Don’t forget to be good to your parents! Especially that hottie dad of yours, he’s a wonderful guy!”

“It doesn’t say that!” she retorts, taking the note from him when he holds the glittering paper back out.

Her father giggles as he receives another poke to the back of the ribs from her mother, but the girl still can’t read the cursive inscription. It’s too small, and the curling, sweeping letters are as good as foreign to her. Even so, she’s another dollar richer, and has another piece of Tooth Fairy memorabilia for her Keepsakes box. The note and dollar join the first pair, adding to her growing collection. She gets tucked back in and quickly falls back to sleep, her dreams much more peaceful for the rest of the night.

With another blink, Summer is closing in on seven years old. In her hand is her third escapee. She now has a steady allowance of two whole dollars a week for helping clean up around the house, so getting another dollar, no matter how shiny, isn’t quite as appealing. So many of her friends at school have siblings, and often talk about the fun things they get into together over the weekend. So, rather than money, when she places her tooth under the pillow, what she really wants - more than anything else in the whole world - is a little brother. Or sister, really. She won’t be picky.

Her eyes get heavy as her mother tells her a sweeping bedtime story. The tale continues as she sinks into a cozy sleep without even realizing it, with the waking world seamlessly giving way to her dreams. Unlike previous visits, these dreams were far more pleasant than the nightmares she’d suffered. As the night wore on, Summer wandered deeper into the unconscious fantasy within her mind, eagerly following butterflies into an endless field of flowers. 

As Summer races forward after the colorful butterflies, she can almost swear that she can see a human shape between the wings. They dart around so recklessly that it’s hard to say for sure, but something about them makes her doubt their insect nature. Every time she has a moment to focus, or is close enough to reach out for one, the ground beneath her feet dips with an unexpected hole, or she nearly trips over a branch concealed by the vibrant flowers. The lush scent of the dozens of varieties of flowers overwhelm her in the best way, and she’s quickly distracted by the growth all around her.

The flowers tickle her hands as she sweeps her arms through the waist-high growth. Every shade and tint of blue, violet, red and yellow duck and weave from her passing arms, and when the pollen spreads up her arms and onto her blouse, she smiles warmly at the familiar smell of her father. Birds somewhere in the distance as dozens of bees hum down towards her, but she doesn’t feel any fear of the approaching swarm. There’s something familiar to the sound surrounding her, and as the bees tickle her while collecting the pollen, she realizes they’re copying a song her mother often hums while cleaning around the house. She feels warm, happy while the bees gather their pollen and take flight. The butterflies dive and fly rapid circles around her once the bees have left, and-

A comforting hand glides up her back as her eyes drift open. The dream tumbles from her mind while her mother soothingly rouses her from her sleep, welcoming Summer to another day. As is much too often the case, memories of the dream slip from her grasp with every breath until only random fragments remain, and she rolls onto her back under the blanket.

“Good morning, sweetie,” her mother says with a soft smile. 

“Get another visit from the Tooth Fairy?” Mr. Tyme asks from the open door.

Summer suddenly remembers what she’d wished for while placing her tooth under the pillow. With wide eyes, she quickly turned and snatched her pillow out of the way… only to find another stupid dollar coin and glittery note? Her brow furrowed as she retrieved the coin and tiny paper, sitting on her bed as she recognized her father’s handwriting within the sparkles. Pieces fell into place in her mind, but she tried her best to keep the disappointment from her face as she held the paper out for her father.

“It’s another note,” she said with a slight smile. “Can you read it?”

Her father grinned as he stepped forward and took the note. Summer curled and turned her fingers, focusing on the shimmering glitter more than whatever counterfeit words her father was rambling off. A gentle hand rubbed up and down her back, and she suspected that her mother knew. She glanced up into her mother’s face, looking for clues at the extent of the deception. Was it just her father placing notes under her pillow? Had her mother been in on it, too? Did they leave the money as well, or was there some magic involved in this whole thing?

Deep laughter snatches her from her thoughts. She looks at her father, who was chuckling in the way he usually does at his own jokes. He offers the note back to his daughter, who puts on a happy face as she retrieves it. Curious eyes drift over the cursive, and she makes a note to take time to read it later. After a motherly kiss to her head and a fatherly squeeze of her shoulder, her parents leave her bedroom. She sits on the bed for a moment longer, then slides her legs off the side.

In her closet, she opens her Keepsakes box. She places her new coin onto the growing stack, and pulls the other two notes from under a shiny red rock. It’s clear that they were all written by the same person, and she feels a slight stab of betrayal in her heart as she sets the two older notes back into the box. With a sigh, she begins to read the newest note.

“Dearest Summer,

Thank you for yet another beautiful tooth! It will look marvelous in my collection, but not as good as your dad. He’s super cute!”

She rolled her eyes as she placed the note into the box with the others. The shining rock held the trio down, and she took a moment to marvel at the items inside. While there may not be any “fairy magic” enhancing her cherished belongings, she did still plan on adding to her small collection. Her fancy rock was new, as was the weird quarter. It was a misprint, her father had said. George Washington was on one side, right where he was supposed to be, but on the other was Thomas Jefferson. Weird enough to find a two-faced coin, but even stranger to find a president who didn’t even belong.

With a sigh, she closed her keepsakes box and twisted the small latch to keep her belongings secure. She closes her eyes and takes a breath, deciding that it doesn’t matter if the tooth fairy was real or some made up thing. Her fingers slide over the surface while she keeps her eyes closed, letting images of the carvings take shape in her mind. Flowers, a unicorn, horseshoes, a clover. A leprechaun sneaks into the mental image as her eyes open, and she stands with a genuine smile. 

In no time at all, the calendar has shed more months. Summer’s namesake has rolled around, driving the temperature up and bringing her birthday. She’s seven, standing over her cake and blowing out the candles while family and friends finish their birthday tune. The presents have been opened, plenty of fun already had in the family pool, and now they all watch as six of the seven candles lose their flames. 

“Ohh, one boyfriend!” her father says with a smirk. He gives her a playful pat on the back before wrapping her in a hug, and she dutifully blows out the remaining candle.

She pulled the candles out of the cake while her mother slid a knife through the frosted delight. Her mother held her loose dress back, careful not to let it rub into the frosting, and she kissed her daughter on the head when Summer noticed the growing roundness in her belly. It was just two months ago that her parents had taken her aside to explain about the birds and the bees, a conversation which contained neither birds, nor bees. Yuck. But, she was still excited to learn that their family would be growing. A month after that, she was told of their ultrasound, where her parents learned their family would be growing a little more than expected. They eased her in, gingerly explaining she’d be the big sister to a baby boy and girl sometime around Christmas.

Summer made sure everyone had a piece of cake and scoop of strawberry ice cream before digging into her own, and she smiled around the first bite when she noticed her best friend had done the same. Acalicia had just gotten back from a family trip to Bolivia. They were worried she wouldn’t make it back in time, and her parents had offered to have a smaller party for just the two of them. The two girls were delighted when everything worked out.

Acalicia was wearing a two-piece swimsuit, with the same swirling blue and green pattern as Summer’s. The two girls often made sure to match, and liked to pretend that they were sisters. They were midway through the cake while sitting on the same chair when Summer asked a question.

“Do you believe in the tooth fairy?” she asked around some ice cream on her tongue.

The other girl pushed her own spoonful of strawberry goodness into her mouth before answering. After a moment, she nodded with a quick shrug.

“Yeah, I guess so,” the girl answered after swallowing her ice cream.

“Well,” Summer said, her voice lowering into a conspiratorial whisper. She leaned closer to her friend, “I’ve got a test. My parents don’t know, but I lost a tooth today.”

Acalicia nearly lept off the seat, but Summer hushed her. She held a finger to her lips as a silent signal to her friend, and Acalicia struggled to contain herself. When it was clear that her friend wasn’t going to spill the beans, Summer continued.

“A few months ago, it seemed like my parents were tricking me. Making the whole thing up. I just can’t think of why. It’s weird to make up a fairy who takes teeth, right?”

“You think your mom and dad…?” her friend started, glancing at the adults with an inquisitive look. She couldn’t find the words to express her thoughts on the matter, and simply let the incomplete question linger.

“I don’t know. If you get visited by the tooth fairy, and everyone else does too…” Her mind was spinning as she tried to voice it. This concern she’d had, one she refused to bring up to anyone else, it was all so bizarre. “Either everyone’s parents are in on it, or the tooth fairy is a real thing.”

And Santa, and all the other potentially made up characters they’d been led to believe exist. She didn’t want to continue along that thought aloud, but ever since not getting what she desperately desired last time, recognizing her father’s hand writing, and really thinking about it… she worried her hunch might be true. A simple test would be all that was needed to confirm one way or another, and today had presented a perfect opportunity.

“Lemme know what you find,” Acalicia said, bumping her shoulder into Summer’s.

“Yep,” Summer replied, bumping her shoulder back against her friend. 

After the party, with her friends going their separate ways with their parents, her mother called her into the living room. The TV was on, and her mother had an excited look on her face. Summer looked at what was on the screen, a smile spreading across her own face when she saw what was ready to play. “TITANIC,” in big, bold letters stretched across the screen, with a massive cruiseliner below. She had asked if she could watch it, and her parents always told her she was too young. Now, it seemed, they considered her old enough to enjoy the movie her mother always claimed to be “her favorite.”

That night, after watching the Titanic and with the image of something specific in her mind, she knew just what to ask for. Her heart desired the dazzlingly beautiful Heart of the Ocean, that magnificent blue diamond carved into a heart and outlined with a string of glittering diamonds. It didn’t really matter if the jewel was on a necklace or not, but she really wanted the storied artifact. She tucked her tooth under her pillow once her parents had left her alone, and imagined finding what she craved in its place the next morning. Excitement coursed through her as she tried to fall asleep, and it was well past bedtime when she finally slipped off.

The ship rocked in the rough seas, but she wasn’t scared. Other passengers stumbled about on their way to their own rooms, and every so often she heard someone scream, but there was no fear in her heart. Only excitement as she ran down the narrow hallway, making well dressed people press against the walls as she hurried by. The floor under her feet lurched up and down, and she took the opportunities to soar through the air with giddy jumps. As she continued to run, she found a growing group following her. They were all running and jumping, laughing as they went. 

She was too distracted in all the fun to notice. Sure, she saw the colorful dresses and tuxedos of those following her, but how could she be expected to recognize the intricate designs? There was far too much going on to realize how similar they were in color and pattern to the butterfly wings of a forgotten dream. Even so, the young girl hardly paid enough attention to see just how different the clothing was from everyone else. Or, how peculiar the faces were of the people running and leaping after her.

In any case, Summer woke with a smile. The dream slipped from her mind like water through a net, with individual droplets holding on just long enough for her to appreciate before they fell back into the endless ocean of wonder. Small fragments remained, and she wondered if she really could run and leap as she had on a rocky ship? With the fog of rest lifting from her mind, she remembered the secret tooth and sat up on her bed. She took a deep breath to steel herself, prepared for disappointment, and cautiously lifted her pillow.

A dollar coin rested atop another glittered note. The writing was different than before, but had curves and swirls similar to her mother’s. She was briefly upset to have her suspicions confirmed, but something else nagged at her. Sure, her parents had lied about the tooth fairy and there was no spectacular gemstone waiting for her. But, this just shows how attentive her parents are. How dedicated they are to keeping the magic of her childhood alive. Tears brim in her eyes and make it difficult to read the little note, so she rolls out of bed and stashes it away in her keepsake box. 

Hushed whispers cease when she comes down the stairs. Her parents both look like they’re hiding something, but she already knows. Summer rushes over and wraps her arms around her mother, hugging her tight with her ear resting over her baby brother and sister. She feels her mother’s hand on her back, and another settling on her head as they embrace. The feeling of soothing fingers drifting through her hair and scratching her scalp brings a smile to her face, and she doesn’t care about the tooth fairy or any of it anymore. Knowing how much her parents care is all she needs in the world, more than any priceless gem or magical creature.

The hushed, urgent conversation, as unnoticed by Summer as the cloth her father stashes in his pocket, was everything she'd set to disprove. Mr. Tyme adjusted a little as his daughter hugged him, trying to keep the sizable gem from her attention while rubbing a hand down her back. He looked over her head, kissing her soft hair as he made eye contact with his wife. 

Certainly, neither of them had gone out and gotten the weighty thing now concealed in his pocket. How had it gotten there? With the economy in a downward tumble, they couldn't even hope to afford what they both thought it was, let alone give it to a child. After work that night, another dismally productive day as an investment broker, he went to a jeweler.

The jeweler was a longtime friend, someone from whom he'd bought many shining, sparkling items up until recently. She was speechless to be presented with the grapefruit sized sapphire, glinting in the overhead light as Mr. Tyme held it with the white cloth wrapping draped over his palm. It was oval in shape, perfectly rounded, and spectacularly polished. There didn't look to be any flaws or markings of any kind as she examined the stone with every tool she had available, and her heart raced as the blue specimen dazzled her eyes. When the jeweler reported her findings, Mr. Tyme was beside himself. 

“If it was in my store, or listed online…” she said, handing it back with a wide smile, “...I could see it going for well over $80,000. Easy.”

Mr. Tyme felt his knees go weak, his eyes widening at the woman. He carefully wrapped the cloth back over the gem, mind swarming with thoughts about the stone. 

“You're… you're sure?” he asked with a shaky voice. 

“Absolutely,” the jeweler replied. “And that's a conservative estimate. Find the right collector, and it would be six digits.”

“I… wow…” It was like all the breath had been knocked out of him. The big chance he'd been needing to rebuild his diminished portfolio, save the house, his job, everything! It was all right here, wrapped clumsily in his hands. But… could he do that? Whatever… magic, if there was such a thing, that had delivered this, it was sent to his daughter. By right, it was technically hers, and he didn't fancy himself a thief. 

Times were tough, they had been before. With every likelihood, they would be again. Even with two more on the way, he didn't feel right selling the gem his daughter had mysteriously acquired. Still, they couldn't just let her have such a valuable thing. At work the next day, in the midst of helping some of his remaining high profile clients sell off, he made arrangements to set his daughter up with a safety deposit box at the bank. That was where such an object should be held, and he established other assets in her name in the hopes she would be less upset when she found out about his deception.

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors

Collector: Few fae are more misunderstood than the Collectors. Often mislabeled as “Tooth Fairy,” this magical creature waits until invited into a home. Generally, the invitation comes with a transaction, wherein the Collector will accept an offering in exchange for an inner desire. Since this almost exclusively happens among children following the instructions of their parents upon losing a tooth, the transaction is typically limited to exchanging small teeth for money. Few have ever experienced the true power - or consequence - of a Collector, and fewer still have escaped from a more deliberate deal.

Collectors exchange items of importance to the giver, offered at an altar. With the transactions happening within the world between, almost exclusively accessed by humans within their dreams, this altar is commonly located beneath their pillow. Offerings may include teeth, a cell phone, keys, or anything else from, or valued by the giver. The Collector will leave behind another object, trading the human's offering for the desires of their heart and soul, which is generally the end of the bargain.

If what the giver wants isn't a tangible item, Collectors may influence the world to bring about the desires of their heart. In this instance, the bargain will often involve some form of contract. Collectors draw their power from trading and adding to their collection, so when such magic is required, they provide a list of items they desire. Most often, these other items are easy enough to come by, but when what they desire is the human unfortunate enough to strike this bargain, these tricky fairies may ask for more than they can provide. 

Failing to fulfill the contract is never recommended, with any fairy. This can lead to generational misfortune, crippling curses, and even abduction. In the case of Collectors, they will simply add the unfortunate human to their collection, forcing them into a life of thievery until the human has earned their freedom. Since fairies are forbidden from stealing, Collectors use their indentured human to help expand their collection, though this method is considerably less efficient in building magic.

Deep in the heart of a jungle, within a realm just outside the reach of men, lies a cave. Wonders and horrors hide inside the cave. From glittering piles of gold and jewels, to broken remnants of skeletons of those foolish enough to seek their fortunes, sprawling hills of vast treasures, and the greedy dragon that hoards it all. Many have tried to take even a handful from the vast caverns, but even the mightiest of orcs have been reduced to a pile of-

Belching flame erupts from a hole in the ground as another hapless victim tries to make their escape. The dragon roars, flapping his wings as he pursues his prey. Panic fills his nose, bringing a wicked grin to his maw, dozens of teeth sharp enough to pierce steel glinting in the low light dancing through the cave. Wind whips all around with each powerful sweep of his wings, sending coins and other bits of treasure scattering beneath him, a worrying sound as he narrows his eyes, trying to focus on the fleeing target.

She darts behind a fallen pillar, smaller than other warriors. Her small frame allows her to hide well, and the lack of armor affords her impressive speed. The dragon inhales through his nose, drawing in a deep breath that fills his lungs and helps him learn of his foe. Female, human, and young. He can't identify her attire, broadening his smile further as his feet hit the ground with a resounding thud.

“Entering my domain naked, are we?” he grumbles with a smirk. “That's… bold.”

On the other side of the pillar, Summer Tyme looks down at her leggings. The blue spandex clings to her legs, just as tightly as the form-fitting top clutching her chest. Her hands shake with thinly contained terror as she crouches low, careful to remain out of sight, her sneakers thankfully living up to their name as she soundlessly creeps along the long-downed pillar.

‘How do I get into these situations?’ she thinks, her hand sliding along the cracked, crumbled marble beside her. The dragon's wings flap again and again, sending more sparkling treasures fleeing with the wind, and her panicked eyes dart around the coins in view for one specific disk. Her glasses are slightly askew, scuffed, and clouded with dust, but she must finish this errand. ‘No other interns or legal assistants have to do this sh-’ 

Her line of thought is cut when a thundering boom accompanies the bone-rattling shake of the dragon landing nearby. The sound of gold falling in the distance is a surprising comfort, like raining glass that somehow sends a calming shiver up her spine. Never did she ever think to be comforted by- she never anticipated needing to be comforted in a dragon's den! A divisive snort bursts from her nose before she can catch it, and she hears the dragon react.

The pillar spirals from a mighty sweep of his tail just as she dives to the side, but it still collides into her. Fortunately, the momentum she'd given herself in the split-second reaction was enough to avoid serious injury, but her violet rimmed glasses tumbled from her face as she rolled to the ground. A shoe flipped off her foot, and she landed on her shoulder hard enough to feel a worrying jolt burn down her arm. As she slid to a stop across the smooth stone floor, her mind raced as though processing the events of her life…