#FridayFlash 37 - A Summer's Day

Yikes - it's been a couple flash-less weeks! That's just so wrong. Thanks for sticking with me :) Had a ton of fun with this one. Let me know what you think!

Cheers :)

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A Summer's Day

It was the kind of sultry heat that makes you question your sanity. Now I love summer, but even I had to admit this was pushing it a bit. But since I had deemed it entirely too hot to work I was enjoying it as the summer equivalent of a snow day, sitting in my lawn chair, a drink in hand, enjoying the whisper of a breeze I imagined I felt. I had a good imagination, for the leaves hung lifeless as there was not even a hint of a breeze in the air.

Such was the day that I wasn't even phased when the figure materialized in front of me. Just a mirage. A trick of light and heat wavering and a vibrant imagination. I blinked a few times to clear the vision, and even shook my head as if to clear the fog from my brain -- although how I thought that might work I've no idea. Made sense at the time though. And yet the mirage remained... And solidified... Appearing as a wizard -- complete with long robes and pointy hat.

And that was what convinced me he must be real. Because not even in my imagination would I condemn somebody to wear long hot robes on a day like today. I guess Disney got it right after all. My mind drifted to the unlikeliness of that before I clued in to the fact that the mirage was speaking. To me.

"Carrie, you have to come with me." Ummm no, methinks not. I raised an eyebrow at the apparition speaking to me. "We need your help. The world needs your help!" he implored earnestly. Must be real; even Disney scripts aren't that bad. I would certainly have written him a better script. I continued to stare at him, doped by the heat and particularly disinclined to rush off and save the world. I allowed my disbelief to show plainly on my face.

"Surely you've noticed the temperature going up," he started, "even the winters have not been cold these last few years, and now, in spring, you’re roasting."

"Global warming, yeah I've heard the story," I finally acknowledged him, wondering at my sanity for talking to a mirage. "I'm sort of enjoying it," I mentioned, refusing to be drawn into the doom and gloom ‘we're destroying the world’ argument.

"Global warming yes, but not due to anything your kind has done."

Well at least I could agree with that, "so what is the cause?" I asked, my curiosity finally sufficiently piqued.

"Dragons."

Uh huh. Well it was fun while it lasted.

"I take it your mother never told you of your heritage?" he asked.

Bemused by the change of topic I couldn't resist playing along, really - what else did I have to do? "My heritage? My mother's a writer, my grandmother was a teacher, my great-grandmother was a housewife," I recited; "nothing terribly exciting I'm afraid."

"They are indeed all those things, but so much more. Your great-grandmother was a queen, and your grandmother after her. Your mother," I thought I heard some bitterness in his tone, "rejected the throne to live a mortal life. And she refused to allow you any access at all."

"Yeah well my mother's a pretty smart woman. If she wants nothing to do with your world, there's probably a reason," but his words rang true and even as I dismissed him, I couldn't help but wonder. There were no pictures of her as a child -- destroyed in a house fire. Or that was the story. But all of them? Then again, was that really less likely than a talking mirage from another world?

"Carrie, your grandmother passed on several years ago. Without a direct heir the throne has fallen to the council. Their bickering has lead to war. None of which would've sent me to you, but now their war is spilling into your world. And since the dorns have awoken the dragons, only one of royal blood can retire them. And this must be done before they roast your world; if your world falls, so does ours."

"Ok, so let me see if I've got this straight," I started, intense heat entirely forgotten. "You want me to go with you to some other world, location yet to be disclosed, where I am no less than royalty, to stop a war and while I'm at it, put some dragons to sleep? That about it?"

"Essentially."

Sure why not -- what else have I got to do? I thought before warily nodding my assent. "Here, put this on," he told me, handing me a robe very much like his. I felt proud of myself for stifling the groan at the thought, but when I put it on was pleasantly surprised to discover its cooling effect. It was like wearing an air-conditioner set to the perfect temperature.

"Do I get a hat too?" I asked with a grin.

"A wizard must earn their hat," he told her seriously. "Hold this," he told me as he handed me what appeared to be an average stick. I glanced at it ever so briefly and the world shimmered. Again with the mirage effect; these guys needed some variety in their transitions! When my sight cleared I found myself in a world that in some ways, very much resembled my own; or rather, my own as it might've been before technology. A suburban environment, lots of houses with trees out front, a road of dirt or clay - I wasn't sure which. The street lights were subtly different, but I wasn't sure how. Two things struck me immediately. The colours - everything was painted vibrant colours. And the stillness; it was midday, but there was not a soul to be seen and not a sound to be heard. Eerie.

"So now what?" I asked, my voice breaking the stillness to the great concern of my wizard guide who silenced me with a wave of his hand.

"Nobody must know you're here," he told me.

"It's not like they're going to recognize my voice," I whispered back at him.

"Of course they will," he told me, "it's in our blood to know our queen. Any who see or hear you will instinctively know who and what you are. And while most would consider it an honour to meet you, there are those who would greatly prefer you never set foot in this land."

"And those are the ones you brought me here to confront," I commented. It was not a question.

"Can you feel the heat rising?" he asked and I nodded. "Put your hood up -- the dragons are near. Your skin will be scorched in seconds if you're not covered." And suddenly the air-conditioned cloak became so much more than a luxury.

I felt the shadow before I saw it; looking up I got my first sign of the creatures that were heating the world. Massive and beautiful in the way of pure power, the dragons exhaled steam with every breath. The air became too intense to breath. And then the creatures saw us. Faster than I would ever have believed possible the lead one swept down towards me, steam turning to flame. I held up my arm to protect my head. A futile gesture but the only instinct offered me. Seconds later when I registered that I was still alive, I cautiously lifted my head to discover that the stick I still held had created a shield of sorts. I was in a bubble that appeared to be holding off the dragon’s flame.

Ever so briefly I drew my eyes from the massive creatures to find the wizard who’d brought me here staring at me with an unreadable expression. I glanced back just in time to see the two dragons land, oh so lightly, beside me.

“Lower your shield Highness; no harm will come to you from us.” The words echoed inside my head.

I lowered my arm, and with it my shield at which point the wizard sprang towards me, “Carrie no!” He raised his staff, but the dragon’s flame held him off.

“Don’t hurt him.” I commanded. The voice I used rang with authority; where it came from I’ve no idea, but it was a voice to be obeyed. The flames instantly ceased. The wizard threw a shield around us both, which should’ve made me feel safer, but somehow I knew it was a bad idea. “Drop it,” I told him.

“Carrie, you don’t know what you’re dealing with here.” The look I gave him held the power and knowledge of generations. Power and knowledge I knew nothing about, but was only just starting to feel. He lowered the shield and stepped back. Still watching but silent.

I was in charge now.

And had absolutely no idea what to do next.

Friday Flash Fiction #36 and WAG: Last Day

The prospective client walked into the office, started to speak to her boss, then saw Karen and visibly blanched. Inwardly she sighed, outwardly she smiled. "Hi, I'm Karen Castleman," she walked forward with her hand outstretched. He hesitated noticeably before taking it, "I see you've met my sister Casey," she mentioned with a wry grin.

"Your sister?" he asked hesitantly.

"Twins," Karen told him, "and complete opposites."

He still looked very nervous, "Mr. Goff, if you know my sister at all, could you ever see her doing a mundane job like this? Sorry Michael," she flashed a grin at her boss as she shrugged off the high-stress VP position she'd worked so hard to earn, "but compared to Casey, I may as well be a soccer mom."

"I didn't even know you had a sister?" Michael asked.

"I don't anymore; Casey died five years ago on assignment in Mexico." At her boss's stunned look, Karen felt the need to elaborate, "She was thoroughly involved in alphabet soup; worked for several of the three-letter agencies, and God only knows who else. And it eventually got her killed. They say the brightest flames burn the fastest. Well Casey got ambition, power, intelligence and strength. I got time."

"Karen you're hardly lacking any of those," Michael reminded her.

"Not compared to the average person perhaps," she said without the least hint of ego, "but compared to her I was but a shadow." There was no self-pity in her voice; she was merely stating a fact.

"Can you do what she could do?" Mr. Goff questioned.

"No, Casey got all the talent in our family." Michael looked puzzled but let it go, especially as the client seemed to relax. The meeting continued on a far more traditional note. Karen wasn't sure they'd be able to overcome the inauspicious beginning and land the account, but it certainly ended on a far more positive note than it had begun.

Karen finished out her day as always. As she got ready to go home, she was a little more careful than usual about gathering her stuff; into her briefcase went her extra shoes, her coffee mug, and her digital picture frame. In that frame was a flash card that held many of her favourite photos. It also held the company financial records and intricate personal notes on every client and the evidence to destroy the company who was helping them funnel drug money.

Michael watched from his office window as Karen left for the day. She was sharp, and she worked hard. But he was going to have to let her go; he couldn't afford any connections, no matter how tenuous, to the three letter agencies. If her sister was dead, it should be ok. But could he trust that she really was? He picked up Karen's file off the desk, scanning for any reference to a connected sister. Karen Castleman. KC. Casey. And as the pieces fell into place, Michael’s heart skipped a beat. With shaking hands he picked up the phone and made a short call. Then he packed his bag as carefully as Karen had.

Neither of them would be returning to the office the next day. And only one of them would be alive to worry about it.

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Friday Flash #35 - First Encounter

Ok so for the record, I can't believe I'm on #35!!!! Woohoo!

This story stands on its own as a flash, but it's also a continuation of the story I started "way back when" in flash #2... It also has two endings. The flash ending, here. And the alternate ending which just moves the story along a little. I'll include both -- let me know which you think works better!!!

BTW, if you want the back story:
Knowing
The Next Step
The Watcher
The Survivor

Thanks for reading!

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First Encounter:

As she followed well behind Kale, muttering to herself about the pace he was setting and questioning her sanity in staying with him, Jezina's internal monologue was interrupted by a whimpering not far off in the woods. She stopped to listen more carefully as Kale disappeared around a bend farther ahead.

There it was again. A sad sound. Like a cross between the mewling cry of a kitten and the high-pitched chirp of a young bird. Curious, she stepped off the trail toward the sound. For all that it was quiet, Jezina had thought the sound was nearby but as she found herself heading deeper into the woods she realized her senses had been somewhat distorted. She considered heading back, realizing it'd be smart to at least tell Kale where she'd gone, but was worried that whatever was crying was hurt. That and, she acknowledged to herself, she really didn't want Kale along. So she continued deeper into the woods, out of sight of the trail she'd been following.

She crossed the treeline and found herself in a meadow. There was something foreboding about the meadow; the scene was one of pastoral peace and Jezina could see no reason for her unease, but still she hesitated. The sound was noticeably louder and when she scanned the open area she saw it. An animal of some type, trapped by a log on the other side of the meadow.

Dismissing her fears as foolish, Jezina sprinted across the meadow towards the wounded animal, slowing to a walk when she got near so as not to scare it. When she approached it, murmuring gently, the animal looked at her with the most disconcertingly intelligent eyes.

The creature was unlike any Jezina had ever seen. The size of a large dog, it was blue and very fluffy. She felt a girl's need to hug it, although some instinct warned her that would be a very bad idea. It had tiny wings, too small for the body, that seemed to be made of crystal, and large amber eyes that looked at her quizzically. It looked pointedly at its trapped claw and then tilted its head sideways looking at Jezina as though to say "Well? Would you do something about this?" The look was so human and so indignant it instantly brought a smile to her face.

"Alright little one, let me see what I can do." Taking a closer look, Jezina could see that his claw had slipped through a knot hole in the fallen tree, and he couldn't twist it in any way that would let him pull it back out. She tried to move it gently, but he squawked and hit her with his little wing, scratching her face. She sat back and looked at him -- those wings may be small, but they were powerful! "Ok," she said softly, gentling him, "I'm trying to help here." Realizing she'd be unable to maneuver his claw out, Jezina set about trying to break the slightly rotting stump to widen the hole he'd gone through. It was hard work, especially as she had to keep the log stable or the critter screeched in pain. Jezina’s labours were rewarded as she heard a snap and the piece she was working on broke off, sending her comically tumbling backwards and the blue fluffball falling off the other side, free.

She laughed out loud as the critter bounced back up and over to her side as though saying "I meant to do that!" She sat and watched him play, leaping off the log and fluttering his tiny wings in a frantic and fairly unsuccessful attempt to hover. Enjoying the moment of sheer childish frivolity, Jezina climbed onto the log and mimicked the creature, jumping off and flapping her arms. He watched her do that once and then waited for her to join her on the log again -- his intentions clear. Both leapt at the same time, only the animal actually managed a hover of a second or two, landing well after Jezina. Sensing the "so there" in his eyes, she turned and performed a formal bow saying "You win, little one, that was pretty impressive."

Lost in the silliness of the moment, Jezina was happier and more relaxed than she'd been in a long time. Which meant the cold voice, when it interrupted, seemed that much harsher.

"Jezina!" At the sharp command, Jezina looked across the meadow to see Kale glaring at her with a level of hatred she'd hoped they were past. Sighing she looked at the little creature who at Kale's appearance had stopped bouncing around and moved to stand in front of Jezi -- seemingly protecting her from the intruder.

"It's ok little one," she said, feeling only half foolish for explaining things to this seemingly intelligent being, "he's a . . . friend," she picked for lack of a better word.

"Jezina you've got to get out of there NOW!" Kale stated adamantly.

"I'm fine Kale," she reassured him, "he's friendly."

"Jezina," Kale spoke very quietly one eye warily on the critter, "this is a dragon's lair, and that's a baby blue-wing. He looks harmless, but could kill both of us in an instant. And where there's a baby, there's a mother. We have to get out of here before she arrives." And Jezina knew she'd mistaken the hatred in his eyes. What she was really seeing was fear.

A closer look around their meadow confirmed what Kale was saying. The meadow in the middle of the forest was not a natural construct. The log the critter had been caught was obviously dragged from elsewhere, but there was no path through the woods. Jezina had taken the meadow at face value; dragons to her were magnificent mythical creatures -- certainly not cute blue fluffballs. But, she was learning, sometimes the myths were real. "Well little one, even though I'd much rather stay and play with you, it looks like I'd better be going. It seems your mum might not like me being here. Stay out of the logs ok?" she asked him with a quick pat on the head. She'd taken only one step across the meadow toward Kale when she heard a sound not even her nightmares could create. The roar was fierce, the ground shook underneath, and the temperature rose to nearly scalding. The little critter cowered behind her, and she instinctively put a hand on his head reassuringly. "Where was Kale's icy glare when you needed it?" the scarily logical part of her brain asked while the rest of her frantically tried to think of what to do next. She felt the temperature drop slightly as the roar faded, allowing her a slight reprieve as she quickly scanned the area for a hiding spot. She was considering whether or not she could hide in the log she'd just rescued the baby dragon from when she ran out of time.
--30--
...More

Flash Fiction 34: Shadows

"What does your shadow do while you're asleep?"

"It sleeps," Christina answered, humouring the eccentric lady while wishing the bus would just hurry up and get there.

"Are you sure?" the strangely dressed woman questioned, "because I thought I saw it last night. You need to keep a closer watch on it." Christina couldn't help but glance at her shadow, which mimicked her movement exactly as a shadow should. The arrival of the bus saved her from having to come up with an appropriate response.

Hours later the conversation was all but forgotten when Christina turned in for the night. As she turned off the light and her shadow disappeared in the dark, Christina gave a bemused smile as she recalled the conversation. "Good night Shadow," she joked smiling as she buried herself in her duvet, "don't get into too much trouble without me."

But what she didn't realize was, her shadow was too far away to hear her, much less listen. He had detached himself the instant her hand hit the lights and escaped to the world where he was a force to be reckoned with. Far more than an unnoticed shape to be trampled at will by even the most inconsequential beings, in the darkness of the night Shade had power. The kind of power that would one day soon have them wishing they'd given him the respect he was due.

The only thing standing in his way was the Shale. The triumvirate who held power over all who thrived in the dark. For thousands of years they'd ruled at will; they regularly toyed with the short-lived daylighters, technically illegal by their own laws, but nobody had any particularly serious objection to it. The real issue was when they played their games with the Shadows. Levying taxes nobody could meet, banishing those innocent of all but the most insignificant crimes and supporting the truly evil, the Nightmares -- those who give the Dark a bad name. This was unacceptable. Perfectly good Shadows being eternally banished, and those remaining terrified by those who should’ve been. All the Shadows agreed, but none were brave enough to do anything about it. None but Shade.

His plan was simple -- it would make use of the one ability Shadows had that not even the strongest Shale magic could match; Shadows could be seen in sunlight. Not only that, they were strongest in sunlight, particularly the new-day sun which was fatal to the Shale.

One Shadow alone wouldn't be enough, but Shade had been gathering followers for months. Quietly, secretly, he'd be gathering them to him -- from his family, the elite daylighter Shadows, to the unnecessaries, those Shadows attached to immobile structures under larger Shadows. Careful never to talk to more than one at a time so the Shale's wouldn't realize a group was forming. A Shadow couldn't influence their daylighter -- at least not once the daylighter was an adult. But many Shadows working together might be able to. Shade was counting that they would be able to.

His daylighter regularly got up in the dark, meaning she was outside at daybreak -- when Shadows thrived and the Shale hid. Working together they would bring his daylighter down the ally, not so far from the bus stop where she sat each morning. Manipulating the daylighter would force the Shale into action. They would converge, protected from daylight by the Ally Shadows. Then all that was needed was for the Ally Shadows to retreat and the Shale would be no more. Then the Dark would belong to the Shadows.

Christina walked toward the bus stop, not entirely awake and thinking of the presentation she'd have to give at work that morning. She slowed when she realized the eccentric woman from the day before was again at the bus stop. Not feeling energetic enough to engage in conversation, she hung back against the shop wall, walking as slowly as possible. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement down the ally. It looked like money swirling around on the ground. Puzzled, curious, and grateful for a way to kill the two minutes till the bus arrived, Christina turned to investigate.

As she entered the ally, the Shales approached from the sidelines, always out of the daylighter's vision. How dare you influence her behaviour? they asked, inside Shade's head in a way that always gave him the creeps.

Why shouldn't I? he thought, defiantly. It's far less than the damage the Nightmares do.

We do not explain ourselves to Shadows. That simple statement displayed exactly the arrogance that had begun this war, and the final proof required to justify his plan to himself. He gave the sign to the Alley Shadow, but despite, or perhaps because of, the atrocities committed by the Shales, the lesser shadows hesitated for a split second when Shade gave the signal. And that hesitation was all it took. The Shale, who hadn't survived for millennia by being fools, retreated before the Shadows could move and, safe from the sunlight, ordered their Nightmares to attack. Within seconds, both Shade and his revolution were done.

The unfortunate side-effect being that while Shadows can live forever regardless of light, a daylighter cannot survive sunlight without her shadow. And it was, in fact, turning into a very bright day. The eccentric lady at the bus stop watched Christina's nightmarish death sadly, shaking her head; she should’ve kept a closer watch on her shadow. The young never listen these days.

Flash Fiction 33: Spin the dice

The little red vw bug was everything she'd dreamed of -- complete with the hideously wonderful pink fuzzy dice. She sat in the driver's seat and let the pride and excitement fill her. She'd bought it. With her OWN money. To travel across the country -- one great adventure before settling down to being, ugh, an adult. When would she ever be able to take two months off again? Possibly not until she retired. So despite her parents' pressure to get a real job and start paying off the student loans, Ellie was going adventuring. In her little red bug with her perfect pink dice.

She turned the key and the car revved to life. Pulling out of her parking spot she fiddled with her ipod, trying to find the perfect song to start out her adventure. Finding a song that brought her instantly back to highschool, she cranked the volume and smiled as she drove out. She made it about 10 minutes before hitting the reality that is traffic. Apparently just because she was going adventuring didn't mean everybody else was going to skip the daily commute and let her have the highway.

Sitting still in the fast lane, she amused herself by making the fuzzy pink dice swing as she daydreamed of the things she might do over the next few months. Her only plan was that she had no plan. Drive till she felt like stopping. Visit small towns. Take sideroads and photos. Tons of photos. Thinking of that she reached over and dug her camera out of her bag on the seat beside her. Knowing she shouldn't be taking photos while driving, she ascertained the risk to be essentially non-existent; what could she hit when she and everybody around her was sitting still? Her car wasn't even in gear. Focusing the camera on her dice she started them swinging again. Playing to see what would give her the best effect, she separated the two dice and let them fall towards each other.

She snapped the picture a second before the dice hit, and glanced down to see the image on her digital screen. She felt a small thud; hardly believing somebody could've rear-ended her when nobody was moving she quickly looked up hoping she hadn't missed the cars in front starting up again while playing with her camera.
But there were no cars.

Stunned and very puzzled she looked behind her to see a transport truck lying on its side, emergency vehicles all around it, and a steady trickle of cars being filtered through on the shoulder, one at a time. Somehow, unbelievably, she appeared to be on the other side of the traffic jam. Putting her car in gear with shaking hands, she quickly merged with the filtering traffic, before anybody noticed her little red bug sitting where no car should be.

Weird. Very weird. But handy. Puzzling over what could possibly have happened, Ellie decided she'd never know and it was best not to tell anybody about it. Randomly warping to the front of a traffic accident, while a convenient skill, was not one many people would believe in.

She settled in to drive for several hours -- she wasn't planning to do long drives very often on her trip, but she was still way too close to home to be worth stopping. The highway stretched long in front of her. Horizon framed by a brilliant blue sky. She lowered the windows, letting the tornado whirl through and blaring the music accordingly. Spinning the dice for the pure pleasure of it she laughed out loud in the enjoyment of the moment.

Her contacts became fuzzy and she rubbed them to clear them again. Only to see a sign for Manitoba???? She shrugged it off, still several hours from there. But shortly she realized she had indeed crossed the boarder. Ok starting to get just a little weird. It didn't take her long to figure it out. Testing her theory, still wondering if she was losing her little mind, Ellie banged the dice together while thinking of her friend Sarah's place in BC. Next thing she knew she was sitting in her driveway. Fastest cross-country trip EVER.

Amazed at her new abilities Ellie couldn't help but test them out. Knocking the dice together, she found herself by a beach in LA. She'd never even been there before! Just thought "LA beach". And all of a sudden Ellie's summer trip took on new life. A tap of the dice and she was in Paris. She'd always wanted to go to Paris. Never thought she'd be able to afford to. Took a picture of her, her little red bug, and the Eiffel tower and then let the dice swing before anybody noticed her mislocated Canadian license plates. Next stop, the pyramids.

She spent two months traveling the world, never staying anywhere long having neither local currency nor appropriate paperwork, but enjoying every minute of it and taking tons of photos nobody would ever believe. Landing her car on top of Ayers Rock had her slightly concerned, but after a brief photo op, the dice took her to Sydney before anybody noticed. Out of money and nearing the time she was to arrive home, she decided on one last stop at Sarah's home -- this time she'd actually go in rather than sitting in the driveway.

She separated the dice once more and let gravity and magic do their thing, but as the dice hit, the worn string gave and the fuzzy dice broke. When she looked up in dismay it was to find herself in the middle of a farmer's wheat field. She managed to extricate the little red car and driving for a while was pleased to discover first, that the signs were in English, and then half an hour later her heart returned to normal when pulling into a gas station, she was able to confirm she was in Canada. Northern Saskatchewan rather than BC, but at least the right country.

She drove her little car home the old fashioned way -- seeing at least part of the country she had planned to travel on the way. The dice were ceremoniously duct-taped together (with pink duct-tape of course), but by this point their only power was holding the memory of a magical summer experienced by a girl and her bug.

#FridayFlash 33: Spin the dice

The little red vw bug was everything she'd dreamed of -- complete with the hideously wonderful pink fuzzy dice. She sat in the driver's seat and let the pride and excitement fill her. She'd bought it. With her OWN money. To travel across the country -- one great adventure before settling down to being, ugh, an adult. When would she ever be able to take two months off again? Possibly not until she retired. So despite her parents' pressure to get a real job and start paying off the student loans, Ellie was going adventuring. In her little red bug with her perfect pink dice.

She turned the key and the car revved to life. Pulling out of her parking spot she fiddled with her ipod, trying to find the perfect song to start out her adventure. Finding a song that brought her instantly back to highschool, she cranked the volume and smiled as she drove out. She made it about 10 minutes before hitting the reality that is traffic. Apparently just because she was going adventuring didn't mean everybody else was going to skip the daily commute and let her have the highway.

Sitting still in the fast lane, she amused herself by making the fuzzy pink dice swing as she daydreamed of the things she might do over the next few months. Her only plan was that she had no plan. Drive till she felt like stopping. Visit small towns. Take sideroads and photos. Tons of photos. Thinking of that she reached over and dug her camera out of her bag on the seat beside her. Knowing she shouldn't be taking photos while driving, she ascertained the risk to be essentially non-existent; what could she hit when she and everybody around her was sitting still? Her car wasn't even in gear. Focusing the camera on her dice she started them swinging again. Playing to see what would give her the best effect, she separated the two dice and let them fall towards each other.

She snapped the picture a second before the dice hit, and glanced down to see the image on her digital screen. She felt a small thud; hardly believing somebody could've rear-ended her when nobody was moving she quickly looked up hoping she hadn't missed the cars in front starting up again while playing with her camera. But there were no cars.

Stunned and very puzzled she looked behind her to see a transport truck lying on its side, emergency vehicles all around it, and a steady trickle of cars being filtered through on the shoulder, one at a time. Somehow, unbelievably, she appeared to be on the other side of the traffic jam. Putting her car in gear with shaking hands, she quickly merged with the filtering traffic, before anybody noticed her little red bug sitting where no car should be.

Weird. Very weird. But handy. Puzzling over what could possibly have happened, Ellie decided she'd never know and it was best not to tell anybody about it. Randomly warping to the front of a traffic accident, while a convenient skill, was not one many people would believe in.

She settled in to drive for several hours -- she wasn't planning to do long drives very often on her trip, but she was still way too close to home to be worth stopping. The highway stretched long in front of her. Horizon framed by a brilliant blue sky. She lowered the windows, letting the tornado whirl through and blaring the music accordingly. Spinning the dice for the pure pleasure of it she laughed out loud in the enjoyment of the moment.

Her contacts became fuzzy and she rubbed them to clear them again. Only to see a sign for Manitoba???? She shrugged it off, still several hours from there. But shortly she realized she had indeed crossed the boarder. Ok starting to get just a little weird. It didn't take her long to figure it out. Testing her theory, still wondering if she was losing her little mind, Ellie banged the dice together while thinking of her friend Sarah's place in BC. Next thing she knew she was sitting in her driveway. Fastest cross-country trip EVER.

Amazed at her new abilities Ellie couldn't help but test them out. Knocking the dice together, she found herself by a beach in LA. She'd never even been there before! Just thought "LA beach". And all of a sudden Ellie's summer trip took on new life. A tap of the dice and she was in Paris. She'd always wanted to go to Paris. Never thought she'd be able to afford to. Took a picture of her, her little red bug, and the Eiffel tower and then let the dice swing before anybody noticed her mislocated Canadian license plates. Next stop, the pyramids.

She spent two months traveling the world, never staying anywhere long having neither local currency nor appropriate paperwork, but enjoying every minute of it and taking tons of photos nobody would ever believe. Landing her car on top of Ayers Rock had her slightly concerned, but after a brief photo op, the dice took her to Sydney before anybody noticed. Out of money and nearing the time she was to arrive home, she decided on one last stop at Sarah's home -- this time she'd actually go in rather than sitting in the driveway.

She separated the dice once more and let gravity and magic do their thing, but as the dice hit, the worn string gave and the fuzzy dice broke. When she looked up in dismay it was to find herself in the middle of a farmer's wheat field. She managed to extricate the little red car and driving for a while was pleased to discover first, that the signs were in English, and then half an hour later her heart returned to normal when pulling into a gas station, she was able to confirm she was in Canada. Northern Saskatchewan rather than BC, but at least the right country.

She drove her little car home the old fashioned way -- seeing at least part of the country she had planned to travel on the way. The dice were ceremoniously duct-taped together (with pink duct-tape of course), but by this point their only power was holding the memory of a magical summer experienced by a girl and her bug.

Flash Fiction 32: How Does Your Story End?

This week's challenge: the world as seen by an inanimate object. ("K: one, Inanimate Object: zero" -- sorry very old inside joke, couldn't resist :) Anyways back to our regularly scheduled program: the inanimate object in question - a seat on a train. Enjoy!

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Every day I go back and forth on the same route over and over again. And yet every trip is different. I'm occupied by fat people and thin people, by the elderly and by children who bounce rather than sit. And sometimes by the feet of the manner-less sitting across the aisle. And sometimes by nobody at all. Those trips are sad and pass slowly -- every stop the hope one might choose me, and every stop a disappointment. But that doesn't happen all that often, after all, I am a window seat -- an upstairs window seat at that!

I travel the Lakeshore route -- back and forth every day. I have some regulars; people are creatures of habit you know. The Power Lady at 5:45 in the am and 7:42 pm; she usually spends the am ride typing and the pm ride on the phone. But quietly. She makes her point without interrupting the other passengers. Always she is working and always she is alone. I wonder if that changes when she's not with me.

There are the nine to five gangs -- people who travel in groups of four. There are several of these groups and I get one of them each day. These ones speak animatedly of their lives. I almost never hear about their work -- instead it's the trouble Bradly got into being smarter than his teacher at school, or the great game on TV, or what Greg's going to get his wife for valentine's day. Every day a new story from the same people. For an hour each day I learn their lives -- simple lives perhaps, but full.

I enjoy these people. They are familiar and comfortable in that familiarity. But perhaps even more interesting are the ones I only meet once.

The young child so excited to be on his first train ride. And the understanding mother who allows his enthusiasm while keeping his behaviour in the realm of appropriate. How wonderful to see the sights, to feel every train sway and hear every announcement as though it were fresh and exciting. It leaves me hopeful for the future.

The child disembarks to be replaced by an elderly man, who holds his wife's hand the entire ride. Neither speaking. Neither needing to. Having said it all in decades of togetherness, and now comfortable with the silence. Yet still holding hands.

And then there's the young lady. She sits alone, silent, staring at the world passing outside and seeing nothing. A single tear rolls down her cheek. I wish I could tell her it would be ok, but I can't. I don't know that it will. I'll never know.

And perhaps that's the hardest part of my existence. I never get to know the ending to any story. Some people I see every day for years and then they disappear; I never learn where they've gone or what they've done. Some I only meet once, but even in that time I come to care what happens next, and I've no way to find out. Imagine watching all but the last ten minutes of a really great movie. That's what my every day is like. So tell me, if you please, how does your story end?