Ticket to Faerie
A Fantasy NovelByte
By
F.I. Goldhaber
Uncial Press Aloha, Oregon
2014
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events described herein are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ISBN 13: 978-1-60174-183-7
Ticket to Faerie
Copyright © 2014 by F.I. Goldhaber
Cover art and design
Copyright © 2014 by Judith B. Glad
All rights reserved. Except for use in review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Ticket to Faerie
Alyssa slapped the thick envelope against the palm of her hand. She recognized the fancy script from the flat nib of Grandma's fountain pen. Every year she received a similar packet within a few days of her August birthday. Nanna, Mom's mother, sent checks on Alyssa's birthday and at Christmas that she could spend on clothing or music. But her father's mother only sent junk.
When she was a child, Alyssa pretended that Grandma's magical charms would work and attempted to follow the detailed and silly instructions. They never did whatever Grandma promised, but Alyssa had fun pretending. Of course, she used to read fairy tales, too. Now, as she entered her sixteenth year, she wanted more than pretend magic. Nanna had sent a sizeable check in honor of the milestone. Even though her mom would only let her spend half of it, Alyssa had enough for six albums and a pair of new skate shoes.
With a snort, she loosened the envelope flap with her thumb, and pulled out a piece of white parchment paper covered with neat black script.
Dearest Alyssa,
I know you've found my gifts disappointing in the past. The only reason the magic never worked for you is because you refuse to follow my instructions precisely. I've chosen a very special gift for your sixteenth birthday and I hope you've finally matured enough to take advantage of it. You're only permitted three visits in a lifetime, dear. Please make the most of this one.
Love,
Grandma.
Alyssa used her fore and middle fingers to scissor the envelope open wide enough so she could peer inside to see what else it contained. She withdrew the square document, not sure if the material was thick cardstock or thin PVC. The words "Magical Carnet" were written in bold letters across the top of one side. The rest of the script crowded together in letters so small, she had to squint to read.
"Good for one round trip to any destination within the Kingdoms of Faerie that the bearer chooses. Must use within one year of receipt. Must return within one month of departure. To use ticket, bearer must arrive at the station a half hour before scheduled departure. Reservations recommended, but not required." On the back, at the top it said, "Directions:" followed by intricate descriptions of more silly requirements such as hopping on one foot and running around widdershins.
Alyssa muttered under her breath and stuffed the letter and the "ticket" back in the envelope.
"Whatcha got there, Short Stuff?" At six-foot-three, her father towered over his diminutive wife, and Alyssa had inherited her mother's height, not his.
She held up the envelope and made no attempt to keep the disappointment from her face.
"I'm sorry, Babe." Her dad leaned down and ruffled her short reddish-blond hair. "I know Mom's a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but she does love you."
"Yeah, right," Alyssa whispered. She stuck out her lower lip.
"What say we go see Mom this weekend? I'm sure she'd like that, and maybe she'll have a real present for you at her house." His grin made his freckled face, still topped with a thick mop of carrot-red hair, even more boyish. Alyssa could almost forget he was her dad and not the big brother she'd always wanted.
She wandered up to her room and tossed the envelope on top of the painted white dresser with fading fairy decals. Later, she would drag the box from the top shelf of the closet and add the envelope to all of Grandma's other gifts that her mom had insisted she keep over the years: the plastic pony that never turned into the real thing; the stuffed mermaid that only got wet when Alyssa, unable to find a swimming hole, threw it in the pool; the cream that didn't make all her freckles disappear when she turned twelve; the miniature saxophone that never improved her skills enough for her to make the jazz band and travel to D.C.
At least those gifts included something she could play with. Alyssa pulled the ticket from the envelope. So pathetic. She really had gotten too old to amuse herself with dolls and trinkets, never mind pretend trips to Faerie.
Mom knocked on the half-open door and let herself in. "What did your grandmother send you this year?" Although the same height, her mom looked as delicate as lace, while Alyssa felt as clunky as cotton flannel. Her mom had curves and tiny wrists and ankles. Although Alyssa hadn't inherited her father's height, he had cursed her with his stocky build. She had the same measurement for hips, chest, and waist. Her dad had to punch an extra hole in her watch band so she could buckle it around her wrist.
Alyssa handed her mother the ticket.
She read it, smiled, and sat on the bed. "Sweetheart, have you ever wondered why you're an only child?"
Alyssa shrugged her shoulders. When she realized at the age of five that a big brother would not be forthcoming, she had begged her parents, to no avail, for a little sister.
"When your dad and I got married, we wanted children, but the doctors said I couldn't." Her mom ran her fingers through her long, almost white-blond hair. "When he was younger, your father got into some trouble and no one would approve us for adoption. Your grandmother offered to help, but she said that kind of magic would only work once. Of course, your father gave her no credence. Still, she promised me that if I followed her instructions precisely, I could get pregnant. Some of the things she required me to do seemed bizarre. And I had the devil of a time getting your father to cooperate on the timing. But..." Mom reached out and stroked Alyssa's cheek. Tears shimmered in her blue eyes.
"I'm sorry I never told you before, but your father was so adamant about not letting you believe in magic." Her mom stood and smoothed non-existent wrinkles out of her skirt. "You realize, don't you, that this is probably your grandmother's last gift to you?"
Alyssa nodded. The past year, grandma had spent more time in the hospital than she had at home.
"You've got a couple of weeks before school starts. You should make the trip so you can tell Grandma about your adventures." Mom left the room and closed the door.
Alyssa just stared at the dark wood, not believing Mom could put any faith in Grandma's balderdash, to use one of Dad's words. She dragged the chair from her desk over to the closet, tugged the box down from the top shelf, and went through each letter she'd received since the first one on her sixth birthday. Something always prevented her from following the instructions exactly as written, she realized. Either she hadn't understood a word, or she'd tried substituting one thing for another, figuring it wouldn't make any difference.
Alyssa thought about what Mom had told her: that she existed only because of
Grandma's magic. She read the instructions on the ticket again, logged onto the Internet, and looked up widdershins. If she did everything preciselyas directed and nothing happened, Mom would have to give up the notion that Grandma's magic worked. If Alyssa somehow ended up in Faerie...
Mom tapped on the door again. "Here." She handed Alyssa a black pen with a metal dragon wrapped around the shaft. "I've kept this since I used it as part of the conception spell. I searched every secondhand store and tobacco shop in Portland for it." She laughed. "Probably could find one now on the Internet, but that wasn't an option back then."
"Tobacco shop?"
"Yes." Her mother pressed the pocket clip. A blue-green flame spurted from the top of the pen and the dragon's ruby-red eyes lit up. "I don't think it has any magic beyond the one spell, but the lighter and pen still work and I thought you might like to take it with you." She left Alyssa standing with the pen in her hand and her mouth open.
After studying the copper dragon for a few minutes, Alyssa dumped her black backpack out on the bed. She hesitated, wondering what to pack for a trip to Faerie. She replaced the books and notebooks with a change of underwear, a pair of blue jeans, socks, and a t-shirt. After some thought, she added her MP3 player, cell phone, red Converse sneakers, black hoodie, energy bars, Swiss army knife, compass, flashlight, and the dragon pen.
She looked at herself in the mirror on the back of her closet door, considering her short denim skirt with a tight red tank top and yellow and green flip flops. What does one wear to Faerie? She blew upwards, ruffling her bangs. Wouldn't matter what she wore. I don't look good in any of my clothes. After slinging a strap of the backpack over her shoulder, she grabbed the black and white trucker hat that hung from a bedpost, and stuck the ticket into her skirt pocket. In the kitchen, she added several liters of bottled water to her backpack.
She found Mom sitting on the back porch. "Okay, I'm gonna try."
Her German Shepard, Max, came bounding up, excited at the prospect of going for a walk.
"You should take Max with you for protection. And, be careful, sweetie. Don't stay too long." Mom stood and wrapped her arms around Alyssa.
She hugged Mom back, found Max's leash and clipped it to his collar. "What will you tell Dad?"
"Don't worry about your father, dear." Her eyes twinkled. "I'll take care of him. Have fun."
With Max tugging at the leash, Alyssa let herself out the gate and walked down the gravel road through the surrounding woods toward the deserted school bus stop. Like this is going to work. Not.She adjusted her hat with the brim to the side. Oh, well. I'll go through the motions. Maybe I'll pretend to go to Faerie. I can hide out at Tory's for a couple of days, make up some story to entertain Grandma and get Mom off my back.
She pulled out the ticket and read the instructions again--no mention of dogs. Just before she reached the tiny wooden shelter that kept her and the neighbor kids dry in the drizzly Oregon winters, she tied Max's leash to a tree branch. "Stay, boy."
With the ticket in her left hand she walked around the empty shelter, snickering. She circled it five times widdershins, always keeping her left foot in front of her right. Then she faced the open side of the shelter and said in her best imitation of an English accent, "I say, madame, when does the next coach for Faerie leave, if you please? I was hoping to use this ticket today." She rolled her eyes, but jumped up and down on her left foot five times, careful to avoid touching the ground with her right. With her eyes closed, she turned around once. She put the ticket in her teeth, leaned down, grabbed her ankles with her hands, and stayed there until she had counted from one hundred backwards to thirty-two. Good thing it doesn't say anything about doing this with a straight face. At least no one can see me.
When she stood up and opened her eyes, she saw a ticket booth with a chalkboard above and a little, green-skinned woman inside. Whoa. She looked around the sides of the shelter/ticket booth trying to figure out how someone had rigged the illusion. This can't be real.
"Cancha read, girlie?" The woman pointed upward. Her black eyes looked like legless beetles and a snake wrapped around her head restrained her long green hair.
Alyssa shook her head and read the green letters. Next coach: quarter 'til."Quarter 'til what?"
"Are you daft, dearie?" The woman looked at a salamander that had wrapped itself around her wrist with its tail in its mouth. "Look, it's quarter past now. Coach'll be here in another half."
Alyssa showed her the ticket. "Can I use this?"
"Nope." The woman snatched the ticket from Alyssa and handed it to the snake. It bit the ticket and punched two holes in one end. "This's just a voucher. Where ya wanna go?"
Alyssa blinked several times, and shrugged her shoulders.
"Faerie's a big place, dearie. Ya gotta have some idea where ya wanna go, or who ya wanna meet, or what ya wanna bring back."
"Bring back." Alyssa thought of all the unkind things she'd said about Grandma, under her breath and to her friends, and the visits to the hospital she'd made excuses to avoid. Then too, if Grandma couldn't return to Faerie because she'd already visited three times, and Alyssa brought back something to help her, surely her dad would finally let her get her belly button pierced. Of course, she'd have to convince him the magic worked. Maybe her mom would help her with that.
She put her hands on the counter in front of the woman. "Could I bring back something to save my grandma?"
"'Pends. What's her problem?"
"She has cancer, pancreatic cancer."
The woman scratched at her chin. "Don't know. I'd try Giserella's." She reached behind her, retrieved a white mouse which she handed to Alyssa. "Here's your ticket."
Alyssa cupped her hands around the little creature, but it made no move to escape. "Can I bring my dog?"
"Does your dog want to go?"
"What?"
"Does your dog want to go?" The woman leaned out the window of the ticket booth. "Hey, Max, you wanna go with this girl?"
"Yeah, her mom expects me to watch out for her."
Alyssa stared at him. Grandma had given her Max when he was just a wiggling nine-pound puppy, but she had never heard him speak before. She dropped onto the bench that protruded from one side of the ticket booth. "Don't worry, love," the mouse in her hands squeaked. "You'll get used to it."
She had to grit her teeth to avoid dropping the mouse. "I suppose all the animals in Faerie talk?"
"Just the intelligent ones."
Max laughed, or at least that's what Alyssa thought he meant by a half-howl, half-bark.
To her relief, no one spoke again until Alyssa heard horses galloping, a carriage creaking, and someone shouting. She ran to untie Max's leash. Only then did she notice that the asphalt highway that led into Hillsboro had turned into a dirt road. A team of four big bay mares pulled a purple coach almost as big as her Dad's pickup around the bend. The brawny fellow on the high front seat held the reins in big furry paws. He wore leather knee-length breeches and a homespun singlet under a leather vest. His head, on which he wore a felt woodsman's hat, resembled a grizzly bear's.
The bear jumped down from his seat and opened the coach door. "Ticket?"
Alyssa opened the hand with the mouse in it. "Good morrow, Coachman," the little creature said.
The bear tipped his hat. "Good morrow, yourself, Miss Lilse. Headed back, are we?"
"First chance I've had." The mouse crawled up Alyssa's arm, her little feet tickling Alyssa's skin, and settled on her shoulder.
The bear offered one paw to Alyssa. She used it to pull herself up into the coach. The front facing seat was occupied, so she sat on the backward one. Figures. I'll probably get sick from riding the wrong way.The bear leaned over, waited while Max jumped onto his back and from there leapt to the top of the carriage, and slammed the door. Moments later the coach lurched forward.
When her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Alyssa looked at the passengers who sat across from her on the tufted leather seat. A young woman we
aring voluminous velvet skirts and a tight bodice that pressed her breasts into mounds under her chin sat next to a fox in a three-piece black gabardine suit with a matching top hat.
Alyssa closed her eyes and settled her pack next to her on the seat. Fortunately, neither the woman nor the fox offered to introduce themselves. She couldn't wrap her brain around talking mice and green-skinned ticket takers, never mind a fox dressed up as a noble.
She had no idea how long or in what direction the coach traveled, but when it stopped again, her rear felt sore and her back ached from trying to maintain her seat.
"Giserella's," the bear said.
The young woman gasped and looked at Alyssa with eyes opened wide. The fox tucked her hand under its foreleg and she leaned against him.
Alyssa swallowed hard and clutched at her pack, but let the bear help her down from the carriage. Max had already jumped down from the top of the coach and he sat on the side of the road, his leash in his mouth.
When she took the handle from him, he asked: "Can we dispense with that here? I'll keep the collar on if you insist, but," he looked from side to side, "I do have my dignity."
"Whatever," Alyssa muttered. She guessed a talking dog didn't need a leash so she tucked it into her backpack, slipped her arms into the pack's straps, and eased them up onto her shoulders. The mouse resettled on top of the strap, and Alyssa turned her head to look at it. "Do you know where we're supposed to go?"
Max raised one paw and pointed toward a path off the main road that led into a thick strand of trees. "Giserella's is that way."
Alyssa stared at Max. "How in the world do you know?" On the other side of the road, shoulder-high rows of corn lined a field behind a low stone wall. Except for the red, green, orange, blue, and pink tassels, Alyssa could be standing on a road anywhere in the western Oregon countryside. This just can't be real.
"Everyone knows how to get to Giserella's, love," the mouse whispered into Alyssa's ear. "The trick is to find your way out again."
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