Advent Calendar Train

Welcome to the Advent Calendar Story Train, where you can read through 24 stories under the theme Surprise.

A New World Opens

Standing on the balcony, looking out at the beautiful beach below, it felt like such a waste to be mopey. Yet she couldn’t combat it right now. Caregiving had taken most of her life so far. She didn't regret it. But relationships, career, everything took a backseat. Now her parents were gone, she wasn't sure what to do next.

They had always said they had funds for her. Unfortunately, medical treatment, supplies, medications depleted everything they had saved.

Yet, here she was, splurging on a fancy tropical vacation and moping in the hotel room. The hotel was offering a hike to a private waterfall on the property tomorrow. She really should try to explore some of the island before she had to leave. 

The group that gathered for the tour was very small, only a family of four. The children were full of energy, requiring the close attention of both their parents and the guide. It allowed her to trail behind, which suited her just fine. 

"Now when we reach the waterfall, be very careful. There are some areas that have fallen recently." The guide warned.

Again, the group's focus was on keeping the kids safely away from the dangers.

When they reached the viewpoint, the view was amazing. A waterfall poured over a cliff and down into a deep pool below. The guide said, "we'll be here for an hour or so. There’s a small greenhouse along the jungle path, or simply enjoy the view."

The others decided to visit the greenhouse. She stayed. Once alone she closed her eyes to enjoy the feel of the location. So different from the sterile environment she had become accustomed to.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a sound that felt out of place. Exploring, she noticed a small trail leading behind the waterfall. A sudden desire for an adventure, maybe even recklessness, enveloped her.

She should wait for the guide, but he'd probably say it wasn't safe. The stone was wet, covered by moss. But she had developed her core through lifting her parents, and other things she definitely hadn't wanted to spill. It helped her safely reach a small cave opening behind the waterfall. She was surprised to see a glow emanating from it. She hadn’t expected glow worms here. Would the waterfall glow at night?

She was so enthralled she didn't take care of her footing. Small pebbles acted like marbles making her tumble further inside. 

When she stopped, the glow no longer reached her. Of course she only had a dumb phone, so no flashlight app or signal. Feeling around her, there seemed to be lichen or moss, meaning there must be a light source. She stepped into a puddle, which glowed in response. "That's weird."

The small amount of light allowed her to see her new surroundings. It wasn't any moss or lichen she knew of that covered the stone; a purplish instead of green. The glow began to fade so she stepped in another puddle. As she continued things got stranger. Mushrooms appeared, but they were almost as tall as her. Though being short, that wasn't hard

The puddles became a stream, every ripple glowing. 

If it weren't for the real scratches and bruises, she would think she was dreaming.

She should turn back, go home.

But home was gone. There was nothing, no one to go back to. So instead she followed the river.

Stepping into fading sunlight, she was met by a fantasy world. The trees were more purple and blue toned than green. The river became a waterfall, glowing as she had thought the one on the other side might. 

A nearby scrambling made her jump. She stood there, trying to catch her breath when a pair of cat-like green eyes met hers. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She could only describe it as a dragon. It neared her, sniffing like a dog would. It must have decided she wasn't a threat because it started rubbing against her. Was it marking her life cats do? It finally curled up on her foot, purring?

"If you're like a cat, just wait till I'm actually dead to eat my eyes, okay?"

It let out a huff, as if offended. 

"Don't like the comparison? I always wanted a cat, but mom was allergic. I never had pets."

Her stomach rumbled, causing the creature to launch into the air. Though it was getting dark, she could see the golden color of its wings in contrast to its black body. "You're a lovely surprise."

A chirp was her response as it settled back to the ground. "I'm getting hungry and thirsty, but what's safe to consume here? Everything is so unfamiliar."

As if in answer, the little dragon drank the water then stared at her.

"Okay. I'll trust you. Though I'm starting to worry about my sanity."

The water felt wonderful, cool with a slight hint of citrus. As her little companion preened, she couldn't help but smile. "I should call you something. What do you think I should call a lovely critter like you?"

Once again, when she said lovely, the dragon chirped. "You like being called Lovely?" 

Chirp. 

"Or do you prefer Critter?" 

She was sure this sound was as close to a snort as "Lovely" could produce. 

"Okay. Lovely it is."

Lovely sat up, again, staring at her as if waiting. "You want to know my name?"

Chirp.

"I assume that's an affirmative. My name's Aisha Quinn. My mom heard the name and thought it was spelled with an I. Even though she was wrong, she nicknamed me IQ. Never felt like I lived up to it though." Aisha sighed, looking into the foreign sky. "The only places with colors like this were the poles. . . But as pretty as they are, they won't feed me. Unless things work differently here?"

Lovely just huffed. 

"Well, lead the way. I can only embrace the surprises. 

Thank you for reading today’s story. The next one will be available to read on December 3th, titled “What Chalkie Saw". This link will be active tomorrow when the post goes live.

If you missed yesterday’s you can go and read it here.