Ticket to Faerie

A Fantasy NovelByte

By

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.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to five (5) years in federal prison and a fine of
$250,000.

Published by Uncial Press,
an imprint of GCT, Inc.

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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
precisely
as 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."