Sparks Ch. 02

Finn woke at daybreak. He got into his duffel bag, and saw the birthday card meant for Maeve. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second, and then, calmer, threw on shorts and a t-shirt, and walked quietly down the stairs and to the kitchen.

He put coffee on, and went out to the porch. After a few minutes he came back in, got a cup, and went back out, coffee in hand.

He was sitting on the porch swing a while later when he felt eyes on him. He turned his head and saw Erin standing quietly in the doorway, looking through the old wooden screen door. "Good morning," she said, and he replied likewise. She stepped away, and came back with her own coffee cup, sitting in an Adirondack chair close by. They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the morning light slowly get brighter.

Finn stood up and asked her, "another cup?"

"Yes, please." She handed him her empty cup.

"Two sugars, and cream?"

She smiled. "Yes, thank you."

He returned in a few moments and handed her her cup. She looked up at him. "We haven't talked in a few weeks. Are you okay?"

"I know, I'm sorry. Just... busy." He looked away without making eye contact.

"How is Susan?"

He didn't answer for a few moments. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"We broke up. A few weeks ago." He gazed out into the trees. "It was never going to be that serious. Her family would have hated me anyway. We only went out a couple times." He felt frustrated. All his relationships had been short, and, no matter how much he liked the girl, it never went beyond a date or two. There was always something that just felt 'off'.

"She wasn't right for you." Her remark surprised him, a little. She was usually very reluctant to comment on his relationships, what few he had had. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She glanced at him, and then back at her cup. She wasn't sure why she had said that, it just came out.

He looked at her. "And Mark?"

She looked at him, then back down at her cup. "We didn't go out."

He just raised his eyebrows in question.

"He was bragging to his buddies that he was going to make me put out on the first date. My roommate heard it through the grapevine and let me know."

He looked at her. "Well... as you say... he wasn't right for you."

They sat in silence. After quite a while he looked at her again. "Breakfast?"

"Sure, what is there?"

"I don't know, let's go see."

They got up and walked into the house.

Two tiny pairs of eyes peered out from one of the hanging baskets of flowers, hidden among the petals. The male fairy was hugging the female from behind, his hands massaging her breasts. She could feel his hardness against her back. She looked back over her shoulder at him. "Mmmm, that feels nice. They sure do take forever to get going."

He kissed her, feeling her nipples against his palms. "Patience. Remember, they still think they are brother and sister."

She looked at him again. "When will they find out? Not long I hope."

"Not long." He gently bent her forward, and slowly began running his fingers across were wet folds. "It won't be long."

"Oooh, that feels good. Don't stop."

Finn opened the refrigerator. "We have bacon and eggs, does that sound good?"

Erin sat down at the table. "It sounds wonderful, if you're cooking. What are we doing today?"

Finn put some bacon in a pan and turned on the heat. "I thought we would just take it easy. We have to go see the lawyer tomorrow morning, and we probably need to see about Maeve's arrangements after that." He picked up the coffee pot and offered her more, but she waved him off. He topped off his cup, put the pot back in the holder, and shut it off. "When did you last talk with her?"

She set her cup down and looked out the window. "Two weeks ago, when I found out about Mark. She gave me her usual solid advice, then she said something odd."

"Oh? What was that?"

"She said 'you will know what to do when the time comes.' I have no idea what she meant."

Finn had an odd look on his face. "I talked to her about Susan, and she told me the same thing. I've never known her to give vague advice."

Erin shook her head. "Me neither." She looked out the window again, lost in thought.

After a few minutes, Finn said, "if you want to make toast, the bacon is about done. I'll start on the eggs."

Erin got up, put her mug in the sink, and went to the bread box. Taking out four slices, she put them in the toaster on the counter, then took two plates out of the cupboard, forks out of the drawer, and a knife.

"Your usual?"

"Yes, scrambled, please."

He put the bacon on paper towels, and cracked eggs into the pan. Erin pulled the toast from the toaster, buttered it, and put it on a plate in the middle of the table. It wasn't long before he was splitting the eggs between the plates. He put the bacon on the plate with the toast and sat down across from her at the table.

The rest of the morning passed quietly. After they cleaned up from breakfast, Erin went upstairs and returned minutes later, her hair back in its ponytail. She had her Kindle, and went out on the porch and sat reading.

Finn felt restless. He found the keys to the Buick, and went out into the small garage. First, he looked around the workbench, mentally noting what tools there were. He found the old string trimmer in a corner, but the gas line looked rotten, and it clearly hadn't moved in years. There was the usual random collection of mismatched screwdrivers, a hammer, and a few wrenches and pliers. Maeve had many talents, but a mechanic she was not.

Finally, he moved to the car and opened the driver's door. The blue vinyl was in remarkably good shape for a 60-year old car. He sat down, put the key in the ignition, and turned it. The car came to life almost immediately. He let it run for a minute, then he shut it back off.

Next, he went to the smaller of the two barns. He looked at the mower, but its tank was empty, and so was the gas can. Like the string trimmer, it looked like it hadn't run in years. A collection of gardening tools were in a corner. These, at least, had seen recent use. Maeve never had a large garden, but what she did grow, she grew well.

Lastly, the big barn. He poked around a bit, but it was just as he remembered it -- empty. He realized that all three outbuildings were in remarkably good shape. The wood, though clearly old, had no rot that he could see.

He walked back to the house. As he came around the side, he saw Erin gently swinging back and forth, reading. Her shoulders and neck were smooth, the faint glint of a necklace against her skin. It was very hot today, and she was wearing a tank top, with what looked like a white bikini top beneath it. He was struck by how beautiful she was.

Going into the kitchen, he poured two glasses of iced tea. It was the last of what Maeve had brewed, they would have to make more. He brought it out to the porch and handed one to Erin. She took a sip, then she put the glass against her forehead.

"It's hot today. It's not even noon. Did you find anything in the barns?"

"No, I just needed to move around. What are you reading?"

He saw a flush of color appear on her face. "Oh, nothing." She turned the Kindle off and set it down, and got up to look at the flowers. After a minute, she pointed at one of the baskets and said, "does it seem to that this basket seems somehow healthier? The flowers are brighter, at least. Hmmm."

They sat in silence for a while; it was too hot to do much. At noon they went in and made lunch -- BLT's, using leftover bacon from breakfast, tomatoes (probably from Maeve's garden -- they would need to check that), and lettuce out of the refrigerator. There was not a lot to choose from, they would need to get a few things soon.

The rest of the day they were lost in their own thoughts. Maeve had not been gone that long, but there was an emptiness about the place.

Late in the evening, Finn mentioned to Erin that he was going to go check the garden, but before either of them could get up from the porch, a gust of wind swirled around the house, and a rumble of thunder came out of the west.

At first, it was just that -- a little wind, and distant thunder -- but before too long, the wind picked up in earnest, it began to grow dark, and the thunder was getting closer and louder. Finn looked at Erin, and said, "we should probably go in." At that moment, they could hear the rain coming, and as they went to move through the door, lightning struck somewhere close. They both jumped, and hurried into the house. Finn made it halfway into the room before he felt Erin's arms around him.

"I don't like lightning," she said. He pulled her to the couch, and they sat down. He put his arm around her, and she lay her head against him. Minutes passed, and there was another lightning strike fairly close. This time, the lights flickered, went out briefly, then came back on, but went back out almost immediately.

She picked her head up off his shoulder and look at him. "Do you know if there are any candles?"

"No, I don't." She put her head back on his shoulder, and they sat there quietly, listening to the rain pouring down, and the thunder, the two of them lit occasionally by flashes of lightning.

It rained for an hour or so. Eventually, the storm moved off to the east. The air smelled clean and fresh, and it had cooled off enough to be comfortable -- still warm, but not stifling.

Finn stirred, and realized his arm around her had gone to sleep. He looked at her, and she had, as well. Gently, he extracted his arm from around her. The movement was enough to wake her. Sitting up, she said, "I'm going to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow."

He stood up, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. They went up the stairs, she turning to her room on the left, and he to his room on the right. They said their "good nights", and went to their separate rooms.

Two tiny pairs of eyes blinked in the darkness at the end of the hall, peering through the closed window.

The green winged fairy said, "do we begin tonight?" She held his bicep in one hand, and stroked his thigh with the other.

The blue winged fairy replied, "not yet. Tomorrow night, I believe. It will be a new moon, and the weather will be right. I promise, we'll have our fun!"

Shortly before 9, they arrived at the lawyer's office. The storm from the night before was long gone, leaving no clouds. It felt like it was going to be another hot day.

Getting out of Finn's truck, they walked to the door. The office was not on the main street, but around a corner at the side of the last building in town. "Patrick Brady, Attorney at Law" was painted on the glass window in the old wooden door. Everything about the place seemed old.

They opened the door, and the tinkle of a small bell rang out. Walking into the building, they encountered a small waiting room containing a long-disused desk, and several comfortable-looking overstuffed chairs.

A voice came through the open office door to the side, "come in, come in!"

They stepped to the doorway, and looked in.

The attorney sat at a desk that seemed to be older than the town itself. He had a patch of unkempt white hair on his head, but apart from that he didn't look nearly his age. He had a somber look on his face, but there was a twinkle in his eyes, behind a small pair of old-fashioned round glasses. He wore a suit and vest of tweed, clean and pressed but very much out of style. The golden chain from a pocket watch gleamed where it ran from a button hole on the vest to a vest pocket.

Behind him were two large bookcases, filled to overflowing with books, papers, and envelopes. Most of it looked as if it hadn't moved in years, if ever. There was an old clock on the wall, its hands stopped, the pendulum still.

For want of a better term, the entire office looked unused.

"Sit down, sit down." There were two straight back wooden chairs in front of the desk. They sat.

"First of all, my condolences on Maeve. She was an interesting, remarkable woman. Now. Before we go any further, I must tell you a few things." He began counting on his fingers. "One - I don't want to cause you any distress, but Maeve left strict instructions for me upon her passing. There will be no service or funeral."

Finn and Erin look at each other, the finality of it sinking in.

"In fact, she was cremated yesterday." He reached into a drawer on his desk and withdrew a small wooden box, unadorned, unfinished, bare, plain wood, hinges and clasp of simple brass. He reached across and set it on their side of the desk.

"Two," he said, touching another fingertip, "she asked that I give you this letter." He passed it across the desk, and they took it from his hand. "Please, go ahead and read it together." It was hand-written.

Erin and Finn; If you are reading this, then I am at rest. Know that I love you both. I am proud of both of you. Please do not be alarmed by what you are about to learn in the next days. Things are not as they seem. Everything you know about me is true, but there are a great many things you were never told. If I told you everything, you wouldn't believe it, so it must be revealed slowly. Do not be concerned. What you learn in the next days will open your eyes; to me, to each other, and to the world around you.

Some tasks have been set for you. They are not arduous, and they will not cause you any permanent harm. They may at times seem uncomfortable, perhaps even, embarrassing. Others may not seem like tasks at all, but rewards, or common activities. If you complete the tasks, the two of you will inherit my entire estate. There is far more to it than meets the eye. I promise, you will never want the rest of your lives if you do so.

The attorney has the rest of my instructions. He, too, is not as he seems. He will answer what questions you have, if he can, but do not expect him to know everything. It is important that you follow my instructions to the letter. Do not deviate, do not hesitate. The attorney will give you your first task -- you will receive more instructions as you progress.

Fair you well, wherever your fare. ~ With love, Maeve

Erin and Finn exchanged a glance. Erin was the first to speak. "I suppose we're not even sure where to start. I assume you've read this letter?"

"Yes, I have."

Finn spoke up, "I'm sure we have more questions than we even know."

Erin asked, "do you know what the tasks are?"

"No, I'm sorry, I am not privy to what comprises your tasks. I will warn, you, however, that I will know whether they have been completed, or not. It is the only thing she told me that was very clear."

"If you don't know what they are" said Finn, "how will you know if we've completed them?"

The attorney smiled and steepled his fingers before his face. "That, I'm afraid, is one of those questions I cannot answer." He settled back in his chair.

"Cannot? Or 'will not'?"

"Both, actually. I know that makes no sense to you now, but it will, if you complete the tasks."

Finn asked, "how long do we have to complete these tasks?"

"Maeve didn't tell me a time limit. All Maeve would tell me is it might take a few days, or a few weeks."

Finn look at Erin. She looked as confused as he did.

"Do you have any other questions?"

Not knowing what to say, they just shook their heads.

"Once the tasks are complete -- or if you choose not to do them -- come back to me. In either case, there will be paperwork to sign." He stood up behind his desk, turned to his bookcase, and retrieved an envelope. He looked at his watch. "In the meantime, I am to give you this, your first task." He handed the envelope to Finn.

"Open this after you leave, and before 10AM."

Finn and Erin stood up and looked at each other. With a grimace, Finn picked up the wooden box containing Maeve's ashes.

"Good luck to you both. I shall see you in a few weeks, I hope."

"Thank you," they both said, then they walked slowly to the outer office and through the door to the street. They got into Finn's truck -- he sat the ashes on the seat between them, and they just looked at each other. A minute passed. Erin finally broke the silence.

"This is not at all what I expected." She looked out the window of the truck.

"Me neither." Finn looked down at the envelope in his hand. "I suppose we should open this." Erin slid closer to him on the seat, and he opened the envelope.

Inside was another letter, and two smaller sealed envelopes one green, one blue.

Erin and Finn. I know this is a lot to take in, but please be patient. It will get better, but you must go through this together. The tasks set before you must not be revealed to anyone, under any circumstances. You will see why very soon. Your first task: open the small green envelope. Go over to Brewer's Grocery, and give the ticket inside it to the manager, Edith. She is expecting you. Only after you have done that, open the blue envelope. ~ Maeve

Finn handed Erin the large envelope, and started his truck. Brewer's was three blocks away, which was all the bigger Cork was. They parked in the small parking lot, and walked inside.

Neither of them had been in Brewer's for a number of years, but they knew the store well. Edith was the manager, and as no-nonsense as they come. She always wore a high-necked blouse, either blue or red, a string of pearls on the outside of the blouse, a white sweater, regardless the time of year, and she had the half-height reading glasses on a chain around her neck, the chain decorated with cheap costume jewels, the glasses balanced perpetually on her nose.

When they walked in, Edith was standing at the meat counter talking with the butcher. Hearing the door open, she glanced towards it, and saw Finn and Erin come in. She immediately held her finger up in the universal "wait a minute" gesture to the butcher, and came to meet them.

"Finn. Erin. I'm glad to see you, although I wish the circumstances were otherwise. Come with me to the office."

They followed her to the back of the store, and through a small door labeled "employees only". There was a small hallway with two restrooms further down, and a door on the immediate right that Edith opened. Inside was a small, neat desk, a few file cabinets, an office chair, and a padded bench along the wall. On the desk, out of place with the room, was a picnic basket.

Finn handed her the ticket. It was ornate, with fancy gold filigree in abundance. It had the letter 'M' in calligraphy embossed on it.

Edith gestured at the bench. "Sit, sit." They sat. "I'm sure you two are confused, and to be honest, so am I. The lawyer came to me with a note from Maeve that included instructions to pack this picnic basket, and what to put in it, and that you two would be coming to pick it up. I thought it was a strange request. But we all respected Maeve, so... well, here you are."

"There are also a couple bags of groceries -- nothing strange in those, thankfully, just, well... groceries. Oh, before I forget, you're not supposed to open the basket yet -- you're supposed to get further instructions somehow?"

The two of them looked back and forth between each other and Edith. Finn said, "yes, we have those 'further instructions', although we don't really know what they are yet. Even if we did, we're not supposed to say, anyway."

"Okay. Now, with that done -- are you two okay? Do you need anything?" Edith seemed eager to change the subject.

Erin chuckled. "We're doing okay, I suppose. It's been a whirlwind, and with all this... mystery... we really aren't sure exactly what's going on. We keep getting more questions, and no answers."

"Sometimes that's a metaphor for life, deary." Edit smiled when she said it.

Erin looked at Finn. "It's not even 11, but it feels like it's been a long day. Can we go back to the house?"

Edith stood up, and said, "let's get you taken care of. Finn, why don't you carry this?" She gestured at the picnic basket. Finn picked it up, and they walked back into the main store.

Several minutes later, the picnic basket, along with the grocery boxes (Edith's 'a couple bags' turned out to be six boxes), were in the truck -- the picnic basket riding between them next to Maeve's ashes, the groceries in the back.

"Now, you two, if you need anything, you just let me know. Right?" Edith punctuated it by pointing a finger at them.

"Yes, ma'am," they both replied.

After Edith walked away, Erin picked up the blue envelope. "I guess this is next?"

Finn said, "go ahead and open it while I drive, some of these groceries go in the fridge." He put the truck in gear and started out.

Erin opened the blue envelope and pulled out another letter. She read it aloud.

Erin and Finn. I apologize for the mystery, but it is necessary. The groceries are mundane -- I knew you would need them, and it's one less thing you have to worry about. There should be plenty here to see to your tasks, and then some. The picnic basket is another matter. Once you get the groceries put away, you must take the basket -- both of you -- and go to the meadow. Take my ashes with you. At noon, spread my ashes around the Ash tree in the meadow. It must be at noon, if you need to wait a day, do so. Then, open the picnic basket. There is, in fact, a picnic in it. There is also a red envelope. Do not open the envelope until you have had your picnic, but do open it before you leave the meadow. Please, enjoy the picnic together. Take your time. Please do it in my honor. ~ Maeve

The rest of the ride home was quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Arriving at the house, they carried in the groceries and put them away. Erin looked at the clock. "It's 11:45. Let's go have our picnic." She was smiling, but there was a sadness to it.

Finn picked up the basket; Erin carried Maeve's ashes. It was a ten-minute walk. Finn set the basket down in the grass next to the pool, and joined Erin at the tree.

Erin's hands were shaking as she held the box. She looked at Finn. "Is it noon?"

Finn put one arm around her shoulders, and opened the box. "It is. We'll do this together."

Holding the box together awkwardly, they walked around the tree and scattered the ashes. By the time they had circled the tree, tears were running down Erin's face, and Finn was holding his tears back.

Erin buried her face in Finn's chest, and he held her. She sobbed for a few minutes, but after she had calmed down, they went and opened the basket.

Inside was a typical picnic lunch -- small sandwiches, strawberries and other fruit, pieces of cheese, and small pieces of chocolate. There was also a bottle of champagne that was, amazingly enough, still cold, along with two plastic champagne flutes, and two bottles of spring water. As promised, a red envelope was in the bottom. And, for no apparent reason, a pair of dice.

Folded in the corner of the basket was a red and white checked tablecloth, and matching napkins.

Finn looked at her. "Wow." They spread the tablecloth on the grass next to the pool, and, ignoring the dice, they set the food out on it. They each took a sandwich, and after a bite, they agreed it was delicious. After eating a little bit of everything, Finn picked up the bottle of champagne. "Shall we?"

She looked at him. It was a warm day, and he could see a faint sheen of sweat on her neck. "Yes, please."

He poured two glasses, and handed one to her -- he held his aloft, and said "To Granny!"

"To Granny!" She echoed.

They lay on the cloth, talking, for hours it seemed. The flood of memories from years past grew and grew. Remembering things they had done all together, remembering some of their play as children. They talked of the meadow, and their fondness for it. Eventually, the food was gone, and the champagne. They folded the cloth back up, and packed the remains in the picnic basket. That was the moment they remembered the red envelope.

Finn took it out of the basket, and looked at it. "What do you think it says?"

"Only one way to find out," she said, and took it out of his hands. She opened it, and inside was another letter.

Erin and Finn. You have opened the red envelope. Things are about to change for the both of you. For the better, I am sure. As I said in the first letter, no permanent harm will come to you from the tasks before you. The first true task is this: Believe! Believe in what, you ask? For lack of a better term, call it "magic". Believe in the magic of life, and nature, and love. Believe in yourselves. This may seem simple, but it is hard to believe in magic, if you haven't seen it. So, I am going to let you see it. There are two dice in the basket. Each one of you take a die. Examine them, see that they are normal dice. Roll them in your hand, on the ground, see that they are not strange in any way. Once you have satisfied yourselves that the dice are as I have said, I want you each to take your die and roll it into the other's hand. Do this only once! Remember what number each of you rolls, then place the dice back in the picnic basket. With that done, go back to the house. Go into my room, and open the closet. In the back corner of the closet is a patch of carpet that is slightly different than the rest. Lift up the carpet, and you will find a compartment there. In the compartment is a copper box. Open the box; you will find another letter. Your new magical adventures begin. Love, ~ Maeve

Erin looked at Finn. "This sounds... odd. Magic? I'll admit, that's a little hard to believe in."

He retrieved the dice out of the basket. They were both normal dice, translucent red with white pips. He handed one to her, and began examining his intently. As suggested in the letter, he rolled it, numerous times. In all respects, it seemed a normal die.

Erin did the same, and came to the same conclusion -- they were a normal pair of dice.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, hold out your hand." They held a hand out, and rolled their die into each other's hand. Finn rolled a 2; Erin rolled a 3. Nothing happened. The dice sat there like dice are wont to do.

"Well," said Erin, "I guess we know what we are supposed to do next."

The two small creatures sat high in the Ash tree, watching. The male said, so quietly it might have been the breeze, "no, you really don't." He looked at the female fairy. "And so it begins."

"I'm so excited!" Her little wings twitched.

He reached over and pinched one of her very erect nipples. "You're always excited," he said, with a smile on his face.