“I don’t know how much help I would be,” L said as she picked up one of the cookies and took a bite.


    “I just need someone to run errands for me asionally, when I can’t get away from the shop. I’ve always felt that I could I trust you.” Erik said with a hopeful smile.


    L thought over his offer as she nibbled on the cookie. It would help her to get to know Erik better and see if she and the handsome shopkeeper had anything other than a love of antiques inmon. It would also get her a little extra ie, which sadly these days she needed the money. L worked at the local nt nursery and the cold months always meant she wasn’t needed at the business and her paychecks were starting to reflect that.


    “When would I start?” She asked as she sat the cookie on the edge of the saucer, picking up the teacup to take a sip of the lightly sweetened tea.


    “Tomorrow, if it doesn’t interfere with your other job.” Erik sat his teacup and saucer down with a smile. He pulled out a cream-colored envelope from his vest pocket and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed as she epted the vellum envelope. She felt a spark of something she couldn’t name re to life in her chest, it felt almost magical.


    Erik looked at their touching fingertips, he pulled his hand back flexing his fingers. “The information about the item you’re picking up and the payment is enclosed.”


    “As long as it’s not dangerous, I can help,” L said as she tucked the envelope into her bag that rested by her feet. She finished her tea and shortbread, sitting the teacup and saucer on the table as she stood.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “I would never put you in any danger, thank you for having tea with me today.” He said as he stood. The bells on the door made a tinkling sound as another potential customer entered the shop.


    “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow evening,” L said as she picked up her bags and headed towards the front of the shop.


    “I look forward to it,” Erik said as he walked her to the door, L watched as he turned away to greet the shopper that hade in earlier.


    Stepping outside and back into the real world was a shock to her system. The almost magical feeling she felt inside the antique shop always left her excited for a time when she could return. The crisp cool air swirled around her, making her purple hair dance in the wind and she smiled, feeling a connection to something else. Something more powerful than herself.


    L closed her eyes, absorbing the feeling, before the honking from a random car passing made her jump. She let out a deep sigh. Time to get back to reality. She walked down the sidewalk heading home, a hop in her step as she thought about the job and the box that she carried. She knew exactly where she wanted to put it.


    Humming quietly, she all but skipped down the sidewalk. Sometimes she felt like she was born in the wrong time with how much she enjoyed antiques and just being in nature. The connection that she felt to a higher power when she sank her fingers into the soft earth, was something she had yet to find a way to put into words.


    ***


    L unlocked the door to her apartment, it wasn’t arge apartment. It did have a nice kitchen and she enjoyed that feature. She sat down on the couch, her purchase clutched to her chest as a small smile yed on her lips. It was almost like she could feel something special about the box. Something otherworldly that called to her. She carefully pulled out the paper-wrapped item and sat it on her knees. She felt like a kid on Christmas morning.


    She carefully peeled back the paper until her prize was revealed to her. Smiling as she picked it up, letting the paper fall to the floor as she brought it up for closer inspection. The symbols looked vaguely familiar to her, and she brought her index finger up to trace the lines. L dropped the box and jumped off on the couch.


    Had she finally gone crazy?


    Throughout her childhood, they had teased her for being different. The whispers still bouncing through her head, haunting her.


    She must finally be cracking. This was the way her brain was manifesting her insanity. L picked up the box again and traced the next symbol.


    The same thing happened. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. This had to be a very vivid hallucination.


    L opened her eyes, her heart pounding as she repeated the tracing pattern. Sometimes skipping around to a different symbol in a seemingly random pattern. The wood felt warm in her hands. She sat it down on her smallvender colored coffee table. Watching the box, waiting for it to explode. She wondered if maybe Erik had spiked her tea with some kind of drug or if she really was finally going insane.


    She shakily brought her hand up, holding her breath as she traced thest symbol. Small sparkles seemed to shimmer in the air. It would have been pretty if L wasn’t so terrified. The lights moved towards her, ying across her skin in a flurry of multicolored shimmers.


    Backing up, she worried her lower lip as they followed her. Then they flew back towards the box in a flurry of movement. She let out the breath that she had been holding, stepping closer to see what it would do next. A feeling of weightlessness flowed through her as her feet left the ground and she went flying backwards. Tossed by an unseen force.


    L’s world started to go dim but around her. The small living room erupted into an explosion of colorful lights that made the previous one seem like a sparklerpared to a roman candle.