The Gift 16 and a plea
Hello. I’m the cooking stealing bunny.
I’m here to ask you a great favor.
After you read this, and learn how to make one of these:
And go visit In the Real World: Venus vs. Mars where the Blond Duck is a featured contributor…
After that, I need you do something very important.
Extremely tremendous.
Utterly stupendous.
Listen, friends. Easter is coming up. And as the cookie stealing bunny…
I just want some Easter cookies.
Help a bunny out.
And read The Gift. Thanks.
To read previous installations of the Gift, check out the Neverending stories tab above!
For those who don’t know, the Gift is the story of Samantha, a grad student who discovered a strange gift while staying with her friends at her parent’s vacation cabin over winter break. After traveling to her old friend’s bar to try to determine the origin of the strange necklace she received, she suddenly found herself in the enchanted forests of Ireland being pursued by a secret admirer. Can her friends and loser boyfriend Jeremy save her before she gets trapped in a real-life fairy tale? Read on…
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“You’re the only one that can help her,” the fairy repeated, her eyes locked on Rouge. “For those trapped under the Fin Brehea’s spell can only be saved by one thing.”
“Please, good woman, tell me what it is,” Rouge begged. “I’ll do anything for her.”
“She’s my girlfriend, Irish boy!” Jeremy shouted from the car. “Let’s not forget what’s important here!”
“Why didn’t we just leave him in America?” Ashley muttered, rolling her eyes.
“I have no idea.” Cleo sounded just as tired.
“There is something you have that the Fin Brehea’s son does not,” the fairy continued, ignoring the chatter around them. “Remember this:
“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with the golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet.
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams beneath your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
“That’s Yeats,” Rouge murmured, his eyes wide with shock. “William Butler Yeats. Good lady, what does that mean?”
“How does a fairy know poetry?” Jeremy bellowed from the car. “Was she old enough to know him?” He cackled and pounded on the car door. Ashley and Cleo snarled.
The fairy simply smiled. A gust of wind shook the limbs of the tree above them and ruffled the clovers around their feet. With a single smile, she had gone.
Placing another tea cake in the clover, Rouge stood and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked out into the forest and his jaw tightened. Without another word, he turned and trudged back into the car. Jeremy was still cackling in the back seat as he climbed into the driver’s side and pulled the seat belt across his lap. Ashley and Cleo hopped into the car after him, slamming the doors as the car started to roll down the road.
“Hurry much?” Cleo asked, clicking her seatbelt into position with a scowl. “Could you wait until we were even in the car?”
“We’ve got to hurry,” Rouge said, his eyes glued straight ahead.
“What did she tell you?” Ashely asked. “When you talked in Gaelic?”
Rouge grimaced. “I agreed to a pact if she would tell me where Samantha is.”
“What did you agree too?” Ashley asked.
He shook his head. “I can’t say. It would break the bond.”
“Oh.” Ashley chewed on her lip. She was dying of curiosity, but knew finding Samantha was much more important. “Where is she at?”
“She told me about a tree in the forest,” Rouge replied. “She gave me some landmarkers. We can drive through part of it, but we’ll have to hike the rest of the way. I just hope they don’t keep moving.”
“How much time do we have?” Cleo asked.
Rouge pointed at the sky with a grim look. “Until sunset.”
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“That doesn’t make any sense,” Samantha complained. “It’ll be sunset in a few hours. How am I supposed to find three clues by then? In heels, I might add! Heels!”
Brogan sighed. “Have you not figured out this is a magic forest?” he asked, speaking slowly as if she was half-witted. “Time does not move the same way here.”
Samantha glared at him. “Who makes up these rules? Seriously. First I have to traipse around looking for clues and now I have no definite time limit? Listen buddy, I’m tired. I’m hungry, my feet hurt and I’m cold. I don’t want to play anymore.” Her eyes felt heavy as she narrowed them. “Let me tell you, once sunset comes, I’m going to give Mr. Me a piece of my…” She was asleep before she hit the ground. Brogan chuckled as he picked her up, setting her on a large log wrapped in thick soft moss.
“Sleep for a bit, fair lady,” he whispered, stroking the side of her face. “For you’ll need your strength to deal with the Prince. Sleep well.”
If Samantha had heard him in her dreams, she would have been too distracted to acknowledge it.
For she was staring into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. A man with silver hair and incandescent skin was standing in front of her. He was wearing a deep blue velvet coat and black riding breeches, as though he had stepped out of a historical novel. Her sweater dress and boots had been replaced with a golden gown. Brushing the silk skirts with her hand, it was all she could do not to bury her face in it. The fabric was as soft as lamb’s nose and as light as paper. She looked around at the palace that surrounded them. The walls were carved from crystal and light glowed from jewels dangling from the glittering ceilings.
“Who are you?” she asked, tearing her eyes away from the opulence around her.
To be continued…
Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a new tale of the Rubber Chicken! Wednesday we have a new Penelope’s Pie Shop and Thursday, a new recipe. And don’t worry–we’ve got a new Twirl coming up!
And for you tech savvy Invisible Friends, check out the RSS feed at the bottom and feel free to sign up through feed burner! Also, check out my button on the left!
March 30th, 2009 at 2:36 am
Great first post on Venus vs. Mars! Found you through there as I’m a contributor to the site as well. Look forward to reading more!
March 30th, 2009 at 3:03 am
I love that bunny.
March 30th, 2009 at 3:16 am
Love the Venus post. I can’t stop re-reading it with a giggle. Yep, I’m married too!
March 30th, 2009 at 3:51 am
Gess who I ran into over the wknd? Mr. Chicken….the star of your one story..yes, I saw him and we had the most wonderful convo. He is very talkative!
March 30th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Hmm, wait until you have kids and you take them with you to buy Ben some boxers. They will get all wierd and think you’re a perv because the pictures on some of the underwear packages don’t leave a whole lot to the imagination and they won’t believe you when you promise on a stack of Bibles you’re only looking for the size and style on the package!
March 30th, 2009 at 4:58 am
oh good LORD. that bunny is SO cute. i’d send him all the Easter cookies that he wanted in the world because he’s so freaking CUTE!
March 30th, 2009 at 5:12 am
My husband usually buys his own underwear. I think he’s afraid I’ll buy him nothing but boxer briefs because I just think he looks so hot in them.
As for Easter cookies, my sister-in-law is making those this year. I’m making two kind of ice cream to go with them. I’ll let you have some if you keep the cookie-stealing bunny away!
March 30th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Looks like Rouge is almost too late, but Duckie’s stories can’t end that way, can they?
March 30th, 2009 at 5:42 am
hehe. Cute bunny who loves cookies!!
Ahhh – great chapter!!!
March 30th, 2009 at 6:03 am
I love your cookie stealing bunny. And as always your stories are fantastic.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:05 am
Haven’t been to Venus and Mars yet, but will go after this. Great cliff hanger Duckie. I cannot wait to see what happens next. Who is this beautiful sounding man/fairy? I bet it won’t be good, He’s probably mean! XXOO
March 30th, 2009 at 6:51 am
Great post on the new site! Those cookies look delicious!
March 30th, 2009 at 6:56 am
I sure hope you are writing a book, you are extremely creative!
March 30th, 2009 at 7:17 am
I don’t know how much I like Samantha, she comes across kind of shallow. Rouge on the other hand………….:-)
~ingrid
March 30th, 2009 at 7:31 am
I love Rogue – another great cliff hanger Duckie (you must stop doing that).
March 30th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Rouge…my sweet darling, Rouge….heavy sigh….
It’s been a fun morning over here at the Pond! I have been having a lot of fun scooting around your linkys!
March 30th, 2009 at 8:28 am
That bunny and I have a lot in common…ah, the love of cookies! Those frosted sugar cookies look AMAZING by the way!
March 30th, 2009 at 8:58 am
WOW…I need to catch up. I loved what you wrote over on RealWorld Venus Mars…so I came to check you out and I LOVE IT! The website, your writing, and humor!
I’m going to have to come back after work and read all night!
March 30th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Cute cookies!
March 30th, 2009 at 9:11 am
I didn’t follow your instructions and skipped right to the story which is captivating… but now I’m going to go and check out RealWorld….
March 30th, 2009 at 9:50 am
So happy you dropped by, again, today! I love those cookies…yummo! And that bunny is too cute!
March 30th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Oh wow.. what a wonderful contribution. I love that your writing about marriage also. Another fun blog to pop on over to. Ciao and hugs.
March 30th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Love all of it, as always, but mostly I want to thank you for starting my week with cookie stealing bunny. Thank you, mi amiga!
March 30th, 2009 at 10:52 am
It’s your day over at VvM??? How exciting! Going over now!!
March 30th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Great post on Venus vs. Mars. I have to comment from home later! I love this story. I hope you get some of these published one day, they are too good to keep to yourself!
March 30th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
That little cookie stealing bunny is hysterical. And did you know on your last comment on my blog, you were still linking to your old blog? Just an FYI for future commenting.
March 30th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I so need to catch up on your post, so here I go… Chef E
March 30th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I loved your underwear story, that was so funny and cute!! I kind of wish that what was happening to Samantha would happen to me in real life! It seems kind of fun and adventurous. But that’s just me…
March 30th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Love the bunny – the cookies look yummy – the Easter ones – great chapter – are you keeping all of this handy for turning in to a book at some point?
March 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Those cookies are fantastic! That lucky bunny! lol
March 30th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Hi Duckie! How are you??? Thanks for another great installment. Now I have a dilemma… I don’t know whether I love Wade or Rouge the best??? They are both wonderful characters!
Have a super day over at the Pond! Say hello to Bitty, Bear, Ben and the Cookie Stealing Bunny!
XOXO
Jen
March 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Uh oh…is that the prince?
March 30th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
You are Queen of the Cliffhangers!
I would so love to steal thos cookies too bunny!
March 30th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
oh, little bunny! i hope you get your cookies!! Rogue!! Hurry!!
March 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Ooh Easter Cookies….what kind should I make?
March 30th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Hi! Thank you for popping in on my blog! Glad to have joined SITS!
March 30th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Great post and I so love those cookies too. Will go over and read your new post too!
March 30th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Great post! I have been missing everything go on at the Pond. I’m sorry about all that. I took a little hiatus from the blogosphere, but I couldn’t stay away too long. After a break, I had to come by again and see what you’ve been up to.
Glad that I did.
-Francesca
PS: Thanks for the birthday love!
March 30th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
great installment! i’m really enjoying reading these stories. love the bunny!
March 30th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
I always read your fine texts with pleasure!
About eating pasta every day and not getting fat, there is no secret: I think it’s a matter of individual metabolism.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Oh my!!
I surely hope loser Jeremy has something horribly dreadful happen to him!!
And dearest Cookie-Stealing Bunny, please send a notice to the Easter Bunny (a relation of yours perhaps?) that all Easter cookies should make their way to your happy little hole.
March 30th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Those Easter cookies are so cute!!
March 31st, 2009 at 3:02 am
LOL – anything for the cookie stealing bunny.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:34 am
Those cookies look awesome~girl you are soooooo talented.
Poor Samantha, I hope Rouge isn’t too late!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:37 am
Great post on the real world….
March 31st, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Oh, those ducky easter cookies are so adorable. Love the color too.
Cheers,
elra