Hello, Invisible Subjects.  It’s your 4 lb dictator–I mean Queen Bitty, here.

And I need you to do something for me.

I have decided that we will have a Pond Puppy Ball, in honor of summer and puppies everywhere.

Of course, cats and lizards and insects and fish and puppies of all kinds, big and small, young and old, are welcome.

So what do I need you to do?

I need you to E-mail the Blond Duck through the contact form on this site and send her pictures of your critter who will be attending the Pond Puppy Ball and fun information about the critter–their name, age, gender and favorite thing to do on Sundays, favorite treat, etc.

At the Pond Puppy Ball, a Puppy Princess and Prince will be crowned and their owner(s) featured at the Pond.

I know you’re eager to attend.

The Pond Puppy Ball is June 2, and guests must RSVP by May 28.

Now read the Gift.

I command it.

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…

To read previous issues of The Gift, look under the Never Ending Stories Tab…

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Back in the forest, Brogan was staring at Samantha’s friends.

“Where did he go?” he snarled, narrowing his eyes at the tree fairy.

She shrugged.  “Tis magic, sir.  You know as well as I do magic can not be tracked.”

Brogan tore his fingers through his ragged hair, drawing in a ragged breath.  One hand tightened around the sword at his side.   “I am not sure what to do with the rest of you.”

“What do you mean?” Ashley asked, stepping closer to him.  “Why do you have to do anything with us?”

Brogan looked at her as though she were daft.  “You know too much.  I can’t have you scurrying around the forest.  If the rest of the Faerie folk find out before”–  He clamped his lips shut.  “I suppose I could just throw you in jail,” he mused aloud.  “Or maybe just have some witch turn you into toads or something.  Maybe there’s a Pooka around.”  He glanced about the clearing hopefully.

Jeremy guffawed.  “What the hell is a Pooka?” he wheezed, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

“You don’t want to know,” Aine replied in a low tone.  Flying up to Ashley’s shoulder, she whispered into her ear.  Ashley nodded.

“You know, Brogan,” she cooed, stepping closer, “You could help us.”

“And why would I do that?” Brogan snapped.  “I am the Prince’s valet.  My orders are plain.  They have nothing to do with you.  You are merely an inconvenience.”

“Really?”  Ashley shook her hair back from her shoulders, revealing the glittery costume jewelry diamond earrings she had put on to go to Rouge’s bar.  Brogan’s eyes widened.  His gaze locked onto the shimmering gems.  “I think you could,” Ashley drawled, taking another step closer.  “I think we could make a deal, you and I.”

“What kind of deal?” Brogan asked, his eyes fixed on the glittering stones in her earlobes.  Ashley raised her arm as if to stretch, a diamond and ruby tennis bracelet sliding down her wrist.  Brogan’s wide eyes grew larger.  He licked his lips as the jewels sparkled in the low sun light.

“You take us to the castle to see Samantha,” Ashley replied, “And I’ll give you anything you want.”  She turned her head so her earrings burst into sparkling rainbows.

“Anything?”  Brogan tapped his fingers greedily as he watched the bracelet shimmer around her wrist.

“Anything.”  Ashley smiled.

Brogan shifted back and forth, tapping his hand against the hilt of his sword.  He stared at the jewels, gnawing on his lip.  Glancing around, he leaned forward.  “I accept.  Under one condition…”

——————————————————————————————————————————————————–

The crash rang out in the crystal and marble hall, the terrible sound echoing off the glimmering walls.  A slender being with pale ivory skin and pointed ears lay sprawled on the ground, his silver hair covered in mush.  A tray of food lay sprawled in front of him, smeared across the dark marble tile.  The man looked up at him, terror and shame splayed across his thin face.  Bending over the mess, he began to place the shattered dishes back on the tray.

Pressing himself against the wall, Rouge stiffened as he heard heavy footsteps.  He slid behind a section of the wall, drawing his arms and legs as close to his side as possible.  Closing his eyes, he tried to will himself invisible.

“You fool!” he heard the Prince snarl in Gaelic.   Cracking one eye open, he saw the Prince kick the man in the stomach.  The man cried out, doubling over.  “What are you doing?” the Prince shouted.  “I told you not to disturb us.”

“This food was for the–special guests, mi lord,” the man simpered, keeping his head bowed.  “I tripped and fell.  I’m so clumsy, so dumb”–

“Yes, yes,” the Prince agreed, his voice hard.  Rouge watched him raise his leg again and felt his jaw tighten.  Just as the Prince was about to deliver another blow, another group of thin, pale men with pointed ears and pale hair rushed forward, dressed in the same black uniform Brogan had worn in the forest.

“Your Highness.”  One of the guards bowed.  “Your father wishes to speak to you about tonight’s wedding.  Immediately.”

Rolling his eyes, the Prince sighed.  “Help him clean this,” he ordered.  “And make sure Samantha doesn’t hear a word of this.”

The men bowed and began to help the servant, kindly helping him off the ground.  Rouge listened to the Prince’s heavy footsteps disappear down the hall.    As soon as the servants and guards had returned to the kitchen, he rushed into the dining room.  Samantha was still sitting at the table, staring at her plate with a glazed expression.

“Samantha!” Rouge wrapped his arms around her, leaning his head against her back.  He grabbed her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him.  A chill ran down his spine.  Her eyes were dull, lifeless.  She stared through him, her face a mask of no emotion.  “Samantha!  Please, Samantha.  I’m here now.  I’m here to help you.”

She blinked.  Her lips parted, but no sound escaped.  Rouge leaned back, taking her hand in his.  “It’s Rouge, Samantha.  You know me.  You’ve always known me.”

She blinked again, stirring slightly.  Holding up their clasped hands to her face, Rouge tapped her ring on his pinkie.  “This is yours, remember?  The tree fairy gave it to me to get to you.  I gave it to you at graduation, remember?  You were so nervous about going on stage in front of everyone.  Just before we went on, I gave you this ring and told you that it would give you luck later in life.  The next day, you got into the college you wanted.  Remember?”

There was nothing.  Not a blink, a look, a hint of expression.  Biting his lip, Rouge’s voice was rough as he yanked the ring off his pinkie and gently slid it onto Samantha’s finger.  “Remember?  Remember the dances we went to, the late nights at the diner with Ashley and our other friends?  Remember the movie and pizza nights every Friday, how we’d drive around town after every football game honking the horn of your dad’s car and singing at the top of our lungs?  Remember?”

“Rouge.”  The word was soft, but she might as well have shouted it.  Samantha blinked again, shaking her head.  She tried to raise her arm, but her wrist barely rose an inch off the table.  “Rouge.”  Her eyes held his, flickering with a hint of life.

Rouge glanced at her arm.  The prince’s bracelet was woven tightly around her wrist.  Gritting his teeth, he wrapped his fingers around the chain and pulled.  The metal clasp broke without a shriek or a sound, clattering onto the table.

Samantha gasped, color rushing back into her cheeks.  Blinking rapidly, she peered at the face in front of her.  A smile spread across her face as she threw her arms around his shoulders.  “Rouge!  I knew you would make it!”

To be continued….

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  Tomorrow we have an ode to one of the best foods in town, plus a new Coconut Queen on Wednesday.  We’ve also got a delicious new recipe Thursday and a new Twirl, plus a new Creative Woman Saturday!  Stay tuned!