A Duck In Her Pond » Sidewalk Dreams

Sidewalk Dreams 20

Blond Duck — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:00:24 +0000

“I see them!” Adam shouted. Brandishing his sword, he shouted, “Unhand them, you scaly fiend!”

“Adam, no!” Aurora screamed, grabbing for his arm as he darted toward the dragons.

Stop him! The Pegasus snorted.

“Adam!” The scream tore out of her, her throat aching as her words rang across the field. The dragon simply turned, Chris and Zaria curled in one clawed hand. Peering down at Adam, the dragon threw back his head and cackled.

“Ah, it’s you little prince. Ready to play?”

“Unhand the princess and the boy and I’ll let you live.” Adam raised his sword, barely reaching the dragon’s knee.

“Trying to take my snacks away?” The dragon narrowed its eyes to golden slits. ”But I’m so hungry…”

“Adam, watch out!” Aurora screamed as the dragon cracked open its enormous jaws. Adam ducked as flames billowed toward him, blocked by a flash of red and gold.

“No!” Coralie screamed, running toward them.

The fool! The Pegasus’ hooves pounded the clouds as he raced through the sky. But not even he could stop the smell of singed fur, or Adam’s mournful cry piercing the dragon’s chortle. Aurora rushed up to the stone form of the griffith, his marble face frozen in a fierce snarl.

“Why is he not ashes?” she asked, gingerly touching the Griffith’s head.

One of the advantages to being one of us, the Pegasus said grimly. But only the dragon can release him with another burst of flame.

“And I have no intention of doing that,” the dragon replied loftily as several other dragons crept closer, licking their fangs. ”I intend to throw a feast actually. With all of you as my guests.”

“Over my dead body,” Adam snarled.

“That can be arranged.” The dragon’s smile sent chills down Coralie’s spine.

“Why you”– Aurora rushed at the dragon. He cracked open his jaws, smoke spiraling between his teeth.

“Wait!” Coralie raced forward, pulling the chalk out of her dress. ”Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?” The dragon cocked his head. ”What kind of deal?”

“Give me the princess and Chris, and I’ll give you a story.”

“What kind of a story?” The dragon looked suspicious.

“A grand story.” Coralie pulled out the silver piece of chalk. ”But you also have to release the Griffith.”

“For that, I want more.” The dragon flicked one claw against Zaria and she screamed.

“A memory?” Coralie sighed.

“How did you know?” The dragon’s golden eyes widened.

“That seems like all you people want,” Coralie grumbled. ”Fine. Do we have a deal?”

“We’re not people, we’re dragons.” The dragon sniffed. ”And I want a happy memory. Preferably with food.”

“What kind of food?” the first dwarf popped up, crawling out from behind the Pegasus.

“Did someone say food?” The second dwarf peeked from under the Pegasus’ tail.

“My earthworm is quite hungry,” the third dwarf whined.

“Ok, fine.” Coralie rolled her eyes. ”I’ll draw a picnic too. Will that satisfy everyone?”

The dragon snorted smoke. ”Yes.”

“Then sit down and listen.” After drawing a magnificent feast fit for a dozen dragons, three hungry dwarfs that could eat as much as dragons and Adam, Aurora and the Pegasus, Coralie whipped out her chalk.

“Once upon a time, there was a girl,” she began, taking Aurora by the hand. ”A girl who wanted to go to another world.”

“What are you doing?” Aurora hissed.

“Trust me,” Coralie muttered under her breath. ”One day, she was walking down a sidewalk…” A silver sidewalk stretched under their feet, floating up to the clouds. ”Where she met a prince.” She jerked Adam up and onto the sidewalk.

“Why can’t I skewer them?” Adam grumbled, sheathing his sword.

“Shut up and start walking!” Coralie hissed. In a normal voice, she continued, “They met a Pegasus and asked…”

As her voice wound around the dragons, Coralie beckoned Chris and Zaria to the sidewalk, along with the three dwarves, each clutching a chicken leg (while an earthworm rode on one’s shoulder). And as her story rose and fell, her friend hurried the sidewalk and slipped through a hole in the sky. Finally sheathing the silver piece of chalk, she turned to the dragon.

“And now, for the Griffith?”

“My memory,” the dragon reminded her. Coralie glanced at the other dragons and blanched. ”Can I whisper it in your ear?”

“A secret? I love secrets.” The dragon grinned, leaning over. Coralie cupped her hand around his ear and whispered, and the dragon shrieked with flee. Flames burst from his nose, igniting the Griffith. The stone burst around him and he emerged with a roar.

“Another tale!” the dragons cried as Coralie bounced onto his back. ”Another tale!”

“Soon!” she cried, carefully sliding the chalk back into her pocket. ”Soon!”

And before the hungry dragons could protest, she and the Griffith slipped through the hole in the sky, closing it back up with a single dash of color from her trusty chalk box. They tumbled into Coralie and Aurora’s secret house, climbing through the same cement hole they had fallen into before.

“There you are!” Aurora wrapped her arms around her. ”That was some adventure huh?”

“I can’t believe you saved me!” Chris gave her a hug. ”That was amazing! I knew you were an awesome artist!”

“Does that make up for me getting you detention?” Coralie grinned.

“I’d get detention for you any day.” He grinned back.

“Excuse me, what are we supposed to do here?” Adam demanded. ”There’s not any quests to go on or dragons to kill!”

“You could go to school…with me.” Aurora blushed.

“School?” Adam looked intrigued. ”Can you kill things there?”

“Sometimes,” Chris responded.

“What do we do?” the first dwarf cried.

“Where do we fit in?” the second dwarf shouted.

“My earthworm is scared!” the third dwarf bellowed.

“Could we perhaps live here?” Zaria asked, gathering the dwarfs to her. “We would keep things clean and tidy.”

“You don’t want to go back?” Adam’s jaw dropped.

“No.” Zaria made a face. ”When dragons weren’t kidnapping me, my father was always trying to marry me off. It wasn’t much fun.” She glanced around at the cottage. ”I’d much rather live here. I could read all day.” A dreamy look settled over her face.

“You like to read?” Aurora slid one arm through hers. ”I think we’ll be great friends.”

The Griffith, already curling on the rug, roared his agreement.

Coralie turned to the Pegasus. ”And what about you?”

The Pegasus tossed his mane and winked. In a flash, he turned into a small boy. A boy Coralie knew all to well.

“Charles!” she gasped, glancing at the boy who sold her the chalk. ”It was you!”

The former pegasus grinned, pulling out another box of chalk. ”Care to draw, Coralie? Who knows where you might go this time?”

Laughing, Coralie took the chalk. ”Another day, perhaps.” She slid the chalk into her pocket and smiled.

After all, there was always time for another sidewalk dream to come true.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new week of whimsy coming up!

Sidewalk Dreams

Blond Duck — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 09:00:36 +0000

After stumbling over twists and turns for what seemed like hours, a crack of light pierced the dark earth.

“This is the way,” the strange voice cried. ”Now it’s time for you to fulfill your bargain.”

Coralie pulled out her chalk, but the prince pushed her hand to the side. ”This could be a trick! We don’t know what’s out there!”

“He’s right.” Aurora’s hair brushed her cloak as she shook her head. ”We have no idea where that door leads to.”

“It leads to the dragons you desire, the very dragon you’ve been seeking.”

“The dragon that has Chris and Zaria?’ Coralie asked.

“Yes.” The voice hissed with impatience. ”The very one.”

“How do you know where to find the dragon underground?” Prince Adam asked, raising his sword suspiciously.

“Believe me or not, my bargain has been fulfilled–on my end.” The voice tightened. ”Are you refusing to fulfill your end?”

The walls around them quivered, the earth below them trembling. The dwarves screamed.

“We’re going to die!”

“Save us!”

“My earthworm doesn’t like this!” one dwarf screamed.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Coralie interrupted hastily. ”What would you like me to draw?”

A cackle filled the darkness. ”A memory.”

Coralie blinked. ”What memory?”

“A meaningful one. To you.” The voice chuckled. ”Any memory you desire.”

Careful. Memories are valuable. They are personal stories. And stories mean everything in a world of fairy tales.

Brushing off the pegasus’ warning, Coralie tapped the chalk against her lips. ”A happy memory or a sad memory?”

“An important one. The emotion does not interest me, merely the material.” The voice shook with impatience. ”Well? I’m waiting.”

“Ok, ok.” Coralie took a deep breath, pulling out the silver chalk. Her hand flew across the sky, sketching a portrait that would have made a Viking weep. As her friends sucked in their breath behind her, she slid the chalk back into her box. Hastily, she wiped her hands on her skirt. ”Are you satisfied?”

“Yes,” the voice sniffed, cracking with a sob. ”Good luck. You’re always welcome in my tunnels.”

“Thanks.” Brushing past her friends, Coralie cracked open the door and blinked in the sunlight. Just as the voice said, they were in the middle of a field. Dragons dotted the tall grass, some hanging from the trees, others floating in the clouds.

“Coralie, are you ok?” Aurora stumbled after her, placing a hand on her shoulder. ” I knew you and your mom were never close, but…”

“We’ll talk about it later.” Coralie patted her friends hand, turning back to the dragons. ”We’ve only got an hour until sunset.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Adam sheathed his sword, his brow furrowing.

“I’m fine.” Coralie peered into the distance, her lips creeping upward. ”Look! There it is!”

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a week of whimsy coming up!

Sidewalk Dreams 18

Blond Duck — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:00:55 +0000

Ignoring the grumbling of the dwarves, they each slid through the doorway in the rock. Stumbling in the darkness, Coralie cried out as her foot sank into the soft earth.

“I got you.” A hand grabbed hers, lowering her to the next step. Clutching onto the hard, rough fingers, she descended down the stairs, each collapsing back into the tunnel as the Griffith’s last foot lifted off it at the tail of their party. Vines dangled from above, tickling her nose as she peered into the endless darkness.

“It better not be a troll. It better not be a troll,” Aurora muttered from behind her.

There are a lot worse things than a troll, the Pegasus remarked drily. Coralie gulped.

Finally, a tiny speck of golden light flickered at the end of the tunnel.

“Did you see that?” Adam’s voice boomed to the right of her ear. ”I bet that’s the way out!”

“Or our death sentence,” Aurora grumbled, voicing Coralie’s thoughts. From the rustling behind her, Coralie knew Aurora was pulling the invisibility cloak closer around her.

“Should we go?” the first dwarf whined.

“Should we stay?” the second dwarf whimpered.

“Does anyone know how to speak to earthworms? There’s a quite charming one who has been riding on my shoulder.” The third dwarf giggled. ”I shall name him Fred.”

“This is the Swamp of Despair.” Adam’s voice took on a tinge of gloom. ”No telling what it is. Or what it may do.” His fingers tightened around Coralie’s. Her stomach curled into knots, but she forced her voice to be steady.

“Whatever it is, we must face it. It’s the only way to save Chris and Princess Zaria.”

“Who?” the first dwarf shouted.

“The Princess!” the second dwarf yelled back, only inches behind him. ”Are you deaf?”

“What?” the third dwarf bellowed. ”All I can hear is ringing.”

The Griffith roared and the Pegasus snorted. Hurry, Coralie. He’s sent out a searching spell. If we don’t identify ourselves soon, we’ll be sick.

“Sick?” Coralie echoed.

Think of a dog whistle that smells like putrid plums and rotting meat.

Coralie gagged. ”Got it.” With the Pegasus and Griffith retching behind her and the three dwarves moaning, she rushed forward, pulling Adam along with her. ”Excuse me? Excuse me? Can you help us?”

“Can I help you?” a voice purred. ”Or should I help you?”

Coralie froze, her eyes searching the darkness. ”Would you help us?”

“Why should I help you?” The voice grew silky. ”What do you offer?”

“Amusement,” Coralie answered.

“Your friends will throw up any moment.” The laugh made her shudder. ”That’s amusement enough. To start. Watching their eyes bleed and their ears fall off will be even funnier.”

Aurora screamed. Adam surged forward, twirling around in the blackness. The golden flicker gleamed off his sword, the reflection dancing in the shadows. ”Stop it! I am Prince Adam, and I command”–

“Commands will get you nothing.” The voice dropped to a hiss, chills slinking down Coralie’s spine. She shivered as the dangerous words crawled over her skin, wriggling into her ears. ”Offer me something no one else can. Or else not only will you not save your precious human and princess, but you shall be trapped in the Tunnel under the Swamp of Despair forever.”

“I’ll gut you!” Prince Adam threatened.

“But what is there to gut?” the voice laughed. ”You can’t see your hand in front of your face!”

Adam yelled, tumbling forward as the sword jerked from his hands. It slipped into the darkness, swallowed by the curtain of shadows around them. Aurora screamed, her desperation muffled by the cloak.

“Coralie, do something! Make it stop!”

The Griffith fell to its knees, pawing at its ears in pain. The Pegasus reared up, clawing the air with its hooves.

“It hurts!” the first dwarf wailed.

“Make it stop!” the second dwarf screamed.

“Even my earthworm doesn’t like it!” the third dwarf shouted.

Coralie reached into her pocket and whipped out the silver piece of chalk. Florishing it, she drew a silver line across the sky. ”Stop it and I’ll draw you whatever you want.”

“Draw me whatever I want?” The voice purred. ”Anything?”

“Anything,” Coralie hesitated, before adding, “As long as it doesn’t harm me or my friends or prevent us from getting out of here. And you must help us out.”

“Agreed.” The voice chuckled, echoing around the tunnel. The Griffith straightened, the dwarves dropped their ears, sighing with relief.

Well done. Even in the darkness, she could feel the Pegasus’ smile. Adam grunted as the handle of the silver sword jutted into his stomach, spit out from the dark walls.

“I will show you the way out, and then you shall draw me my prize.” The voice cackled, a lantern appearing to the right of them. ”This way, please.” It began to float down the hall, carried by an invisible hand.

“Coralie, are you sure that’s safe?” Aurora peeked out from under the cloak, her green eyes barely visible. ”I mean, what if it’s a trick?”

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take.” Adam’s mouth set in a grim line. ”You sure you know what you’re doing?”

“No,” Coralie answered honestly.

“Me either.” Taking both of their hands, Adam surged toward the lantern. Aurora blushed, swallowing a squeal only Coralie heard. “Come on!” he called behind them. ”Keep moving!”

“That’s easy for you to say,” the first dwarf grumbled.

“You have two pretty girls,” the second dwarf sighed.

“I have an earthworm,” the third dwarf bragged.

Are you sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?

Coralie didn’t even bother to turn around. ”All I know is we’ve only got a few hours until sunset. I can’t let Chris get eaten by a dragon. And if this means trusting some weird creature, so be it.”

The Pegasus’ silence chilled her to the core.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a week of whimsy coming up!

Sidewalk Dreams 17

Blond Duck — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:00:50 +0000

For previous editions, go here.

PS. Go here to read my featured post on how I met Ben and fell in love!

The second she seized the silver chalk in her hands, Coralie’s world began to spin.

She could see her fingers flying across the stone, the smooth chalk dragging over the ragged surface. She could feel the heat between her fingers, the smooth edges cradled against the meaty flesh of her palm. But the sweeping lines curving down didn’t come from her, the intricate symbols spilling across were not of her imagination. Her hands were channeling thoughts that had never crossed her mind, images her eyes had never seen.

Finally her fingers cramped, the chalk dropping to the moss below. She sat back on her heels, sucking her in breath.

The silver door, no taller than a ruler and not much bigger around, creaked open, inviting her in. It hung open, a thick wedge of stone guarding the vast darkness inside.

“Oh my gosh.” Aurora dropped the fried chicken leg she was gnawing on. The dwarfs flung themselves upon it, each scrambling to bite it first. “Coralie, do you know what that is?”

“A door?” Prince Adam snorted.

“Not just any door.” Aurora picked up another piece of chicken, holding it to her lips absently. “That’s a door to a troll’s lair. Only a troll could live somewhere so dark and dank.”

“Not necessarily.” Adam passed an apple to the Pegasus. “It could be goblins or gremlins. Or elves.”

“Elves live in trees,” Aurora argued.

“Not stone elves,” the first dwarf replied.

“Or it could be dwarfs,” the second dwarf suggested hopefully.

“It could even be witches,” the third dwarf said ominously. “Mean witches. Or a wizard!”

“Wizards don’t live in rocks,” the first dwarf argued.

“How do you know?” the third dwarf pointed out. “Have you ever seen a wizard’s house?”

The first dwarf pouted, shoving a spoon into his mouth. Potato salad dribbled onto his long white whiskers.

Coralie’s fingers began to itch. She slid the silver chalk back into the box, pulling out the gold. Just like before, her hand sprung to life, sketching wildly into the air.

“What are you doing?” Aurora hissed. “What is that?”

“I have no idea.” Coralie jutted forward, strips of thin paper smoothing under her golden chalk. The strips wove together, turning in the air so they faced the group. The golden chalk throbbed, hot pulses scalding Coralie’s fingertips as her hand flowed across the page. Adam and the Griffin crept forward, watching as trees and rivers etched into the smooth parchment.

“It’s a map!” Adam cried. “A map to the castle!”

“And we don’t have to go through the swamp,” Aurora sighed, crumbs spewing from her lips as she crunched on the fried chicken leg. “How wonderful!”

Coralie cried out as the chalk burst into flames, flinging from her hand with a flourish. It dropped to the ground, rolling into the box and closing the lid tightly after itself. Shoving the box of chalk into her dress pocket, Coralie inspected her blackened fingers and winced. “As soon as we get home, I’m going to find Charlie and beat the living snot out of him.”

“Who’s Charlie?” Adam raised an eyebrow.

“The kid that sold her the chalk.” Aurora extended the picnic basket. “Come on, Coralie. Eat something. You’ve got to keep your strength up.”

“She can eat later.” Adam grabbed the basket, shoving it towards the dwarfs. They immediately began a tug a war, each drooling into their beard. “We’ve got to get going. It’ll be dark soon. We’ve got to save Chris and Princess Zaria before the sun sets. Otherwise…” He indicated the Pegasus, chomping on a carrot.

“You want us to go in there?” Aurora shrieked, wiping her crumbs on her dress. “Are you serious?”

“Would you rather deal with snakes and enchanted alligators?” Adam smirked.

Aurora blanched. “I’ll crawl into the rock.” She shivered. “But if I get bit by something or turned into a toad, it’s your head!”

“Coralie?” Adam turned to her. “Ready?”

Coralie blew on her stinging fingertips. Patting the box in her dress, she nodded.

After all, it wasn’t every day you walked into a magic rock.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a week of whimsy!