Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Chapter 88 – Riverview

Delia and Lucas arrived in Riverview in the late fall just before the snow came.  This was a big change from the sunny coastal city where Lucas had lived his entire life.  He couldn’t wait for the snow.


The home Delia found was a two story home with a huge attic and detached garage.  At first she thought she could hide her alchemy room in the attic, but as it turned out the space was too cramped and she was forced to build a basement.  


She decided to create a wine cellar with an entrance in the garage and hide the entrance to the alchemy room off of it. No one would have any idea it was there.  It was perfect. As long as she didn’t do anything stupid like leave the door open! 


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Lucas settled into school and Delia began her quest to find the ingredients needed to create the cure elixir for Lucas. She started at the local elixir store and was told she could find the plant she wanted in the Fairy Arboretum and the gems needed would be found in the Vault of Antiquity located across the river by the cemetery.  She didn’t tell the clerk why she needed these particular items. But once she found them, she would be able to create the cure. 

Next she stopped by the consignment shop to give them some items to sell and start meeting people.  The clerk was quite odd and kept talking to himself. But she managed to get her items consigned. They did have an interesting item for sale though. It was an old lamp. Delia bought in on impulse and figured it would be a good addition to her collection in the basement. 


As she was leaving the store, Delia ran into another one of the locals, Daniel Green. He started chatting her up and began asking her a thousand questions about herself.  The folks here in Riverview are quite quirky for sure!  She did tell him she was new in town and had bought the big house out in the country. Then he started telling her all about her house. Finally as she tried to gracefully extract herself he told her he was having a party next week and it would be a great way for her to get to know more people.  She said she would give it some thought and left grateful to get away from the chatter box.
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When Delia got home, she took the lamp to the alchemy room to store it.  Before she put it up, she decided to clean it a bit. 




When she rubbed the lamp, it began to smoke and shake in her hands. She dropped it on the floor and backed away frightened.

A very irate genie popped out much to her surprise.  “Why did you have to drop my house on the floor!” he demanded.

“Uh, I didn’t know it was your house - are you a - uh genie?” she asked still unable to believe her eyes.

“Yeah!  You know the drill – three wishes. Whadda you want?  You interrupted my beauty sleep! Make it snappy.”

“To meet my one true love!” blurted out Delia sarcastically since she thought he was rude and yes, that was the one thing she as always wished for and knew would never happen.   

The Genie clapped his hands three times.  “Your wish is my command!” 

“NO!” gasped Delia.

“It is done.”

“Wait – you can’t grant true love!” she admonished the blue man.












At that his eyes began to glow and it felt like he was looking into her soul.  Then a light enveloped her and she actually levitated for a minute or two. 

After she came back down to the ground and was attempting to catch her breath, he asked her if he could be of further service. 

“No!” exclaimed Delia, “Get back into your – that - THING! 

And he did just that. 

Delia was no longer a stranger to the occult. But Genies!  Really?!

Delia put the lamp on the top shelf.  She never wanted to see that blue man again!  He was unnerving and she had more pressing issues other than an irate genie to deal with right now.  She needed to find the items for the Lucas’ cure.
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This week winter came with a vengeance.  Lucas couldn’t wait to build a snowman!  Since he had never seen snow before, he built a whole family of snowmen in the front yard.  He was like a little kid.  It made Delia happy to watch him.  He got the last one in before school.

After Lucas headed off to school, Delia went her own way in her old faithful roadster.  It’s been awhile since she had to drive through the snowy streets.  Not since they lived in Bridgeport. At least it had stopped snowing for now. 

When she pulled up outside the Arboretum, Delia had a flashback to the time she and her second husband went inside the Arboretum in Hidden Springs.  She remembers how she felt when she went in, not what transpired in there, but more the way she felt the minute she walked in the doors.  It was as if she belonged there somehow.  She stopped at the entrance with her hand on the door.  She was a little afraid of going inside.  But she had to.  For Lucas. 



Delia took a deep breath and stepped in.  It was exactly like before.  The feeling of calm and of belonging was overpowering.  She breathed in the warm atmosphere and immediately became peaceful and relaxed.  She couldn’t stay, so she gathered her thoughts and went about searching for the perfect mushroom that will cure Lucas.  She found it easily. 

Her next stop was the Graveyard to go into the Vault of Antiquity and seek out the gem that was needed. To get there, she had to take a water taxi across the river.  As they neared, Delia could see the tombstones standing tall in the cemetery.  Then she saw the building she would have to enter alone.

By now it had started snowing again.  Delia walked up the pathway and went inside.  It took her awhile to locate the gem, but she found it and left.  She had to hurry.  Tonight was prom night and she promised Lucas he could go since it wasn’t a full moon.  

Delia got home just in time to see her grandson off.  He really was growing up so quickly.

While he was gone she could make the potion.

Delia went into her alchemy room and fired up the cauldron.  She got out the spell book and began mixing ingredients. 

She really enjoyed making the elixirs.  Maybe she would start making them again after Lucas was cured.  She was at home doing this, but not as ‘at home’ as she was in the Fairy Arboretum.

Eventually the cure was ready.  She would give it to Lucas tomorrow.

Lucas got home a little after midnight.  Not long after Delia had finished the potion.  She asked him how it was and  when he was a little bashful, Delia knew what that must mean.

“Did you get to dance with anyone?” she asked with a smile.

Lucas just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well I sort of got named King of the Prom so I had to dance with Ari Moore since she was Queen.”

“Oh, well, congratulations. You haven’t been in Riverview very long and everyone already likes you! That is great Lucas.” 

“Whatever.  Uh, can Ari come over next week to study? We have our science class together and she said she needed some help.”

“Of course,” laughed Delia, “but I have good news for you.  I have the medicine that will cure your uh, illness.”

“You don’t have to call it that.  I know it is really a curse. Can we do it now?” 

“No, you need to rest and so do I.  We will get you rested and fed and then tomorrow afternoon, you can drink the medicine.”

“You mean potion don’t you?”

“Why do you say that?”

 “I know how to look stuff up mom. I am not a moron.”

“Hon, you can’t believe everything you read.  Get to bed and tomorrow when we are both rested and have breakfast, we will do this.”

“G’night  Mom, and uh, thanks.”
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The next afternoon, Delia poured the potion, for it indeed WAS a potion, into a glass.  It glowed with an iridescent blue.  She sat it on the bar in the music room where she had put Vladimir’s piano.  She loved looking at it and missed hearing him and their daughter, Valerie play.


“It’s time Lucas.  Are you ready?” asked Delia.  “As ready as I ever will be,” he replied.

Lucas bravely walked over to the bar and picked up the glass.  He turned to look at Delia to get a nod of affirmation before he began to down the potion.  It was difficult for Delia to watch.  She prayed nothing would go wrong.  She had successfully cured lots of people, herself included, but she still worried every time.  She knew how powerful that drink was.

After he drank, Delia ran over and asked him, “Well, Lucas, are you feeling okay?  Do you think it worked?”

“It is weird.  I don’t really feel any different, except that I feel calmer now.  I have no urge to – well to shift or change anymore.  Could it really be?”

“We will know for sure at the full moon.  But your eyes.  They DO look different.  They no longer glow.”

“It MUST have worked then.  Thank you, thank you, thank you…Now I can ask out Ari…I mean…”

 “Aww, you DO like her!”





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A few weeks later, Delia received a phone call from Daniel, the guy she met at the consignment store.  She missed his last party because she was just too preoccupied with Lucas.  He said he was having another get together and would love for her to come.  This one was a cocktail party so a bit formal.  She hadn’t dressed up in a long time and thought, why not, Lucas is doing well. I might as well meet some people.  

She put her hair up and grabbed one of her dresses she hadn’t worn in a good while.  She was always practicing her dancing so it still fit and hugged her curves in all the right places.

When she walked into the party she was greeted by an attractive gentleman she had not previously met.  He said is name was Troy Reynolds and wanted to know if she was the Delia Schlick he had heard so much about.

What had he heard she thought in a panic? 

“What do you mean Troy?” asked Delia trying to gracefully find out what he meant by that.

“My friend Daniel said you were beautiful, sweet and charming.  I would say check, check and check.  He was right, as far as I can tell - so far anyway.”

Delia blushed and thought – no YOU are all of those things – check, check and triple check!  Before she could reply the music started and he asked her to dance.  She caught her breath at the thought of being that close to him.  She just nodded yes and smiled.  She didn’t know what to say.

Troy was a good dancer and they danced for two dances before the music stopped.  Delia was having a wonderful time.

When the music stopped, he held her hands just a little longer before releasing them. She physically felt the loss when he was no longer touching her and her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. 











He looked at her with emerald green eyes and whispered, “Delia, do you believe in love at first sight? Because I am loving what I see in front of me and I really would like to see you again, even need to see you again.”

Delia got lost in his eyes and felt like her knees were going to give out.  “I am not sure about love at first sight, but I definitely would like to see you again too.”

When she said she would see him again, he smiled and twirled her around.  Yes, thought Delia as he spun her, I could see a whole lot more of that smile and those eyes.





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