Shine

“This is what we are meant to do isn’t it? Heal, protect and bring light to all who need it|?” Questioned Faylinn.

Hipponian and Queen Faylinn sat by the gently rippling waters of the seven pools, reflecting the twilight sky mirroring the churning anxiety in Faylinn’s heart. She folded her delicate wings, trying to suppress the restless energy that made her fingertips itch for action. Her fingers drumming and body fidgeting, she could stand it no longer.

“Time is running short for them, they must arrive soon! Withershins, are you sure there is no sign of them yet?"

Withershins stood, pulling himself to his full 3 foot 2 ins of height.“Your Majesty, they will arrive when the time is right. We can’t rush these things.”

“I know the wait is agonising my love,” Hipponian murmured placing a calming hand over hers. “Their journey is long, but they are drawing near.”

"Withershins, I think the time has come. Go and please greet our two visitors" said Hipponian at last. "Remember though, treat them gently they’re both ill".

Withershins gave an elf bow as he vanished into a swirl of shimmering emerald dust.

Before they knew it he had returned flanked by two weary travellers. Their cloaks were heavy with dust, and their steps were unsteady – the unmistakable marks of an otherworldly sickness clinging to them. Faylinn sprang to her feet as she reached out to offer aid, glancing back at Hipponian with a tender, triumphant smile.

CHAPTER ONE

Again, the same dream. It was haunting her, night after night. But, each time it was slightly different, extra things appearing or colours changing.

Comparing the notes she made each morning she could see the transitions.

Hastily dressing, Tina noticed the time, she’d be late for her ward changeover, again! Importantly she needed to be there for Nathan, to support him the day before his procedure.

For him, it could mean life or death but, nonchalantly, shrugging it off, he called it his ‘lucky’ lump. It had brought him the chance of life whilst meeting the love of his life, Geisila. Refusing to let it beat him, he wouldn’t let her go either.

Just two mere mortals, but meant to be together forever. He just knew it.

Catching her breath Tina raced to the bus stop as the 91 swung around the corner. There was hope yet of reaching the hospital on time.

Hurriedly throwing her coat and bag into the locker and grabbing her identity card, she raced down the corridor and into the high dependency unit.

“Close call there Tina. Lucky for you Sister has been delayed by an urgent phone call, else you’d have been for it.” Declared Monica her ward partner.

An absolutely manic day ended, leaving Tina time to buy her daughter Clare a birthday card. It had to be special, so she determinedly headed for the shops. A tiny shop caught her eye, one she’d never noticed before.

Opening the door and looking up, the silver bell jingled as it danced around as she stepped over the threshold. Glancing around told her there were no other customers in the shop, it felt strange but somehow familiar.

Old and musty, the smell wafted into her nostrils. She recognised it, filling her head as she drifted back to her dream.

“Are you alright dear?” the old lady asked.

Jumping, her dream faded as she regarded the pair of ‘odd-bods’ behind the counter.

The old lady, stooping slightly, with wire framed glasses on the end of her nose, was from a different generation, she appeared to be about 100 years old with a kindly face. The young man, standing next to her tall and lean, had the old lady’s eyes, and appeared to be in his early thirties.

Smiling and nodding, she began wandering around the shop.

Cards filled the racks everywhere she looked. Wandering deeper in, Tina became like a statue, staring incredulously at the rack in front of her. It couldn’t be, It just couldn’t! And yet there they were, it was her dreams, created on cards in front of her. The gold and silver, heavy laden on each card, shining like the sun and just waiting for her!

Faces appeared, as if drawn by a hand that had waited years for her, knowing she would come.

Staring, her hand raised towards the cards froze in time and space.

Incredulously her eyes widened, she knew those faces, they were Nathan and Geisila, standing by a tree. The moon lit their hair with silver moonbeams, and there, before them stood…….. She knew instinctively, was the Moon Goddess!

“Are you alright dear, I heard you gasp?” The lady’s voice sounded quite concerned.

“Yes I’m fine thank you. I’m just marvelling at your beautiful cards.” Tina shrank behind the card stand. Peering through the rack she could see them still staring in her direction.

Turning her attention back to the cards she discovered one depicting a wedding couple sharing a private moment. Again Nathan and Geisila. They were just as she had dreamt. He handsome, lithe and strong, yet with a gentle look on his face as he gazed lovingly at his bride. She with honey blonde hair, and eyes of blue, staring dreamily at her new husband.

It was true, they were meant to be together, Tina knew it.

There were cards of jollity and gaiety, celebrating the wedding. Pictures of wizards, horses and Unicorns. Leaning forward, oblivious to her surroundings, Tina spotted wings! These were no normal Unicorns, these were winged creatures, creatures so beautiful and ethereal.

One card showed a castle perched high on a cliff overlooking the sea. In the foreground was a dragon sitting on a rock, a wizard and a boy at its side. The way it sat gave anyone who dared to look the idea it was protecting the castle. The very same castle she had created in her dreams. It was Fairyland.

Another card was a lovely, ordinary type card in that it was neither gold nor silver but green and of a huge tree. This was the ‘Tree of Time.’ Not that those words were written anywhere on the card, but Tina just knew from her dreams that was what it had to be. Feasting her eyes upon the card, the face in the tree, kindly and caring returned her gaze with a smile.

With her pulse pounding she gathered up the cards and rushed to the counter.

The old lady spoke as she smiled “Are you alright dear? It’s just that I could hear you talking and at first when I saw you go pale, I nearly came over to you.”

“Yes I’m fine thank you it’s just that I’ve never seen such amazing cards.” Placing the cards onto the counter. She continued, “How much is that little lot please?” She flashed a wide smile, her breath feverish and short. A sudden fierce compulsion took hold – she had to get them home as ideas came tumbling into her mind at the speed of lightning. Then came the worry, did she have enough money on her, but she would have sold her soul to get these cards?

The old lady counted up on her fingers the amount, whilst Tina raised her eyebrows glancing at the younger man as she did so. He walked over and said “Grandma, the till does the adding up, you don’t need to.” Smiling sheepishly at her.

“Huh, I don’t trust these new fangled things, my brain is far better than that thing.” she grumbled.

He laughed quite embarrassed. Tina smiled thinking how quaint they were, but she had better not overcharge me.

“£29.99 dear, is that ok?”

“Yes that’s fine,” coughing as she replied, hopeful there was enough cash in her purse as she had foolishly forgotten her cards.

“I hope you have the cash dear as we do not take bank cards here I am afraid.” She smiled. “We are a little old fashioned here.” She looked at the cards. “They are particularly lovely cards are they not my dear? Do they reflect the beauty you have in your head?” The old lady looked at Tina knowingly as she smiled at her grandson. He returned her smile as he continued cleaning the counter top. Tina almost laughed but thankfully didn’t as it was still covered in dust when he had finished.

Walking out of the shop, heavy reluctance pulled at every fibre of Tina’s being. The wooden door clicking shut behind her, leaving her with a feeling she could learn a lot from the lady and her grandson. If only she had more time she would possibly have found many more cards from her dreams in that tiny little shop. In that moment she vowed she would go back and very soon. Meanwhile she was eager to get home and translate her cards into some semblance of order.

It was then and only then the dream notes she’d been writing each morning could be translated into the story she’d always wanted to write. The story would then come out of the bedroom, but it would have to stay hand written, at least for now.

Returning home she realised, in a moment of panic, she had forgotten the card for her daughter, “Lovely! That means I have a good excuse to pay them another visit tomorrow. Then I can also buy some more of those beautiful cards to complete my dream story, finally.” She was eager to put pen to paper and start the long, long journey with this story.

The following day, she determinedly set off for the tiny shop, having checked she had enough cash and added extra just in case…. Arriving at the mall and turning the corner where the shop was, she stood amazed, it was not there!

Frantically, scouring the whole town and every local card shop, it was all to no avail, the quaint shop had completely vanished. Having kept no receipt or shopping bag, she sat in her car wondering if the entire experience was just an elaborate hallucination – A frightening thought that made her question her sanity. She felt sick.

She went over her actions slowly in her mind.

“I took them from the old lady and I know I stuffed them into my big bag because I was so eager to get them home. How stupid am I for not asking for a receipt?”

Was this life, beginning to imitate art?

CHAPTER TWO

As a senior nurse on a high dependency unit, Tina witnessed incredible, heart breaking resilience on a daily basis. Following a gruelling night shift, the ward admitted Nathan, a 21 year old University student. He carried himself like someone who had never once questioned whether his body might betray him - shoulders easy, stride long, the kind of young man who makes the ward feel smaller just by walking into it, but he had just received a devastating blow. He looked at Tina and smiled as the porter escorted him through the ward to his bed. Once he’d settled down she was just about to walk away when he grabbed her hand. “Would you stay awhile nurse please. I, sort of need to talk and I have a feeling that you will be the one to ask.” Coughing as he cleared his throat and looking embarrassed he smiled. “You see, I...I sort of want to know what this surgery will do to me.” He smiled sheepishly as she thought seriously about what he’d asked. Swallowing she looked him in the eye as braveness welled up in her. He wanted to know so she would tell him truthfully. “What have they told you?”

She paused as he nodded. “Well it was a routine check and boy was I lucky! They found a massive shadow on my lung which could be Cancer they said.” Swallowing hard he continued. “What do you think I should do and if I go to theatre will you be the nurse who looks after me?”

“Oh and one more thing, who is that gorgeous girl over there with her family?” He squinted as Tina turned her head and laughed.

“Don’t worry I will make make it my business to be there. I’ll be your nurse but less of the cheek.”

Despite the grim diagnosis Nathan’s optimism was unshakable. He was a pleasant and extremely likeable young man who smiled a lot and followed his dream, achieving his aim of going to university.

He was to become a great favourite with Tina and on an equal par was a gorgeous girl from Kent, the one he had spotted across the ward.

Having been on the ward quite a few times before, everyone knew her well. A gorgeous stick thin 19 year old fashion model from Kent with Polish roots. Walking over to her and standing at the bottom of the bed Tina paused whilst Geisila talked to her parents. All three turned around and her mum smiled. “Hi Tina.”

"Hi. Geisila, that young man over there is Nathan and he would dearly like to meet you and your parents if that’s possible? He’s a lovely lad and I believe everyone should have their chance at happiness. He seems gentle and caring and, although I’ve only just met him, I sort of have a feeling about him.”

Laughing, Tina gestured for him to come over, introduced them and left them to tell each other their own stories.

Geisila had had a genuinely tough time for most of her young life. Since the age of eight she’d battled a rare blood disease, her childhood had been a revolving door of remissions, relapses, and aggressive inpatient treatments. Turning thirteen she was transferred to the adult unit. Now, at nineteen, the doctors had found a large lump in her chest. forcing her back into inpatient care where doctors would decide what treatment would help her beat the cancer yet again.

Nathan and Geisila chatted and laughed non stop making a striking, vibrant pair that brought much needed light to the hospital staff.

The dynamics shifted that evening when the sun went down and the fluorescent lights switched on. Geislias’ close friend, a young man named Kardolf, came to visit. She sat rigidly in the bedside chair across from Kardolf, his eyes fixed on her staring intensely.

She had told the staff he was ‘more of a good friend nowadays’. It was a shield she wore comfortably. Life felt too fragile, too precious to fracture by giving pieces of herself to anyone other than her family. Tonight, the atmosphere in the ward was tense.

Across the ward from Geisila, Tina noticed Nathan acting strangely.

Each time Kardolf spoke, Nathan would look over, his expression morphing into a grimace. Whenever he caught Tina looking, he pulled exaggerated, unsettled faces, although he held his tongue.

Tina found herself moving towards his bed. Curiosity and her professional intuition nudged her forward.

“Everything alright Nathan?” She asked softly, leaning against the beside locker.

“Not really,” Nathan muttered, his eyes darting to the man sitting by Geisila’s bed. “What do you think of Kardolf? He strikes me as a bit of an odd character. Geisila seems afraid of him somehow. She looks like a wild deer caught in a snare.”

Shifting her gaze across the ward, the picture became painfully clear. Geilsila was just being polite; her shoulders were hunched, her hands tightly clasped in her lap, and her eyes wide with a quiet, trapped terror as Kardolf spoke to her in low, measured tones.

Feeling a protective surge in her chest, Tina straightened her uniform and, looking back at Nathan gave a reassuring nod. “I think I’ll ask him to go, it is late now and I’ve loads to do to settle you all down before I go off duty.”

Nathan nodded and looked on with glee as Tina walked across to Geisila, her footsteps heavy and her tone briskly cheerful, breaking the silence around the bed. “Sorry, it’s past visiting hours now and I need to get Geisila settled in for the night.”

Kardolf slowly turned his head, his eyes narrowing slightly at the interruption. For a moment, he looked as if he might argue. “Geisila do you want me to go?”

Tina was furious but his look was almost ferocious.

“Never mind what Geisila wants, I am asking you to leave now please.” She couldn’t help but put ice into her voice. She looked into his eyes, they were almost black and they made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She had the most unpleasant feeling about him, as if she’d met him somewhere else.

Casting one more look at Geisila he stood up slowly, smoothed down his jacket and bid Geisila a cold, formal goodbye. He moved into Tina’s personal space as he past, aggressively tilting his head until their noses barely touched. His gaze locked onto hers, dark and venomous, before he spoke in a low threatening tone. “This is not the last you have heard of this lady.”

Tina raised herself up to her full height, all five foot three inches and said, her voice now dripping with cold ice as she spat out the words furiously. “My patients come first young man. I do not care who or what you are, you will now leave or face my consequences.”

Geisila stood up, touching his arm, “Go now Kardolf. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She looked quite pitiful, her face full of fear.

He hesitated and then looked around, for not only was Nathan standing next to Tina, but a porter, two male patients and two other nurses.

Kardolf looked around and then back at Tina, his evil eyes as black as night, and pointed a long thin finger at her face, standing silent for a moment and then left, the heavy double doors of the ward clicked shut behind him, an audible sigh of relief escaped Geisila’s lips.