Payment

Payment
By: Candance M Wait

The raw, stark beauty of the Irish countryside snagged Addie’s romantic imagination.  From the stubborn pounding of the surf on equally stubborn rock, to the picture perfect grass, trees, cottages, and looming castles, it was beyond beautiful, she decided, it was fanciful.  Addie strained to remember what little she knew about Irish legend.  Trees and elves were important and circling an elf tree granted wishes.  Feeling silly Addie quickly circled a tree.  Finishing, closed her sky blue eyes, and wished.  She opened them – nothing.  Laughing at herself, Addie lowered her petite 5’3” onto the ground and leaned back against the tree. 
         It was so beautiful here; she could almost forget the chaos her life had become.  In a capricious twist of fate she had lost everything.  With a final wounded and shuddering sigh, Addie allowed the Irish countryside and rancorous music of the sea to soothe her mind, heart, and soul.
         “Gorgeous, isn’t it?”
         Addie’s head jerked up and around.
         “I’m sorry.  Did I startle you?  My name is Alex.”
         Addie gave a cursory once over of her companion who turned out to be tall, dark, and handsome. Smiling, Addie turned slightly and held out a hand.  “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.  I’m Addie.”
         Alex’s firm lips twisted into a strange smile. “Tell me, Addie, doesn’t sitting under an elf tree bother you?  Legend has it that they’re mercurial creatures.  Seeking only to feel anything, even for only a fleeting instant.”
         “I can understand that,” Addie sighed softly meeting Alex’s nearly black eyes. “Feelings – love, pain, hope, loss –makes us alive.  Makes us human.  Sometimes, overwhelmingly human.”
         “Is that why you were circling the tree and standing with eyes closed, wishing because your humanity is overwhelming?”
         Addie’s cheeks hurt as the flush of embarrassment burned across them.  “You saw that?”  Alex nodded.  “Of course you did.”  Addie gave a self-depreciating laugh.  “Yeah, I guess you could say that.  I’ve lost my job, my home, and my reputation.”
         “Family?”
         “Gone, and now you feel sorry for me,” Addie said with a grimace shaking her head causing her long mane of blue-black hair to shimmer and sway.  “Don’t.  It’s okay.  I’ll survive – I always do.  What I don’t usually do is make a habit of dumping all my baggage on strangers.  Sorry.”
         Alex grinned, “Not a problem.  Sometimes dumping on a stranger is easier.”  Addie smiled in answer.  “Tell me,” Alex said abruptly, “if you were to be granted a wish, what would it be for?”
         Addie’s eyes clouded and her heart-shaped face became introspective as she thought.  “I could go with the obvious like world peace or unlimited wealth and power,” she stated with a grin.  “But, if I truly had the opportunity to make a wish, I would wish that every present and future child would know unrestricted love.”
         Alex’s strange smile returned. “I’m impressed.”
         Addie’s smile bloomed big, “Oh don’t put me on a pedestal yet.  I definitely thought about the unlimited wealth and power.  Then I heard it.”
         “Heard it?”
         “Yeah, my mother saying, ‘It’s not where one comes from, but the path one takes to their destination that counts.’  She always did have a way with words.”
         “She sounds like a very wise woman.”
         “Yes.  I still miss her dreadfully.  What about you?”
         Alex paused, “Hmmm.  What a way to put me on the spot after your wish.”
         Addie laughed outright, “I think you can manage.”
         Alex smiled, thought a moment, and then said, “I would wish for the past and future to guide the present.”
         “Wow! Way to manage!” Addie said with hands pressed to her heart.
         Alex answered with a smile.  “You know wishes aren’t free.”
         “No?”
         “No,” Alex said a smile twitching his solemn features.  “They must be earned or traded for.”
         “Interesting,” Addie said folding her hands together in her lap.
         “Very.  So, how would you earn your wish?”
         “Hmmm, let’s see… I do know money, unless it is pure gold, means little to elves, and I’m a little short of pure gold right now.  Hmmm…  I have no musical talent.  I’m no amazing beauty.  I am a pretty good hand at storytelling.  Would that work?  A story for a wish?”
         “I would say that depends on the story.  Why not try it out on me?”
         “WHAT? You want me to tell you a story?”
         “Right!” Alex’s amused tone cut across Addie’s panicked rambling. “Look around you.  Look inside you.  The best stories are from the heart and contain the soul.  You got everything you need right here.”
         “It’s not that easy, Alex.  I mean yes, your right about the best stories; however…”
         “No, no more excuses.”
         Addie’s gazed at the ragged edge of the cliff that looked like it had been torn off by a careless child as she debated.  “Okay, okay, a story it is.  I’m not guaranteeing it will be worth the words, but okay.”
         “I’m not looking for guarantees,” Alex stated calmly.
         Addie sent him a dirty look.  He met it blandly with his strange smile and waited.  Addie took a deep breath, whooshed it out, and began:
The old man adjusted his rags in a feeble attempt at shelter from the pelting rain and wind.  His cup stood at his feet dented and empty like him.  It had been days since he had had a decent meal or a safe place to sleep.  It had been longer yet that he had felt the touch of kindness.  He hadn’t chosen to be here on the side of
the road, more dirt than man, and alone.  He hadn’t chosen any of it.  A snarl behind him froze him.  Packs of wild dogs often came into the city at night, hunting.  Slowly he turned.  If he was going to die, he wanted to stare the devil in the eye.  It was a large pack.  The lead dog’s eyes glowed an eerie red and saliva dripped in long feathery strings from deadly fangs exposed in a snarling muzzle.  The old man gave a panicked thought to running; however, he knew any movement would guarantee an attack.  Absolute stillness was the only safety.  Usually he was hidden by now, but today had been nastier than usual with not even a crust to trick his stomach to fullness.  He had stayed out longer, after the rains started, hoping to at least fill his cup with water.  The wind’s fierce cruelty had stolen even that. 
The old man met the lead dog’s red eyes in defiance.  He wasn’t a coward and would not, even alone, die like one.  The lead dog advanced, three feet, two.  He remained perfectly still even though the smell of the dog’s fetid breath forced his empty stomach to heave.  The leader paused as his pack came up and around him forming a semi-circle in front of the old man.  Hysterical laughter bubble up.  He clamped his lips together to stop the sound from erupting.  The pack leader crouched, muscles quivering as he readied for the attack.  Everything stilled as though the whole world was holding its breath, waiting.  The attacked slammed him with such force onto the pavement that his death was instantaneous saving him the brutal agony of the dogs ripping apart his emaciated shell of a body. 
It was days before the smell of decay brought the police to find the grizzled remains.  Even though the cause of death was obvious the medical examiner was brought in.  To satisfy the superficial conscious of the general public an equally superficial run through procedures was conducted.  The remains were examined, death by dog attack was the determined cause, and what remained of the body was unceremoniously disposed of.

That night across the empty field that bordered the south side of the city, the old man, whole and unharmed, once again faced the dogs.  They met, and the dogs circled the old man.  Once again the leader came forward, three feet, two.  The old man waited, again stillness his only safety.  Eyes met and a voice sounded that reverberated throughout the old man’s body. You know who I am.  The old man shook his head harshly side-to-side as though to dislodge the voice.  You know who I am.  The old man cried in pain, “The devil, my God, you are Lucifer himself.”  The old man screamed as the pain branded his brain and forced him to his knees.  The voice sounded again burning through his ears.  I am not your devil though God knows you have made many of them.  You know who I am.  The man fought his way to his feet never once breaking eye contact with the lead dog.  “No.  NO!  I don’t know you.  I don’t!” The old man screamed.  Stalking to the dog, he grabbed his fur forcing a nose to nose confrontation.  “I do not know you!  I’ve never known you!  I’ll NEVER know you!”  Shaking his head to dislodge the man’s grip the lead dog smiled his tongue lolling out as though to taste the fear that shivered down the old man’s spine.  It was then that he saw it.  The silver fur on the chest, the only silver on the large black dog, silver fur in the shape of a …. “No!”  The man screamed and this time turned to run.  He had made no more than a step when the big dog was on him grinding him into the earth.  Excited the circling dogs stood whining, anticipating the kill.  A sharp bark had them back on their haunches.  You know who I am.  The voice sounded once again, beating on the inside of his skull, and tearing at his brain.  “Yes,” sobbed the old man, “I know who you are.”  Tell me!  The voice demanded obedience.  Tears left clean tracks down the old man’s dirt stained cheeks.  “Michael!  You are Michael.  The archangel of God.  The sword of God.  His vengeance.  His army.  His destruction.  HIS!”  The silver cross on the dog’s chest glowed and burned.  Yes, just like you were His.  Yet, you turned on Him, and now He has turned on you.  “I paid for it already,” the old man snarled.  “I lost everything and was left alive to regret it every damn day of my miserable existence!”  The dog’s cross grew brighter and his eyes burned like the fires of hell.  Stupid man.  You paid nothing.  But you will.  You will pay every single day.  The old man whimpered as the voice whipped through forcing him to face the raw vengeance.  The dog’s cross grew brighter still and in an instant all that was left was a pack of circled dogs.  One after the other threw back their heads and howled to the heavens before racing off into the night.  In the end, all that remained, burnt deeply and completely into the ground, was a perfect, life-sized crucifixion with a large paw print at each right-angle. 
Addie paused; everything was quiet as if the very air were listening.  She cleared her throat.  Alex refocused with a start.  “The end!” Addie said with decisive finality. “Can’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
         “Warn me?”  Alex asked incredulously, “Addie, that was amazing!  I loved it.”
         “Thanks.  It was okay.”
         “Okay?”  Alex stood and pulled Addie up beside him.  “I’ve got on staff writers that couldn’t come close to what you just did in a matter minutes. And, right off the cuff.  I mean…”
         “Wait a minute.  Wait just a minute,” Addie said her voice becoming shrill.  “On staff writers?  Excuse me?  Who exactly are you?”
         Alex looked down for a minute and then met her gaze sheepishly.  “I’m Alex Tamoran.  I run a little tourist shop here on the island.”
         Addie looked puzzled for a moment, and then comprehension dawned.  She yanked her hands free.  “You’re Alex Tamoran.  THE Alex Tamoran. Founder and president of Tamoran Industries.  The biggest marketing, publishing, etcetera, etcetera, industry in the world.  THAT Alex Tamoran?”  Addie’s voice rose from shrill to glass breaking levels.
         “Well, I don’t know about the biggest in the world, but yeah, I own Tamoran Industries.  Wanna job?”
         “A job?”
         “Yeah, you know.  Those things you go to from 9-5 that help pay the bills.  Interested?”
         “Funny guy aren’t you?  What kind of job?”
         “I was thinking entry level copy writer in my marketing branch.  That way you’ll be able to have time to work on that novel you’ll be writing and other extra-curriculars.”
         “Novel, huh?”  Addie paused and asked very cautiously, almost suspiciously, “What other extra-curriculars?” 
         “Me. So, whatcha say?  Interested?”
         Addie examined her nails in minute detail.  Finally, with a teasing smile, she met Alex’s eyes and asked, “Could I have some time to think about it?”
         Alex smiled, “About what?  The job?  Or me?”
         “Guess!”  Addie told him cheekily.  With a laugh, Alex tugged her to his side, lowered his head and gently kissed her.  The wind played through the tree causing the branches to rustle and sway as though laughing.  Breaking away Alex brushed Addie’s hair back from her face, tucked her neatly beneath his shoulder, and headed to the inn several yards off.  About a dozen steps from the tree, Addie stopped.  Alex looked quizzically down at her.  “My sweater,” she explained.  “I forgot it at the tree.”
         “I’ll get it,” Alex said.
         “That’s okay,” Addie replied with a quick kiss.  “I know where it is.  I’ll be right back.”  Alex watched keeping her in sight until a sun beam momentarily blinded him.  Addie got to the tree and gently stroked the trunk before reaching into her pocket and removing a solid gold coin older than the centuries. With a flick of her hand the soil at the base of the tree parted.  Addie placed the coin in the hole and allowed the soil to return. Once again, Addie gently stroked the tree.  “Thanks, Mom,” she murmured and smoothed her hair down over her elfishly pointed ears.