Grandmother's Secret

Grandmother’s Secret.

The door of the old house creaked open as Lily entered. She turned twenty-one today and the afternoon sun cast long shadows on the wooden floor of her grandmother's house. She loved the familiar scent of lavender that filled the air, invoking childhood memories. Her grandmother was out in the garden picking some flowers for the celebration that lay ahead, leaving Lily to wander through the quiet rooms. It was only minutes before she entered the study that once belonged to her grandfather. Inside the room, a glint of gold caught her eye as she neared a corner bookshelf beside the old roll-top desk. A shining golden globe, the size of a softball, sat atop the cover of an old book resting on a shelf.

Lily moved the small globe aside, and her eyes centered on the cover of the dark blue book. A book which seemed forgotten because of the dust and a cobweb stretching up from a corner of its worn cover to the above wooden shelf. She reached for the book, blowing away the dust before opening it and flipping the pages. A curious glance back at the cover, she stared at the figures pictured, and a strange feeling came over her. The embossed images sent shivers up and down her spine. She couldn’t explain it. She felt drawn to the book and had an overwhelming desire to read it.

The majestic female with blond hair and pointed ears stared back at Lily from the book’s cover. The golden armor she wore stood out, glimmering against the sun’s rays that peeked through the window above the rolltop desk. Lily wondered if this armored figure could be an elf. She had heard tales of elves, but didn’t believe they were real.

As Lily continued to examine the images, she saw the warrior elf had her lips closed in a mysterious but captivating smile, giving her the grandeur of strength and determination. Next to her stood another figure, similar, but different. Twins maybe? Twins was Lily’s first thought, but then they couldn’t be. Sure, this figure was a female that was staring up at Lily as was the elf, but human in appearance, no pointed ears, a woman simply dressed in a white blouse and blue jeans, her hand gently resting on the warrior elf’s armor. Lily's eyes squinted, noticing a strange familiarity of the elf warrior and the human woman. Lily was at a loss. Beside themselves, who was it the two resembled? Intrigued, Lily sat in a nearby soft chair and began her adventure, reading the words written on the pages. As they jumped out at her, visions of an enchanted kingdom of elves and mystical creatures formed, filling the space surrounding her.

It turned out Queen Britoria was the elf warrior on the cover. As this elf queen faced treacherous foes, she also had to navigate through a strange new setting after an evil elf forcefully cast her into a world ruled by humans. The evil elf used a golden globe, which Lily assumed it must have resembled the globe that sat on the bookshelf. She smiled, imagining it was the one in the story, and hid magical powers. Reading on, she discovered the other figure turned out to be the queen elf as well, but the queen transformed in the human world.

Time seemed to melt away, and the sun dipped low, turning the room into a glow of golden light. As she lost herself among the pages, her grandmother entered the dim room and speaking, broke the silence of the evening. She asked, “Lily, my dear, are you here?”

Lily jumped up out of the chair clutching the book to her chest, and she replied, “Yes, Grandmother, you startled me!” As her grandmother’s eyes adjusted to the room’s light, she replied. “Oh, goodness, I’m sorry, but I didn’t see you.”

Lily was glad her grandmother was there, and she excitedly exclaimed. “Grandmother, I was reading this wonderful story about Britoria, a queen elf, and I was just finishing it. Have you read it? I loved it!”
Her grandmother smiled seeing the title of the book Lily held against her chest, and as an aged finger pointed at the book, Lily’s grandmother said in a soft voice, “Transference! Oh my, that old book, I haven’t seen it in years. It’s a story your grandfather cherished. Would you like to have it?”

Lily's heart swelled with gratitude, and she threw her arms around her grandmother. As she hugged her grandmother, she heard her grandmother whisper. “Dear, I asked you to come over for a reason, there’s something I must tell you, but first, hand me that golden globe.”

Lily stepped back and her mouth dropped open as her grandmother brushed back her hair. The sun glinted off delicate pointed ears, peeking out from under strands of white hair, and a broad smile crossed her grandmother’s face as a portal opened behind her.

“Sweetheart, that book, your great, grandmother…”