Fairy Dust - 4. The Quest

Friday went as planned. The server was repaired completely before noon and Fred and Sam went their separate ways. Fred went, home happy to return to his normal routine while Sam embarked on his journey to Green Hollow. As he drove down the ever-narrowing streets his thoughts drifted between road maps and nightmares. Like the haze that hung over the fall day, the images from the previous day and night clung to his memory. He could not understand why the video had affected him to suck a degree. Fred had turned it off before it got any more graphic than an R rated movie.

Eventually he was able to forget about it. The weather had cleared up and he was enjoying his trip down the country road. The pavement was rough and even completely lacking in some parts but not unbearable. The views were breathtaking. A dazzling almost unreal spectrum of colors adorned the abundant trees. There was still plenty of green but it was mixed with patches of yellow, orange, vivid red, and even rich purple. Such a scene rarely existed outside of travel magazines.

As Sam entered Green Hollow the road deteriorated and narrowed. The little compact car bounced into town like a leaf on the wind. The residential area was rustic with country houses and picket fences. Sam could see bright orange pumpkins growing in some of the front yards. In the distance he could see more homes on the sides. As he approached the center of the town the road improved slightly. As he entered what he assumed to be down town he started scanning the shops but could not remember the name of the shop he was looking for. He pulled the car over in front of the local diner and began to look for the piece of paper where he had the name of the shop written down. He searched the whole car but could not find it. Convinced that he had checked everywhere he hung his head over his suitcase and muttered "Now what?"

Feeling hungry he went into the diner and ordered a big sandwich and a helping of chili. As he sat eating he wondered what was so special about this fairy dust. Sam loved his niece but even he had to admit that she was spoiled. Somehow she had managed to convince him to drive thirty miles out of his way to buy her a bottle of perfume. He knew that she would not be happy with any other perfume. She was picky when it came to cosmetics, cloths, and shoes. He wondered about the obsession. To him any pair of shoes was fine as long as it fit well. He smiled when he realized how typical these thoughts were of straight men. It was welcome affirmation after the doubts he had been having.

As the waiter returned with his change Sam asked him, "Do you know which of these shops sells fairy dust? It's a perfume my niece wants."

The waiter directed him to a shop called Sally's Perfumes and Pretty Things. It was only a few doors from the diner so Sam decided to walk. The sidewalk was shaded by small trees, which rustled in the wind. It was just a gentle breeze but from time to time it tore off a leaf. Sam watched them fall to the ground and felt sad. The leaves were dying never to return. He thought about how when the tree shed its leaves it was committing to something new. If the leaves that grew in the spring were weaker than the ones lost in the fall there was no way to go back. The colorful display he had often ignored was truly a courageous act of survival.

Sam was still looking at the trees when his nose was assaulted by a mixture of exotic smells. From under a tree he could see part of a sign that said, "Pretty Things." He took a deep breath and went inside. The shop was a wonderland of scents and colors. Incense was burning in a mermaid shaped burner near the door. To one side of the door was a rack of hats that called to mind British royalty. Across from these plumed wonders was a case, which housed an eclectic assortment of handbags. Sam tried to imagine what could possibly fit in the Lilliputian luggage. The store was full of party dresses, hairpins, candles, and many fancy bottles of perfume. Sam immediately felt lost in the foreign landscape. He heard some movement towards the back of the store. He turned to look and saw someone reaching for something under a cloths rack.

He could only see the slender denim clad legs from where he was. As he approached he watched the smooth movements of the muscles as the buttocks and part of the person's back came into view. Sam smiled. Curious to see the upper body he cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, miss."