Page 3 of Dreaming of an Omega Christmas
I couldn't resist a smile as I walked into my house. It always made me smile. It was my dream house, after all. Quite literally, in fact. A genie had created it out of thin air for me, and the little house had everything I ever wanted. And yet… I cast a longing look over my shoulder at the lights dancing on the lawn of Traviel and Elarian’s house. Upstairs, curtain was parted slightly and I could just see the colorful shapes, projected on the baby's room ceiling, as they slowly twirled around.
I did the right thing, making that wish.
Iknewthat, but six months later I sometimes found myself wondering what life would be like if I hadn't…
I sat down at my laptop to see if there were any responses to the draft of my latest writing project. The house had come complete with a contract for a wonderful job writing for the Dungeons and Dragons games. They obviously liked me; last month I was invited to submit a proposal for a novel. The job paid more than enough to live comfortably on, especially without rent.
It was a luxury I never could have imagined in my old life. Ha, my old life.
It wasn't that I missed it. Who could miss living from paycheck to paycheck, never knowing where you'd be living next, or even what you'd be eating? I didn't miss that aspect at all. In fact, the night I met the genie had started out like so many others. I was sitting in a local coffee shop, looking for freelance writing work with their complimentary Wi-Fi, and guzzling down free refills of black coffee. If I was there until close, the baristas would bag up all of the baked goods they were expected to throw away at the end of the night and give them to me instead. I couldn't say how many times I hadn't gone hungry, thanks to slightly stale croissants and muffins.
That night, I didn't have any paying work, iinstead I was plugging away at my personal project. It was a series of stories featuring the adventures of Traviel, the elf version of me, and his partner Elarian. Shortly after leaving the shop, I saved a man from being hit by a bus. He didn't bother to tell me he was a genie, or that he was giving me three wishes in exchange for saving his life. Not that I would have believed him. Not back then, anyway.
Shortly after that, I accidentally wished to become Traviel my dreams. The genie’s magic brought both Traviel and Elarian to life in Vale Valley. As a result, my dreams for the next few months were amazing, vivid ones, all as Traviel. It took me a while to realize the dreams were real, but once I did I inadvertently wished to find my way to Vale Valley. Before I knew it, I was face to face with a character straight out of my own book.
Unfortunately, the old adage “be careful what you wish for” was true. Since I had accidentally wished to be Traviel in my dreams, he only existed when I was asleep. As soon as I woke up each day, he vanished, leaving behind a very confused and frightened Elarian.
After a lot of soul searching, I used my third and final wish to bring Traviel fully to life, as his own, individual person. I sometimes wondered what would have happened if I had chosen to remain him instead. But I knew that I made the right choice. I created Elarian and Traviel to be together. Not with me.
Still, though, I did often find myself wishing – literally and often out loud – that I had worded that final wish a bit differently. Because as the days went on, I found the wonder of being surrounded by the sort of magic I always dreamed about was wearing off. The excitement of tea with elves, and shifters as neighbors, and a house made by a genie was fading. Each day I felt more like a boring human, completely out of his element, and isolated from the magic I could see, but never use. And even though everyone told me Vale Valley was a place for people looking for a home and for love, I felt like I had neither.
My house, perfect though it was, was starting to feel less and less like ahome.It was big and empty. I always felt like a third wheel when I went to visit Traviel and Elarian. True, I didn't miss all the frequent moving around that I had done while hopping from job to job, but everyone seemed to expect I would stay in Vale Valley forever. And I really couldn't see that. I didn't think I'd ever lived anywhere for more than a couple of years. I stood with a sigh and walked over to the door, looking out over my garden. Even the yard the genie created was perfect.
I guess you really do have to be careful what you wish for. Traviel said that he wished I could live in Vale Valley as well. He said it in front of the genie, who merely said “oops” and vanished. Even though Traviel didn’t technically have three wishes, it clearly had been granted. Poof: I had a house in Vale Valleyandthe financial means to stay here. Unfortunately, it seemed that it was just the house I got, and not the sense of belonging that went along with it. Just like his wish, Ilivedin Vale Valley. But it wasn’t a home.
Sighing, I gazed out the window at the dark sky, remembering the first night in my house. Standing here in the same spot, watching the Fourth of July fireworks with Traviel and Elarian…
“I may not have been given three wishes like you,” Traviel said. “But it seems like, somehow, I did have two granted. And if I had a third… Travis, I wish that the next time you see fireworks, you’ll watch them with a true love of your own. And a baby on the way!”
“Come on, genie,” I muttered out loud. “Let Traviel have his wish…” I waited desperately for the strange feel of a cool of a breeze or the purple mist that seemed to accompany the genie’s wish granting. But there was nothing. Somewhere an owl, or maybe an owl shifter, hooted. I sighed again and turned back inside, half-hoping to see the genie sitting there, making himself at home. No such luck.
~~~***~~~
The next morning I headed to Sweet Bites, the local bakery, to pick up a pumpkin pie that I had reserved for Thanksgiving. The person working at the counter was busy, with his back to me, but the bright teal hair was a dead giveaway.
“Morning, Eden,” I said.
“Hey, handsome,” he trilled, with a wide grin. “You can come right on back here; I’ll show you where to put them.”
“Um… what?” I was used to his flirtations, but that last sentence didn’t make any sense. I wondered if I misheard him.
“The berries. For the pies?” His grin faltered. “Oh, crap, I’m sorry. I thought you were Traviel.”
I grinned ruefully. I should have known. “Nope, just me. Travis. The human,” I added, feeling just a bit bitter about it. I was used to hanging around the elves, but shifters always made me aware of how unmagical I was. Eden’s peacock-blue hair was a vivid reminder that he actually was a peacock.
“Sorry, honey. What can I do for you?” His sincere apology, tempered by the suggestion-laced offer of help, lifted my mood a bit.
“I reserved a pumpkin pie?”
“Let me get that for you.” He sauntered into the back, just as the bell on the door chimed. I turned to see Traviel entering, carrying a large box.
“Hey,” he said in surprise when he saw me.
“Hey. You can just bring that straight into the back and ask Eden where to put it.” I told him. He raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Eden returned with my pie and his grin widened. “Well, isn’t this a doubly-sexy start to my morning. You can bring those right back here, Traviel.”
Traviel snorted in an amusement and followed, with what I assumed was a box of berries.
