This is a short story I started four years ago in my Intro to Fiction class... it has evolved very slowly over the years and I hope to add more eventually, maybe turn it into a novel. Tell me what you all think! Oh, and the formatting isn't all that great... sorry.
Lucielle
These last two days were some of the most wild and crazy days that I have ever had in my life. Lucielle Du’Marniér was the most wonderful person and I hope that I can go back one day. I will try to relate what happened to me Monday evening and what followed. It is a most fantastic story, so I suggest that you take a seat before I continue.
It was Monday night and I had to work late. My manager felt like he needed the store to look as perfect as it could be. I am one of the only employees who actually likes to be perfect, and since I was there, he decided to put pressure on me to make my section of the store as spotless and beautiful as I could.
Of course, my section was always chaotic by the time that I arrived, and this day was no exception. I am also always doing many other things besides just cleaning up the store. I stock shelves, and am a backup cashier, so of course the store was very busy and I was being called up front every five minutes to either do a price check or to ring up some customers. Life was very hectic for me that night and I was really upset that for just one day the customers couldn‘t be polite and not make messes everywhere.
By some miracle I was on the last aisle just as the store closed. I was just completing the job of facing a display of dish soap on the end of an aisle when my eyes started throbbing, then my fingers started tingling like when they fall asleep. I blinked a few times and flexed my fingers slowly, moving the bottle of soap that was in my hands from one hand to the other, to try and get the feeling back into them. I looked down at the soap, and to my disbelief, the liquid inside was turning from green to purple, and was bubbling really fast.
I quickly put the bottle back on the shelf, but the liquid was bubbling so quickly that the bottle rocked right off the shelf. I watched, unable to move, as the bottle tumbled to the floor in what seemed like slow motion. It hit the floor at just the right angle so that the spout broke off, leaving a perfect hole in the top.
As soon as the liquid started pouring out, it stopped bubbling and turned green again. I would have left it there and ran away, but a coworker came by and asked me if I needed help cleaning my mess up. I shook my head, unable to speak, and quickly retrieved the bottle before more than half of the liquid poured out.
I hurried to clean the soap up off the floor and I decided to buy the bottle and take it home. Maybe I just wanted to find out if I was crazy or not. After I taped the top so I could get it home with the least mess, I hurried to finish my other duties. We ended up finishing early, and my bus was on time for once, so it took me less time to get home than usual. When I got in my room, I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was go straight to bed. I went to wash my face and I realized that some of the soap had splashed on my neck. I quickly scrubbed it off, but it left a ugly red splotch on my neck that looked like a burn. I didn’t think that I had ever been allergic to dish soap, but I ignored it anyway, thinking that it had just irritated my skin.
So that I wouldn’t spill the soap again I poured it into a clear glass container and then set the container next to my bed. I had a feeling that when I woke up in the morning I would feel better about this whole thing, but I wanted the soap there for me to see.
After I changed into my pajamas, I crawled into bed with relief and laid in bed for a few minutes, watching the bottle. After only a few minutes I started to drift off to sleep, still contemplating my sanity. As I was losing consciousness I saw the liquid begin to turn purple again and my neck began to get a little warm, but it was too late, I was already too far asleep.
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I slept a deep and unhurried sleep. The dreams were slow images of soap bubbles floating by my head and popping, only to burst into a shower of shimmering powdered dish soap showers. Soon after that was a floating crystal ball where my own face popped in front of me and screamed.
“Don’t touch the powder! Argit will get you!” My face yelled at me.
I woke up suddenly, sweating, but I felt as if I had been just laying there and had decided to open my eyes. It was one of those sleeps where you wake up unsure if you really slept or not, the dream was so real, and yet so fantastic. I slowly stretched my arms, not wanting to jump out of bed too fast. I wanted to let the dream images leave my head so that I wouldn’t have the dream again. Soon, I realized that I did not hear any alarms or car horns, I heard birds singing and chirping away. This was strange because I live in the middle of downtown Portland. Since it is also the middle of February; most of the birds are all off in warmer climates or are pretty quiet during the winter.
Even though this seemed like such a little thing, it confused and disorientated me. I also realized that I was feeling unusually warm, in the middle of February my room usually feels like ice in the morning, before the heat gets turned on. I sat up in bed and started looking around, I immediately saw that I didn’t recognize any of my surroundings. Instead of seeing my tiny dorm room filled with posters and my fish, I saw a huge room filled with plush pastel green and white furniture and huge windows that opened outside and that had billowy white floor-length curtains.
I started trembling, where was I? What was this place? Why wasn’t I in my own room? I crawled slowly out of the bed, which I now saw was huge and pastel green and white and had a feather mattress. This furniture was definitely not mine, as I did not even like pastel greens. I stumbled towards the windows and I felt unsteady and unbalanced on my feet, I hoped that I would wake up soon. I was astonished as I looked at a sprawling, plush lawn with people attending to it. I saw a few buildings that looked like houses and barns but they were so far away that I could not make them out. I was also surprised because beyond all of this and some fields all I could make out was forest. I could see no telephone lines and planes were nowhere to be seen. I also noticed that the air smelled so clean. Not even when I lived in the country had the air smell so fresh and pollutant-free. All I smelled was the tangy smell of lemon peels wafting through the room, the kind that makes your tongue throb and water because all you can imagine is a lemon wedge in your mouth.
I turned away from the window and almost tripped over my own feet. I looked down at myself, wondering why I was so clumsy, and almost collapsed. I was suddenly thinner than I was the night before. My feet and hands had become skinnier and more delicate, before my hands had been huge hands with big bones. My fingers and toes used to be long and chubby, now they had grown a little longer but they were skinny and delicate and covered with golden skin. I carefully closed my hand and opened it. I felt the golden skin stretched over my fingers. It was so soft and smooth and the tiny hairs covering my arm were so fine that I almost couldn‘t see them. I thought that if I wasn’t careful my hands and arms would snap into tiny pieces like porcelain. I looked at my torso and touched my waist with my hands. I used to have a thick waist and huge hips. Now I was much thinner than I had been, and my waist was tiny and my torso was longer. My legs were longer also, to match my torso. No wonder I had been stumbling and tripping. My brain wasn’t used to moving in this body. I was used to balancing in a whole other way.
I stumbled over to a great silver mirror, trying not to panic and slowly gaining my balance, I stood there staring at someone who was not me. I didn’t even think that anyone on earth looked as I did. I had a very different body from when I had gone to sleep. I was still around the same height as I was, but the body underneath the silken nightgown I was wearing when I awoke seemed to be much thinner without an ounce of fat anywhere. I looked at my face and gasped at what I saw. A thinner face sat on a long and graceful neck. My mouth and nose were smaller and different shapes than they had been. My nose looked like it was shaped to have a better sense of smell. I thought that maybe that was why I could make out the lemon peel scent and the fresh air so well. My eyebrows were perfectly sculpted. Instead of the always-changing hazel color I once had, my eyes were the color of dark emeralds and my skin was a pale gold color. My hair hung below my waist, which wasn’t much of a change, but instead of being dark brown, it had changed to a very pale platinum. The last thing that I noticed was that my ears were no longer short and round, they were tall and pointed. I gaped at myself and then I realized what had happened, I had woken up as an elf.
As I looked at myself a woman servant walked in, she then came up to me and bowed. She waited for me to acknowledge her but I could only look at her wonderingly.
She just smiled at me and then said, “Miss, my name is Ariah and I am your personal servant. I know that you are confused. I will help you to get dressed and then take you to speak with Miss Lucielle.”
Ariah led me by my arm to an adjoining chamber and told me to wait. She went to the wardrobe and pulled out a flowing emerald green dress and a matching cloak with silver trimming. She helped me on with these, and although they looked heavy, they felt like they were made of some satin material and they turned out to be very light and cool. Ariah then helped me on with some skin-tight slippers that perfectly matched the dress and cloak. She slipped a silver chain around my neck with a hanging emerald and decorated my hands with a silver bracelet and a silver and emerald solitaire ring.
Ariah smiled, “You look better Miss, but we must do something with your hair, Miss Lucielle would not be happy with what it looks like now.”
Ariah sat me in a chair next to the wardrobe and began fixing my hair. With deft hands, she quickly made several long, tight braids. I couldn’t see what she was doing, but she was gentile and I could feel her coiling and looping these all around my head. I saw her reach for some silver pins with emeralds sitting on a little silver tray, and I felt her she secure all of the braids. I expected the braids and pins to make my head feel heavy, but they didn’t. The braids let cool air circulate through my hair and Ariah had balanced them so my head wouldn’t feel heavy.
Ariah acted like all of this was very commonplace so I began to loosen up, hoping that this Lucielle would answer my questions. So I began to enjoy this treatment I was receiving. Ariah finished with my hair and she stood me up. She took a little purple bottle from the wardrobe and sprayed my hanging wrists, making me smell faintly of lilac and lillies. She surveyed me for a moment and then, seeming satisfied with her work, she led me out of the room and to the same great mirror I had stood in front of before. As soon as I saw the image I presented, I melted. Ariah had changed me even more than I had changed when I had woken up. I had thought that the green and silver would wash out my Elven features, but instead it only enhanced them. My eyes seemed to soak in the color and brighten up. The shade of the green Ariah chose seemed to make my golden skin darken and shine. I thought that I shined just like the emeralds that adorned my body, and I started to preen in front of the mirror.
Ariah started laughing, “That is a form of Elven Magic for high ranking elves of the Du’Marniér family. The dress didn’t bring your beauty out better, you did. All any blood member of the family has to do is believe that they are beautiful and his, or her beauty is enhanced. That is why I did not use any cosmetics on you. Also, Miss Lucielle didn’t tell me your name. Would you like to tell me now or we can wait for introductions?”
“My name is Aurora.” I said. “Did you say the Du’Marniér family? That is my last name also. I don’t know what is happening Ariah, can you tell me why I woke up this morning as an Elf? And what do you mean magic? What magic?”
Ariah shook her head, “I cannot tell you anything, I must leave that to Miss. Lucielle. Now, come Miss Aurora, we must speak with Miss Lucielle now. She has been waiting. ” I followed Ariah out of the room, not wanting to get lost. I really wanted to know what had happened to me. I wanted to know why this Lucielle and I both had the same last names. Was this some sort of weird coincidence, I thought. Did this all have to do with that soap bottle? I wanted answers, so I followed Ariah, now more comfortable, if not secure, in my new form.
Ariah led me down a long corridor past many doors and hallways leading off on other directions. At the end of the corridor was another door and Ariah took out a set of keys that all looked old fashioned. She used one of the smallest and opened the door into a little room. This room was entirely circular with no windows and had only a little table and chair in the center of it. On that table was a large flawless crystal ball. Ariah shut the door behind her and latched it, she then made me sit at the little table while she stood against the door. I looked at the crystal ball and noticed that the only light in the room was coming from it. It was also the clearest crystal I had ever seen, I could see right through it. As I watched it, the ball started to fog up and the glow became even brighter.
After a moment the fog began dissipating, but the ball was no longer clear. After a second more, I thought that I could make out a face in the ball. The face slowly became clearer, and I realized that the face that met mine in the ball was my face. But unlike the face I was wearing now, this face was smiling. I just looked at the ball, unable to believe what was happening; even after all I had just been through. I assumed this must be Lucielle, but how could she be me?
“Hello Aurora.” My face said to me. “It is nice finally meet you.”
“I assume you must be Miss Lucielle.
“Yes, I am Lucielle, but you may call me Luci. I see that Ariah has gotten you dressed up for your day and I assume that she explained very little about what is happening. I am sure you are very confused and would like to know what is going on.”
I nodded, “Yes, Ariah only told me that I have some magic that allows me to be prettier if I think I am beautiful. She also told me that is runs in your family. This brings up a question I have for you. Ariah told me that your last name is Du’Marniér. My name is also Du’Marniér. Does this have anything to do with what is happening to me? Also, did that soap incident have anything to do with this?”
Lucielle sighed, “You figure things out so fast Aurora. I thought that even though you are smart, you wouldn’t make those connections yet. Oh well, I will explain it all to you. As I have already said, my name is Lucielle, and as Ariah has told you, my last name is Du’Marniér. My family has been among the high nobles of the world Homith for as long as you humans have inhabited Earth. Your kind is a sister race to my kind, and we have a brother race called the Trolls, who live on Argit. Homith and Earth and Argit are all planets that each of our kind resides on. Each planet inhabits its own dimension, but we all are on the same plane of existence. I am now in your dimension, which is called Purgitoria. You are now in my dimension, Haevenica. The Trolls live in the dimension known as Haell. You never want to visit them because they live in a very evil world. The reason why your last name and my last name are both Du’Marniér is because we are sisters. My father found a way to Earth and found a human woman, your mother, who he fell in love with as much as he loved my Elven mother. Well, he decided that before he left he wanted to leave your mother with something to remember him by, and he left you. Since you needed to fit in on Earth he did not leave you with any magic or Elven attributes except for your color changing eyes. They are the only magic that your human body carries and they help you to improve other’s moods, as well as changing color with your own moods. When my father came back, he told us all about your world and recently, I decided that I should meet my half sister.”
I smiled, “So I really do have family. My mother never married and never had any other children so I had always thought that I was an only child. Now I know why she never wanted to have more children. She must have loved our father too much to remarry. She also didn’t have any brothers or sisters and her parents died a long time ago so I have never had any relatives. So tell me Lucielle, why did you decide to change bodies with me? And you didn’t tell me if that soap incident had anything to do with it. And what about these Trolls? If they are so evil how can I avoid them? Can they do the same thing that you have done to me?”
“I have been watching you for quite some time Aurora. I saw how much you like to arrange the shelves at your work, so I picked that shelf of soap to set my spell. I thought that you might linger there for a few minutes to fix it, rather than risking that you wouldn’t pick up a bottle of soap at home. I also picked soap because it is more likely to stick to your skin longer that anything else, and the spell needs a few minutes of physical contact to work well. I had also applied a little bit of soap to my neck and so when we went to sleep and unaware, the spell was set and switched our bodies.
The reason why I switched bodies with you is because Homith is a very peaceful world, but it is sometimes too peaceful. I needed to get away from the quiet life I was leading. I also needed a vacation before our political season opened up again. Our cousin, the Queen Mauriana is going to look for a husband soon and I wanted to be away from all of them for a day before all of the males start trying to convince her that each one of them is the best match. I only switched bodies with you for today. The bottle of soap that I used is tucked under the pillow of the bed you woke up on this morning. All you have to do is to daub some of it on the red spot left from last night and then go to sleep. When you wake up again tomorrow morning, you will be yourself and the spot will fade after only a few days.”
“Luci, you seem to have had all of this planned out. I admit that at first I was afraid, but now I am curious. So I only have today to look at your world?” I asked. “That’s alright because I have things I need to do soon in my world. I have tests coming up soon and I don’t think you would like to take those for me Luci.”
Lucielle grinned, “I do believe you are right. We Elves study things that are very different from what you study. Would you like me to tell you about the Trolls now? I must leave soon.”
I agreed. If these trolls were so bad, I wanted to know how to avoid waking up on this evil world.
Luci went on to tell me that in the beginning of time the Great Mother, Gaia had many children. She gave birth to Chronos, and many others, but specifically she gave birth to Helios, The Unicorn Spirit. Helios eventually fell captive to the great Aphrodite. He did not want to be with this Goddess, but he could not help it and together they gave birth to our three races, the Elves, Humans, and Trolls. Soon after these three were born, Helios realized that the three could not live together on one world. The Elves were too good, the Humans were too chaotic, and the trolls were too evil. So Helios consulted Gaia and they decided to separate the three races on three different planets, in three different dimensions, so that they could each live out their lives without harming each other.
Lucielle went on to tell me how each race had stayed true to their natures. Elves had remained good, if perhaps a little stuck-up because of their status. Humans were still chaotic, with a third of the population being good, a third being neutral, and a third being evil. And lastly the trolls remained evil. If anything they had become more evil than before.
She told me that Trolls were very fond of doing the opposite of anything the Elves did. Since she had used liquid dish soap with me, one of them was bound to notice and try powdered soap.
“These Trolls have a big sense of humor, even if it is an evil one. I would suggest that you stay away from any powdered soap for awhile. Even after you are home for awhile, they may try the same thing with you.”
Thanks for the tip, I thought. I doubted that any Troll would ever want to bother me. After all, I wasn’t related to any of them, right?
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I sat up suddenly in bed. I had had that dream again. Soap bubbles turned to powder and a crystal ball showing me a face that was telling me to stay away. I was confused, almost not sure if Lucielle had been a dream. I looked around, taking in the scene. My fish were lazily swimming around their clean tank, looking content. My room had been freshly vacuumed and there were no signs of occupation. I glanced at my mirror then and saw that there was a note taped to it.
I slowly climbed out of my bed, stretching all of my muscles and yawning. I took a step towards the mirror and tripped. Uh oh, I thought, balance problems again. I took a few more careful steps, until I was standing in front of the mirror.
The note had my name printed on the front in neat letters. Aurora. I opened up the letter, now knowing if that that day on Homith had been a dream. A tiny crystal pendant dropped out of the note. I smiled, knowing that Homith had not been a dream, and Lucielle left it for me. I began to read Lucielle’s handwriting.
Aurora,
Thank you for letting me spend the day in your body. I had such a nice time. I met some of your friends. Don’t worry, I am a wonderful actress, and I don’t think they suspected a thing. The crystal I left in this note is for you to wear always. As long as you wear it, we can always talk to each other. Wish me luck with Queen Mauriana , this wedding will be very trying. I hope to hear from you soon my sister. Be safe.
~Lucielle
I smiled and slipped the pendant over my head. I sat down on my only chair and closed my eyes. It had been such a nice day on Homith. I had gone horseback riding and also learned more about Elven history. I didn’t bother to learn any more about trolls because I was convinced that they couldn’t bother me.
Oh well, I thought. Maybe she’ll want to do that again one day. I looked around my room again and noticed the glass bottle I had put the soap in. I got up and went over to it. I looked at it, wondering in the same soap would work again. Then I noticed that something was wrong with the bottle. There was a crack running all along the bottom and the soap didn’t look the same any more. I carefully shook the bottle and I saw that the soap was now powder. My hands started shaking and I accidentally dropped the bottle. I watched, afraid, and the bottle dropped at my feet, shattering. The powder spilled all over my feet and they immediately turned bright green. They were also turning red from the cuts that the glass inflicted on my feet. I sat in my chair and grabbed a nearby washcloth from my little sink. As I wiped the blood and glass from my feet, I saw that they were still bright green. I pulled my feel up onto the chair and I leaned my head against my knees. Soon tears started winding their way down my legs. I could not stop crying because I knew that I would soon be on Argit and there might not be any way out.
~*The End*~
Lucielle
These last two days were some of the most wild and crazy days that I have ever had in my life. Lucielle Du’Marniér was the most wonderful person and I hope that I can go back one day. I will try to relate what happened to me Monday evening and what followed. It is a most fantastic story, so I suggest that you take a seat before I continue.
It was Monday night and I had to work late. My manager felt like he needed the store to look as perfect as it could be. I am one of the only employees who actually likes to be perfect, and since I was there, he decided to put pressure on me to make my section of the store as spotless and beautiful as I could.
Of course, my section was always chaotic by the time that I arrived, and this day was no exception. I am also always doing many other things besides just cleaning up the store. I stock shelves, and am a backup cashier, so of course the store was very busy and I was being called up front every five minutes to either do a price check or to ring up some customers. Life was very hectic for me that night and I was really upset that for just one day the customers couldn‘t be polite and not make messes everywhere.
By some miracle I was on the last aisle just as the store closed. I was just completing the job of facing a display of dish soap on the end of an aisle when my eyes started throbbing, then my fingers started tingling like when they fall asleep. I blinked a few times and flexed my fingers slowly, moving the bottle of soap that was in my hands from one hand to the other, to try and get the feeling back into them. I looked down at the soap, and to my disbelief, the liquid inside was turning from green to purple, and was bubbling really fast.
I quickly put the bottle back on the shelf, but the liquid was bubbling so quickly that the bottle rocked right off the shelf. I watched, unable to move, as the bottle tumbled to the floor in what seemed like slow motion. It hit the floor at just the right angle so that the spout broke off, leaving a perfect hole in the top.
As soon as the liquid started pouring out, it stopped bubbling and turned green again. I would have left it there and ran away, but a coworker came by and asked me if I needed help cleaning my mess up. I shook my head, unable to speak, and quickly retrieved the bottle before more than half of the liquid poured out.
I hurried to clean the soap up off the floor and I decided to buy the bottle and take it home. Maybe I just wanted to find out if I was crazy or not. After I taped the top so I could get it home with the least mess, I hurried to finish my other duties. We ended up finishing early, and my bus was on time for once, so it took me less time to get home than usual. When I got in my room, I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was go straight to bed. I went to wash my face and I realized that some of the soap had splashed on my neck. I quickly scrubbed it off, but it left a ugly red splotch on my neck that looked like a burn. I didn’t think that I had ever been allergic to dish soap, but I ignored it anyway, thinking that it had just irritated my skin.
So that I wouldn’t spill the soap again I poured it into a clear glass container and then set the container next to my bed. I had a feeling that when I woke up in the morning I would feel better about this whole thing, but I wanted the soap there for me to see.
After I changed into my pajamas, I crawled into bed with relief and laid in bed for a few minutes, watching the bottle. After only a few minutes I started to drift off to sleep, still contemplating my sanity. As I was losing consciousness I saw the liquid begin to turn purple again and my neck began to get a little warm, but it was too late, I was already too far asleep.
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I slept a deep and unhurried sleep. The dreams were slow images of soap bubbles floating by my head and popping, only to burst into a shower of shimmering powdered dish soap showers. Soon after that was a floating crystal ball where my own face popped in front of me and screamed.
“Don’t touch the powder! Argit will get you!” My face yelled at me.
I woke up suddenly, sweating, but I felt as if I had been just laying there and had decided to open my eyes. It was one of those sleeps where you wake up unsure if you really slept or not, the dream was so real, and yet so fantastic. I slowly stretched my arms, not wanting to jump out of bed too fast. I wanted to let the dream images leave my head so that I wouldn’t have the dream again. Soon, I realized that I did not hear any alarms or car horns, I heard birds singing and chirping away. This was strange because I live in the middle of downtown Portland. Since it is also the middle of February; most of the birds are all off in warmer climates or are pretty quiet during the winter.
Even though this seemed like such a little thing, it confused and disorientated me. I also realized that I was feeling unusually warm, in the middle of February my room usually feels like ice in the morning, before the heat gets turned on. I sat up in bed and started looking around, I immediately saw that I didn’t recognize any of my surroundings. Instead of seeing my tiny dorm room filled with posters and my fish, I saw a huge room filled with plush pastel green and white furniture and huge windows that opened outside and that had billowy white floor-length curtains.
I started trembling, where was I? What was this place? Why wasn’t I in my own room? I crawled slowly out of the bed, which I now saw was huge and pastel green and white and had a feather mattress. This furniture was definitely not mine, as I did not even like pastel greens. I stumbled towards the windows and I felt unsteady and unbalanced on my feet, I hoped that I would wake up soon. I was astonished as I looked at a sprawling, plush lawn with people attending to it. I saw a few buildings that looked like houses and barns but they were so far away that I could not make them out. I was also surprised because beyond all of this and some fields all I could make out was forest. I could see no telephone lines and planes were nowhere to be seen. I also noticed that the air smelled so clean. Not even when I lived in the country had the air smell so fresh and pollutant-free. All I smelled was the tangy smell of lemon peels wafting through the room, the kind that makes your tongue throb and water because all you can imagine is a lemon wedge in your mouth.
I turned away from the window and almost tripped over my own feet. I looked down at myself, wondering why I was so clumsy, and almost collapsed. I was suddenly thinner than I was the night before. My feet and hands had become skinnier and more delicate, before my hands had been huge hands with big bones. My fingers and toes used to be long and chubby, now they had grown a little longer but they were skinny and delicate and covered with golden skin. I carefully closed my hand and opened it. I felt the golden skin stretched over my fingers. It was so soft and smooth and the tiny hairs covering my arm were so fine that I almost couldn‘t see them. I thought that if I wasn’t careful my hands and arms would snap into tiny pieces like porcelain. I looked at my torso and touched my waist with my hands. I used to have a thick waist and huge hips. Now I was much thinner than I had been, and my waist was tiny and my torso was longer. My legs were longer also, to match my torso. No wonder I had been stumbling and tripping. My brain wasn’t used to moving in this body. I was used to balancing in a whole other way.
I stumbled over to a great silver mirror, trying not to panic and slowly gaining my balance, I stood there staring at someone who was not me. I didn’t even think that anyone on earth looked as I did. I had a very different body from when I had gone to sleep. I was still around the same height as I was, but the body underneath the silken nightgown I was wearing when I awoke seemed to be much thinner without an ounce of fat anywhere. I looked at my face and gasped at what I saw. A thinner face sat on a long and graceful neck. My mouth and nose were smaller and different shapes than they had been. My nose looked like it was shaped to have a better sense of smell. I thought that maybe that was why I could make out the lemon peel scent and the fresh air so well. My eyebrows were perfectly sculpted. Instead of the always-changing hazel color I once had, my eyes were the color of dark emeralds and my skin was a pale gold color. My hair hung below my waist, which wasn’t much of a change, but instead of being dark brown, it had changed to a very pale platinum. The last thing that I noticed was that my ears were no longer short and round, they were tall and pointed. I gaped at myself and then I realized what had happened, I had woken up as an elf.
As I looked at myself a woman servant walked in, she then came up to me and bowed. She waited for me to acknowledge her but I could only look at her wonderingly.
She just smiled at me and then said, “Miss, my name is Ariah and I am your personal servant. I know that you are confused. I will help you to get dressed and then take you to speak with Miss Lucielle.”
Ariah led me by my arm to an adjoining chamber and told me to wait. She went to the wardrobe and pulled out a flowing emerald green dress and a matching cloak with silver trimming. She helped me on with these, and although they looked heavy, they felt like they were made of some satin material and they turned out to be very light and cool. Ariah then helped me on with some skin-tight slippers that perfectly matched the dress and cloak. She slipped a silver chain around my neck with a hanging emerald and decorated my hands with a silver bracelet and a silver and emerald solitaire ring.
Ariah smiled, “You look better Miss, but we must do something with your hair, Miss Lucielle would not be happy with what it looks like now.”
Ariah sat me in a chair next to the wardrobe and began fixing my hair. With deft hands, she quickly made several long, tight braids. I couldn’t see what she was doing, but she was gentile and I could feel her coiling and looping these all around my head. I saw her reach for some silver pins with emeralds sitting on a little silver tray, and I felt her she secure all of the braids. I expected the braids and pins to make my head feel heavy, but they didn’t. The braids let cool air circulate through my hair and Ariah had balanced them so my head wouldn’t feel heavy.
Ariah acted like all of this was very commonplace so I began to loosen up, hoping that this Lucielle would answer my questions. So I began to enjoy this treatment I was receiving. Ariah finished with my hair and she stood me up. She took a little purple bottle from the wardrobe and sprayed my hanging wrists, making me smell faintly of lilac and lillies. She surveyed me for a moment and then, seeming satisfied with her work, she led me out of the room and to the same great mirror I had stood in front of before. As soon as I saw the image I presented, I melted. Ariah had changed me even more than I had changed when I had woken up. I had thought that the green and silver would wash out my Elven features, but instead it only enhanced them. My eyes seemed to soak in the color and brighten up. The shade of the green Ariah chose seemed to make my golden skin darken and shine. I thought that I shined just like the emeralds that adorned my body, and I started to preen in front of the mirror.
Ariah started laughing, “That is a form of Elven Magic for high ranking elves of the Du’Marniér family. The dress didn’t bring your beauty out better, you did. All any blood member of the family has to do is believe that they are beautiful and his, or her beauty is enhanced. That is why I did not use any cosmetics on you. Also, Miss Lucielle didn’t tell me your name. Would you like to tell me now or we can wait for introductions?”
“My name is Aurora.” I said. “Did you say the Du’Marniér family? That is my last name also. I don’t know what is happening Ariah, can you tell me why I woke up this morning as an Elf? And what do you mean magic? What magic?”
Ariah shook her head, “I cannot tell you anything, I must leave that to Miss. Lucielle. Now, come Miss Aurora, we must speak with Miss Lucielle now. She has been waiting. ” I followed Ariah out of the room, not wanting to get lost. I really wanted to know what had happened to me. I wanted to know why this Lucielle and I both had the same last names. Was this some sort of weird coincidence, I thought. Did this all have to do with that soap bottle? I wanted answers, so I followed Ariah, now more comfortable, if not secure, in my new form.
Ariah led me down a long corridor past many doors and hallways leading off on other directions. At the end of the corridor was another door and Ariah took out a set of keys that all looked old fashioned. She used one of the smallest and opened the door into a little room. This room was entirely circular with no windows and had only a little table and chair in the center of it. On that table was a large flawless crystal ball. Ariah shut the door behind her and latched it, she then made me sit at the little table while she stood against the door. I looked at the crystal ball and noticed that the only light in the room was coming from it. It was also the clearest crystal I had ever seen, I could see right through it. As I watched it, the ball started to fog up and the glow became even brighter.
After a moment the fog began dissipating, but the ball was no longer clear. After a second more, I thought that I could make out a face in the ball. The face slowly became clearer, and I realized that the face that met mine in the ball was my face. But unlike the face I was wearing now, this face was smiling. I just looked at the ball, unable to believe what was happening; even after all I had just been through. I assumed this must be Lucielle, but how could she be me?
“Hello Aurora.” My face said to me. “It is nice finally meet you.”
“I assume you must be Miss Lucielle.
“Yes, I am Lucielle, but you may call me Luci. I see that Ariah has gotten you dressed up for your day and I assume that she explained very little about what is happening. I am sure you are very confused and would like to know what is going on.”
I nodded, “Yes, Ariah only told me that I have some magic that allows me to be prettier if I think I am beautiful. She also told me that is runs in your family. This brings up a question I have for you. Ariah told me that your last name is Du’Marniér. My name is also Du’Marniér. Does this have anything to do with what is happening to me? Also, did that soap incident have anything to do with this?”
Lucielle sighed, “You figure things out so fast Aurora. I thought that even though you are smart, you wouldn’t make those connections yet. Oh well, I will explain it all to you. As I have already said, my name is Lucielle, and as Ariah has told you, my last name is Du’Marniér. My family has been among the high nobles of the world Homith for as long as you humans have inhabited Earth. Your kind is a sister race to my kind, and we have a brother race called the Trolls, who live on Argit. Homith and Earth and Argit are all planets that each of our kind resides on. Each planet inhabits its own dimension, but we all are on the same plane of existence. I am now in your dimension, which is called Purgitoria. You are now in my dimension, Haevenica. The Trolls live in the dimension known as Haell. You never want to visit them because they live in a very evil world. The reason why your last name and my last name are both Du’Marniér is because we are sisters. My father found a way to Earth and found a human woman, your mother, who he fell in love with as much as he loved my Elven mother. Well, he decided that before he left he wanted to leave your mother with something to remember him by, and he left you. Since you needed to fit in on Earth he did not leave you with any magic or Elven attributes except for your color changing eyes. They are the only magic that your human body carries and they help you to improve other’s moods, as well as changing color with your own moods. When my father came back, he told us all about your world and recently, I decided that I should meet my half sister.”
I smiled, “So I really do have family. My mother never married and never had any other children so I had always thought that I was an only child. Now I know why she never wanted to have more children. She must have loved our father too much to remarry. She also didn’t have any brothers or sisters and her parents died a long time ago so I have never had any relatives. So tell me Lucielle, why did you decide to change bodies with me? And you didn’t tell me if that soap incident had anything to do with it. And what about these Trolls? If they are so evil how can I avoid them? Can they do the same thing that you have done to me?”
“I have been watching you for quite some time Aurora. I saw how much you like to arrange the shelves at your work, so I picked that shelf of soap to set my spell. I thought that you might linger there for a few minutes to fix it, rather than risking that you wouldn’t pick up a bottle of soap at home. I also picked soap because it is more likely to stick to your skin longer that anything else, and the spell needs a few minutes of physical contact to work well. I had also applied a little bit of soap to my neck and so when we went to sleep and unaware, the spell was set and switched our bodies.
The reason why I switched bodies with you is because Homith is a very peaceful world, but it is sometimes too peaceful. I needed to get away from the quiet life I was leading. I also needed a vacation before our political season opened up again. Our cousin, the Queen Mauriana is going to look for a husband soon and I wanted to be away from all of them for a day before all of the males start trying to convince her that each one of them is the best match. I only switched bodies with you for today. The bottle of soap that I used is tucked under the pillow of the bed you woke up on this morning. All you have to do is to daub some of it on the red spot left from last night and then go to sleep. When you wake up again tomorrow morning, you will be yourself and the spot will fade after only a few days.”
“Luci, you seem to have had all of this planned out. I admit that at first I was afraid, but now I am curious. So I only have today to look at your world?” I asked. “That’s alright because I have things I need to do soon in my world. I have tests coming up soon and I don’t think you would like to take those for me Luci.”
Lucielle grinned, “I do believe you are right. We Elves study things that are very different from what you study. Would you like me to tell you about the Trolls now? I must leave soon.”
I agreed. If these trolls were so bad, I wanted to know how to avoid waking up on this evil world.
Luci went on to tell me that in the beginning of time the Great Mother, Gaia had many children. She gave birth to Chronos, and many others, but specifically she gave birth to Helios, The Unicorn Spirit. Helios eventually fell captive to the great Aphrodite. He did not want to be with this Goddess, but he could not help it and together they gave birth to our three races, the Elves, Humans, and Trolls. Soon after these three were born, Helios realized that the three could not live together on one world. The Elves were too good, the Humans were too chaotic, and the trolls were too evil. So Helios consulted Gaia and they decided to separate the three races on three different planets, in three different dimensions, so that they could each live out their lives without harming each other.
Lucielle went on to tell me how each race had stayed true to their natures. Elves had remained good, if perhaps a little stuck-up because of their status. Humans were still chaotic, with a third of the population being good, a third being neutral, and a third being evil. And lastly the trolls remained evil. If anything they had become more evil than before.
She told me that Trolls were very fond of doing the opposite of anything the Elves did. Since she had used liquid dish soap with me, one of them was bound to notice and try powdered soap.
“These Trolls have a big sense of humor, even if it is an evil one. I would suggest that you stay away from any powdered soap for awhile. Even after you are home for awhile, they may try the same thing with you.”
Thanks for the tip, I thought. I doubted that any Troll would ever want to bother me. After all, I wasn’t related to any of them, right?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I sat up suddenly in bed. I had had that dream again. Soap bubbles turned to powder and a crystal ball showing me a face that was telling me to stay away. I was confused, almost not sure if Lucielle had been a dream. I looked around, taking in the scene. My fish were lazily swimming around their clean tank, looking content. My room had been freshly vacuumed and there were no signs of occupation. I glanced at my mirror then and saw that there was a note taped to it.
I slowly climbed out of my bed, stretching all of my muscles and yawning. I took a step towards the mirror and tripped. Uh oh, I thought, balance problems again. I took a few more careful steps, until I was standing in front of the mirror.
The note had my name printed on the front in neat letters. Aurora. I opened up the letter, now knowing if that that day on Homith had been a dream. A tiny crystal pendant dropped out of the note. I smiled, knowing that Homith had not been a dream, and Lucielle left it for me. I began to read Lucielle’s handwriting.
Aurora,
Thank you for letting me spend the day in your body. I had such a nice time. I met some of your friends. Don’t worry, I am a wonderful actress, and I don’t think they suspected a thing. The crystal I left in this note is for you to wear always. As long as you wear it, we can always talk to each other. Wish me luck with Queen Mauriana , this wedding will be very trying. I hope to hear from you soon my sister. Be safe.
~Lucielle
I smiled and slipped the pendant over my head. I sat down on my only chair and closed my eyes. It had been such a nice day on Homith. I had gone horseback riding and also learned more about Elven history. I didn’t bother to learn any more about trolls because I was convinced that they couldn’t bother me.
Oh well, I thought. Maybe she’ll want to do that again one day. I looked around my room again and noticed the glass bottle I had put the soap in. I got up and went over to it. I looked at it, wondering in the same soap would work again. Then I noticed that something was wrong with the bottle. There was a crack running all along the bottom and the soap didn’t look the same any more. I carefully shook the bottle and I saw that the soap was now powder. My hands started shaking and I accidentally dropped the bottle. I watched, afraid, and the bottle dropped at my feet, shattering. The powder spilled all over my feet and they immediately turned bright green. They were also turning red from the cuts that the glass inflicted on my feet. I sat in my chair and grabbed a nearby washcloth from my little sink. As I wiped the blood and glass from my feet, I saw that they were still bright green. I pulled my feel up onto the chair and I leaned my head against my knees. Soon tears started winding their way down my legs. I could not stop crying because I knew that I would soon be on Argit and there might not be any way out.
~*The End*~
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