Sparkles

Sparkles

The shop was small, dimly lit, and crammed with junk. Dee sneezed. The dust was disgusting. So was the old man sitting behind the counter.

Dee hated this place. She was only here because the rent was due and there was no money. Once again, she had been sent to Mr Barton’s pawn shop with her mother’s wedding ring.

At least the elephant was still there. It was a garish ornament, the same size as a two-slice toaster. Dee loved the emerald green and gold of the elephant’s elaborate headpiece and blanket. The paint was chipped, and Dee could see white beneath. But regardless of its state, the elephant stood solid in its dignity.

“You’re back.” Mr Barton’s voice was rough. He smoked. Even in the shop. There was always a lit butt in the ashtray on the counter. The acrid scent wrinkled Dee’s nose.

Dee tried to smile and act cheerful. “Hi Mr Barton. Mum needs some money.”

“I’ve got her wedding ring as,” she stumbled on the last word, “surety.”

She dropped the ring onto his palm. There was yellow across all his fingers. That was the cigarettes. Dee saw it on her uncle’s hands and even on Mum’s. It disgusted her.

“Hmm.” Mr Barton studied the ring.

Nerves shot through Dee’s legs, making them tremble. The ring had been pawned before. There should be no problem with it.

“Gold has taken a tumble.”

“What?” she asked.

Mr Barton gave her a smile as he closed his fat fist around the ring.

“Gold is not as valuable as it was.”

“What does that mean?”

“To get the amount you need, you will have to come up with something a bit more.”

With the other hand, the one not holding the ring, not so stained, he beckoned Dee closer.

Dee’s stomach filled with vomit. She did not want to go nearer. The man smelt; not just of smoke, but also stale sweat and alcohol.

But they needed the rent money.

She edged toward him. Maybe he would whisper a silly request she could fulfil. Previous, totally inappropriate, comments about her becoming a pretty young woman, repeated in her memory. This would not be a silly request.

“Come on, I won’t bite.” Mr Barton giggled.

She looked at his stubbled round face and moved a bit more.

“Look, darling, you want the money. You just give Uncle Donald here a wee peck on the cheek and it’s yours.”

Dee squeezed her eyes shut. This was so awful, so wrong but what could she do? They needed the money.

She bent forward.

CRASH!

Dee leapt back with a scream.

“What the fuck!” Mr Barton was on his feet, staring beyond her.

She twisted to look. The elephant, her unlikely saviour, was shattered on the concrete floor. Nothing else appeared to have moved.

“Oh, fuck you girl. Take this and get out of here.”

Mr Barton thrust a handful of notes towards her. She grabbed the money and turned away. She heard the man shuffle off, towards the back of the shop.

She wasted no time counting the money on her way out.

Dee looked down as she stepped over the remains of the elephant. Tears suddenly blurred her vision. The elephant had been the only nice thing in the shop.

She did not dare stop, to say goodbye. But as she lifted her foot over the mess, a sparkle shone through the rubble. There was something small and shiny hidden in the ruins.

She reached down and grabbed. She did not even slow her pace to look at what she had taken.

Only when she had reached the relative safety of the street did Dee allow her feet to halt.

Both hands were full. In her left was the money Mr Barton had given her. There was more than enough for the rent.

She slowly opened her right hand. Sparkles leapt from it. She clasped her fingers shut again. This needed to be kept a secret. The sparkly object was small enough to almost disappear in her hand, but it was hard and prickly.

There was no way she was taking this treasure home.

She had the rent money. She could drop that off at the landlord’s office.

She was almost at the landlord’s when curiosity got the better of her. An alleyway, used as a shortcut to the railway station was currently empty.

Finally, out of sight of anyone, Dee opened her hand properly.

Sparkles danced off the tiniest, most perfect, crystalline unicorn Dee had ever seen. This had to be one of those fancy crystals like grandma collected.

A pang, deep and painful, hit Dee’s diaphragm. She had not visited her grandmother in years.

Voices from the other end of the alley brought her attention back to the present. A train had arrived. The afternoon was getting on. These would be the first of the people returning from their jobs in the city.

The idea came from nowhere. What if, instead of paying the rent and going home, she caught a train? A train to anywhere, far, far from here.

It was school holidays. No one would think it strange for her to be travelling alone.

A minute later she was walking towards the railway station.

The money from Mr Barton, was tucked into her jeans pocket. She did not know what to do with the unicorn, so she stuffed it in her bra.

Perspiration broke out on her forehead as she reached inside her T-shirt. Mum said her tits were pathetic. Would the unicorn be a visible lump?

No one looked at her as she walked up to the ticket office. The man behind the screen, with a heavy, black, but well-kept beard, seemed half asleep as he took her money. She was careful not to let him see how much she had.

The train departed in twenty minutes. She had time to go to the bathroom. That would give her the chance to do something about the unicorn. Sharp points were digging into her skin.

She bought a sanitary pad from the machine, threw out the packaging and wrapped the unicorn in it. That stopped the discomfort but she was certain the bulge was visible to others.

Fortune was with her. A previous occupant of the cubicle had left their cardigan behind. Dee slipped it on. The beige garment fitted well and hid her bust.

The carriage smelt of air freshener. There were hardly any passengers. Dee chose a seat by the window. She smirked to herself as the train pulled out from the station. No one had sat beside her.

About five minutes later, guilt and fear crept in. She was going to be in big trouble. Mum and Dad would be so mad with her spending the rent money. Donald Barton had the ring. He would say they received payment.

The thought of Donald Barton made Dee hunch over. He was a creep.

Suddenly, she was furious that she was the one sent to get the money. Why did it have to be her? It was always her. Not Mum, Dad or either of her brothers.

Vomit rose at the disgusting memory. As she covered her mouth, her arm nudged the package hidden in her bra.

It was like a burst of sparkles flashed in front of her eyes. Dee gasped, then looked around. None of the other passengers were paying her attention.

Her resolve strengthened. She was not going home. Her family had been using her. Mum had to know what Donald Barton was like.

Other fears tried to convince her the journey was a bad idea. What would she do when the money ran out? Where could she stay? Would the police hunt for her?

And then what? If they took her home, life would be as before. Struggle at school, live on bad food, no longer trusted with money.

Then there was the crystal unicorn. She would lose it. It belonged to the shop.

But it was too beautiful for that disgusting place. Dee glanced around again. Still no one was looking her way. Timidly, she put one finger on the bulge in her bra.

The effect this time was soft, like being bathed in wintery sunlight. Dee soaked it in. It was good.

An hour later the train reached its final destination. Dee was quick to get off. If she hesitated, her fears would win, and she would meekly return home.

Besides, she was hungry. There was sure to be a burger shop close by.

Outside the railway station, blustery wind grabbed at Dee. She hugged her newly acquired cardigan tighter to her body as she looked around.

She had not been to the city for a long time, and never alone. Once again, her fears surfaced. But, at that exact second, she spied a takeaway shop. It was not one the chains. She belatedly noticed both McDonalds and Burger King, but her sights were set on the smaller place across the road.

There was more traffic than Dee remembered. She had to wait for the lights to change before crossing the four lanes of vehicles. Fearful someone could recognise a runaway, she kept glancing around. No one was interested. They were all staring down at phones, watching for the green light, or chatting with companions.

Finally, the buzzer sounded, and Dee ran across. The scent of fried food captured her as soon as she stepped onto the footpath.

Inside the shop was like every takeaway Dee had ever visited. A big whiteboard listing food choices dominated the back wall. Beneath that, were the frying vats. A tall counter separated Dee from the cooking area.

A youth stood at the till. He was a couple of years older than Dee, tall, Asian, and with a sparkling unicorn dangling from his left ear.

Dee relaxed as she read the whiteboard. She knew exactly what she wanted. She was taking her time simply so she could stay in the shop.

Another customer came in. She waved the woman ahead, but then had to place her order. “Chips and a burger.”

The young man grinned and made eye contact. Dee blushed but returned the smile.

Food in hand, Dee checked out a memory. Her grandmother had taken her and her brothers to a park that, she recalled, was not far from the railway station.

The park, with its large trees and carefully tended lawns was only a five-minute walk up the road. Big gates were wide open. Vehicles could go to the buildings set further on but it was not a thoroughfare.

Dee found a bench out of the wind. The evening was pleasant enough. She watched as people walked past. One or two acknowledged her with a nod of their head, and a couple others waggled fingers in her direction.

But she had to make a decision. The streetlights had just come on. She was not going to stay in the park. It would soon be both too cold and too dangerous.

“Hiya.”

A young man walked towards her.

“Um, hi.”

Dee went onto high alert. The guy looked to be about twenty, and tidily dressed. But she was alone.

“Hey, you can’t stay here. They close the gates, and a security guy comes around.”

Dee stood up unsteadily. “Thanks.”

“There’s a hostel up the road.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, it’s basic but cheap.”

That was good to hear, but Dee felt threatened. She did not trust this stranger. A spot of warmth against the breastbone gave her an answer.

“Thanks. I’m only waiting here. My grandmother lives across town. She’s working. I need to wait until she gets home.” She was babbling.

The guy gave her a sceptical look as he walked away. He kept looking over his shoulder though, so Dee knew she had to move.

The cold wind grabbed her as she stood up. She shivered and made her choice. The railway station was open most of the night. She could stay there.

She really wished she could visit her grandmother. Sadly, the old woman would not even recognize her. They had not seen each other since Dad lost his job. That was about four years ago.

Immersed in her sadness, she stared at the footpath as she walked.

“Hey, careful!”

Her arm was grabbed, and she screamed. Awareness flooded her. She had been about to step right in front of a car. She put her free hand up to cover her face and turned towards her rescuer.

“Thank you,” she mumbled before looking up.

The glitter at his left ear caught her attention before she even saw the man. It was the guy from takeaways. The one with the unicorn earring.

Movement, further up the road, dragged her eyes away again. There was a man who looked awfully like the one who spoke to her. She shuddered.

“Hey. Are you okay?” the takeaways guy asked.

Dee pulled herself together. “Yes, thanks. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“You got a train to catch?”

She was going to the station, but the lie would not trip off her tongue.

“No, I am going to stay there for a bit. Out of the wind.”

But now she had seen the other guy, she knew the railway station was not safe.

“Oh, you’re on your own?”

“Yeah.”

“Um. Can you trust me?”

The unicorn glittered.

Dee nodded. “Yes.”

“Come with me. Oh, by the way, I’m Henry.”

Dee grinned. Henry was kind of a stuffy name.

“Dee.”

“Cool.”

She walked with her new friend back past the takeaways shop.

“Do you like working there?”

Henry laughed. “Not much choice. My parents own it. I work so I can save the money to go to university.”

Dee found the idea of staying at school for years longer than necessary weird.

“Wow. What will you be studying?”

“Oh,” Henry shrugged. “Accounting.”

Dee grimaced.

They turned right, into an alley. No streetlights lit this area. Squares of yellow from uncurtained windows offered puddles of light. They made the alley seem darker.

Dee was frightened. This was the kind of place her mother always warned her about. Henry showed no hesitation as he strode along.

“Don’t worry, Dee. The worst creatures down here are feral cats.”

She giggled dutifully but glanced behind. And saw the shadow of a man! She gasped. Was this a trap?

“Where, where are we going?” she managed to ask.

“Nowhere, pretty girl.” The man from the park emerged from the shadows. There was a knife in his hand.

“What the heck?” Henry yelped.

One of the windows went dark. The sudden lack of light meant the man hesitated. Dee took off. She had no idea if the alley led to anywhere, she just knew running was her best option. Except there was a wall, barely visible, in front of her.

She reached out and her hand hit concrete. She let out a sob.

“No.” she whispered.

She could hear someone coming up behind. It was the guy from the park. She hoped Henry was okay.

NOW!

It was not a voice, but a burst of heat blossomed against her chest. The unicorn.

She fumbled as she searched the front of her tee. Her fingers touched the soft fabric of the pad.

Tingles sped up her arm as she pulled the package out. The wrapping fell open in her hand and sparkles shot from the crystal. They were so bright she could not look.

“Aargh!” The guy swore. She saw he covered his eyes.

“Dee! This way!” She heard Henry call. She took a breath and dashed back past the man. He made to grab her but was off with his timing.

She ran.

A rectangle of light opened up. Henry was beside it. Dee sprinted to the doorway.

“Inside now, young lady,” an older woman ordered. “The police will take care of that one.”

Dee was in a kitchen, bright and warm.

“Who is he?”

The woman huffed. “Slime.”

That single word resonated in Dee’s head. It meant something that had no relation to the day.

“Henry, make your friend a hot drink. She’s cold. I’ll find her a jersey.”

While Henry grinned as he filled the kettle, Dee was not quite so relaxed. If the police asked her questions, she would have to tell them her name. Then she would be sent home.

“Come on, let’s go into the lounge. Mrs Hansen won’t mind.”

He could not know the shock she felt hearing the woman’s name. It had to be a coincidence.

The lounge was through a doorway from the kitchen. Henry led the way. Dee stopped at the doorway and stared. There, in a wooden display stand, were all the crystal creatures Dee remembered.

“No!” she whispered, awestruck.

That was when she realized her hand was still clenched, the unicorn held tightly.

Mrs Hansen entered the lounge by another door. Dee turned to face her.

“You called my father Slime.”

“That wasn’t your father.” The older woman frowned.

Dee giggled. “No. Years ago. Dad asked you for money. I’m Deanna.”

“Oh. Oh. Oh my goodness! You are Deanna? My granddaughter?”

Henry coughed.

“Oh, sit down boy. This young lady here is proof magic can happen.”

Mrs Hansen then turned her attention back to Dee. “But how did you find me?”

Dee opened her hand. Sparkles leapt everywhere. The crystals in the case sparkled back but they were subdued in comparison to the unicorn.

“Wow!” Mrs Hansen stared. “I knew there was a unicorn in the set, but I could never find it. I was told,” she shivered, “when I was ready to see past the folly, it would turn up.” She sighed. “I turned my back on you all because of your father’s foolish actions.”

Dee sank deep into a chair. Across the room, on a shelf was an elephant, just like the one from the shop. It winked at her. She knew she was finally, truly safe.