Chapter Three
Morning brought its light into an apartment, relatively small for its occupants, but perfect for what they needed. A dove sits on their windowsill, singing happily. The gray mist of petrochemical fumes and smoke has been blown away in a storm during the night. It is to this the two young women wake up, one blissfully into renewed love, the other into joy of living and lust for life. After their morning rituals, with bawdy banter and delicate caresses, Ivy left to open the Grotto. Humming quietly, no longer fearful of dreams or what power they hold, she smiles brightly into the clean, white day. Waiting for her at the door to the Grotto, I am leaning against the wall.
"It's a beautiful day today, isn't it Ivy?" I ask her.
"Yep, Wednesday, and… you can call me Gort if you feel like."
"Something happen during the night?"
"You know full well what happened."
"Ah," I mutter, following her inside and sitting on the beat-up couch, "Well… I tried to help you as much as I could beforehand." I tell her quietly.
After a few moments work, she places a well accustomed mug into my hands, and nods, "You did, Allfather." She tells me as she walks away. After sipping from the mug, I discretely spit it back out, since urine is not palatable. "What is this for?" I ask her.
"Not telling me sooner." She answers, smirking evilly.
"Oh… That…"
"Yes, that."
Getting up to clean the mug myself, I hear the bells on the door handle ring as someone opens it, knowing it is Beth, the owner of the little café.
"Beth!" Ivy squeals, and hugs her, "Thank you for everything." With that, she kisses Beth's cheeks, and blushes.
"You're welcome dear daughter of my heart. I see his daughter has tricked Wednesday, no less! Don't worry trickster, we won't tell too many people about it."
"You're so kind dear Beth. My heart overfills with love for you, because of this kindness in your heart." I respond to the jab sourly, smiling at the corners of my lips.
"Oh come on you silly coot, you know you're proud of her."
"Indeed I am."
With that, we continue our routine, which you should have gathered by now. Since this is not the true end of our journey we will not say good-bye to Ivy, Gort, Beth, Birch, Odin, Wodan, Wednesday, the city, the Grotto, and Renna. This is the end of the story, since the details after this point are the sundry bits of a life lived to its end. We know them in my story, let us bid them 'Till next time', and close our eyes to sleep. Or to wake from a dream of a world. A world we never lived in, and will not, but it is a world we know a little more about. Perhaps we know a little more about the world we wake into every morning because we know that little bit of Ivy's world. Since every story is but a dream while we wake.
Morning brought its light into an apartment, relatively small for its occupants, but perfect for what they needed. A dove sits on their windowsill, singing happily. The gray mist of petrochemical fumes and smoke has been blown away in a storm during the night. It is to this the two young women wake up, one blissfully into renewed love, the other into joy of living and lust for life. After their morning rituals, with bawdy banter and delicate caresses, Ivy left to open the Grotto. Humming quietly, no longer fearful of dreams or what power they hold, she smiles brightly into the clean, white day. Waiting for her at the door to the Grotto, I am leaning against the wall.
"It's a beautiful day today, isn't it Ivy?" I ask her.
"Yep, Wednesday, and… you can call me Gort if you feel like."
"Something happen during the night?"
"You know full well what happened."
"Ah," I mutter, following her inside and sitting on the beat-up couch, "Well… I tried to help you as much as I could beforehand." I tell her quietly.
After a few moments work, she places a well accustomed mug into my hands, and nods, "You did, Allfather." She tells me as she walks away. After sipping from the mug, I discretely spit it back out, since urine is not palatable. "What is this for?" I ask her.
"Not telling me sooner." She answers, smirking evilly.
"Oh… That…"
"Yes, that."
Getting up to clean the mug myself, I hear the bells on the door handle ring as someone opens it, knowing it is Beth, the owner of the little café.
"Beth!" Ivy squeals, and hugs her, "Thank you for everything." With that, she kisses Beth's cheeks, and blushes.
"You're welcome dear daughter of my heart. I see his daughter has tricked Wednesday, no less! Don't worry trickster, we won't tell too many people about it."
"You're so kind dear Beth. My heart overfills with love for you, because of this kindness in your heart." I respond to the jab sourly, smiling at the corners of my lips.
"Oh come on you silly coot, you know you're proud of her."
"Indeed I am."
With that, we continue our routine, which you should have gathered by now. Since this is not the true end of our journey we will not say good-bye to Ivy, Gort, Beth, Birch, Odin, Wodan, Wednesday, the city, the Grotto, and Renna. This is the end of the story, since the details after this point are the sundry bits of a life lived to its end. We know them in my story, let us bid them 'Till next time', and close our eyes to sleep. Or to wake from a dream of a world. A world we never lived in, and will not, but it is a world we know a little more about. Perhaps we know a little more about the world we wake into every morning because we know that little bit of Ivy's world. Since every story is but a dream while we wake.