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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Teens
- Theme: Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- Subject: Adventure
- Published: 07/09/2022
Tales From The Mists Of Spirit Island
Born 1951, M, from Gore Bay, Canada![Tales From The Mists Of Spirit Island](/storage/story/CD2B677B-F116-438F-1849-B818DFA6CC1F_1657370668-image(415x200-crop).png)
Story One
Bill Concannon
And
The Secret Of Treasure Island
Preamble
There can be no wonder that mists swirl and sweep across an island, a home of spirits since it is not only surrounded in the bath of lakes but bears within its heart more lakes and rivers than one can count with exact accuracy, especially since some seem to come and go with seasons or storms or just a long lazy rain.
And of course, where spirits abode so follows magic and myth, dreams and fantasies and whimsical excursion when the Mists Of Spirit Island embrace the swirling layers of the imagination.
1
It was a misty morn on the edge of spring with summer dancing just over the horizon of solstice. Though it was, it should not have been, a surprise when Bill Concannon stepped out into the dawn and drew in a deep breath of fresh moist misty air and found, as he let it out, the world around him was changed, real and unreal, a juxtaposed illusion of what his corporeal mind accepted as real.
Behind him his house had been transformed to stone with a thatched roof, smoke rising lazily from chimney and through the open window came a soft sweet voice humming some ancient tune that reminded him of the green rolling hills of the land of his ancestors.
He might have been frantic but there was a calm in his mind that made him think, Yes, this the way it should be in this moment, and just then something small dashed from one tree to another that was not a rodent, or a bird and rushed in a wisp green dust on two legs. Bill’s Irishness, long calmed by the generations passed, seemed to rush to the surface and he laughed the laugh of joy of finding a shamrock with four leaves or as many would recognize it, a four leaf clover, and another tune slip through his mind, with a flash of a lyric, “I’m looking over a four leaf clover I looked over before…”
He couldn’t help but laugh, but then he heard a strange little voice beckoning him, “Come along Billy Concannon err the light and the moment are lost and the adventure fades with the last gleam of Solstice.”
“Who are you and where will you lead me?” Bill requested playfully, for it was his nature to take things in a playful notion.
“On an adventure to Treasure island, just beyond those greener hills only dreams can grow.
“I see, but what of my chores and my breakfast and…”
“Billy Laddie. They’ll all be here when you come home but the adventure only last while the light shines amid the mist of dreams. A moment or two or some say, it goes in the blink of an eye.”
“Very well. Let’s get ’er done then, whoever you are.”
And at that there leaped from behind a tree the most delightful creature, a leprechaun of course.
2
Now you might think this a boy’s tale, and in part you would be correct, for though Bill Concannon was himself by sight there came from his heart the boy he had always really been but kept at bay because life must be lived in the correctness of certain accepted realities. But nothing can differ or dispel that secret place tucked safely in that region of the mind at any age, the imagination. But I assure you even dream adventures that start out in the light of cheer have their challenges and I say what would life be like without them. Boring wouldn’t you say. But this tale, this adventure will be anything but boring I promise.
By road the way to treasure Island take a bit of time but by the magic of the imagination, juxtaposing, and the wink of a leprechaun’s eye it was little more than a hike and a hop skip and a jump, up a hill down a hill over a bridge, through a wood, across a meadow and at last a coracle ride from the shore of one island to the shore of Treasure Island, at least until they were midway across the lake.
It was there that the wind shifted, the clouds rolled in, the lightning flashed, and the thunder boomed and of course the rain came down in torrents and something out of this world screeched above the din of the storm.
The wave broke high and hard tossing the little round leather boat about like a piece of displace drift wood and it would have capsized had it not been for the Leprechaun who but the way answered to the name Sean O’Malley. He of course was a magical fellow and though was wise enough not to interfere with a storm was clever enough to teach the coracle to skip along with the breakers and valleys like a fish at play. Though you might guess, the passenger got themselves a good soaking with every wave that breached the gunnel, and Bill was left to bail the water out with a tiny pal more suited to his boat mates size, that being a little over six inches, including his hat.
3
As quickly as it came the storm subsided and the morning sun came bright and yellow and only a few billowing clouds spotted an assure sky.
“Wait a minute. I know this lake and the island.” Bill cried out when he saw on the shore a castle and a village. This is Old Woman Lake and that’s Old Woman Island. There might be a house and some out buildings on it but no castle or a village.”
“True enough Billy boy but that’s o’ r yonder on the tuther side of the storm. This here be a very different Island. It be Treasure Island.” Said Sean O’Malley.
“Well we call it that too you know. Treasure Island.” Argued Bill Concannon who seldom stood still for any argument to be challenged.
“Yeppers Billy boy. It’s the same name but you must remember the magic of Juxtaposy.” explained Sean O’Malley.
The coracle bumped to shore and as quick as a wink the leprechaun leapt from the boat and skittered across the sandy beach toward the village.
“Hey wait. Don’t run off and leave me here.” Bill shouted as he climbed from the boat, but Sean was already gone and so was the coracle. It seemed to just, disappear.
“I need a coffee. A very strong coffee.” Bill grumbled as he plowed through the ankle deep sand toward the village.
If you can, imagine a small Irish market town. That is what the village looked like and the castle towered over it at the edge of a broadleaf forest in the back ground, with the occasional evergreen and willow finding a home in the hinters. The castle itself was a thing of towers and spires and Bill could see the battlements of a bailey wall.
And everywhere ivy climbed wild blooming with Umbels and accenting the ivy were scores of wild roses. “Now how in the devil does wild rose grow like that?” Bill pondered, forgetting his dilemma for a moment, and when he came back to the twist reality he had stumbled into he was too busy marveling at another wonder to worry over much of anything else.
4
Bill Concannon had just put hi foot on the cobblestone street at the edge of the village when there came a great blaring that seemed to be coming from the castle. In an instant people came scurrying from the shops and cottages the lined the streets to gather in the market circle.
Bill was expecting something spectacular to come through the gates of the bailey but instead a single man-door opened and out came a pair of characters that resembled garden gnomes but considerably taller. With them came Sean O’Malley, doing a little hop skip and jump in circles and shouting, he his here, the hero of our story has arrived, though he doesn’t know yet that he is going to be a hero. Ta Da….Its Billy Boy Concannon.
Bill just stood there staring, hardly able to believe his eyes or his ears.
He said in a rather wistful voice. “I not sure about being a hero or whether I want to be but we could discuss it over a good hot cup of coffee and maybe a raisin muffin.”
The Gnomes Gladmont and Gladilia Mc Rosepetal were wearing crowns of gold with leaves made of emerald a rose made of silver. They were of course the King and Queen of Treasure Island and Sean, as Bill found out in due time was the court adviser and treasurer, of a treasure that gave the island its name but which had recently gone missing, stolen that is by persons ar creatures unknown.
“Coffee. Yes we have coffee and tea, which we brew better than coffee.” Said a rather excited fellow who could have passed as Sean O’Malley’s relative but his name was Jim McLeaf and he owned the McLeaf ‘s Café just a few steps away.
Everyone bowed to the King and Queen then Jim McLeaf ushered Bill, the Royals and Sean O’Malley into the café before someone else snatched up the business and the bragging rights for having served the Royals.
5
Bill was served his coffee and muffin while the others settled on tea and biscuits, with marmalade for the queen and raspberry jam for the king. Sean just took tea, a nice clover hip variety that came from the flower of a four leaf clover, very leprechaunish of him it was too.
Bill had only taken a few sips of coffee and a single bite of his muffin when king Gladmont said in a very deep and dark voice. “Some one has stolen our treasury, every bit of gold and silver, every jewel and every Treasure Island coin, to the last copper.”
“All we have left is what I keep in my purse.” Said the Queen in a very sad voice.
And Sean O’Malley, with no little bit of anger put in, “And they snuck my pot’o’gold when me back was turned and I twasn’t lookin.”
Bill looked at his hosts, one at a time and critically then said, after a few more sips of coffee and another bite of muffin. “And why don’t you send out a royal search party, a hue and cry to hunt down the culprit. After all its not that big of an island.”
“Well to be honest we have a good idea who stole it and we are…ah…too frightened of them to go take it back. That’s why we need a hero like Billy Boy Concannon…that being you.” Answered the king.
“Have you no heroes of your own, Surely you must have one.” Bill challenged.
The king replied in a pleading voice, “We did and we sent him to retrieve our treasury but he never came back. Sir Patrick Gardener, our only knight and the castles gardener, so we lost both at once. Now we do not have a hero or gardener or treasury and there is not enough money to run the island and if things get worse we the Royal family will be paupers and treasure island will fall to despair and well…you can not image what that means for a magical place like this. So Bill Concannon it happens that Sean O’Malley found you and knows you as good honest Irish stock and would make a good and brave Knight who will save us from disaster.”
6
Bill, for a long time, said nothing. He sat there sipping his coffee then a second and indulge in another muffin, this time the chocolate chip variety. Not until he was finished did he finally respond.
And this is what he said.
“First off. You kidnapped me and that in my world is a very nasty thing to do. You could have talked to me and explained your situation.”
“Would you have believed me if I had?” said Sean O’Malley.
“I think yes since yourself is a leprechaun and a real one, of which I only half believed was possible.” Bill shot back moodily then continued.
“Secondly you have not asked if I would help you. You have just made demands and assumptions and thirdly you sent a knight in who knows about these things and still he’s lost…or dare I suggest, he has perished in the attempt. How do expect someone with no experience to get your treasure back?”
Silence. A very long silence while the Royals looked at the leprechaun and he looked at them the Royals looked at each other then they all stared for a long time at Bill with very sad faces and pleading eyes.
Now if you know anything about Bill at all you know he is a fellow of good heart and always willing to help if he can, but he is not a push over either. You better be sincere, and honest, and at least half as good hearted as he himself is.
“You said they. That means there is more than one thief. Who are they?” Bill demanded.
Sean O’Malley answered after a minute when the king and queen seemed reluctant. “One is a very nasty vindictive witch named Branchila Chardwood. She is a werecat, a large Werecat and then there is Flame Firebreather, who is a sorcerer and a Weredragon. And they both have some very terrible and scary magical spells, which they used to steal the treasury.”
7
Bill Concannon pondered it all then said at last, “I am not sure I can actually do anything for you. This is a magical place just like you said, but there is nothing magical about me and I refuse to use any sort of violence in order to regain your material stuff. In fact I have no idea even how to begin. However, if you point the way to where ever these thieves are hiding I will do what I can. They may negotiate or something like that.”
“Ah. Um. Well.” The Queen sputtered. “They may but what they want we cannot give. I banished them from the village because, well, they tried to claim the throne.”
“Correction my Queen. They tried to reclaim the throne. You, being a witch yourself and Branchila’s younger sister did some pretty fancy magic and tricked your way into that crown you are wearing and you my King are a magician, not a sorcerer and were jealous of your brother.” Sean O’Malley disclosed before he could zip up his lip and mind his own bees wax.”
“That would suggest that the dragon and the cat only took back what was theirs in the first place and that makes you the real thieves.” Bill challenged.
“No. We won the thrones fair and square in a game of magical backgammon. We all used magic and well, a little trickery to and our tricks worked best.” Queen Gladilia replied haughtily.
Bill sat back and sipped more coffee scrambling in a ponderance what to do. Then suddenly, adding everything up an idea came to him.
“I will go talk to the dragon and the cat and negotiate another game only this one will have no magic and no tricks. Just a straight game of Backgammon and I will referee. The first sign of trickery or magic and I will take your treasure and give it to the people, which is probably where it really belongs anyway. And after the game has been won or lost the winners will send me home promptly. My family will be worrying about me.”
8
“Now how do I find your rivals?” Bill demanded.
“Simple. Just follow the path through the forest and up the hill until you come to their layer. It’s a cave, a nice cave, but just a cave where animals like them should live.” Answered the King.
“Very well. I’ll be off, but not alone. Sean O’Malley, since you kidnapped me into this mess you can accompany me.”
Sean O’Malley was about to argue but a stern look from Bill changed his mind and a few minutes later, with the leprechaun leading the way the two were on their way. Sean was not in much of a hurry though so it took a little longer to reach the cave than necessary. I spoke often about a friend of his getting Et by a dragon.
If you know anything at all about Treasure Island it is not huge, just a little over a kilometer long and four hundred meters wide, and about 110 acres in total size, but most of it is up hill and even in our realm of reality it’s a little magical and has another story fixed to it. But this is an Irish guy having an Irish adventure so…
It wasn’t long before they came to the entrance of the cave and found not only the sorcerer and the witch there but the knight as well all sitting nice and politely taking high tea and having quite a merry conversation, at least it seemed merry since they were found laughing.
“Greeting.” Sean O’Malley beckoned. “We have brought a…” he stopped suddenly when he saw Sir Patrick Gardener alive and well and having a jolly old time.
“Wow. Yer not et.” The leprechaun cried out happily.
“Of course not. I mean we had some words but when I heard the story from their side of the page well I just decided to make friends.” Sir Patrick replied.
“Me thinks this makes my hero’s work very much easier.” Bill put in then told the Sorcerer and the Witch all about replaying the Backgammon game, which they were all for. They were a little concerned about the fair and square part but went along with it anyway.
9
And this my friends brings us to then end of Bill Concannon’s adventure on the Juxtaposed version of Treasure Island.
The truth is they played four games of backgammon and each team won two games. Then they were going to play a fifth but all the villagers gathered round the backgammon table set up in the middle of the common green and a spokes gnome asked, “Wouldn’t just be easier to put the treasure back in the treasury and have two queens and two kings all working fair and square for the betterment of Treasure Island.”
“Sean O’Malley. I do believe they’ve worked it out themselves so now you can take me home to where I belong.” Said Bill Concannon
Bill woke lazily, swaying gently in his rocking chair still holding a half cup of coffee, gone a bit cold now. He sat up when his wife came out from the house.
“Well isn’t that just clever. I have had the strangest dream about Treasure Island.” He announced whimsically.
“Well Bill. Don’t you know that in some cultures dreams are as real as the waking world, just a different dimension.” Michelle said.
“Sure. A juxtaposed dimension I think."
Tales From The Mists Of Spirit Island(Donald Harry Roberts)
Story One
Bill Concannon
And
The Secret Of Treasure Island
Preamble
There can be no wonder that mists swirl and sweep across an island, a home of spirits since it is not only surrounded in the bath of lakes but bears within its heart more lakes and rivers than one can count with exact accuracy, especially since some seem to come and go with seasons or storms or just a long lazy rain.
And of course, where spirits abode so follows magic and myth, dreams and fantasies and whimsical excursion when the Mists Of Spirit Island embrace the swirling layers of the imagination.
1
It was a misty morn on the edge of spring with summer dancing just over the horizon of solstice. Though it was, it should not have been, a surprise when Bill Concannon stepped out into the dawn and drew in a deep breath of fresh moist misty air and found, as he let it out, the world around him was changed, real and unreal, a juxtaposed illusion of what his corporeal mind accepted as real.
Behind him his house had been transformed to stone with a thatched roof, smoke rising lazily from chimney and through the open window came a soft sweet voice humming some ancient tune that reminded him of the green rolling hills of the land of his ancestors.
He might have been frantic but there was a calm in his mind that made him think, Yes, this the way it should be in this moment, and just then something small dashed from one tree to another that was not a rodent, or a bird and rushed in a wisp green dust on two legs. Bill’s Irishness, long calmed by the generations passed, seemed to rush to the surface and he laughed the laugh of joy of finding a shamrock with four leaves or as many would recognize it, a four leaf clover, and another tune slip through his mind, with a flash of a lyric, “I’m looking over a four leaf clover I looked over before…”
He couldn’t help but laugh, but then he heard a strange little voice beckoning him, “Come along Billy Concannon err the light and the moment are lost and the adventure fades with the last gleam of Solstice.”
“Who are you and where will you lead me?” Bill requested playfully, for it was his nature to take things in a playful notion.
“On an adventure to Treasure island, just beyond those greener hills only dreams can grow.
“I see, but what of my chores and my breakfast and…”
“Billy Laddie. They’ll all be here when you come home but the adventure only last while the light shines amid the mist of dreams. A moment or two or some say, it goes in the blink of an eye.”
“Very well. Let’s get ’er done then, whoever you are.”
And at that there leaped from behind a tree the most delightful creature, a leprechaun of course.
2
Now you might think this a boy’s tale, and in part you would be correct, for though Bill Concannon was himself by sight there came from his heart the boy he had always really been but kept at bay because life must be lived in the correctness of certain accepted realities. But nothing can differ or dispel that secret place tucked safely in that region of the mind at any age, the imagination. But I assure you even dream adventures that start out in the light of cheer have their challenges and I say what would life be like without them. Boring wouldn’t you say. But this tale, this adventure will be anything but boring I promise.
By road the way to treasure Island take a bit of time but by the magic of the imagination, juxtaposing, and the wink of a leprechaun’s eye it was little more than a hike and a hop skip and a jump, up a hill down a hill over a bridge, through a wood, across a meadow and at last a coracle ride from the shore of one island to the shore of Treasure Island, at least until they were midway across the lake.
It was there that the wind shifted, the clouds rolled in, the lightning flashed, and the thunder boomed and of course the rain came down in torrents and something out of this world screeched above the din of the storm.
The wave broke high and hard tossing the little round leather boat about like a piece of displace drift wood and it would have capsized had it not been for the Leprechaun who but the way answered to the name Sean O’Malley. He of course was a magical fellow and though was wise enough not to interfere with a storm was clever enough to teach the coracle to skip along with the breakers and valleys like a fish at play. Though you might guess, the passenger got themselves a good soaking with every wave that breached the gunnel, and Bill was left to bail the water out with a tiny pal more suited to his boat mates size, that being a little over six inches, including his hat.
3
As quickly as it came the storm subsided and the morning sun came bright and yellow and only a few billowing clouds spotted an assure sky.
“Wait a minute. I know this lake and the island.” Bill cried out when he saw on the shore a castle and a village. This is Old Woman Lake and that’s Old Woman Island. There might be a house and some out buildings on it but no castle or a village.”
“True enough Billy boy but that’s o’ r yonder on the tuther side of the storm. This here be a very different Island. It be Treasure Island.” Said Sean O’Malley.
“Well we call it that too you know. Treasure Island.” Argued Bill Concannon who seldom stood still for any argument to be challenged.
“Yeppers Billy boy. It’s the same name but you must remember the magic of Juxtaposy.” explained Sean O’Malley.
The coracle bumped to shore and as quick as a wink the leprechaun leapt from the boat and skittered across the sandy beach toward the village.
“Hey wait. Don’t run off and leave me here.” Bill shouted as he climbed from the boat, but Sean was already gone and so was the coracle. It seemed to just, disappear.
“I need a coffee. A very strong coffee.” Bill grumbled as he plowed through the ankle deep sand toward the village.
If you can, imagine a small Irish market town. That is what the village looked like and the castle towered over it at the edge of a broadleaf forest in the back ground, with the occasional evergreen and willow finding a home in the hinters. The castle itself was a thing of towers and spires and Bill could see the battlements of a bailey wall.
And everywhere ivy climbed wild blooming with Umbels and accenting the ivy were scores of wild roses. “Now how in the devil does wild rose grow like that?” Bill pondered, forgetting his dilemma for a moment, and when he came back to the twist reality he had stumbled into he was too busy marveling at another wonder to worry over much of anything else.
4
Bill Concannon had just put hi foot on the cobblestone street at the edge of the village when there came a great blaring that seemed to be coming from the castle. In an instant people came scurrying from the shops and cottages the lined the streets to gather in the market circle.
Bill was expecting something spectacular to come through the gates of the bailey but instead a single man-door opened and out came a pair of characters that resembled garden gnomes but considerably taller. With them came Sean O’Malley, doing a little hop skip and jump in circles and shouting, he his here, the hero of our story has arrived, though he doesn’t know yet that he is going to be a hero. Ta Da….Its Billy Boy Concannon.
Bill just stood there staring, hardly able to believe his eyes or his ears.
He said in a rather wistful voice. “I not sure about being a hero or whether I want to be but we could discuss it over a good hot cup of coffee and maybe a raisin muffin.”
The Gnomes Gladmont and Gladilia Mc Rosepetal were wearing crowns of gold with leaves made of emerald a rose made of silver. They were of course the King and Queen of Treasure Island and Sean, as Bill found out in due time was the court adviser and treasurer, of a treasure that gave the island its name but which had recently gone missing, stolen that is by persons ar creatures unknown.
“Coffee. Yes we have coffee and tea, which we brew better than coffee.” Said a rather excited fellow who could have passed as Sean O’Malley’s relative but his name was Jim McLeaf and he owned the McLeaf ‘s Café just a few steps away.
Everyone bowed to the King and Queen then Jim McLeaf ushered Bill, the Royals and Sean O’Malley into the café before someone else snatched up the business and the bragging rights for having served the Royals.
5
Bill was served his coffee and muffin while the others settled on tea and biscuits, with marmalade for the queen and raspberry jam for the king. Sean just took tea, a nice clover hip variety that came from the flower of a four leaf clover, very leprechaunish of him it was too.
Bill had only taken a few sips of coffee and a single bite of his muffin when king Gladmont said in a very deep and dark voice. “Some one has stolen our treasury, every bit of gold and silver, every jewel and every Treasure Island coin, to the last copper.”
“All we have left is what I keep in my purse.” Said the Queen in a very sad voice.
And Sean O’Malley, with no little bit of anger put in, “And they snuck my pot’o’gold when me back was turned and I twasn’t lookin.”
Bill looked at his hosts, one at a time and critically then said, after a few more sips of coffee and another bite of muffin. “And why don’t you send out a royal search party, a hue and cry to hunt down the culprit. After all its not that big of an island.”
“Well to be honest we have a good idea who stole it and we are…ah…too frightened of them to go take it back. That’s why we need a hero like Billy Boy Concannon…that being you.” Answered the king.
“Have you no heroes of your own, Surely you must have one.” Bill challenged.
The king replied in a pleading voice, “We did and we sent him to retrieve our treasury but he never came back. Sir Patrick Gardener, our only knight and the castles gardener, so we lost both at once. Now we do not have a hero or gardener or treasury and there is not enough money to run the island and if things get worse we the Royal family will be paupers and treasure island will fall to despair and well…you can not image what that means for a magical place like this. So Bill Concannon it happens that Sean O’Malley found you and knows you as good honest Irish stock and would make a good and brave Knight who will save us from disaster.”
6
Bill, for a long time, said nothing. He sat there sipping his coffee then a second and indulge in another muffin, this time the chocolate chip variety. Not until he was finished did he finally respond.
And this is what he said.
“First off. You kidnapped me and that in my world is a very nasty thing to do. You could have talked to me and explained your situation.”
“Would you have believed me if I had?” said Sean O’Malley.
“I think yes since yourself is a leprechaun and a real one, of which I only half believed was possible.” Bill shot back moodily then continued.
“Secondly you have not asked if I would help you. You have just made demands and assumptions and thirdly you sent a knight in who knows about these things and still he’s lost…or dare I suggest, he has perished in the attempt. How do expect someone with no experience to get your treasure back?”
Silence. A very long silence while the Royals looked at the leprechaun and he looked at them the Royals looked at each other then they all stared for a long time at Bill with very sad faces and pleading eyes.
Now if you know anything about Bill at all you know he is a fellow of good heart and always willing to help if he can, but he is not a push over either. You better be sincere, and honest, and at least half as good hearted as he himself is.
“You said they. That means there is more than one thief. Who are they?” Bill demanded.
Sean O’Malley answered after a minute when the king and queen seemed reluctant. “One is a very nasty vindictive witch named Branchila Chardwood. She is a werecat, a large Werecat and then there is Flame Firebreather, who is a sorcerer and a Weredragon. And they both have some very terrible and scary magical spells, which they used to steal the treasury.”
7
Bill Concannon pondered it all then said at last, “I am not sure I can actually do anything for you. This is a magical place just like you said, but there is nothing magical about me and I refuse to use any sort of violence in order to regain your material stuff. In fact I have no idea even how to begin. However, if you point the way to where ever these thieves are hiding I will do what I can. They may negotiate or something like that.”
“Ah. Um. Well.” The Queen sputtered. “They may but what they want we cannot give. I banished them from the village because, well, they tried to claim the throne.”
“Correction my Queen. They tried to reclaim the throne. You, being a witch yourself and Branchila’s younger sister did some pretty fancy magic and tricked your way into that crown you are wearing and you my King are a magician, not a sorcerer and were jealous of your brother.” Sean O’Malley disclosed before he could zip up his lip and mind his own bees wax.”
“That would suggest that the dragon and the cat only took back what was theirs in the first place and that makes you the real thieves.” Bill challenged.
“No. We won the thrones fair and square in a game of magical backgammon. We all used magic and well, a little trickery to and our tricks worked best.” Queen Gladilia replied haughtily.
Bill sat back and sipped more coffee scrambling in a ponderance what to do. Then suddenly, adding everything up an idea came to him.
“I will go talk to the dragon and the cat and negotiate another game only this one will have no magic and no tricks. Just a straight game of Backgammon and I will referee. The first sign of trickery or magic and I will take your treasure and give it to the people, which is probably where it really belongs anyway. And after the game has been won or lost the winners will send me home promptly. My family will be worrying about me.”
8
“Now how do I find your rivals?” Bill demanded.
“Simple. Just follow the path through the forest and up the hill until you come to their layer. It’s a cave, a nice cave, but just a cave where animals like them should live.” Answered the King.
“Very well. I’ll be off, but not alone. Sean O’Malley, since you kidnapped me into this mess you can accompany me.”
Sean O’Malley was about to argue but a stern look from Bill changed his mind and a few minutes later, with the leprechaun leading the way the two were on their way. Sean was not in much of a hurry though so it took a little longer to reach the cave than necessary. I spoke often about a friend of his getting Et by a dragon.
If you know anything at all about Treasure Island it is not huge, just a little over a kilometer long and four hundred meters wide, and about 110 acres in total size, but most of it is up hill and even in our realm of reality it’s a little magical and has another story fixed to it. But this is an Irish guy having an Irish adventure so…
It wasn’t long before they came to the entrance of the cave and found not only the sorcerer and the witch there but the knight as well all sitting nice and politely taking high tea and having quite a merry conversation, at least it seemed merry since they were found laughing.
“Greeting.” Sean O’Malley beckoned. “We have brought a…” he stopped suddenly when he saw Sir Patrick Gardener alive and well and having a jolly old time.
“Wow. Yer not et.” The leprechaun cried out happily.
“Of course not. I mean we had some words but when I heard the story from their side of the page well I just decided to make friends.” Sir Patrick replied.
“Me thinks this makes my hero’s work very much easier.” Bill put in then told the Sorcerer and the Witch all about replaying the Backgammon game, which they were all for. They were a little concerned about the fair and square part but went along with it anyway.
9
And this my friends brings us to then end of Bill Concannon’s adventure on the Juxtaposed version of Treasure Island.
The truth is they played four games of backgammon and each team won two games. Then they were going to play a fifth but all the villagers gathered round the backgammon table set up in the middle of the common green and a spokes gnome asked, “Wouldn’t just be easier to put the treasure back in the treasury and have two queens and two kings all working fair and square for the betterment of Treasure Island.”
“Sean O’Malley. I do believe they’ve worked it out themselves so now you can take me home to where I belong.” Said Bill Concannon
Bill woke lazily, swaying gently in his rocking chair still holding a half cup of coffee, gone a bit cold now. He sat up when his wife came out from the house.
“Well isn’t that just clever. I have had the strangest dream about Treasure Island.” He announced whimsically.
“Well Bill. Don’t you know that in some cultures dreams are as real as the waking world, just a different dimension.” Michelle said.
“Sure. A juxtaposed dimension I think."
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Joel Kiula
12/08/2023I enjoyed reading your story. You are an amazing writer and i was reading while hoping the story will never end. Thank you.
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Donald Harry Roberts
12/08/2023Thank You Joel. I am glad you enjoyed my story. Stories never do end if you keep them in your imagination.
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Shirley Smothers
12/08/2023A fun adventure for kids of all ages. Enjoyed reading this. Held my interest and what an adventure. Congratulations on Short Story Star of the Day. you earned this.
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Lillian Kazmierczak
12/08/2023Great story, Donald! Held my attention to the last word. Great description. A well deserved short story star of the day!
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