Spirit Mountain and Other Tales

Arielle Masin

Description

As a Tolkien fan, I have traveled in fantasy realms. At what point does fantasy meet reality? Now...that's the place to be.
Fantasy or Reality? which is it? do they meet somewhere in the middle? A bridge? These are tales that reflect both. Some offer mystery and intrigue, some pure fun and a hint of romance, and others? Perhaps they will make you think, and ask, "what if...?"

Sujets

• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Balboa Press
• Date de parution: 21 décembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798765237038
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

SPIRIT MOUNTAIN AND OTHER TALES
 
 
 
 
 
 
ARIELLE MASIN
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2022 ARIELLE MASIN.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
Balboa Press
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.balboapress.com
844-682-1282
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well- being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
ISBN: 979-8-7652-3702-1 (sc)
ISBN: 979-8-7652-3704-5 (hc)
ISBN: 979-8-7652-3703-8 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022922326
 
Balboa Press rev. date:  12/08/2022
CONTENTS
Spirit Mountain
Soulmate
Parrot Treasure
Children of the Forest and Shore
Bodyguard
The Dragon’s Daughter
The Split-Aparts

SPIRIT MOUNTAIN

M t. Shasta….I had heard of it, of course…maybe read something? Well, whatever… this would still be quite an experience. And after all, they said my safety was now the most important thing. Witness Protection? Geez. Like some kind of FBI intrigue…when I found those documents and turned them into the police, I had no idea I would end up with something like this. Damn! But I saw the guy and identified him. So now I was stuck; couldn’t back out now. I was actually witness to a murder. And then saw the documents. Why couldn’t I have just been at the local hamburger joint, minding my own business? I stayed late to finish up work; figures…no good deed ever goes unpunished. Actually, it’s the US Marshals Service that handles witness protection, but since the bank fraud case was part of an FBI matter, they agreed to release me to the FBI, as long as I returned for the trial.
So here I was on a plane, heading to some god-forsaken mountain town in California. California was certainly cool, but why couldn’t it be San Francisco? I could go for that ! And it would be fairly easy to “disappear” into the broad spectrum of San Francisco culture. The food, the wine, the art, and cooler-than-cool little streets, the fog…. I adored San Francisco. I wonder if they would take a suggestion to change their plans. Yeah, right. Well, I guess I could ask.
So I did. The answer was no. Apparently, any large city could pose a possible danger. At least they didn’t make me change my looks too much, except for trading my contact lenses for glasses. Hadn’t worn glasses in years, but it did make me look different. And I consented to go even lighter blonde. Hey why not? I was planning to do that anyway, one of these days.
But now some po-dunk mountain town? What was I supposed to do here? Sure my expenses were paid, but while I was stuck there, how would I pass the time? Hunting moose? Oh, god, were there moose there? Probably bears too ! Good grief, I’m a city girl. What the heck did I get myself into? Next thing, I’ll be expected to grow my own food! Oh, man. They had to have food stores, right? At least they gave me a computer so that I could “write” things…but no email, no texting, nothing but my “special” phone that would call only my “special agent”. Always thought that term was funny; “special agent”... I guess they all thought they were pretty “special”. I was also allowed to speak to my best friend, Gloria, through my agent. But that was it. No one could know where I was. I just started dating this guy, too. Nothing major yet, but it had been awhile since my divorce, and I was out of practice. Maybe Gloria could tell him I was away on some kind of secret “assignment.” Yeah, sure. A secret accounting assignment. hahaha
Well after the plane ride, I was driven to this little town. It was pretty, the scenery and all, right there by this unbelievable mountain. Wow. We came to a really cute little house/cabin with a porch on 3 sides…at least I had a great view. Inside, it was surprisingly nice. Had a fireplace in a large but cozy living room, a tiny bath, a kitchen that looked pretty modern, and an extra room off the living room that I could use as my “office”…ha ha ha….as though I really had something to do there. I could write a novel, I guess. Then there was a large bedroom and full bath on the 2 nd floor. The neighbors weren’t too close, but it wasn’t as isolated as I had feared. You know, moose and bears…..
My agent said he would show me around town and get me a vehicle that I could use. I did notice a few shops, some art galleries, a real food store, and a gas station with a restaurant which looked rather busy…a good sign. Down some side streets we saw couple of bars and another restaurant, and surprisingly a good-sized bookstore. Well that had possibilities. I guess it was kind of a cute place to “hide out” for awhile. My agent, Blake Somers, said he had a room in a nearby guesthouse and I could reach him 24/7 on my special phone. My cover was supposed to be as a “writer” on vacation for the summer. Maybe writing that novel wasn’t such a bad idea. Me a writer. Ha ha ha I was an accountant. A very bored one. Maybe a career change was in order.
I settled into my cabin, locked the door, and was happy to see a tv. Well, I was still in civilization at least. Unpacking didn’t take too long, and tired as I was, I just fell asleep on the sofa, with some half-unpacked boxes scattered around me.
The morning light woke me, and I happily realized the refrigerator was well stocked and I wouldn’t even have to worry about food shopping yet. There were even a couple bottles of wine! Well, thank you, Agent Somers! I guess the FBI figured they would keep their witnesses happy so they wouldn’t run off. To where, I couldn’t imagine. I am sure the old jeep they gave me would suffice for now, but I doubted it would get me too far. No, I was here as long as I had to be, and there were worse places I guess. Heck, I could be in Kansas, or Oklahoma! shudder. The air was clean and fresh here, and the scenery was unbelievable ! I could walk to town, and I am sure moose and bear didn’t hang out on the streets, right?
I had some tea and toast on the porch watching the birds and squirrels chatter and run about. I did feel safe, and kind of like being on vacation. My thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of my special phone. “Good morning, Agent Somers.” We talked about my plans for the day. I told him I would walk around and familiarize myself with my temporary home.
“Okay. Just remember, no mention of Dallas; you are from San Francisco. Since you said you had been there often and knew the area fairly well, it shouldn’t be too hard. And you are no longer Elizabeth Franklin, bank accountant; you are now Ellie Phillips, budding writer. Your parents left you enough money that you can afford to give up your meaningless secretarial jobs and pursue a dream. Okay? And you need to call me every other day to check in, and anytime you need something.”
“Yes, I’ll remember. Thanks for everything. “
So I put on some jeans and a shirt and left the house, heading into town. People waved in a friendly way, and an older lady tending her flower garden stopped her work to say hello. I admired her garden, and she said if I ever needed some flowers or plants, she had plenty to give away. I told her I was new here, and planned to stay the summer, and might take her up on it. I continued walking. So far so good.
I went to look at the art galleries…some amazing paintings of the area, and that incredible mountain. I should buy one, as a “remembrance” of my alternative life, for when I went back to my old one, which now seemed so far away. I decided to head to the bookstore, figuring they’d have some books about the area, since they did get tourists at the nearby resorts. Indeed, there were many books about the area. This would certainly keep me busy for awhile. As I was checking out with the friendly clerk, Nancy, a man around my age came in and said, “Hi Mom!” Mom? She hardly looked old enough. Maybe this fresh mountain air did some good things. I told her she looked too young. She laughed and introduced me to her son, Ethan. When he spoke, the sound of dogs barking came from the back room.
“Oh dear, as soon as they hear his voice…do you mind if I let them out?” I loved dogs and watched as a Golden Retriever and 3 pups came bounding out, obviously eager to see Ethan. They were as adorable as could be. Nancy mentioned that they get lonely at home alone, and Ethan had been gon