Asher’s Tale

Painting by Daniel Gerhartz

Tears brimming, she read the note once more.

My dearest Tess,

Eight roses for you, to thank you for making these past eight weeks amazing! I can’t find the words to describe the feelings you have put into my heart.

I have to go away, but I will be back, I promise. Please wait for me.

Love, Asher

Her heart ached. As much as she was touched by his words, her mind buzzed with questions.

Where had he gone? Why hadn’t he given her a reason, and how long would he be gone? Was she supposed to wait indefinitely for him? Did he think that she had nothing better to do than to put her heart on a shelf and wait for him to come back from somewhere, sometime?

She sighed. Even though she was upset she couldn’t deny that the past eight weeks had been so full of bliss and happiness. Asher had been with her almost every waking moment and in her dreams through the night.

Please come back soon Asher, wherever you are, her soul breathed. Picking up a rose she breathed in the fragrance, closing her eyes and dreaming of him

What had he done? It appeared that he had fallen for a trap and he didn’t know how to get out of it.

Who would believe that leprechauns truly had magic powers. In fact he had never even believed that leprechauns were real! How wrong he was!

He sat fuming about what had happened. They had tricked him! Some leprechaun named Lolly was waiting on a dirt path for him. He had enticed Asher with the promise of gold! Lots of gold.

Asher thought of what all he and Tess could do with the gold. He would make all her dreams come true.

He had agreed to Lolly”s terms as long as he could say goodbye first to Tess. Unfortunately he hadn’t been able to find her and Lolly was impatient to leave.

All he could do was leave a note and hope the roses and his words softened her heart. He was sure she would be upset about him being gone, but he was doing it for them. They were going to have gold!

Now here he sat freezing in the North Pole trying to make sense of everything. He had been magically shrunk to look like an elf! He was supposed to make the elves sick, so that the leprechauns could take over. IF his plan worked, he would get his gold! He missed Tess, but the pull of having gold was too strong.

Santa gave him the name licorice, after his favorite candy and he then was declared to be one of Santa’s elves. He felt some guilt at his deceit but the thought of gold snuffed his guilt away.

Now he sat and bided time until he acted. Munching on some licorice he could only hope that Tess was waiting for him.