The Magical Legacy

FAITH 6

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - PRESENT DAY

Mrs. Portner pulled into the driveway, and Faith jumped out the passenger-side door before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop.  "Whoa there, Lassie!" Her mother shouted, as Faith jerked open the back door of the family's burgundy Buick Century, and bent over to retrieve the over-sized white box.

"I'm sorry, Mom." She giggled with delight as she moved around the rear end of the car and headed up the front walk. Dodging the slightly over-grown evergreen shrub obscuring the main entrance, Faith carefully balanced the box on one hip, while throwing open the sky-blue front door, and entered their red-brick, ranch-style home.

"Faith!" Her mother yelled behind her, "I need your help with groceries first." Faith dashed through the living room and down the hall, to the last bedroom on the left, where she deposited the box on the end of her twin bed before heading back outside.

"Ok, ok..." she whined, lifting two paper bags out of the trunk and turning to head back inside. "I'm just so anxious to try that dress on!" She beamed over the tops of the sacks as she walked in and sat them down on the round oak dining table.

"Do you need help with dinner?" She asked her mom as the woman walked inside, closing the screen door behind her.

Mrs. Portner tipped her head to the side and grinned. "Naaa...I think I can handle that on my own. You go have fun playing dress up!" She winked at her daughter. "Be sure to come out here and model for me! I want to see my daughter playing the part of a princess!"

Faith giggled, throwing her hands in the air "You got it, Queen Momma!" And she dashed down the hall to her bedroom, where she bumped the door shut with her bottom. Then, leaning over the box, she carefully lifted the lid and tossed it to the far side of her bed. The clear plastic garment bag holding the gown gleamed brightly in the afternoon sun. Golden rays were shining into the room through windows high up on the far wall, and fell to rest on the contents of the box. Faith grabbed hold of the brown wire hanger and gently raised the dress from its container. Shoving the box aside, she laid the crunchy bundle on her comforter, then deftly pushed her opposite hand up, under the plastic, to free the gown from its protective cover. Stuffing the ball of film into the box, she made space on her bed so that she could lay the gown out to view it in all its glory. The sight took her breath away. Apprehensively, she bent over to caress the sheer fabric. Then, inhaling deeply, she picked up the dress and held it to her body. Stepping to the foot of her bed, she posed in front of the full-length mirror mounted on the back side of her bedroom door.

Gorgeous. She thought.

I don't even have any shoes that could begin to do this dress justice, though.

And she laid the gown back down on her bed as she walked to her closet doors and slid them open.

Ya, no. I got nothing. She pawed through the several pair strewn around on her closet floor.

Ohhh...but Mom has those gold brocade pumps she only wears to those dances. I wonder if I could fit into those? She has such tiny feet...

Faith stepped away and turned back to the dress.

Well, first things first. Let's try this beauty on.

Faith stripped down to her underwear and turned the gown over, carefully unzipping the back. Then picking it back up, she walked to stand in front of the mirror once again. Scrunching the fabric between her hands, she cautiously dipped her toes in. Next, she shimmied the dress up and over her narrow hips, sliding her arms into the armhole openings, and pulled the neckline up and into place. Reaching around, behind her back, she started to zip the zipper when suddenly she felt a fuzzy haze beginning to surround her. Blinking several times and shaking her head, she looked at herself in the mirror. And she was shocked by what was reflected there. Not only was she wearing the gown, but her hair was styled perfectly, and a gem-encrusted crown sat upon her head. On her feet were jeweled heels, and diamonds shone brilliantly upon her fingers.

Before she knew what was happening, the world around her dissolved into a blur, and the next moment she found herself in an entirely different setting.

VITTAJORD, DYRRHEIM - PRESENT DAY

The space was so bright, it almost hurt her eyes. And she squinted against the harshness of it. Then, blinking rapidly, her vision adjusted, and she discovered she was sitting on a small, golden, cushioned seat, gazing into a mirror in front of an ornate, white vanity table.

And as she gazed at the image before her...who, she was pretty sure was still HER...she did notice one huge, glaring difference.

There were enormous, white, feathered wings protruding from her back and in plain sight before her.