Choices

 

by Allison Symes

cappucino

 

James threw the magical sword away.

Why did he, an accountant, want a life of adventure and derring-do for? Whoever left the sword by his car must have done so as a joke. Well, he wasn’t falling for it.

It was when James went back inside and found the sword waiting for him by his bread bin he began to consider this might be a more difficult day than he’d anticipated. Still, whoever was capable of this was no doubt watching James somehow, so whoever it was could watch James take the sword out to the back garden and bury it.

The sword was waiting for him by the back door before James got half way back. James swore. He wasn’t that impressed when a blast of smoke appeared between him and the sword and a wizened old man stepped out of the ghastly pink haze.

James sighed. ‘No. I haven’t had an accident in my car. You scammers are getting more elaborate I must say. Got fed up with people slamming the phone down on you?’

The old man glowered. ‘I am a wizard, you are James, there is a magic sword by the back door, and you are coming with me because you are just the person we need to resolve a problem back in my world.’

‘Yeah, right? I’m an accountant. Don’t tell me the auditors get nasty in your world.’

The old man grinned. ‘My client wants their gold counted. They want to make sure they haven’t lost any. They thought an earth-based accountant would do the job nicely.’

‘I don’t freelance. I work for…’

‘Yes, we know. You are freelancing now. It won’t take long. And you needn’t worry about earning extra fees. There won’t be any.’

‘So why should I go with you then?’

‘Because my client is a dragon who is quite prepared to break through into this world and flame your house down, you with it if necessary. Shall we go?’

James nodded. It was a good thing to have free choice. It was an even better thing to have a brain and to use it. ‘What do I get out of this then?’

‘You get to live for one thing. You’ll be back here in no time. We can freeze time, see, so nobody will realise you’re missing. Oh and I can grant you one wish. Use it wisely though - yes, I can give you riches etc but you’ll have to explain where those come from and you won’t be able to so think about something you might have always wanted and which might reasonably be expected to turn up in your life.’

James nodded. ‘That’s fine. I know what I’ll ask for. No more magic turning up in my life after this, please. Shall we get this done then?

 

About the author

Allison Symes, who loves quirky fiction, is published by Chapeltown Books, CafeLit, and Bridge House Publishing.

Website: https://allisonsymescollectedworks.com/

Books: http://author.to/AllisonSymesAuthorCent.

Her latest flash fiction collection, Tripping The Flash Fantastic, is out in Kindle and paperback.

Her Youtube channel, with book trailers and story videos, is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCiePD4p_vWp4bz2d80SJA/