Page 5 of Once Upon a Rec Center Wish
I opened my mouth to tell him I just wanted a chance to sleep some more, but I couldn’t say the words. I really did have a lot of questions. Didn’t know if I could sleep inside a dream while I pondered the world I’d arrived in. I started to doubt this was a dream at all. “Can I… Can I have a drink of water?” Drinking wasn’t possible in a dream. Not without making a mess in the bed immediately after.
“Yes, I’ll get a pitcher and some glasses and meet you outside.” Nelson tapped Vern’s shoulder. “Can you take Falco out to the table, and I’ll meet you there?”
The beaver shifter nodded, though he still seemed on edge with ridged movements and short responses. “I’m happy to help. Helping is what I do.”
Vern led me to a table set up closer to the pond where I’d seen the turtle shifter kids enter the water. When I sat in one of the metal chairs, something I assumed wouldn’t be available in the Enchanted Forest, my hands and legs began to shake. I gripped the arms of the chair to try to stop the motion, but it seemed to double the bounce in my legs. And Vern’s own anxiousness didn’t help my sudden onset of worry. Part of me wanted this world to be real, especially if I would be given a place to live. I fretted about the cost. Not money but something else I didn’t yet understand. Why was the beaver shifter so worried about having met me at all? Who was supposed to greet me when I arrived? And why hadn’t they shown up yet?
I caught movement from the house, and saw Nelson exit, walking beside a man in nothing but a loincloth. Another shifter? Vern tensed beside me, and I gulped, even though the new person smiled with kind eyes as he approached.
“Vern!” He approached the beaver shifter who stood and accepted the man’s hug. “Thank you for bringing the new outer-worlder here. You did exactly what you were supposed to, and I truly appreciate that you were there to greet him.”
Vern’s worry seemed to diminish, though he still seemed jittery. Was it me? Did he not like those from my world? An outer-worlder, I thought they called me.
“And you!” The man turned to me, his smile even wider as he reached out his hand in greeting. “I’m Holden, one of the security officers for the Enchanted Forest. Welcome!”
“Falco.” I stood and took his hand and felt immediately comforted by his warm handshake. Not aggressive but friendly. “Thank you, I think.”
He chuckled, as did Nelson. “I remember when my mate first arrived here. We were both rather timid around each other, and it took some time for him to accept that this world was real and not some dream.”
I nodded, returning to the chair. “Yeah, I get that.”
Nelson set a glass of water in front of me before shooing Holden and Vern away. “Okay, you two can leave. Keep an eye on the boys while I chat with Falco and let him know how things are here.”
With the two shifters between us and the pond, Nelson took a drink before setting his glass on the table. “So, ask away. I know you have a lot of questions. I certainly did.”
I released a nervous chuckle. “Um, yeah. I still don’t know if this place is even real, or just a dream.”
He gave me a smile of understanding. “I remember feeling the exact same way. I assure you, it’s very real. You received a card from Ahmed and wished your way here. Magic doesn’t seem to exist in our world, but it’s what brought you here as well as this furniture.”
I nodded, my suspicions about the chair confirmed.
Nelson leaned closer. “So, what exactly did you wish for?”
“A place to live,” I spit out, unable to hold my answer back.
“That’s it?” He sat back in his chair. “No boyfriend?”
I shook my head. “I never had the chance to think about a boyfriend. My apartment was being demolished to make room for community revitalization. I hadn’t found a place yet.”
Nelson nodded, as if in understanding. “I was living with an ex because I needed a place after I found out my boyfriend at the time was seeing others. And then I lost my job. But I did wish to find a life-long partner.”
I smiled a little, surprised by the difference between the shifters and those from my world. Nelson wore clothes I was used to, had a believable story, and lived in a home that seemed to combine both worlds. “I really get my own place?”
“Yep.” Nelson folded his hands on the table. “But it does come with some strings.”
I nodded. “Of course. What are they?”
“You’re here because all the shifters are looking for a mate. So, you’ll be expected to choose one to start a family with.” He leaned closer. “But don’t feel obligated to pick the first one who pays you attention. Some of them are jerks. Choose your mate for love. It is possible here.”
“You keep saying mate and family.” I rubbed my hands across my lap. “How does that work?”
“Ah.” He sat back and crossed his legs. “That’s where the magic comes in again. It took me seeing it and experiencing it myself to fully believe, but I did bear children. Or, eggs, since my mate is a turtle. But once you find a partner you want to be with, you will be united in a mating ceremony. Shorter, sweeter, and more magical than a traditional wedding from our world. After that, you will have the ability to get pregnant by your mate.”
I covered my mouth as I yawned, my tiredness creeping back. “I’ve read about male pregnancy in fiction but never expected it to actually be reality. This still all seems so unreal. Are you sure this isn’t a dream?”
Nelson tilted his head to the side and smiled. “It’s going to take a few days for you to get adjusted enough to come to terms with where you are. But when you do, I hope you decide to stay. Sure, we have less amenities here than in our home world, but it’s a much more relaxed way of life. Something I didn’t realize I wanted until I got here.”
It all sounded perfect to me. Too perfect. That was why I had such a hard time believing. Yet, I planned to give it a chance, as Nelson suggested. If I woke up, it would be a huge disappointment, but nothing would have changed in the life I was used to. And if the Enchanted Forest really existed, I would experience many of my fantasies come true.
