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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Magpie Tale #40 - the golden medallion and the pearls


She loved the silken sheen and subtle color of the large freshwater pearls. She hesitated about the golden medallion, just for a moment. Then she thought it might depict Hanuman, the Hindu ape god. Hadn't she read that the First Lady had learned about Hanuman while visiting India with the President?
Or perhaps it was the monkey king Sun Wukong, the most popular figure in Chinese literature, about whom operas were performed, a movie had been made. And wasn't there a game now available to be played on a Wii? She chuckled to herself.
She could check which one it was, because it had to be one or the other, then she could dazzle all her friends with her knowledge, as well as with her beautiful pearls.
So she bought it, took it home, laid it out on the flower-strewn dark blue cover on her bedside chair, and admired it. It would certainly be a conversation piece, whichever of the two characters it turned out to be.
Congratulating herself on overcoming the first feeling of hesitation, she smiled, and drifted happily off to sleep under her soft, warm duvet.
As she slept she realized, somehow, that the medallion depicted neither the Hindu god whose strength and caring made him beloved in India, nor Sun Wukong, still so popular in China that a children's book had been written about him so that little ones, too young to stay up to watch him in the Peking Opera, could read about him at home.
With the realization came the dreams, so horrifying she screamed in her sleep, then awakened, crying, and breathing in great gulps and gasps. The medallion would have to go, she realized, and the pearls would have to be re-strung.
The very next day she cut the medallion off, and threw it into a dumpster on her way to the jewelry store to have the pearls re-strung.
Her mind once more at ease, she slept well that night, and the next. Relieved to have solved the problem so readily, she picked up the pearls on her way home the third day, and tucked them into her jewelry case before she went to bed. She thought about them as she snuggled down, then decided to put them on the bedside chair again, where the dark blue fabric contrasted so beautifully with their deep, pinky grey lustre. Then she cuddled under the duvet again.
That night, as she slept, the nightmares returned. The medallion hadn't been the problem after all.

Posted for Magpie Tales.
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31 comments:

sm said...

nice story
like the pic

Friko said...

well, of course not.

clever story.

Tess Kincaid said...

I feel certain energies from vintage jewelry. Yikes, if it wasn't the medallion, then what?

(you might want to fix the typo in the next to the last line..heehee)

Kay L. Davies said...

@ Willow - thanks, I spotted the typo just before I read your comment, and fixed it then. Aarrgg, I hate typos, especially my own.
-- K

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Bella storia :)
Buona serata.
Myriam

Maggie said...

We both seemed to have put a sinister slant on our tale.

Terrific take. : )

Leslie said...

I like that mysterious surprise ending... but I want to know what happened next! Can you write another installment, please : )

Kelstahz said...

Great story! There is always something mysterious about jewelry with a history behind it.

Anonymous said...

What a great story this is, Kay! Love the cryptic twist to it. And I'm with your friend Leslie...it begs another installment...:)

Lynette

Kay L. Davies said...

@ Leslie and Lynette -- leave 'em begging, that's my motto.
-- K

Sylvia K said...

Great story! I agree with Kelly, there's always something mysterious about jewelry with a history! Hope you've had a great day and that you have a lovely evening!

Sylvia

Helen said...

I am blessed to have vintage jewelry from my grandmother and mother ... I always feel the 'energy' flowing from these pieces when I wear them. Nice ending ... I love a good mystery.

Kristen Haskell said...

That is a lesson in judgment. Nice

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Arghh, it's the pearls! Nice mag.

Amanda Moore said...

Wow what a thriller! And boy do you do your homework! So well written chapter 2 please?

Kay L. Davies said...

@ Southwest Arkie -- I thought nobody would ever figure it out. Even my husband wanted Chapter 2. And I just found a grammatical error as I'm typing this. OMG
Gotta fix it!
-- K

Unknown said...

it was the pearls behind the monkey business all along :)

Everyday Goddess said...

a cursed necklace is a great take on the prompt!

Catalyst said...

It's that damned blue chair!

Good story, Kay.

Reflections said...

What was I thinking? Why of course it couldn't have been the ape god... obviously the contrast of the coveted pearls and the blue chair...

Teresa said...

I so want to know what that nightmare was about! Very fascinating.

Anonymous said...

I love dreams with meanings ...

Nice take on the prompt.

Doctor FTSE said...

I'm with Leslie. How was her situation finally resolved?
And with Teresa. Tell us more of the nightmares.

annell4 said...

Nice write. And thank you for your comment. I'm not sure, but are you suggesting, I took it from something else. Like your own piece, it was suggested by the prompt, I'm sure we a sum total of all we have ever read, or experienced, but I am not familiar with anything like it. I was speaking of an experience in Nikko, Japan. If there is something, similar, please let me know.

Suz said...

ha ha it's the chair
or could it be those cursed pearls
you got everyone involved
and that is good
and I liked all the info

The Reason You Come said...

What a creative take on the prompt! I like mysteries, and this one I find interesting. I almost wish this were a novel so I can keep reading about the mystery of the golden medallion and the pearls and see how the story unfolds.

Lisa said...

I love this and am from Alberta also. I had seen you were at Daves.
Wonderful blog you have here and Im am now followoing you. Stay warm.

Gabriela Abalo said...

awesome writing!

haunting :)

Tumblewords: said...

I love this!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

Sun Wukong, still so popular in China that a children's book had been written about him so that little ones, too young to stay up to watch him in the Peking Opera, could read about him at home....

wow, you know lots of things and have the knowledge of cultures of many countries.

very reflective tale...

chiccoreal said...

Dear UN Guide: Wholly intriguing a read...if it was not the monkey necklace causing the nightmares it was either one of the ten little indians! I can get caught up in this suspense immensley! Excellent story!