“Julie broke up with me.”

Brent says, “Let me guess, another trail in the woods that no one else can see?”

I look around the cafe to see if anyone is listening before I say, “That was Linda and it wasn’t a trail. It was a stairway in the woods. Julie broke up with me because I walked out of a job interview.”

Brent asks, “Why this time?”

I say, “They creeped me out. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Karen asks, “Do you need a place to stay?”

Brent looks at Karen.

Karen says, “He is my brother, but it’s your call.”

I don’t think Brent wants me around but I don’t think he wants to be a total jerk. I think I would rather go camping or sleep in my car. Karen won’t like either of those choices.

Brent says, “Danny, you don’t have a job and you just lost your girlfriend. If you are about to use our spare room, then we get to hear the story.”

Karen and I exchange glances. I know her too well. She wants desperately to tell Brent everything but she doesn’t want to lose him.

Karen looks at him and says, “He may not be ready to talk about it.”

Brent says, “Fine. You know he just makes these stories up.”

Karen knows that I don’t make any of this up but she isn’t ready for her husband to know how she knows. I give her a slight nod. I’m not going to ruin her life too. I drink a bit more of my chai tea. I want coffee, but I also want to sleep eventually.

I tell them, “The interview was in a hotel conference room. Not a big one, but way larger than needed. They had a ring of tables set up. The first question they asked was, 'Have you ever seen a Fairy?'”

Brent says, “Please tell me you said no.”

I say, “I got up. I told them I was uncomfortable and left.”

Brent says, “You could have just said, ‘No.’”

He closes his eyes for a moment and shakes his head before he asks, “Is the backpack in the back of your car set up for camping?”

I tell him, “Everything but the food.”

Brent says, “Good, you can stay at our place. Tomorrow, we are going camping. I want to see this stairway in the woods.”

Karen says, “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

Brent says, “We wanted to go camping this weekend anyway.”

Karen gives me a look of desperation.

I really have no choice. I could lie my way out of it, but that path will eventually be the end of me.

I say, “This is making me uncomfortable. I don’t think I should impose on you or your weekend together.”

I take another sip. Brent and Karen exchange a look. Karen exchanges a look with me. I am not sure what she is trying to communicate. None of us are saying anything, and I am grateful. I think it is awkward for Brent though. Brent likes chit chat in his get-togethers. It is a pity we aren’t closer to the girl playing the guitar. Then we would have a better excuse for being quiet.

Brent asks, “So what is safe to talk about?”

Awkward silence follows. With Karen a look and a nod can turn awkward silence into graceful quiet. I am not sure how to do that with Brent.

I say, “I am comfortable just being with people that are important to me. I get into trouble with idle talk.”

We sit a while just sipping drinks. This time I killed the conversation. Karen likes to encourage others to talk. I am scared to talk much. Brent is Brent. I like him, but if he weren’t married to my sister, we wouldn’t spend any time together. At least he and Karen love each other.

#

Brent insists that Karen sit up front with me as I drive them home. He insists that he loves every song they play on the radio so I keep the radio loud as we drive. I guess it covers the silence.

I drop them off and go to the convenience store where Phillip works.

#

“Julie broke up with me.”

Phillip says, “It’s because you can’t even tell a white lie. Honestly, no girl is ever going to put up with you.”

I say, “Thanks. I would like to say something like, ‘Gee, you are always so comforting.’”

Phillip says, “You take this honesty thing too far. You even manage to tell the truth while using irony. Why do you go to the effort?”

I say, “I lied to a Fairy so he cursed me. They don’t like lies, at least not when people tell them. Now if I lie, I become half an inch shorter.”

Phillip narrows his eyes at me. A customer comes in and I am spared the rest of the discussion.

The customer leaves and Phillip says, “I have to clean this place up because the manager fast forwards through all of the security footage. You can’t hang out all night. Go sleep in your car until I get off work. I’ll wake you and you can drive me home and sleep on the couch.”

I have just managed to snooze off when Karen calls me, “Danny, Brent pulled your maps out of your backpack while you were driving.”

I answer, “I am going to stay with Phillip, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

Karen says, “He has your maps.”

I say, “I don’t need them right now. You can get them back to me later.”

Karen says, “You put marks on the maps. You marked where three of the stairways are.”

I sit up, “Karen, I’ll just tell him it’s a lie. He won’t notice.”

Karen says, “Brent has a trip planned, with or without you.”

I tell Phillip he is going to have to walk home. I have no choice really, I drive back to my sister's house.

#

Brent says, “Karen has locked herself in the bathroom. She’s crying and won’t talk to me. I don’t want to insist. What is with you two?”

I say, “She doesn’t want to lose you.”

Brent says, “She isn’t going to lose me over a brother that tells stories. It’s not a big thing. I kind of like your tall tales. I just wish you could put them aside long enough to have a decent life.”

I don’t like where this is going. I ask, “Can I take a quick shower?”

Brent says, “Fine, you know where the guest bath is. I will bring you some towels and a bathrobe.”

I say, “Thanks,” and go to the guest bathroom.

I am showering when Brent comes in and opens the shower door just a crack. He hands me two small bottles of hotel shampoo and conditioner.

I say, “Thanks.”

My phone goes off.

Brent says, “I’ll get it.”

Again, I say, “Thanks.”

I keep the shower door open so I can listen.

He says, “No, I’m his brother-in-law. Danny is in the shower.”

Then he shouts, “Danny, you got the job.”

I dive out of the shower to grab the phone from him. If my suspicions are correct, I don’t want Brent to tell them a white lie or anything. He could end up worse off than I am.

I nearly skid out on the bathroom floor. I take the phone.

My suspicions are correct. On the other end I hear several voices giggling.

A male voice says, “Danny, my Danny. And we have missed our Danny. My sister longs for thy embrace.”

The speaker phone is on. I switch the speaker phone setting off. I am not going to be able to explain this call to Brent.

Brent is listening. I have to manage this conversation carefully. I would hang up, but then worse things might happen. Now I know who is on the other end. In a way we are close. I don’t know his name, but I wouldn’t, would I?

I ask, “Can we leave everyone else out of this? Can this be just between thee and me?”

The speaker phone setting switches back on and there is more giggling.

The voice asks, “And where would the fun be in that, my darling Danny? My sister is quite sad that thou didst put her to the side. 'Tis more than sad how thou doth treat thy girls, one thou hast misplaced, and the other suffers from a hundred cuts.”

I ask, “Where is she?”

There is more giggling and the phone disconnects.

Brent says, “I should have known it was a prank call. No one offers you a job after midnight on Friday. Do you think that’s a friend of Julie’s? What’s with the thing about your girls?”

I shake my head. After drying my hands and the phone with a towel, I take the battery out of the phone and get back in the shower. I don’t want to explain that the girls are my violins. No one is going to make any sense of that.

Brent yells to me, “You just can’t win, can you?”

I don’t answer. That is a very complicated question.

#

After drying off and putting on the bathrobe, I hear Karen shout, “Danny, your violin is in the den.”

I walk in and my violin is on the table in front of the nice couch.

I pick it up and hold it close for a moment before I adjust my bow. I don’t bother with tuning my violin. Her voice is always perfect. It feels good to play music again. I think we are safe enough. It is just my sister, her husband and my violin. I play for a while. I need my sleep. Karen and Brent need their sleep, too. They won’t leave while I am playing. I have to be careful what I play. I don’t want them to start dancing. I play them to sleep and then I continue to play until the first beams of light come in the window. It is nice to have my violin back. I have missed her. I do love her.

#

I wake up to the smell of bread baking. My pack is beside the bed. All the dirty clothes I had in the trunk of my car are washed and folded. I am a bit embarrassed. I hate to use my sister like that, even if I didn’t plan to, even if it makes her happy. Just like the baking. I worry that some part of her is screaming as she dances around happily doing her domestic chores. I worry that some part of her isn’t.

#

I get up and change into clothing suitable for hiking. Since just about everything I have is like that, it isn’t much of a change. As I walk into the kitchen area I see Karen sitting in Brent’s lap feeding him a cookie. At least they are happy together. He doesn’t order her around and he cares how she feels so I guess the relationship is as good as could be wished for.

Yet another reason why I fear wishes. At least Karen wasn’t as greedy as I was. I step into the room and Karen gives Brent a kiss before she gets up and curtsies to me.

I say, “Brent, Karen. Good afternoon.”

The table is covered with loaves of bread cooling on kitchen towels. She ran out of bread racks. Now I know what I can get her for her next birthday.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Brent says, “We should have left earlier.”

I ask, “Are we still camping?”

Brent says, “Karen has already packed up more food than we need. You looked like you needed sleep. Karen wanted to make bread so the morning came and went. We can still camp out tonight and explore Sunday morning.”

I ask, “We can’t talk you out of this?”

Brent says, “I like exploring and this makes it even more fun. I plan to go even if I have to go by myself. I want to see the places you marked on the map. Your sister and you always seem to have a secret conversation. Sometimes I feel left out. When I ask you, I get a wild story or nothing at all.”

I say, “You could ask Karen.”

Brent says, “Then she gives me that creepy, ‘Is it thy command that I tell thee?’ I just want to understand you two.”

I say, “I think we should go to a closer park.”

Brent says, “You owe me. While Karen was cleaning out your Mustang, I washed it.”

I say, “You didn’t have to.”

Brent says, “I really did. It is the closest I will probably ever come to owning a classic. Karen and I want to have children. I will be an old man before I can afford something fun to drive.”

I glance at Karen when Brent mentions children. She winces and makes a gesture that tells me she knows it’s a bad idea, and she can’t help herself.

I ask, “Karen, has he been warned at all?”

Karen says, “Indirectly.”

I am not sure what she is implying. She can tell I am confused. She glances towards the den. I follow her look. I don’t know what I am looking for until I realize she means the bookshelves.

I say, “Great. Brent has read a bunch of fantasy books. That doesn’t really prepare a person for all the things that could happen.”

Brent says, “Interesting way you use English. Usually people say, ‘That doesn’t really prepare a person for reality.’ That would be a better turn of phrase when talking about fantasy books anyway.”

Karen gives me a glance. She needs to cut that out. I think it sets Brent on edge. Maybe there is some part inside her that needs to rebel. I smile at the thought. It is a small comfort.

Brent asks, “Are you taking your violin? I looked around and I couldn’t find it.”

I say, “Don’t worry. I will play it again tonight, unless there are people around.”

Brent says, “You know that you shouldn’t be shy about it. I never knew you played but you are quite talented. I am sorry I fell asleep while you were playing. It was honestly beautiful.”

I smile. I plan to play him to sleep again tonight. He will be safest that way.

#

On the way to the park, I am driving my car. I never leave it behind. Karen and Brent are alternating driving their Suburban and riding with me.

I am driving with Brent beside me. He says, “Karen said I should ask you to warn me about things.”

Great. I get to ruin their marriage. Maybe.

I ask, “You know that there are stories that appear in just about every culture?”

Brent says, “Like Fairies.”

I say, “Exactly. And it is probably best that you don’t use the ‘F’ word.”

Brent says, “I try not to cuss.”

I say, “Every culture has stories about hidden worlds alongside of ours, places where time runs differently and the food and drink are not safe to eat. Children all know that there are things that can travel in shadow and instantly move from under the bed to a crack under a door.”

Brent says, “Like a Fairytale.”

I say, “Seriously. Stop using the ‘F’ word. Even when it is part of another word. Don’t say ‘wee folk’ or ‘gentry’ or anything like that. Don’t ever say ‘little people.’ Imagine that all of that is racist and not politically correct. Never stare. I am serious, never, never stare. If you see something extraordinary, just glance at it. Don’t point, look at it too long or make a fuss. If you want to warn us, say, ‘That’s interesting’ or ‘That was interesting.’ Karen and I will both know what you mean.”

Brent says, “You are making this sound like the beginning of a horror story.”

I say, “It might well be. Don’t lie, not even a little lie. Don’t wish for anything.”

Brent says, “Just like a Fair-- One of those old stories.”

I say, “Exactly, but more like the really old, creepy ones. Let’s start practicing now. Don’t use the ‘F’ word anymore. Don’t act familiar with strangers. Don’t be rude. Always be generous. Don’t say thank you. Act grateful, but don’t say you are grateful for anything. Be grateful for everything. Don’t use the word, ‘you.’ Be careful with thees and thous. ‘Ye’ is more polite. Keep your gaze moving. Even if you are invited to look, don’t look for long.”

Brent says, “This is building up to be your best story yet. Don’t stop. This is great! You really have a talent, Danny. I wish I could--”

I interrupt him. “I mean it, don’t ever finish that sentence.”

Brent says, “You make this sound real.”

I say, “Let’s act like it is, at least for the weekend. Karen would love it if you played along and followed our best advice on this.”

Brent says, “I think she would. I can’t do enough for her so I guess I have to play along. You know that it is kind of hard being married to the perfect wife.”

I wonder how hard it is for Karen to be the perfect wife, but I don’t say anything. We have reached the park.

Karen has the window down and is talking to a park ranger. Brent gets out and walks over. Brent goes into the office with the ranger for a moment and they come back out and talk a bit more while gesturing and pointing to the different roads. I look at where they are pointing and the road I have taken before is blocked off. Brent and the ranger start walking towards my car. I roll down the window. The ranger looks at me. I think he recognizes me. He looks around like he is being watched.

The ranger looks at me again and says, “It’s okay then.” He walks to the blockade with the closed sign and moves it off the road.

Brent goes to the window of the Suburban and talks for a bit with Karen. He walks around to the passenger side and gets in. They start driving down the road best not taken. I don’t have much choice. I follow them.

#

We have the whole campsite to ourselves. The water is running and the bathrooms are clean ,apart from a few leaves that have blown in. We set up tents. Karen and Brent want to see the stars, so we are not going to make a campfire. Karen is putting together chicken salad sandwiches by the light of the moon. She hands me a couple of loaves to set out in the woods. I walk out into the woods, looking for a stump or bolder to set the bread on.

The man who is sort of my in-law is sitting on a large flat lichen covered rock on the ridge. I sit beside him and offer him a loaf of bread. He takes it and hands me his sister, my violin. I already have the bow in my hand. It happens that way sometimes.

He puts his cold hand on my shoulder and says, “It’s no good for ye lingering when thou hast position and folk waiting for thee.”

I say, “As long as my sister lingers, I will abide. By thy measure, it is not so long a wait.”

He takes a bite of bread and wraps up the rest of the loaf. I play for him.

He says, “I do get a measure of good bread every now and then, so I suppose I can wait.”

I keep playing. A musician can be forgiven much and doesn’t need to talk.

We sit for a while until I see a flashlight beam in the distance. Brent must have heard me playing and decided to come out after me.

My sort of in-law looks at the other loaf that I put down.

I say, “It’s for thee and thine.”

He says, “The job offer is real,” as he fades out of sight.

I whisper, “And I should ignore the giggling then?”

I hear a giggle as Brent shines the light in my face. I close my eyes and play.

Brent walks over and sits beside me.

He says, “This rock is freezing cold.”

We get up and start walking back. His flashlight is ruining my night vision and he keeps shining it off in every direction. I really hate flashlights.

#

The tents and cars are within sight when Brent asks me, “When did you bring out your violin?”

I say, “This girl is the only one that will not leave me for another. She gets lost from time to time but her brother always brings her back to me.”

Brent says, “That almost makes sense. Like a riddle. Wait! I think I got it figured out. The bow is her brother.”

Brent’s guess isn’t even close but I don’t bother to correct him.

#

We are at the campsite. They brought an extra canvas camp stool, so I sit and start playing. One of the nice things about playing music is that you don’t have to make conversation.

My sister gives me a chicken salad sandwich and says, “We have cookies for desert.”

As I eat, Brent says, “Hands down, Karen makes the best chicken salad sandwiches anywhere. I would not trade one of these for steak.”

I say, “I probably wouldn’t either. One more rule. Don’t make absolute declarations. Some might take it as a challenge.”

I hear giggling. Brent turns his head and then asks me, “Is that your cell phone?”

I am about to tell him I left my cell phone in my car when it rings. I take it out of my pocket and answer it. There is no sound. I mess with the phone for a bit. It doesn’t show that a call came in. A normal call couldn’t. There is no coverage out here.

I turn my phone off and get ready to play my violin. Karen brings me a blue speckled mug of switchel. Brent grimaces.

Brent says, “Mmm, delicious vinegar, ginger and syrup. I don’t know how you can face it. I am pretty sure that Karen makes the best switchel, so I am positive that I will never like the stuff.”

I hear giggling. Brent and Karen heard it, too.

I say, “Right after I warned you not to make any absolute declarations.”

Brent asks, “Isn’t there a night bird that makes a giggling noise?”

I finish my sandwich and start playing. Karen and Brent sit together and listen. After a while Karen goes back to their car to get more switchel.

She sits back down and says, “Brent, you will have to go easy on it. I only made enough switchel for two people.”

Brent says, “The lemon in it makes it perfect.”

I say, “Water will be fine for me. We should save some switchel for the hike.”

#

In the morning, Brent and Karen have already packed away their tent and put everything but their packs in their car. They help me take down my tent and pack my stuff away.

I say, “Brent, it looks like it might rain. Let’s just get in my car and have a nice drive in the mountains.”

I pat my car. Brent shakes his head and points up. The clouds and fog are clearing up.

We take the trail until we get to an outcropping that I marked on the map.

Brent says, “I don’t see the logging road.”

Karen says, “It has grown over. If you look for two gaps between rows of trees, you can see it still.”

We follow what was once a road that became a rarely used trail. There are trees growing in the middle. It hasn’t been a road anytime recently. When the road crosses a creek, I wash my face and refill my bota. This is one of the few creeks I still trust. Brent has already gone through the switchel. Hopefully, his appetite for it fades in a lunar month or two. Some of these enchantments only last for a while; some are harder to get rid of. I think switchel in moderation is probably good for you. Living on it could be bad over time.

We sit on a log that has fallen across the overgrown trail.

Brent asks, “How much further?”

I say, “I am not exactly sure. I am hoping we have lost our way and won’t be able to find it.”

Karen asks, “Do you think we could be that lucky?”

I say, “No. I suspect we will find it easily. Worse yet, I think Brent will see it.”

Brent asks, “You and Linda actually made it out this far?”

I say, “No, Linda and I broke up over a stairway I don’t have on my maps.”

Brent says, “Now you are telling me there are lots of stairs in the woods. Are they from buildings that have decayed?”

Karen nods to me.

I say, “Imagine that you could make doorways to a place where you-- A place that you call home. Now imagine that these doorways are kind of expensive, don’t move, and they last a very, very long time.”

Brent asks, “A door to an invisible world?”

I nod and say, “After time, the earth washes away and it gets hard to reach the doorway.”

Brent starts to ask, “Can’t the--.” He laughs at himself and asks, “Okay, why wouldn’t someone fly to the doorway?”

I say, “Flying is a pretty recent addition to the tales.”

Karen says, “Some can.”

Brent says, “Turning into a crow is pretty classic.”

Karen says, “Not all of your servants can shift.”

Brent says, “Not a problem. I just gift them with the power of shifting.”

Karen says, “I don’t think it's that easy. Danny, why wouldn't they gift everyone?”

I say, “I don’t know. It might lower the value. Maybe you have to have a downside for every thing you get. It mostly seems that way.”

Karen says, “You didn’t have to pay anything for the gold violin.”

I say, “That was a gamble. Rather high risk. It isn’t the same thing.”

Brent asks, “Do you really have a golden violin?”

Karen says, “Gold, not golden and he keeps cutting parts off of it to pay for things.”

Brent asks me, “Really?”

I say, “I sold off the pegs, strings, tailpiece and end pins. I ran out of money and I had to start sawing off pieces. I still have the body and most of the neck.”

Brent asks, “What do you need a job for then?”

I say, “Being homeless is a constant expense.”

Brent says, “Buy a house.”

Karen says, “He can’t.”

I say, “We should keep going. We still have to get back to camp and drive home today, unless you are calling in sick to work.”

Karen says, “Brent has Monday off, but he likes to rest at home for a day before going back to work.”

We get up and keep hiking.

Brent sees it first. We head off the road and down the slope until the sinkhole beside the stair is visible.

Brent says, “This set of stairs isn’t that old. What were they really making? There is nothing around here.”

He starts walking down the slope toward the stairs. He gets to the edge of the sinkhole and looks back at us. Karen puts her arm around me. Great, she is taller than I am now. I need to be more careful what I say.

Brent asks, “Do you think they were going to make a house and when the sinkhole appeared they changed their mind?”

I shake my head.

Brent walks back to us and says, “You know the whole thing is kind of funny. I wanted to climb the stairs, but I felt kind of weird about the whole thing. I think the stairs are probably dangerous being so close to a sinkhole.”

Brent leads and we start heading to the campsite. He pauses like he wants to go back. I know that feeling. It draws you until you get close enough to feel the wrong. Eventually you get over the feeling of wrong. That’s when the trouble starts.

I say, “We will probably be late getting back.”

Brent says, “We can always come back. This was kind of fun.”

Karen says, “You want to be a father, Brent. As a father, you can’t take silly risks like this.”

Brent thinks about it and we keep hiking back to the campsite.

When we get to our log resting place, Brent says, “This is pretty elaborate, Danny. There really was a stairway. Now I want to go see the one that Linda broke up with you over.”

Karen says, “Brent, please.”

Brent says, “Tell me 'I can’t' and I won’t.”

Karen says, “I can’t.”

I say, “She will never give you an order. Just as she won’t disobey your order once you put your foot down.”

Brent says, “That is one of the things I don’t get.”

Karen says, “Danny, tell him.”

I ask, “We agree that Karen is the perfect wife?”

Brent says, “More like a chauvinist's dream of a perfect wife. It is frightening sometimes. I really don’t deserve her. I feel guilty. I wish she would stand up for herself.”

I say, “When we were still children, the lord of this valley asked her to forsake the mortal realm and become his bride. He offered her a wish. She said, ‘My only real wish is to marry a mortal and be a perfect wife.' I expect that when you pass away, she will be taken by the lord of this valley. Until then and maybe even after, I suspect that she will have no choice but to be a perfect bride and wife.”

Brent says, “That would explain my lovely Karen. I almost want to believe it.”

I say, “I fear that she is not all there. I fear that the part of her that would not have been a perfect wife--”

I stop talking. I have said too much.

Karen pats me on the arm and says, “I am still all here, and I am free despite being bound.”

Brent says, “You have to do better than that, Karen. Danny just came up with a perfect story to explain you. It even matches with your dated view of duty.”

Karen says, “Imagine that you are up late at a wonderful party. You know that you will have to go to bed soon and you should really leave. But you are having too much fun and you put it off. You keep putting it off longer and longer. You would even fight and bite someone who tried to drag you away from the party. My life is like a party. I will have to go to bed eventually, but right now the party has just begun. There are rules at the party. You can’t just dance how you want. It is an old formal and traditional dance. The rules are not anything you couldn’t break except you don’t want to break them. At least that is how I see it. Who knows? Maybe I am fooled by it all.”

Brent kisses his wife on the cheek and says, “We should probably keep going. I have to thank both of you. This has been wonderful, and the story is just creepy enough to have me believe it. We have to check out the other stairs later.”

I say, “Brent, you know we are both serious about this. The stairs are not safe places.”

Brent laughs and gets up. We continue hiking. We stop at the creek and fill our canteens and botas.

Brent says, “I guess we are safe now.”

I ask, “Why are we safe now?”

Brent says, “We are crossing water.”

Karen says, “You can’t entirely go by the old tales. A lot of them are fiction. A lot of these things live in water. Thrive in it, really.”

Brent says, “It isn’t fair changing the rules on me.”

I reply, “That’s what I always said.”

We get to the proper trail and Brent says, “We are definitely visiting the other stairs.”

I hear something. Maybe laughter. It is hard to tell. The birds are singing and we are heading down the trail. I fear that there may not be an escape from this.

Brent says, “You know, a golden violin is not really a--. You know, it is more of a hell thing.”

I say, “You are correct.”

Brent asks, “Where does the golden violin come in?”

Karen says, “Beg pardon, darling husband. That would be a gold violin.”

Brent smiles. “Honestly, Karen, you really do act like Danny’s story is true.”

We walk a bit more and Brent says, “No answer then. It seems I stumped you on the gold violin.”

I ask, “You know the stairs in the woods?”

Brent says, “Yes.”

I say, “I never said that all of them go up.”