Lorelai & The Valley of Secrets

Prologue

“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” Lorelai heard a man’s voice whisper in her ear. She was having the dream again, she thought to herself. She had it many times before, each slightly different but always so similar.

“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” The voice whispered again; so close to her ear this time it was as if the words where physically floating from his lips into her ear. The aroma of sandalwood and patchouli filled her noise. Lorelai turned to look at the man, but it was not a man who stood behind her. It was a stunningly beautiful baby dragon. Its scales shone gold and emerald in the afternoon light. Bits of the dragon’s shell still scattered around its tiny body. It stumbled closer to her, making small peeping sounds like that of a baby chick. Lorelai bent down to pick the tiny dragon babe up. It felt icy cold as it snuggled into her chest. “Shall I call you Stella?” she asked the small jewel in her arms. It nestled closer to her as if to respond. The tiny dragon babe’s body felt as cold as ice.

A slight breeze blew the leaves of the red oaks that grew along the edge of the cliff where she stood. Lorelai looked out at the breathtaking valley beyond the cliff, snow drifted in the air, dancing this way and that. Funny, it did not seem cold enough to snow despite the temperature of the dragon baby’s body; Lorelai thought to herself. Listening to the sounds around her she heard a ringing noise, or maybe it was a bird’s song, she pondered as the snow drifted past. A smile on her lips, she watched as the flakes floated this way and that, dancing in the wind. A flake gently landed on her arm, she stared at it, waiting for it to melt but it did not. In the distance she heard a tree crack and fall, a band of birds escaped into the air as the tree crashed into the valley floor. Lorelai looked out at the valley below her again, it was not snow; she realized, it was ash. As if the realization manifested it, the forest fire blazed brighter, lighting up the afternoon sky. The breeze was no longer cool and refreshing on her face but hot, almost stifling. Her arms abruptly felt as though they were burning, she looked down at the baby dragon in her arms but there was only ash. How could that be, Stella was as cold as an ice cube less than a minute ago, she thought. Smoke and tears stung Lorelai’s eyes as the ash that was once a tiny jewel of a baby dragon fell to the ground. She could hear the ringing in her ears, louder this time. She sat down on the ground releasing a puff of ash that had fallen as she did. Lorelai suddenly smelled sandalwood and patchouli again, stronger than before. She frantically looked around her for the source of the scent but saw no one. Carefully she scooted on her butt to the edge of the cliff, hoping to see where the smell was coming from.

“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” Lorelai heard unexpectedly in her ear and before she could react, something pushed her over the edge. The sound of ringing and air rushing past filled her ears.

Right before Lorelai hit the valley floor below she woke with a start, the feeling of falling still lingering. She looked around half expecting to see the valley floor, but she was back in her apartment, she had fallen asleep on the couch again. She could still hear the ringing, however. Then the answering machine started playing and she heard her own voice saying, “This is Lorelai, I’m probably home. I just can’t find my phone. Leave a message and I will call you as soon as I find it. Bye!”

“It’s Jeremiah, can Lor come out to play today? Call me beautiful!” Lorelai heard the click of the receiver being hung up. She felt her ears turning red as she realized that the ringing was her phone the entire time. She raised her arm, resting the back of her hand on her forehead. Her dream had never been like that before. Not once was there a forest fire and she had certainly not been pushed from the cliff. She heard the phone begin to ring once again. Eager for the distraction from her dream, she quickly leapt off of the couch, rushing over to the phone. “This is Lorelai.” She said into the receiver.

“Lorelai, when was the last time you went out of the house?”

“Oh hello Jeremiah, I am doing well, thank you so much for asking” Lorelai said teasingly into the receiver instantly recognizing her best friend Jeremiah’s voice.

“When was the last time you went out of the house?” Jeremiah repeated with more enthusiasm, quite used to Lorelai’s sass.

“I went outside today, in fact.” Lorelai said faking a defensive tone.

“Oh really, was it to get the mail?” Jeremiah teased.

“What if it was and why are you calling me by my full name?” Lorelai said back. She shook her head, a smile spreading across her face. Jeremiah always could make her feel more at ease in an instant.

Jeremiah’s audible gasp could be heard through the phone. “Oh honey” he said, “you are in worse shape than I thought. Come out with me today. I am heading to an estate sale.” He teased, “And I know how much you love sifting through people’s old junk.”

“It’s not junk Jeremiah” Lorelai said, “I have found some pretty wonderful pieces and even a few things you have in your apartment are from a yard sale or two.”

“So come with Lor.” Jeremiah said coaxingly, using her pet name that he had dubbed her in seventh grade.

“I can’t. I’m just not ready for that much human contact yet.” Lorelai replied

“Honey, I know that Tod”

“Tom” Lorelai corrected

“I know that Tom” Jeremiah continued, “broke your heart something awful, but you can’t cut everyone that cares for you out of your life. It has been three months, since that slime ball left, you need to get out and smell the antiques again.”

“I don’t know Jeremiah.” Lorelai said hesitantly.

“It’s an estate sale though. We haven’t gone to look at old junk together since Christmas time. Please Lorelai, please”

The other line was silent for a while. “What if Sofie is there? Lorelai asked softly.

“Sofie?” Jeremiah was confused at first then remember Sofie was the woman who Lorelai’s ex cheated on her with and was now engaged to. “Sofie is more likely too busy running the Downtown Flea Market to come to an old estate sale. You know how busy they get this time of year, also I will let you borrow a really nice hat.

“A hat?” Lorelai said with a smile in her voice.

“Yes, a really good one too; big ol’ floppy brim. Maybe even a ribbon. Come on Lor, I can hear it in your voice, you want to go.”

Lorelai finally caved into her eccentric friend. She did want to go. “Okay but give me thirty minutes or so. I need a shower and to run a comb through my hair.” Sofie could hear a faint beeping on the other line. Even though her friend could not see her, she narrowed her eyes and said, “Are you getting in the car now Jeremiah? If you show up even one minutes before a half hour has passed, I’m not opening the door.”

“I promise I am not getting IN the car.” He said putting extra emphasize on the word “in.”

Lorelai opened her mouth to ask him why he had said it that way when her doorbell rang. “Are you at my door?!” was all she could manage to say.

“I have to go honey, see you soon” he said quickly before hanging up the phone, not waiting for a response. Lorelai heard her doorbell again, she turned to glare at her front door, slowly putting her cellphone down on the kitchen counter. The doorbell rang again, and again and again. Muttering to herself, Lorelai padded across the room, unlocked the front door and swung it open with a glare. Jeremiah stood beaming down at her dark blue eyes. “I brought the hat.” He said holding up the gaudiest, biggest, floppiest hat known to man or woman. He lowered the hat to look at her and, in a way, only a best friend can, instantly knew something was wrong. “Was it the dream again?” he asked

Shaking her head, she headed to her bedroom to get a hairbrush and said over her shoulder, “you were sitting outside the entire time, weren’t you?” She said, ignoring his question.

“Now would I do a thing like that?” he said innocently until Lorelei shot him a searing loo. “I was. But Lorelai, it’s a good one.” He said referring to the estate sale as he followed her into her bedroom. “And I couldn’t possibly go alone.”

“What makes it so good” she said starting to brush her hair.

Jeremiah had flopped onto the bed, he turned onto his belly put his chin in his hands as he said, “oh its juicy. Do you remember old man Trafford? Well,” he continued without waiting for Lorelai to answer, “apparently, he hasn’t been around for the last few years so his daughter.”

Julia.” Lorelai said referring to the name of Mr. Trafford’s daughter.

“Right, Julia. Well, she went and had him declared legally dead. She then put dear old Dad’s creepy house up for sale.”

“The old Victorian, but that’s been in their family since the town was founded. It’s practically a town landmark.” Lorelai paused brushing her hair.

“The very house. And it sold like it was the winning lottery ticket. Thing is that the new owners don’t want any of the junk inside the house even though Trafford’s daughter said they could keep it. So now, she has to clear out the house or the buyers aren’t buying.”

“Did you become a real estate agent just so you could learn the town gossip?” Lorelei asked teasingly.

“My dear Lor, I would never do a thing like that.” After a very brief pause he said, “I did it to meet the men.”

Lorelai laughed. “And how is that going for you?” Jeremiah always did have a way of improving her mood.

“Oh, you know men, they only liked me for my big…”

Lorelai turned around, lifting one eyebrow she looked at Jeremiah.

“houses” he finished. “What did you think I was going to say?” he said innocently. Faking surprise, he jumped from the bed and lay his hand on his chest, palm down. His hazel eyes glittering with mischief. “What a pervert you are Miss Lorelei.” He said, she could see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Laughing, she turned back around, lay the brush on the table and said, “I’m ready, let’s do this.”

“Oh no, no, no, no.” Jeremiah said as he looked her up and down, criticizing her choice of attire with his eyes. “Sweatpants and a baggy sweater? And I bet you slept in it too.”

“Maybe I did?” Lorelai responded looking very guilty.

“Honey, I have seen better dressed ninety-year old’s at the church hall on bingo night.”

“Okay, I get the point.” Lorelai walked over to her bedroom door. Resting her hand on the doorknob, she said “get out, I’ll find something different to put on.”

“Get out?” Jeremiah said, “but Lor, dear, I don’t know if I can trust you not to find another pair of over glorified pajamas, just in a different color.”

“Out” she said to her long-time friend, pointing to the open door.

“I can take a hint, but don’t take too long. I want to get a good parking spot at the estate sale. I borrowed my uncle’s convertible.” He said as he sauntered out of the bedroom door.

“I’ll be dressed before you can count to one hundred.” Lorelai said.

Before she had the door completely closed, Jeremiah popped his head in the room and said, “And make sure it matches the hat.”

“I will.” Lorelai said through a laugh.

“And a shower, a quick one, I’ll wait.” Jeremiah said, pushing his head through the open door a second time. Lorelai laughed as she gently pushed Jeremiah’s head out of the room and shut the door. “You will tell me about that dream on the way there too.” she hear her best friend yell from the other side of the closed door.