An Unexpected Gift

Lily was a daydreamer.

She often fantasized about what she would do if she suddenly developed super powers or got transported into a magical land and had to embark on a thrilling adventure with a dashing stranger. Or what would happen if she encountered a spy, or better yet had to become a spy! Lily craved mystery and danger. Or at the very least some kind of diverting escape from the monotony of everyday life. Just as she began to wonder just how one went about living a more adventurous life, she caught a glimpse of sign reading “Adventure Awaits” with an arrow pointing towards an alley at the end of which was a unmarked red door.

Lily looked at the surrounding buildings for a clue to where that door might lead but found nothing. She thought of asking someone about it, but no one seemed to even notice the sign. They simply walked on past without even a glance towards it. With one last look around Lily decided to take a risk and see just what kind of adventure awaited her on the other side of that door. So she took a deep breath, marched down that alleyway and yanked open that door before she could change her mind.

Lily didn’t know what she was expecting to see, but it certainly wasn’t a bookstore. Although to be fair it wasn’t like any bookstore she had ever seen. It was dim and rather claustrophobic with bookshelves lining the walls and piles of books towering haphazardly throughout the small space. Lily gingerly made her way deeper into the store.

“Um...hello," Lily tentatively called out, “I was looking for an adventure like the sign advertised, but maybe I’m in the wrong place?”

“Nonsense my girl!, a booming voice proclaimed from behind a bookshelf, “What better way to have an adventure than to immerse yourself in a world of your choosing?”

“Now why don’t you take a look around and see what adventure you’d like to have.”

This wasn’t exactly what Lily had in mind but she figured she might as well find a fictional adventure since reality seemed to be a bust. After a few moments of halfheartedly searching, a little black book caught her eye. It’s title read “Make Your Dreams into Reality”.

Lily thought to herself, “If only this book could really do that then I could live out my dreams of adventure instead of just daydreaming about it!”

The booming voice returned making Lily jump.

“If you’ve found something you like, take it and consider it a gift.”

Lily thought that was a strange way to run a business, but who was she to judge? So she took her book and made her way back through the stacks and out the door she came through. With one last look back at that red door she quickly made her way home.

Once she was ready to go to sleep and comfortable in her bed, she opened her little black book only to see a single sentence:

“The key to making you dreams come true is to write them down.”

Lily sighed. If only it were that easy. On a whim Lily decided to write down “Win the Lottery”. She chuckled to herself thinking that’s the one dream everyone wants to come true. She set the book on her nightstand and went to sleep dreaming about what she’d do with the money.

The next morning she woke up to find a lottery ticket on top of her little black book. Lily stared in confusion knowing full well it wasn’t there when she had gone to sleep. With a shaking hand she reached for the ticket and looked up the numbers on her phone. She stared in disbelief. She had won $20,000!

“What in the hocus pocus is this?! This can’t be real! I’ve got some questions for that bookstore owner!” Lily threw on some clothes, put the lottery ticket in her purse and rushed back to the alley where she found the bookstore, but it was gone. No red door in sight.

Bewildered Lily did the only other thing she could think of. She went to claim her lottery ticket.

No less bewildered but twenty grand richer, Lily made her way back home daydreaming about all the things she could now make into reality.

In all her daydreaming Lily never could have imagined the power of a little black book.