Category Archives: Short Story

14-Reflection

August 26, 2016 Candace L Stauber Leave a comment

Finally I realize what she means, I have become what I was meant to be the Platinum Dragon. I have become stronger with each of the magical items found in my life. The books I’ve read. Learning have negativity go it’s own way, not to take it personally. My heart, my soul, my mind has grown beyond that first encounter with the Crimson dragon.

The fear and panic of the seemingly unconquerable obstacles in my life are no longer taking over. They are no longer standing in my way to success, to a happy life. When there are storm clouds, I know there is a safe haven always available. I can overcome. The larger than life problems that I faced, only made me who I have become today. The illnesses and diseases that haunt me, don’t get best of me, because I’ve learned to be adaptable, to be flexible enough to allow for the unknown and adjust accordingly.

Dragons are a symbol of strength and courage. I’m finally ME!

As for each of the magical objects I found in my dream. I believe their significance lies herein:

My green celtic journal, I currently have this book, and keep my daily thoughts and gratitudes it in. Each time I keep a journal of my gratitudes, I’m reminded that I have so much to be grateful for and I think the Universe then gives me even more to be excited about and grateful for.
The Magic Book, I seriously believe it’s my computer. It’s like magic, isn’t it? We can find almost anything on it, see anything, accomplish anything with it.
The crystal disk is Moonstone.It’s my favorite stone, I have it throughout my jewelry collection. It brings hope, enhances feminine energies, sensitivity, intuition, and psychic abilities. It is also said to bring strong energies of abundance to one’s life. Moonstone is a stone of protection, especially during travel at sea. It is a stone of calm and relief from emotional stress.I also believe the shape of this object is significant to me, it is the shape of a lens, like a camera lens. I am finding that photography is becoming a creative outlet for me and one way I can express myself. I am finally becoming confident enough to display my photographs, if for no other reason but for pure enjoyement.

The Obsidian Wand. I was given an Obsidian Obelisk some years ago, by two Hermetic friends of mine when I had been unemployed for 3 years. They gave it to me when I was just starting my own freelance web design business and didn’t know how to handle negative clients. Within weeks, my negative clients were no longer bothersome and I got a full time position as a web designer at a University. It stays on my desk always.Black Obsidian Stone is a powerful cleanser of psychic smog created within your aura, and is a strong psychic protection stone. It has powerful metaphysical properties that will shield you against negativity, and the energy of these stones may stimulate the gift of prophecy.Hermeticism, also called Hermetism, is a religious, philosophical, and esoteric tradition based primarily upon writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus (“Thrice Great”).Much of the importance of Hermeticism arises from its connection with the development of science during the time from 1300 to 1600 AD. The prominence that it gave to the idea of influencing or controlling nature led many scientists to look to magic and its allied arts (e.g., alchemy, astrology) which, it was thought, could put Nature to the test by means of experiments.
The Bell– I believe the bell was my wakeup call. My realization that I am where I’m supposed to be at this time.

Dreams, PDStory, Short Story

13. Courage

August 26, 2016 Candace L Stauber Leave a comment

My heart beating like a drum, I approach the castle, the entry looks dark and ominous. I gather my courage and I really am needing that right now. I’m scared out of my wits. I must be crazy to be doing this, I have never been inside a castle before or been so bold as to even think that I belong here. What am I doing here? But I feel as if I don’t proceed I will be missing out on an opportunity of a lifetime. There is something inside that calls me, I hear it whispering my name.

“Welcome, I’ve been waiting so long for you, come.” I pass through the portal to a grand hall, but it is empty. I look around, no one is there. Banners on the walls are emblems of dragons– crimson dragons, black dragons, sapphire colored dragons and on the far wall is a banner lying on a table yet to be hung. I approach to take a look, but Oberon catches my attention as he starts to wander down a hallway. “Come”, I hear the whisper and I follow.

The hallways are a maze, how will I ever find my way out? Suddenly I hear a rustle behind me, expecting the owner of the castle to come to me and ask me what I’m doing there, I prepare a speech. However, when I turn around I see two large yellow eyes approaching and the dragon’s talons clicking on the stone floor of the castle as she comes after me. I start running with Obie fast on my heels. I run down every corridor, take every turn, yet she follows and quickly she is catching up with me. I am frantic with worry, sweat beads up on my brow, I feel like I’m going to faint.

Then clearly and loudly the bell on Oberon’s collar rings. I know what I must do.

The enormous crimson dragon is right behind me. I stop running, turn around and face her. “What do you want! I am not running from you anymore!” I feel myself vibrating, I think in nervousness, but suddenly I see my hands begin to shift into slender silver fingers, with sharp metallic like talons at the end. My skin tingles further like a chill running down my spine as I grow larger and larger. The dark hallway is no longer dim, it becomes bright as day. I see so much more clearly now.

“Finally”, says the crimson dragon, “You have become who you are supposed to be, the Platinum Dragon. We have waited for you. We have tried so many times to get you here. Look in the mirror.” Before me was a mirror on the wall and there I stood, not the weak human girl I was before, insecure, scared and frightful, but a real live Platinum Dragon scales glistening as if they were wet, scales that could withstand any forces that were put against me. Wings that could fly, that could take me anywhere my imagination would allow. Green eyes that could see the world in a whole new and beautiful light. And beneath all that, I could feel the beating of a stronger heart that was open to everything that the Universe had to offer.

That unhung flag was for me and for you, you see. For we all are dragons underneath. We just have to accept it. We have to face our fears.

Dreams, PDStory, Short Story

12. Goal in Sight

August 25, 2016 Candace L Stauber Leave a comment

Incredible! this is what is drawing me irresistibly nearer, a castle high on a hill. It’s beautiful and the sky seems to know that this is my destination, it is alive in color, the hues of pinks, blues and yellows are amazing. The castle is evidently my destiny but what awaits me there? It’s huge and the hill is almost overwhelming. Can I find my way all the way up?

I look at the Magic book, it confirms my suspicions, the final star on the map is within the castle. Oberon and I look at each other and then at the castle.”Well, I’m not getting any closer by just staring at it, am I? Let’s go” Here at the base of the castle is a beautiful garden, I’ve rested for awhile at a fountain studying which way is the best way to approach this hill. There’s no way, I can climb it, so I will go around. I’m sure I’ll discover many wondrous sights along the way. The garden is rich in color, there’s even a clock made of flowers in the corner, someone is lovingly grooming and planting this garden. I come to a small cottage, it must be the gardener’s because it is as beautiful as the garden. The gardener comes out to greet me, “We’ve been expecting you, you only need to take the road to the left then go right, the next right is the road to the castle.” I look confused, I didn’t even ask, how did he know what I needed? How did he know who I was?

It wasn’t that warm of a day with the clouds overhead, but the trek up the streets and around that hill manage to get me warm. I was thankful when it starting misting rain, I just hoped I didn’t get caught in a downpour. I wasn’t anxious to be soaking wet when I arrived at the castle. I didn’t know who I was to meet there. Surely a king or queen, I had to be at least a little presentable.

Along the way, there were many small shops that caught my eye, and the aromas of the small cafes were enticing. My stomach started growling, I was hungry, but curiosity beat the hunger and I continued on. I crossed a bridge when I took that right turn the gardener talked about and saw the castle looming larger. My heart beat faster as my pace sped up.

Feature Photo: Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland. Photography by Candace Stauber
Story Photos: Gardeners Cottage, Edinburgh Gardens, Prince Street, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Alnwick Castle, UK. Photography by Candace Stauber

Dreams, PDStory, Short Story

11. Compulsion

August 24, 2016 Candace L Stauber Leave a comment

Having gathered my senses from such a profound dream, I gather my belongings, my rucksack, and Oberon. Deep within my bones I knew I had to continue my journey, I had a destiny awaiting me. I “needed” to be somewhere soon.

My companions, the Artists, were still caring for their convalescing sister. She still needed to keep quiet for awhile. But the village was close by, the farmers were nearby and they could find assistance among those in town.

As for me, I said my farewells, opened the barn door to a new morning. Storms in the distance worried me, but my trepidation had eased because of Teddy’s message the night before. I felt a strength within I didn’t know I had. Obie and I set off on yet another path, this time there were no trees or forests to protect us from the Dragon’s sight. The morning was cool, you could tell rain was in the air, you could smell the sweet scent of ozone.

Butterflies were fluttering everywhere, they seemed to follow us as we traveled. Every fork in the road, I knew instinctively which path to take, every obstacle in the road, we avoided or overcame. I was being led by some invisible force to a destination, I was compelled to follow and I had no fear. Every path, every fork I took, the butterflies followed. Knowing butterflies symbolize renewal, I felt renewed this morning, I actually felt at peace and happy for the first time in a very long time. The road began to even out, from a rocky road to gravel and then to a well worn smooth road.

In the distance, I saw my objective, large and looming, I hesitated. It drew me closer.This is so beyond my wildest dreams, this is magnificent. What possibly awaits me there? Why does it pull me so?

Feature Photo: Morning Clouds in Englewood, Colorado, Photography by Candace Stauber
Story Photo: Monarch Butterfly, Butterfly Pavilion, Louisville, Colorado. Photography by Candace Stauber

Dreams, PDStory, Short Story

1. Reflections

August 16, 2016 Candace L Stauber 3 Comments

As I sit here on this rocky outcropping next to the waterfall, I feel the refreshing mist of the spray on my skin and the shade of the trees cools the air around me. Suddenly I hear a cry above, a shadow silhouettes the sun. I look up but it’s not the feathery wing of a bird, but a much larger wingspan, a leathery wing with sharp dangerous looking talons at each end. A serpentine tail flows like a kite behind the dragon that doesn’t see me yet.

Quickly I duck behind the boulder at the edge of the stream. I wait for the dragon to glide silently into the horizon of the setting sun.

Suddenly a glimmer appears in the quietly trickling stream. The sun has hit the water at just the right angle and it sparkles in my eyes. Catching my attention to the reflection in the water, I noticed there is something lying on the bottom of the river bed.

Checking to see if the dragon has decided to return and feeling safe that it has not, I wade into the stream. It’s not deep, only to my calves, but it’s icy cold and swiftly running. Carefully getting my footing I wade to the middle of the stream, there lodged between the bases of two boulders in the river bed I find the object of my search, the object reflecting the sunlight. It is difficult to grasp, its slick and slips through my fingers as they begin to freeze in the cold water. I need to get out of this stream soon. I’m so cold!

Finally, I feel it begin to give way, and I pull it from the water, its round but thin, shiny and about 3 inches in diameter. It looks a little like a mirror, but not exactly. It’s got clear blue tinges of color. It seems to be made of some sort of crystal. But, when I look at it I can see my reflection, I see myself and the sky above. Is there a shadow over me? I turn around quickly, but there is nothing there. Maybe it’s my imagination.

It begins to get late, I’m cold and wet. I have to find shelter. I need to make camp somewhere safe and out of sight from the dragon. I want to study this disk more closely. This disk, this strange object gives me tingles, every time I look at it I seem to see myself a little differently each time. Every time I look into the disk I see more than I expected, the landscape changes behind me as well. What’s going on?

Photo: Lair of the Bear Park, Gunnison, Colorado. Photography by Candace Stauber, 2015