Tea Leaf Tales: Unicorn Playing

I’ve been exploring some new parks lately, and this one has a well-kept secret, or maybe a joke, since I didn’t see either horn or hair of a unicorn. 

From her seat on a bench, an old woman motioned me over to her with a nod of her silvery head, and as she rested a hand on her cane she said, “You must be lookin’ for the unicorn.”

“Yes, but haven’t seen any.”

She began feeding the pigeons and said, “There’s only one, and she’s to be seen only ‘tween sunset and nightfall, only by those who believe… like you.”

“Thank you,” I said as I glanced down at my body, wondering what showed that I believed in unicorns. “Will you be here tonight?” I asked.

She said nothing, but gave me a wide, toothless grin.

That evening I returned and saw the old woman, teetering over the footbridge as she leaned on her white cane. I followed and called to her, but she disappeared into shadows of the trees beyond the bridge before I could cross. I thought I saw her cane, but instead, the tip of a white horn extended from behind a wide trunk.

Tea Leaf Tales is a series of original ten-sentence short stories by Marsha A. Moore, relating to photos/scenes that resonate with her.

~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. The first of her epic fantasy romance series, ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS, is now available--SEEKING A SCRIBE. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, fantasy romance with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.