The Beautiful city of Bergen, Norway
PROLOGUE
Whenever my world silences for even a moment
and the only sound remaining is the beating of my own heart,
I reflect back on all that has happened to me and I am overwhelmed by a sense of wonder.
The hows and whys no longer matter, only the memories are important.
In the end, I succeeded in my quest to find a hidden treasure,
A treasure I had no way of knowing was already mine…
Whenever my world silences for even a moment
and the only sound remaining is the beating of my own heart,
I reflect back on all that has happened to me and I am overwhelmed by a sense of wonder.
The hows and whys no longer matter, only the memories are important.
In the end, I succeeded in my quest to find a hidden treasure,
A treasure I had no way of knowing was already mine…
CHAPTER ONE
Redondo Beach, California. The place where I want to set deep roots, make a home and build a life. It’s where I hope to live a long, happy, normal life; at least as normal a life as someone like me can live.
Redondo has a cool street vibe complete with long, winding beachside walkways where bikers and baby stroller driving moms and dads enjoy life at their own pace. Jumping dolphins and screaming sea gulls live harmoniously with surfers, beach volleyball athletes, skate boarders and bikini clad babes. Artsy studios, fashionable eateries and friendly neighbors; it’s an all around charming place to live. Most long timers casually drop the Beach part of our city’s name and just refer to her as plain old ‘Redondo’. So, I’ve taken to calling her by her first name too.
Redondo offers sunny skies, warm weather and, of course, the perfect hiding place; a place where I was sure no one would ever expect to find a witch like me living. Or at least that’s what I’d thought. Paint me surprised when I realized that more than a few of my mystical sisters had actually migrated here before me.
Growing up in Northern California, I never thought I’d leave. But after I started college in Southern California and fell in love with the laid back coastal feel, I knew I was hooked. When I unexpectedly inherited a rather pricey block of beach front property from a great uncle, I’d never even met; my decision to stay was final. I guess this Nor-Cal gal was just meant to be a beach roaming witch.
One thing led to another and before long, I’d finished college and established my own travel agency, Mystical Travel Tours – owned and operated by me, Carynn Cinnamon. And to make the deal even sweeter, I also inherited an older, but still cute condo just upstairs from my business. I really couldn’t have planned it any better if I’d tried. Someday soon I’ll have to figure out how I came to be so lucky.
Not long after moving in, I realized that my new place was in need of some rejuvenation and that’s when my life took a total turn for the strange! I mean, I wasn’t looking to go hog wild DIY’ing. I really just wanted to paint a couple walls and buy a new bed. The paint turned out to be no trouble at all. Bringing home a new bed, well, that was a different story all together.
My old bed had travelled with me from my college days and was due for an overhaul. Or better yet, if I was ever going to get a good night's sleep, I really needed to dump it and find a more suitable one. Rather than just a mattress like I currently own, that rolled around on an old metal frame with four plastic wheels, I dreamt of owning a real grown up piece of furniture – one that would make me finally feel like the twenty-four year old adult I’d become.
The need for a new place to rest my head had grown ever more urgent since I’d snapped off one of the bed's four wheels. Sadly, the bed no longer rolled, but rocked precariously whenever I sat on it or turned over in my sleep. I had to practically straddle the darn thing any time I wanted to sit on it just to put my shoes on. Luckily, I knew the exact style of bed, I’d been dreaming of. It had to be king sized, made of ornate white metal and sort of Victorian looking. I wanted a headboard, a footboard and a thick, comfortable mattress.
But if you asked me if I wanted a bed that was modern, contemporary, traditional or transitional you’d soon discover my insecurities. Interior decorating is just not my thing as I have less than a drop of talent in that area. Anyone who stops by my condo will immediately see that my living room walls are pretty much blank, except for some handwoven macramé hangings that used to hold some pretty terrific plants, until I forgot to water them and they all died. One good thing about not having distracting stuff all over my walls, I’m free to focus my attention on the ever changing coastal scenes that preview daily through skylights and oversized windows, showering my living room with tons of glorious sunlight. Nature stepped right in to become my personal interior decorator. Like a giant video screen featuring award winning beach side performances, each day offers realistic visions that adorn my home. I never worry about changing the decor – the magic and wonder of nature does that for me, splashing cheerful blue skies, extravagant red and gold sunsets and serene starlit nights all onto my newly painted Willow White walls. I’m delighted when distracting gray puffs of fog sluggishly roll past or soft rain tattoos my windows.
By the time I finally found the perfect bed, in one freakishly different second-hand shop in Palm Springs, my nerves were shot and my understanding of the paranormal world challenged. My shopping escapade turned into one truly frightening, reality bending, and life changing experience. And to top it all off, along with my new bed, something else followed me home from the store that day.
Something that neither you nor I could ever have predicted.
https://books2read.com/u/brXo8e
Redondo Beach, California. The place where I want to set deep roots, make a home and build a life. It’s where I hope to live a long, happy, normal life; at least as normal a life as someone like me can live.
Redondo has a cool street vibe complete with long, winding beachside walkways where bikers and baby stroller driving moms and dads enjoy life at their own pace. Jumping dolphins and screaming sea gulls live harmoniously with surfers, beach volleyball athletes, skate boarders and bikini clad babes. Artsy studios, fashionable eateries and friendly neighbors; it’s an all around charming place to live. Most long timers casually drop the Beach part of our city’s name and just refer to her as plain old ‘Redondo’. So, I’ve taken to calling her by her first name too.
Redondo offers sunny skies, warm weather and, of course, the perfect hiding place; a place where I was sure no one would ever expect to find a witch like me living. Or at least that’s what I’d thought. Paint me surprised when I realized that more than a few of my mystical sisters had actually migrated here before me.
Growing up in Northern California, I never thought I’d leave. But after I started college in Southern California and fell in love with the laid back coastal feel, I knew I was hooked. When I unexpectedly inherited a rather pricey block of beach front property from a great uncle, I’d never even met; my decision to stay was final. I guess this Nor-Cal gal was just meant to be a beach roaming witch.
One thing led to another and before long, I’d finished college and established my own travel agency, Mystical Travel Tours – owned and operated by me, Carynn Cinnamon. And to make the deal even sweeter, I also inherited an older, but still cute condo just upstairs from my business. I really couldn’t have planned it any better if I’d tried. Someday soon I’ll have to figure out how I came to be so lucky.
Not long after moving in, I realized that my new place was in need of some rejuvenation and that’s when my life took a total turn for the strange! I mean, I wasn’t looking to go hog wild DIY’ing. I really just wanted to paint a couple walls and buy a new bed. The paint turned out to be no trouble at all. Bringing home a new bed, well, that was a different story all together.
My old bed had travelled with me from my college days and was due for an overhaul. Or better yet, if I was ever going to get a good night's sleep, I really needed to dump it and find a more suitable one. Rather than just a mattress like I currently own, that rolled around on an old metal frame with four plastic wheels, I dreamt of owning a real grown up piece of furniture – one that would make me finally feel like the twenty-four year old adult I’d become.
The need for a new place to rest my head had grown ever more urgent since I’d snapped off one of the bed's four wheels. Sadly, the bed no longer rolled, but rocked precariously whenever I sat on it or turned over in my sleep. I had to practically straddle the darn thing any time I wanted to sit on it just to put my shoes on. Luckily, I knew the exact style of bed, I’d been dreaming of. It had to be king sized, made of ornate white metal and sort of Victorian looking. I wanted a headboard, a footboard and a thick, comfortable mattress.
But if you asked me if I wanted a bed that was modern, contemporary, traditional or transitional you’d soon discover my insecurities. Interior decorating is just not my thing as I have less than a drop of talent in that area. Anyone who stops by my condo will immediately see that my living room walls are pretty much blank, except for some handwoven macramé hangings that used to hold some pretty terrific plants, until I forgot to water them and they all died. One good thing about not having distracting stuff all over my walls, I’m free to focus my attention on the ever changing coastal scenes that preview daily through skylights and oversized windows, showering my living room with tons of glorious sunlight. Nature stepped right in to become my personal interior decorator. Like a giant video screen featuring award winning beach side performances, each day offers realistic visions that adorn my home. I never worry about changing the decor – the magic and wonder of nature does that for me, splashing cheerful blue skies, extravagant red and gold sunsets and serene starlit nights all onto my newly painted Willow White walls. I’m delighted when distracting gray puffs of fog sluggishly roll past or soft rain tattoos my windows.
By the time I finally found the perfect bed, in one freakishly different second-hand shop in Palm Springs, my nerves were shot and my understanding of the paranormal world challenged. My shopping escapade turned into one truly frightening, reality bending, and life changing experience. And to top it all off, along with my new bed, something else followed me home from the store that day.
Something that neither you nor I could ever have predicted.
https://books2read.com/u/brXo8e