All the Glitters is not Gold

By Dawnlyn Holman

"Eight timeless tales."

 

There once was a land before the humans roamed. A lost sketchbook makes a long trip to find its rightful owner. A young girl waits for the note that will change her life forever. A father now serves two huge roles in his family. A couple struggles through the rough patches. Three strangers are brought together through circumstances and are forced to lean on each other. A barista and a banker's lives barrel out of control with one trigger, and a young boy experiences the growing pains of life and fights against generational wreckage.

 

All that glitters is not gold is a collection of short stories for the young and young at heart.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dawnlyn Holman
• Release date: Feb 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393362166

Book preview

Lottery Hill

It’s precisely 8:01 A.M when I turn over in bed and open my eyes. That’s what the little red digital clock says that sits in the middle of my cluttered bedside table. Can it be wrong? I wish. It feels bizarre to still be in bed. On any other day, I would be at school. Sitting in my first-period class, listening to my teacher, Mr. Andrews stammer over my name for the attendance as he’s done every day since school started. Today, I get to avoid that because this is a very special day. Today is February 4, 2046, and it’s my birthday. It’s the day when my future is laid out in front of me. Even just thinking about that is so hard to believe, I’ve only just turned 18 years old. How can my future be so clear when most of the time, I hardly know what I’ll be doing an hour from now?

I’ve been preparing for this day for as long as I could remember. And to be honest, I can’t even say how I feel. Today will be the day that I’ll receive my line, the line that will change my life forever. Wow, that’s so unreal. All week my parents and other family members have been gleefully talking about their 18th birthdays. They talk to me about it as if they never had any worry or fear about what would come next after they received their line. When I get out of bed to grab my clothes for the day, my thoughts continue to race. I know I don’t have long to muster up enough courage to walk out of my front door.

Meaghan! Hurry up, your breakfast is getting cold. We can’t be late! My mother yells from downstairs. I think she’s probably standing with her right hand on her hip and her left hand on the handrail as always. 

Coming, just give me a minute. 

I knew they’d call for me soon. I think they’re more excited than I am. They want to know what the first words their future son-in-law will say to tug at my heartstrings. I’m sure they want to know what phrase that will cause me to fall undeniably in love with someone else. Love? What is that exactly? When I get my sentence, will I automatically gain the knowledge to know if I’m in love or not? I can only hope. 

As every thought, worry, and a possible excuse that I can think of to get back into bed and pull the covers up over my head pushes its way through my mind. My mother calls to me again. This time I can hear my dad say in his soft, never pushy tone, Pauline, let her be. Today is a big day. She’s probably just so excited that she can’t find anything to wear. 

Excited? Is that what I am? Thinking to myself as I pull on my clothes, grateful for time reasons that I had a nice hot bubble bath last night. Counting slowly to myself while looking around my somewhat messy room, organized chaos is what I like to call it. My mom wonders how I can find anything; I happen to think I finally have everything exactly where I want it. What if the person I’m supposed to be with is a neat freak? What if they’re a slob? Right as this thought comes to me, I take another quick look around my room. The hamper is overflowing, there is a trail of socks coming towards my bed, and my dresser has so many items on it that the top can’t be seen anymore. I won’t even get started on my closet. Hmm. If this guy is anything like me. We may not be able to walk into the bedroom. I say softly to myself. I shook my head as I exhaled deeply and then walked out of my room while running my fingers through my hair. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, I can hear them talking from the kitchen. My parents had obviously moved there as I mildly hyperventilated on the backside of my door before coming down.

Good Morning, I say as I walk into the kitchen. My parents pull back from each other so they can greet me as well. 

Happy Birthday, mom says.

Happy Birthday, Carebear. Dad chimes in as he sits down at the table and slides his arm around my mother’s waist. He’s called me that nickname for as long as I can remember, my favorite toys as a child had always been teddy bears that I treated like my children. Somehow the name stuck, and I’ve had it ever since.

Thanks, I smile. I might be nervous but the best thing about my birthday is I get to spend the day with my favorite people, my family.

We have to eat quickly because we do not have long until we have to leave, Mom says. I just nod as my parents talk between themselves.

Mykel and Destiny will meet us back here. Dad continues as my mom moves and sits down at the table with my dad and myself. I’m not quite sure of anything else they said after that, the rest of their conversation practically went silent to me. It was as if someone pressed the mute button on a remote control, and I just watch them together. My own thoughts were drowning out their voices.

They both look so happy together, and they always have. Will I be like that someday? But with who? Maybe only true happiness can be obtained if you get the right line on your 18th birthday. Yeah, that makes sense.  Because my parent’s lines were perfectly fine. My dad opened his envelope, and it read, Excuse me, what time is it? and likewise, mom received the line that went in perfect tandem. It’s about half-past two. How much more perfect can you get?

And speaking of perfect, my brother Mykel got, Do you know you have gorgeous eyes? It’s a very awkward thing to stay to someone you’ve never seen before in your life, but in that same awkward way, it’s really magical. Now it’s my turn, how can I follow that? I remember when I first found out that on my 18th birthday, I would receive a line that would change my entire life. I thought it wasn’t a big deal, but I was a kid. What did I know? Now I truly realize how big today really is. I looked at my plate a minute and knew it was almost time to go. Suddenly a thought came to me, what is my future mate doing right at this minute? Is it his birthday too? Is he older than me or younger? My thoughts continued to race with several of the questions I know I’d never get an answer to any of that today. Suddenly, I thought back to a few days ago. I went to the brothers’ apartment for a visit and to hang out.

MYKEL COMES BACK INTO the living room with two sodas in his hand. He has a massive smile on his face. What’s that look for?

One week to go, little sister. How are ya feeling? Mykel gives me the soda and plops down on the sofa beside me.

I... feel good... I guess. I’m sure he’ll notice the hesitation, but that doesn’t really matter. There is silence in the room. I look to him, and he’s peering back at me, he reaches over to nudge me, unquestionably edging me on. I’m a little worried, Mykel.

About what? He pries, popping the top of his soda can and takes a few sips.

What if he doesn’t like me? What if before I speak, he sizes me up and thinks to himself. Hmm, she’s not worth my time?" My last words trail off as I move my index finger over the rim of my soda.

Whoa! Where is this coming from? First off, I don’t think any guy would say that to you. You’re absolutely worth anyone’s time, and besides that, finding this person will make you happy, and you deserve to be happy.

I smile slightly then exhale. Okay, okay. You don’t have to get all mushy on me. After that, I cannot help but laugh despite myself. Can you just reassure me...that I won’t go through all this for nothing? Just tell me it’ll all work out and I shouldn’t just hide away and pretend that I don’t know the rules.

When silence fell on the room again, I just sat there, worrying about what he would say. I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I felt I had to say something for some reason. Come on, Mykel, say something. Please.

I usually don’t like to say that something is 100%, but I’ve never known anyone who’s Lottery didn’t work out. It’s been, what? Over 40 years. I wish I knew how they did it, but however, they do it. I’m glad that Emma-Rose Fitzsimmons had the idea. I know it definitely made things easier for me. Look at the girl I got; I don’t know if I would’ve met her otherwise.

I sit back against the cushion of the sofa as I think about what he said. He does have a point, this does make things easier, but I’m not sure if Emma- Rose had that in mind. She was eighteen at the time when the guy that she dated led her on. He led her to believe that they had a future together, but he left her at the drop of a hat with no explanation. She said that no one should have to feel or experience that. So, she, her father Governor Emmett Fitzsimmons, and a few appointed officials created The Lottery, and it has been going strong ever since.

From what I remember from my middle school Town History class, Emma-Rose thought that hurt in relationships came from people’s right to choose. They see someone who attracts them by sight, and that is what leads to relationship failure. So, the fact that our government officials spend several months, maybe even longer after a baby is born making the perfect match. I guess that’s why they make us wait until we’re 18 because that gives them plenty of time to make sure that we all have a match. Then once they have our match, they decide what the line is. That part I’m not as sure of, but that logic works for me, so that’s just what I go with. 

Meaghan? Did I make this harder on you? You’re not saying anything, Mykel asks; it takes me a minute to answer him. 

Oh, no, you’re fine. You helped me a lot. Thanks, I’ll get through this week and just as Emma-Rose planned. It will continue. I open my soda and take a drink when I finish my sentence. I just wish it wasn’t so nerve-wracking, you know. I wonder how the first people must have felt. 

Mykel just nods, I’m sure he doesn’t really know what else to say. But I just appreciate him talking with me. Sometimes he’s able to help in more ways than he knows, even without him saying a word.

WHEN WE ALL FINISHED breakfast and mom had fussed over my hair and