The Goblin Princess
Chapter 1
Cab 1140
Little Sally Weber sat in her living room, staring out the front window. It was a dreary day; the clouds were dark, thunder cracked in the sky, and an occasional bolt of lightning flickered blue across a matte of gray. The rain pelted the glass in a dull cadence. Her muscles were tense, her shoulders shrugged up tight against her neck as she rested her chin in her hands.
Any second it would arrive, and she didn’t know if she could bear looking out the window and see it sitting there.
She was afraid of the yellow taxi numbered 1140 pulling up to her house. Not afraid of the car itself, but its driver, a burly man with mottled skin, a crook nose, and unnaturally long fingernails. He wore the same grungy trench coat, collar pulled up, day in and day out – the erect lapel a small attempt at hiding his face, she assumed. The stench of rotten meat hung in the air whenever he was around, but her mother refused to take notice of any of these oddities.
Being all dolled up added to her tension as well. Though it was raining, her mother insisted on the pink dress adorned in yellow flowers and the ridiculous white nylon tights. She hated the way they rode too high and having her long, blonde hair in two ponytails.
“Appearances must be kept,” she mocked her mother in a soft whisper, so as not to be heard.
As a set of headlights illuminated the street, Sally was reminded of the driver. Though she was only eight years old, she was smart enough to know he wasn’t a man at all, but what, she did not know.
For the past week, the same taxicab came to pick them up, bringing them to and from her mother’s work. The week before, her mother was involved in a terrible car accident that totaled her car. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but until the insurance company sorted out whose fault it was, they were without a car.
“Please, don’t let it be him.” She placed her hands together in prayer.
She didn’t understand the odds of the same taxi driver coming each day. Especially considering how rude she was to the man the first time they met. With the sheer volume of people living in New York City, she figured the odds of him being available each morning were slim to none. Yet, he continued to show up.
You’d think he would give the route to someone else.
She got a good look at him that day, especially his eyes. A fire burned behind them, one she had never seen before, and it sent a wave of gooseflesh across her body. When she pointed it out, her mother shrugged it off and accused her of being rude. Her mother paid no attention to the driver whatsoever; she was too busy discussing the day’s events on her cell phone to God knew whom.
Sally turned her attention from the window and saw her mother rummaging in the kitchen drawers. “This is the worst summer ever,” she said loud enough for her mother to hear. When no response came, she added, “Why can’t I have a babysitter at home?”
No reply.
Turning back to the window, she knew the answer to her question. Money was tight since her father passed away. He had been prematurely taken from her because of a diseased liver. Living in the suburbs of New York wasn’t cheap and extremely difficult on one income – despite her mother’s hefty salary at the brokerage firm. Daniels and Daniels offered free daycare to its employees and it was a luxury Mrs. Weber could not pass up.
“Oh, no.” She sat up so straight her back began to arch. Fear gripped her tight.
There was no mistaking Cab 1140 with its putrid yellow color and black numbering on the passenger side. The 0 fell off a long time ago, but its outline remained, mildew growing in its place.
“Sally, are you ready? Our taxi is here.”
“Mommy, I don’t want to go. Can’t you call in today?” She ran to her mother and grabbed her right leg, clutching it tight.
“Oh, not this again.” Her mom lowered to one knee. “Honey, there are no such things as monsters, okay? He is just a poor, unfortunate man, and you should treat him with a little more respect.”
“But, Mommy—”
“No buts, young lady. Now go get your coat. When I take a day off, the sun is going to be shinning brightly and it will be beautiful, do you understand? We’ll have a whole day together then.”
Sally saw the vein in her mother’s forehead bulge slightly and knew she was fighting a losing battle. “Yes, Mommy.” She went to get her coat, stomping her feet all the way to the hall closet and back again.
“That’s enough of that.”
Sally puffed her lips out, glaring, making sure her mother could see.
Her mother sighed. “You’re asking for it, young lady. C’mon, let’s go!”
Umbrella in hand, Mrs. Weber escorted Sally to the taxi. The man waited patiently, ready to open the door for them. His shoulders scrunched up as the rain pelted him. Quickly, they climbed in and he closed the door behind them. Sally watched him run around the front of the car and get in. She knew this was odd behavior for a cabbie, she couldn’t remember any of them opening doors prior to this one. Once inside, he shook the beaded water off and noticed Sally staring at him through the rearview mirror. He smiled, exposing yellowed, jagged teeth.
Sally gasped and turned away.
The engine roared to life and the twenty-minute drive commenced.
Silence blanketed the cab. Sally found it unusual for a taxi driver to not strike up a conversation. Her mother didn’t seem to mind; it freed her to talk on her cell phone uninterrupted. Sally stole an occasional glance at the driver and was caught each time, his beady eyes fixating on her through the rearview mirror.
An eternity later, Sally released a sigh of relief as the twenty-story building of Daniels and Daniels finally came into view. It was a majestic building, much like the surrounding ones – a work of art constructed from steel and glass.
“We’re here,” the driver said, his voice raspy. “That’ll be forty-two fifty.”
Mrs. Weber fished through her purse and handed over two twenties and a five. “Here you go, keep the change.”
The driver nodded as he accepted the money.
Without waiting for her mother and the umbrella, Sally opened her door and ran to the building’s entrance, wanting to put as much distance between her and Cab 1140 as possible.
“I swear, young lady, your behavior is abysmal. You are so rude to that man; it’s a wonder he keeps picking us up,” her mother said when she caught up to her.
“Tell me about it,” she mumbled under her breath as they entered the building.
Sally turned back and saw the cab still parked out front. She watched wide-eyed as the “on duty” light on the cab’s roof turned off. Quickly she turned back around and sped up, taking her mother’s left hand.
“Oh, eager to play with your friends?” her mother asked.
“Yes,” she lied.
The daycare unit was on the twenty-second floor. Sally just knew it was going to be a long day; no one would be allowed outside to go to the nearby park because of the rain. During breakfast, she heard on the radio the rain was expected to last all day and well into the night.
This would be the perfect day to go to the Theater District at Times Square.
Thanks to the generosity of the Daniels and Daniels, the daycare unit was allowed to go on numerous excursions during the summer days. After all, it was New York City and the sites are spectacular. As a group, they went to the Bronx Zoo, saw dolphins jump at the New York Aquarium, and explore various cultures at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. However, such events were once every other week and they had visited the arts center last week. She was sure the price of admission would prevent another outing so soon. As generous as Daniels and Daniels was, they were also cheap.
Sally accepted a kiss from her mother on her right cheek and entered the daycare unit depressed – her head slouched over, her eyes fixated on the floor, her feet dragging.
“Cheer up, Sally,” Mrs. Almeida said. “I brought plenty of movies and I made chocolate chip cookies for later.”
Several of the children roared their pleasure, but Sally didn’t care. She threw herself on the floor next to the other children and sat cross-legged with her face in her palms.
“What shall it be, Finding Nemo or Shrek?”
“Shrek!” the other children shouted together.
Sally sighed. She saw the movie a dozen times, not that the other choice was any better. As the credits rolled, Sally lied down and closed her eyes. The children were silent, riveted to the television screen as the beloved green ogre went about his daily duties.
It wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep. Since meeting the taxi driver of Cab 1140, her nights were restless. She lay awake trying to decipher the truth, trying to figure where he came from – if anywhere – and what he was – if anything. It was finally catching up to her.
Sally found herself standing in the middle of a street, staring wide-eyed at the yellow monstrosity before her. People walked casually by her, minding their own business, not seeming to notice a little girl standing on her own in a crowd.
The yellow cab jerked forward an inch, then stopped as the engine came to life.
She couldn’t see the driver.
She tried to run, but her legs wouldn’t move. She looked down and saw her feet were buried in the pavement up to her ankles.
“Help me!” she shouted, but no one glanced in her direction.
The taxi’s engine revved again and again, sending the car into a frenzy, seeming to be begging to be set free. The tires squealed as a cloud of white smoke formed behind them. Then ... the front hood popped open. Light gleamed off the row of steel teeth, which were once the grill, and a large black tongue lapped at the air. The once seemingly harmless car now a monster made of steel and flesh.
“Somebody, please help me!” She frantically tried to pull her feet free.
The car lunged forward as the brake released. As the car charged toward her, the hood of the car chomped threateningly, with the black tongue lashing back and forth. The headlights suddenly brightened; Sally’s arms shot upward to shield her eyes.
She released a guttural shriek.
“Sally ... Sally.”
Her eyes shot open and she was staring up into Mrs. Almeida’s brown eyes.
“It was a monster. The taxi driver is a monster.”
“It’s okay; you just had a bad dream.”
“But—”
“Just a bad dream, that’s all. You’re all right now. You really had us worried.”
She looked around the room and noticed several of the other children’s frightened faces. Only ten-year-old Joshua was snickering.
“Are you all right?” asked Mrs. Almeida.
“Yes,” Sally said.
“Good.”
As Mrs. Almeida walked away, Sally noticed the children still staring at her. She curled her lip and stuck out her tongue; they got the point and turned away, focusing back on the movie.
Memories and fantasies intertwined as Sally’s over-active imagination continued to plague her in her sleep.
She found herself trapped in what she believed to be the trunk of Cab 1140. Engulfed in darkness, she heard the unmistakable roar of the engine, that high-pitched yet low and guttural powerhouse of a sound. They were traveling to who knew where. She tried pushing on the door, but it was no good. She kicked at it wildly; nothing.
The car stopped.
“Oh, no.” A bead of sweat trickled down the right side of her face as she anticipated the worst.
The door flung open and two scaly arms reached in, grabbing hold of her.
She woke up screaming.
“Another nightmare?” asked a familiar voice as she abruptly sat up in bed. “If you scream again, you’ll leave me no choice but to kill you and your mother.”
A knock on the door prevented Sally from responding.
“Honey, everything all right?” Her mother entered the room.
She checked the room for the driver, but found no sign of him. Not wanting to endanger her mother, she said, “I’m fine, Mommy. Just a bad dream.”
Her mother approached the bed and sat beside her. She gently stroked Sally’s long blonde hair a moment, kissed her on the forehead, then stood. “Do you want to sleep with me tonight?”
“I’ll be okay.” She caught a glimpse of the two glowing red eyes in the corner of her room. Strangely, Sally was not afraid, her curiosity overpowering her fear.
When Sally’s mother turned toward the door, the eyes vanished.
“If you need me, just come and wake me, okay?”
“Okay,” she replied.
Her mother left, closing the door.
“My name is Jaak, I mean you no harm.” The driver stepped out of the shadows.
“What do you want? Why do you keep coming?”
“Shhh! Keep your voice down. I don’t want to hurt you or your mother, but I will to protect my kind.”
“Your kind?” she asked, confused.
“I’ve been watching you since our first encounter. I was afraid you might draw attention to me, so I tried to ease your mind by continuing to pick you and your mother up. I thought for sure you’d grow comfortable around me after a while, but I fear I may have made matters worse.”
“I’ll say.”
“My fear came true today when you told Mrs. Almeida about me.”
“She didn’t believe me.” Sally crossed her arms defiantly.
“No. But sooner or later, someone might. That is not a chance I am willing to take. That is why I’m here now. It’s not your fault. Humans fear what they do not understand. It is in your nature.”
“What are you saying?”
“Best I show you. Please, don’t scream. I’m not here to harm you.”
The man brought his hands to his face. He rubbed them in a circular motion, wiping off what appeared to be the same powder make-up Sally occasionally watched her mother put on in the morning. Underneath, she saw the same green, scaly skin she saw in her dream. The creature had large ears that almost folded over themselves, and a pinkish snout-like nose. His trench coat fell to the floor, exposing a pair of stilts and a yellow underbelly.
“What are you?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“I’m a goblin,” he said simply, as if he announced it all the time.
“That’s not possible. You don’t exist.”
“That’s what we want you to believe. You see, there was a time when our races warred with one another. Man hunted creatures like fairies, dwarves, and dragons. Mankind successfully wiped out two races of creatures, the unicorns and dragons. When the last dragon perished, the rest of us went into hiding, only leaving our shelters to steal enough food to survive. Over time, man forgot about us. Now, we wear disguises, such as this one, and walk amongst you. We no longer need to steal to scrape by. We hold jobs and purchase our necessities, just like everyone else.”
“That’s amazing.” She wanted to run out of her room, call her friends, and let them know the beautiful creatures of their favorite fairy tales did exist.
“You can’t do that,” he said, distracting her from the thought.
“Do what?”
“Tell people.” “How did you—”
“We are mystical creatures. I know everything inside your mind. I can read it as though it were a book.”
“Well, that’s not fair!”
“I’d like to show you why it is imperative you keep this secret. Will you come with me?” He jumped down from the stilts and extended his right hand.
Sally looked at the scaly hand, and though she thought his claws could slice the flesh from her bones, she was not afraid. She climbed out of bed and walked toward him. Placing her hand in his, the two walked into the shadows and emerged in a strange building, standing in a stairwell. Tiny men and women with butterfly wings fluttered all around. Sitting on a step stroking his beard, a portly man, no taller than her, stared their way. As she continued to look around, she found all sorts of fairy tale creatures – more goblins, fairies, dwarves, and many creatures she could not categorize; some made from plants, and others appearing as living water, all of them gazing upon her.
“Jaak, I’m scared,” she said, her voice trembling.
“Don’t be. They are just as curious about you as you are about them. Come, what I want to show you is just up here.”
“Where are we?” she asked as they ascended the staircase. “Are we in a foreign world?”
“No. We’re still in New York. This is our building. We found this city to be the easiest place for us to live as normal a life as possible. You see, over the last century, New York City has become the world’s largest melting pot of cultures. It is easier for us to blend in here than anywhere else.”
“What if someone came in off the street by mistake?”
“We have spells protecting the building. To the outside world, it looks condemned. We own the deed to the building, and since one of our kind is a Senator, no one tries to tear it down. Then there are the punk kids who try to break in, but they find it impossible, so quit and move on to the next location. The spell does not allow them to remove the plywood they see from the windows and doors.”
“This is all too amazing.”
“Each living creature in this building is a reason for you to keep our secret. We have tried to live with the humans, but failed miserably. This is the best way for all parties. Here we are.” He stopped at a door. He waved his index finger across the lock and the mechanism disengaged. “Please, come in.”
“If no one can enter the building, why keep the door locked?”
“You’ll see,” he replied with a smile.
Sally entered an apartment, not believing her eyes. Jaak’s home was no different from hers or any other home she had been in. It housed all the usual comforts, even a television set displaying the nightly news.
“Would you like something to drink?” asked a soft voice.
Sally turned and was face to face with a creature identical to Jaak, except for long, curly eyelashes and deep blue eyes.
“No, thank you,” she replied.
“How are the children, dear?” Jaak kissed his wife.
“They’re fine. I just put them down.”
“Sally, could you come with me?”
“Of course.” She followed Jaak through the dining room and into the hallway.
They stopped at another door. Jaak leaned his ear against it and listened. Sally heard giggling coming from the other side.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Jaak opened the door.
As they stepped inside the room, dozens of toys fell out of the air and crashed to the floor.
“What are they doing?” she asked.
“Playing.” He placed his hands at his sides.
Sally peered through the darkness and saw six miniature Jaaks all curled up on one bed.
“They’re so cute.” She walked toward them.
“Thank you. They are the reason I need you to keep our secret, and why the door is locked magically. Mischievous little rug rats, but I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to them.”
“I understand.”
“Go ahead, you can hold one.” He was reading her mind again.
Sally gently lifted the closest one into her arms and cradled it against her chest. They were the size of puppies and just as adorable. She playfully twiddled her index finger in front of the baby’s face.
Crunch.
“Ouch.” She waved her finger in the air. “He bit me.”
Jaak laughed.
The baby spit several times, trying to get rid of the taste.
“Why are you laughing?” Sally returned the baby to the bed.
“He doesn’t know any better, but look at the bright side – he’s already learned he doesn’t like the bitter taste of your flesh.”
“Some bright side.” She suckled on her finger, attempting to stop the bleeding. Fortunately, it was just a nick.
“C’mon, I’ll take you home.”
“Do I have to? I want to stay and meet everyone.”
“It’s late and I don’t want your mother to worry. There’s plenty of time for you to meet everyone later.”
“Really?” she said, unable to control her excitement.
“Yes, really.”
“Mommy, hurry up. Jaak’s here!”
“I’m coming.” Her mother ran through the house. “Wait a minute, Jack? Since when do you know his name?”
“Since I asked.”
“You mean you’re no longer afraid of him?”
“Nope.”
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday.”
“What made you change your mind about him?”
“Well, it’s like my friend always says: people fear what they don’t understand. If they just took a moment to learn, worlds they never knew existed would open up to them and enlighten their lives.”
Her mother looked at her, lost as anything.
Sally couldn’t resist laughing. “C’mon, we don’t want you to be late.” She opened the front door and ran toward Cab 1140.