For All The Marbles

Artist: Summer Jewel Keown

Rome filled the three adjacent sinks with water - soapy water, clean hot water, and sanitizing water. They looked at the pile of dirty dishes and sighed. But at the other end of all that, they knew adventure waited. 

“Chili day,” Naomi spoke up behind them. “Our hotly anticipated weekly holiday. Gross for us, but the students effing love it.” 

“The chili is great. It’s the dishes. The crusty, food-ringed dishes. They’re the absolute worst part of cooking.” Rome made a face and pushed up the sleeves of their chef’s jacket. “True. But, doesn’t it feel nice when everything’s all clean and put away where it’s supposed to go? There’s something really cleansing about putting chaos to order.” “Damn, Naomi,” Rome laughed. “That’s a pretty profound way to look at pots and pans in a dining hall.” 

“It’s what I tell myself, at least. Though… it doesn’t always work. Especially when it’s all caked on like that.” She scrunched up her face. 

“All right, well… Let’s get all zen and knock these suckers out. I’ll even take the chili pots, for maximum nirvana potential, if you’ll spray off all the plates and get them through the dishwasher.” 

“Deal,” Naomi agreed. “But I will absolutely owe you one.” 

Rome grabbed the yellow rubber gloves, steadied themself, and dug in. 

“Any plans tonight?” they asked, hoping to focus on anything except the chili scum.

“Gig with the band,” Naomi replied. “We’re playing at The Range later tonight.” “Oh yeah! I knew that. I mean, I forgot that I knew, but it was in there somewhere.” Rome caught their tongue before it tripped over itself any more. 

“You gonna come see me this time?” 

“I just might! It’ll probably depend on how tired I am. I picked up extra shifts this week and they’re kicking my ass! Plus I’ve been out exploring whenever I haven’t been stuck in a kitchen.” 

“Yeah? Find anything good?” 

“Hells yeah. Let me show you this one…” Rome tugged off one glove and reached in their pocket. They pulled out a small round object and held it up. The marble shone under the fluorescent lights, blue swirling around green with hints of yellow in between. Naomi stopped what she was doing and came closer. 

“Oh wow. Look at that! That has to be the prettiest one you’ve found yet! Where did you find that one?” 

“Well, it was weird.” Rome shifted uncomfortably. “Usually whoever hides them posts a photo of the marble on our group page, and then they post a photo of wherever they hide it. If they want to make it extra hard, they take the photo from really far away, or from an angle that makes it hard to guess where it is. So I was out at Treman searching for a marble that no one had been able to find for a few days. And you know I love the really hard ones.” “Because you’re stubborn AF and refuse to give up,” Naomi chimed in. 

“True. Anyway, I was out for a couple hours, just walking the trails and searching for anything that looked like the trees in the photo, and I saw something kind of glowing. It was a

little off the trail, which we don’t normally do, but I figured hey, maybe that’s why no one’s found it yet. So I followed it. It was further away than I thought, but for some reason I just really wanted to find whatever it was. It was starting to get dark, but I thought I’d just walk a little further. And then I realized I was really close to the waterfall. Somehow my sense of direction got all screwy, which was also weird, because I’m like a compass most of the time. I felt so confused that I decided maybe I should just head home for the night. But then the light shifted and hit whatever it was, and it was right there, on a patch of moss next to a tree - this marble.” 

“It’s really cool,” Naomi said, unable to take her eyes off it. “When you hold it up to the light, it's almost like the colors move.” 

“I know. It’s amazing. I have no idea how it does that. But, I checked all through the group when I got back where I had cell service, and I couldn’t find any posts from anyone about hiding this one. I posted that I found it, and no one claimed it. So, there’s no way I can keep it.” 

“What? Are you sure? I mean, if no one is claiming it, then isn’t it yours to keep?” “I feel weird about it. Like, yeah, I really want to keep it. It’s the coolest marble I’ve ever found, but it doesn’t feel right. Maybe someone lost it, maybe someone hid it for someone specific to find, I don’t know. I’m going to go back after we’re done here and put it back where I found it.” 

“Oh, bummer. But, I get it. You’re so damn nice! I don’t know if I’d put it back.” Rome rolled their eyes. “Yes you would.” 

“Fine, maybe I would. Well, at least it’s an adventure, right?” 

“Yep. That’s what it’s all about anyway. I always say, as long as I have my bike and an adventure to go on, that’s all I need out of life.”

“Well… that’s not totally all, right?” Naomi said. 

“Why not?” 

“What about someone to adventure with?” 

“Oh.” Rome felt their blood rush up into their cheeks. They pulled their glove back on and turned back to the sink to hide it. “Yeah, I mean, that would be nice. Eventually. I mean, at some point.” 

“Well let’s get this crap all cleaned up so you can get back out there,” Naomi said, a smile in her voice. She turned up the music as they got to work. 

They worked silently but quickly until all the pots and pans and dishes were cleaned and stacked. Naomi was right, Rome thought, tidying up did feel kind of nice. They’d never really thought about it like that before. 

The marble sat in their pocket, a presence they felt comforted by. Rome really didn’t want to give it up. There was just something about it. But they knew they couldn’t keep it either. 

The dishes done, Rome and Naomi clocked out and walked out to the bike rack together. Rome thought for a moment of asking Naomi to join them at the park, but then they remembered, she’d just said she had that gig. And anyway, that made them feel nervous for some reason, they weren’t sure why. 

It was a cool afternoon so they zipped their hoodie up tight, pulling the hood over their head, leaving just a little bit of their overgrown faux-hawk hanging out the front. “You’re always adorable, even when you’re all bundled up,” Naomi said, unchaining her own bike. Rome flushed and looked down. Maybe they should go to her show, Rome thought.

But it was one thing to hang out at work, and another to come be a groupie at her show. She was probably just being nice to them because she was just nice to everyone. Probably it didn’t mean anything more than that. 

“Ok, well,” Naomi said, her bike helmet securely strapped to her head, “if nothing else, I’ll see you on Monday, right?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Rome replied, ducking their head down. “Wouldn’t miss the Monday morning breakfast buffet. Hung over students at their finest. Best people watching in town.” “Indeed. We can bet on what runs out first, the hash browns or the donuts. My money’s on sugar.” 

“I’ll take that bet. Fried potatoes are always a winner.” 

“Well, again, if you need something to do later, come by The Range.” She’d said it three times now. Rome wondered if three was the magic number that meant she really did mean it. They would love to see her rocking the bass on stage in front of a room full of people. Maybe they would go after all. If they worked up the nerve, that was. But for now, Rome was on a mission. 

They clicked the bike light onto their handlebars and kicked off, waving at Naomi as they peddled away. The sun started to sink down lower as they neared the park. Rome had no real plan about how to return the marble. 

In truth they had considered keeping it. It was a stunning work of art. They’d tried to figure out who made it. There were a few key marble artists in the area and Rome could usually identify their work on sight, but this didn’t look like any they’d seen before. The way the light reflected into the glass, it was almost like it was glowing from within.

They could feel the glass in their pocket, the little orb pressing into their leg. It almost seemed warm, but that was probably just their own body heat. 

The park technically closed at dusk, but there was no real way to secure such an expansive place, and Rome had spent many nights there marble hunting. Their friends thought that was strange, or dangerous, but moonlight was a great guide. There was something to a state park after dark had set in, things you just couldn’t see or feel during the busy day when so many of the nocturnal animals were nowhere to be seen and hikers crossed your path every few minutes. 

Locking up their bike, Rome headed up the trail that would take them near the tree they knew they’d been by when they first saw the marble’s glowing reflection in the distance. They hiked for a while, and paused. This was the place, they were pretty sure. They wouldn’t say they had a photographic memory, but it was still a good one. 

There it was, the big white oak where they had originally been looking for that other marble. Rome got closer to the tree and peered around it. Now which way had they gone from here? 

They weren’t worried about stepping off the path like Red Riding Hood. As far as they knew, wolves didn’t say away from you just because you were on a trail. It was more of a respect thing. Walk outside the trail and you might be treading on some poor creature’s home and not even know it. Rome stepped gingerly in the direction they generally remembered. It was so strange that their internal compass was only giving them general guidance. 

They weren’t sure why they felt so strongly about putting this marble back where they found it, but it seemed like the necessary and right thing to do. As they walked, they felt

distinctly like they were walking in the wrong direction regardless of which way they turned. It was not so different from being blindfolded and spun around to hit a pinata at a child’s birthday party. They kept walking, even if they didn’t exactly know where they were going. Maybe Naomi was right, they were stubborn AF. 

After it seemed like they’d walked all over the park, Rome started to think maybe it was pointless. They were never going to find the hemlock the marble had been next to. And then… there it was, that familiar glow. Coming from under a small outcropping in a rock shelf. Did that mean there were more marbles? 

Rome started toward it, but felt reticent somehow. It was as though they were going to intrude on someone’s private home. Not to mention, there could be any number of animals sleeping under there, hoping not to be disturbed. But they felt like they needed to do this. If there were more marbles like this one, maybe they could leave it for whoever was putting them out here. 

They reached the rock shelf and knelt. It looked like there was a hidden small cave. Rome had been caving before but it wasn’t their favorite. They didn’t like confined areas much. The light ahead of them glowed dimly and Rome crouched down further to see it. A patch of wet leaves below them shifted and before they could grab onto anything, they lost control and began to slide. 

“Whoa!” they couldn’t help but yell, waving their arms wildly for anything to hold onto. It was almost like a chute; once they started to fall there was no stopping them. It seemed to go on for miles, only stopping when Rome hit a hard surface in the cave deep below the earth.

They landed with a bang. Rome groaned and lay there, motionless. Their body ached, which was a good thing, because it meant they were still alive. But now, was anything broken? They focused on their toes, wiggled them. Legs moved from side to side all right. They pulled their arms into their chest, rolled onto one side, evaluated. They were sore, but otherwise seemed to still be in one piece. Taking a few deep breaths, Rome steadied themself, pushed up to a seated position and immediately their mouth dropped wide open. 

Someone was staring at them. A very large someone. And that someone had scales, a snout, and enormous glowing eyes. 

They stared back. Blinked. Waited for their thoughts to catch up to what they were seeing. 

“Oh… um. Hello,” Rome stammered. They bowed their head slightly. How is one supposed to greet a dragon? 

They imagined one wasn’t supposed to greet a dragon at all. They were supposed to stay far away and give them their privacy. Could dragons breathe fire? Were they about to be roasted alive? Rome cringed. 

“That was quite an entrance,” the dragon said. Their voice was a low purr that seemed to fill the cavern. 

Was that… a joke? 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” Rome apologized. And really, they did feel bad. It’s not like they’d been invited in. Showing up unannounced really was quite rude.

Rome felt a burst of warmth on their leg and looked down. Their pocket was glowing. Panicked, Rome wondered if they’d broken the marble in their fall. They reached in, pulled it out, and held it up in the dim light. 

They breathed a sigh of relief. The light inside the marble pulsed, somehow seemed to be even brighter here in the cave than it had been against the flourescent light of the kitchen, but it was not cracked or damaged. Rome wasn’t sure why that felt so important, being as they were currently face to face with a dragon. 

“I don’t believe that is yours,” the dragon said. Rome couldn’t tell the tone of their voice. Were they angry? Again they imagined flame shooting from the dragon’s mouth. They looked up, fearfully, but the dragon seemed calm, for a dragon. 

“I… I was just bringing it back. I found it a few days ago. I didn’t know it was yours.” “You really shouldn’t remove things from the forest,” the dragon chastened. “You never know who they belong to.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“I suppose there is no harm done. Replace the egg, please.” The dragon moved their tail from what it had been protecting: a nest full of glowing orbs. 

Rome was overcome. In front of them were half a dozen of them, much larger than the one in their hand. The marble they held glowed brighter, pulsing, and the others seemed to pulse in return. Were they communicating? 

Quickly, Rome scrambled to the nest and gingerly set the marble down amongst the other orbs. The lights continued to pulse and brighten, and as Rome watched the marble they’d carried

in their pocket began to grow in size. Within moments, what they had carried easily became so large they would have struggled to pick it up at all. Rome looked up at the dragon in wonder. “Camouflage, of course.” the dragon said, answering their unspoken question. “What would have happened if I hadn’t brought it back?” they wondered aloud. “I would have come to find you eventually. I don’t lose my children so easily.” Rome’s heart pounded in their chest. 

“What happens now?” Rome couldn’t imagine the dragon would simply let them go, not after they had abducted one of their children, however accidentally. Not to mention, now they knew where this dragon lived. They could tell someone, lots of someone’s. The dragon had no reason to trust them not to. 

“Are you quite done worrying?” the dragon asked. They seemed… almost amused. Could a dragon be amused? 

“I… yes. I think I am.” Rome stood before the dragon, head bent slightly in deference, awaiting their verdict. 

“In that case, what is your desire?” 

Rome blinked. “Wait. You’re not going to kill me?” 

The dragon exhaled in exasperation. Rome jumped, expecting fire, but it was only air. “You found my egg, and brought it back. Why would I kill you?” 

“That’s a very good point,” Rome said. “Let’s go with that.” 

“It’s standard to offer a reward when a good deed is done,” the dragon said. “Have you not read any fairy tales?” 

“Oh, I don’t need to make any wishes,” Rome assured them.

“My dear. Dragons are not genies. We do not grant wishes. We occasionally give gifts. We also give good advice.” 

“Oh…” Rome’s mind began to whir. What would they want? They imagined what people must usually ask dragons for. Jewels, maybe. Money? Rome didn’t want any of that. Really, they had everything they needed. A bike to ride, and adventures to go on - this was certainly an adventure. The only thing they’d like to have was… well, someone to adventure with. Naomi immediately came to mind. 

Did dragons really give good advice? Was it ridiculous to ask a dragon what to do about Naomi? Rome looked up at the dragon, biting their lip. 

The dragon breathed again. Rome jumped, out of instinct. They wondered how long it would take to get used to that. 

“Humans,” the dragon said. “The answer is always the same. Tell her how you feel. It works much better than guessing.” 

“Did you just read my mind?” 

“A little. But it’s not really necessary.” 

“So I should just tell her.” 

“I think that would be wise.” 

Rome couldn’t believe they were in a cave deep in the state park, talking to a dragon about their love life. 

“Thank you,” they said. “I’ll do that.” 

“And perhaps,” the dragon said, “when you leave, take the front door.” They nodded their giant head toward a door on the other side of them.

“Oh.” Rome said, and laughed. “Sorry about that.” 

The dragon wrapped themself around the eggs, their colors more calm now, as though they were sleeping. They laid their head down and closed their eyes, and Rome knew that was their signal to leave. 

Rome edged around the dragon, toward the door. When they reached it and swung it open, they were right at the top of a familiar trail. They stepped out, and the door swung shut behind them. They turned around to say thank you again, but the door had disappeared. 

Rome hurried down to their bike. Looking up at the moon above, they could tell it was close to midnight. Still plenty of time to make it to Naomi’s show.