The Elixir

My name is Daisy Marie Collins; I was born in the back of an ambulance as my mother was dying. On their way to the hospital, my parents were hit head-on by a Semi truck going left to center.

They managed to save me, but my parents died on the scene. I was rushed to the hospital, where I stayed for two months.

The only other relative is my Aunt Clara Collins, my father's older sister. She came running to the hospital to see me; she was always with me until I could go home.

Aunt Clara's house on Mirror Lake, 10 miles from Millersfield. My Aunt Clara raised me as her own; I wanted for nothing. She taught me everything, cooking, cleaning, ice skating, swimming and drawing, and painting...

She was terrific to me. It was just the two of us. My mother and father were the last of their families other than Aunt Clara. To be honest, I didn't miss my parents; I never really knew them. Aunt Clara, though she kept a little scrap album for me to remember them by.

We would sit on the beach, and she would tell me stories about them. I would fall asleep to her voice while the sun would set.

I went to school in Millersfield and graduated; she then insisted that I go to college. I studied fine arts and design. Received my master's degree one year shorter than most. I also had a second degree in business.

I had four paintings in a gallery opening this weekend in New York. I also have a business that I am starting as a house designer and interior decorator. It is small, but it is paying the bills.

I have a small, tiny apartment over a pizza parlor. At first, I was over the moon, freshly made pizza right there whenever I wanted. When everything I own smells like pizza, I no longer find it so great.

I especially love it when I'm with a client; I will be showing them different ways to show the room or other paints or furniture, and all they do is sniff the air and want pizza for lunch. This creepy guy just followed her around, sniffing the air behind her.

Things will be going well for her. If her business keeps gaining clients, she will get a hefty commission from her paintings. Then she could get that bigger apartment and leave the pizza behind her.

She didn't do much dating; she didn't have much time for it. Unfortunately, there were a few, but they were duds. One liked too many other women, and the other turned out not to like them at all. She is ok with that sort of thing, but she wasn't going the friends with benefits route if she was to date.

She was on her way home in a taxi after a long day; she was looking forward to a long hot bath and then fuzzy pj's with an hour of watching re-runs of the Big Bang Theory, her favorite show.

She also had to pack a bag for the weekend, which she was going to spend a couple of days with Aunt Clara at the lake house. She was excited about revisiting the Lakehouse; she and Aunt Clara were going to have fun.

Mirror lake was something she also missed; she needed some time from the rat race of the city. Her last client was a complete snobby asshole. She loved her work, but sometimes she didn't care for the people it attracted.

As things are in real life, she needed to eat and live indoors, so she will have to play nice with the jerks for now anyway.