Golden Days Ahead

Teal metallic scales rose up from the sea, flashing against the morning sky and arcing right back into the deep waters. Marigold leaned further forward to catch another glimpse of the sea serpent, getting a mouthful of wildflowers in the process. Spitting slightly, she leaned back.

Father and Auntie were just across the street. She could see them from the flower shop window. Father’s broad figure and Auntie’s lithe one faced an alleyway opening, stationary amidst the celebrating children, dancers, and revelers as they waited for the latest package. 

As usual, Father kept her at a distance. Buying enchanted clockwork was risky business. Marigold had witnessed it too many times to count--the sour deals and fighting. It was expected. A great deal of their parts came from the black market. Actually, they were her parts. Soon the clockwork portions of her body would be perfected and she would finally be able to join them in their quests and do all the things she had been waiting for. 

Marigold looked toward the pier in time to see a couple sea serpents riding alongside a docking ship. She grinned. They only needed a few more parts before she could ride a serpent, join Auntie’s hunts, and dance with the revelers. A little more patience before she could do everything she had dreamed of and anything else her heart desired. But in the meantime, she could wait with the flowers and watch as Father helped her prepare for the future.

A few moments later, Marigold saw the package arrive with a company of three. By the way Auntie’s shoulders tensed, she knew it was another group of ruffians that wanted to take advantage of Father’s tinkering skills. Sure enough, Auntie threw some punches while Father protected the enchanted part. The idiots went down quickly. There was a copper flash as Auntie brandished her blade as a threat. Like always, the ruffians went running.

Auntie came sauntering over as Marigold met her on the street. They ambled back toward the ship, Father in tow. 

“So, how’d I look out there, Goldie?” Auntie gave Marigold a nudge on her non-metal arm.

“Like a queen.” Nothing compared to Auntie’s bounty hunter strength and agility. 

“That’s my girl.” Auntie’s arrogant smirk settled into a half-frown. “You weren’t bored?”

Marigold shrugged. By now she had gotten used to the weight difference between her arms. “The flowers kept me company. Besides, one more stop for the last couple parts and I’ll be all fixed!” In her excitement, she stumbled. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten used to the length difference of her legs.

“Focus, Marigold!” Father scolded, coming up on her other side.  “You know your legs aren’t even yet.”

“Yes, Father.”

The answer didn’t appease him. “Your clockwork may be magical, but you’re not unbreakable. You--”

“My seas! You treat her like she’s made of porcelain.” Auntie let out an exasperated sigh as they boarded the ship. “Half of her is metal. Leave her be. You already keep her from all the fun.”

Marigold pressed her lips together. Auntie spoke the words that she harbored inside her too, but she could never bring herself to argue with Father. How could she? He had saved her as a child with the magic clockwork. Now he was dedicated to perfecting it, all to give her the best life he could. 

Besides, it was just a matter of time. One day, she’d have her chance. Someday. What was another day of waiting?

“I am not going to just let her traipse around, diving into trouble like you,” Father said with a ferocity he could only ever turn on his sister. “She’s young and naive. She could be hurt. You weren’t there to fix her like I was. It’s not a cost I’m willing to pay for fun.”

The trip to the next port city was nauseating. Father and Auntie argued tirelessly, dredging up the past and pouring words into Marigold’s mouth. When they arrived, she felt like a shipwreck. She welcomed the solid land after enduring the storm; Father the battering waves, Auntie the howling winds, and her own thoughts and feelings the rain flooding her mind.

It sounded like Father didn’t care what she wanted. Not once did he mention a time in the future when she could go out and do as she pleased. It was the promise of her shining someday that propelled her through the present. It was her only source for patience, and he had crushed that. The way he had spoken, had always spoken now that she thought about it, she would have to wait forever. 

“Stay with Auntie,” Father commanded. Even in the dark of night, the scowl at his sister was visible. “I’ll get the parts.”

Marigold bid him goodbye like a good daughter. Guilt churned her stomach for the traitorous thoughts. He loved her and wanted the best for her. How could she be so ungrateful? Just because she wanted to have fun...

“You’d better stop looking sick by the time your father gets back.” Auntie elbowed Marigold’s side. “Else he’ll keep you on the boat for the rest of our stay.”

Marigold frowned. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll try not to argue with him.” Auntie sighed. “But you want freedom, don’t you? Unlike him, I see the way you look at the serpents and the cities. I know about your fantastical fairy-tale future. It’s great, but I don’t want you preserved as a pressed flower who’s never lived, Goldie. You’re meant to flourish and live freely.”

“I will one day.” Though Marigold wasn’t sure how much she believed it now.

“And today? It’s okay to waste the time and life you have now?”

“No. But I can’t do things yet. I’m still not fixed,” Marigold said. Her missing pinky and thump-step- thump- step of a walk proved it. “I can’t dance like this. I can’t ride a serpent without losing an arm. I just… I can’t yet.”

Auntie grabbed her by the shoulder. “But you want to?”

Marigold hesitated. The dream was always right in front of her. She could see herself in the serpent’s saddle, riding the seas, golden arm and leg flashing without shame. It was a dream for one day, someday. The dream of her future… the one Father never acknowledged.

“I shouldn’t… Father is always right. I’m still broken.”

“No.” Auntie’s intimidating gaze went soft. “You’re not broken. It’s okay to want things. It’s okay to try them too.”

“I’ll mess up. I’m missing parts and--”

“The only thing you’re missing is this.”

Marigold caught a flash of a grin before Auntie grabbed her hand and twirled her. She stumbled, gripping at the coins her aunt pressed into her hands. She whirled, searching. Lights glimmered overhead, illuminating the streets, but Auntie was nowhere to be seen. 

Frozen and trembling, Marigold pulled her arms closer to her body. The crowd jostled around her, dancers knocking elbows into her. People were beginning to stare at the clockwork girl. She was so obviously out of place. Father’s warnings of what people did to the unique rang in her head, repeating in time to the festival drums.

She took a thump-step backward. Pushing through the crowd, she finally managed to back out of the way. Her motions were so unlike the dancers’ graceful ones. She was already breathing hard from being there. She was right. She couldn’t dance as she was. 

“OUR NEXT CONTESTANT. STEP RIGHT UP.”

Marigold squeaked as someone guided her to face a game booth. “No, I’m not--”

“One gold a game! Win a flower crown! Flowers from the Golden Hills! It matches your hair so well.” The woman pulled her closer and pushed a mallet into her hands. “Marigolds for the golden girl with flaming hair.”

With the large mallet in hand, she looked from the lever she was to strike and the puck that would rise along the measured bar. The bell at the very top was a long way up, likely another thing she was too weak and uncoordinated to achieve. But she didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself. The lady was still smiling, waiting for her. 

Marigold handed over a gold coin. Anything was better than going back into that crowd. Hefting the mallet over her natural shoulder, Marigold swung. The puck went up only half way. 

“A flower wristlet for half height.”

To Marigold’s surprise, the woman gently slipped a band of fiery red marigolds onto her metal wrist. There wasn’t a drop of fear as the woman patted her hand. “Beautiful.”

“Again, please.” The words slipped out of Marigold before she had processed the thoughts. Sheepishly, she gave the woman her last coin and faced the game once more. 

This time, she hefted the mallet over her metal shoulder. She could hardly feel the weight. With a breath, she swung. The clang of the puck hitting the bell at the maximum height made Marigold jump.

“WELL DONE!” The woman pulled out a flower crown of bright yellow marigolds and settled it onto Marigold’s head. “Beautiful!”

As she left the game,  Marigold raised her arms to feel the crown on her head. Lowering her arms, her eyes traced from her metal shoulder all the way down to the red flowers adorning her wrist. The delicate flower petals contrasted her chunky metal wrist. But it was fitting. Marigolds for Marigold’s golden arm. 

She couldn’t help but laugh. She laughed so hard, she bumped right into a throng of dancers. One laughed with her, grabbed her hand, and spun her deeper into the crowd. The drumbeats and melody wrapped around her with the warmth of other bodies. She closed her eyes and let the music guide her motions. 

Marigold danced. Her body was one whole, undivided. Her footsteps were light. For once, she felt graceful.

“Goldie!” A hand slid into Marigold’s and pulled her out to the streets. It was Auntie, grinning as she led her away and toward the pier. “Have fun?”

“Yes.” Even without dancing, she found her walk was a gentler thump-step. She shared what had happened, how much easier it felt to breathe. The lightness in her chest was the same she felt after a golden sunrise, like the hope she felt when dreaming of her future. She felt alive. “I guess I can do some small things now.”

“Not just small things, Goldie.” Auntie’s dangerous grin registered only after she pushed Marigold off the pier.

Marigold scrambled to grab hold of the serpent saddle as she landed. Her fingers fumbled with the reins. Her metal parts strained to keep her seated as the serpent dove.

She yelled. Her arm would come off, or her leg. Any change of direction was a jolt. Neither set of fingers could survive this.

But the wind in her hair called her attention to the moonlight on the serpent’s scales and the spray of water on her legs and arms. The motion was smoother than she initially felt but more powerful than she expected. It was the very same arcing she watched that morning and dreamed of experiencing. 

It was like nothing she had ever felt. She had sailed and swam before, but this was soaring. 

When the serpent returned her to the pier, she was soaked and sore but exhilarated. She shook the water off her flower bracelet and untangled the crown from her hair, drying down as best she could. She should have been cold, but there was nothing on her mind other than the feeling.

“That was amazing!”

There was a light in Auntie’s eyes. “Good… Now ask me how you looked.”

Marigold nudged her arm. “How did I look?”

“Like a golden queen.” Auntie threw her arm around Marigold. “Now what’s next, Your Majesty?”

A buzz had worked its way into Marigold’s body, not a failure in her metal parts, but a thrill in her skin. She had done it. She rode a sea serpent. All of her limbs were still intact, nothing had broken. She had been pushed right into the future she had dreamed of and it was just as golden as she had dreamt it to be.

“A hike,” Marigold said, pulling Auntie along. “I heard of a place.”

Marigold didn’t doubt her decision to hike up a small peak for the perfect sunrise view of what the locals called the Golden Hills. 

Father would spew warnings with her every step. She wasn’t fully fixed. She wasn’t prepared enough or old enough or strong enough. She could fall, break, or lose another part. Anyone who saw her could hurt her out of fear or desire. But Marigold was more afraid of not risking those dangers now. She had believed Father her entire life, not realizing she had become afraid to live. She always believed she had lived for the future, but she hadn’t been truly living. 

Every thump-step up the hillside was a step closer to the future Marigold was determined to make happen. It was proof that she wasn’t a porcelain doll or a delicate flower needing shelter from the wind. She was strong; metal and flesh and bone, a flower meant to thrive under sunshine and the wind, and she would no longer wait for the opportunities that were present today.

Settled on the ground with Auntie at her side, Marigold looked to the brightening sky. The sun crested at the nearby peaks, illuminating the red and gold coated hills. It was the perfect start to her choice to start living.

Today shined as the day she lived her dreams. Tomorrow and all the days ahead were golden.