Turtle Ashtray Novels & Stories

Cassia took in the room with one look. Glass on the carpet. Stella over me. Me on the floor, holding the urn. She did not slow down. She crossed the room in three steps. She caught Stella's arm in that half-second of confusion, then pulled the urn out of her hands. She moved into Stella's space. Stella swung at her. Cassia caught it. I did not wait. I clamped my arms around the urn and crawled, hands and knees, glass under me, out to the SUV. I yanked the back door open and folded into the seat.

"I'll grab us something, those ones near the edge look less watered down." She laughed and nodded and turned back to watch the dancers, and I moved. I took both cups from the edge of the tray as the student passed, smooth and unremarkable, just another guest helping themselves. Then I slipped sideways through a gap between two groups of seniors and into the narrow space behind the decorative partition at the side of the hall, out of the direct line of sight of anyone who wasn't specifically looking. I worked quickly. The silver ash was in the inside pocket of my jacket, in the small sealed casing I kept it in, the kind that looked like a compact if anyone happened to glance at it.

Asher giggled. "Can I open it now?" "Yes." Asher didn't tear the wrapping paper. He took a pair of scissors and cut the tape on it then unfolded the wrapping paper delicately. "Wow, it's a water fountain. Yay." He went inside the kitchen to fill it with water. Aster watched him get the chair, and then he stood on it. He got a cup out of the holder and then filled it with water from the tap. Then he poured it into the vessel.

If Asher was ok with drinking the tea she made, who were we to judge? My gaze lingered on the three steaming mugs of coffee arranged on the serving tray. Raven could have been a barista if he wasn’t a healer. While arranging the plates on a tray, Asher said. “The tea leaves are in the upper cabinet.” Then he walked to the dining table with the tray. The dining table was right next to the kitchen. “Ezra, get the coffee,” Raven said, following Asher with the rest of the food. Xanthea approached the cabinet Asher had pointed towards. Getting on her tiptoe, she touched the edge of the gray cabinet. She flinched as the cabinet opened up automatically.

Look under the newspaper. Stacey looked at the slim black box, tied up with red ribbon. It would be chocolates, or a nightie, she thought, trying not to show her disappointment. But when she parted the layers of black tissue paper, she blinked in surprise. The pink rubber object was obviously some kind of sex toy. Slim straps were attached to the sturdy phallus and there was a strange appendage sticking out at a right-angle from the base of the shaft. She touched the oddly shaped wand. It was flat along one side and flexible..

Too bad that his back was against the one-way glass wall—it was no other than Harold who came here to purchase jade stones that were checked by the expert he brought for Talia’s Corner. Ashley did not know that she was lucky enough to keep her secret for a day more. Right now, she was immersed by the thick white smoke that bombarded her as soon as she set foot in the warehouse. “Look there. That truck is still unloading raw jade stones. Do you want to go there and be the first to choose there?”

Josh snapped. "Whatever," Ash mumbled, and snatched the bag from Josh's hand. He pulled out a tub of Vaseline, and I started giggling. "You need that to jack off now that you're on house arrest?" I couldn't resist the opportunity. "Only half will be used on that, A." He laughed and put the jar back in the bag. "The other half is to shimmy shimmy ya outta this bracelet." "Of course." "I'm gonna put this away, and go to the bathroom." Ash held up the bag, and I nodded.

Asher was the first person to crouch. “Phone flashlights,” he said. We split without thinking. Talia was one one side, I was on the other side while Asher was at the front. I didn’t even know what I was looking for. A blinking light? A wire? Something movie-like? Until my eyes caught something. Not essentially catch, it just appeared in my line of vision. It was a tiny black box, no bigger than a matchbox magnetised to the metal. It was tucked up underneath the rear bumper. I stared at it for a while as my breathing slowed..

Wrappers were strewn everywhere, and her cousin’s hands were wrist-deep in a designer shopping bag. Tasha sat up. The blanket was clutched to her chest. That's when she noticed the rest of the room. The air carried the soft scent of roses and vanilla, and floating near the ceiling were silver and gold helium balloons, some shaped like hearts, others spelling out her name in curvy letters. Atop the lounge table sat a breakfast tray with scones, strawberries, blueberries, and delicate slices of mango fanned out next to a small bowl of whipped cream. Two wine flutes of mango juice sat untouched.

Behind her, Winston said unhurriedly, "Mrs. Murillo, the ashtray was given to Mr. Murillo by a close client on his business trip to Fariburgh last year. It is made of natural crystal and costs 100 thousand dollars." Chelsea's hand trembled, and the 100-thousand-dollar-worth ashtray almost slipped out of her hand. She pursed her lips and put the ashtray back. Then she picked up an unprepossessing vase on the desk and just raised it above her head when Winston said, "This vase is hundreds of years old. Mrs. Murillo bought it when she was young, and it cost just about 50 thousand dollars. After all these years, the vase should be worth 500 thousand dollars by now."