I got dressed and cleaned up a little. It was still early in the morning and I didn’t know when the offices would open. I took my time with my makeup, and picked out an outfit that I wouldn’t mind having a picture taken in. I was not quite sure what to expect when I got there, but from what I could tell there was usually some kind of media there.

I went back into my bedroom and picked up the ticket. I slipped it into an envelope and sealed it. Sitting down on my couch, I flipped open my laptop and looked up the lottery offices address. I entered that into the mapping program and printed out the map. I pulled the paper off the printer and checked my makeup in the mirror one last time, and went out to the living room to get my purse and keys. As I locked the door while I was leaving I thought about how I would be finally able to get out of this tiny apartment.

I got into my car and headed out to the highway. It was going to take about forty five minutes to get to the state capitol offices. I set the map on the seat beside me so that I could glance at it quickly. As I drove down through the south part of the city, there was another billboard with the lottery dollars lit up on it. My heart started pounding again and the adrenaline kicked in hard. I had so many ideas and plans bouncing around in my head, I couldn’t concentrate on just one.

It was a whirlwind when I went in to the office to get my ticket verified. I had decided to go with a lump sum payment instead of the annual checks. I carefully read all the documents they wanted me to sign, filled out the claims form and finally got out of there. I pulled out my cell phone and called my credit union, making an appointment with the financial advisors. They would be able to see me that afternoon, so I went to find some breakfast while I waited.

I decided to disappear for a while, I had to get away and get my head in order. The next few weeks were going to be rough. I had about three thousand dollars in savings, so I thought about where I could go. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to the coast or hide out up in the mountains someplace. I found a restaurant and pulled in. In the front lobby, there was a stand that had tourist flyers. I reached down and pulled one out. It was for a mountain cabin by a lake about two hours south of the city. The hostess interrupted me and led me to a table, setting down the menu. Sipping on the water, I decided on what I wanted and picked the flyer back up. Secluded cabins in the woods sounded good. It was off season, and there would probably be snow at this time of the year. I dialed the number on the flyer and made a reservation. I wasn’t sure if I would have any cell phone service there, that could be a good thing. I took my time eating. I had a couple of hours to kill before I could get in for my appointment. I started thinking about who I could tell about my current situation. I could tell my friend Anna, and maybe Jen and Kelly. I knew I could trust them. I would have to tell my parents and that was about it. I wasn’t going to tell anyone else. They would all be sworn to secrecy and I would make it worth their silence. I finished up and paid my tab. I decided to drive the scenic way through the country, it would take longer and waste the time until I got to the bank. I knew I would buy property. That was one of the first things on my list. I didn’t need a huge house, but I wanted enough room to have all the things I wanted. I wanted to keep one house here in the city, but I wanted a vacation place as well. Some place warm and tropical. I wanted to travel some too, I always wanted to go to Ireland and maybe even Egypt to see the pyramids. Japan too, I was fascinated with that country. Investing would be the tricky part. I thought about rental properties, and other things that people couldn’t live without. Things that were required to live. The transportation industry might be a good place to invest. I hoped that the advisors would be able to help me decide what to do. I sat at the small table in the cabin. I had covered it with flyers from properties for sale all over. One of my decisions had been to buy several acres of forested land for festivals. I was going to have it set up with water and electricity, but leave it mostly untouched. I had found two that I really liked, one by a river and the other near a large lake. I had to talk to my friend Ruth. She was a leader in the pagan community and would know which was the right one to pick for everyone. She would find the best fit for all of us. I was thinking of this as a business venture, and I needed her help to make it a personal choice. I knew which one she would pick, the land with the river. The flowing water would be an important part of the energy in the land. There would be minimal changes; I was thinking a few cabins and maybe a dining hall. There was a beautiful clearing surrounded by tall evergreens. My only concern was the security and serenity of the space. The plan was to do everything as ecologically friendly as possible. I had heard of something called cob houses, made kind of like adobe houses. I had a few people in mind to help with the construction. There were also several more other things for the property that I wanted to do, but there would be a lot of planning going on with certain members of the community. There was a farm nearby the river land that was possibly for sale as well; I had ideas for a self supportive covenstead rolling around in my head too. I also looked at a small island in the Bahamian archipelago. I had found out that many celebrities had also bought islands in the area down there, but I needed something even more secluded.. I had several ideas for that place, and I had already contacted a friend who was arranging the purchase. It was going to be my own private island, hidden away from the world. I had already begun drawing up plans for the house. I closed up my new laptop and slid it into the padded case. Grabbing my purse and keys, I headed out the door. Locking it behind me, I walked over to my new Saleen S7 twin turbo. My biggest splurge was on that car, it was over three hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. I had also bought a Hummer H3 that I fell in love with, but I felt like going for a fast drive. I was going to head back up to the city and pick up some supplies. The main road to the highway was a fairly straight shot, and I pushed it up to a hundred and thirty as the trees flew by. I let off the pedal slowly, feeling the rush of speed bring a smile to my face. The road was dry, unusual for this time of year. I didn’t want to take too many chances, I was still a good driver. I turned up the on ramp to the highway and kept it at about eighty for the drive up. My cell phone started ringing and I picked it up to turn it on loudspeaker. It was my attorney letting me know that my chosen investments were doing extremely well. I had been at the cabin for the last month and after all the meetings I had to set up and attend, I was more than ready to hibernate for a while. I did miss my friends though, and was planning on visiting them while I was in town. I had emailed Anna in Chicago to let her know that I needed her help. I was going to get her airfare to come out and stay with me for a while. She and I had been the first to come up with the island idea and I wanted to see how she felt about doing it for real now. I found my way to the first shop on my list, an Asian market that had certain herbs that I needed. Then I had to go to the candle store, there were powders and other types of herbs I needed there. I had a new project I was working on that I needed to experiment with. I ran the rest of my errands and stopped by Jen’s workplace. I took her out to lunch, she had a favorite sushi restaurant that we both liked. When we were finished, I dropped her back off at her job and headed back to the cabin. I had the music cranked up as loud as it would go as I drove south on the highway. I decided to go through a small town on the way back that I knew had an antique store. I had a couple items in mind that I hoped I would be able to find at a rural place like that. Back at the cabin, I went into the second bedroom where I had set up my workspace. I had an altar along one wall, and a larger workbench across the room. I set my purchases down and started taking things out of the bags. I set them in order and began to mix and stir. Using a sharp paring knife, I made a small cut on the side of the middle finger of my right hand. Three drops into the liquid the recipe said, and it was very specific. I lit a candle under the oil burner and poured the herbs and oils mixture into the top of it to heat. I looked back at the ancient book that I had opened up to the recipe and checked it again. All the quantities were correct and it needed to heat for only about fifteen minutes, then it would be ready. Later I would take it out and test it, and if it worked, I would be set. Around ten o’clock at night, I got back in the car and headed out. I had called a friend of mine Erik to see if he would meet with me. I had a crush on him for years, but he wasn’t interested in being more than friends. The elixir that I had created earlier promised to change that. We met at a small tavern not too far from his home. He ordered a couple beers and we went to the back room of the bar where the pool tables were to play a few games. I watched him carefully, waiting until his back was to me and poured a few drops out into his drink. Slipping the vial back into my pocket, I picked up a cue stick and played my turn. Not too long after the second game started, he began touching me more. A hand on my back, a rub on the leg. An hour later, he was all over me. Nuzzling my neck and pulling me close to him. I looked up at him and he kissed me. He finished his beer and reached for my hand, leading me out to the cars. I followed him back to his place and continued from there. The elixir was a success so far, I would be trying a couple more trials before completely relying on it. The weekend was quickly approaching. Anna had decided to come out and her flight would be coming in at about 6 o’clock Friday evening. I was going to be mixing up a batch for her to see if her results would be the same as mine. The blood was the key I believed, and we would see if that was the case Friday when she arrived. My friend Adam had called me back about the island, the sale would be completed in ten days. The construction for the new house would be starting soon after that, one copy of my plans were already in the hands of the contractor I hired. His crew would be flying out a week after the closing of the sale. I picked up my phone and dialed a number from memory. A friend had put me in contact with a special contact. All I had was the name Random. He was an expert at anything that had to do with communications and electricity. I wasn’t sure if he could make my dream a reality, but we were supposed to meet to find out. Our mutual friend seemed convinced that he would be the right person for the job. He agreed to meet with me in a couple hours, I gave him an address and hung up the phone. I changed into a black suit and slicked my hair back, pulling it into a tight bun. I found my darkest pair of sunglasses and put those on as well. I took my purse from the kitchen counter and went out to the S7 to head out to my meeting with Random. The address I had given him was for an upscale restaurant in downtown. I arrived early and was seated at a table by the large plate glass windows overlooking the river. The restaurant itself was on the fortieth floor and afforded an extensive view of the landscape to the east of the city. The mountains far in the background were covered in white, and it made me think of skiing. I hadn’t been skiing in a long time, but that might be a good way to kill the next couple weeks until I could go visit the island and check on the contractors. Movement out of the corner of my eye made me turn back toward the table. Random had pulled a chair out and was sitting down as I turned to face him. His appearance was a bit of a surprise to me, I had expected someone quite a bit older. He appeared to be around twenty five or so. He took his sunglasses off and I was startled by the intensity of his ice blue eyes. I usually don’t like light colored eyes but his were framed with thick black lashes. His dark hair was longer on top and wavy, giving me an urge to run my fingers through it. Opening my purse to pull out the papers I had brought with me to help explain what I wanted done, my fingers brushed against the vial of my elixir. This might be a good opportunity for another test. I would wait until he turned away and try it. I ordered the butterfly shrimp with a salad and he chose a Thai dish that I didn’t recognize. I slid my chair around the side of the table so that I could show him the plan, gently rubbing my leg against his. He didn’t pull away. I explained what it was that I wanted to happen with the security on the island, and he seemed to think that it was relatively easy for him to do, and he quoted me a very fair price. The equipment would be the biggest expense, but his expertise would be more valuable to me. He got up and excused himself to go to the restroom. The food had just arrived, and I watched him until he was out of sight. I quickly pulled the vial out of my bag and sprinkled several drops into the food on his plate. To anyone else in the restaurant, it would look like I was seasoning my own plate. I twisted the cap back onto the vial and slid my chair back around so that I would be facing him when he returned. I was lifting my glass to take a sip when he got back to the table. He picked up his fork and began to eat as I chose a piece of shrimp and slowly placed it in my mouth. I watched him carefully until I could see that I was finally getting a reaction. I kept up the teasing through the meal, until I could see tiny beads of sweat across his brow. The server had returned and I handed him a credit card. I glanced back at Random, he was struggling to maintain his composure, although I think I was the only one who could tell. I signed the slip and added a large tip. As I got up from the table, he stood up too and I reached my hand out to shake on our deal. I could feel his eyes on my as I walked across the room and out toward the elevators. When I got back to the cabin, it was nearly dark. I decided to invite Gene and Marco over to discuss the building plan for the festival property. I had talked with Ruth and she confirmed that the river property would be the best choice. I had also managed to acquire the farm property that was close by so we would need to discuss the management of that space as well. I had a few ideas and needed to see if they agreed with what I had in mind, or if they had something even better for me to see. I flipped open the laptop, and started surfing travel sited to find a good deal on a ski package. I wanted to go back to Aspen or Vail, I had skied there when I was a kid. I never could ski anywhere other than Colorado, the snow there was the best. I had tried to ski in Oregon a couple times, but skiing while it’s raining just isn’t right. I found a decent package and booked it for two. I wondered if Random liked to ski. I would be taking someone with me at any rate. I made a couple more phone calls, setting up the meeting with Marco and Gene, confirming Anna’s flight and catching up with Jen and Kelly. I was tired and needed to get some sleep. I stayed up a little later than I had planned though, sketching out a few more plans for the castle on the island. I decided that I wanted to have a stable there as well, I could get a few mares from the BLM auctions and start a herd of strong, healthy horses. At least that was the idea, I might have to just buy a few specific horses for some of the things I wanted to do. Friday finally arrived and I set out for the airport to pick Anna up. I took the S7 again, thinking it would make a hell of an impression at the arrival gates to be picked up in it. I laughed to myself. People can be impressed so easily. It was a sad state of affairs when money was all that you needed to be important. I had to admit though, it sure made life a lot easier. I got to the airport and pulled up in the arrival lanes. Anna saw me first and started waving. I stopped the car in the middle of the lane and waited for her to get in the car. I told her not to worry about clothes or anything, we could go shopping when she got here. First though, we had to get back to the cabin to finish preparing her elixir. I flew down the highway at over one hundred miles an hour on the way back. Luckily there were no cops around, I wouldn’t want a ticket now. I had too much going on the get stuck here waiting for a court date. I took the off ramp to the cabin and slowed down to a more reasonable speed. I pulled into the driveway of the cabin and lifted up the door. I had to go around to the passenger side as well, because Anna was having a hard time getting the door open. She had brought a small bag with her, so I carried that inside as she followed behind me. I set the bag down on the counter in the kitchen and showed her around quickly. I was excited to get started on our evening. I took her into the spare bedroom where the workbench was and took the three drops of her blood to add to her elixir. We chatted as we waited for it to heat up. The plan was to bottle up the elixir then head back up to the city to get her a new outfit and then go hit a night club. There she would test her elixir and see how well it worked. I knew she still had a few doubts, but I had told her about my experiences and she was willing to try it out. The fifteen minutes were finally up and I took out another small vial, carefully straining the mixture into it. Tightening the cap down, I handed it to her and she tucked it into her bra. We were ready to go. Back in the city by ten, we found a department store that was still open and picked out some clothes for her to wear to the club. We headed back downtown and found a parking spot that was pretty central to the club scene. I parked close to the attendant booth and tipped the guy inside well enough to guarantee the safety of my car. As we walked down the sidewalk, I could hear a live band playing and we went inside. It was packed with people. We made our way up to the bar to order a couple drinks and checked out the guys around us. I watched Anna as she tried to decide who to pick for her test. She finally decided on a tall, somewhat geeky looking guy who was standing by himself. He was almost done with his drink, so she asked the bartender to make up another for him and she would take it over there. I helped her as she poured a couple drops into the glass, then watched as she took it over to him. He was noncommittal at first, but as they kept talking, I noticed the signs of the elixir starting to work. My cell phone rang suddenly, and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was Erik calling me. I answered it, and then ended up giving him directions to the club we were at. He said he would be here soon and I hung up. It made me wonder how long the effects of the elixir would last. It had been several days since I had seen him and it seemed like he couldn’t wait to see me again. This could be interesting. I glanced back over at Anna. The tall guy now had his arm around her and was whispering in her ear as she smiled. He took her hand and led her over to the small dance floor in front of the stage. Sipping my drink, I watched as the elixir worked its magick. I looked around the club to see if there was anyone that I found attractive enough to give mine to. The selection was not very good, so I decided to settle in and wait until Erik showed up. He was tall, dark and moody, but after last week when I first dosed him, he was completely willing to accommodate me. The elixir didn’t take away their free will completely, they still had their own minds, and it just seemed to make them more biddable and physically attracted. I would see how well it was still working when he arrived. I was standing near the edge of the stage when I felt a hand on my back. I turned toward him and he leaned down to kiss me. It was a nice deep kiss and I reached my arms up around his neck. Apparently the elixir was still potent within him. After a few more minutes of that, I quickly glanced back over at Anna, but she was off in her own little world as well. There was a Marriott just a few blocks away, I felt the need to go get a couple of rooms to finish off the night, instead of driving all the way back to the cabin without the boys. I pulled Erik along with me and suggested the hotel to Anna, she was all for it. We all left and walked down to the hotel, I got us two connecting suites and a wake up call for eight in the morning. Anna had this guy all over her, so I gave them one of the room keys and took Erik with me to go get my car. I wanted to move it to the hotel parking garage where it would be safer. He was practically glued to my hip all the way up to the room. It promised to be an exciting night.