"We're not well-off. I was to give birth to Erin and we were struggling on funds. My husband and my grandfather went deeper in the mountains, followed a rainbow--drunk, until they stumbled upon a pot of gold, stole it and decided to sell it for money. And--"
Fiona spoke in a harsh hushed tone, tears streaming from her eyes as she interrupted Celine.
"Leprechauns are real and they encountered a greedy one! They angered him, leading him to put a curse on Doug. My father was the one who escaped and lived to tell the tale to me, my mother, and Celine."
Now they understood why they were telling others not to tell the tale. No one would believe them and at the same time, they wanted people not to wander too deep in the mountains for their safety. They wouldn't want to trigger anymore angry leprechauns and unleash a curse on them.
Luckily for Atlas and Meredith, they believed their story because they are indeed magical creatures as well.
"Even with the pot of gold stolen from the leprechaun, it was not enough to pay for my husband's confinement in the hospital," Celine continued, shaking her head as the story further saddened her. "Some of the gold sold were used for my giving birth to Erin and the others on hospital fees."
"My father died a year after Celine gave birth to Erin. He overworked himself in the mountains until he couldn't even give tours anymore," Fiona said, letting out a sigh.
"We couldn't ask for Doug not to be admitted in the hospital. Without the life support, it would be ending his life! I wouldn't want my Erin to grow up without a father, knowing that there might be possible ways to reverse the curse done by the leprechaun," Celine continued, Atlas asking a question.
"And is there indeed a reverse?" he asked, feeling bad for the whole family. "Will Celine's husband be brought away from his current condition?"
"We do not know," Fiona said, her voice turning angrier as she continued telling the story. "That's why my mother went earlier before she could formally say goodbye to Erin. She sacrificed her life to the leprechaun, asking for a cure. But we were only given a vague answer."
"My grandmother only lived for a few days after giving her life when she visited the leprechaun. She told us that he told her that the answer to reverse the spell lies in the potion brewed under the moonlight. What the hell is that? Isn't her life not enough to reverse the curse?"
With Celine's exclamation, Atlas and Meredith immediately looked at each other. Indeed, they could ask help from Austin to conjure the potion as he is truly very well-versed in alchemy, being the most powerful fae in the world.
"And so… here we are. Continuing to work hard. With us not finding anything about whatever that damned leprechaun said about a potion, we're making souvenirs to sell. It'll be a few years that Erin will soon go to school… yet we're in debt in the hospital," Fiona said, letting out a deep sigh.
"That's why--" Celine began, getting the couple's attention. "--please do not further explore the mountains if you do not want to anger the leprechauns. Even if you do not intend to steal the pot of gold, who knows what they'll do to you if they see you as a threat?"
"Some of our neighbors went missing deep in the mountains, too," Fiona continued. "So the mountains is sort of a warning for us villagers. That's why we control the tourists not to explore deeper. We cannot give up the work, too, since most of us are not rich in this place."
Somehow, listening to the conversation made Atlas and Meredith angry for the family and for the villagers. They knew that soon if they are going to explore the mountains in search for the leprechauns and the clue leading to the book, they are going to give them a dose of their medicine.
"Thank you for sharing this with us," Meredith said, her voice a bit broken as she was trying her best to conceal her annoyance towards the leprechauns. "And we apologize as well. We know that this is something indeed very sensitive to share," she added, Fiona and Celine nodding.
"As promised," Atlas began, writing on a piece of paper that seemed to be a cheque. "Without hesitation or whatsoever, I will give you and your family what I promised."
Fiona and Celine looked at each other and then back at the couple. As they waited for him to finish writing on the check, he then handed it over to them. The moment they saw the price on the cheque, it's as if their eyeballs are about to pop out of their sockets.
"Th-this much?" Celine exclaimed, the paper almost being crumpled with how surprised she is. "But how…"
"Is this true?" Fiona asked, her voice almost in a whisper. "This… it's even more than we could ask for. It can even support Erin's future school funds. I… we--"
"You all deserve it," Atlas interrupted, happy tears coming from both Fiona and Erin. "Doug may not wake up sooner, but at least with this, it's enough to pay for his daily fees in the hospital."
"But, Atlas… we did not say a specific amount yet you give us this! We couldn't possibly--just the hospital fees are enough. We--"
"Take it," Atlas urged, a smile coming to his face. "When you go to the bank, they won't question you once they see my name."
Fiona paused for a while, looking at him with eternal gratefulness etched in her eyes.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice broken as she cried tears of joy. "You're not just a writer, aren't you?"
Atlas didn't say anything. With him holding Meredith's hand, he spoke again, already indicating their leave.
"You don't have to worry. You can trust us. Your secret is safe with us," he said, what he said next making Fiona and her daughter Celine curious. "Soon before you know it, Doug might wake up."
"But--"
"Thank you, Fiona," Atlas interrupted, the two of them leaving the family as they walked away from their house.
Soon, his hand on Meredith's tightened, making her look at him as what he said next surprised her.
"Their family didn't deserve that… no one deserved that."