Once Upon A Time... But Not Anymore Now

Elias reached into his pocket. He didn’t have much, but he had a single, dented coin from the Old Days. He held it up, the metal catching a stray beam of the dying sun. For a moment, it flashed with the brilliance of a thousand lanterns.

The girl didn't look up. “My grandmother says it used to sing when you threw a silver coin in. But silver is for bread now, not for songs.” Once Upon a Time... But Not Anymore

Elias stepped to the fountain. He looked at the gargoyles, their stone faces worn smooth by time. He didn’t toss the coin. Instead, he placed it carefully in the palm of the girl’s hand. Elias reached into his pocket

A young girl sat on the edge of the dry, cracked basin. She was drawing in the dust with a charred stick. For a moment, it flashed with the brilliance