Mike slipped through a crack in the old brick wall behind his apartment building. One foot, then the other, and he tumbled onto a carpet of glowing purple moss. Crystal trees rose all around him, their faceted branches catching the light like glass chandeliers. He hadn't meant to come here at all.
A shadow swept over the clearing. Whump-whump-whump! Huge wings beat above him, shaking loose glittering spores from the crystal leaves. Mike dove behind a mossy rock and peeked out. The shimmering land stretched far ahead, and something enormous was moving through it.
A silver fox with bright sapphire eyes trotted up to the mossy rock. It paused, looked at Mike, then nodded toward a dark cave mouth between two crystal trunks. Mike crept after the fox, his sneakers crunching softly on the glowing purple ground.
The cave floor vanished beneath piles of gold coins. Emerald gemstones glinted everywhere, and jeweled cups tumbled in cascading heaps that reached past Mike's waist. He scooped handfuls into his pockets and they clinked warmly against his legs. His eyes went wide.
Mike filled his pockets until they hung heavy at his sides. Then he found an old canvas sack near the cave entrance and began stuffing it with coins and gems. The sack grew heavier with every handful, pulling at his arms. He did not stop.
Mike dragged his bulging sack across the purple moss and pushed through the crystal trees. Then the ground shook. Thud. A dragon had landed between him and the wall, its scales shimmering like molten metal. Mike stood very still.
The beast exhaled, and its breath rumbled like distant thunder. Mike swallowed hard. His fingers tightened on the drawstring of his sack. The dragon's golden eyes turned toward him, slow and heavy. "Excuse me," Mike whispered.
The dragon blinked slowly, a long golden eyelid sliding across each eye. Then it stepped aside with a soft snort, its great tail curling away like a welcome mat. Mike walked past on shaky feet.
Mike squeezed through the cracked wall just as golden light faded behind him. The bricks closed over his shoulders with a soft scrape, and he tumbled onto familiar concrete. Above him, the sky had turned the color of ripe peaches. He was home.
By dusk, Mike sat in a silk chair inside the castle he'd bought with his fortune. Gold coins were stacked to the ceiling in glittering towers, and musicians played softly for his dinner. He ate roasted chicken and honey cakes while the strings sang.
People in the city called him "Gold Mike" now. Crowds gathered at his castle gates every evening, their faces turned upward like sunflowers. He stood on his balcony and waved, the city lights twinkling below him like scattered coins. Every night felt like a celebration.
He tossed a handful of coins to the children at the front. "For you," he said with a proud grin, watching them scatter and laugh. Each gleaming disc caught the evening light as it flew. Mike watched them go, his smile never fading.