Elly and the Road Less Traveled

Elly would give anything to have her life resemble a Hallmark movie.

She longs for her happily-ever-after: a proposal by her boyfriend, a big raise at the perfect job, and a fat inheritance from her great-aunt.

Instead, she finds herself alone, broke, and sorting through a storage unit filled with worthless junk.

But life can change in an instant. When Elly opens a decade-old envelope addressed to her, she discovers it contains an astonishing monetary gift. Elly's prospects soar. Then she learns she can't cash the long-expired check. What's more, she's never heard of her benefactor: a woman who claims the money is honoring a long-ago favor by Elly's grandmother.

Hoping to alleviate her financial straits and find a connection to her long-deceased family, Elly embarks on a search for the mystery woman.

Trouble is, she doesn't know if chasing this particular rainbow will result in a pot of gold--or yet another crushing disappointment.

This was my entry for the Open Novella Contest. I made it through the first two rounds, but didn't finish to qualify for the final round.

It's also the prequel to "The Marvels of Prairie Creek." :D