by Shay Emms
The cereal boxes weren’t on the shelves. A cluster of them stood, like a miniature village, on the kitchen island. Beside them, someone had left a plate of bread crusts out
instead of scraping them into the garbage. Airily examined the cereal boxes. As she suspected, all of them were healthy, whole-grain, and low-fat, except for one box with a cartoon rabbit on the side.
She looked around the kitchen again. The cereal boxes provided good cover. If a human showed up, Airily could
easily fly low for the secret door. Poppa stood beside a bag of brown rice in the cupboards. He waved to her, indicating that he approved of her look-out position.
Airily landed on top of the box next to Josh’s cereal. The cardboard flaps made a soft pop. The plastic bag of cereal
inside was already open. Her plan was falling into place perfectly. After the pop came another sound, a mechanical drone she’d never heard before. Had she caused it?
Airily’s eyes found Poppa frozen, horror distorting his face. His sack was half-filled with dried beans.
Airily looked up wildly. Something white and amorphous fell on her. The thing hit her, knocking over the cereal boxes and dragging her body down to the counter’s surface. It covered her, pulling from every direction. Airily fought, trying to punch and kick her way free. Acidic fear burned in her veins. Forcing herself not to move, she assessed the situation instead. Fabric had come down on her. Airily looked at the evenly spaced holes. It was netting of some kind. Through the mesh, she spotted Poppa on the opposite countertop, pulling the half-a-scissors from his bag.
“Hello?”
Airily’s horror flooded back. She turned toward the kitchen doorway.
Josh climbed out from behind a stack of moving boxes in the dining room. Goggles covered most of his face.
Airily whistled the run code to Poppa. The boy fussed with his goggles, tugging the straps behind his ears. He pulled them off and went for the glasses hanging from his shirt
collar. Maybe he hadn't seen Poppa yet. Airily whistled the ‘human is coming’ code.
Poppa slowly retreated behind a toaster on the counter. He should’ve gone back to the hatch and locked it behind him. That’s what he’d always told her to do. She was grateful he didn’t leave, but the thought of Fluppence and Witter as orphans flashed through her mind.
Before Airily had the chance to feel worse, she startled when the kitchen light clicked on. She shrank back, trying to flatten herself against the countertop. Her eyes stung and
watered.
“Wow, it worked.” Josh plucked a toy helicopter from the floor. “I got you.”
Josh placed the helicopter on the kitchen island and leaned close to Airily. His eyebrows quirked up with seeming surprise. “What are you?”
Airily bit her lip and stared back in defiance; her vision blurred with tears. The only thing worse than being seen would be to tell a human anything. Poppa told her if she was ever caught to say nothing. Don’t let a human know you can speak.
“Oh wow! You have little clothes and everything.” Josh observed and then smiled. “Hang on, little guy.”
He ran back to the dining room and came back with a clear plastic terrarium. Airily shook uncontrollably. He wanted to keep her, like an animal. Her jaw clenched,
quashing an angry sob. She’d rather die.
But Poppa was watching. He’d help her out of this somehow.
Josh picked Airily up, still wrapped in the netting. She could tell he was trying to be careful, but she spun and twisted as if caught in a winter storm’s wind. A blurry minute later she was shaken out into the cage. The lid snapped on before she could fly for it.
Josh held the terrarium up to his face. “And you have hair and little people hands! And a tiny sack!” He laughed.
The floor and walls of Airily’s prison were clear plastic, the roof a bright blue grill. Dropping to the floor of the
terrarium, Airily spread her wings. Maybe if she were strong enough, she could get the lid to snap off. She thrust with her feet, jumping as high as she could and flew straight for the lid. Her shoulder smacked into the plastic. The lid bent with her force but didn’t give. Airily tumbled to the terrarium floor and rolled into a corner.
“Easy, little guy,” Josh said. “I’m not going to hurt you. Come on.”
Humans had never done any favors for her kind. People hurt and crushed everything, even her mother. Whether they meant to or not, it was done.
Josh put the cage under his arm. Before her view of the kitchen disappeared, Poppa came out from behind the toaster. He waved at her, a reassuring gesture that Airily wouldn't be abandoned.
The boy tiptoed up the dark stairs to his bedroom. He closed the door and set the terrarium down on a desk. The instant her prison was out of his hands, Airily flew at the lid again with the same result. With a thump, she fell back to the clear plastic floor.
Josh put a thick book, titled Junior Astronomy, on top of the lid. Airily’s heart sank, she’d never batter her way past the book. Even Poppa would struggle to move something that heavy.
The boy switched on a lamp and sat down. He rested his head on the cluttered desk, peering at her. His finger, thicker than her head, tapped the plastic.
Airily fled to a corner of the cage and turned her back to Josh’s curious eyes.
“You’re the whatever-you-are from the other night, huh?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and plugged her ears, but it didn’t help. His voice was so big.
“Do you understand me?” Josh asked. He tapped the terrarium wall again. “You have clothes on. Are you smart, or are you a pet? But I’ve never seen anything like you. What are you?”
Pet? Airily bristled at the very idea and ground her teeth, biting back disgust. She’d never been more offended in her life. Not even Black Burn’s best taunts stung like the word pet.
“Anyway, my name’s Josh,” he said. “Come on, little guy. I said I wasn’t going to hurt you.”
Anger boiled in Airily’s stomach and smothered the fear. Little guy? She whirled around and shouted, “I’m not a boy!”
Josh gasped and pulled back. Airily’s lip curled with
satisfaction at the fear and shock that flashed across his face, even if it didn’t last long.
Bright-eyed wonder lit his features and he leaned down. “You can talk! You speak English. What’s your name? What are you? Where do you live? Man, when I saw you the other night, I almost thought I was hallucinating, but I knew I was awake! And you looked so surprised.”
“Stop talking and get it over with,” Airily said. She wasn’t going to answer any of his stupid questions, even if he pulled all her feathers out.
“Get what over with?”
“The torture. Dissection. Or whatever you plan to do to me,” she said.
“I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you.”
“Humans lie and hurt all the time.” Airily shook her head. “I’m trapped, aren’t I? You trapped me in a net, put me in a cage, and then expect me to answer questions.”
Josh’s curiosity turned thoughtful. He examined the desktop a minute and then said, “I-I didn’t know what you were. You seemed amazing and I wanted to see you up close.”
The doubt on Josh’s face was a slender thread of hope, and she had to grasp for it.
“Well, what are you going to do with me now?” Airily asked. Maybe, just maybe, she could convince him to let her go.
“I was going to show you to my parents because they’ve never seen anything like you. And,” he hesitated, “and
honestly, I was hoping to name a new species after myself and get my name in Scientific American or National Geographic. Then we’d both be famous,” he added with a smile.
Airily frowned. “I’d end up caged for the rest of my life. Your parents would show me to other people, just like you said, but no one would ever let me go.” Tears stung Airily’s eyes. “How would you feel if you were put in prison?�
�� She wanted to beg but refused to lower herself in front of some human no older than she was.
Everything will be okay, she reminded herself as she wiped the tears away. Poppa knew what had happened and would rescue her.
“Awww, man.” Josh sighed loudly. “When you put it like that, I sound like a jerk.” He rested his chin on his hand. “I can’t be your jailor.”
She was glad Josh wouldn’t imprison her, but he hadn’t opened the cage yet.
“They’re always the bad guys! At least, they are on television.” The last owners of the House watched lots of shows about cops and lawyers. The prison warden often turned out to be the villain.
He laughed. “You don’t get all your information from TV, do you?”
“I’ve learned tons about humans from TV,” Airily said. Between that and spying on them, she’d learned all she needed to know.
“It’s mostly fake,” Josh said. “Why don’t you read a book?”
Airily puffed up with indignation. “Books don’t come in my size, now, do they?”
“Oh,” Josh said. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Are you going to let me go or what?”
“Yeah. I’ll let you out,” Josh said, but he didn’t move.
She searched his face, silently pleading.
“It’s just,” he paused. They were eye to eye, with his head on the desk and Airily standing on tiptoe. “Do you think we could be friends?”
Her mouth fell open, but nothing came out. That was the last question she thought a human would ask. Not that she thought a human would ever ask her a question in the first place.
“I don’t have any friends, and you’re so cool! I bet no other human is friends with something like you.” The words tumbled out of Josh’s mouth. He looked at her, a hopeful grin fixed on his face, eyes eager.
“You want a binding promise?” Airily asked slowly, the words hesitant to leave her mouth. Was that what he meant by friends?
“Sure,” Josh said. “A binding promise.”
“I don’t think you know what that means,” Airily said.
“Of course I do.”
“No.” Airily shook her head. “It’s magic. If either of us breaks a binding promise, a death curse will befall the oath breaker.”
“What? No way,” he scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m a scientist and so are my parents.”
“Believe what you want,” Airily said. “I just thought I better tell you. I didn’t have to.”
“Magic’s not real.” Josh’s smile faltered. “So, what should we promise?”
“We must decide the terms.” Airily stretched her wings, getting ready to fly. “I want out of here, and you have to swear not to tell anyone about me. Not parents. Not friends. Not anyone.”
“And I want you to answer questions and promise to visit me so that we can become friends.” Josh brightened as he got into the negotiating spirit. Obviously, he didn’t understand how serious promises were to fairies, but she’d warned him. The choice was his.
“For my freedom and your silence about my existence, how about I answer three questions and become your friend?” She didn’t even like saying the word friend to a human. But if he freed her, it’d be worth it. Poppa wouldn’t have to risk his life trying to save her.
“Sounds good,” Josh said. “Then what?”
“We have to shake on it. That seals the magic.”
“Alright.” Josh pursed his lips. He glanced at the book holding down the plastic grill of the terrarium lid. “We have a deal?”
“Yes,” Airily said.
Josh slowly took Junior Astronomy off the cage and popped open the lid. Airily flew up, perching on the edge. She
wobbled on the slippery plastic; her knees were weak with relief. For the first time since she’d been captured, she believed in her survival. Not that she doubted Poppa’s rescuing abilities—she just hadn’t been sure she’d still be alive by the time he got to her.
Airily held out her hand to Josh. “Now we seal the
promise.”
Josh reached for her with his massive hand, so big it could crush her. Airily’s toes tightened their grip on the slippery plastic perch.
“Um, I don’t want to pull your arm off.” The size difference wasn’t lost on Josh. Instead of taking hold of her hand, he presented his index finger. “That should do, right?”
“I guess,” Airily said. She wasn’t sure, but it seemed worth a try.
Airily took Josh’s finger in both hands. On one side, his fingernail was slick and hard; on the other, the skin was ridged and warm.
“It’s done,” Airily said as she shook his finger.
Josh cocked his head and looked around.
“What?” Airily checked too, afraid he’d heard his parents getting up or some other unfathomable human danger.
“I thought there’d be, I don’t know, twinkling lights or bells going off or something.”
“Nothing happens unless you break the promise.”
“Then how do you know the magic is real?” Josh looked doubtful and a bit disappointed.
“The promises and the curses are as real as I am.”
“Oh,” Josh said. He studied her intently, brown eyes
magnified by the lenses of his glasses. “That’s not exactly proof,” he muttered. “So, what are you exactly?”
“I’m a Sparrow Fairy.”
“A fairy? No way.”
“What did you think I was?”
“A tiny person evolved from birds, like a bird-person. But, not a fairy. Those aren’t real.” Josh rubbed his forehead and fell silent for a while. He seemed unable to smooth the crease between his eyebrows. “No one believes in fairies
anymore,” he said. “Can you prove you’re a fairy? Like, use magic I can actually see.”
Airily crossed her arms. “I don’t have to prove anything to you. I’m not lying. I told you what I am. You have two questions left.”
“Okay. Next question. What’s your name?”
“Seriously? You're wasting all your questions.”
“Those don't count, we're having a conversation. It's what friends do.”
“No, you wasted your questions.”
Josh chewed his lip. “Can we renegotiate?”
It was Airily's turn to rub her temples. She wasn't sure if his questions really counted or not. But, just to be safe, maybe she should answer a few more. They hadn't done a very good job at setting terms now that she thought about it.
“Fine, the questions start now. Do you want to know my name?”
“Maybe not,” he reconsidered. “My name’s Josh, but I told you, didn’t I? I’m from Los Angeles. My dad’s an
astronomer, and he got a new job at the university. My mom’s a medical researcher. She has like three different
degrees. What do your parents do?”
“My mom’s dead,” she blurted. Airily refused to give Josh any information about her living family. Maybe he’d quit hanging out in the backyard if he thought she was the only fairy around.
“Oh, sorry.” Josh glanced away.
“My name is Airily,” she offered before Josh could ask about her mother.
“Good to meet you.”
She couldn’t say the same. “You have two questions.”
“I can’t think of any more,” Josh said. “I need some time to digest the whole fairy thing.”
“Then can you open a window? I’m ready to leave.”
“Okay.” Josh stood up and unlatched the window next to the bed. The nightstand beside it was cluttered with books, a half-eaten candy bar, and an action figure of a man dressed like a black cat.
Airily took off and circled the room. She noted the sparsely filled bookshelves, ready for more volumes, and the heaps of clothes on the floor. She waited for him to open the window, unwilling to land on anything.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Airily,” Josh said.
“Sure, if I have time. I have to collect food. A lot,” she said.
“There’s plenty in the kitchen.”
Airily flew behind Josh; her hands curled into frustrated fists that she didn’t want him to see. If only she were bigger, she’d like to kick him.
“Fine, I’ll be in the cherry tree when the sun sets.” Airily spit the words. “Now, let me out.”
Josh opened the window. He tugged the window screen, fingers searching for a catch, “What about–”
Airily dove for a corner of the screen. Throughout the house, Poppa had cut the corners, so they could always make an emergency exit. The screen slid aside as she folded her wings. She slipped through and flapped again.
Josh’s silhouette grew smaller as she gained speed and altitude. Airily banked around the side of the house and landed on the roof. She let out a long sigh of relief. Her hand clutched at the fabric over her beating heart. The lump of the vial was unused. The potion she’d traded Owlby for. What a waste.
“Airily!”
“Poppa!” Her head snapped up.
Poppa landed in front of her and grabbed her in a tight hug, squeezing the air from her lungs. For once, Airily didn’t feel too old for her Poppa’s embrace. She was glad for his solid presence. His heart beat against her, fast as her own, and she realized how scared he must’ve been. She was sorry when he let her go.
“I heard everything from the window sill.” The words ground out, each one a stone falling on Airily’s conscience. Poppa was white with anger. She’d never seen him look so furious.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“He saw you days ago? Is that why he was in the tree? Looking for you? Why he set a trap?” With each question, his voice grew rougher and angrier.
Airily had been biting back tears since being caught, but now came the deluge, spilling down her face in wet torrents. She choked on her sobs as they coughed out her constricted throat.
“I’m sorry,” she heaved between breaths.
Poppa’s face relaxed. He pulled her close again and let her cry herself out; the fabric of his vest soaked up her tears. “I just wish you’d told me,” he said, stroking her hair.