by Maggie Joan
I shrieked. The glass case rattled even louder against its base.
“If this glass dome falls off, I’ll return to my true size. You don’t want that in here.”
I whimpered. “What…what the…what is happening?” I whispered.
A low chuckle sounded around me. This was overload right here. A bit too much to take in.
“You are holding a magical glass dome complete with a magical golden winged horse trapped inside it.”
My head started spinning. How could this be? I managed to get down from the chair without falling over. I sat back on it and lifted the glass dome to my eye level. The little horse stomped its feet, making the dome vibrate in my hands.
“I’m Tristan,” he said. “This may seem a little strange to you, but your father has kidnapped me to hold me to ransom against my people.”
I giggled. Nerves and bewilderment tumbled around inside me like a blender on high speed. “Your people?”
“Yes,” he said. “The fairies. I’m from a world very few humans know about. Your family, however, you know the truth, you know about us.”
As I stared at the speaking mini horse, my mind wandered off into my memories, remembering stories my gran and my dad used to tell me as a child. Wonderful, fantastical stories about fairies, magic, and…
“A golden winged horse,” I breathed. “But they were just stories. Bedtime stories for a young girl to get lost in for happy dreams.”
“Every story has its origins. Clearly you can see I am more than just a story.”
“The fairies…they’re real? And magic? And the magic dust that sends all the children to sleep?”
“That’s my job,” Tristan replied. “I fly around the world at night, each flap of my wings creates a shower of magic dust that allows children to sleep. Without me, the pixies will run rife, disturbing their slumber with frightening images and terrifying nightmares.”
“Pixies?”
He nodded, his long golden mane swishing back and forth like something from a shampoo advert. “Horrible little critters. The true evil of the world. If something bad happens, you can bet your last breath on the fact those horrid things had something to do with it.”
“And your magic dust stops them?”
“It keeps them away from children. Children are the light and life of our world, we thrive on seeing them happy, hearing their adorable laughs, helping them enjoy bedtime and sleep.”
A wistful smile curled up my lips. “Yes, I remember being so excited to go to bed and hear the stories of the fairies, hoping my dreams would take me to fairy land, somewhere magical and happy.”
“But now your father has me caged in here, that won’t happen. There will be lots of tired, grumpy children this morning, some frightened, some not, but all of them confused and upset.”
“My father,” I repeated, still trying to deal with the fact that I had a tiny talking horse in my hands.
“Yes, your father. He kidnapped me last night, as I performed my nightly duties. You need to get me out of here, return me to my world so I can continue doing my job.”
I sprang to my feet and whirled around, setting the glass dome on the seat I’d just been sat on. I shook my head. “No, you’re lying. My dad may be a lot of things, but he wouldn’t do something like this. What you’re describing and saying, they’re consequences my dad just wouldn’t entertain.”
“You think I’m lying?”
“I know you’re lying. Or at least not telling me the whole truth.” I sighed. “I’m sorry but I’m doing nothing until I’ve spoken to my dad.”
A wave of sadness washed through Tristan’s big brown eyes. A pang of guilt tugged at my heart. Something deep down inside me told me that this innocent little creature wasn’t lying but my rational mind just wouldn’t accept it. This was so out of character for Dad, the strait laced, businessman who believed in nothing fantasy based, he didn’t even believe in ghosts, and now he was suddenly caught up in some fairy ransom plot?
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Can you please give me some time to figure out the best thing to do here?”
“How much time?” He moved his head in a graceful swoop towards the window. “Sunset is soon. I have to be released at sunset in order to take flight.”
I turned away from him, more guilt drowning me. Whatever happened, he wouldn’t be being released tonight. “Sure,” I said, trying to hide the slight waiver in my voice.
“Faye?” Macie’s voice called through from the entrance hall.
“Oh no,” I said, whirling around on my feet. “I’m going to have to put you back up on the shelf for now.”
“Don’t,” he said. “Just leave me here. Your dad knows you’ve already been in here anyway and you’ll only have to get me back down shortly.”
I cringed. I felt awful. He truly believed I was going to set him free tonight.
“Faye?”
“Coming!” I shouted to Macie. I turned back to Tristan and whispered, “Look, I’m really sorry to disappoint you but you won’t be going anywhere tonight. Just…just give me a day and I’ll have it all sorted I promise.”
“No,” he said, stamping his feet. “Faye, listen to me. I must be released this evening. You have to let me go.”
I backed away from him, towards the door, holding my hands out to him in a surrender sign. “I’m really sorry but I need to figure this out. I’ll be back soon.”
Like a true coward, I ran out of the door and slammed it shut behind me, letting out a deep breath as I did so.
“Hey,” Macie said, giving me a warm smile. “You alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Who were you talking to in there?”
I stared at her blankly for a few seconds, my brain trying to fight through the fog of this huge turn of events. “Huh? Oh, no one.” I whipped my phone from my back pocket and said, “I was just watching some video.”
Her eyes fell to my hand, suspicion flickering through them. When she met my eye contact again, I knew instantly she didn’t believe me.
“Ok, cool,” she said, turning around and heading for the door. “You ready to go?”
I nodded and strode after her, trying to ignore the feeling of drowning in my own guilt and lies. I’d never lied to Macie in all the years of our friendship. However, this was just something different. I couldn’t reveal this to her, not yet, not until I’d figured it out myself at least.
As I predicted, Macie drove us straight to Arby’s. I didn’t protest. I couldn’t have done even if I wanted to. A disbelieving fog clouded my mind, twirling around and around, trying to get a grip on the massive secret holed up in my father’s office.
Wondering if he’d been home yet, I checked my phone. To my sheer surprise, I had a reply from him.
Dad: Sorry, Faye. I stopped by to see your gran on the way home. She’s having a really good day today so I’m staying until visiting hours are over. You should come by. She’d love to see you.
My stomach lurched. I pursed my lips and sighed, listening to Macie’s excited chatter about Ben but it was nothing more than background noise. Houses, trees, and green fields rolled by as Macie took her typical scenic route to Arby’s. She hated the interstate with a passion, said it was nothing more than a grey razor blade cutting through the beauty of Mother Nature.
To be fair, the mountain road she chose did provide much more peaceful, soul warming views than endless tarmac and speeding cars.
“Wouldn’t you love to go back a hundred years, travel through here on horseback and just enjoy being alive?”
The mention of the word ‘horse’ made my heart skip a beat and took my focus off the magical equine sat in my dad’s office.
I nodded. “Yes, it would be amazing, wouldn’t it?”
Macie had burst into my life when we were both five years old and attending the same riding school. Our lessons were right after one another, and as we grew older, we started taking lessons together. Then as we reached eleven, we started spending every spare minute at the sta
bles, helping the staff with all the yard duties. We quickly became inseparable and I really don’t know what I’d do without her. Our bond would rival that of any blood related sisters.
Continuing our conversation by herself, Macie reeled off a daydream of long elegant dresses, riding side saddle, and having a handsome groom riding alongside her. Things as they used to be did hold a certain kind of romantic mystery we would never fathom in this modern age.
We finally reached Arby’s, Macie jumping out of the door before she’d even taken the key out of the ignition. The parking lot housed a dozen or so cars, meaning the diner would be half-full at least. Unfortunately, the low-lying sun shone straight into the glass fronted building, shielding our view of the hard-working staff rushing around inside.
Macie, however, had done enough stalking to know that the shiny black F150 parked across the lot belonged to Ben.
“Don’t worry, Mace,” I yelled after her, yanking her keys from the ignition. “I’ll make sure your car doesn’t get stolen.”
She lifted a hand up in the air as she bounded up to the door. I couldn’t help but smile at her antics. Locking her car, I then made my way inside, not surprised to see she had already found a table—her favourite table that sat directly opposite the kitchen door where all the waiting staff came in and out of the kitchen. And also happened to be in Ben’s designated area.
I slid into my seat, silently noting the recent refurb that the place had been through. The fresh new look suited it well. Cream leather benches, red and black chairs, new wooden tables, brilliant lighting, it all gave a new atmosphere that made it feel cosy.
“Hey, girls,” Ben said, ambling up to our table, a big warm smile creasing his handsome face. “What can I get you today?”
Macie sighed wistfully and gazed up at him with her puppy dog eyes, completely and totally in love. I stifled a giggle and ordered our usual drinks seeing as Macie couldn’t do anything but stare at the poor guy.
“He’s so dreamy,” she said, watching him walk away.
“It might help, Mace, if you actually managed to speak to him.”
“He’s just so cute, he takes my breath away.”
I laughed at her and shoved a menu in her hands to distract her. I found myself silently wishing my only troubles were how to keep my eyes off a waiter. What was I going to do about the predicament waiting for me back at home?
Quickly checking my watch, I did a rather impressively fast calculation that if we hurried up here, which was doubtful considering the Macie-Ben love story, then I could still make it to see my Gran before visiting hours ended at nine p.m.
“You alright?” Macie said, peering at me over the top of her menu. “You don’t seem yourself.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about going to see Gran tonight. Dad said she’s having a good day today. That’s why he skipped out on dinner.”
“I can drop you off there after we’re done here?”
I grinned. “You mean you’re going to leave Ben before closing time? Are you feeling ok?”
She swatted my arm with the plastic menu and giggled. “Anything for my bestie. You know that.”
“Thanks, Mace. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Smiling to herself, she absorbed herself back in the menu whilst keeping one eye on the kitchen door for a glance at her beau. We finally agreed on a two-for-five deal, Macie having a beef and cheddar sandwich and me having a crispy fish sandwich. We ordered a side of loaded curly fries each too, those things I could never get enough of. Absolutely delicious.
When we asked for the bill as soon as we’d finished our drinks, Ben raised his eyebrows and stuttered. “Oh, err…yeah, sure. I’ll get it now for you.”
He disappeared back behind the counter, his shoulders sagging.
Macie grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard, I’m sure I heard a bone break. “Did you see that?” she half-whispered, her excitement spilling into her volume control. “He thought we were going to stay longer. He wanted us to stay longer.”
With my mind solely on my dad and the strange twist of my world, I could do nothing but agree with her. In all honesty, I couldn’t disagree with her. The guy had looked genuinely shocked.
We settled the bill, leaving Ben a good tip, and headed back to the car. As the reality of what was happening started sinking in, I couldn’t help but blurt out to Macie, “Do you believe in fairies?”
She paused, her seatbelt halfway across her body, and frowned at me. “What?”
I shrugged my shoulders and plugged my own belt in, trying to act nonchalant. “Just thinking, you know, about all the old times and stuff we were talking about on the way over here. Made me wonder about fairies.”
Macie looked at me, blank, for another few seconds before bursting into laughter and finally doing her seatbelt up. “How on earth do you go from Victorian era living and handsome grooms to fairies?”
“Well, it was the magic of it all. Made me start thinking.”
As she backed out of the parking space, she giggled and shook her head. “I think being around Ben has sent you away with the fairies.”
I smiled. Trust Macie to turn this into something about Ben. “No,” I replied. “Genuine question.”
Macie shrugged her shoulders. “I believed in them when I was younger, of course, like any other little girl, but they’re like Santa Claus really. Just a cute fantasy to comfort and distract little kids.”
In my heart of hearts, I still believed in the whimsical little creatures. However, my head wouldn’t accept it. Here I am, on the brink of going to college, and I still believe in fairies? I stared out of the window and chastised myself for being so stupid. It was time to grow up and start living in the real world. School was over and done with, my life was about to get a million times harder. Holding onto stupid fantasies wasn’t going to help that in any way.
Yet, as much as my heart and my head fought, neither could deny the existence of the talking golden winged horse in my dad’s office. Talking. It talked. And had a name. That was not real world. That was from a world of something else.
Or maybe it was some fancy new gadget that dad had bought me as a gift. He loved his tech and his gadgets and spent a lot of time trying to convince me that technology was the future. Maybe the horse element was his way of attempting to coerce me over to the dark side.
“Pinewoods, isn’t it?” Macie asked, snapping me from my daydream.
“Huh?”
“The home where your gran is.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“You alright? You seem a little distant.”
I nodded. “I’m good, just going into a food coma.”
She laughed. “I reckon it’s those fries. They’re so delicious, they hypnotise you into sleeping.”
“Do you think we’re alone?” The question spilled out before I could stop it.
“Well, yes. There’s only me and you in here.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. I pointed out of the window, up to the sky. “I mean do you think we’re the only living things in the universe?”
Macie glanced over at me, her eyes narrowed, and her pink lips pulled into a thin line. “You sure you’re ok? You’re acting a bit weird tonight.”
“I’m fine,” I said, laughing to ease her worry. “Just having one of those moments.”
“Ah, Princess Pan is back on board, daydreaming about wonderful things. Although, I’m not sure how wonderful aliens would be.”
“Do you think it’s possible there’s other things we don’t know about out there?”
“If we thought there wasn’t, I think that’d be pretty stupid. The size of the universe and the limited understanding we have of it, I think it’s obvious there are other things out there. The question is more what are they and are they so advanced that they can visit us?”
Whilst Macie thought I was talking about aliens, she had a point. It would be close-minded to think that nothing existed outside of the scientific explanations
we have already in front of us. But then again, when thinking of how far science has come in even the last ten years, surely they would have discovered such creatures as fairies by now?
I sighed as Macie chattered on about what she thought aliens might look like if they did exist. All I could picture was a tiny blonde human in a tatty green outfit with sparkly wings attached to her back. It was then I realised how stupid I was being. Since when did people, regardless of their size, have wings coming out of their backs?
That sealed it for me. Despite my heart wanting fairies to exist, they physically couldn’t exist. It didn’t make sense. End of story.
Chapter 3
Macie pulled into the parking lot of Pinewoods Residential Home for the Elderly. The sprawling white building always reminded me of a mansion you’d expect a Mafia boss to own in some hot country.
“Thanks, Mace, I’ll text you tomorrow.”
“Sure. Hey, watch out for your friends,” she said, laughing and pointing up at the sky.
I rolled my eyes at her and waved as I headed towards the mahogany double doors. My gran had been in here for nearly two years. She had dementia and had gotten steadily worse with time. I knew she wouldn’t be here much longer. Dad refused to accept that her time was near.
The home was all on ground level and its fifty rooms took up almost half of its ten-acre plot. The remainder was all beautifully landscaped grounds, sculpted water fountains, and pristine wooden benches.
I walked inside, the wooden floor gleaming as usual. Tania, the young receptionist, greeted me with a warm smile. Heading to the right, I walked towards my gran’s room, each step making my heart pound harder than the one before. Adrenaline buzzed through my veins as the unknown loomed ahead of me like a dark cloud.
At the very end of the long wide corridor, a stunning oil painting of angels and clouds sat on the white wall. To the right was Gran’s room. I hesitated outside for several seconds. I hated seeing her slowly losing her dignity and everything about her that once made her my gran. There was also the minor issue of the situation at home.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and decided to just take things in my stride. I wouldn’t force anything to happen.