Book One, Chapter Four: Fairies, Fairies, Everywhere Fairies

           





At 151 Sweet Briar Avenue, Doctor Linda Abbott spoke with the police for the tenth time that day. They had searched everywhere for her. She sent Peter and Richard out into the woods to search for signs and tracks. They whistled for her by forming a cup with their hands and making a dove-like call. Jessie normally returned the call and ran home promptly. But not this time. They gave up on the dove call and shouted through a neighbor’s bullhorn.

            She called the police at 1 p.m. when it became clear Jessica wouldn’t return home to help her bake the birthday cake. She prayed she went to visit a friend and forgot to mention it.

            She wondered if Jessica's biological parents came to claim her. It seemed the most unlikely possibility of all. They'd left their own baby alone in the woods, wrapped only in a thin cotton shawl. She didn't think they'd suddenly, twelve years later, want her back.

            The birthday guests would arrive soon. She phoned the girls whose numbers she had. Jessie's best friend, Eva, put a message on the Facebook page telling everyone the party was off. She hoped they received the message but that was the least of her worries. 

 

* * *

 

            Jessica stood, frozen on the rock with her t-shirt torn to shreds, waiting for the horrible creature to arrive. What could scare off the flesh-eating flower babies, after all?

            She felt a wave of relief when a beautiful lady glided down the path towards her. The woman wore a shimmering dress that blended in with her sparkling skin. On top of the lady’s head rested a crown of crystal. Colorful flowers seemed to grow in her long, silver hair.

            It almost seemed like they grew before Jessica’s very own eyes. But that's impossible. In a matter of seconds, the lady floated to the edge of the plant wall. She lifted one delicate hand and waved it. The plants shriveled back into the ground. The trapped flower baby took this opportunity to flee to the safety of the bushes.

            Now, Jessica could see the woman more completely. The lady studied her for a moment too, eyeing her necklace impassively. She realized she must have seen this strange woman before, maybe in another dream. Something about her seemed familiar and in the dream . . .

            She leaned to the side to see the woman at a different angle. Sure enough. Nearly transparent wings were folded behind the lady, just like in her other dream. Cool. This didn't seem like a dream, but sometimes she'd have realistic dreams like this.

            “Welcome to Zatar, Child!” The lady spoke in a soprano, sing-song voice as she reached her hands out to touch her face.

            She had to restrain herself from jerking back. It was all too strange. A lady in the forest, with sparkly skin and a sparkly dress and wings too she . . . felt like Halloween had descended upon her in the forest. “Who are you? What is Zatar?” She tried to keep her tone light.

            “You may call me Aletta. And this . . . ” she waved one hand through the air and spun around in a circle, before returning her gaze to Jessica. “ . . . is Zatar. A land apart and a land within.”

            "What does that mean? Do you mean I'm dreaming?"

            "No, you are not dreaming. You are fully awake."

            She didn't buy it but she didn't say so. Aletta looked down at Jessica’s injured leg, “Now, let’s see that bite.” She had forgotten about the wound already. She now could feel blood oozing down onto her sock, though she could hardly feel any pain. She wondered if the flower’s teeth were venomous. “Come sit down and we’ll clean this up.”

            She convinced herself that this was a dream and swallowed her fear as she stuck her leg out. A couple other fairies appeared to help clean and wrap the wound. A fairy with bright green wings brought some unusual looking leaves and mashed them up on a rock. The poultice made her uneasy, but she didn’t voice her concerns.

            “I know you just answered, sorta, but I don’t understand. What is Zatar? How did I get here?”

            Aletta glanced up, her face unreadable. “Oh, dear child. You poor thing. You’re so young. Zatar is an island in the Bosdrian Sea.” Aletta glanced down at her leg, which now had been wrapped up and felt much better. Then, turning to one of the other fairies she said, “Precious Gilmore, could you please go tell Ragnar it has begun. I’m sure he already knows, but he will appreciate the courtesy.”

            Jessica glanced around. She saw thousands of other fairies who must have been with Aletta the whole time. She could hear their wings hitting leaves and fluttering. They ranged from two inches to six feet tall.

            The fairies finished with her leg at last. “Come,” Aletta said. “I want to show you something.”

            She could now see that Aletta’s eyes were silver, more transparent than her hair but still danced with reflective specks. Confused about the situation, though sure of her own mind, Jessica shook her head. “No. I have to go home. My mother is expecting me and it’s my birthday.”

            The woman’s high pitched laugh resounded, hitting almost beyond the audible range. It may have been pleasant in any other circumstance. To Jessica, it seemed mocking. “You cannot go home.”

            She took an involuntary step back. “I’m sorry. I can’t go with you, though I do appreciate the offer. Really. I’m on my way home now. My family is expecting me.” She walked back to the path she had followed earlier that day to return home.

            “Damia.” It was a command.

            She stopped in her tracks, a frown forming on her face. She had only been called Damia by one other. She felt her eyebrows draw in and creases form on her forehead, a habit she tried to stop because it’d surely cause wrinkles over time.

            “Please, child. It is imperative that you stick to my side. You cannot return home today. The portal has already closed.” Her statement sounded firm, one that couldn’t be argued with.

            Somehow, Aletta’s words reminded her of the way Snowglare had led her down the path. Persistent determination. Jessica whipped around, troubled and breathing in shallow bursts. Aletta held out one elegant hand. An ornate, silver ring clung to her forefinger. “Why must I come with you? Who are you?”

            “I am the Queen of the Fairies. There will be a time for explanations. We need to leave this part of the forest now. It isn’t safe for any of us at night. The sun is setting. You have made your decision to come to Zatar already. You have no choice now.”

            “But it wasn’t a decision I made. I didn’t do or decide anything.” Confused tears filled her eyes. But she knew instinctively that Aletta spoke the truth, which meant she was stuck. Her mistake had been following a white deer with red eyes. Oh, what have I done?

            She looked at Aletta’s derisive expression. Her hand still stretched towards her. She reached out and took the Queen’s cool hand in hers. She didn’t know the way out and the sun’s rays had already hit the horizon. The sun moved unusually fast. They walked along the pool of water a little ways and then turned onto a trail she hadn’t observed before.

            “Please, you first.” Queen Aletta stood to the side to let her pass. “I will tell you if you need to turn.”

            She felt trapped while curious at the same time. She was only dreaming, right? So why did it matter? Maybe she ought to just enjoy herself. The beautiful forest spread out around her. Deciduous trees held leaves as broad as she stood tall. On the path grew pretty bright mosses and an occasional blue or yellow mushroom.

            She had trouble keeping a good pace with her sore leg. She thought maybe they could talk while walking. What did Aletta hide? Where did she lure her and should she really believe her? Maybe she ought to duck into the shrubs and run like Snowglare had earlier.

            “Excuse me.” She turned to Aletta. “But what has begun?”

            “The revolution.” Aletta put a gentle hand on her shoulder to encourage her to keep moving.

            “The revolution?”

            “You truly have been told nothing, child?”

            “Umm . . . ”

            “Well, don’t worry about it now. Let’s just keep walking until we get to our campsite. I will lead for a while.” Aletta glided ahead.

            Over time, she realized she held the Queen back. Of course, fairies didn’t need to walk, they flew. She saw that the woman’s feet were an inch above the ground and her wings beat nonstop, making them almost invisible. Jessica became content with walking a distance behind Aletta.

            Looking around, she saw the strange faces and bright colors of other fairies. They dashed from tree to tree, leaf to leaf.  They seemed to be shy folk. Sometimes she could hear their nervous, high-pitched giggles. The bright colors of their wings reminded her of moths on display at a natural history museum in Paris. She had told her father they looked like fairies and her father surprised her when he agreed, rather than telling her fairies were make believe like her mom would say.

            The forest on either side of the path grew more and more dense. A gentle mist had settled in that seemed to be growing thicker. Jessica struggled to see her way through.  One minute she still saw Aletta, the next she the Queen had vanished. Luckily, she could still hear the buzzing of fairy wings and the squeaks of voices.  Jessica kept moving.

            The path forked several times. She chose the most worn one each time – though since fairies did not walk, she couldn’t follow their foot prints. At one point, Jessica couldn’t hear the fluttering of wings or the giggles of fairies anymore. She stopped walking and spun around in fear. “Hello?” she called. She couldn’t hear a sound anywhere and she couldn’t see more than a foot in front of her because of the mist. “Help! I don’t know where I am!”

            “Hello,” a voice said. She looked around and saw a small, male fairy. “It is this way.” The fairy led her down the same path. Apparently she had chosen the right way after all. “You may call me Kamali.”

            She was happy she now had someone to talk to. “Hi, Kamali. I’m Jessica. So tell me . . . when will Aletta take me home?”

            “Umm . . . I'm sorry. I do not know the answer to your question.”

            “Okay. Well, maybe you can explain who Ragnar is for me?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

            “Oh, yes. That I can do. Ragnar is a wise, old man. He is a teacher. A mage,” Kamali said simply.

            “Where are we going?”

             “Into the mists. You’ll be safe there.”

            She wanted to press for more though they came to an area where the underbrush disappeared and the mist thinned. Ground covered with soft grass spread out in front of her. Several large trees, similar to redwoods, towered overhead.

            In the center of the open area sat a large bed with gleaming white blankets and sheets. The bed held up a lacy, white mosquito netting draped over the four bed posts and dropping down to the grass. An elegantly carved cherry table sat a few feet away from the base of the bed. She had never camped like this before. Never in her life had she seen such a dazzling sight. She thought that maybe, just maybe she could get used to this.

            Queen Aletta sailed over to her. “Welcome to our camp for this evening. We should be safe enough here. I hope we will be able to satisfy all of your needs. Please ask for assistance if you ever need it, from any one of us at any time. I’m sure you must be hungry and thirsty. Some of my friends will be arriving shortly with your meal. Meanwhile, I can answer any questions you may have.”

            All thoughts of going home flew out of her mind. “How did you get this bed here?”

            “Oh, that’s a little a gift we fairies have.”

            Magic. Of all the dreams she'd ever had, this certainly would make the top ten list. She smiled as she glanced around. Her smile turned into a frown as she thought about how her parents must already worry about her and her guests might be showing up right at this very moment.

            Several tiny fairies carried a large bowl and fruits of different shapes, sizes, and colors. They placed the bowl on the table and the fruits inside. Several more carried a pitcher of water and a glass. Others brought dozens of nuts and some rocks to break them open with.

            “Wow,” she exclaimed. “I recognize these.”

            “Why, yes.” Aletta picked up a pear and turned it. “Many of the plants in Zatar and Earth are the same. The two worlds are paired. Zatar is the highly magical one while Earth only has the kind of magic that can cross from Zatar to Earth. The two worlds were once the same, but with the arrival of certain beliefs and practices, the magical creatures such as ourselves,” she waved her hand to indicate the fairies, “had to flee to a distant land. We created Zatar as our safe haven.”

            “Come, let’s eat.” Aletta glided over to the table, her long, sparkling hair streaming behind her. “What would you like?”

             “Umm . . . ” She worried too much about her parents at home to feel hungry. “Well . . . how about a mango . . . this one.” Jessica looked the fruit over. It appeared safe enough, but she had read enough fairy tales involving poisoned fruit. No, Jessica thought, fairies according to legend were often tricksters but without truly evil intentions. But could she really go off stories she had heard?   

             “Would you like me to peel that mango for you?” Kamali asked.

            “Okay, sure. Thank you.” She watched Kamali and one of his friends peel the mango deftly. Kamali held the knife on the mango while his friend turned the mango around. The peel fell off in no time.

            With a giggle at her shocked expression, Kamali handed the mango over. “Here you go.”

            “Thanks.” She looked back at the Fairy Queen. For some reason, the others watched her closely. Not only Aletta, but just about every fairy she could see stared at her, as if waiting for something. “Umm . . . " What’s going on? “You all don’t have to stand around and stare at me. Please eat too so I don’t feel so self-conscious.”

            Within no time, the fairies raced to the fruit and nuts and began to eat as if ravenous. Some of them fought over the quickly diminishing food.

            She studied the peeled mango. Since everyone else ate enthusiastically, it made her hungry. And, besides, if they were all eating the food, it couldn’t be poison. She bit into the best tasting mango she had ever eaten. She savored each juicy mouthful.

            She pulled out her Hershey's chocolate bar since no meal was ever complete without chocolate. She ate a few squares. She wanted to save some just in case she didn't make it home tomorrow.

            She felt tired from the day’s strange events. All she wanted was to crawl in bed, but it seemed she would not be able to slip by the fairies without being noticed. Several fairies asked her if she needed help changing into a dazzling white nightgown that looked more like a wedding dress than something to sleep in. She refused vehemently several times before they backed off. But, she ended up getting caught inside the gown somewhere between the waistline and the armpits.

            “Do you desire assistance?” Kamali asked.

            “No thanks.” But she still could not pull the gown on, much to her embarrassment.

            “Are you sure?”

            “Oh, all right. You may help.” But not only Kamali rushed over to help. About ten other fairies did too. After that, she decided if they asked if she needed help again, she would let them. They obviously wanted to help her and denying them seemed almost cruel.

            As she collapsed into bed, her pillow emitted a perfume of lavender and rosemary. Around her, four fairies stayed awake, guarding each bed post. The others settled down on the moss floor, on tree leaves, and on top of the bed quilt. She didn’t have time to think over the day’s events before sleep took her. But, her dreams were wild and ominous. She dreamt some of her brother, Peter, and her best friend, Eva. They came to Zatar to rescue her from the Fairy Queen and bring her back home. Back to Virginia. Maybe she dreamt of Zatar . . . but on the other hand maybe Virginia had been the dream.

 

* * *

 

“Mom! We need to bake the cake before my guests arrive,” Jessica mumbled before she woke up fully.

"Good morning. I'm glad you're finally awake. We have long way to go today."

She heard the voice and recognized it, but it took her several moments to process what that meant. "What? Why are you still here? This dream is supposed to be over!"

"It isn't a dream," Aletta said impatiently.

She bit her lip. Her poor parents. They would be angry with her for disappearing. How would she ever return home?

Once again, she lost track of time as the sun moved through the sky. She thought they were going deeper into the forest. The thicket became even more dense and a dark haze descended over them, blocking out some of the sunlight. It seemed like a black sheet rested on the trees. The day dragged on and on, and the sun never set. Jessica didn’t have a watch on and her cell phone had died so she could be sure of the time.

She hoped time passed in such a way in Zatar that she would get back in time for her birthday despite everything else.

“Queen Aletta, please let me go home,” Jessica cried, before she realized she had even thought the words. Her legs and feet were tired and she felt dizzy.

Aletta turned to stare at her. She raised her eyebrows as if to say, you are tougher than this.

She heard little squeaks and distant laughs that sounded like bells. The fairies were mocking her. Their muffled voices sounded far away. She saw their quick movements, an arm here, and a wing there. She would occasionally hear a voice and see a curious, pale face.

            After miles upon miles of dark thickets, the forest finally opened up. There still were trees but they stood apart and beneath them were mosses and ferns rather than dense bushes and briars.

She could sense movement all around her, but every time she turned, the figure would disappear behind a large tree trunk. The trees looked like giant sequoias with their needle leaves and majestic, furry boles.

            Finally, what looked like a village appeared. Aletta led her to a clearing with several shelters built of wood. She went to one building and pushed open a door of twine, weaved together. It appeared larger inside than Jessica thought it would be.

The floors and walls were empty until a Queen sized bed appeared out of the air without a sound, like it had been there all along and Jessica had only missed it. The sheets reflected pure white and had a crocheted canopy on top. A bedside table appeared next to the bed, with a porcelain bowl and a pitcher filled with lavender fragranced water.

            “Please wash up and get some rest. You’re going to need it. And what would you like to eat?”

            “Nothing, please. I’m fine.” Really, her stomach ached, but she felt too exhausted to eat. Plus her body felt tense from nerves.

            Aletta peered at her, assessing. “I’ll have some food brought to you just in case you change your mind.”

            “Thank you.”

When she lay down without undressing, the pillows released the sweet smell of lavender, sage and sweet mint. She supposed the herbs the fairies put in the pillows were supposed to help her sleep since she drifted off to sleep before her head sank all the way into the soft cushion.

 

* * *

 

On Sweet Briar Avenue, Dr. Linda Abbott’s screams of hysteria could be heard all the way down the street. Richard Abbott remained calm. He tried to soothe his family with gentle words. “Sweetie, I’ll do everything I can to get her back. You know that. Everything will be fine. We’ll find her.”

Linda nodded through her tears.

Peter remained sitting at the kitchen table, unmoving, with a blank stare on his face. He hadn’t played a single computer game in two weeks. He had flunked every single final exam for the school year. Until the day it happened, the day she vanished, he hadn’t realized how much his little sister meant to him. His father’s words washed over him though he couldn’t make any sense of them. He thought his parents had both lost their minds. Jessie was gone.