The next day at school passed nauseatingly slow, mostly due to the fact that I couldn't wait for that night. What should I wear to a fairy party? Should I bring something? Would Lattie get in trouble for bringing me? Would I really be at risk of any danger?
I stared out the new set of French doors beside me, lost in thought. I hadn't spent a minute within reality all day until something hit me in the arm. I snapped back into reality fast and almost fell off of my stool. I didn't need to look to see who’d thrown something at me.
"Max, what the hell is your problem?" I snapped.
She just gave an evil smirk. "I was just checking to see if you're alive." She got up from her stool then. "Class is over by the way," she added.
I looked around in alarm. Had I actually daydreamed the whole day away? Again? Crap. I scrambled my stuff together and ran out the door.
I headed over to the gallery. It was Tuesday and the freight shipment was coming in. I spent a few hours there receiving everything and putting it away like I usually did. By now, I had it down to a science; I could probably do that part of my job with my eyes closed. Celadine hadn't shown up to sign off on it, so I left it on her desk. She was probably still spending time with her brother. I’d forgotten to ask how long he was in town for; I bet he’d be interesting to meet if he was anything like Celadine.
I got my jacket and said goodbye to Mona on the way out. She just gave me a slight nod, as she usually did, which was a step up from the usual nothing that I used to get from her. I rushed home on my bike to get ready for the party. I was hoping Lattie would be there so I could ask her what I should wear or what to bring. She was there, waiting anxiously for me. After twenty minutes of me trying to conclude what I was going to wear, Lattie became quite impatient.
"Avery, you look fine! Let’s go!" she persisted as she yanked on my sleeve. She had watched me change my outfit about five times until I decided on jeans and yellow top.
"Wait, I have to leave a note for Julie," I claimed. Julie was working at the library tonight and then hanging out with Will after, so she might not be home before me. But just in case, I wanted to leave her a note. But what should I write? ‘Hey Jules, out with my fairy friends in the woods, but don't try to come find me; it's enchanted so you won't find it’? I settled for letting her know that I was just out and will be back later.
Soon, I was tramping through the trees with Lattie, feeling like a fool as I tripped over every second stump or root. We were somewhere close to the park across from the apartment, but I literally had no idea how to get back.
"Lattie, are you sure you know where you are going?" I asked as I stumbled over a bunch of tree roots for the hundredth time.
"Avery, please, I'm a sprite, of course, I know where it is," she replied as she danced around the air in front of my face. "You just have to be patient, you don't find the party, it finds you."
"Whatever that means," I mumbled. My knees were grass stained from falling and my hair was a mess. I sat down on a large rock and crossed my arms.
She flew over to me and laid her two tiny hands on my cheeks.
"Let's dance," she insisted as she yanked on my chin. I knew that I didn't want to dance but, for some reason, I began to. It was like my body melted into a relaxed state. I spiraled around with my hands in the air while Lattie flew around me doing little pirouettes. When I closed my eyes, I could swear that I heard music playing in the near distance. I laughed involuntarily while we danced around in the woods like a couple of crazies.
When I opened my eyes, we were surrounded by a magical party, as if we had suddenly been teleported there. Surprised, I stopped in my tracks while I looked around and took it all in. It wasn't anything like I had imagined. It was better. Fairies of all sorts gathered and were reveling in the night. Some played the lovely music I’d heard with banjo and harp-like instruments that I had never seen before; goblin-type fey hung from the branches above me while a bunch of others danced around and enjoyed the music. There were tables of fruit and cake everywhere, and it was as if the stars had come down and illuminated the wooded scene around me.
"Come, let’s go dance!" Lattie squealed. I followed her toward the center of the party where the dancing seemed to originate. On the way, we passed one of the tables of fruit. With a closer look, I realized that, just like the instruments, I didn't recognize anything. The apples weren’t quite apples, they were skinless and almost see through, like onions. But they looked so juicy and sweet; I was tempted to take one. But then I remembered the rules that Lattie had given me. Plus, I valued my skin far too much. I shook my head and continued to follow her to the gathering of fairies.
We spent hours just dancing around and singing, drunk on music and laughter. As we danced, luminous colors flowed in the air around me, making it near impossible to stop moving. The colors were like light waves splashing everywhere, filling the air with sweet sounds and wonderful scents.
I met a trio of lovely fairies who sang enchanting songs. They all wore long white dresses that were draped over their shoulders and held together with braids and beads.
"We could weave many beautiful things into your hair, little one," said the fairy with cotton candy colored hair that hung almost to the ground. Her voice sounded like a harp plucking each word like a beautiful tune. "You have beautiful hair, for someone from Iron World," she added.
"Um, thank you," I replied, drunk on music and laughter. "Maybe another time, though?" I was hoping that I would get an invite back here some time, it was beyond magnificent.
"Yes, another time. You know where to find me," she agreed as she took my hand and spun me around. I spun in circles until my vision was so blurred that I had to close my eyes to keep from getting dizzy. When I finally stopped, she was holding a piece of fruit, the kind that resembled an apple.
"Would you like one?" the magnificent fairy asked. "They are delicious, it is the last crop of the summer apples."
So they were apples. I wanted to say no because of what Lattie had warned me, I really didn't want to end up chewing through one of my limbs. But I accepted it, I couldn't resist. I took the apple from her hand and bit into it. It had the texture of an onion but the sweetness of an apple and the juiciness of a watermelon. The smell intoxicated me and I scrambled to lick every drop from my hands, fighting the urge to suck it from my pores. But, I stopped myself when I almost instantly began to see things…differently.
As I glanced around, I saw some of the fairies change as if they were losing their grandeur, appearing to not be as lovely as I’d thought they were. Some were still magnificent and beautiful like the fairy I danced with, but others appeared to be more like trolls, goblins, and other monsters, and I no longer saw the colors in the air. What was happening to me? Scared, I began to panic, but continued to dance; it was like I had no control over my legs or arms. And where did Lattie go? She’d told me not to leave her, that things could happen to me if I wasn't with her.
Over by a picnic table, carved from what looked like bone, I saw a few pixies hanging a young human boy from a tree by his shorts and stuffing things down them. One of the pixies was perched on the boy’s back and pulled his hair from the roots. Blood dripped down the boy’s face, but he seemed to enjoy it.
I had to use all of my concentration to break free of the dance and wandered around trying to find Lattie. I was beginning to get really scared now. Lattie had told me that if I ate the fruit disturbing things could happen or possibly nothing at all. But it’s almost as if something else entirely had happened to me. I was alert and terrified, seeing things for what they really were.
As I looked around for Lattie, I passed some really creepy creatures along the way. I met what I assumed was a troll. He was big and stumpy looking, with sandy colored skin shaped with layers of wrinkles.
"Excuse me? Have you seen a little blue sprite?" I asked, hopeful that he would help. He just stared at me angrily, eyeing me up and down.
"Who are you!" the troll bellowed at me. "Di
d the Queen send you?" When he spoke of the Queen, the fey around us stopped dancing and fell silent to stare at us.
"What? The Queen, no, I think you have me mistaken," I informed him with a shaky reply. "My name is Avery, I’m from the Iron World. I came here with my friend, Lattie."
"Lattie, the sprite who belongs to the Seelie Court?" he asked bluntly. I had no idea where Lattie really came from. She did say that she was running away from some fairies, but hadn’t said who. Truthfully, I’d never bothered to ask her.
"Um, I’m not sure sir," I trembled. "I just want to find her so I can go home."
He kept eyeing me suspiciously. "Can you see me?" he asked, off topic. What was he talking about? Of course, I could see him, we were having a conversation.
"Yes," I said slowly.
"What do I look like to you?"
"Um, like a troll?" I replied, choosing my words carefully. I didn't want to say he looked like a scary, wrinkly ogre that could sit on me or eat me.
"And you swear that the Queen did not send you?"
I was beginning to understand what Lattie meant about them being stupid. "No sir,” I answered.
"Humph. Interesting," he muttered to himself. "An Iron Worlder who can see through my glamor," then he pointed to the left, toward the deeper woods. "I saw your friend go toward the water."
I was too scared to move. "Thank you," I replied meekly. I waited for him to leave. Once he was gone, I headed toward the pond. Why would Lattie leave me and the party to go to the pond? I stumbled through the thick woods, nearly falling on my face every second step. I may have been hallucinating from fear, but it seemed like the trees were…alive. The ones closest to me hovered discreetly, extending their branches toward me and letting their silky green leaves touch my skin lightly as I passed. When I finally came through an opening to the beach, I ran as far from the forest as I could, but as I approached the water’s edge, I remembered what my friend had warned me about kelpies. I was on alert as I looked for Lattie, keeping a good distance from the water but also from the tree line.
"Lattie!" I shouted, hoping she would hear me. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. "Lattie!"
"I know where your friend is," spoke a deep, but musical, voice. I turned to find a horse sticking its head out of the water; only it seemed a little strange looking. It didn’t have beautiful hair like a horse; instead, it was coated in shimmery black scales and wiry strands for its mane that had trinkets woven into it. The creature’s huge, diamond-shaped eyes were tar black, blacker than its scales.
"Really, where is she?"
"In here, in the water with me," the creature cooed. I almost ran toward the water but then realized what this creature was.
"Well tell her to come out here, please," I ordered. "You won't be drowning me tonight, kelpie."
The kelpie smiled and slowly floated closer to me. "You are wise to not come in here, little one," it informed me. "But I do know where your friend is. I will make a trade with you."
"I'm sorry; I don't have anything worth trading," I told it.
"I beg to differ, that bracelet of yours is very pretty."
I glanced down at the beautiful bracelet that Tess had made for me. I couldn't bear to part with it. But I really wanted to get home, desperately.
"Okay, here," I said, holding it out for the creature.
"Would you be so kind as to weave it into my hair for me?" It asked.
I hesitated for a moment but then thought that the kelpie wouldn’t hurt me if we were making a trade. But what if it was a trap? I wanted to cry so badly. I just wanted to go home. But I needed Lattie for that. I walked toward the water creature slowly and shakily, on the verge of tears.
"That's it, just a little closer," coaxed the horse monster.
I was up to my knees in the water now, reaching for the wiry mane with my trembling hands. Just as my cold and wet fingers touched the oily wire mane, someone shouted from behind me.
"Avery! What are you doing?" shouted Lattie. "Get out of there now!"
I turned and tried to run out of the water, but it was too late. I was being pulled under, into the murky pond. Cold, disgusting water filled my lungs as I struggled to get to the surface. Just one breath of air! I thought to myself, as I sucked in more water. I kicked and grabbed anything in my reach, hoping to get free, but I could feel the pressure from the kelpie’s huge hooves holding me down along with its massive fish tail wrapped around my torso. Suddenly, my limbs began to go numb and my chest tightened. I was drowning, and I was very aware of it. My lungs burned as if they were soaked in gasoline, my limbs ached as my body clung to every last drop of oxygen in my system. Poor Lattie, I thought, she’s too tiny to save me. I hope she got away. After one more failed attempt to free myself, the kelpie tightened its tail around my body like a snake choking its prey, and I couldn’t help but close my eyes and accept what was happening.
But suddenly, I was abruptly yanked from my cold, watery resting place and thrown onto a hard and gritty surface. I struggled to open my eyes but couldn't find the strength. Someone was beating on my chest and mumbling something loudly. I couldn't hear anything, it all sounded like the grownups from a Charlie Brown TV special. All of a sudden, the muddy water in my lungs burned as it made its way up and spewed out my mouth.
I thought I could feel someone’s fingers on my cheeks. No, not fingers, tiny hands, Lattie’s hands! I fought harder to open my eyes but could only see blurred colors and shapes, like I was waking up from a really long dream. The muffled sounds slowly started to come into focus, like I had a bad signal on the radio and I suddenly got a slightly better one.
Someone's large hand was supporting my back as they helped me to sit up. I looked around for Lattie and she was already in front of my face, her little hands on my cheeks, I noticed that her black eyes were glossed over. I glanced to my left to see who had saved me and found the grumpy troll. I was so overwhelmed with everything that I didn't know what else to do but cry. I broke down and bawled my eyes out there on the muddy beach.
"Good to see that you are alive, little one. I found your friend here just after I was speaking to you."
I managed to control my sobs long enough to look at him. "Thank you so much. Thank you for saving me. What's your name?"
He was hesitant for a moment like he didn't want to tell me his name.
"Oh, do not worry," Lattie interrupted. "Avery, is different, trust me. She is not a regular Iron Worlder." I felt flattered that Lattie considered me different.
The troll grunted. "My name is Oliver. And if you will excuse me, I need to be getting back." And that was it. He got up and trudged back toward the party.
"Did you have fun?” asked my little blue friend, even though she knew the answer.
I just gave her an eye roll and plopped back down into the sand with relief.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
REVELATIONS