The figure lifted his hands slowly, head bowed, to push the hood away from his face. Glenna gasped in shock as he lifted his head and stared directly into her eyes.
"Roger... I mean, Atterberry...." She turned towards Flutter, who was now sitting cross-legged on a silver rose. She relaxed against the soft petals, sinking into the flower as if it were a cushion. "He scared me. I thought... I thought it was something bad."
Flutter shrugged and sighed as she stretched. "Of course not, it's just Atterberry." The crowd cheered for Atterberry, moving out of his way and clearing a path to the stage where Glenna sat as he moved towards her.
"Glenna," Atterberry began with a deep bow. As Glenna watched, a single glowing flower lined with leaves appeared in Atterberry's hand. As he straightened, he held it up as if presenting it.
"I would like to welcome you to Dychymyg. Or Otherworld, for short. We've been waiting for you."
Glenna started to rise. She felt the urgent need to make Roger recognize her, to really see her and realize they knew each other in another world. To not only know her as a stranger. Her throat felt choked up and tears filled her eyes suddenly.
Noticing her sadness, Atterberry leaned towards her, lowering his voice so the others could not hear them.
"What's wrong?" Atterberry rested one foot on the edge of the stage, leaning against his bended knee with his arms loosely crossed. His wild hair rose eerily above his head as if it were crackling white lightning lifting towards the heavens, but his clear blue eyes stared seriously into Glenna's, and she felt suddenly that he did know her.
"I... I don't know. So much."
A smile started on the left side of Atterberry's mouth as he chucked her under the chin. "Let's see if I can cheer you up." With his statement, Atterberry leapt on top of the stage and whirled to face the crowd, his cloak swinging widely around him and his arms bursting forth from the heavy, loose sleeves.
His voice boomed as he began, "I'm sensing something. Today is a very special day. Today... Today is...." Glenna felt the hairs rise on her arms as he spoke. It reminded her eerily of something.
"Today is Glenna's birthday!" he finished and the crowd cheered delightedly. This morning, Glenna thought, he said that to me just this morning. But the morning seemed to be ages ago.
"And so... as my gift to you...." Atterberry continued to face the crowd, but Glenna could see his eyes twinkling merrily as he shifted his gaze to her. "I will perform my magic!" His voice boomed again as he lowered his arms. As she watched, glittering stones fell from his sleeves in streams, washing the stage with dazzling colors as the light from the openings in the ceiling reflected off the rocks.
Atterberry stooped, grabbing a handful from the floor and, holding them up to his face, he took a deep breath and blew. The stones disintegrated into a sparkling dust of green, red, blue, and white, floating across the crowd. They stared up at it in awe, the light reflecting in their eyes, bursting and exploding in stunning clouds. Atterberry continued to stoop and turn handfuls of stones into the ashes of gems until the room was filled with shimmering light radiating from the dust-covered floor. To Glenna, it looked like waves of multi-colored sand as it covered the flagstones. Even the musicians stopped playing to watch in fascination.
"What is he doing? Those stones must be so valuable."
Flutter studied her fingernails. "I guess they aren't."
Atterberry laughed joyously as he watched the crowd and then he turned to Glenna. She couldn't help but smile at him as he lifted a handful of the stones and turned them to dust with a single breath. It covered the chair and Glenna, reminding her of the glitter she decorated her eggs with at Easter.
"And now, if you're ready...," Atterberry said. "Let the feast begin."
With a wave of his arm, a curtain fell away, revealing a long table covered in food. Pitchers and goblets of drinks covered the surface, which was decorated liberally with flowers, vines, and the stones. A massive cake was placed carefully in the center of the table, surrounded by plates and bowls overflowing with hot breads, meats, cheeses, and vegetables. The cake glittered just as splendidly as the stones and gave Glenna an idea. "It's sugar, isn't it?" she asked Atterberry.
He smiled and winked in response. "It is now."
Bowls of fruit and cream crowded the end of the table. Glenna rose from her chair and walked slowly to the banquet. Her stomach growled and she realized with a start that she was hungry. Very hungry.
"Why isn't anyone eating?" she whispered to Flutter as she lingered near the table.
"It's your birthday, and you're the guest of honor. They're waiting on you to start."
Glenna gulped and selected a thin glass plate. It was pale green and looked exactly like a leaf. Thin veins etched themselves across the surface and the edges tilted up ever so slightly. It resembled a leaf so closely that Glenna thought for a moment it must have been plucked from one of the trees outside and transformed by some sort of magic. She tried to hurry through the line so the others could fill their own plates, but it was hard to decide what she wanted. Everything looked and smelled delicious. The scent of spices rose delicately in the air to compete with the warm, earthy smell of fresh baked bread.
Even in her hurry, she couldn't help but stop in front of the large cake. It was gorgeous. Snaps and pops of light danced along the edges of the white tablecloth as it reflected the colored sugar. As she stared at it, a noise grew behind her. With a start, she realized everyone was singing in celebration of her birthday. She turned, smiling bashfully at the crowd as they applauded her.
* * *
Glenna groaned as she leaned back in her chair. She was stuffed, but the table appeared to be as full as ever. All around her, people lounged on the floor or against the walls, eating and talking. During the supper, several fairies had slunk in through the openings in the ceiling and now draped themselves along the rafters like banners. Here and there, Glenna spied them among the crowd, but they disappeared quickly, fading away in the wake of people or into curtains and behind walls. Shifty as shadows, Glenna thought.
The orange glow of the sun sank into a darkening blue. Sprites hovered and flew among the crowds and in and out of the windows as light on the night air as the soft music the dwarves danced to in the corner. Many glowed brightly in the twilight and, where they hovered in groups, a strong light covered the floor beneath them. Glenna leaned back in her chair, staring up at the stars above.
They still glitter brighter than the stones, Glenna thought as she faded off to sleep.
* * *
A cool drop of water splashed on the center of her head and Glenna opened her eyes with a snap. A fire had been started in the corner fireplace and it popped lazily, throwing shifting orange shadows over the rough stone floor.
Glenna straightened, confused, before looking up. Rain was pouring in through the open skylights and she hurried to move to a dry spot as Atterberry, several knights, the man in the brown shirt from earlier, and various sprites hurried to unroll the covers and block out the downpour.
The fairies watched idly from their perches, the orange light of the fire reflecting in their eyes like dancing demons. As the rain slowed overhead, the fire shifted and crackled, warming the now chilly room. Glenna returned to a pile of blankets in the corner.
As she watched, the sprites flew to their nighttime resting spots, their wings shimmering. Atterberry was wringing his cloak out by the fire, before giving up and removing it. He hung it to dry over a nearby chair. The knights returned to their corner and continued talking, their voices low and muffled. She watched them all, distracted as the combination of sleepiness and the warmth of the fire enveloped her. Once more, Glenna drifted off.
* * *
The next morning, Glenna woke slowly. Her eyes felt gritty and, for a moment, she felt dazed. Where am I? she thought as she stretched.
She surveyed the room. Almost empty, it echoed with memories of the night before. The stone dust still lingered in spots, thought it was losin
g its color. Empty cups and plates covered the windowsills and floors. Flutter slept soundly, curled up in a large red flower.
Glenna had just decided not to wake her when she heard the cry of distress. She started, jostling the tall crystal glass that held the flower. It wobbled slightly, sending Flutter tumbling to the water below. Glenna gasped in surprise as the sprite splashed to the surface. She turned the vase on its side, spilling some of the water so Flutter could climb out. The sprite glared at her yet again.
"That is not a good way to start the morning. Why did you do that?"
Glenna widened her eyes in alarm. "Didn't you hear that noise?"
"Hear what?" Flutter asked as she wrung out her hair, which was quickly returning from white to a lavender hue.
"Me!" Atterberry cried as he stumbled through the door. "If it was mourning, sadness, and despair all wrapped into one lonely cry, then it must have been me you heard." He groaned as he leaned against the doorframe and then slid desolately to the floor.
His striking hair drooped sadly towards the ground as he covered his eyes with one hand dramatically.
Something looked different to Glenna about Atterberry, but she couldn't place what it was. "What's wrong?"
"Haven't you noticed?" he groaned as his head dropped backwards and he stared at the ceiling.
"Noticed what?" Glenna asked.
"Oh, no! Atterberry!" Flutter exclaimed. Her soaked wings moved slowly as she attempted to rise and fly to him. Dejected, she lowered herself back to the armrest and stared angrily at Glenna.
Glenna offered her hand and, after a moment's hesitation, Flutter climbed aboard.
"It's gone! And so is my magic."
"What's gone?" Glenna asked as she carried Flutter to the magician.
"My cloak!" Atterberry exclaimed at the same time as Flutter shouted, "His cloak!"
"Sorry," Glenna almost whispered.
"Why? It's not your fault."
"I mean, sorry I didn't notice. You can still do magic without your cloak," Glenna started to say, before Atterberry stopped her.
"I most certainly cannot!" He sat up, indignant. Crossing his arms, he stared out the door, refusing to meet Glenna's gaze.
"Well... where did you last leave it?" Glenna asked.
"I didn't leave it anywhere. I am not that careless. It must have been stolen," Atterberry said with a decisive nod of his head.
"But if you didn't take it off, then how could anyone steal it?" Glenna knelt next to him on the floor. She could see the lines of worry in Atterberry's face.
"I did take it off. When it started raining. I helped pull the covers over the skylights and I was soaked. I hung it up carefully to dry and when I woke this morning, it was gone. I've looked everywhere," he finished mournfully, his voice choked.
Glenna was puzzled. She didn't remember it raining at first. But, instinctively, she glanced at the skylights. The covers, in a wide range of different colors, flapped merrily in the breeze, wrinkling in waves as the morning air passed over them. It came back to her suddenly.
"Oh, Atterberry," she said as she patted his arm, "we'll find it. It will be fine."
"How will we ever find it? How will we find this... this... dastardly fellow who has taken it?"
"I don't know," Glenna said. "But we will. He or she can't have gotten very far."
"You don't know that," Flutter chimed in. "Our world is huge! Much larger than yours."
"Your world... Oh no, I have to go home. My parents will be worried sick. I've been gone all night!" Glenna exclaimed. She stood quickly and hurried away, calling over her shoulder to Atterberry, where he remained slumped against the door.
"I'll find your cloak, Atterberry. Don't worry."
He stood and shouted something to her, but she didn't stop to listen. A deep panic filled her chest as the thought of her parents. They must be worried sick, she thought as she ran up the curving path.
All around her, the trees waved in the early morning air. The fresh, clean scent of the earth after a rain filled her senses and her feet slid on the damp ground. The grass edging the gray dust path seemed alive and bursting with energy, the flowers standing at attention as she passed. Glenna had never seen anything so beautiful.
Even though she thought it would be quite difficult, it was actually very easy to find the trail back through the woods. It almost seemed to be calling to her and she disappeared among the tree leaves as effortlessly as a fairy.
She rushed down the path, the stones bruising her feet through her thin slippers. Brambles and thorns caught at her dress as if the world was trying to prevent her escape, but she pulled free. Finally, the bridge appeared before her and she hurried across, clutching her necklace.
As she exited the archway, the first thing she noticed was that she felt heavier. She slowed cautiously, straining her ears for familiar sounds. The noise of voices and music grew louder as she followed the path. Stopping, she peered around a tree trunk.
CHAPTER FIVE
A Mysterious Coincidence
The sight that met her eyes was welcome. She was home! Once more, tents full of wares that looked not quite as real as they had in Otherworld filled the small area. People in costumes paraded to and fro. Glenna stopped in surprise as she noticed a man with pointy hair and a long leather cloak covered in spikes. He very much resembled someone she had seen before... the hedgehog man....
Glenna took a breath and, feeling a desperate urge to see her family, strove to make her way through the crowd. The familiar smell of tangy spices and roasting meat filled her senses as she ran up the hill and towards her parents' tent. She gasped for air, struggling to continue. She felt a sudden desperation to be with them, to reassure them that she was okay, and to make sure they were.
Finally, finally, she saw her parents' tent in the distance. Her mother was consulting with a thin lady in a yellow halter top and long red skirt. Her makeup was intricate, the colors matching her clothing, and her hair was wound in dozens of haphazard braids.
Nearby, her father sat perched on an overturned bucket behind the counter, typing into his computer where it rested on a makeshift cardboard desk. Glenna slowed, sighing and gasping with relief as she saw them. She was shocked to find that she was shaking. She leaned against a tree trunk with one hand, half bent while she caught her breath.
"Where have you been?" a voice said from behind her.
She whirled and faced her brother. "I've been... I've been... wait, haven't you been worried?" she asked, confused. He didn't seem particularly bothered. Only curious. She glanced at her parents and was puzzled to find they, too, didn't seem to be acting as if they were worried or concerned. At all. Not like she thought they would be when their daughter didn't return home all night.
David shrugged as he walked around her. Glancing down, Glenna saw that he had made the area behind the tree his personal playground. A fallen trunk was littered with miniature knights and soldiers, while a troop of mounted men scaled a nearby boulder.
"Not really. I mean, you haven't been gone that long," David said.
Glenna stopped, puzzled. "I haven't been gone that long? All night isn't that long?"
"What are you talking about?" David asked her, a puzzled expression on his narrow face. His brown hair stood up in tufts and a smear of dirt trailed across his cheek. "You've only been gone an hour. They were worried you were gonna miss lunch. That's all."
"An hour?" Glenna stared at him, mouth agape.
"Yeah," he said, nodding earnestly at her as if she had been hit on the head, "an hour. Anyway, do you want to play with me? I've got my troops all ready." He gestured happily at his toys.
Glenna paused and then nodded slowly. "I suppose I can." She didn't mind playing with David when they were traveling in the bus, but when they were around other people, she didn't find it quite as much fun. She liked to explore and talk to her friends. But she felt so sorry for him as he stared up at her with wide, earnest eyes, that she couldn't deny him his fun. She knew he
was little, and he didn't have anyone else to play with.
"But I'm going to go get something to eat first," Glenna said before turning to walk back to the tent.
Her parents waved as they saw her approach, and she waved back slowly. As she accepted the offered sandwich and settled on the rough ground next to her father, her skirt spread carefully around her sun-browned legs to shield them from the prickly grass, she pondered what had occurred. Or what she thought had occurred.
Her sandwich was delicious. Mrs. Tate had used the smoky, roasted turkey meat served at the faire and thick chunks of homemade bread. This, combined with her special spicy mustard, made Glenna's mouth water. The ice-cold lemonade washed it down well. She drank generously, her throat parched from her run. I must have fallen asleep, she thought as she ate. There's no other explanation. How could it be almost the same time here when a whole night passed there?
Glenna sighed at the sudden pang of sadness in her chest. The thought that Flutter, the knights, the music, the food, and Atterberry had all been a dream made her eyes well with tears. Her sandwich felt suddenly dry and tasteless in her mouth, and she struggled to choke it down. As she thought of them and the fact that none of it had existed, that it couldn't have, she even wished the cold fairies back.
She sighed again, placing her sandwich on the cardboard table, and brushed the tears away. Staring disconsolately at the ground, she tried to remember when and where she had fallen asleep. Let's see, she thought, I walked onto the path and across the bridge. That's when all the strange things started happening. Or was it? It seemed like there might have been something strange just before she reached the bridge.
Glenna wrinkled her forehead in concentration as she tried to remember. She saw the path when.... Her hand went to her necklace. It couldn't have been a dream, her mind argued. I know I saw the path, just a flash of it, when I touched my necklace.
Her head came up swiftly as a new spark of hope appeared in her eyes.
"Time must flow differently there," Glenna whispered to herself.
"Did you say something, Glenna?" her father asked as he looked up from his computer.