Back to the Field (Free Fantasy Short Story)
Beenie flew up and over the trees, heading for the field.
She beat her wings as fast as she could, until they buzzed in her ears like a hummingbird. The trees below flashed by like a green pattern woven through by the silver threads of water.
Soon, though, the trees ended, and was replaced by the mixed green and gold of the field grasses.
Her heart raced as she saw the tiny village as a spot on the horizon, coming closer. She began to angle downward as the splotch grew more defined. Soon, she could see the scattered collection of houses for what it was. And there, right at the edge, was her own little hollow-log house.
As she finally came to edge, she set herself on the ground, and went the rest of the running. Her wings were tired.
She ran through the tall grass, pushing it aside with her hands, until she came to the village square. Then she dashed across, ignoring the calls that came her way from the other fairies gathered there.
She knew where she was going.
The council made up of the forest creatures and the fairies had been disbanded, but the fairies had made their own council, and they met every day in the largest building of all. It was for this building that she was heading.
She ran up to the door, and rested against it for a moment, panting, as she continued to ignore the strange looks that were coming her way from all across the village square.
Once her breath wasn't wheezing quite so badly in her lungs, she let herself in.
The vast darkness surrounded her as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. As she waited for her eyes to adjust, she heard the murmur of voices coming from the other end of the hall. When she could finally see again, she walked forward, her hands clasped in front of her.
As she peered through the gloom, the voices fell silent. And then, when she was halfway across the floor, she saw the council members. Five aged fairies, sitting in a line, white beards pooling in their laps. They watched her with pale eyes as she came forward.
"Beenie," the one sitting in the center said.
"Yes?" she asked, her voice sounding very small in such a large open space.
"You haven't been seen for some time. One of your neighbors came to us, saying you didn't come home last night, or the night before."
The unasked question hung in the air, and Beenie swallowed. They wanted to know where she'd been.
"I've been in the forest t the edge of the field," she said, after a moment of silence.
One of the fairies leaned forward in his seat. "You have?" he asked.
"Y-yes," she said. "I made friends with a squirrel there."
"You came here to tell us that?" the center fairy said, frowning.
"No," Beenie said at once. "I came to tell you that Peter sent me to ask you for help."
"Why should we help this...Peter?"
"Because he's a unicorn, and the gnomes are attacking!" Beenie burst out, unable to contain it any longer. A heavy silence fell, and she saw expressions of shock flick across their faces as they digested what she'd said.
"A unicorn." The voice was soft, like a sigh. And then, "We will come."
She beat her wings as fast as she could, until they buzzed in her ears like a hummingbird. The trees below flashed by like a green pattern woven through by the silver threads of water.
Soon, though, the trees ended, and was replaced by the mixed green and gold of the field grasses.
Her heart raced as she saw the tiny village as a spot on the horizon, coming closer. She began to angle downward as the splotch grew more defined. Soon, she could see the scattered collection of houses for what it was. And there, right at the edge, was her own little hollow-log house.
As she finally came to edge, she set herself on the ground, and went the rest of the running. Her wings were tired.
She ran through the tall grass, pushing it aside with her hands, until she came to the village square. Then she dashed across, ignoring the calls that came her way from the other fairies gathered there.
She knew where she was going.
The council made up of the forest creatures and the fairies had been disbanded, but the fairies had made their own council, and they met every day in the largest building of all. It was for this building that she was heading.
She ran up to the door, and rested against it for a moment, panting, as she continued to ignore the strange looks that were coming her way from all across the village square.
Once her breath wasn't wheezing quite so badly in her lungs, she let herself in.
The vast darkness surrounded her as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. As she waited for her eyes to adjust, she heard the murmur of voices coming from the other end of the hall. When she could finally see again, she walked forward, her hands clasped in front of her.
As she peered through the gloom, the voices fell silent. And then, when she was halfway across the floor, she saw the council members. Five aged fairies, sitting in a line, white beards pooling in their laps. They watched her with pale eyes as she came forward.
"Beenie," the one sitting in the center said.
"Yes?" she asked, her voice sounding very small in such a large open space.
"You haven't been seen for some time. One of your neighbors came to us, saying you didn't come home last night, or the night before."
The unasked question hung in the air, and Beenie swallowed. They wanted to know where she'd been.
"I've been in the forest t the edge of the field," she said, after a moment of silence.
One of the fairies leaned forward in his seat. "You have?" he asked.
"Y-yes," she said. "I made friends with a squirrel there."
"You came here to tell us that?" the center fairy said, frowning.
"No," Beenie said at once. "I came to tell you that Peter sent me to ask you for help."
"Why should we help this...Peter?"
"Because he's a unicorn, and the gnomes are attacking!" Beenie burst out, unable to contain it any longer. A heavy silence fell, and she saw expressions of shock flick across their faces as they digested what she'd said.
"A unicorn." The voice was soft, like a sigh. And then, "We will come."
No comments have been added yet.
