10 Days of Spring Fantasy Contest Book

The Fairy Truth ~ Day 2

Portia vaulted to her feet and smacked both palms on her desk. She kicked the trashcan, frowning at the crumpled paper. 'I hate Mrs. Jameson's assignment. Fairies and fantasy are for babies. And only cavemen write on paper.' She crumpled another piece of daisy stationary, threw it at the wall, and from there it bounced into the trashcan. 'I quit. Mrs. Jameson will give me an F. Whatever. She's an old hag who believes in magic and other nonsense." The young teenager heaved a sigh of exasperation. 'And I hope everyone heard me!'

At first, Portia blamed her imagination. 'No way.' She turned off the radio, toed her cat from the room, and slowed down her breathing. 'Hello?'

A barely audible tap-tap hit the window.

Portia rushed to the rain-drizzled view. As she fumbled with the latch, a sheet of lightning scorched the sky. 'Who's there?' The spring rain storm gathered energy, the wind joined in, and Portia was drenched in water. 'I have to close the window.'

A sharp prick to the young girl's finger drew her attention. 'Don't you believe in fairies?' A tiny, pip-voice said.

Portia leaned out, forgetting the slashing rain. Barely hanging onto the sash clung the first fairy she'd ever seen. With one palm extended, she said, 'Come in you darling thing.'

The fairy's minuscule steps brought her to the center of the girl's hand. She stamped one black satin slipper. 'Nothing darling about me at all. And don't call me cute, either. My name is Ebony Whisper. I just wanted in out of the rain.'

'But fairies are sweet and kind.'

'Does the name Ebony Whisper sound friendly?' Whisper bit into Portia's skin. 'I'm starving. This is food?'

Portia wanted to flick Ebony from her hand. 'Ouch, you little brat. Of course it's not food."

Black Whisper stood tall on her slippered-toes and gazed into Portia's hazel eyes. 'I'm sort of sorry. Getting wet always bums me out. Got any potato chips or red licorice?'

'Fairies eat junk food?'

'Got any soda?'

'No. Mom says it's bad for me.' Portia coaxed Ebony Whisper onto her forefinger and set the creature on the desk.

Ebony lost her balance and tumbled into the trashcan. 'What is all this stuff?' She ripped off a bit of paper with steely teeth. 'Yuck.'

"That's rubbish. Food's in the kitchen.'

'Don't you want me to help you by writing with a moonbeam pen or starlight crayon?'

'You're mean. You won't help me,' Portia said while carrying Ebony to the kitchen. Grabbing a bag of Kale Chips from the pantry, she broke one chip into bits and handed a piece to the fairy.

'Bleck.' Ebony spit out the chip, slick with saliva. 'Disgusting.'

Portia stood back and crossed her arms. 'Those chips are healthy, not junky.'

The fairy, now dried out and warm, said, 'Listen, kid. This isn't my thing at all. How 'bout we just split? Rain's probably stopped.'

'Split? You want to leave? We're just getting to know each other.' Portia pouted.

'Exactly. Bring me back to your window. I'll hop on a tree branch and be gone.'

Portia turned aside to brush away a tear. 'Go ahead and branch yourself to hell.' She walked to her room and opened the window. 'Out with you. And don't come back.'

But the black fairy was already gone.

'What a waste. I'll never finish my story before tomorrow.' A flutter of paper drew her attention. The rising moon shafted the paper and squiggled across it. 'A moonbeam pen?'

A cloud crossed the moon, darkening the room, and Portia flicked on a light. Her hand shook as she snagged a paper and the read the title.

'The Fairy Truth.'

The Fairy Truth? "Ridiculous.' Portia scanned the page. 'Ebony had the power to''Portia read carefully.

'Eons ago, a drunken man saw a butterfly and conceptualized a fairy. Humans' imaginations are powerful, keeping the fairy myth alive. We're immortals and miserable. To free ourselves we lure humans into our sprite world, where we enslave them.

'The fairy is allowed to perish. Portia, you braved the weather to rescue me. Your compassion shocked me into feeling something new. Love. I was cruel because I needed the strength to take you. Instead, I spared you.

'A bag of Kale chips is missing because I'm force feeding my worst enemy, White Talker. She never shuts up."

Portia grinned. 'Thank you, Ebony Whisper. Mrs. Jameson will freak when she learns The Fairy Truth.'

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