An Urban Fairytale

It was Saturday afternoon and I ought to be on my way home if I didn’t want to be grounded for the rest of my life.

The wind blew and caught some strands of my auburn hair and playfully pushed me on. As I said I should be heading home, but being alone in the city was a rare experience for me; usually I would hang out with my friends at the mall or tag along my mom on her extravagant shopping trips.

Never really getting to spend some time on my own and exploring, sure the mall was great but it was out in the busy streets and narrow alleyways you found the interesting shops.

To me interesting was a board definition. It could be anything from a vegetable market to a small shop selling colonial times furniture, anything with vivid colors or interesting shapes
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I took a turn into a narrow lane. I noticed that there were no posters or tagging on my sides, just clean red brick. Quite extraordinary for a place where you often will find posters or tagging everywhere.

As I walked I suddenly felt paralyzed, I just stiffened in the middle of a step and I could practically feel that the air around med turned heavy and jelly like, with something feeling like a slow pulse passing through.

I was about to panic when the sensation passed and I hurried on, almost running when I got out on a small square.

I stopped outside a pet shop, catching my breath. A squawk brought my attention to three bright colored parrots preaching outside the shop.

They were unlike any parrots I have ever seen before, all slightly bigger than normal, amazing colors. One of them looked like it could be a phoenix, while the other was a deep ocean blue speckled with white and the last of them neon green, pink, yellow and orange; to bad I left my camera at home the birds would have made wonderful subject. Glancing into the store I could also spot numerous birds I had never seen before.

“See anything you like?”

“I’m just admiring,” I turned to look at the voice, but my gaze had to fall a, he was a tiny fellow, wrinkly too, probably as old as fifty. That was how old his cloths looked anyway.

“To bad, I had hoped I maybe could get them a new home.” The man grinned showing off his too many, small, pointed teeth. “Maybe some other time?”

“Maybe… I’d better be going now.” I managed a slight smile before I turned my back to him and walked away.

“You’d better little girl, you’d better…”

I could have sworn he said ‘you’d better little human girl.’ Whether he said so or not his words sent a chill down my spine. Maybe I should follow his advice, but the square was fitting my definition of interesting far too perfectly.

Firstly it was not as small as I first had though, a huge oak tree was in the center, and by huge I mean you-would-need-5-people-to-reach-around-it huge.

On all sides there were old buildings, some with shops, some looking like they could room once exclusive apartments.

As I walked around the sound of water could soon be heard, when I rounded the tree I spotted the source, a fountain. It was connected to the wall of one of the houses and vaguely reminded me of the Trevi fountain in Rome.

While walking closer I slid my hand into my pocket, feeling gum paper, car keys and at the bottom some lose change.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A strong hand grabbed my wrist, “Some fountains actually grant wishes, but they do so for a price.”

At first the person terrified me, I hadn’t heard him coming at all, not even sensed his eyes on my neck. The very next second I was intrigued.

He seemed to be my age, possibly older. His face was slightly angular, and framed by steel gray hair, his eyebrows were in the same color and arched. Then there were they eyes, deep moss green with some lighter parts. Kind of like broccoli but that tame vegetable seemed to be an unworthy choice to describe the calming beauty.

Although now they his eyes was as fierce as his expression.

“Let go.” It was all I managed, it wasn’t every day I had to deal with handsome stranger grabbing my wrist.

“Release whatever you have in your hand.”

“Sure as soon as you let go of my arm!” I didn’t really feel scared; he seemed to be the kind of guy used to get his will so cooperation seemed like my best option.

To my surprise he did, and I let my arm drop. Now the boy seemed more relaxed, at least on the surface, he was like a jaguar, never letting his guard down.

There were an awkward silence between us, having stopped me the guy was obviously pleased but it seemed like he hadn’t thought about what to do next.

“So what’s the deal about this fountain?” I finally asked, tearing down the wall that had built up between us.

“It is cursed.” He said it like it explained and even excused his action, and as a goodbye. For he had barely finished the sentence before he had turned and started to walk away.

“I think I can look after myself” As I said it I raised my hand, threw the coin and wished that I would meet this mysterious stranger again.

He had turned when he heard my words, but it was too late for him to do anything and when the coin hit the water’s surface his face turned into a mask of fury.

“Fine mortal, suffer your faith then!” He growled it out and for a moment I honestly feared that he would actually hurt me, my eyes snapped shut. What a silly wish, what a silly, silly wish.

For a moment I stood there eyes closed, both feeling and hearing the loud bumping of my heart, but that was the only thing I heard and when I opened my eyes I realized that he had disappeared as quietly as when he first showed up.

Suddenly I realized that it had started to darken and not sparing a single moment I turned and hastened out from the square. I had to get to the car and be home as soon as possible.

Soon I went through familiar streets and it was first when I turned around the keys in the car that I recalled the steel haired boy’s last words.

Fine mortal… Just as I was sure the elderly man from the pet shop had referred to me as human.

Another chill went down my spine and my hearth suddenly started to thump again. If it was of fear or some other feeling I was not sure. But for the whole ride home it felt like something was following me.