Fairy
One-shot
A dandelion puff floated by on the wind. I watched it go and I smiled. It looked like... It looked like a--
Someone dashed past me. It was a girl and she was chasing after the dandelion puff. Her eyes were wide, panicked, but there was the tiniest bit of hope in them. She ran after the dandelion puff -- the stupid little dandelion puff -- like her life depended on it.
I stopped walking and stared. She'd managed to catch up with the thing and she was now frantically trying to grab it. Every time, the dandelion puff moved slightly to one side and her fist closed on air. "No," she whispered. "Don't go."
I almost laughed. She was talking to the dandelion puff, for crying out loud. I opened my mouth to tell her to give up, to jeer at her -- and that was when I realised something.
The dandelion puff... It looked like a fairy.
I looked at it again, let out a small gasp. For one split second, I didn't see a dandelion puff -- I saw a real, live fairy. Four tiny limbs, waving, dancing; a cheeky little smile on a cheeky little face; a strange, little white tunic that looked like it was made out of sunlight. Just before it disappeared inside her fist, it turned back into a dandelion puff.
She brought her fist up to her face, only vaguely aware of the people who were watching and laughing. Her eyes squeezed shut and she started to murmur something, so quietly that no one but her and the dandelion-puff-slash-fairy could hear. Wish for something good, I found myself thinking. Don't wish for something stupid, like to be popular or whatever. Wish for something big, something magical -- something that will change your life!
She finished wishing and slowly opened her hand. All that was left of the dandelion puff were little bits of fluff; she was so excited that she's squeezed too hard, and now it was gone. Her face fell, clouded with dismay.
Raucous laughter all around. Kids were roaring, pointing, teasing. "Oh, look at her! She's talking to a dandelion!", "Watch out, it's the dandelion slayer!" and even "Oh. My. God. What a freak." I seethed with rage. Didn't they understand? It was a fairy, it had been a fairy for just that one second, and fairies grant wishes!
Angry as I was, I couldn't bring myself to step out from the crowd and tell everyone to shut up -- I just didn't have the guts. I'm a coward, I've always been a coward. The poor girl hung her head in shame and let her arm fall to her side. The bits of fluff were once again picked up by the wind.
After everyone had their fill of laughing at the girl who talked to dandelions, they left. Dejected, on the verge of tears, the girl started to slink off. I suddenly decided that there was something I had to do. Mustering all the courage I had, I jogged after her.
"Hey."
I saw her freeze, saw the tightening of her shoulders before she turned around to face me.
"I saw it."
Her eyes widened.
"W-what?"
"I saw it," I repeated. "I saw the fairy."
Then I turned my back on her and ran.
Someone dashed past me. It was a girl and she was chasing after the dandelion puff. Her eyes were wide, panicked, but there was the tiniest bit of hope in them. She ran after the dandelion puff -- the stupid little dandelion puff -- like her life depended on it.
I stopped walking and stared. She'd managed to catch up with the thing and she was now frantically trying to grab it. Every time, the dandelion puff moved slightly to one side and her fist closed on air. "No," she whispered. "Don't go."
I almost laughed. She was talking to the dandelion puff, for crying out loud. I opened my mouth to tell her to give up, to jeer at her -- and that was when I realised something.
The dandelion puff... It looked like a fairy.
I looked at it again, let out a small gasp. For one split second, I didn't see a dandelion puff -- I saw a real, live fairy. Four tiny limbs, waving, dancing; a cheeky little smile on a cheeky little face; a strange, little white tunic that looked like it was made out of sunlight. Just before it disappeared inside her fist, it turned back into a dandelion puff.
She brought her fist up to her face, only vaguely aware of the people who were watching and laughing. Her eyes squeezed shut and she started to murmur something, so quietly that no one but her and the dandelion-puff-slash-fairy could hear. Wish for something good, I found myself thinking. Don't wish for something stupid, like to be popular or whatever. Wish for something big, something magical -- something that will change your life!
She finished wishing and slowly opened her hand. All that was left of the dandelion puff were little bits of fluff; she was so excited that she's squeezed too hard, and now it was gone. Her face fell, clouded with dismay.
Raucous laughter all around. Kids were roaring, pointing, teasing. "Oh, look at her! She's talking to a dandelion!", "Watch out, it's the dandelion slayer!" and even "Oh. My. God. What a freak." I seethed with rage. Didn't they understand? It was a fairy, it had been a fairy for just that one second, and fairies grant wishes!
Angry as I was, I couldn't bring myself to step out from the crowd and tell everyone to shut up -- I just didn't have the guts. I'm a coward, I've always been a coward. The poor girl hung her head in shame and let her arm fall to her side. The bits of fluff were once again picked up by the wind.
After everyone had their fill of laughing at the girl who talked to dandelions, they left. Dejected, on the verge of tears, the girl started to slink off. I suddenly decided that there was something I had to do. Mustering all the courage I had, I jogged after her.
"Hey."
I saw her freeze, saw the tightening of her shoulders before she turned around to face me.
"I saw it."
Her eyes widened.
"W-what?"
"I saw it," I repeated. "I saw the fairy."
Then I turned my back on her and ran.
♠ ♠ ♠
Believe.