Of a Boy Named Jack

I woke up to a loud bang. My eyes shot open and I looked to my door and saw my mom standing there with a wide grin. I sat up and wiped my eyes, noticing that the brownie had left the warmth of my lap.

"What is it, Mom?" I asked groggily, looking up at my clock. Five-thirty. I guessed, knowing my Mom, that it was AM and not PM.

"We're going to volunteer today, so get your crappy clothes on and come down and eat breakfast." She said and closed the door behind her, just as loud as before. I sighed and got up, grabbing my ripped jeans and a tank top and pulled my hair into a ponytail.

Breakfast was a peanut butter covered piece of toast stuffed in my mouth at the last second. I was thrown out the door chewing the last bits of it and trying to shove on my boots at the same time.

It was still dark out, but dawn was just around the corner as we drove along the highway to the Nature Center.

I had always liked working at the Nature Center, cleaning up gardens and the pens and cages for the poor crippled but wild animals. But it was also a chance to find Hidden Folk lurking around the center and its many acres of land.

I don't know why I could see them, I just could. I had been able to see them my whole life. People thought that I had made up imaginary friends when I was little, but as I got older, my dad thought it was unhealthy and sent me to a shrink, which didn't help at all. Little did the shrink know that there was a bogart floating in the corner of the room, causing little accidents to happen, like knocking over a stack of books as she walked by or locking the door. It looked like a hairless pug with no ears, eyelids or lips, and the lower half of its body looked like the lower half of a black ghost. I just couldn't stop staring at it while she questioned me about my ‘imaginary friends’. After that I just learned not to let people know of my sight, for the better.

We pulled into the parking-lot just as the sun was turning the sky a rich orange and pink. I slipped on my light green zip up hoodie to protect me from the morning cold, but the wind pierced right through it, making me shiver.

My mom, unfazed by the cold in her black tank-top, scurried off to the back barn, already knowing what to do to help out. Clean up horse poop. My mom was in love with horses, but she knew we didn’t have the money for one. That’s why we first started coming here, for her horses.

I walked to the main building and looked around for Marty, the main director of the center. The main building was dark and empty all but the small animals and exhibits.

"Marty! You here?" I called out. My voice echoed across the tile floors, searching for Marty's ears. An echo of something crashing to the floor answered me. I jogged to the so-called kitchen, the place where we keep the animals food and feeders, worried.

I found Marty sitting on a plastic bucket, her face cradled in her hands, in front of a huge mess of crickets and pinkie mice, mixed with glass, plastic and bedding.

"Whoa. What happened, Marty?" I asked, walking over to the mess on the floor. Marty jumped at my voice and looked up at me. Her already old face looked older, with dark rings under her eyes and her usually straight grey pony tail in a frizzy mess.

"It's been a long night,” she said. Marty flinched at the touch of my hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I found some kids partying in the woods, but I scared them off before they trashed anything." Marty said, not answering my question. I nodded slightly and looked down at my feet, not knowing what to say. Marty hated teenagers, just for that reason. I wasn’t really an exception with my colored hair and my ripped up clothes, but she needed all the help she could get.

I knelt down and started scooping up the small critters, putting them in big five gallon buckets that lined the room. Marty didn't move from her spot as I collected every mouse and cricket that hadn't escaped yet. I swept the plastic and glass into a pile, not having anything to scoop it up with.

I left Marty sitting on the bucket, and I grabbed a trash bag and a poker, deciding that I should just clean the walking trails and leave Marty alone.

The woods were alive, the morning bringing singing birds and rustling leaves. Not only did I see the normal wild life others would see, but also the things unseen. Flying monkeys, their small grey bodies barely visible under their large blue wings, were jumping from tree to tree, knocking down walnuts as they went. Small gnomes that hobbled around collecting pebbles yelled at squirrels that teased them. Fairies drifted in the breeze, trying not to take notice of me.

It had been a good thing that my mother had brought me with her. I needed to talk with an old, wise friend. I kept walking along the trail, knowing it would take me to the exact tree I needed to go to. I came into the clearing, pushing through the tall prairie grasses and then knowing where to step around the jumbled roots of the giant tree.

“Inggled!” I called out. Birds flew from hidden branches, running from the growing sound of snapping twigs.

“It has been a while since your last visit!” The young griffin called, jumping down from the last tree branch, wings fully extended. His long catlike body landed next to mine, his fur brushing past my arm as he circled me closely. The griffins head curled up around my hip and looked up at me. I smiled.

“It’s only been three weeks, silly. I didn’t think you would miss me that much. I thought you liked your solitude.” I ran my fingers between his feathers and fur. He grunted.

“I do unless there is something to gossip about! I believe the fairies have already told you like they have told me?” he said giddily, his dark fluffy eyebrows raising with excitement over his black and amber eyes.

My smile faded from my face, making Inggled’s eyebrows furrow. “Do you know what to say to Queen Mab yet?” Inggled questioned.

“Will you help me?” I asked, my voice quivering slightly. Inggled’s eyes smiled.

“Like anyone else could! I would go and talk to that wench myself if I had the chance. Hop on, I’ll share my words of wisdom with you in my nest.” Inggled said as he kneeled down. I got on his back and we disappeared into the tree, hiding from all the prying ears around us.



Inggled kneeled down to let me off of his back when we entered the giant hole in the tree, and settled down into his nest. A hole in the top of the tree gave light to Inggled’s very cluttered nest. Deep cut outs in the tree’s trunk went all the way to the top of the tree were used as shelves, lined with books and mysterious knick-knacks that Inggled had collected over the years. A table and stools made from large tree stumps sat next to the entrance. In the center of the tree was a large nest made with layers of branches, clothing and various fur pelts.

Inggled’s tail brushed against my arm as he went and settled in his nest. I followed and got settled across him. He nibbled at his paw before looking up at me, his blue eyes unreadable.

“So, what do you think I should do?” I asked. Inggled let out a long sighed and looked away.

“Mab isn’t someone to reckon with, its best that you get things settled with before she even gets here.” he said.

“You mean deal with drug dealers? Yeah, right.” I scoffed, looking up at the skylight. Inggled grunted.

“What do you think Mab is going to tell you to do anyway? She’ll either make you deal with it or kill them and anyone else that is even remotely involved with them. It’s your best chance of getting things done without things getting messy.”

I sighed. “Messing with drug dealers is going to be messy anyway, I don’t even know how to start doing something like that. Please tell me that you have a plan b?”

Inggled looked at me annoyed and grunted. “It’s the only logical thing to do dumb girl, so you better get to it. Mab’s carriage should be here within a week or so. So go on, get on with it, it’s time for you to get things started!” Inggled cheered, standing up and starting pushing me towards the door. I playfully nudged him on the shoulder when we got to the entrance.

“So much for words of wisdom friend.” I said, making Inggled roll his eyes. I laughed and started on my way down.

I sighed as I climbed out of Inggled’s tree. The griffin had told me nothing I wanted to hear.

“Alice! Alice, where are you? It’s time for us to head home!” I heard my Mother call from a distance. I sighed before I called back and ran back to the nature center, collecting my mostly empty trash bag and poker.