Post by Maggie Wakefield on Mar 27, 2009 19:12:11 GMT -6
Maggie sang sweetly in her high, piping voice as she flew north. She didn't know if north was the right direction, but it seemed right. The young pixie was finally on her way home! As she flew, Maggie reflected on the past decade of her life.
Ten years ago, when she was five, she had been like any other pixie child in her close-knit community. Her days were filled with fun and games; at night, she listened with rapt fascination as the pixie elders told stories and then she slept, secure in the knowledge that her parents, Colleen and Ronald, were watching over her. The following year, that all changed.
One late summer evening when she was about 6 years old, Maggie was flying full speed ahead on her way home from an errand for her father while humming cheerily to herself. As she flew past the old farm, she saw many small lights near the ground and realized that the fireflies were out playing. She figured that she had enough time for a quick game of Tag with them so she swooped down, calling out, “Can I join in, guys? Wait for meeeeeeeee!”
When the game began, Maggie flared her wings for an extra burst of speed and darted away from the one who was IT. She was concentrating so hard on her game that she failed to notice the giants were out. Just as she flew out from behind the corn field, she slammed head-first into something very hard. The last thing she remembered hearing was, “Mommy, look!”
When she came to, it was morning. She stretched, unaccountably sore. Looking around, Maggie did not recognize her surroundings. Everything looked so... big. Maggie fluttered her wings experimentally and meandered her way forward, looking curiously at something nearly her own size, round and red. It looked familiar. She sniffed the air, expecting to smell the familiar scent of fresh apple – nothing. Maggie frowned and flew forward, arms outstretched to touch it. She had only moved a few inches when her hands bumped into something. Concerned, Maggie turned around and flew the other direction. Once again, she bumped into something hard after moving only a few inches. Maggie's heart began pounding as she quickly fluttered upward and again bumped her head. She was trapped!
Just as her panic was reaching full swing, she saw one of the giants walking toward her. It looked a lot like her friend Keith, except that its hair was a rather mundane earthy-brown color instead of Keith's vivid green hair. And unlike Keith's petite size, a mere 3" like her own, it was so big! It approached her, curiousity writ large on its huge face. As it drew near her, she looked it straight into what could only be called a nose to remember, as it was nearly the size of her whole body. In a great voice, it called out, "Come look at this funny firefly I caught last night, Mom! It's purple!"
Moments later, and even bigger giant approached, this one vaguely resembling her own mother. She bent down to look in at Maggie then abruptly straightened and clapped her hands to her face. The smaller giant, oblivious to its mother's reaction, reached out a hand as though to grab Maggie. Instead it grabbed hold of the container Maggie was trapped in, picked it up, and started to shake it. Maggie found herself flung to and fro within the hard, clear jar for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds.
The mom stretched out her hand, removed Maggie's prison from her offspring's hand and gently placed it on the counter. "James," she exclaimed, "What do you think you're doing? Can't you see that's no ordinary firefly? No, me boy, you must have missed the firefly you were aiming for - you got a real live pixie instead!" With trembling hands, the mom opened the jar and gently tipped the naked little pixie out into her own hand.
"I beg your pardon, miss. My son didn't mean to trap you last night, he doesn't even know what you are. Please, don't curse us."
Maggie smiled half-heartedly, rubbing surreptitiously at her various new bumps and bruises. "You think I can curse you? Pixies don't do that! Well, at least I don't, I don't know how to, I'm just so tired and sore and hungry and thirsty and lonely and scared and I miss my mum and da and I don't know where I am and... and..." Maggie realized that she was rambling as tears streamed down her face. She took in great big gulps of air as she tried to stop crying long enough to figure out what was going on. "Please mum," she begged, "Could I have a drink? Some nectar, maybe, or water?"
"James," the mom ordered, "go and get our guest a drink. I think you could use the cap off that empty water bottle as a cup for her." Maggie watched as James obediently trotted off, then returned her attention to the mom.
"My name is Maggie, mum, can you tell me how to get home?" She bobbed a curtsey in the large woman's general direction.
The mom gave a kind of lopsided smile and returned Maggie's curtsey. "I'm Janet and that little rascal is my son James. I'm awfully sorry he caught you last night. His Grandda took him out into the country for some fresh air but I don't know where they went. James came home last night very late, nearly asleep. I put his jar on the counter and bundled him off to bed without even noticing you."
James rushed back into the room, carefully carrying a small cap filled nearly to the brim with water. Janet gently set Maggie on the counter and had James place the cap near her. Maggie, not believing her eyes, stared incredulously at the proffered water. "You want me to drink out of THAT? I could take a BATH in it!"
Janet apologized profusely. "It's the smallest thing I have. Let me help you with that, so you can quench your thirst." Janet lifted the cap up a few inches off the counter. Maggie rested her own tiny hands on the sides of the cap and gingerly leaned forward to sip from it. Thirst assuaged, Maggie sat back down on the counter. Crossing her delicate legs in front of her, Maggie addressed Janet again.
"I need to get home, mum. Please, can you help me?"
"Let me make a few phone calls, I'll see where my father took James last night and if any of the locals there know where the nearest pixie community is. Please, do me the honor of staying here until I can find your family? Let me make this right. I can get you some clothes, a bed, some food?"
Tiredly, Maggie accepted the offer of hospitality. After all, what else could she do? She stifled a yawn. "Do you have anywhere I could sleep, mum?"
Janet thought for a moment, then left the room briefly and returned a moment later with an empty match box and some cotton balls. She fussed with them, arranging the cotton in the box until she was satisfied. With an ironic smile, Janet turned to Maggie and announced, “Your suite is ready, madame.”
The irony was lost on the young Maggie as she yawned and fluttered the short distance to her makeshift bed. She climbed in and within moments was breathing the slow, deep breaths of a child soundly asleep.
Janet watched the tiny girl for a moment, then pulled James away by the hand. “Come, let her sleep. Why don't you tell me now about the trip you took with your Grandda.”
The 8-year-old pulled his hand out of his mom's and ran ahead into the living room. Plopping himself on the couch, he scratched at his head. “I don't know where we went, Ma, but he drove for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time, hours and hours. I fell asleep in the car on the way there. But I had so much fun once we got there! We picked berries all morning – Grandda let me eat a half bucket of them before we even left! Then we went for a walk and saw two deer!!”
Janet rolled her eyes and smiled at her only son's dramatic gestures accompanying his narrative. Though she pressed him for details, he couldn't provide any useful information. She sighed and called her father. Her absent-minded father, barely capable of remembering when he last ate, was no help to her. Sighing, Janet began writing letters and emails to every farm and home that grew strawberries, and making phone call after phone call, all to no avail.
Over the next six months, Janet repeated the series of phone calls, letters, and emails searching for any information about where Maggie's home was. Always the answer was the same - we don't know where the pixie community is, so sorry. The formerly happy pixie became quite depressed, frequently found crying, flying about in a rage and screaming at the top of her tiny lungs.
Janet did everything she could to help “little Miss Purple,” as she took to calling Maggie, to acclimate – including trying to get Maggie to wear clothes. Gradually Maggie became accustomed to her new life with Janet and James. Her smile returned to her face little by little. She began speaking more and shrieking less, and actually talking with her adopted family. By the time she turned 8, Maggie was just as comfortable with the Lewin family as she had been with her own. She frequently amused herself by following James to school, sitting on his shoulder and whispering funny things in his ear as he tried to concentrate on his studies.
Life proceeded apace for Maggie and the years turned. Maggie was mostly happy but occasionally dipped back into depression over being away from her home and her family.
When she was 14, Maggie was struck with a bout of homesickness so intense that it flung her back into her deepest, darkest depression. The teenage pixie sulked about the house, swearing and throwing such fits of temper that Janet and James grew afraid to be around her. Things just kept getting worse and worse. The thought that she ought to be searching for her community on her own crept into her head and wouldn't go away. Maggie dreamt of a reunion with her family every night and awoke crying every morning.
Her dreams became so real to her that the tiny, purple girl started to daydream about leaving the home she'd been living in for almost a decade and questing forth to find her own home. It became her dream, her whole life. Maggie began planning for her new adventure. She squirreled away bits of her meals and tied them into a square of gauze, making herself a hobo pack. She decided that the perfect time to make her move would be on her upcoming 15th birthday. The decision cheered her so much that she soon returned to her happy self, all the while counting down the days.
The evening of her birthday, Janet made a special birthday cupcake for Maggie. As James sang to her, Maggie realized that though she really would miss the Lewins, she had made the right decision. She made sure to thank Janet for the delicious cupcake, and for everything she'd done for Maggie in the past years. She flew up to give “fairy kisses” to both Janet and James, and then headed off to sleep in her converted match box.
Later, when she was sure James and Janet were sound asleep, Maggie pulled out her packed supplies and flew out the window into a nearby apple tree. She dozed lightly there for the rest of the night until first light, then spun around and around with her eyes closed until she felt that she was facing the right way. With a quick whispered word asking for protection on her journey, Maggie fanned her wings and headed due north.
The weather was beautiful and Maggie made good time. She enjoyed the fresh air as she flew, stopping mid-day for a bite to eat then continuing until nearly dark. Maggie found a completely vacant bird's nest to sleep in overnight.
The second day dawned cloudy. Maggie flew on with trepidation as the weather grew worse and worse. When the lightning started, she knew she needed to find somewhere to take shelter. With the weather closing in on her, Maggie frantically searched the field she was over to see where she could land but nothing looked safe to her. The naked little pixie finally settled on the side of a large rock just as the rain hit. Almost instantly she was drenched. Cold, wet, and scared, she cried out, “Mum, Da, somebody, come help me!”
Ten years ago, when she was five, she had been like any other pixie child in her close-knit community. Her days were filled with fun and games; at night, she listened with rapt fascination as the pixie elders told stories and then she slept, secure in the knowledge that her parents, Colleen and Ronald, were watching over her. The following year, that all changed.
One late summer evening when she was about 6 years old, Maggie was flying full speed ahead on her way home from an errand for her father while humming cheerily to herself. As she flew past the old farm, she saw many small lights near the ground and realized that the fireflies were out playing. She figured that she had enough time for a quick game of Tag with them so she swooped down, calling out, “Can I join in, guys? Wait for meeeeeeeee!”
When the game began, Maggie flared her wings for an extra burst of speed and darted away from the one who was IT. She was concentrating so hard on her game that she failed to notice the giants were out. Just as she flew out from behind the corn field, she slammed head-first into something very hard. The last thing she remembered hearing was, “Mommy, look!”
When she came to, it was morning. She stretched, unaccountably sore. Looking around, Maggie did not recognize her surroundings. Everything looked so... big. Maggie fluttered her wings experimentally and meandered her way forward, looking curiously at something nearly her own size, round and red. It looked familiar. She sniffed the air, expecting to smell the familiar scent of fresh apple – nothing. Maggie frowned and flew forward, arms outstretched to touch it. She had only moved a few inches when her hands bumped into something. Concerned, Maggie turned around and flew the other direction. Once again, she bumped into something hard after moving only a few inches. Maggie's heart began pounding as she quickly fluttered upward and again bumped her head. She was trapped!
Just as her panic was reaching full swing, she saw one of the giants walking toward her. It looked a lot like her friend Keith, except that its hair was a rather mundane earthy-brown color instead of Keith's vivid green hair. And unlike Keith's petite size, a mere 3" like her own, it was so big! It approached her, curiousity writ large on its huge face. As it drew near her, she looked it straight into what could only be called a nose to remember, as it was nearly the size of her whole body. In a great voice, it called out, "Come look at this funny firefly I caught last night, Mom! It's purple!"
Moments later, and even bigger giant approached, this one vaguely resembling her own mother. She bent down to look in at Maggie then abruptly straightened and clapped her hands to her face. The smaller giant, oblivious to its mother's reaction, reached out a hand as though to grab Maggie. Instead it grabbed hold of the container Maggie was trapped in, picked it up, and started to shake it. Maggie found herself flung to and fro within the hard, clear jar for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds.
The mom stretched out her hand, removed Maggie's prison from her offspring's hand and gently placed it on the counter. "James," she exclaimed, "What do you think you're doing? Can't you see that's no ordinary firefly? No, me boy, you must have missed the firefly you were aiming for - you got a real live pixie instead!" With trembling hands, the mom opened the jar and gently tipped the naked little pixie out into her own hand.
"I beg your pardon, miss. My son didn't mean to trap you last night, he doesn't even know what you are. Please, don't curse us."
Maggie smiled half-heartedly, rubbing surreptitiously at her various new bumps and bruises. "You think I can curse you? Pixies don't do that! Well, at least I don't, I don't know how to, I'm just so tired and sore and hungry and thirsty and lonely and scared and I miss my mum and da and I don't know where I am and... and..." Maggie realized that she was rambling as tears streamed down her face. She took in great big gulps of air as she tried to stop crying long enough to figure out what was going on. "Please mum," she begged, "Could I have a drink? Some nectar, maybe, or water?"
"James," the mom ordered, "go and get our guest a drink. I think you could use the cap off that empty water bottle as a cup for her." Maggie watched as James obediently trotted off, then returned her attention to the mom.
"My name is Maggie, mum, can you tell me how to get home?" She bobbed a curtsey in the large woman's general direction.
The mom gave a kind of lopsided smile and returned Maggie's curtsey. "I'm Janet and that little rascal is my son James. I'm awfully sorry he caught you last night. His Grandda took him out into the country for some fresh air but I don't know where they went. James came home last night very late, nearly asleep. I put his jar on the counter and bundled him off to bed without even noticing you."
James rushed back into the room, carefully carrying a small cap filled nearly to the brim with water. Janet gently set Maggie on the counter and had James place the cap near her. Maggie, not believing her eyes, stared incredulously at the proffered water. "You want me to drink out of THAT? I could take a BATH in it!"
Janet apologized profusely. "It's the smallest thing I have. Let me help you with that, so you can quench your thirst." Janet lifted the cap up a few inches off the counter. Maggie rested her own tiny hands on the sides of the cap and gingerly leaned forward to sip from it. Thirst assuaged, Maggie sat back down on the counter. Crossing her delicate legs in front of her, Maggie addressed Janet again.
"I need to get home, mum. Please, can you help me?"
"Let me make a few phone calls, I'll see where my father took James last night and if any of the locals there know where the nearest pixie community is. Please, do me the honor of staying here until I can find your family? Let me make this right. I can get you some clothes, a bed, some food?"
Tiredly, Maggie accepted the offer of hospitality. After all, what else could she do? She stifled a yawn. "Do you have anywhere I could sleep, mum?"
Janet thought for a moment, then left the room briefly and returned a moment later with an empty match box and some cotton balls. She fussed with them, arranging the cotton in the box until she was satisfied. With an ironic smile, Janet turned to Maggie and announced, “Your suite is ready, madame.”
The irony was lost on the young Maggie as she yawned and fluttered the short distance to her makeshift bed. She climbed in and within moments was breathing the slow, deep breaths of a child soundly asleep.
Janet watched the tiny girl for a moment, then pulled James away by the hand. “Come, let her sleep. Why don't you tell me now about the trip you took with your Grandda.”
The 8-year-old pulled his hand out of his mom's and ran ahead into the living room. Plopping himself on the couch, he scratched at his head. “I don't know where we went, Ma, but he drove for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time, hours and hours. I fell asleep in the car on the way there. But I had so much fun once we got there! We picked berries all morning – Grandda let me eat a half bucket of them before we even left! Then we went for a walk and saw two deer!!”
Janet rolled her eyes and smiled at her only son's dramatic gestures accompanying his narrative. Though she pressed him for details, he couldn't provide any useful information. She sighed and called her father. Her absent-minded father, barely capable of remembering when he last ate, was no help to her. Sighing, Janet began writing letters and emails to every farm and home that grew strawberries, and making phone call after phone call, all to no avail.
Over the next six months, Janet repeated the series of phone calls, letters, and emails searching for any information about where Maggie's home was. Always the answer was the same - we don't know where the pixie community is, so sorry. The formerly happy pixie became quite depressed, frequently found crying, flying about in a rage and screaming at the top of her tiny lungs.
Janet did everything she could to help “little Miss Purple,” as she took to calling Maggie, to acclimate – including trying to get Maggie to wear clothes. Gradually Maggie became accustomed to her new life with Janet and James. Her smile returned to her face little by little. She began speaking more and shrieking less, and actually talking with her adopted family. By the time she turned 8, Maggie was just as comfortable with the Lewin family as she had been with her own. She frequently amused herself by following James to school, sitting on his shoulder and whispering funny things in his ear as he tried to concentrate on his studies.
Life proceeded apace for Maggie and the years turned. Maggie was mostly happy but occasionally dipped back into depression over being away from her home and her family.
When she was 14, Maggie was struck with a bout of homesickness so intense that it flung her back into her deepest, darkest depression. The teenage pixie sulked about the house, swearing and throwing such fits of temper that Janet and James grew afraid to be around her. Things just kept getting worse and worse. The thought that she ought to be searching for her community on her own crept into her head and wouldn't go away. Maggie dreamt of a reunion with her family every night and awoke crying every morning.
Her dreams became so real to her that the tiny, purple girl started to daydream about leaving the home she'd been living in for almost a decade and questing forth to find her own home. It became her dream, her whole life. Maggie began planning for her new adventure. She squirreled away bits of her meals and tied them into a square of gauze, making herself a hobo pack. She decided that the perfect time to make her move would be on her upcoming 15th birthday. The decision cheered her so much that she soon returned to her happy self, all the while counting down the days.
The evening of her birthday, Janet made a special birthday cupcake for Maggie. As James sang to her, Maggie realized that though she really would miss the Lewins, she had made the right decision. She made sure to thank Janet for the delicious cupcake, and for everything she'd done for Maggie in the past years. She flew up to give “fairy kisses” to both Janet and James, and then headed off to sleep in her converted match box.
Later, when she was sure James and Janet were sound asleep, Maggie pulled out her packed supplies and flew out the window into a nearby apple tree. She dozed lightly there for the rest of the night until first light, then spun around and around with her eyes closed until she felt that she was facing the right way. With a quick whispered word asking for protection on her journey, Maggie fanned her wings and headed due north.
The weather was beautiful and Maggie made good time. She enjoyed the fresh air as she flew, stopping mid-day for a bite to eat then continuing until nearly dark. Maggie found a completely vacant bird's nest to sleep in overnight.
The second day dawned cloudy. Maggie flew on with trepidation as the weather grew worse and worse. When the lightning started, she knew she needed to find somewhere to take shelter. With the weather closing in on her, Maggie frantically searched the field she was over to see where she could land but nothing looked safe to her. The naked little pixie finally settled on the side of a large rock just as the rain hit. Almost instantly she was drenched. Cold, wet, and scared, she cried out, “Mum, Da, somebody, come help me!”
