by Linda Dawley
Still, Molly was learning and seemed content.
Annabelle sighed. Too much to think about before tonight’s flight. She decided to pick up her favourite Collection Bag from the Cleaning Fairies. It was lemon yellow, sunny and cheerful.
“That bag was picked up today already,” Mandy the Cleaning Fairy said when Annabelle went to ask for it.
“What do you mean?” Annabelle was puzzled. “I’m the only one who can pick up the Collection Bag.”
“It was given to your new Assistant,” said Mandy.
“MY ASSISTANT! I don’t have...Do you mean Molly? That girl-fairy?”
“Yes, I guess so. She had a mission and needed the bag right away. She did say you asked her to pick it up.”
Annabelle gasped, twirled around and bolted out the laundry room door. She flew, like the speed of light, to the Hall of Information and demanded the Presiding Elf call the Grand Fairy.
He was so surprised at the forcefulness of her demand that he did exactly as she said.
CHAPTER 12
“The Grand Fairy has gone to see the Brownies. She won’t be back until tomorrow,” he said as he sat behind his desk, his officious manner back in place.
Annabelle stamped her foot.
“That’s too late. I need help now.”
She whirled around and headed for the glade. Sara might be able to help.
“Sara! Sara! Where are you?” Annabelle called, running through the glade. A group of elves stood by the water.
“Have you seen Sara?” she asked.
“No,” they chorused.
“Have you seen Eddie?”
“He went with Molly,” they said.
“Will just one of you answer, please? Not all three of you together.”
Such annoying habits elves had when in a group.
The tallest elf stepped forward.
“Eddie was going to help Molly find some Triple F so she could do the rounds for you.”
“What? How can she do that? Where did they go?”
“I think they went to Sara’s tree. They thought she would have some.”
Of all the hare-brained ideas. And Eddie. She should have known somehow Eddie was involved. Of course he would think he could help Molly.
Annabelle whirled away from the elves and headed for Sara’s tree.
Sara didn’t have an office. She did most of her research and healing from a tree in the centre of Fairyland. Annabelle hoped she was there now. Often she went visiting and could be gone for a day or two.
Running and flying, Annabelle arrived at the tree. She flew up to the top where Sara lived and knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked louder. A muffled sound came from below her. She went down to another branch and looked around. There it was again. Like someone stifling a laugh.
She lowered herself to the next branch, and saw Molly hold out her arms and leap into space.
She crashed to the ground.
Annabelle flew down to where Molly lay rubbing her shoulder.
“Molly, what were you thinking?”
Annabelle fluttered around, trying to see where the child was hurt. She saw Eddie out of the corner of her eye standing on the branch Molly had used to launch herself.
“Eddie, come down here!”
The little elf crept down the tree and stood beside Molly and Annabelle.
“Eddie, I will deal with you later but right now you have to find Sara for me, and bring her here. Go! Now! And don’t come back without her.”
Eddie scuttled away. Annabelle knew the other elves would help him find Sara. Hopefully Eddie would think to ask them!
“Molly, what were you thinking?”
“I want to fly. It was so fun.”
“Fun! Is that all you think about?” Annabelle was rapidly losing her temper. “First you need to pass Triple C. Then you will learn to fly.”
“Annabelle, don’t you ever want to have fun? Not wait until the right time? Or do the right thing, or think what you are supposed to think?”
Molly tried to sit up.
“Oooh. Ouch. My shoulder hurts. And my bum. I kind of landed on that, too.”
Annabelle sat on the ground beside Molly.
“Molly, I have been a Tooth Fairy since I was a baby. Fun isn’t part of it. Gathering and cataloguing teeth correctly is a serious business.”
“But, Annabelle, you could have so much fun. You fly everywhere, see all the different countries and different homes, and every kind of interesting thing there is in both worlds.”
“Molly. You’ve told lies, stolen my bag, and broken into Sara’s home. Now, you’ve hurt yourself. Is that fun?”
“I wanted to help you and show you that I could be useful. I wanted to be like you.” Molly hung her head. “Guess that didn’t work.”
“Molly, you are useful.” Annabelle’s mouth felt dry suddenly. “I mean, having you here makes me feel I’m not alone.”
Tears blurred her vision, she swallowed and continued, “I was really tired when we met and knowing you soon will be able to help has made it easier for me.”
They were both quiet for a moment.
“I guess I screwed up this time, didn’t I?”
Annabelle nodded.
“Remember what The Gnome of the Forest said, you have to have more fun, relax.” Molly sighed. She looked up at Annabelle. “Maybe I can help you do that.”
“He also said, think first. We both could practise that.”
“Molly, Annabelle,” said Sara rushing to them. “What have you done?”
Eddie hung back hoping he wouldn’t be noticed.
“Molly tried to fly and flopped.” Annabelle said, “Eddie needs a dose of smarten-up pills—and don’t you go anywhere, mister.”
Annabelle pointed her finger at Eddie who had been backing up, one step at a time, toward the trees.
“And where is my Collection Bag?”
Sara was weaving spells and chanting softly. Molly was now propped up at the base of the tree. She was feeling much better.
“Ummm,” Molly whispered. “I’m not sure.”
“You. Lost. The. Collection. Bag?”
Annabelle’s face turned bright red.
“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“You shouldn’t have had it in the first place, you unthinking little human!”
“If you wouldn’t complain so much about being tired I wouldn’t try to help.” Molly began to cry. Great salty tears slid down her face. “I want to go home. I hate it here. Leave me alone.”
“There. All fixed.” Sara stood up and said, “Try moving your shoulder now, Molly.”
“Hey. What did you do? It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Molly’s eyes were like saucers in her pinched white face.
“That’s what I do, Molly. I heal.”
Sara smiled and stood up.
“I still want to go home,” Molly muttered under her breath.
“First we have to find the Collection Bag. I need it for my rounds.”
Eddie had been trying to make himself smaller by crouching behind a rose bush.
“I’ll find it,” he said.
Annabelle reached out her arm and grabbed hold of him.
“We’ll all go, Eddie.”
The three of them revisited the places Eddie and Molly had been since taking the bag from Mandy at the Cleaning Corner. They found it by the river, hanging on a tree.
“We went for a swim and I didn’t want it to get wet.”
Molly shrugged her shoulders as if that explained everything.
“Honestly.” Annabelle shook her head. “At least we have it now.” She brushed the bag and checked it carefully for any damage. “Eddie, go home.”
Annabelle lifted her eyes from the bag and saw the brown blur of Eddie scampering through the bushes.
“I’m going with you tonight, Annabelle. You need help and there is something I need to do.”
“Molly, you don’t decide when you can come with
me. You’re not ready.”
“I could show you how to have some fun, Annabelle. If you won’t let me come I’ll hold you so tight you can’t go anywhere without me.”
Annabelle believed Molly would do just that. Why couldn’t this fairy-child behave? What if she took her on a flight—as an experiment? Then she could tell the Grand Fairy that this partnership simply would not work. They could erase Molly’s memory and that would be another problem solved.
Perhaps someone had made another mistake and there would be a more accommodating fairy-child she could work with.
“Okay, Molly. But this time you have to do exactly as I tell you.”
“Of course, fairy dear.”
Molly smiled.
CHAPTER 13
Both were fidgety as they stood on the steps of the Hall of Information, Annabelle because she was nervous and Molly from excitement.
“Molly, you have to hold onto me. Until you have flying lessons you won’t be able to do this on your own.”
“Okay, but this time could we go a bit slower so I can see things?”
“I’ll try.”
Annabelle sprinkled sparkling Flying Fairy Flakes over Molly and grasped her hand. “Let’s go!”
Up they soared into the starry night. Molly’s eyes got bigger with each second they were in the air.
“Look at the stars! There are millions of them. They look like lots from the ground but up here there are trillions and squidillions of them.”
“Hang on. I’ll show you something.”
Molly gripped Annabelle’s hand tighter. They flew in loops and made outlines of bows. They dipped, and whirled, and swirled, and curled. Molly squealed and even Annabelle smiled.
Annabelle navigated them to the safety of a tall tree, where they could catch their breath.
“That was so much fun, Annabelle. Thank you.”
“It was fun. I remember doing that when I first started flying. There is nothing like it.”
“I will be able to fly on my own later, won’t I?”
“You will—if you learn to listen. There are rules for everything you know.”
“I know. Especially with Scientific Truths. That’s what my parents are always telling me.” Molly sighed. “I miss them.”
“They would miss you if they knew you weren’t there. But you will have done all your lessons and learned to fly by the time they wake up.”
“Really? Will I really be able to fly, Annabelle?”
“Of course you will. You are doing well. Grandmother Gibby said so.”
“She could share that information. She does nothing but grumble at me.”
“Molly.” Annabelle sighed. “I expect you ask her questions constantly and fidget. She hates fidgeters.”
“Boy, do I know that!” Molly put her hand over her mouth to hide her giggles. “She calls me a flibbertigibbet.”
“We’d better go, Molly. Time to get back.”
Molly gripped Annabelle’s hand.
“So what are you waiting for?”
Chapter 14
Triple C classes were coming to an end for Molly. Grandmother Gibby said the fairy-child was an eager student and learned quickly, even if she was a fidgeter.
Molly didn’t like to sit still, and never did for long. That would certainly upset GG. Annabelle remembered her own difficulty in sitting still while her grandmother taught basic tooth gathering. More than once she had her wings clipped. GG put paper clips on them to weigh her down so she couldn’t keep popping up.
That was the other thing Annabelle’s mind fretted over. Molly’s wings. They were sprouting daily. Soon she would be flying by accident, something that happened to all of them when their wings began to emerge.
Annabelle remembered running somewhere and suddenly finding herself airborne. She imagined Molly zooming in and out of the glade, on rooftops and whizzing along the paths. She might be learning Triple C, but Molly wasn’t any less human. Even if she did look like a fairy.
Annabelle shook her head and concentrated on cataloguing the teeth from her last round. She needed to focus. Goodness knows what would happen if another mistake was made. Molly was bad enough. What if more like her showed up?
Annabelle shuddered.
Sara was calling to her. “Annabelle, are you almost ready?”
“Goodness, is it that time already?”
Today was Molly’s Acknowledgment Ceremony. Her lessons were finished. She was now a Proficient Tooth Gatherer.
Sara and Annabelle walked to the glade where all the excited Fairyland inhabitants were gathering.
Music filled the air. The orchestra, three fairies and two brownies, played a variety of instruments and created beautiful melodies. Elves and brownies held contests to see who could perform dance steps up the trees. Long tables groaned with food and drink.
“Looks like everyone is here, Sara.” Annabelle looked around. “Except Molly.”
“She’ll be here. She won’t miss this. She can have flying lessons now.”
“And she will have to be shown how to get in and out of Fairyland by herself. That could be dangerous.”
Annabelle shook her head. She dreaded to think of Molly having that much knowledge.
“She’ll have to know Annabelle. You can’t be fetching her back and forth all the time.”
“But will she behave like a proper fairy?” Annabelle’s brow was furrowed again.
“Quit worrying so much, Annabelle. You are going to have help. That’s the big thing.”
The Grand Fairy glided through the crowd with Molly at her side. She stepped onto the platform and held up her hands. The fairyland inhabitants stopped their activities and looked at their leader. The music continued quietly in the background.
“We have come here to celebrate the graduation of our newest member of the Tooth Gathering Clan. Molly has earned her Tooth Gathering Proficiency certificate and is now officially one of our own.”
Molly blushed as she was kissed on both cheeks, then the Grand Fairy grasped her hand and raised Molly’s arm in the air. All of Fairyland clapped and cheered. Eddie wiggled so much he fell off the branch where he was perched, and landed at Molly’s feet. He jumped up and brushed himself off as everyone laughed.
Molly, excited at her new status, spied Annabelle and started to walk towards her. She took a few steps then rose in the air. The startled look on her face alerted everyone to the fact that this was not planned.
“Oh, no! Sara, it’s happening.”
“Oooh! Look, Annabelle. I’m doing magic.”
Molly was grinning from ear to ear.
“That’s not magic,” whispered Sara. “Her wings are spreading.”
“There she goes.”
All eyes were on Molly as she rose from the ground and hovered for a second before she landed with a plop.
“What happened?”
Surprised, Molly looked at Annabelle.
“Your wings are starting to experiment.” Annabelle helped her up. “You’re okay. I’ll show you how to work them.”
“My wings!” Molly felt her back and touched soft feathers. “I have wings.” Her voice was hushed in wonder.
“Yes, you do. And you have to learn to use them.”
“Okay, show me.”
Molly jumped up and rubbed her hands.
Molly, Sara and Annabelle practised flying together. A few minutes later Molly had accomplished low level flying.
“That’s enough for today, Molly. You’ll learn more in your class.”
“I am going home.” Hands on her hips Molly stared at Annabelle. “Now that I can fly, I can go by myself.”
Annabelle gasped.
“Going home! No, you’re not! You have more to learn. Then we can go together.”
Molly stamped her foot.
“I’m going home.”
She glared at Annabelle, turned, jumped up and flew into the air. She crashed into the nearest oak tree.
Annabelle raced after her. Molly, bru
ised and shaken, lay on the ground, crying.
“Molly! What are you trying to do?”
Annabelle fussed over her, checking for broken bones. Satisfied that Molly’s pride was the biggest hurt suffered, she sat back. Molly’s tears were for more than just a bump into a tree.
“What’s wrong Molly?”
“I want to go home.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and blinked. “I miss mum and dad.” Molly’s bottom lip wobbled.
Annabelle sighed. “Okay, Molly. I’ll take you, but only for a quick visit. You still have to learn to use your wings properly. And they have to learn to obey.”
“What? My wings have to obey?”
“Molly. These are brand-new wings. They’ve never flown before today. They have to learn what is expected of them.”
Molly sighed. There was a lot more to this Tooth Fairy lark than she had originally thought.
She was more determined than ever to go home. She needed some time out.
CHAPTER 15
As Molly and Annabelle flew through the night sky the stars twinkled and shone, as if putting on a show for them. Radiant, the lights of the Aurora Borealis danced along with them. Annabelle held Molly’s hand and dove through the clouds to dance above the shimmering lights.
Molly laughed and laughed, hanging tightly on to Annabelle. Gently Annabelle eased her hand from Molly’s and danced beside her. Bathed in the reflected light they wove in and out of the stars. Like ballerinas, they pirouetted and leapt. At last, exhausted, they sank down on a cloud.
“Annabelle, that was so much fun.”
Molly glowed with pleasure.
“It sure was. I love laughing like that. And dancing.”
“You let me fly on my own, too. And I did it.”
“You did do it. You need practice, and some discipline to make your wings understand what you want them to do. Like a baby trying to get its legs to walk.”
They drifted on the cloud for a second or two while they caught their breath.
“We’d better head off, Molly.”
Holding hands they jumped off the cloud and flew down to Molly’s house.
The closer they got to her home, the bigger Molly became. By the time they were there, she was human-size again.
