Entangled With Faeries

by Lynn Donovan

  “There’re pots and pans.” Karole spoke for the first time. Joseph and Abbie jerked. Had she forgotten her sister was there too? He certainly had.

  “This looks fine.” Joseph examined her hair. The creatures emerged and flew above her head. They seemed to be looking around at the new location. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Are you sure you’re alright? With them… alone?”

  “Of course.” She forced a chuckle. “Don’t go to a lot of trouble. A TV dinner will be fine, just… remember to get something sweet for the faeries.” Abbie sounded sad, he almost suggested they order pizza instead. But he’d still have to leave her to go pick it up at the gate. A home cooked Lebanese meal would be better. He shook his head. “I have something much better in mind, and I’ll get the… them something tasty from the bakery. I won’t be long.” He kissed her forehead. It felt so natural to kiss her before he walked away. This had been a strange day. And he could only imagine it getting stranger.

  She pursed her lips and nodded slightly.

  Joseph tore himself from her brave façade and walked toward the door.

  “Wait.” Karole said. “I’ll go with you.” She turned to Abbie and briefly discussed what all she needed from her home, then hurried to join Joseph. She spoke over her shoulder to Abbie. “Try to relax while we are gone, Doctor’s orders.”

  Abbie smiled and closed the door.

  Once he was in the hall, he felt much less reluctant to leave her. It was the right thing to do, to get her some groceries, since she couldn’t leave the facility. Of course Karole could have bought food, but Karole couldn’t possibly know the right ingredients for what he had in mind. Besides, he really didn’t mind doing it, as a favor for a friend.

  Was that what Abbie was now? A friend? A friend that he felt compelled to kiss before he walked away from? He stopped midstride. When he was near her… and the faeries, he had much stronger feelings for her. He would make sure he kept that in check when he came back. This wasn’t like him— to leap into a relationship like he seemed to be doing with Abbie.

  Granted, she was different, he could admit to that. But…

  “Are you okay?” Karole’s voice startled him out of his thoughts. Once again, he had forgotten she was there. “Yes. It’s just… hard to…”

  “Process?” Karole offered.

  “Yes.”

  She nodded. “Believe me, I know.”

  Joseph pushed the elevator button. He needed to keep his emotions in check until he knew for sure the source of his feelings. Abbie’s sister was nothing more than an acquaintance to him, he didn’t know her well enough to divulge his concerns. But something told him he would be getting to know her quite well over the next few…

  “Stop!” Joseph blurted to no one.

  Karole jumped.

  Joseph shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot going on in my head.”

  Karole smiled. “That’s understandable.”

  The elevator doors opened. Frank was gone. The hall looked empty. Joseph gestured for Karole to exit first, he followed behind her. “See you in a little while.”

  “Yeah, see ya.”

  Abbie’s strength drained from her limbs. Complete exhaustion pulled her down onto the modular sofa. Maybe she should have let Karole examine her. Aura flew out into her visual range, hovering in front of her face. “We are alright.”

  “I know you are.” She considered her own words. She did know. How did she know? “It’s me I’m concerned about.”

  Aura swooped around as if looking Abbie over. “You are not… injured?”

  “No, I’m not injured. I’m just… drained.”

  Diamond flew out, hovering next to Aura. “What is drained? Are you hungry? Do you need some crystalized honey?” Diamond rubbed her abdomen. “I’m thinking I need some. Do you have any?”

  Abbie sighed heavily. “I don’t think so.” She forced herself to stand and drudged to the efficient little kitchen. She opened cabinet doors and drawers. “We have everything we need to live here…”

  The faeries fluttered in the air with excitement.

  “…except food.”

  Fluttering dissolved into disappointed shrugs. They folded their wings and landed delicately on the little bar jutting out between the kitchen and the sitting room. Two stools sat on the opposite side of the bar, making a reasonable place to sit and eat. Abbie leaned a hip on one stool, then scooted onto the center. With a sigh, she placed her chin in her palm. “Joseph is buying groceries. I asked him to remember you. Maybe he’ll think to bring some honey too.”

  “Can we ask him?”

  “Well, I— don’t have his number. Wait, maybe I do.” Abbie lifted her phone, scanned through some apps, and finally opened the VEIL on-site phone directory. It was classified, of course, but she had access. She scrolled through to find Joseph. “Ah. Here it is.” She touched the hyperlink and waited for him to answer. Suddenly, she reconsidered openly speaking about the faeries. This event had been classified Extra Sensitive Top Secret far as she knew.

  “Hello?” Joseph answered. Tranquil jazz music played behind his voice. He must be at the grocery store.

  “Joseph, It’s me… Abbie.”

  He chuckled. “Yes? Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. I have a request. You know, I have over a dozen sweet tooths here and they seem to think only crystalized honey will do.”

  She cringed. Hopefully he understood what she was getting at and didn’t think she had lost her mind.

  “Ah. Fresh honey crystalizes, I believe. I’ll see what I can find.”

  “Sounds good. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, I’m almost done here. I should be back in less than twenty minutes.”

  “Good. We are hungry.” She started, regretting having said we. “I-I mean, aren’t you hungry too?”

  He chuckled, “Yes, as a matter of fact I am, so you’re right, we are hungry.”

  Good. He understood and didn’t give the secret away. “Thank you. We- I’ll be waiting.”

  “Okay. Adiós.”

  She disconnected, then jerked her phone up. She’d forgotten to say bye! What was wrong with her? She’d never hung up on someone without saying goodbye. She looked at the faeries. They seemed happy that Joseph would bring sweets for them. A feeling of elation washed over her, too. Maybe he’d bring her a cream-cheese cake with nuts…

  That was odd, she hardly ever craved cake. What was he planning for supper? What about breakfast? Would he think to buy cereal? Milk? Why hadn’t she made a list? How could she expect a perfect stranger to know what she’d want to stock her kitchen?

  Take what you get and don’t throw a fit. She heard the childhood mantra she had been told so many times. That was right. She needed to be grateful for whatever Joseph bought. Besides, she could always send Karole to get anything else she needed. Karole knew her brand of cereal and TV dinners.

  A high-pitched chanting caught her attention, bringing her out of her self-absorbed thought. “Take what you get… don’t throw a fit.”

  The faeries were saying the line, like a cheerleading squad, separated into two sides. Half said the “Take what you get,” and the other side threw it back at them, “don’t throw a fit.”

  A smile sprang to Abbie’s lips. How cute! Then the reality of their chanting struck her hard. She had not said it out loud. They talked to her in her head. It was becoming more and more obvious they listened, too. A creepy shiver rolled over her spine. This was going to take some getting used to.

  A knock on the door. Abbie jerked to her feet with a gasp. Her hand shot up to her chest. Calm down. It’s gotta be Karole… or Joseph. Shaking her head at how foolish she was being, she crossed the room and opened the door.

  Karole swept in with a suitcase, duffle bag, and a really large purse that Abbie had never seen before. “Wow. Thanks. What’s in the carryon?”

  Karole feigned embarrassment. “You didn’t have anything big enough for your toiletries, so I stopped a
t the Dollar Store and bought you a beach bag purse.”

  “Ah.” Abbie was impressed. Her sister wasn’t usually this thoughtful. “Well, thank you. Here let me take those.” She reached for the duffle and big bag. “I’ll put these away.”

  “Okay, and I’ll hang up your clothes.” Karole took the suitcase into the bedroom. Abbie heard drawers open and close. She was putting her foldables away too. Abbie sighed. Would she be stuck here that long?

  Abbie distributed her toiletries in the bathroom cabinet, hung up towels, and lined up her vitamins on the counter. She put shower stuff behind the white plastic curtain and turned to find the faeries inspecting everything. “We can play in your bubbles?”

  Abbie sighed. This was her life now. Taking a shower with faeries playing in the bubbles she made. How long would she be dealing with these faeries? The rest of her life? A bolt of dread pierced her gut. She had loved the idea of Tinker Bell all of her life, but the reality of a flock of faeries actually living with her, and being so… attached to her was a whole other matter. One that she tired of already.

  Just as that thought passed through her mind, she felt a sensation of warmth and companionship wash over her. The faeries were comforting. Knowing they were always there with her. She would never be alone, ever. Joy filled her heart. Safety in numbers. Security with the swarm.

  She watched as Aura and Diamond discuss a container of body wash. “Oranges.” “Hmmm, it smells sweet.” “Look at this” Diamond flew to the shampoo bottle. “Mixed berries? Remember?” “Yes. It smells like Abbie.” Just then a scream caused all the faeries to turn toward the built-in shelf.

  “I’m stuck! I’m stuck! I’m stuck! It’s eating me! I’m going to die!” Amethyst was caught in the shower scrubby. Abbie tsked her tongue and reached over to gently ease her out of the gathered netting. “You have to be careful. Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”

  Amethyst’s eyes were larger than usual. “Cat? There’s a cat here, too?”

  “No, silly. It’s just an expression.”

  Karole stopped at the bathroom door. “Okay, I’m all done. How’s it going in— what happened?”

  “Oh Amethyst got caught in the scrubber and panicked.”

  Karole tipped her head back. “I see. Well, let’s all be careful with the things that we are not familiar with.” She glared at Abbie.

  Another knock on the door drew their attention, and Abbie rushed to answer it. This time it had to be Joseph. A sense of bliss filled her heart. She almost skipped to the door. Breathless, she pulled the knob. “Hi.” She panted.

  He looked at her oddly, recyclable bags hung from his arms. But his hands were encumbered with a large box.

  “Goodness! Did you leave anything in the store?” Abbie giggled.

  Joseph peeked around the box. ”I got something that I hope will help.”

  He approached the bar and leaned to one side, verifying it was clear, then put the box down. He moved to the counter, looked at the surface, and removed the bags from his arms.

  Abbie smiled. How thoughtful of him to first check that no faeries were on the bar or counter. A sigh came out of nowhere and escaped her lips. She resisted grasping her hands together and holding them next to her cheek. In her peripheral, she noticed the faeries, collectively doing that very thing.

  She cleared her throat and rushed to help put things away. “So, what’s in the box?”

  He smiled. “I went by that Mystique Emporium. Blaze Moonstar had this in her window. She was closed, of course, but I know she stays in the apartment above the store sometimes, so I went around back and got her to open the store. I think it was part of her window dressing, but I told her it was an emergency.”

  He opened the folded flaps and lifted onto his tiptoes to get a grip on the thing inside. He pulled it upward. A dark blue wooden structure emerged. Abbie watched intently until she realized what he had bought.

  “A doll house!” Abbie clasped her hands. “How’d you convince Blaze a doll house was an emergency?”

  “I told her my niece was in town and it was her birthday.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

  “Clever!” Abbie turned to the faeries. “Look! Aura, Diamond, Amethyst! Joseph bought you a house.”

  The faeries swarmed the little structure. Open on one side, the other looked like a white two-story colonial house with a red door and a dark-blue roof. Joseph turned it around so the faeries could see both floors at once. They fussed and squeaked as they walked through it. Sitting on the miniature furniture and laying on the beds. Aura flew out.

  “It’s wonderful!” She wiped a crystal tear and tossed it aside. “We are so happy!”

  “Good.” Joseph turned away and removed food from the grocery sacks. “My thought is, if they like the doll house, perhaps we can convince them to stay in it, and you can go back to work… without them.” He looked at Abbie, worry filled his eyes.

  “Seems like a good idea to me.” Abbie smiled as she rushed to help him. “Ground lamb? Bread crumbs, mangos… what are you making?”

  He set jars of different flavored honeys on the bar beside the bags, a box of individually wrapped pound cakes, a container of vanilla icing, and a glass spice jar labeled saffron. Abbie tilted her head to inspect the contents. It looked like tiny branches of coral.

  “Gosh. You didn’t have to buy so much! But thank you.”

  “It is my pleasure.” He separated some of the groceries, placing them next to the two-burner stove. The rest he handed to her to put away.

  “You two work like you’ve done this together a long time.” Karole stood in the sitting room as if in awe, staring at Abbie and Joseph.

  Heat rose on Abbie’s neck and fill her cheeks. “Just putting away groceries, Karole. Don’t make a big deal about it.”

  Karole shrugged. “I’ll be going. Call me if you need anything else. And don’t worry. Surely this will all be straightened out soon.”

  “Worried. Why would I be worried?” Abbie furrowed her brow.

  Karole’s face morphed into that look Abbie had seen before. That this-is-not-good look she gets just before she tells someone really bad news.

  Abbie stared at her sister. “What?”

  “Nothing. I’ll call you in the morning.” Karole turned to the vibrating doll house. “Good night girls! I like your little house.”

  A buzz of excitement replied. Karole smiled at Abbie, then Joseph. “This was a good idea, Assad.”

  Joseph tossed his head back with a smile and continued with making supper.

  Abbie walked her sister to the door. “Okay. Good night.” She watched Karole walk down the hall.

  She turned back to the apartment. Joseph stood gaping at her. “What?”

  Joseph drew in a deep breath. “Come sit down, Abbie. I’ll make dinner and—”

  Abbie followed his line of sight. The faeries were ripping open the box of cakes, biting through the plastic. Joseph stepped over and tore open a package. They dove into the opening and pulled handfuls out, stuffing it into their mouths. Three others were pounding on the plastic lid to the icing. He opened it and pealed back the foil. They scooped handfuls of icing and crammed it into their mouths. Still others fluttered with excitement over the honeys trying to get them open. He turned to the counter and twisted off the lids. They dove over the edge and drew the honey into their mouths like a horse at a pond.

  “I think they were hungry,” Abbie mused, her words slurred slightly. Joseph turned a curious gaze to her. “Are you alright?”

  “Shhure. Why?”

  Joseph considered her a moment. “You almost sound drunk.” He examined her eyes, pulled down her bottom eye lid.

  The faeries, flew into the air, disoriented, crashing into each other, roiling in the air like boiling water and scattered into Abbie’s hair. She winced. The faeries tangled and stuck to her hair from the honey and icing on their hands. She staggered. Joseph grabbed her shoulders. “You better sit down.” He eased her onto the sofa.

>   “Let me get some food in you.” He rushed to the kitchenette and tore off a piece of flat-bread and smeared something on it. “Here, eat this while I get things ready.”

  “Hmm. Garlic. I love garlic butter.” Abbie purred as she nibbled the hunk of bread. “You got any sugar I can put on this.”

  Joseph looked up from mixing ground lamb in a bowl. “Do you customarily eat sugar with garlic bread?”

  “No. But I was just thinking it would taste really good together.”

  Joseph stared at her. “Okay.” He grabbed a dish towel and washed his hand in the sink. “Listen to me. Normally, no one wants sugar with garlic. I think the faeries… have an influence over you.”

  “Um, Aura. I need you and your… sisters to get in your little house.” He watched while they came out of Abbie’s hair and fluttered erratically to the doll house. Abbie smiled. His eyes roved over the faeries in the house. They laid on various pieces of furniture, one was even in the little bathtub. Anywhere they could lay down, they settled and instantly were asleep.

  Abbie blinked slowly and then felt something like a fog lifting from her mind. She sat up straighter. “I- I’ve been wondering the same thing.” She spoke quietly, not to disturb them. “But now that they are asleep, I don’t feel it so much.”

  Joseph nodded. “Are you still craving sugar?”

  Abbie considered his question. She looked down at the flat bread. “No.”

  “Okay, let me get dinner cooked and get you fed, hopefully before they wake up. Then we need to talk about their effect on you.” He paused. “And me.”

  “I don’t think they intend me harm.”

  “No, I don’t either. I’m just concerned… since we don’t really know much about them.”

  Abbie nodded, looking at the sleeping bodies all over the interior of the little house. “Yeah, we should talk.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Mmm. This was so good. What were those hamburger patties made with? Ground lamb and…” Abbie dipped a piece of flat bread in the hummus and put it in her mouth. She perched on a stool at the tiny bar, beside Joseph. The faeries continued to sleep.