by Naomi L. | March 18, 2016 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Short Stories |
Welcome to the conclusion of “Dance of the Fairies”. If you haven’t yet, read Part 1 here. Otherwise, enjoy!
The music gradually died down as Cindy, Joey, Shea and Eldan moved toward the center circle. The next thing the children knew, the fairies were all staring at them in awestruck silence as they stood before the queen.
“Your Majesty”, said Shea, bowing deeply alongside Eldan while the children stood wide-eyed behind them, “we found these two humans watching from the outskirts of our sacred field. We beseech your judgment of their permission to stay.”
The queen fluttered down from her high throne, and Shea and Eldan moved aside to allow her passage to the children. Cindy and Joey gazed at her in wonder; though she was considerably smaller than them, they felt humbled in her presence. The great fairy studied them seriously for a minute, then broke into a smile.
“Welcome, children,” she said kindly. “I see you’ve discovered our secret festival. Please tell me your names.”
The children glanced at each other awkwardly before turning back to the fairy. The girl was the first to find her voice.
“C-Cindy.”
“…Joey.”
The queen considered them both for a moment before nodding, never breaking her smile for an instant. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cindy and Joey. I’m Queen Tianna. Welcome to our magical field!”
“The pleasure is all ours!” Cindy replied. The queen’s kind smile had melted away all her fear.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Eldan spoke up, “but what should we do with these…visitors? You have only to say the word, and Shea and I will readily escort them out.”
Queen Tianna grew serious again. Without taking her eyes off the humans, she fluttered down to lift each of their hands as Shea had done. She held onto their forefingers for a full minute, the silence deafening around them… until at last she smiled once more.
“There’s no need for that, Eldan,” she said sweetly, still gazing intently at Cindy and Joey. “These children are pure of heart. They will be our honored guests tonight!” The queen announced this to the entire field, then lowered her voice again as she addressed the visitors directly. “What do you say, children? Would you like to dance with us?”
“Would we ever!” Cindy exclaimed, then suddenly catching herself, she added with a polite bow, “I mean, it would be an honor, Your Majesty.”
Joey bowed as well, and the entire field of fairies cheered as the music started up again. Immediately, two pairs of fairies carrying a crown of flowers each came forth and placed them lightly on the children’s heads. The two were then escorted toward the center circle, Cindy giggling as she caught sight of Shea triumphantly sticking her tongue out at Eldan.
The rest of the night passed by like a dream. Cindy and Joey twirled together in the light circle to the cheering of the fairies around them. They gleefully lead lines of dancers around the field, clapped and chanted along to the music, and joined hands with the fairies to spin around the great center circle. They even had the honor of joining the final dance with Queen Tianna herself. It was a night they would never forget for as long as they lived.
At last, the night passed away and the morning sun began to glow on the horizon. As the music and dancing finally stopped, the queen fluttered before her guests to share a few final words with them.
“Thank you for joining us tonight, children! You have made this a most magical evening indeed! Know you are always welcome to our full moon festivals. May the Mother Earth always bless you both!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Cindy and Joey exclaimed in unison, grinning and bowing deeply.
The other fairies had already begun to disappear, one by one in little fading balls of light. Shea waved her new friends goodbye, and even Eldan smiled as he disappeared with her. Queen Tianna was the last to vanish, leaving the warmth of her kind smile hanging in the air. The light circle faded away, and before they knew it, Cindy and Joey were standing in the middle of what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary field at dawn, with no sign that anything magical had ever happened there.
Joey reached up to take the flower crown off his head, and stood staring at it as if in a daze while Cindy started walking back toward the rocks. Timidly, he turned his head up and called to her.
“Cindy?”
Cindy stopped and turned around to face her friend. Joey shuffled his feet awkwardly for a moment, gathering courage as he glanced at his crown, before looking her in the eyes again and speaking up.
“…Do you think we could come back here, at the next full moon?”
A smile spread across Cindy’s face. She walked up to Joey and took his hand in hers.
“It’s a date!”
Joey grinned and squeezed Cindy’s fingers as she replaced the flower crown on his head. Holding hands, the children left the field together, laughing and skipping all the way home. It had been more than a magical evening, a night they knew even then that they would remember for the rest of their lives together. Every full moon from then on would bring about the same cheerful thought: the next dance of the fairies could never come soon enough.
The End
Hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks for reading!
by Naomi L. | March 11, 2016 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Short Stories |
“What are we looking at?”
“Shh!“
“But there’s nothing here!”
“There will be! Now be quiet!”
Cindy covered Joey’s mouth with her hand. He brushed it off, but did as she told him nonetheless. The two children huddled closer as they stared over the rocks at the empty field ahead.
“I still don’t get why you brought me here,” Joey whispered after five uneventful minutes.
“You will.” Cindy glanced up at the full moon just beginning to poke through the clouds. “It’s almost time.”
They sat quietly for another several minutes, waiting. Joey opened his mouth, about to complain that it was cold and this was boring and he wanted to go home, but the words never left his throat. Just then, a circle of light appeared in the middle of the field, in the very spot Cindy had pointed out when they arrived.
“C-Cindy?” Joey stammered, suddenly afraid. “W-What’s happening?”
But Cindy didn’t seem to notice her friend cowering beside her. She was too busy grinning as she leaned over the rock for a better view.
“Here they come!”
She quivered with excitement as little balls of light began to appear across the field. One by one, the floating lights materialized into tiny glowing figures with wings. Joey’s eyes grew wide as he stared into the field, unable to believe what he was seeing.
“Are those…?” he gasped. Cindy nodded without taking her eyes off the scene ahead.
“Fairies!”
The fairies all gathered around the circle of light in the middle of the field. One of them, who was slightly brighter than the rest and wore a crown on her head, raised her hands to call for silence, a request immediately respected by all the others. Cindy turned to Joey, who was now leaning over the rock beside her.
“That’s the fairy queen!” she whispered. The two of them watched quietly as the leader of the fairies began to speak.
“My children!” she said in a kind yet authoritative voice. “Tonight, let us give thanks to our Mother Earth for her bounty. Let us praise her, that we may never find ourselves wanting of her generosity. Let her know that we are eternally grateful for her kindness. So sing and be merry, my children! Tonight, we dance!”
The queen raised her hands again and all the fairies cheered. A small group beside her began to bang and strum on tiny instruments, and soon the air was filled with music. Cindy and Joey watched, enthralled, as some of the little glowing figures joined hands and danced around the center circle while others twirled through the air in pairs. It was a sight to take the breath away.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” Cindy sighed dreamily, her head in her hands. Joey nodded without even realizing.
“They really are.”
The children giggled as they watched the fairies dance and sing. Before long, they too found themselves getting caught up in the spirit of the music.
“May I have this dance?” Joey said in a mock grown-up voice as he stepped back and bowed to his friend. Cindy curtsied and waved an imaginary fan.
“I thought you’d never ask!”
The two friends laughed as they imitated the fairies, twirling around in circles until they were dizzy. Then…
“Hey!”
Cindy and Joey froze, their smiles vanishing instantly. They turned around slowly to see two glowing figures floating before them, watching them with wide, pale blue eyes.
“What are you doing here?” one of the fairies asked, his brow raised in suspicion. While Cindy and Joey exchanged awkward looks, the other fairy turned to her companion.
“Don’t frighten them, Eldan!” she said in a much softer tone, taking him by the arm. “They’re not hurting anyone. They’re just children!”
“Human children, Shea,” said the first fairy as he turned to his friend. “You know we don’t allow humans here. What would the queen have to say about this?”
“Why don’t we ask her?”
“You want to take them to the queen?”
“Why not?” Shea smiled. “They clearly like to dance too! I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. She might even be delighted to have them join us!”
Eldan glanced at the nervous children, then turned back to his companion and sighed in defeat. “Fine, if you say so. But if we get in trouble for this…”
“We won’t.” Beaming, Shea fluttered over to Cindy and Joey and extended her hand to them. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. Come with us! We don’t bite!”
“Speak for yourself,” said Eldan, sparing a piercing look at Joey. The boy drew back at those words, but Shea calmed him with a gentle laugh.
“He’s joking, sweetie. This guy couldn’t hurt a fly if he wanted to!”
The fairy fluttered down between the children and reached out to touch their hands. Dazed, Cindy and Joey stepped forward as Shea led them by their forefingers out from behind the rocks and into the field, Eldan following close behind. They didn’t know what to expect, but of one thing they were certain: the night was about to get far more interesting.
To be concluded next Friday
by Naomi L. | January 22, 2016 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
(What If? Exercise: Read the description here.)
The phoenix is a legendary bird of strength and wisdom.
But it’s nothing if it cannot set itself ablaze.
She feared she would never have such courage.
Until the first time she touched fire.
Now she hungered for that power.
She summoned the magic within.
Suddenly, her feathers ignited.
She burned fiercely.
True phoenix.
Rise.
This piece is based on What If? Exercise 93: “Ten to One”. The exercise is to write a 55-word story in which the first sentence has ten words, the second has nine, etc., until the last sentence has only one word. The objective is to show that precision and thrift in writing can produce surprisingly powerful results. I hope you enjoy what I’ve written. Thanks for reading!
Back to the story
by Naomi L. | August 12, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing |
By now, I’ve written quite a few “five reasons” posts for my blog. I’ve talked about the things I love about flash fiction and poetry, and I’ve listed my reasons for loving romance and science fiction. Now I’d like to get into another of my favorite genres of fiction, if not my absolute favorite: fantasy! This is a genre I fell in love with when I was a child and that I haven’t stopped loving since. So without further ado, here are the reasons I love fantasy. Enjoy!
1) It’s a testament to the boundlessness of human imagination.
Fantasy is the epitome of human creativity. The very word “fantasy” originates from a Greek word meaning “imagination” (literally “to show at the mind”). In fact, one of the reasons I love reading ancient mythology is that it offers an insight into human imagination from an early point in history. Since prehistoric times, people have been telling stories about the fantastic events that could very well have shaped the world as we know it, and while today we know that such incredible stories about deities and monsters never actually happened, it’s still interesting to see what amazing tales the human mind is capable of dreaming up. And that’s probably why fantasy remains such a popular genre to this day. For me, reading fantasy isn’t just about enjoying a good story; it’s about the thrill of being transported into another person’s imagination. How wonderful is that?
2) It’s the ultimate escape from reality.
Whenever I feel stuck in the monotony of reality (which is often), I like to take a break by indulging in fiction. When I’m really fed up with the real world, I dive headfirst into fantasy, because nothing takes me away from the pressures of life like indulging in a little magic from time to time. Whether it’s writing short stories about dragons, reading a seven-book novel series about young wizards and witches, or playing the hero in a medieval-themed video game, fantasy offers the thrill of escapism like no other genre can. Because what better way to escape from reality than by losing yourself in a world where absolutely anything is possible?
3) Other genres bend the rules; fantasy breaks them.
Two of my favorite genres of fiction are science fiction and fantasy, but sometimes when I compare the two, it’s hard to find the line that distinguishes them. They both feature intricate worlds, highly improbable plots, and characters who are capable of amazing feats. Perhaps the best way to distinguish fantasy from science fiction (or any other genre for that matter) is to consider how they compare to reality, because fantasy is the only genre that makes the truly impossible possible. Alien encounters, artificial intelligence, and dystopian futures technically could be a reality given exactly the right circumstances, but you’ll never see wizards casting magic spells or fire-breathing dragons soaring across the sky. Some things exist purely in our imagination, and that’s exactly what I love so much about fantasy: it pushes boundaries like no other genre can. In a nutshell, science fiction bends the rules, but fantasy breaks them.
4) It brings back the magic of childhood.
Remember when you were a kid, how you loved reading fairy tales and watching animated movies about magical characters who did amazing things? Naturally curious and free of responsibilities as children, we all enjoyed engaging in the wonders of magic, even if it only ever existed in our minds. But growing up has a way of forcing us to put aside our fantasies so we can prepare to face the real world. One of the greatest reasons I’m so fond of fantasy is that it often takes me back to the simpler time of my childhood, a time when it was okay to believe that magic was real and anything was possible if I only wished it with all my heart. Sure, nowadays I don’t longingly watch the skies for an owl carrying my acceptance letter from Hogwarts or feel a twinge of anticipation that I might find a golden ticket whenever I open a chocolate bar, but it’s still nice to keep in touch with that little girl inside who once did. She is, after all, one of the loudest voices that make up the writer in me.
5) It’s incredibly fun to read, write, and play!
Yes, I always end my lists with this reason, but what can I say? It’s always true! Fantasy, when written well, is engaging, exhilarating, stimulating, liberating, and all-around awesome! So the next time you feel stuck in the humdrum of the real world, try taking a break to indulge in a little fantasy. You never know what sorts of amazing adventures await in the imagination until you explore! Enjoy!
What about you? Why do (or don’t) you like fantasy?
by Naomi L. | July 15, 2015 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
Here’s another set of “What If?” Writing Prompts for you! Since I love these genres so much, this week’s post features more prompts themed to fantasy and science fiction. See what stories you can write based on these ideas! Have fun!
What if… the human race were to colonize other planets?
What if… what you thought was a normal vehicle turned out to be a transporter into an alternate dimension?
What if… you discovered that changing the time on your watch changed the time in the real world?
What if… you trained dragons for a living?
What if… you woke up one morning to find your stuffed animals/action figures had come to life?
Enjoy writing some more fantasy and science fiction stories!
If you have any “What If?” writing prompt suggestions (for any theme), please feel free to share them in the comments below. Ideas I like may be featured in future “What If?” posts, with full credit and a link to your blog (if you have one)! Also, if you’ve written a piece based on an idea you’ve found here, be sure to link back to the respective “What If?” post. I would love to see what you’ve done with the prompt! Thank you!
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