A Grim Enchantment

T’was a warm summer night. The year was 1804. I was reading by the light cast from that of the moon. The window was open ever so slightly as to let in a bit of night air. The book I had been reading was named Dark Magic. When finally I found what I had been looking for, my eyes had been drooping and I was on the verge of falling asleep. I snapped back to attention at the sound of a little mouse scurrying across the wooden floor. I stood up and crept over to the room my father was sleeping in to find him quiet and asleep, he was even snoring a little. My mother had been killed when a building had collapsed. She was buried in the graveyard somewhere near our house. That was seven years ago when I had just turned six. Ever since then father expected me to do all the work of a women. Cook for him, clean the house. I couldn’t even have my own friends for I was always busy doing something else for him. I was sick and tired of it. Stiffly, I walked back to my room. Once back, I pulled open my window all the way and carefully jumped out. The wind was growing ever stronger and wrapped my nightgown ‘round my legs. Young birds fought their way to the ground hoping to find a nice midnight snack. I grinned as the wind awoke me to the world outside my head.

Sighing, I crawled back through my window and pulled it back down. Looking over to the book I wondered what it would be like to be in the land of the fairies. I wanted the book to help me make at least one friend. But the only friend it would be able to help me with were fairy friends. I thought that would be wonderful. Gathering all my ingredients, I did as the book told me to. Once finished, I looked around hoping to see the fairy I was told I would get. Not finding one, I turned around in dismay at having thought that any such thing really would work. “Ah but it did” said sudden a voice in my head.

“Who’s there?” I asked in wonder.
“Am I not what you asked for? A friend that is a fairy?”
“Is that you? Where are you? Come out so I can see you!” I replied
“Girl, tell me, what is your name?”
“Avaene, Avaene Nostalgia. And what of yours?” I asked
“Avaene my child look at me, I am standing by your bookshelf, look at me” I turned to look but saw nothing of the sort.
“Where are you? I can’t see you.”
“Keep looking, I will appear if you keep looking” Suddenly a small man appeared no bigger than my hand.
“Y…you’re a fairy!”
“What did you think I was? A dog? ” The little man giggled at first than laughed long and hard.
“Your name, what is your name and how old are you?” I could think of nothing better to say.
“Zaandrick Naafie at your service, and I am 283 years old”
“283!” I cried in apparent shock, “How’s that possible? You should be dead by now!”
“Actually 283 is a very young age for us fairies. Our time goes by a lot faster than your time does. One night beneath the hills with me is equal to 100 of your human years.” Unable to take this all in, I fainted.
When I awoke, it was morning and father had been standing right above me. “Morning’ sleepy head! Nasty bump you got there. I reckon you won’t be able to do much today.”
“Wait what? What happened?” I asked groggily, “Father did you see him? Did you see the fairy?”
“Its okay honey, you take a day off. I’ll try to do what I can.” Why was my father being so nice all of a sudden? Carefully I got up and shooed father away. He reluctantly left. I looked over to my mirror and saw a bump the size of a giant goose egg on my head.
“Mr. Naafie… Zaandrick where are you?”
"Good morning Avaene! How was your sleep? Nasty bump you've got on your head there, I’ll fix it for you. Go sit there on your bed though for I don't want to miss." He sounded so enthusiastic I could hardly refuse. Slowly I walked over to my bed and sat down. Mumbling to himself, Zaandrick began humming a very melodic tune. It filled my ears and I was hardly able to manage a thought. The song seemed so familiar although I was sure I had never had heard it before. Zaandrick started pointing wildly around the room then finally his finger stopped before my forehead. The tune now ended. Smiling, Zaandrck motioned for me to look in the mirror. Upon the sight of myself, I gave a little cry of surprise for on my forehead the goose egg was now shrinking into the depths of my skin.
Feeling my head, the bump had just disappeared! "Amazing!" I cried. Thinking of what happened earlier this morning I looked to him and said, " Zaandrick, did you, by any chance do something to father?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Zaandrick asked trying his best to hide a growing smile.
"I mean, this morning he was acting quite strange," I explained.
Unable to help himself, Zaandrick began to grin. "So what do you do for fun around here?" he asked absently. What could I say? I never did anything fun for I was always inside doing something or the other.
"I have an idea," I said unsure of myself.
"And what would that be?" Zaandrick asked, this time he was paying attention.
"I shan't tell you now, all in good time. But answer me this. Can you conjure anything? Food or water maybe?" I said.
Zaandrick nodded, "Sure can!"
"Perfect then prove it. Make the best chocolate cake appear right now."  More humming and pointing and there appeared the best looking chocolate cake there ever was. Looking at each other, we smiled and fell to eating up the cake. Running to the bathroom, I washed away any evidence of the cake.

Within the next hour I started planning everything as carefully as I could. Father brought me some very strange soup. Said it was pea soup but it looked nothing like it. Instead, I got Zaandrick to turn it into chocolate fudge and I ate it greedily. Happily I told father that I was going to try and make some friends. He agreed with me for he knew I had none. “Have as much fun as you can today hun. You’re not to be getting another day off any time soon.” With that he went back to doing some sort of absurd thing in the kitchen.
I ran off immediately to my neighbor’s house. They had a boy my age. His name was Xayne. I asked him to play with me. He gladly accepted my invitation for he also had no friends. “What do you want to play? If it’s with your dolls then there’s no way I” I cut him off right there.
“If you think that I still play with dolls then you are quite sadly mistaken.” He heaved a sigh of relief, “Actually I was thinking we could go on an adventure. So will you come with?”
“Well that all depends,” he said anxiously, “Where will we be going?”
I grinned. “We’ll be going to that place, oh right Dead Mans’ Vlei!”
“Th…Tha…That’s like a…a… it’ll be the death of us.” He stammered.
“Well it would be an adventure wouldn’t it?” I prompted, “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you, you would get scared and run away”
“N…No it’s just that I… fine.”
“What!” I asked incredulously “I mean you will? I mean… alright then. Let’s get going.” “Maybe I shouldn’t have done this” I thought to myself “I mean how could I? It was dangerous there.”
“Right then is that the plan? Or did you really think he’d chicken out?” Asked Zaandrick his voice reappearing within my head.
“Of course this is the plan. Why what were you thinking?” I asked wondering if he could read my every thought.
“I sure can read your thoughts little girl. You can’t hide anything from me right now” He sounded very suspicious but I took no notice of him. Turning around I headed towards Dead Mans’ Vlei. It took us about half an hour to get there. We stopped for a snack of cookies which had magically appeared in the pack that I wore. Soon we came to our awaited destination.
“We’re there!” cried the tired but excited voice of Xayne.
“Great” I called back and ran to catch up with him.
“Okay. We made it now can go back?” pleaded Xayne.
“I thought you weren’t afraid of Dead Mans’ Vlei.” I said teasingly.
“That was before I saw that.” He gestured to the Vlei. It was dry and the bodies of dead men were strewn across the Vlei. It looked like a big war had taken place here.
“I’ve never seen so many dead people before!” I exclaimed.
“I’ve never even seen a dead person before.” With that, Xayne turned around and was sick. I was about to turn around to go back when a very loud voice boomed inside my head.
“Hurry, there is something headed your way. Ignore the bodies. Run, run, run-“Zaandrick sounded very serious so I ran as fast as I could grabbing Xayne by the arm just as he was about to ask me something.
“Run,” I screamed to him and let go of his arm, “Run and do not lose track of me. Run as if your life depends on it.
“Left turn left. Duck beneath that tree- Zaandrick yelled instructions into my head and I followed his instructions never thinking to question their sudden flee. “You can rest now- he said softly, it will take them awhile to find you here.” Gasping I told Xayne it was okay to rest.
“What just happened there? Why did we have to run like that?”
“There’s no time to explain it to the fool now. There should be a crevice in the ground some where around here. Walk up a little so I can see where it is”
“By the way,” I thought for Zaandrick to hear, “Where exactly are you?”
“Sitting on you shoulder of course!” was his reply.
“I haven’t any time to explain it to you right now. Follow me and try to keep close.” I said to Xayne. He did not question me but followed me and kept as close to me as he could.
“There it is” said Zaandrick. I thought I heard a hint of wickedness in his voice but soon put that to the back of my head.
“Stop Xayne, there’s a very deep crevice only inches away from where you are standing.” I warned.
“What are you doing you fool?” said Zaandrick in an irritated voice, “You should have left him to walk into the crevice. He would have made a good sacrifice” This time I caught the very distinct feeling of wickedness in Zaandrick’s voice.
“Push him over the edge,” prompted Zaandrick “You don’t care for him. You hardly know him”
“No,” I cried aloud by accident.
“What’s wrong Avaene?” asked Xayne who sounded very concerned for his new friend.
“Do it. Do it now or I will” hissed Zaandrick. Though it had been quite the wrong time. I tried to imagine this little man push Xayne whom was twenty times his height into a crevice.  “Not that way you idiot, fairies are magical you seem to have forgotten. That means I can possess certain people. This also includes you.” He laughed evilly and began to chant that unforgettable tune again.
“Stop” cried a voice from out of no where. “You have no right to do this and for even attempting so you are under arrest.”
“Leave me be Myanda you shan’t stop me this time.”
“Wait, what, who is this Myanda person?” I asked groggily.
“Arrest him” cried a little woman who had appeared in front my nose. Many fairies appeared one at a time to arrest Zaandrick. Within a  minute they were all gone along with Zaandrick.
“Tell me girl what is your name?” said the little fairy.
“I will if you will tell me yours” I replied still unsure as to what was happening.
“Myanda. My name is Myanda and I am the chief of police in the Faery.”
“Avaene,” I said, “ What is a Faery?”
“It is the land where all the fairies live. The entrance is usually kept well hidden to humans and fairies alike but as you can see, Zaandrick there found it.”
“Where is Xayne?” I asked suddenly.
“The boy?,” asked Myanda “ He was a little shocked but he’s just over there right now.” I got up and ran over to Xayne.
“Xayne, are you okay?” I asked him.
“I’m all right,” he said, “That Myanda person explained everything to me.”
“Oh, I am really sorry I dragged you into this.” I said apologetically.
“ It’s okay but I don’t think I’ll be going on another adventure with you for a long time,” he said with a laugh.
“Are you two ready to go home now?” asked Myanda.
“Yes!” we both said at once. In less than a second I was back in my bedroom lying down on my bed and I couldn’t help wondering, “Was I only dreaming?”