Fan Fiction Challenge #9: If You Were a Fairlie…
If you were a Fairlie what powers would you have and how would you use them to help the Keepers?
Fairlie Gifted: The Girl Who Could Communicate With Animals
I remember the first day I realized I was "special." It was a memorable day, considering it was also the last day I saw my parents. I was just four years old, and they took me to the animal shelter to pick out my first pet. I was ecstatic, until we entered the room. It was lined with cages and crates, each of which contained a cat or dog who wanted a new home. I started crying. But it wasn't sadness that overwhelmed me… no, it was the voices. I'm not talking about barking and meowing, although there was plenty of that. I heard the voices in my head. All at once. They weren't speaking my language, but I understood them just the same. The voices continued, blending into an overpowering wave of noise, and I couldn't handle it. "Stop talking! Everyone stop talking!" I shouted. I squeezed my eyes shut, as if that would help, and sank down to the ground. But the voices still continued. Now they sounded concerned, but I tried not to listen. Maybe if I could block them out, they would go away. I felt someone grabbing my arm but I pulled away, until I realized that the 'someone' was my mother. I opened my eyes to see her and my father looking down at me, very worried. Somehow, I ended up in a hospital. They thought that something was wrong with me. I guess my parents couldn't handle it either, because they left me there. I was sent to a home for "gifted" children, where adults told me that I was a Fairlie—a person with extraordinary powers. They claimed that they wanted to take special care of me. But really, they just wanted to study me.
Fast forward twelve years, and I'm still here. The home reminds me a lot of that shelter, but instead of animals, this cage holds unwanted kids with unusual abilities. And yes, I can still hear voices, but now I know why. My "gift," or my "power," or whatever you'd like to call it, is that I can understand animals. It's not like speaking Spanish or French; I can't hear a woof and translate it to English. It's more like telepathy. Mammals, reptiles, birds… I can communicate with all of them and more. If I really focus, sometimes I can even control them. But it doesn't frighten me anymore. I enjoy it, actually… animals are better company than humans around here. I did have one friend—a girl named Mattie—but she left. Ran away. She went to help some other Fairlies and a group of kids known as the Kingdom Keepers. How do I know about them? It's not telepathy, if that's what you're thinking. Actually, I just read about them. "The Kingdom Keepers" is my favorite book series. Most people think it's fictional, but if you're a girl who can talk to animals, you learn to broaden your definition of what's possible.
Ever since Mattie left, I've been hoping that she would come back for me. I know that I could help the Keepers, if given the chance. When they caught that bat during their Animal Kingdom adventure, the Keepers wouldn't have had to guess if it was an Overtaker or not—I could have told them right away. And those DHI tigers? I would have known about them, too. The monkeys wouldn't have captured Jess in the first place, if I was around to dissuade them. Cruella's hyenas, Jafar's snakes, Maleficent's raven… the Overtakers' ranks are filled with animals. At the very least, I could spy on them. But if I could get close enough and focus hard enough, I could do even more than that. Imagine if I controlled them! The Overtakers' minions would become double agents who reported back to me. Maybe I could manipulate Gigabyte, or even Chernabog himself! He is part bat and part bull, after all. But I'll never find out while I'm stuck here.
Another girl motions to me; it's my turn to use the computer. I open my e-mail and do a double-take, hardly believing my eyes. There's an e-mail from Mattie! I quickly decode it and gasp. She needs my help: not in my fantasies, but in real life. It's not just a dream anymore. She's coming to help me escape, and I'll finally have my chance to become a Kingdom Keeper.
