The Butterfly Fairy – Chapter 12

Arriving back at the cottage, I found that every window was shut tight. Except for one … Lizzy's.

Pushing against it with all of my might, I wedged it open only enough for me to squeeze through and in, only I heard it click when I shook out my wings and caused to close with a bump. I didn't know if the window was left open on purpose or not, or if I would be able to get out that way again.

But, I had somewhere else to be, and I didn't have a lot of time to get there … even to think.

Gasp!

Flying up and past middle of the room, I paused by the bed to see a tiny little face stir awake as she saw me. "A butterfly … No, a fairy, right? I heard of you."

I didn't dare move as she sat up in bed and held up another picture … this time of me.

"You changed," was all she said, looking down at the drawing. Then, "I'm Niabi. Hi!"

Shhh! I tried to shush her as I sensed what could have been Lizzy turn around on her pillow. She was still asleep, but the other one …

Clap! Her hands came together as she tried to catch me. "Wait, come back!"

She was up on her feet, parading in her green pleated nightgown as she had both hands outstretched towards me as I flew up higher with a hard flap, feeling slightly stronger than I did for a moment there.

My wings kept up in a trepid flutter as she chased me around the room. Clap! Clap!

There it was, again … I had no idea what it was, but it felt great. I flew faster, but then I remembered my mission. Catching sight of the shut door, I saw light going in from underneath it and saw my chance.

Watching her start to stumble, though, I stopped as I saw her trip. Not wanting her to fall, I zipped around to the back of her and tucked on her sleeve to hold her up as she caught herself on the edge of Lizzy's desk, scattering a small of colored crayons and pencils as they fell, too, on the floor.

"Nia?" we heard Lizzy say, rising up in bed. "What's going on?"

Don't say I'm here, I said with my eyes as I held a small finger to my mouth as Niabi gratefully stared up at me in return as she watched as I pushed myself from her shoulder and made a dive for the door, flattening my wings against my back and effortlessly underneath the narrow space and out into the hall.

From Lizzy's room, I knew where the main floor was as I flew fast down past the stairs, but near the bottom of the steps … I hesitated. A big, fat gray cat laid curled up at the bottom of the stairs as it stretched out his claws.

"No, no …" I heard someone mutter a few doors down. It was him, it had to be.

Rrrr-Mworr, Mr. Twitches purred as his nose twitched. Rolling over, he pawed at the air as if he were scratching at some loose yarn-ball, whatever that was. At least, I took it as that, taking into account the possibility in how he had gotten his name.

Hee-heh-heh, I giggled softly as I flew on past him, a bit of my sparkle dust raining down on him. Sighing contently, he settled even deeper in his bed as his tail beat around to rest down on his bed next to him.

Sparkle dust, you ask? I didn't know what it was, to tell you the truth. It sure wasn't pixie dust that was depending on to fly. I didn't even have my fairy glow any more, at least in this form. My wings weren't the only thing that changed with my transformation, but I knew I had to do this for my sister. Only, that wasn't just why I was here, at least not anymore.

"No … no … Please, come back," his voice almost whispered past the door as I tried to find a way in.

"Thomas?" came another call as I flew up to blend into a painting best I could as a lantern suddenly flooded the room with light. It was sweet Mrs. Perkins. I had no idea how I knew, but I just did. "Thomas, are you alright?"

As she sat the lantern down and opened the door, I quickly sidled on her hair and followed her in the room, to where I immediately saw Tommy shaking in bed and crying.

"Thomas," Mrs. Perkin clucked as she made little sounds with her tongue as she sat down next to him and softly laid a hand on his head as she whispered, "My little bon-bon, don't cry."

She said something else, but I didn't catch it as I let go of her hair and crawled down her arm, unseen.

"Nana … I'm fine," Tommy said in a small whisper, but I listened all the same.

"Are you, love?" she said, holding him in her arm as she kissed his head. "It's alright to cry, you know."

"It's just hard," he said, closing his eyes.

"I know," Mrs. Perkins said, wiping his short hair back. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"She's right here," she said, taking his free hand and settling it down on his heart, to which he sighed and dropped his hand to where his journal laid on his lap and slid his hand across it.

"She's here, too," he said, more to himself as he laid himself back down. "I'm going to try and sleep some more."

"I understand, love," she said, getting up. "You do that, but I'm here if you ever need to talk, alright?"

"That boy needs someone to talk to," she said more to herself, outside the door, "He won't talk to me, his Father … Oh dear, Diana, I'm doing what I can. What he needs is … a friend."

I waited until the door was completely closed as I came out of hiding and flew up to where to land on his shoulder and listened. He was asleep now, but I still needed to talk to him. I didn't know how, but it was crucial. Something inside told me so, but I had to let him know I was there.

"Mom, where are you?" I heard his voice enter my heart as I felt my wings glow once, again. This time, I just allowed them to lead as I hovered just over the top of his brow and closed my eyes, too.

The next thing I knew, there was a light vibration that seeped past my wings as I felt myself land on the crown of his head and felt an inward rush of pull, a mental exchange of mind that caused me to splash right down into his cranium and straight in. With my wings buzzing assuringly and my pixie irises glittering with a tinted dusty glow, I opened my eyes to a grand sight ... I was seeing his dream, if that made any sense.

Looking around, I found myself hovering exactly where I was inside the cottage, resting on the top of his brow as he looked up to see me there. Only this time, he smiled as he brought his hand up to coax me on his finger and lowered me where he could stare back across my wings. "Well hello," he laughed, as I stared up to his balmy cheeks and felt the purest of his laughter as he held me up.

"Look at what landed on my head, Mom," Tommy said with a chuckle. "It seems all they do is come flocking at me, don't they?"

"Yes, Son, they sure do," I looked across to see what had to be his mother with him, in that simple picnic portrait. The same wild, unruly curls fell down beneath her shoulders as she laughed, a high cheering alit choral that seemed to light up the entire forest floor that was littered with a plethora of butterflies, as they suddenly flew up and filled the entire sky with color.

"You miss her, don't you?" I found myself saying out loud, right there in the palm of his hand as his jovial expression turned towards me, his nose almost blowing me off as he stopped. "Is that why you're dreaming of her?"

"Mom, can you hear this?" he asked, staring up at the visual apparition of what appeared his Mother with longer tawny curls, freckles on her cheeks, rich caramel eyes, and that same bright smile. No matter how much the rest of the dream played out, those features stayed constant in her at all times.

"Hear what, sweetie?" she asked, peering down to write another passage in the journal at their feet.

"This butterfly," Tommy said, fully seeing me now as he stared into my eyes. "I thought I heard it say …"

"You did," I said to him gently, but reasonably as I hovered off of his palm. "Can you remember this afternoon?"

"Yes, why?" he demanded, the image of his Mother now clouded as the scene quieted as well for me to gain his full attention.

"My name is Marisol," I told him. "I'm a fairy."

"You're a … what?" he sputtered, sending me back a few inches with his breath. "Ok, I'm dreaming here, right? You can't be real."

"I'm real enough, here in your dream," I stated back, turning on my wings. "Now, do you recognize me?"

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you, little Miss Butterfly, but … Hey, wait a minute," he said, touching one of my wings and then letting it go. "Oh sorry, maybe I shouldn't …"

"Go ahead," I told him, letting him feel my delicate wings and study the clear glass sheen up close. "Fairy wings don't feel a thing."

"Ok, but I don't know what's going on," was all he said as he felt them. "So, let me get this straight. I'm supposed to just believe that you're some sort of fairy, right out of the blue who is suddenly taking part in my dream and can talk back? Am I missing anything?"

"No, that about sums it up," I said, crossing my arms. "That's what I'm here to show you."

"Why?"

"You said you don't believe in fairies, right?" I asked him, before he began to shake his head and pinch himself awake.

"That's not going to work," I said to him, finding the dream we were crumbling around us. "Wait!"

"Come on, wake up!" he said more to himself as I felt myself flushed out of his fantasy and slammed back into my own mind as I flew up, almost missing his hands as he shooed me off his brow. "I was right, you are just a butterfly."

"I'm more than that," I said plainly, looking back and strangely seeing a spurt of sparkle dust preen off of my wings as he suddenly raised a glass jar over my head as he swiftly caught me and screwed it on tight. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Mariposa, but … again, I see only a butterfly who can …" he started to say, suddenly realizing what was going on as he brought the glass of the jar to his face and saw my surprise, too, as I just nodded my head in truth. "You … can talk?"

"I'm as stunned as you are," I told him as he just stared. "I didn't see this coming, but since it has … Could you please let me out? My sister's life is in danger, and you are the only one who can make it right."

"Me?" he asked, cautiously letting me out of the top of the jar as I stepped out onto his open hand and looked deep into his sad eyes. "How can I do that?"

"We'll get to that," I said, deciding to start things slowly. "But I have to be truthful with you, I came here to be something else, too."

"And, what is that?" he said, almost chuckling as I thought a small smile flicker against his cheek.

"A friend."

Hey readers, new chapter update! More on Marisol's new abilities later, I promise. However, for now ... I know I have changed the title of this story a couple of times now, but I hope I am not causing any confusion for you, dear readers. If so, I apologize, but be sure the new title is now as you see and will still be the same story. ;)

This summer has been a bit eventful for me, and I now find myself kind of sorta in Thomas' situation a bit. Updates will hopefully be frequent, but with school around the corner, I'll try my best on both stories. Thanks for the patience and support of this story and I hope you all had a great summer. Until next time, keep your wings up and see you around the hollow!