The Exiled Gem

The Elf's Tale

There's a story behind every person. There's a reason why they are the way they are. Think about that before you judge someone.

- Anonymous

Fireflies swarmed around her head. Perhaps she had been sitting helplessly on the ground, her legs crossed, for about ten minutes. She was thirsty - and she could feel the dew dampening her cloak. Alexandra thought it would be so good if fireflies were a bit more useful, like in breaking open mouse traps ...

Apparently, they were.

'What are you doing here, Mabel?' Asked Watson's voice. Even though she was chained to the peg, Alexandra jumped three feet into the air upon hearing him. 

'Wh - what are you doing here?!' She demanded back, at once.

Now that he'd seen her - would he tell upon her? Land her in another detention - because she had definitely broken the curfew. And, more than everything, why did his voice sound low and upset?

'Oh,' he said, smirking, but his voice was still like of somebody who was grieving. Alexandra could see him only faintly, had she been able to get a clearly look, she would have read his emotions better. 'A little business,' he continued, 'I can tell you - if you promise not to go running to Master George and complain.'

'What's it?' She asked, looking around once and then up. 

'His special lily scented breath mints,' Watson informed, kneeling down beside her. 'I nicked just one and they are so good, I'm back for more. Now you tell me, what are you doing here? Stealing books?' The attempt at humor was satisfactory, but even now, Alexandra could make out something heavily wrong with his voice. That didn't sound like Watson at all - he was usually upbeat and spoke animatedly. Now, he was speaking dim sentences feebly.

'I'm trapped, block-headed!' Alexandra rebuked, nevertheless. 'This stupid mousetrap, it's chained to a peg! I can't even move an inch! And - how did you find me, here?'

'I can see you, block-head,' he returned, calmly, 'with all these fireflies around. And a mousetrap, did you say? I can help.' He added, a certain mischievous glint in his eyes.

'It's too hard, you can't,' Alexandra groaned, forgetting about everything else.

'Then you don't know me.' Watson assured, he closed his hand upon the lower wood and touched the jagged blade - 'gods, this is evil!' He noted. Yet, he didn't stop. Alexandra grew wide-eyed as his fingers grew crimson with blood. He winced once or twice, and the pain must have been a lot, but he didn't stop.

'Look, you don't have to do this,' Alexandra reminded. 'It's almost dawn, you'll be late for the class,' when he didn't give any reply, Alexandra continued. 'I can wait, I was almost deliberately foolish, I literally stepped on it. With all these classes on presence of mind and stuff like that, this should teach me a lesson... ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? Stop doing it!' She almost yelled.

Still no reply. Amiability and friendliness (they both mean the same thing, anyhow) were one thing. But the fact that he was handicapping himself just to help her - Alexandra found it heroically stupid. But since speaking was of no use, she kept quiet for sometime. Maybe half an hour, maybe more. The trap hadn't even budged.

'Watson, I appreciate it a lot,' she began again, 'but can you please not be a hero? I think I deserve the detention. You are hurting yourself and you'll get the detention on top of it - you are getting LATE for heaven's sake!' She finally admonished, when nothing else worked. Detention was now certain, and how was he going to do it with the bloody palms?