May's Workshop Stories

Moonlit walk

Curiosity was burning in her more powerfully than the heat of the sun, making her do what she was warned never to do. She crossed into another dimension, the one that she was forbidden from ever visiting.

Beneatha was foolish enough to enter the human dimension. What was worse, she did so in a dense forest which she found impossible to traverse. That was especially true since she had no idea which direction to take or what exactly she was looking for.

Still, that didn't stop Beneatha from going on. She needed to know why it was forbidden to visit the realm she found herself in, since it was never enough for her to be told that something was dangerous. She needed to know the reasoning behind it.

Being a fairy, she could still appreciate the beauty of the vast forest and the full moon, which was peeking through the trees like a shy bride, even though she was utterly lost. It was clear that she had found herself in a place of beauty. However, it was the type of beauty that carried with it a sense of danger, adventure.

Beneatha was surprised to find that particular flavor of beauty invigorating. After all, in the fairy realm, beauty was generally tame. It was like the most elegant flower that they nourished every day, gentle and peaceful. Yet, she needed something more, something different than the quiet perfection of her home.

A loud howl snapped her out of her reflections. It made her spin around so quickly that she resembled a whirlwind, only this one was made of wings and colorful silk of her dress.

"What was that?" she said out loud, creating light in her hand and pointing it in the direction from which the noise was coming.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a quiet voice said as a boy stepped out of the nearby copse of trees.

Due to her quick thinking, Beneatha was ready to telepathically check his mind in a matter of seconds but soon learned that something was wrong. Her powers couldn't go through. It was as if the boy had a powerful shield protecting his mind, and that terrified Beneatha. None of her magical abilities had ever failed her. Seeing them so useless made her feel like a small girl, helpless to fight the evils of the world.

"Easy there, no need to poke around my brain," the boy said, raising his hands defensively. "Nothing fun is going on in there."

As he said that, he tapped his forehead dramatically, and Beneatha wasn't sure what to think of him. He seemed too funny to be any danger to her. However, they were all alone in a dark forest, and caution was advisable.

"Besides, all you need to do is ask, and I'll be ready to answer all your questions," he said.

She lifted her ball of light slowly to take a better look at the guy who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Only then did she notice his rough beauty and the pair of butterfly wings that flittered behind him in complete contrast with his tough-guy look. He was full of unexpected contrasts, and Beneatha found him more intriguing than she was prepared to admit.

"Although I am always happy to admire a beautiful girl's charms, I believe it would be better if you extinguish the light now and follow me. We are in the wolves' territory. They aren't as reasonable as I am," he said, looking deep into her eyes with a mixture of honesty and worry that made her obey.

The moment the light was out, he gently took her hand in his. Then he started guiding her away from the howling and growling that filled the air. His hands were so gentle and firm that Beneatha was too curious and confused to protest.

After they walked for a while in the relative darkness, Beneatha realized that she was following an unknown guy in the depths of the forest just because she was curious.