Mouse in the Clearing

A Mouse Finds a Party

Audrey was lost. She was so busy foraging that she had lost her bearings. She wandered around the forest until she heard...laughter? Yes, she definitely heard laughter ahead of her. She started quickly walking towards the sound. Once she saw its source, she quickly ducked out of sight behind a tree, trying to calm her breathing.

It was a group gathered in a small clearing, having a party of some sort. What shocked Audrey were the pointed ears and strange markings on their skin. Most were sitting or lounging around the clearing, but some were floating in the air. They were fair folk, definitely. Audrey had to get out of here, fast. She had heard of what the fae did to humans and did not want a firsthand experience. She just had to sneak away without anyone seeing­—

"Hello."

Audrey gave a startled yelp at the voice behind her. She froze on the spot.

"Are you going to keep watching us from behind a tree or would you like to introduce yourself?"

Audrey let out a squeak. All eyes were on her now, and she was too scared to move. She felt like they were taking her apart with their gaze, trying to decide what to do with their new toy.

"It's alright little mouse, no one's going to hurt you. Come here, it's alright." The faerie took her hands in his own, leading her towards the clearing. "Won't you join us? I'm sure you would enjoy yourself at our little get-together."

"Um, I should really be finding my way home. I'm sorry, I got lost and—"

"You're lost? Oh, you poor thing." The faerie thought for a moment. "How about I help you. You can stay with us for a while, and at sunset, I can take you home. What do you say?"

"Um, well..."

"And don't worry about the time. We're still in the mortal realm, so you will be home the same day you left."

"Um." Audrey did want to get home, and he was offering to help. And she was honestly afraid of what would happen if she refused the offer. "Alright. I'll stay."

The faerie smiled. "Wonderful." He kissed Audrey on the cheek, causing her to stiffen up in shock. He let out a small laugh. "Oh, your face. Come, let us get more comfortable." He led her fully into the clearing, excitable murmurs coming from the group.

After getting over her shock, Audrey actually looked at the faerie leading her towards the others. He had a slim build and sharp features. An occasional braid was woven into the blond hair loosely draped around his face. He had kind, vibrant eyes and was wearing a gentle smile. She could see his markings more clearly now, and they looked like scars winding their way across his pale skin. Audrey looked around the clearing. She could now see there were six in total—well, seven now that she had joined. Besides the ears and the markings, they all looked strangely human.

The faerie led her to a sofa made out of vines and lay on it, propping himself up on the side. He patted his hip. "Come here Mouse, lay down." Another one of the faeries—with tan skin and chestnut hair—spoke up, irritation laced through his voice. "Hey, why do you get to hold the human?"

"Because I'm the one that found them. You can ask them to have a turn when I'm done."

Audrey was still standing, unsure of what to do. The blond fairy looked up at her with concern, "Are you alright, little Mouse? You look awfully tense. And, oh, you're blushing! How cute. Are you still nervous?"

"Um, a little."

"Whatever for? I don't think we've done anything to scare you. Have we?"

"Um, no. It's just...isn't that a little close?"