2024 Story Collection

Friendship With The Fae II

"Hello," she says to the large cloaked figure. "Its been quite a while since I've had company. Make yourself at home."

The creature turns to face her. The cloak it wears is not fabric but looks to be made of some sort of moss. He has antlers and a long, narrow face. It was angular and harsh. Boney was the best way to describe him. He was thin from head to toe. His skin almost had a blueish hue. It seemed to shimmer in the light. He had long white hair was braided in with small vines. His clothes looked to be a mix of bark, leaves, and flowers.

Flowers, she'd seen them in books but never in real life. Well, once when one of the onions they planted in the greenhouse was left in the ground a little too long, but these were different. They were so beautiful, they were nothing like the books had drawn them. Pink and white and even some a light blue.

She forces her eyes away from the flowers and notices just how thin the creature really was. She could see his bones through his skin. With the weather like this, you can't be all boney like that. Shoot, he wouldn't last a minute out there.

"You look like you need a nice meal," she slips off her coat and walks over to the stove. She throws in a piece of wood before checking the stew. She takes the large ladle and stirs the stew a bit before pulling out a spoonful.

"Ain't you in luck," she tells the figure. "I made far too much." She winks at the creature before turning back.

The tall figure watches her as she sets the table and dishes up the stew.

She was a small, chubby woman. Though most of it was muscle from doing so many things herself. She couldn't help but chuckle at the difference between the two of them.

"Now, sit and eat." she looks up at the tall creature and points to the chair before making hand motions of eating the food. The creature just tilts its head to the side, furrowing its brows in confusion. She sighs and throws her hands down, losing her patience. She may or may not also be a bit hangry.

She walks up to the creature and grabs their arm. At first, he doesn't budge, but after shooting him a glare, he willingly follows her.

"That's right," she tells him. "Glad you learn quick not to mess with us Whitmans. We can be downright cruel sometimes." She laughs at her own words.

She pulls him over to the chair and forces him to take a seat. She takes the napkin and places it in the collar of the strange clothes. She sits down and does the same.

She then takes the creature's left hand in her own and closes her eyes. She says a blessing, thanking God for the good food and good company before she eats.

The creature watches her intently. She tries to explain and gesture for him to eat, but after 10 minutes, she gives up. She takes the spoon, dips it into the stew, and shoves it in the creature's mouth.

"Eat up." She lets go of the spoon still in the creature's mouth and goes back to eating. "If you can't figure it out now, I don't know what to tell you, sweetheart."

The creature seems to finally understand, and copies her. She hands him a piece of bread. He watches as she takes her own bread and dips it in the stew, before taking a bite. He copies her, and she smiles.

"Why, look at you, you're doing just fine now. Almost got it all figured out." The creature looks at her, his big dark blue eyes like gloss as they watch her in confusion. She laughs, her smile wide.

His lips twitch and at first she doesn't know what to think of the snarl that slowly spreads across his face, but then she realizes that he's trying to smile. She laughs and pinches his cheek.

"Well all be," she says. "All you need is some practice, and you'll have a fine smile."

She looks down at his collar, where a beautiful red flower is poking out. She points to it and asks, "You know, this is the first time I've ever seen a real flower, and I think I might already be in love." She giggles.

The creature looks down at the flower, then back up at her. He opens his hand and out grows the most beautiful flower she's ever seen. He hands it to her. She takes it without hesitation and grins. She smells the flower; it smells just like what you'd imagine heaven'd smell like.

"Thank you, this is wonderful," she tells him. "Baby, you can stop by anytime you like if you keep doing things like this." She feels her cheeks get hot.

The creature watches her and grows a few more flowers, handing them to her. She takes them gingerly and smells them, each one smelling so different and yet so exciting and new.

"Oh, thank you. This is wonderful. This might just be the nicest gift I've ever received."

The creature's smile seems a bit more natural now, not as forced. She smiles back.

They sit like that for a while, with Grace talking the creature's ear off while he eats the stew.

When he finishes the bowl, she serves him up a second, and he eats it.

"It's been a long time since someones enjoyed my cooking," she watches him, still holding the flowers.

"I do appreciate ya stoppin' by. You best be coming back, ya hear?" The creature looks up at her and smiles again, this time showing needle-like teeth.

But then suddenly his face falls and he screams. The scream is like nothing else she's ever heard. It sounds like chimes, a teakettle, a howling wind and nails scratching on metal all at the same time.

She tries to reach for him, but he's gone before she can get there.

Only the empty bowl and missing spoon are left. The only proof that he was ever there at all: the small bouquet of flowers in her hand.

"Well, that was nice."

To be continued...

January 17, 2024