The Fairy Lantern and the Fox Doll

The Fairy Lantern

Sam was a normal child, adequate at sports, enjoyed school well enough, got Bs and Cs and the occasional A. Above all things, like many children Sam's age, Sam was fond of fantasy. Sam had sandy hair and a round face, slightly taller than average early teenagers, and expressive hands but clumsy feet. Every summer, Sam was sent off to the only living Grandmother and forced to enjoy the wood she lived next to. On holidays, Sam was more often than not ignoring the woods and buried in a book. Sam's grandmother had a large collection of old mythology books detailing fairies and goblins, gods and elementals. Sam's grandmother, Grandma Lacy, had raised all her children and grandchildren on a healthy diet of ancient lore and myth, the doings of dragons and sprites. Sam loved the rambling house and never missed an opportunity to visit. That was until, Grandma Lacy unexpectedly died. Two weeks before summer Grandma Lacy had a heart attack. She was found by a neighbour on the edge of the woods, collapsed under a tree. The whole family rushed to the house for the funeral service. A select few were left to stay and catalogue Grandma Lacy's vast collection. Sam was among the chosen, along with Sam's mother and an older cousin. The three worked through the house top down on a hot day in June, muting their sorrow and wonder as best they could.

"What's this?" Sam said to the closest figure. Sam's mother peered out from behind a pile of cardboard boxes full of curtains. It was an octagonal glass structure with different coloured glass panels on each side. The glass case had a multicoloured roof and bottom, and each panel had delicate patterns pressed into the glass, bumpy to searching finger tips. The roof collected in the centre, eight shades of the rainbow, with a large iron handle standing upright at the apex. It appeared heavy but was as light as plastic. Sam marvelled at the strange contraption, and noted a tiny iron latch on one of the panels. Sam twisted the latch and a door opened.

Sam's mother, Alice, looked at the glass creation. Realisation slowly dawned on her round, middle-aged face.

"That, my darling, is the Fairy Lantern. Grandma Lacy swore that if you lit a candle in it around twilight, it would show you the way to the fairy world. The Fairy world is right next to ours, only a breath away, but most people can't get through. That lantern opens the doorway for any who can find it, Mum would always be saying when I was a little girl. I swear I tried a million times, though it never worked for me. She would never tell me the secret to it..." Tears formed on Sam's mother's face. Sam rushed to her side and held the woman tight. Sam's own sadness swallowing the room for a long while.

Timeless moments later, Cousin Ashley came into attic, clattering against the stair's edges, breaking the melancholy spell. Sam and Alice separated and decided it was time for a break. The Fairy Lantern sat on the window sill, abandoned but not forgotten.

Watching the sun set over the forest, Sam decided to go for a walk in the woods. It happened occasionally when Grandma Lacy was alive. She loved to wander among the old trees and mutter about fanciful things, making the listener giggle, encouraging them to play along. It had been peaceful then, innocent fun. Determined to air out gloomy thoughts, Sam felt it was appropriate to walk the woods at twilight; the old woman's favourite time. Sam wore a long shirt over a T-shirt and jeans to keep out the chill in the air.

"The magic time," Cousin Ashley mumbled to the world as they wandered side by side, "Grandma Lacy was always sure she would see a fairy or imp around this time. Crazy lady....I'm going to miss her so much."

Sam respectfully looked away to give Ashley privacy. Peering into the wood, Sam saw a bush move, jiggling wildly too and fro. Squinting harder at the bush, expecting a rat or cat to escape, to the youth's surprise a tiny shining light the exact dimensions of a fairy in one of Grandma Lacy's books, flew out. The fairy flitted around, casting off leaves and dirt, unaware of being observed. Sam pulled a sharp breath in disbelief. Hearing the sound, the fairy turned towards the pair, one still wiping away tears, the other staring with bright blue eyes. Terror filled the fairy's face, yet a moment later it was distracted by a sight towards the house. Hovering closer for a moment, the fairy clapped its hands with joy then vanished in the blink of an eye. Stunned, Sam gazed at where the apparition had been. Curiosity taking hold, Sam peered around. High up on the window of Grandma Lacy's house, the fairy lantern shone brightly out of the window. The sun setting behind the house cast a dark shadow. Green light flared bright for a second longer then winked out. Forgetting Ashley, Sam bolted towards the house.

Grabbing the lantern and a candle Sam tore through the house, much to the chagrin of Alice still sedately sorting through items.

"Sam, what the - !" She called after her wayward child, but Sam couldn't hear her. Heading back outside, lantern clutched to beating heart, Sam hurried to the same spot. Ashley was nowhere to be seen. As carefully as shaking hands would allow, Sam placed the candle inside the lantern and lit the wick. It only took three wobbly matches to take hold. Gently closing the glass door, Sam waited, not knowing what would happen.

Nothing.

Carefully, Sam put the Fairy Lantern down, and blew out the candle. Then, relight it as quickly as possible.

Still nothing.

The green light that had flashed before was nowhere. Anger errupted inside Sam and a sudden desire to break the lantern gripped the 14 year-old. Haughtily pulling out the candle and blowing it out once again, Sam walked into the wood, swinging the lantern by the old iron handle without care.

Woosh!

The lantern moved through the heavy air of the wood, the door of the lantern clattered.

Green flashed and faded.

Sam went rigid, so shocked that the lantern nearly threw itself to the forest floor. It was only with quick reflexes that Sam kept the Lantern from catapulting away.

Slower now but with more force, Sam swung the lantern in a full arc. The light flashed stronger, the door loudly clicking shut. At the sound, the green light cut short.

Gently, Sam stared at the lantern hanging from pale hands, now steady. A curious thought caught the teenager.

Only a breath away...

Sam gently opened the lantern's door. With a quivering blow, Sam breathed into the Lantern. The green gleamed and grew, becoming brighter and brighter until it cast a long shadow on the ground. Sam stopped blowing but the light had caught hold. The grass below was blue from the lantern's emerald light. Amazed, Sam moved the lantern around from side to side. The grass below sparkled under the lantern's radiance. Smiling, Sam started to walk. The sun had completely set now, yet nothing in Sam could bear to go home to safety. The magical lantern held too much promise.

The light flicked across the forests floor, showing mushrooms and pine cones, needles and purple leaves. Almost too fast to see, it showed a brightly coloured flower. Without the light there appeared to be nothing there. Sam cast the lantern back to the same position and the amber and turquoise flower appeared again. It swayed in it's own breeze that didn't touch the grass outside the green illumination.

Inquisitive, Sam squatted down to touch the flower, the lantern pulled aside. The flower disappeared, empty space in its place. Sam touched the ground where the flower had been, making sure it was true, then brought the lantern close again. The flower slid clearly into view. Sam touched the glowing petals, they were waxy and smooth under hesitant fingers. The scent of orange blossom filled the air. It disappeared as Sam stood up.

The flower was only a breath way,

In another world.

Sam considered the lantern, not knowing what to think, and from the space inside the lantern, a feeling entered the young adult.

Walking towards two trees close together where the low branches made a natural archway, Sam cast the magical green light at the space. A glowing doorway stood there, fluttering like curtains.

Afraid though unable to turn away, Sam breathed on the door. It firmed to old oak and iron, and with a gentle push, opened.

Sam stepped through the door.