The Moonlight Boy | Ferry's Tale # 1

Into the darkness (part one)

They were all stuck in place while the filthy creatures crawled towards them like lizards.

Matilda shivered, "I told you we shouldn't trust Oona!" she shouted at Ferry, ready to quarrel. "Now they're going to take us to the Blind Alley!"

Ferry was baffled, "Matt, it doesn't make any sense... Oona wouldn't do that to me..."

"Well she just did," she snapped back at him.

"Well, we wanted to go to the Blind Alley anyway," Izzy concluded.

"Stop it this instant!" Baldie interfered. "There's something strange happening to Oona..."

They all turned to Oona who's been keeping some distance. For some reason, the Kallikans let her alone. A smirk appeared on her face, that would've scared the bravest heart. Her eyes turned solid black. Her face disfigured; that being, who most certainly was not Oona, coiled, turning smaller and smaller. Short fur grew on its body and the locks vanished; instead, long, rabbit-like ears appeared and the tail that Ferry thought to be a snake, was now moving freely. Those strange cries were still coming out of its throat, giving everyone the creeps.

"Why didn't I see it?" Baldie shouted. "It's a Pooka!"

When they thought things couldn't get any worse, a twirl of dry flowers and leaves fell from the skies; Alwyn came out of it.

"Well, well," she roared and the guffaw broke into thousands of echoes, "what a strange gathering!" She then turned to the hairy creature, "Thank you, my little Pooka! Thank you for bringing me the Moonlight Boy. Fae Queen will be so pleased..."

She came closer, not letting Ferry out of her sight. "So I finally meet you, Moonlight Boy. I've heard so much about you." Ferry dared to look into her eyes. Alwyn was truly beautiful, more beautiful than any other fairy Ferry has ever met. But her eyes were dark and empty and Ferry couldn't see any flicker of kindness in them. Asking Alwyn to let them go would've been useless.

Alwyn walked around him, studying Ferry with the greatest interest. At some point, her immaculate hand reached out to take his hood off. But Baldie broke in before she could do anything else.

"Don't touch him!" Ferry heard his calm, yet firm voice.

Alwyn laughed, "Don't worry, I'm not interested in him. Sometimes, I don't understand why he's so important to so many. He looks so... human," she said with disgust. "Fae Queen must have her reasons to keep him here."

"What are those reasons?" Baldie asked.

"Oh, don't be hasty," she laughed. "You'll find out when the time comes, during the Moon Ritual. It won't be long," she said, stepping away. Then she clapped her hands and Pooka came to her.

"Take all his possessions and bring them to me! " she ordered.

Before Ferry could tell, Pooka grabbed his backpack and placed it at her mistress' feet, taking a deep bow.

Alwyn emptied the backpack and examined all Ferry's belongings with her long fingers.

"Where is it?" she hissed.

Pooka leaped to her and started to fervently search along with its mistress. The magical feathers didn't seem like presenting any interest. Neither did Poppy's doll and Ferry thought they were probably looking for the magical scissors.

Alwyn turned to Pooka, venom in her eyes; and the small, long-eared creature retreated, whimpering.

"Useless creature," she said between clenched teeth, "you said he had it. Where is it?" she yelled.