Run, Run, Run, As Fast As You Can

Knock at Night

"They have come out of hiding as a sign of faith and to heal the injustices of the world. Can you imagine how the use of gremlins and werewolves could impact police work? Can you imagine how the use of fairies and nymphs could impact food production? What about elves in the medical field? Can you imagine a world where all the species work together, help each other? Can you imagine a better world?

"Together, we could end world hunger. Together, we could stop crime. When we pool our knowledge together, who knows what scientific discoveries we could make? Would you let your prejudices get in the way of finding a cure for cancer?

"I'm up here as proof that it is possible to see this brighter future. My husband," I said motioning to where Eros stood behind me. Right in front of the cameras Eros changed into his wolf and came to stand beside me, "My gardeners," I said holding out my hand. Snapdragon and a male fairy that I didn't recognize flew around the columns to either side of me, making the ivy that was there grow at an accelerated, magical, rate, before they landed on the palm of my hand. "My friend," I said as Sora stepped forward. She bowed low with a smile. "And my pet," I said grinning as the griffin Chayton gave me on my birthday landed in front of the podium.

"I know it is going to take some time for everyone to get use to. Believe me, when I first found out, I called them monsters too, but then I got to know them for the incredible people that they are. One time, I twisted my ankle while I was on a walk with Sora and she healed it for me without a second thought. Snapdragon and Raspberry keep up a garden so fruitful that we give the extra produce to the local homeless shelter. Eros and the other werewolves that I work with protect me with their lives. We have started a battered women's shelter, and the women from the shelter get the same protection that the werewolves offer me."

I looked around at the faces in front of me, trying to make them understand with my eyes.

Suddenly a pounding shook the stage.

Confused, I turned to look at my group, almost expecting to see an ogre come lumbering in from the wings of the stage. Except, there weren't wings, not really, we were outside.  

Instead, I saw my friends melting away into darkness.

I blinked in shock. 

When I opened my eyes again, I was looking up at my ceiling at home. 

A dream, it was a dream. 

Thinking about it, that made more sense than anything else. I didn't have a pet griffin. I also didn't have another fairy around here somewhere. Sora and I weren't friends, she has never needed to heal me. I didn't run a women's shelter, and I definitely wasn't married to anyone.

Someone knocked on the door downstairs. 

The pounding was real, then. 

I groaned and rolled over to look at the clock on my bedside table. The number 3:30 glowed red at me, making me sigh. Whatever this was about, I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep afterward. 

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I stumbled down the stairs and opened the door. 

With eyes stinging from a lack of sleep, I took in the man in front of me. He looked to be about twenty, maybe twenty-five. There was something familiar about his eyes. They were a deep brown color that went well with his dark hair. The most striking thing about him, though, was the fact that he was completely, one hundred percent, naked. 

For some reason that I couldn't understand, he looked completely petrified. His eyes were wide and small shivers were wracking his figure. His hair stood up in all different directions, giving me the feeling that he had been running for a really long time. If I left him out here too much longer, he might just collapse on me.