Run, Fairy, Run

By Angelika Rust

Breathing on top of his tiny lungs, Ecestil rushed through the tall grass surrounding him from all sides.
I wish I could fly. The panicked thought flittered through his mind for the umpteenth time. His broken right wing a useless appendage, an added weight hampering his mindless flight, he wiggled his left wing, hoping against hope it might prove strong enough to get him airborne. He gained an inch, only to drop back down, stumbling, almost falling. He struggled to regain his balance and hurried on, shrieking as a huge shadow appeared above him. He darted left, just as a gargantuan foot struck the ground he’d just vacated. Veering to the right, he narrowly avoided being crushed by its twin. Help. Someone help me.
Alongside him, ants, bugs and spiders dashed madly to and fro, their terror a mirror of his own. The trees. I’ll be safe once I’ve reached the trees. Stretching his neck to see above the ocean of green blades, he couldn’t even make out which direction to take. All he could do was keep running. His strength was already deserting him, and his stamina fading fast. Again a thundering thud to his right. The draft pulled Ecestil off his feet, propelling him forward. His blood pounding in his ears, he pushed himself back up. Another thump to his left. He whimpered, vivid imagination torturing him with a vision of his own flattened self plastered to the earth, and blindly raced on. A glance back showed him a devastated field: creamy white juices oozing like blood from torn dandelion stems, bare soil, hard-packed underneath the soles of the giant feet, and littered with insectoid bodies. War. It’s war. Why?
Dragging his gaze from the horrid sight, he turned his eyes to look ahead, but too late to avoid the mushroom looming before him, which knocked him out cold.

“It’s a perfect spot, isn’t it?” Joshua spread his arms and spun on his heels, acting as if he himself deserved the praise for the beauty of the place.
Maggie smiled. Despite herself, she couldn’t help admiring the view. To one side, the meadow stretched as far as the eye could see, wave upon wave of green, dotted with yellow, white and cobalt blue. To the other side, the woods began, ancient and forbidding, moss creeping over reddish bark and rough-edged boulders.
She put down her pack and pulled out the blanket. With a flick of her wrist, she spread it on the ground. Joshua instantly flopped down on it. Rolling onto his side, chin propped up on one hand, he patted the space beside him. “Come here,” he said, in what he thought was an alluring tone.
Maggie rolled her eyes, it was just so typical of him. She’d wanted to talk, that’s why she had agreed to this little trip. But all he wanted to do was make out. Knowing him, he wouldn’t even help unpack the picnic. It was pointless, really. She should just call it quits. Sighing, she sat down on the edge of the blanket. She would try to enjoy the afternoon, she decided. After all, it was beautiful, sunny and warm. She bent forward to untie the laces of her canvas shoes. A silver glimmer caught her eyes.
“What’s that?” she wondered aloud. “Wow, look at the size of this creature!” Her face alight with amazement, she plucked the tiny body from the soles of Joshua’s sandals. Gossamer wings shone in the sunlight.
“Weird,” Joshua nodded halfheartedly. What was she fussing about? Some insect he’d trodden on, so what? Big deal. Why couldn’t she just drop it already and lie down?
Maggie shook her head, marveling. Carefully, she deposited the strange butterfly on a stone. “Look at that,” she repeated. “Almost looks like a face, doesn’t it?” Laughing, she added, “You know what, I guess it’s creatures like this one that make people believe there’s such a thing as fairies.”