Winding Roads {A Creative Writing Journal}

Fae Sight

A/N: IMPORTANT! These characters belong to me unless I specifically say otherwise. Do NOT steal!

Side Note: This was once a standalone story, but I thought it would work better as the first entry for this book. ^^
.....

"Please, no," Meredith whispered as she stared at the simple silver ring in her palm. "Please, just let it be a fluke."

The high school senior sucked in a deep breath and pinched the ring between her fingers. There was only one way to prove that what she had just seen was a hallucination, a trick of the eye. With her dark eyes narrowed, she gently slid the simple piece of silver on to her right ring finger and waited.

When nothing happened, she let out a sigh of relief. It really had just been her mind messing with her earlier that afternoon. Her mini celebration was cut short; however, by a crash sounding from the kitchen. Meredith froze.

No one was supposed to be home.

With careful, silent movements, the brunette picked up her softball bat and stalked down the hall, being sure to stay near the wall and step as quietly as she knew how. But when she reached the kitchen, there was no one there.

Meredith lowered her eyes in a glare, holding the bat up in a swinging position. She took another careful step forward, dark eyes darting around to spot the possible intruder.

The bowl on the counter rattled, and she spun around to face it. When she first got home from school, it had been full of her grandfather's blueberry scones. But now it was filled with something else—or rather someone else.

Three tiny humanoid heads popped up from inside the bowl. They looked like miniature versions of teenagers, one boy and two girls, and all of them had a pair of dragonfly-like wings extending from their backs. Meredith didn't even feel the bat slip out of her fingers and clatter to the ground.

They were fairies... But what was worse was that she recognized them. The tiny winged boy met her gaze, and his eyes widened.

"You can see us," he breathed and turned to the girls on either side of him, exclaiming, "She can see us again! Look! She can see us!"

"We noticed," the fairy on his left deadpanned, flipping her fiery orange hair over her shoulder to emphasize her point. The ginger haired girl gleamed up at the human gawking at them and winked. "It's good to see you again, Merry."

"Uh," she replied intelligently, and three fairies giggled impishly.

The only thing running through her mind was that this shouldn't be happening. She had put away all of her imaginary adventures once she entered high school. She had been accused of having an overactive imagination when she was younger, but this was ridiculous.

She couldn't sink back into this. Not again.

"Hey, you okay, Merry?" the boy asked.

Merry. That was the nickname only her imaginary friends called her. She hadn't heard it since she was in middle school, where she had learned that no one else could see the mythical creatures she could and had been mercilessly bullied for her "creativity."

But the question didn't come from her mind. It came from the little person, and she heard it with her own two ears.

Meredith pressed a palm to her forehead and snapped her eyes closed.

"That's it. I've gone absolutely insane. I'm crazy. Who knows how much therapy I'll need after this."

"I'm gonna take that as a no then."

"What's therapy?" the third fairy, a blond haired girl, asked. In response, Meredith laughed hysterically.

"I think she's lost it," the redhead stage whispered. The boy flicked his wings and took to the air, hovering right in front of her face.

"You don't believe it, do you?" he challenged with his arms crossed. "You think we're all in your head! Well, guess what. This is real. I'm real, and you're going to have to accept that. Now, what's my name?"

"I'm not answering that," she countered. Because answering would mean acknowledging, and she wasn't ready to do that.

The fae boy flew closer and poked her in the nose with an indignant huff.

"I'll say it again. What is my name?"

Meredith shook her head, forcing the teen to shout, "What's my name, Meredith Arrow?! Say it!"

"No!" she shouted back.

"Say it!"

"You can't make me, Will Leaflet!"

Will hovered away from her with a victorious smirk. Meredith gazed back at him with wide, tearful eyes, but she wouldn't dare let the tears fall.

"Why?" she demanded, "Why now?"

Will tilted his head sympathetically. "Because we need you, Merry."

"But I have school! And work, and I have to get ready for college after the summer ends. I don't have time for this anymore!"

"And you're the only person we can count on," he replied, "So will you help?"

Meredith paused. "Does this mean I'll be able to see everything again?"

Will grinned and nodded. Meredith facepalmed.

"We're getting the whole team together, but we need you especially," the blonde, who she now acknowledged to be Viola, explained.

"Why me especially?"

Aubrey carded her hands through her hair as she said, "Because someone from the human world is targeting our people, and you're the only one who can actually do anything about it."

Meredith pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. Of course there is, she thought. Not only would she be able to see the Fae Realm, but she would also have to go and fight someone because of it. She was lucky school was almost out, and she wouldn't have to look like a lunatic for long.

Will, sensing her growing aggravation, flew up to her again and placed a small hand on her cheek.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but you've helped us before. And there's no one else I'd rather trust to handle this than you."

Viola and Aubrey followed his lead and gave the girl tiny hugs, their wings tickling her face and making Meredith smile. Gotta laugh to keep from crying sometimes, right? I am so gonna regret this.

"Fine. I'm in, but only on one condition."

"Name it," Will replied instantly as the three fairies backed away. Meredith gave him a knowing smirk.

"I want my dragon."

.....
A/N: So? Good? Bad? Outrageously ugly? Please tell me what you think!

Thanks for reading!!!