Fairy Dust

It Started with Nothing at All

Mirth opened their eyes and sighed.

It was the same boring, cracked ceiling that it always was. Morning light was creeping through the curtainless window splashing around the poster covered walls, the blacks and neon colours of popular punk bands a strange contrast to the happy morning light. It really had no taste.

Mirth wanted to roll over and pretend the day wasn't going to happen. If they ignore the calls to breakfast, to work, to school, for long enough there was a chance that they'd be ignored.

'Get your ass out of bed, Mirth! Your mum called like three times and I need help pulling apart a Dust car. Some kids joy riding smashed it up real good, but the engine is the newest model and I need your little hands to get into the cracks and get to it. So hurry up!' A gruff voice yelled through the door barely hanging onto its hinges.

Mirth smiled a crooked smile then bounced out of bed, their pink skin glowing in the light, the green mohawk fallin past pink shoulder, soon covered with a ragged black dress and neon red geometric jacket.

'Morning, Mum,' Mirth said, coming out of their bedroom and into the kitchen adjoining. Mirth tried not to look at the cot in the corner, unslept in, like usual.

Aurora stared into the distance, her vision seeing past the dirty walls and peeling floral wallpaper, her own pink skin and short white hair unkept and barely covered.

Mirth held in regular disappointment and wished that their Mum was the Mum from before the disappearance. That mum kept herself clean, busy, perky. That mum would probably drive Mirth nuts with her positivity, but that Mum would also see Mirth. They moved to the table and gently pulled a discarded shawl onto Aurora's shoulders.

Three plates sat on the uneven table, one finished and two untouched. Mirth took the spoon and slowly started to feed Aurora. 'Cummon Mum, eat your breakfast. Can't have you wasting away again. You're all good. Just a bit more.'

Aurora chewed the food absently, never taking her washed out eyes grey eyes from the window and the scene of the scrapyard beyond.

Sated that Aurora was fed, Mirth wolfed down their own food, eager to get to work before school.

They stood and cleared away the dishes, cleaning them quickly if not thoroughly. 'I'm off to help Sander in the yarn mum, and then I have school. I'll be home late because the Fairy Murderers are playing a gig tonight. I'm going to that. So I'll be home late, ok mum?' Mirth knew to repeat information to their mum a few times else she'll stress and get lost.

Aurora blinked for the first time, and focused on her child. She scrabbled at a bag beside her, pulling out a small wallet. 'You need Dust to get in. Here,' she offered the a bag to Mirth.

Mirth gave their mum a soft smile, pushing the currency away knowing it was probably empty. 'I already got the tickets and Sander is giving me some stuff to trade for Dust so it's all good. I'm going with Zennick too, so I'll be safe.'

Aurora looked down, pulling the cardigan around herself. 'You have to be safe. Safe. What if someone takes you? They'll take you? Your wings! You have to do your wings!' She mumbled to herself getting more and more upset until Mirth came and hugged her stooped shoulders.

'I'll rub oil into my wings before I go to school. No one will take me. We're ok, Mum. Have a nice day, if you can. Let Sander know if you need anything, yeah? I still don't get why you two broke up.'

Mirth gave a final hug, and kissed Aurora on the top of the head before grabbing their spider silk bag and walking outside.

The scrapyard full of barely organised junk spread out before the seventeen year old fairy. Their blue yes quickly scanned all the spaces where Sander might be, and found her near the front with a shiny but messed up car frame. Mirth took off, making sure to find some oil and rub it into their wings. It made the dull rainbow on their wings look like oil slick, a much cooler look. Even without Aurora's warning, Mirth took care to cover the colour in their wings. They didn't want anyone to think they were a pollen covered Upper-branch Fairy.