Dryad

Village

I was safe in the hands of the forest. I hid in it for days, but I was so interested in what was down in the village. I had never been alone in the village, even with an escort I went down so rarely that I knew almost nothing about the people. I wasn't particularly hungry or worried about anything, the forest gave me enough, but it was curiosity that led me into a dangerous area. I went down the small overgrown roads in the early morning and jumped out onto the road. Some were already awake, but that was never a problem. I learned a long time ago how to hide and be quiet and unnoticeable.

I broke into someone's yard and started hopping around looking for something interesting or edible. I looked past all the flowers in the garden and on the windows that I love so much, flowers that I planted and took care of every year in my room, until I came to that window where instead of a potI found a plate with crumbs and a few drops of honey. I carefully picked it up with my finger and licked it when I was suddenly startled by the sounds and I was already afraid that some dog had smelled me and was coming to skin me alive. The little child hopped over finding his way to me, but he didn't seem scared, just confused:

- I thought fairies were smaller. Mom said they are small and have wing.-he said, not quite satisfied with my appearance.

I tried to speak, but nothing came of it. I never used to talk much, but now it's so hard for me when I can't. It is better to have something of little value even if you don't ever use it than not to have it in the rare moments when you really need it. I didn't try to run away, I think the situation would have been worse if I had and I just looked at the empty plate. The little one jumped around me and the first thing that caught his eye were the tiny mushrooms on my pale brown skin and the leaves in my black hair that keep sprouting from somewhere, but never rot. He certainly has long fingers, although I doubt he means anything bad:

-You are a strange fairy. Mom says we can't touch their hair. And they are all blondes.-what a talkative child.

I didn't know what to say to him. I shrugged my shoulders and held out my hand to show him all the cool mushrooms I have, and they grew as if they knew they had to show the best of themselves in front of him:

-You can make them bigger?!-he got all excited and started touching them.

I can't say that I was quite sure how I managed it and I tried to sprout something again, but instead of mushrooms a bramble formed around my hand and overgrew it reaching all the way to the palm where white flowers sprouted. I didn't know I could do this. Neat:

-Where did you go now?!-a woman's voice was heard, which startled me, and the boy turned to her:

-I'm outside, mom! I saw fairies!

-Come here!-she called him and came after him.

I got scared, dropped the flowers in the grass and quietly ran away before she saw me. She wouldn't like me. Children see fairies, but all adults see are wild malevolent spirits.

I couldn't stay in the village for long, people started to wake up, but I found a few more plates on the window and managed to polish them. Sometimes fairies come in the middle of the night and steal small things or take stuff from the garden, and in this way villagers are making them happy and as a thank you they bless the plants in pots, in the garden or around the house. I never managed to catch them, but I always loved the stories about them.

I managed to hop around and explore in the early morning for a couple of days, but regardless of my skillful hiding, my little friend managed to catch me again when I was walking around the house and looking for what they had in the garden. I was scared and already wanted to run away, but he seemed so happy to see me:

-It's okay, I won't tell mom that you're here.-he told me and came closer to me:

-She liked the flowers you left, but she doesn't believe that you brought them.-he complained to me.

I created more flowers in my hand, which is still fascinating even to myself, and allowed him to take:

-I also brought you something.-he told me all proud of himself for remembering me and being able to bribe me.

He gave me a cup filled with honey, just enough for one big fairy:

-I can leave you more if you come by again. My friends would love you. All the other fairies come by just when I have to go to sleep. They always escape me and are afraid of me.-poor boy. I can see that his intentions are very pure and he just wants to play. I saw in my father that he lost that innocent spirit a long time ago, but he is an old man now. Everything's becoming more and more of a burden to him as he goes on through the years.

I tapped my head against his as a sign of gratitude and we rubbed noses, and then I had to move on. We don't want his mother to catch me and make their dog chase me.