Values of the Faeries

The End of the Day

It was already evening by the time they arrived at their B&B; a quaint little place within walking distance of the nearest village. Tomorrow they would resume their journey through the mountains before once more arriving into the world of the living. One thing was for sure, tonight they weren't going anywhere. The sky was one endless pack of grey. The rain, it seemed, wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

The B&B was a simple, one floor only type of building, surrounded by rolling hills and empty fields with a lake in the distance and a small village just a little further up the road. By the looks of it, they were the only ones for the night. It was a quiet place; too quiet for some of the group. Bruce in particular seemed to miss the hustle and bustle of the city they had left behind. Heidi thought it was charming, if not a little dull. Winona liked it, though she thought it was a shame that the fog was blocking their view of the lake. Jeremy found it rather cozy.

Sabrina had no real opinion of it, for in her mind she was still at the Faerie Baths. Strange. She, like all of them, had only gone there for Winona's sake. But now that they had been there she couldn't help but let it go. Like there was something about the place that she just carried with her. It made her kind of wish that they had never gone there at all.

'Everything alright, Sabs?' It wasn't the first time Winona had asked her this question.

'I'm fine. Just tired I guess.'

'It's been a long journey, alright.' Heidi commented. 'Best not make it too late. We've still got ways to go.'

'Sure. Sure. Hey, listen... do any of you guys feel anything?'

The four looked at each other, each as puzzled as the other. 'Whatcha mean, babe?' Bruce asked.

'I dunno. Like... like we're being watched?'

Everyone was quiet for a moment, before Heidi said that she didn't.

'Come on Sabs,' Jeremy chuckled. 'We're in an empty B&B in the middle of nowhere. Don't do this to us.'

'I'm... sorry. Never mind. Forget I said anything. Let's just settle in.'

And so they did, Sabrina actually feeling a little better once she had placed her luggage in her room. They had rented two rooms: a private double bed room for Bruce and Sabrina, and a different bedroom with separate beds for Heidi, Winona and Jeremy.

Since it was Heidi's turn to take care of dinner, she cooked up a simple pasta with pesto dish while the rest of the group talked through the events of the day and what was still to come. Jeremy and Winona did the dishes while the rest had coffee. Since the internet connection was rather poor, they started up a board game to pass the time, all while having some drinks. Bruce, getting bored rather quickly, decided to go to bed early. He tried to convince Sabrina to come along, but she insisted on finishing the game first. Once finished, she joined Bruce, while Heidi went to her room to read a little before going to bed. And so, the cousins lingered in the kitchen for a little while, playing a quick game of cards.

'So how long are you going to keep up this charade, Jem?' Winona said, lowering her voice as she laid a queen of hearts on the pile.

'This again? I told you, their friendship is very dear to me. I won't ruin it.'

'You're kind of already doing that yourself, you know? True friends shouldn't lie to each other. Whatcha gonna do when they decide to hook you up to some guy?'

'I'll figure it out somehow.' Jeremy added three aces to the pile, causing Winona to wince. 'Girls aren't interested in scrawny fellows like me. So unless those faeries are actually real and willing to help, I guess this is who I'll be; at least for now.'

'Suit yourself. But I'm telling you, you're not gonna be able to climb out this hole if you keep digging. There! Two of spades!'

'Goddammit.'

'So I take it you wished to be little bulkier?'

'Maybe a... bit more than a little.' Jeremy blushed. 'How about you? What'd you wish for?'

'Well...'