The Boy Shrouded in Green and Purple

Song: "African Breeze" - The Fiechters

The second Alice laid eyes on him—she knew he was different. Everything about him was different, not just that she found him stranded on a mysterious, tropical island in the middle of nowhere. His black hair and green and purple, ninja-style, tunic-like shirt–she had never witnessed a look like that. Despite his differences, Alice had seen him. She saw him at the point of the mysterious island the day before when her family discovered it and motored in for a tropical getaway. And now here Alice was.

A mid-morning zephyr massaged her scalp while she left her family and explored the island's sandy beach.

Alice saw him. She saw the boy shrouded in green and purple. "Who are you?" were the first words that left Alice's lips.

He gasped and whirled around, golden brown eyes widening, but said nothing. He let Alice finish.

"What are you doing here? Were you the one on the point yesterday?"

Finally, the boy answered, "Yes, I was. What are you doing here?" His voice was calm and smooth. Just hearing it, Alice knew she was safe.

"My family wanted to spend a few days at sea," she answered. "We stumbled upon this island while boating yesterday. How is it possible that an island this beautiful is just outside Charleston?"

He shrugged. "Two worlds are colliding."

"Maybe," spoke Alice while she looked him up and down. "Something about you intrigues me. It's like you're from a different world."

"And you, too. I don't see a lot of people like you. The only memory I have of humans is bullying."

"Bullying?" worriedly asked Alice. "I'm not going to bully you. I only want to know who you are. Were you shipwrecked as a child?"

"No." The boy said that with a shake of his head. "I've grown up on tropical islands all over Charleston for eighteen years."

"But there are no tropical islands around Charleston." Alice was bewildered but also fascinated by this teenager. "At least, not islands like Samoa or Fiji."

"Like I said, two worlds are colliding."

"Do you mean you're not from this world? That you're an alien?"

"No." The mysterious boy lifted his tan index finger and pointed at Alice's chest. "You are not from this world. You are an alien to me."

"I don't understand." And Alice didn't. What did he mean by that? Who was this boy?

"You and I are very different," he explained. "We belong in different worlds. I belong on Charleston's tropical islands, and you belong in the human world. I am human, but I am a special human. You are, too, but you don't have talents like me. You can't fly. I can."

"Do you mean you're a fairy?"

He nodded. "I am."

The news blew Alice's mind. She stumbled onto the beach and realized her and her family's enormous mistake. "I beg your pardon," she spoke, bowing to the boy shrouded in green and purple. "I'm sorry we invaded your island."

"This isn't my island. This island belongs to all magical beings, not humans. You can see us because guilt, the guilt of humans, has shattered our barrier. You're not guilty, though. One look at you, and I can tell you care. That's all that matters to me."

Alice lost her words. "Tha-Thank you." She backed away from the ninja-like fairy and prepared to leave. Before she did, he told her a story that changed her mind forever.

"I journeyed to the human world last year, thinking it was like the fairy world, but I was wrong. People called me names, and others bullied me like I was nothing but a piece of trash. I lost my wings because of them. But I learned an important lesson. No one belongs in one place. If people lived in one corner of the world, not only would it be overcrowded but even more dangerous than it already is. So, I came back to where I belong and met you. You are the only human I know now who will never hurt me, and I want to thank you for that."

Alice smiled the whole time he told his story. When he finished, she said, "No problem. Thank you, too, and again, I'm sorry we invaded your island."

"It's okay. We all make mistakes. Nobody's perfect. I hope I see you again."

"Me, too." Alice started back down the beach toward her family but stopped when she heard the boy ask from behind:

"Oh, I forgot to ask. What's your name?"

Alice showed off her friendly, white teeth. "Alice. My name is Alice."

"I'm Tracey," spoke the boy, the boy shrouded in green and purple, "and I'm Merlin's apprentice."

Word Count: 790