IN ONLY 1000 WORDS

Story 2: Fairies

It was a bright March morning, just chilly enough to be pleasant, with the sun shining through the trees. The fairies fluttered and flew amoung the flowers, landing on leaves and sprinkling their dust everywhere. 

Everyone was happy except for two particular fairies, who were in the middle of a heated argument.

...

"But you don't understand!" I shout at her. "You never have!"

"Only because you wouldnt let me. I tried for so long, but I'm done!" She yells at me. "Don't you get it Triston?"

"There's nothing to get. This conversation is over."

"You're slowly killing yourself. For so long I tried to stop it, to ignore it, but I can't. Im watching you die, and there's nothing I can do about it!" She flies off in a hurry, her wings knocking over things on the way out.

"Lainey!" I call after her, but it's no use. I sit down on a stool inside my tree house, and put my head in my hands.

All us fairies live in one huge oak tree, the tallest tree in the world. It's over a mile high, and it's stood for over a century. My room is a crevice in one of the highest branches, and Lainey's is just a few nooks and crevices above mine.

Long ago, the king of all the fairies made a deal with the queen of the tree nymphs, that we could live in this tree in exchange for some of our dust. The dust is what makes our wings able to fly. But after a few decades, we got into a lot of debt with the nymphs. We owed so much dust that if we paid them, none of us would be able to fly for 50 years.

The amount of dust we owe is the same as the life force of ten fairies combined. The nymphs offered for us to pay in life forces instead of dust, thinking it would be easier.

At first the king wouldn't dare give up his own fairies' lives to pay off a debt. But as we owed more and more, he asked for volunteers. I'm one of them. So to help pay off the debt, me and nine other people are offering up our life forces. Our very ability to live. We're draining ourselves of our power.

It's been months since I volunteered, and I've grown very weak. I can barely perform my daily tasks anymore; Lainey's been helping me. For a while I kept it a secret from her, but she saw me giving my power to the collector, like I do everyday now.

She cried when I first told her. She said she knew that something was different, that I wasn't as strong as I used to be. And eventually it'll kill me. When my life force is used up, along with the other nine, the debt will be paid off so Lainey and the others can live on in peace.

Tomorrow I give the last of my life force. Lainey's tried to stop me, tried to talk me out of volunteering, but I can't go back now. Like I'm literally not allowed to go back now. So tomorrow I die.

I stand up and fly outside, finding Lainey perched on the highest branch in the entire tree. I land beside her and sit down. I notice she's crying.

"Hey," I say gently. "Don't cry. I don't want anymore fighting. No more arguing, no more tears. I just want to spend the last of my time with you."

"Don't say that." She sniffles. "Don't say it like you're going to leave so soon."

"But I am. Tomorrow's the day, have you forgotten?"

"Of course not. I did the calculations months in advance to find the exact day you would die, and I've been dreading it ever since." She looks me in the eyes, "I don't want tomorrow to come."

"Neither do I, but I'm doing it for all of you. So you'll be free of debt, and you can live on happily." I tell her.

"I won't be very happy without you." She says. I take her hand.

"Yes you will. It'll just take a little time. Soon enough you'll forget all about me and be onto something new."

"Don't even say that. Don't you dare. I'm not going to forget you." She says. "Not now, not ever." I kiss her quickly, thinking that at this point I don't have much to lose. She's surprised but offers a small smile.

We sit up on that branch for the rest of the night, just enjoying each other's company. Lainey is my absolute best friend; she knows me better than anyone. Which is probably why, around midnight, she takes one look at me and starts to tear up. She knows what I'm thinking. Dawn is approaching.

I wrap my arms around her and hold her close until the sun rises. I put it off as long as possible, and then say, "It's time."

We fly down from the branch toward the collectors. "I don't want you to go." She tells me.

"Promise me you'll hold my hand when I give the last of my power. I want you to be the last person I see." I say in response. I find myself choking back tears. She starts to cry. I see the collector, with the needle he uses daily to draw my power. Lainey grabs my hand and squeezes tight. I kiss her one more time, and the collector flies up to us.

"Ready?" He asks, like it's any other day.

"Yep." I say as usual, and hold out my arm. He sticks the needle in and draws power, filling the syringe entirely. He fills until nothing more comes out. The syringe glows gold. I get light headed and look Lainey straight in the eye. She's sobbing.

"Goodbye." I say, squeeze her hand, and let the darkness overtake me for good.

The End.