PHASE 0: AUDITIONS

Applicant #11: The Fairy and the Dead Tree

APPLICANT #11: THE FAIRY AND THE DEAD TREE

Once upon a time, in a village at the southernmost part of the Kingdom, there was a little boy living with both her parents. The little boy was named Arthur and he could see fairies and make friends with them.

One of her fairy friend was named Tala. She said she was the protector of the village. Arthur did not like her at first. He did not like how her long, curly hair will fall and touch the ground. He disliked how she always looked sad and her voice lacks energy. But the little fairy always finds a way to talk with him every time he comes close to the tree.

Slowly, they finally became friends. She even gave him a small amulet to protect him from all evil. She said his village has a legend of kids being stolen by fairies on their tenth birthday. Since Arthur was nearing his birthday, he kept the trinket close to him but because it was round and ugly, he always keep it hidden under his clothes.

One stormy night, Arthur heard a beautiful voice whistling with the wind. He went outside the house and followed the beautiful sound. Just before their fence ended, there was a dead tree with a hole that he never saw before. He reached for it and he was sucked inside the dead tree.

Inside, he could hear the pitter-patter of the raindrops and the sound of insects scurrying around. A few meters away from him was a wooden cage with a light beckoning him to come closer. Inside, he found the prettiest little fairy he'd ever set his eyes on.

The little girl's long, golden hair were in braids adorned by flowers and leaves. Light was emanating from her body and she was looking at him brightly.

"Good evening," he greeted.

The little girl looked at him and smiled, "And you are?"

"Arthur. You are?"

"Cressilda," she answered in her small voice.

"What are you doing here?," he asked looking at the wooden jail and the chain on her feet.

"I was imprisoned."

"For what?"

"Playing with kids."

"They imprison fairies because of that?"

"Because the Fairy King does not want other fairies playing with humans before he makes his pick."

"You mean the series of the spiriting away of kids decades ago? It was true?"

"It is. I have been lonely ever since," the little girl trailed off and tears started to fall on her reddish cheeks.

"Then let me play with you," Arthur offered.

From that time on, they became friends and he visited her everyday. He was already captivated by her smile, her laugh and her beauty. He liked to play with her more than he wanted to play with the always sad Tala.

One day, while passing through the huge oak tree, Tala saw him and she gasped.

"Where have you been? Who did you meet?," she asked. It was the first time he saw the little fairy with another emotion aside from sadness.

"Home. Then school."

With a worried expression on her face, she let him go.

That night, his mother went to his room and told him, "It's your tenth birthday tomorrow. You are not to go out of the house."

Remembering his promise to Cressilda that he would celebrate his birthday with her, he said, "I can't. I have school."

"I am sure you know but our village has a tradition to force the kids to stay at their house on their birthday."

"Is this related to kids being spirited away at the day of their tenth birthday? You really believe that?"

"Nothing will be lost if I do believe it," his mother said and left him in his room.

Nothing will be lost for them but for Arthur, he will miss a day of not seeing the lovely Cressilda and missing out on the experience of celebrating his birthday with her.

Thus, early the next morning, he escaped to visit the beautiful fairy again.

"Will you help me?," Cressilda asked the instant he entered the dead tree.

"Anything."

"Give me your hand."

He did and almost fell unconscious. He saw the chains on her feet rusting away. The cage started to fall down around them.

"Will you come with me?"

"I will," he answered again, no longer thinking.

He came with her and they went into the woods. It was already dark when Cressilda stopped in front of a huge narra tree.

"This is the entrance to the fairy world. But I need a human child to enter. Will you give me your life? After we enter, we will be happy forever."

The voice was enthralling. Once again, Arthur gave his arms to her. Cressilda bite at his pulse but was immediately whisked away from him.

"What was that? Who gave you the protection?"

It was the first time he saw her angry, like a feral cat ready to pounce on him.

Startled, he said, "Tala, the little fairy on the oak tree."

"That damned princess," then the lovely fairy removed the anger on her face and said, "Remove that, my little Arthur."

"Why?"

"Just do it!," she yelled and this time Arthur was scared of her. No one had raised their voice in front of him. "If you don't want to then I will force it out of you!," she screeched.

She was about to attack when Arthur heard the familiar solitary voice, "That's enough, Cressilda. Stop spiriting away the kids in this village just to enter the Fairy world. You've done a grave sin and that would never be forgiven."

The voice came from everywhere. Then in the blink of an eye, the roots and trees started to move and took Cressilda away from him. In front of him, the image of the little fairy from the huge oak tree, became visible.

"Happy birthday, Arthur," she said and kissed his forehead. That instant, his mind went blank, "Next time, don't get swayed by beauty... especially by fairies."