Origin of the Westbury Faerie

Origins of the Westbury Faery

It was late morning by now, Philip had just pressured his new wife Lauren to take the luggage down to just one package each instead of the original three packs for her and one for him.  The happy couple had recently recited their marriage vows in a private ceremony without any family in attendance, therefore they had to visit Philip's parents to tell them the great news. Philip's parents loved Lauren almost as much as their son did. The two stowed the luggage into the back of the stage coach with ease and hooked up the horses. In the late afternoon they finally headed out, it would take two days and one night to get to Philip's parents' house. His parents lived on a small potato farm that had been handed down for generations. As the night grew closer the newlyweds decided to make camp near the Sidhe mounds. Philip then began to entertain his wife with tales of the lure and majestical dreams of fantasy that was told throughout his hometown of the mysterious happenings of the Sidhe mounds. Whilst the couple were sharing tales a mystical creature found its way into the back of the stage coach and in its dazed wonder fell asleep amongst the pile of luggage. In the morning Philip and Lauren began the rest of their trip and that evening arrived at Philip's old home. His parents were very welcoming and kind to his new wife, during the first night the little guest found its way out of the stagecoach and over to the house. It flew right up to the happy couple's window and knocked with its tiny knuckles on the cold, clear glass. Lauren noticing the tiny creature at the window walked over and opened it up, inviting the little creature into the room. The creature started flying around the room disappearing and reappearing. It seemed like it was searching for something, probably food.

"Philip, you must see this," she examined the creature, but as she reached out to touch it, it in a fit of fright it bit her on the hand. Lauren fainted. Philip immediately called for help, but after calling a doctor and utilizing his help, Lauren did not wake. The doctor said the cause of death was maybe a heart arrack or a stroke, therefore Philip began calling it the "Faerie Stroke". No matter how much Philip wanted the creature to leave him alone, the little person, now deemed a faerie, stayed by Philip's side for it felt awful for what it had done. This faerie, however, refused to show itself to anyone but Philip, for it felt it needed to protect him now that he was alone. As time went on Philip moved back into his parent's house, because he could not bear to live with himself after his true love had died. He worked on the farm when he could to help his parents, but then the potato famine arrived and it took the life of both of Philip's parents. He had already been through so much death that he simply could not stay in Ireland anymore, therefore he packed his bags and joined the long journey of a ship ride to Canada. With the faerie by his side, he boarded the ship. To keep himself sane during the trip Philip began to keep a diary of all his adventures on board the ship. As the trip went on and days turned into weeks and weeks turned to months and eventually three years past aboard that ship. On the third month of the second year, Philip grew sick, very sick.  He was put in the infirmary of the ship for five months. The faerie that had taken his wives life was the same one that saved his. Philip was grateful of the faerie and allowed it to stay and protect him for the rest of his life. The two unlikely travelers reached the port with the other immigrants from Ireland and were allowed to pass onto the land immediately after their arrival. Philip with the faerie's help was able to land a job as a farm hand on a small farm. The farmer felt bad for Philip so, he allowed the lonely traveler to stay on the property. Philip, having no other family, allowed the faerie to stay with him on the farm. The farmer was very kind to Philip and he and his wife invited Philip into their home for dinner almost every Sunday night. Time went by and after saving most of his paycheck Philip and the faerie had just enough money to board a ship and head back to Ireland, for Philip was growing old and tired. After braving the sea once again Philip and his little friend, who was now more like family, returned to the city were Philip first met Lauren. This little town had always brought joy to him, and it was where Lauren had grown up. He reunited with Lauren's little brother who still lived in Westbury, and was almost thirty-five now, so he really wasn't little anymore. Lauren's brother explains that they had buried Lauren at the local Westbury cemetery. Philip and the faerie then took the small walk to the cemetery to see his wife again. After returning from the cemetery Lauren's brother allowed for Philip to stay with him and his wife. Lauren's brother and his wife had three children William Jr., Malory, and Lauren named after her aunt. The first few nights Philip was enjoying himself, but he could not bear being with Lauren's family without her there. In the middle of the night, Philip and the faerie decided to leave, however, on the way out Philip saw the cemetery and could not run away from his sorrow anymore. He walked over to her grave and started to cry, he told her of all of his adventures and about how sorry the faerie was and that they had traveled together ever since she had passed. He smiled and then recited the wedding vows that he still remembered and he set the ring, that he never took off, squarely under her name on the gravestone. Then he and the faerie returned her brother's household, both of their cheeks were stained with teardrops. When he pushed the door open he noticed little Lauren still awake at the top of the stairs. He motioned for her to come down the stairs and sit on the couch with him. He told her all of the stories of her aunt and their trip to visit his parents. He then continued on to tell her of the travels he had going from Ireland to Canada and back. He told the little child all about the mysterious tales and magically dreams of the Sidhe mounds. After that he told her of the mysterious faeries that were said to live in those mounds, and how the faeries were fallen angels who were not good enough to make it into heaven, so they were stuck on earth. He said that they made many mistakes like all humans on the earth, he told her of the great gifts that God had given the faeries, so they wouldn't be harmed because God loved all creatures: even fallen angels. Then he looked into those starry eyes of curiosity that look so much like her aunt's and asked.

"Have you ever seen a faerie before?"

Philip never remarried and stayed with his wife's family until the date of his own death. Since Lauren's family was the only one he had they decided to bury him next to Lauren in the Westbury cemetery. The two are now happily back together again in a better place. The faerie, however, was immortal so it stayed next to the graves to forever protect Philip and his wife, for it still felt awful. A long time passed before all of Lauren's brother's family began to leave Ireland or pass on. Before little Lauren left for America, she visited her aunt and uncle's graves, she was the last person who was able to see the faerie. When Lauren did arrive in America she married a Mr. James Beck and together they had two children. Lauren continued to tell the stories of faeries that she had now acquired herself and those that her uncle had told her many times. She was very fascinated by the little creatures from the story and put all of her faerie findings under a floorboard in the attic. This truck of faerie evidence was never found until her grandson Arthur Beck and his granddaughter started looking. They then used the internet to start investigating the story behind the faerie that still today protects Philip and Lauren Ripton in their final resting place, and keeps all people away by biting them, not fatally, however, for the faerie still felt bad for what it did to Lauren. The same tales of faerie mystery and majestic dreams echo throughout the generations always ending in the very same question that I now want to ask you.

"Have you ever seen a faerie before?"