Identity

Chapter 6

I was asleep on top of a tree, sleeping happily with no care in the world.  But it was time to wake up.  I opened my eyes and glanced around a bit.  I was lying on top of a leaf, and for miles I could see trees at my level and below.  It appeared that I was on the highest tree.  Everything was perfectly natural.  I could hear every caw and cheep of the colorful birds, every snuffle of a hungry anteater, and every pounce of a scary tiger.  All of my senses appeared to have become more sensitive to the world around me.  I smiled when I heard the sound of a mama monkey getting back to her daughter.  I cringed when I felt the life seep out of a helpless Tarsier, a furry little creature with big eyes.

Now, I said, it's really time to wake up.  I pinched myself.  I moved on to smacking myself.  I tried to will myself awake.  But I realised slowly, and after many attempts, that this was no dream.  This was my new life.  I sat up and stretched, and my arm brushed against something behind my back that felt thin and papery.  I jumped while sitting, and I craned my neck around to catch a glimpse of...  No.  That can't be right.  It couldn't be true.  I couldn't really be...  a fairy?

Now I was wide awake.  I jumped to my feet, and only then did I become aware of the smooth, soft feel underneath my bare feet.  I looked down to find myself standing on a little leaf.  Only, the leaf wasn't so little anymore.  Not only did I have wings, but I had shrunk to 6 inches tall?  I found that I could easily keep my balance because of the veins in the not-so-little leaf.  By peering shrewdly at my tiny self, I found out that I looked like my self, without the acne, and my skin was a bit paler.  And, of course, I had wings.  And I figured that if I had wings, I might as well learn to use them.  But how...

I futilely tried to twitch my back, but I couldn't fly.  I attempted to jump up and then maybe it would come to me, but I just ended up finding out that fairies had very strong legs. 

That, and that leaves are very easy to fall through.  I was falling, down, down down through the tree.  The green leaves whipped my startled face, forcing me to close my eyes and fall blindly.  The leaves tore up my arms, legs, and face, leaving small scrapes and gashes where they'd cut me.  The wind flew up in my dress, and I felt the warm, wet air healing me even as I cut myself more.  I flailed and tried to grab on to something, anything, but I just cut my hands and ended up with fist fulls of leaves.  All of a sudden, I landed on something warm, feathery, and moving.  I went "oof" and  held on. 

"What was that for?  You almost got yourself killed, miss!"

My eyes flew open faster than light and I looked down to find myself on the back of a very sleek toucan.

"T-too-toucan?  You- just saved my life?  Oh, thank you, thank you!"  I half-sputtered, half-cried.

"Well, I had to, didn't I?  You're the only fairy who's been here for ages!  Will you save the forest then miss?  You must be so brave to come here!  But what about your friend?  I saw her falling as well.  Is she all right?"

"My- my friend.  Corinne.  She- was falling?"  I asked, slowly, hesitantly, fearfully.

"Oh, yes.  I figured she knew how to fly, but you sure didn't.  Anyways, miss-"

"No.  It can't have been Corinne.  She must be all right.  She is, isn't she?  She's just GOT to be okay..."  I muttered to myself, trying with all of my heart to convince myself that the words that I spoke were true. 

"Well, I know she was pretty near the ground, and falling fast.  Isn't diving FUN!"

No, I thought.  It wasn't.  And Corinne.  My partner.  If she wasn't okay...  Suddenly, I heard a very distinctive thump.

A/N:  I know it's short.  And it is totally different from the original chapter, so yes, I know.  I know it was very short and probably had more spaces than words.  Sorry.  I think maybe I use dialogue too much.  Are my descriptions awful?  Should there be more of them?  More analogies, or similies, or metaphors, or just descriptions?  PLEASE help me get better by private messaging or commenting.  Thanks so much for reading!