My Imagination

You're Not Crazy

It was a calm and serene morning, the dew resting on the grass as the sun rose over the small town of Bandon, Oregon. The birds chirped and the wind rustled the leaves of the fall trees.

In one small house near the ocean, a girl, Tilly Spencer was waking up to the sound of a very small man standing on the edge of her bed. His name is Conall. He's a leprechaun. A very annoying one at that.

"Get up lass! The brownies are hungry and they don't want to wait any longer!" He pulled on Tilly's covers, causing her to groan and sit up. 

"Tell them I could just kick them out if they want to complain so much." Tilly grumbled, putting her feet into some old blue slippers that a fairy had made for her in return for getting rid of the squirrels in her fairy ring. 

"Are you sure that's a good idea? The last one you kicked out tried to set your hair aflame!" Conall jumped down, landing on her backpack and sliding down to the floor. 

"I'm coming Conall. Keep your tiny britches on." Tilly went into the kitchen, where three what looked to be small men with large, doglike ears and large, crooked noses stood, their arms crossed over their chests. 

"You didn't leave anything for us last night! Did we not do good?" One of the brownies asked accusingly.

"I forgot Leroy. Besides, you didn't clean the stove like I asked you to." Tilly grabbed the small cups and bowls to fill them with milk and bread for the little creatures.

"We were tired miss!" The other brownie piped up. "We had to clean a lot since your father shattered that bottle in the parlor!"

"You're off the hook this time." Tilly looked at the clock on the wall, suddenly realizing she was extremely late for school. Again. "I'm already late for school and I haven't said hello to the garden pixies yet! I can't catch a break today." Tilly ran back into her room, brushing her hair and quickly putting on a sweatshirt and some jeans before rushing out the door to the small garden out back.

"About time!" A small woman with wings stood on the gate, her foot tapping impatiently. "Where were you?"

"Dealing with the brownies. I'm already late so I can't talk but I'll try after school!" Tilly turned heel and sprinted away from the angry pixie, jumping on her bike and pedaling furiously down the dirt road.

She rode by the selkie beach, waving to them as she passed. The selkies loved playing tricks and fooling beachgoers. But otherwise, they were harmless.

Tilly then passed the quarry where the salamanders loved to sleep on the rocks. It was one of the only places in town that they didn't set anything aflame. They were helpful when you wanted to roast marshmallows, but they were notorious for being a little, hotheaded. 

Finally, she rode into town, panting heavily. "Damn brownies making me late again." 

Suddenly, a blue streak flew in front of her bike, causing her to lose balance and fall off. "What the hell?!" Tilly stood up, one of her knees bleeding through her jeans.

On the side of the road lay a fairy, her wings bloody and one of them was bent. She was barely moving and she was weak. 

"Oh god." Tilly whispered, rushing to the fairies side. "What happened?" She held the creature in her hands, cradling her close. 

"It's.. coming.." It sputtered out, it's hands going to it's neck where a charm hung. "Take it."

"Who's coming? W-what are you saying?" Tilly asked frantically, her hands shaking slightly. 

"Take it." The fairy insisted, her face stern.

"I couldn't. I-it's your charm." Tilly insisted. She hated seeing any of the creatures in pain. Sure they were annoying sometimes, but like it or not, they were her family. They protected her and kept her safe from her drunk father, and made sure she was loved. 

"Please." The fairy begged. "Please take it."

Tilly carefully took off the necklace, placing it in her pocket. "I need to get you to the forest." Tilly stood up, school all but forgotten. 

The fairy nodded, her breathing slowing down.

Tilly quickly ran off the road and into the woods, into a small clearing. Tilly gathered a bed of leaves and small stones, laying the fairy down on the forest floor. "Is there anything else you need? Anything I ca-" Tilly was cut off by the fairy.

"Be careful. Things are changing girl. They're changing...." The fairy drifted off, her eyes pointed up towards the canopy of trees.

"Shit." Tilly cursed. "Shit!" She kneeled down, looking at the dead fairy. "I will find what killed you. I promise." Tears flowed down her face, her hands clutching the fairies charm.

She then made her way out of the forest, retrieving her bike and riding the rest of the way to school. She wiped away her tears and made her way into the building.

"Hey look. It's unicorn." Maddy Felix snickered, her goons laughing along too, probably for fear if they didn't, she would target them next.

"Buzz off Maddy." Tilly sat down, taking her books out. Her thumb ran over the small charm, her mind everywhere else but the lesson on imaginary numbers.

If only she could talk to someone else about this, but Tilly wasn't that lucky. So far, she was the only person she knew of that could see the creatures. 

She needed help. Help of the magical nature. Help that could only come from one source.

A unicorn.

"Thats the thing with magic. You've got to know it's still here, all around us, or it just stays invisible for you." ~Charles De Lint