Wings

A butterfly caught my eye as it fluttered through the air. Its mottled wings glistened in the rays of sunlight that managed to peep through the canopy of trees. I watched, transfixed, as it delicately landed on a daisy. Its cobalt wings quivered prettily as a warm summer breeze swept through the woods. I rolled onto my stomach and admired the delicate creature as it moved onto a different wildflower. It was achingly beautiful in the simplest of ways. The peaceful oasis was ruined by the demanding ring of my phone. "Grandmama?" I answered as I rolled onto my back. "Sila, where are you? You have been gone for hours." My grandmother chided. "I was taking a walk." I replied dreamily. The butterfly hovered into the air and disappeared into the trees.  "Well, you had better make your way home. I don't want you getting caught out after dark." I sighed, but I knew she was right, daylight never seemed to last long enough. "I'll leave now." I promised before dropping the phone onto the ground. It took a few moments to gain the willpower to heave myself from the grass but I managed it. I surveyed the tiny meadow, soaking up every detail and storing it in my memory. I always loved grandmother's woods. It grew harder and harder to leave every time. Trying to overcome my melancholy thoughts I lifted up the hem of my skirts and made my way along the track which had long been committed to memory. I was old enough to go out alone now, and I had travelled further than I had ever gone before. I began to hum under my breath as I merrily skipped along. Even as the sun began to hide beneath the trees I felt no danger. These woods had become nothing but a glorified garden. I followed the distant gurgling of the creek until I reached its rocky bank. I did not falter as I danced across the stepping stones and nimbly jumped onto the opposite shore. My heart rose in my chest as I recognised the moss-ridden stairway that marked the beginnings of my grandmother's house.  Mint turrets crowned the old sandstone foundations. I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips as I admired the ancient house my grandmother had inherited and my mother swore to sell-off. I hadn't agreed when she had muttered that beneath her breath. I still didn't agree. While it had seen better years, with the paint peeling from the windowpanes and ivy snaking around the tower it was still an incredibly beautiful house. The lacework balustrade of the rusting balcony added to its stately elegance. As I paced across the lawn a high pitched burst of laughter alerted me to the presence of my younger sister playing on the veranda. The golden haired child was role-playing with her dolls, the tattered remains of an experiment with glitter shone in the fading light. Jumping up the porch steps two at a time I surprised her from behind, eliciting a cry of joy as she turned around and hugged my legs, causing me to clutch at the rickety balustrade for balance. "Sila!" her muffled voice echoed from my legs. I laughed and preened her arms away, kneeling on the ground to join her in her games. "Who's this?" I remarked, pointing to a dilapidated doll with so much pink glitter in her hair that it was stuck to her back. "Um...that's Giselle." she replied, her voice wavering as if she was unsure she had picked the right answer. The four-year-old then quickly got distracted by her other dolls, her pale skin accentuating her rosy cheeks which were always flushed from excitement, embarrassment or exhaustion. Quite fittingly her name was Rosette. She bounced up and down , nervous energy rolling off her as she picked up a doll and began to talk to it. "Have you seen any fairies today? Where are they hiding?" she interrogated it, genuinely annoyed that the doll would not answer. I could still remember when I would ask questions like that. I leaned back as she stood, inelegantly pushing against the ground so her bottom stuck up in the air for a second while she gained balance. I bit back a laugh. "I saw a butterfly today." I told her as she turned to stare at me, her eyes wide with delight. She smiled, her crooked white teeth marking her recent visitation by the tooth fairy. "Did you see a fairy on it?" She said in all seriousness. I shook my head and her shoulders slumped in disappointment. I knew it wouldn't last long, young children never pondered on the same thing for very long. I remembered when I was her age and I was enraptured by fairies. I recognised the books Rosette had inherited sprawled amidst the glitter. Bending to pick one up I inspected its pages. It had been so long since my eyes danced across the magical paintings which had always filled my dreams. I skimmed over the words on each page before focusing on the elegant, slender figures dancing in ballrooms and flying among the stars. Fairy balls, mushroom rings, butterfly steeds, flower beds and nectar refreshments came to life in hues of magenta, azure and emerald. I trailed a fingertip along the long silky wings protruding from the fantastical creatures, mesmerised by their beauty and otherworldliness. Fairy warriors with their striking feathered helmets, beautiful maidens and mischievous elves filled the magnificent castles, enchanted forests and blooming flowers. I smiled to myself. They were part of another world that I used to visit when I was a child. "Grandmama I saw fairies today." I used to sing to her after spending the entire day in the woods. "Ah, the little people." she would remark with a sigh. I had always thought she had taken me seriously as I had waved my paper wand. It had been a fantastic game, but one that couldn't last forever. I sighed sadly as I closed the book. Sometimes I really didn't want to grow up. I settled onto the steps as Rosette began to run around the garden. I peered out towards the woods. Images of lithe maidens with gold-dusted wing dancing in a circle led me to stare deep into the trees. For a few moments, I waited for a glimpse of something magical. Of course, nothing happened. "Sila." I turned to my grandmother who standing in the doorway. "Your mother called. She asked me how your studies were going." I rolled my eyes. Some things, no matter how much you ignored them never went away. She c****d her head and smiled warmly. I walked into her embrace, sighing into her greying hair. The looming threat of exams returned.  "Just do the best you can, nobody can ask any more than that." she comforted before letting me go and allowing me to follow her inside. The light pattering of footsteps alerted me to Rosette's presence somewhere behind us. I tried not to mimic her characteristic waddle. "Have you had lunch? You were out since breakfast." My Grandmother called as she disappeared into the kitchen. I watched as she played with the old gas stove. "Come on, you're not half as old as me, and I'm still working." she muttered as she lit a match and it finally lit up. "No, what's for dinner?" I said as I settled onto the lounge. She shrugged. "Whatever you like...and whatever Rosette will eat." I smiled gratefully and turned as the said person came running into the room, her false fairy wings bouncing on her back. "Sila, Sila, look at my wings!" she laughed, holding her small arms up to me as she vied for my attention. I swooped down and picked her up. "Oh, I see you little fairy. Watch out! The goblins and trolls will be after you, you better be able to fly!" I whispered, hiding my grin in her golden locks. She squealed and kicked her legs excitedly. "Tell me a story!" she cried. I sighed, causing her to flay her arms in detest. "Please, please, please, please, please!" she begged. I really needed to stop encouraging this. Ever since we were little I told her stories about the fairies living in our garden. Granted with the wide expanding forest at our Grandmother's my imagination always got the better of me and the stories grew into long trilogies of adventures and romances. She had fallen in love with many character's, namely a chivalrous fairy prince. "Oh alright, it will last us until dinnertime." I supposed. Grandma smiled and watched me carry her out onto the porch so we could lie on the old, worn-out lounges and stare into the woods which grew mysterious and magical as the light dimmed. Rosette wriggled into a comfortable position and stared up at me expectantly. I waited until she was about to burst with impatience before beginning the well known story of the girl who was stolen away by the fairies for one night. "It was a golden afternoon when she was wandering through the woods collecting berries for her mother. It wasn't until she heard the distant tinkling of bells that she realised she had walked right into a ring of mushrooms." Rosette giggled as she recognised the archaic plotline, it didn't however, cause her to lose interest. Soon, she was transfixed by the images of the fairy ball, the splendid fairy dresses, the butterfly carriages, the feathered helmets and flower petal cups. She reeled with delight as she heard of the enchanted golden harp with spiderweb strings and of chivalrous knights vowing to protect their lovers from evil toads. "But all the while, the girl is whisked through this magical world, burdened by the knowledge that she cannot stay." As I murmured the words Rosette's shoulders visibly slumped. "I wish she didn't have to go home." she whispered. I pulled her into my arms as I whispered the last words, where the girl is inevitably returned home and made to forget. We sit awhile, listening to the wildlife around us. Darkness had crept upon us an hour ago. I feel her move as she looked up at my face. I tensed as I sensed the question she is going to ask. "Sila, do you believe in fairies?" I closed my eyes as I contemplated my answer. "I don't know. I have never met any." I replied ambiguously.  There was no such thing as fairies.                                                                                    ❋ ❋ "Take me with you." Rosette crossed her arms and pouted. I looked down at her, an eyebrow raised. I didn't want to. We would walk a kilometre and then she would want to go back home. She would get lost, she would complain about the distance and she would most probably get attacked by some wild animal she didn't have the sense to avoid. I shook my head. She stomped her foot. "But you always go into the woods. You never take me!" she complained. I sighed and shook my head. Grandmama cast me a glance as if to say, 'Just take her once and she'll never want to go again.' I sighed and held out my hand. She grinned and clutched it in hers, proudly skipping by my side as I headed towards the treeline. As we trod along the beaten track she began to sing beneath her breath. I strolled into the enclave of trees, finding solace in the fact that there was nobody about for miles. The trees seemed to whisper to themselves and the sweet scent of summer flowers hung in the air.  Rosette paused to admire a small field of wildflowers. Glancing back to check my pursuit she jumped into the long stringy grass. I rolled my eyes and laughed as she began rolling around on the grass. Her head bobbed up and down as she began picking and smelling the flowers. Kneeling to gather some of the flowers I c****d my head to keep an eye on her. "Ow, this grass is itchy!" she complained. I sighed. "Then why did you roll in it?" She pouted at me and frowned, before a smile flew across her face. "Let's play hide and seek!" I tried not to sound to unenthusiastic. "Hide and seek?" "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She came to dance around me, flaying her arms in the air. "Close your eyes, close your eyes, close your eyes!" she demanded. I watched her sceptically, this was the perfect opportunity for her to get lost or hurt. I grabbed her shoulders and held her gaze. "Don't leave this field." I warned her sternly. She rolled her eyes impatiently. Letting her go I covered my eyes with my hands and began to count down from twenty. I heard her receding giggles as she searched for a place to hide. By the time I had counted to one there was no sign of her. "Ready or not, here I come!" I shouted. A loud giggle pervaded the air and I tried not to snort. Weaving my way through the grass I scanned the clearing, half expecting to see a conspicuous dent in the scenery. Frowning I circled the field but found nothing. A rising panic filled my chest. I always found her in the first thirty seconds. "Rosette!" I shouted, expecting to hear a giggle of laughter or an accusation that I had cheated. Nothing. I sighed, she must have run off. I began to call her name, my eyes searching the trees for any sort of movement. A tinkle of bells, ever so distant, caused me to lift my head. The quiet, faraway chimes were carried upon the wind like music. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I knew that something was wrong. Mounting fear stole into my mind as I began to pick up the pace. Returning to the path I looked for footprints. I followed the winding track all the way down to the creek...still no sign. The water glinted in the sun, seemingly laughing at my distress. My throat began to burn as Rosette's name rolled off my tongue over and over again. A short sob of despair broke my cries as I tried to think of where she could have gone. I looked up to the sky as a shadow dimmed the scene. A grey cloud skirted across the sky. Rain. I couldn't go back without finding her. "Breathe, just breathe." I told myself sternly. "Go back and find her." Wiping rogue tears from my eyes I began to make my way back to the path when a flash of red in the corner of my eye caused me to stop. Gazing down I realised that I had just stepped into a circle of white dotted mushrooms. A chorus of cheers erupted in the distance and I realised I wasn't alone. Without thinking, I bolted. "Rosette! Rosette!" I screamed. Uneasiness caused a hot flush to crawl across my skin. It felt like something or someone was watching. My long golden hair flew behind me as I ran back to the clearing. "Sila! Sila you left me!" I looked to the sky in gratitude as I heard her sweet voice. I almost trampled her curled form as she had fallen by the path and distracted herself with wildflowers. I grabbed her quickly and hauled her onto my hip, turning to stare over my shoulder. I squinted my eyes in suspicion, ignoring Rosette's protests as she squirmed. "Where are we going? We didn't even go down to the creek!" She pointed the way I had come. I began to pant as I realised I had seriously underestimated her weight. "We're going back, I think that's enough for today. I told you not to run off." I turned the blame on her as I remembered sheer panic that had made my insides turn to ice. She went silent, recognising a firmness in my voice that warned her not to argue. I turned and hiked up the path, inwardly cursing myself. She seemed to have forgotten her disappointment as she jumped in my arms. "A bee!" she cried in mock horror. We made our way up the stairs and across the grass, the ominous grey sky forewarning rain. "Better hope it doesn't sting you." I replied absentmindedly. She began to kick her legs. "It's following us!" I groaned as I lowered her onto the porch. "Don't be silly. Now get inside before you catch a cold. It's going to rain." Easily, distracted she ran indoors, forgetting today's events. I wished I could do the same.