The Misplaced Door (First part, contest entry)

Curtains fluttered above a ball of blankets in a dark room. The tinkling bells from a wind chime rang cheerfully. Stirring from the ball of blankets caused a small stuffed bear wearing a pink tutu to fall off the bed. A pale arm emerged and then tufts of red hair appeared. Gray eyes flickered open catching a glimpse of a star filled sky between floating curtains.1

Yawning Shellee sat up and stretched her long thin limbs. Looking around she wondered what woke her up. She peered into the shadows of her room not daring to leave the safety of her warm covers. At a glance nothing looked out of sorts in the darkened room. A pile of clothes look undisturbed on a blown up chair, stacks of paper filled with stories she’s written and drawn still wait near the bookshelf to be put away. Stuffed animals line against every available space, smiled out at her. She sighed relieved.2

She turned to her window behind her and pushed the dark blue curtains apart. “The night sky looks like a blanket of dark silk with silver confetti thrown on it.” She thought, “I wonder if I could see a shooting star?” Closing her eyes she inhaled a deep breath and smelled the jasmine that bloomed under her window. A soft breeze blew through her window caused the wind chimes to sound. Through the lids of her eyes she saw a shimmer of light bouncing out in the yard. Quickly she opened her eyes to watch in amazement. She thought about the light for a moment before she slipped her shoes on and tiptoed out the door.3

* * *4

A frustrated squeak issued itself forth from Annaliss’ pouty mouth as she searched desperately among flowers of the human’s yard. Wide spread green eyes darted here and there as her lacy wings flapped rhythmically from her back.5

“How could I be so stupid?” she muttered to herself. “I have to get back.” 6

Suddenly a sound broke through her silent muttering. A soft thud caused her to slide under a shrub to hide. Annaliss held her breath and searched for the source of the sound.7

A shadow darted by causing fireflies to take flight. The shadow stopped to follow the pattern. Annaliss could slowly see a form of a human girl.8

Annaliss stilled her gossamer wings willing the blue shimmer that surrounded them to dull slightly. She slowed her breath and sat back to wait for the intruding human to leave. Annaliss knew humans were reluctent to believe her kind exist. They would leave off searching easily if given time, especially humans of this size. Patience was not something humans came by easily.9

* * *10

Shellee wrapped her arms around herself and shivered in the cool air. “I should have grabbed a jacket.” She looked back at the house debating whether to go back for the much needed coat, but after some thought she decided to stay where she was instead.11

Shellee continued to search through the shrubs and rosebushes looking for the source of the meager blue light. Just today Shellee and her mother tended this part of the yard, endlessly pruning and weeding, getting ready to plant more spring flowers tomorrow. She didn’t remember seeing anything that had been blue. “The Forget-Me-Knots were a purplish blue but that wouldn’t have given off a light.” She thought as she pushed aside a few delicate blooms. 12

Frustrated she sat down on the freshly mowed lawn. The smell of overturned soil made her breathe in deeply. She stuck out her lower lip and balled her fists in frustration. The bottom of her pj’s were wet from the grass and it soaked through to her butt. Standing up fast she threw down her hands and stomped off towards the house.13

* * *14

Annaliss let out a sigh of relief in a rush. “That was close. That human almost touched me when she was smashing the Forget-Me-Knots. Good thing I moved,” She thought.15

Annaliss crawled back out from under the shurb and continued searching among the spring flowers. Decaying leaves and freshly turned soil feeled her nostrils and brought a sweet smile to her lips.16

* * *17

Out of the corner of her eye Shellee caught a flicker of blue. She glanced around to find a medium sized bush she thought she could hide behind. She quickly ran behind it as her heart pounded in her ears. She peered through the scraggly limbs and past newly formed buds to watch the dim light.18

* * *19

Annaliss looked over her shoulder when she thought she heard the leaves of a tree rustle. But she had seen nothing that moved and nothing that would have caused the noise. The wind that had been blowing softly had become still and the hypnotizing lullaby of the crickets hadn't stopped.20

* * *21

Shellee peeked through the branches of the bush. She brushed one of the new buds on the limb and smelled a sweet sticky fragrance. 22

“Oh my gosh!” she gasped to herself. “What is that? No,” her eyes widened, “that can’t be! Wow! Mom wasn’t lying when she told me there were garden fairies.”23

Curiosity pushed her forward. She slowly made her way towards the pansies and forget-me-nots, further away from her safe house and warm bed. Gaining courage with each silent step she worked up the nerve to speak.24

“What are you looking for?”25

* * *26

Annaliss darted from one flower to another. Looking on top and underneath, muttering to herself the whole time. Nothing looked familiar. Nothing screamed “DOOR RIGHT HERE,” with a big flashing arrow pointing. She shook her small head in aggravation.27

“Why did the door have to be hidden?” She mumbled. Then she remembered why. Trolleva. Trolleva the wicked troll who wanted to rule Elden….28

“What are you looking for?” came a soft voice.29

Annaliss screamed as she ducked under the pansies again. Leaves and dirt sprang into the air.30

Holding her stomach Shellee doubled over, hair sweeping the ground. “I’m sorry did I scare you,” she said after she had recovered.31

Annaliss’ eyes darted left and right looking for a way out.32

“Please,” breathed Shellee, “I won’t hurt you. You really are a fairy aren’t you?”33

Still Annaliss searched anxiously. Her small body tense and ready to spring at any moment, at any movement.34

Shellee sighed. “L-let’s start again. My name is Shellee. I live here. What’s your name?”35

Trembling Annaliss looked at her with fear and reluctantly said, “Annaliss.”36

“Are you really a garden fairy?”37

“Of course, what other kinds are there?” She replied outraged.38

“Well,” said Shellee warming up to the subject, ”there’s garden fairies, fairy godmothers, house fairies, lake fairies, river fairies, tree fairies, brownies, sprites….”39

“Ok, ok enough,” Annaliss relaxed a little bit. “You’re not going to try and catch me are you?”40

Taken aback Shellee quickly replied, “no, of course not. My mother says garden fairs are good luck and they help our flowers grow. I would never mess with luck.”2741

“The reason you know about fairies so much….?”42

“Because of my mom, she loves fairies. We even plant special flowers over there in the corner so you will come and help our flowers grow.” They both looked over towards a mass planting of pink and white Asters with their puffy flowers. Followed by red Bee Balm mixed with cream colored Beardtongue and their flowered spikes. In the back was a beautiful red Butterfly Bush.43

“Those will attract butterflies which….”44

“Always come before fairies,” Shellee finished.45

“Sounds like your mom knows her stuff.”46

Shellee nodded her head. The full moon’s light bounced off her hair giving it a silvery glow.47

Annaliss relaxed fully. The cricket’s song filled the silence. For few minutes they stood staring at each other. Annaliss barely hitting Shellee's knees, Shellee having to look down from her three foot height.48

“Soooooo, what were you looking for?” Shellee asked.49

“Oh my, I’d forgotten all about that.” She looked around, “Can you keep a secret?”50

Shellee nodded.51

“I’m looking for the door to Elden.”52

Shellee looked confused, “Elden?”53

“Yes Elden. That’s were all fairies live when were not in the human land.”54

“Wow, your own world. I bet it’s neat.”55

“It is beautiful,” a longing look filled Annaliss eyes.56

Shellee watched her for moment in silence. “You must miss it.” Annaliss said nothing but nodded her blue head. “Well, where’s the door? Why don’t’ you go back?”57

Annaliss hesitated, not sure if she could really trust Shellee. After all she was a human. But then again she hadn’t tried to catch her. “ Can’t find the door,” she finally admitted, “I wasn’t paying attention when we we’re told the location.”58

“Is this your first time here in my world?” Annaliss shook her head. “Then you should know where it’s at.”59

“There’s the problem. You see it changes every night.”60

“Why?”61

“Because of Trolleva.” Annaliss whispered quickly looking away.62

“Who’s Trolleva?” Shellee asked.63

“Shhh! Don’t say her name so loud!”64

“Oops sorry.”65

Annaliss looked around. Seeing nothing lurking around the yard motioned Shellee to squat down. Shellee sat down on her already wet butt and waited. Crickets played their soothing melody on through the surrounding foliage making the night relaxed and peaceful. Shellee continued to wait while Annaliss collected her thoughts. The smell of wet leaves floated right along side of the jasmine by the house.66

Finally Annaliss raised her spring green eyes to meet Shellee's. “Awhile ago, oh it must have been twenty human years but only a few for us fairies, a gnome name Lady Eva tried to…”67

“Hey, wait a minute,” interrupted Shellee, ”there are gnomes too?’68

Annaliss sighed making her wings flutter slightly, “yes and unicorns, elves, sprites, nymphs, and dwarves all kinds of non-humans.”69

Shellee’s mouth had dropped open as Annaliss read off the list.70

“May I go on?” In stunned silence Shellee nodded. “Where was I? Oh yes, Lady Eva tried to take over the council,” she started to pace, “the other heads of the council put a stop to her. She promised to be good and to use her intelligence to better things for her people, for all people.” She paused talking and pacing. Looking around she continued, “After awhile she started to change. Nothing too noticeable, a few warts here and there at first. When this was happening our lands started to change. No rain fell, and crops were ruined. Fires raged, burning trees and grassy plains. It was terrible. My people were starving. Finally when the fire reached a village of gnomes it burnt everything except Lady Eva’s domed hut. The council knew she was behind it all. When they finally tracked her down she had changed into a troll.” She paused and sat down across from Shellee, “Lady Eva had turned into Lady Trolleva. She was beautiful once but she was hunched over, her nose became long. Bushy green eyebrows hid mud brown eyes. Her skin had turned brown and had a crinkled paper look to it. Green hair, ratty and wild framed her face and hung down her back. She was horrible looking.”71

Shellee sat there and stared, opened mouthed at Annaliss. There was nothing she could say. Finally she gulped and shut her mouth.72

“When we, mystical creatures, turn bad we end up as trolls. The council banished her from our lands and as she left she vowed she would come back and rule Elden. Since then the door is moved every night. We cannot let her find the door. Our lands are just now recovering.”73

“That’s a awful tale. What would make someone go from being good to being bad?” Shellee asked.74

Annaliss stood up and looked directly into Shellee’s eyes. “It’s said that she went mad with power.”75

Shellee just shook her head. “You’d think being a magical creature would be enough. So you didn’t listen when they told you where the door was?”76

“No. I just wanted to get here and have fun. I love helping flowers grow.” She said with a smile. Then a look of knowledge came to her shimmering face, “but there are clues.”77

“What clues?”78

“The guardian elf of the door always leaves clues for us in case we forget!”79

“What are the clues?”80

Annaliss’ face turned into a frown, “I don’t remember them,”81

“Great just great!”82

“What? It’s not like you’re the one locked out.” Annaliss said crossly.83

Shellee stood and crossed her arms, “my mom said fairies were responsible, but you’re just like me!”84

“And what is that?” She asked.85

“A kid!” They both turned their backs to each other and pouted.86

Annaliss peeked around her back at Shellee and at the same time Shellee peeked also. They both started giggling when they caught each other.87