The Little Fairy

I tried to sleep, but Tyber’s words played over in my head. I don’t truly believe my wings would die before they even come in; and why would they? It’s not like crossing the veil even had that much of an impact on a fairy's wings, right? Not knowing what to do, I decided to take a walk outside, hoping to clear my head before trying another miserable time to fall asleep.

Tissa was out picking berries along the outer walkway, mindlessly humming an old tune to herself. “Hey, Tissa, what are you doing out so late?” I scurried over to her, the cool night gave me goosebumps.

“Mother needed some berries for a pie she’s making for tomorrow evening.” She continued plucking without looking in my direction.

“Are you nervous for The Ceremony?”

“Not really, we’ve been prepping for this our whole life!” She turned around to face me, giving me a weary smile; obviously trying to put on a brave face. There was something different about her that I just couldn’t put my finger on.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem…” I paused, looking her over carefully. “Different.”

“I promise.” She seemed to get a little agitated. “I’m fine.”

“Alright, I’m just worried about you.” Tissa pushed past me angrily and stomped back to her house. There was definitely something different with her and I really hope she was okay.

When I got back to the house, mother was sitting in the living room doing her knitting with rabbits wool that Tyber had gathered for her the day before. “Have a nice walk?”

“Not really,” I admitted. “I ran into Tissa and her demeanor seemed really off-putting. I asked her if it was her nerves because of The Ceremony, but she got really agitated and angry when I kept pushing about it.”

Mother stiffened up a little bit but softened quickly; hoping I wouldn’t notice. “It’s probably just nerves and she’s under a lot of pressure being the daughter of the councilwoman.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I stood in the doorway a little bit too long before telling mother that I was going to wash up and go to bed. This next week is going to drag on so slowly and I needed all the energy I could get.

I tried thinking of so many things that could go wrong tonight, including losing my wings. I could feel my skin starting to peel where they would soon sprout from my back. “Stop itching, cailín. You’ll damage your wings before they emerge,” My mother barked at me. She always used Irish when she was trying to get our attention.

I don’t know a lot about her past, other than she was born in Ireland and then came to the Americas hidden by the family they were staying with. “Sorry, mama. They’re just really itchy.” I tucked my head into my elbows, trying to hide the fact that my back was killing me.

“I knew I should have kept a closer eye on you, you must have been frolicking too close to that border. I told you to stay away until your wings were in.” She eyed me closely, maybe thinking I would stiffen up to make her think that I went out into the human world.

“I know, mama. I think I might’ve gotten too close once. I tried to stay farther away, but I wasn’t watching where I was going and bumped into the bark barrier.” I rolled my shoulders, trying to not dig my nails into the skin on my back.

“You better hope your wings are fine. I would hate to have to try to explain that to the Council.” She gave me a stern look. I hope she didn’t know I left the barrier. I would be screwed.

The cleansing continued, I changed into my ritual dress; a sheer white cloth that she had made and had worked on for years since I was born. She tied my hair in braids and knots putting ribbon and stones and flowers within them. She doused me in a perfume I knew too well. It smelled of sage, bergamot, and lavender; a scent made to calm me and cleanse my spirit. “I love you, mom.” I couldn’t look her in the eye knowing what might be coming.

“I love you more.” I could feel her infectious smile on my back as she pondered over me, making sure my dress and hair were delicately placed and perfectly aligned. She slid her fingers over the bruises on my shoulders where my wings would emerge within mere hours. I winced in pain, hoping she wouldn’t notice how bad it actually hurt. “It hurts that bad?” She finally spoke again after looking over my normally smooth back.

“Yes, mama.” I stammered, hoping there was some way I could cover it up. “I’m sure it’s just a passing thing, My wings might just be extra large.” I chuckled to myself, hoping to ease some of the tension.

“We don’t have a family history on either side of large wings, but there’s always mutations, I guess.” She seemed a little puzzled, but didn’t question me further and continued to pamper me until it was time to officially start the ritual.

The sun started to set and the air began to get cold. Dots of light started to scatter around the town, making the night feel a little less gloomy. We walked into the yard where a small basin, long enough for me to lay in was sitting in the middle surrounded by white candles, white stones, and white rose petals. Everything was lied out so elegantly it felt like at that moment everything else that had gone on that day had just melted away.

“Are you ready to start?” My mother and my aunts from both sides of the family were there to see my wings come in.

“I think so,” I muttered, shivering slightly as the wind started to pick up.

The moon started to crest over the trees as I stepped into the tub, the light dancing through the leaves and shining into everyone’s yard who was partaking in the ritual. “The god of the moon has blessed us tonight.” One aunt started, hovering her hands over my body.

“Mother earth has blessed us with her winds and her water to cleanse our daughter from evil.” Another aunt put her hands over me as well.

“May the spirits of our ancestors work with us tonight to bring her wings forth unharmed and radiant.” Finally, my mother put her hands over me while they all swayed back and forth with the wind. They started humming, sounding like metal and glass wind chimes in a light storm, their voices raising with the others in town becoming an ethereal noise that make every pore in my body feel like it started opening and soaking in the water around me. My mother cupped my face, looking deep into my eyes, and pressed her forehead against mine. I could feel the energy radiating off of her like a furnace in the winter, enveloping my body in a warm sensation I haven’t felt in my entire life.

They lifted me out of the tub, the sheer fabric practically invisible while wet and clung to my body. They helped me step out onto the grass which somehow felt different; softer. The water dripped from my braids and onto my bare back where my wings would soon come in. My shoulders still ached, but not as badly as before. “Do I have to go?” I looked at my mom and my aunts, my brows dug into a deep frown.

“Yes, dear. We will see you at the end.” They all hugged me and went back into the house to prepare dinner after the finishing Ceremony. Which I still wasn’t sure I was going to be coming back from.

I walked down the path from the house leading to the large oak stump where we were to meet with the Elders for the finishing ceremony. With every step, I felt my wings start to emerge. With every step, it became more and more apparent how much pain I was in. No one else seemed to be too uncomfortable, they were all walking straight while I was quickly becoming inconsolable. I barely made it to the bottom of the hill before I felt my back rip open and my wings emerge in a bloody show, a pool of blood quickly enveloped me and before I knew it, I had blacked out.