Home

As soon as she steps outside, a number of fallen leaves on the driveway caught on fire. As she got closer the fire smolders down, leaving a single circle of ashes on the grey pavement. She has one day left it seems, not that any reminder was needed.

One life exchanged for the other.

To be honest, she has been putting this matter off a bit longer than she should, but she has her own reasons.

Kiera came from a long line of faery law keeper, it was their household duty to ensure everyone follows and upholds what little law they have there. To ensure secrecy and safety of their world, it was a law not to mix with humans. You can live alongside them, but you can’t show yourself unless it was necessary. It was also forbidden to fall in love with one, and half breeds were more than frowned upon. Those who break the rules were given two options, to either kill their half breeds and return, or to be cast away from this side of the world forever.

How it must feel, to separate from your loved one. How much more painful it must be to live with the knowledge that you chose your own life over theirs. She’s heard stories of faeries who went mad after being cut off from the faery world. Perhaps they’re just stories to scare them, to keep them from doing the forbidden, like the Boogeyman humans seemed to love telling their offspring. Or perhaps, there were some truths there. After all, how could you go on living as usual, knowing there’s a whole other life you left behind, a life just there but your eyes and soul no longer have the privilege to see or feel.

Either way, she was going to make sure it doesn’t end up badly this time.

Kiera walks down the street, heading towards her first destination, she already knew the map by heart. As she walks it was easy for the humans to ignore her, walking side by side with them.

Humans only see what they’re taught to see. The decades of technology and being disconnected from nature has dulled their senses. They can hear the birds chirping but unable to understand them. They can feel the wind when it's blowing but can’t hear the faint sound of whispers and the secrets they carry. They can see some colors but can’t see the pulsing range of light emitting from every living being.

They can’t see the faeries, except when they want them to.

She did love watching them though. She passes by a couple, the female’s light filled with red, yellow, and green. The male has more blue and green light surrounding him. They chatted on as the male pushes forward a stroller with their offspring inside, who was giggling at the pixies hanging at the top of its stroller.

She never did understand the fascination with the small creature. She admits it was a good way to keep your lineage alive. But the soft looks they gave it, the way their features light up just by holding it, making it laugh, just taking care of it. She didn’t understand it.

Further down the street more people came into view. At a fruits vendor stand, the seller swatted an invisible fly on the right side of his head, annoyed at the buzzing noise so close to his hear. Kiera saw a couple of pixies hovering there, laughing among themselves.

At a corner, Kiera turns left and walks into a small alley. At the bottom of a weathered staircase spiraling up to the top of the building, was a midsize rusty metal door, barely noticeable.  She pushes through the door and goes inside.

An old workshop with bad lighting greeted her eyes, the space crowded with little trinkets and unknown tools hanging from the walls or spread out on the tables there. The shop owner, a goblin in disguise, looks up from his working desk at the end of the room as she walks forward to greet him. He had been expecting her. Taking a small pouch from the cabinet behind him, he walks around his desk and hands her the merchandise. Kiera took note of the dingy green and yellow surrounding the owner, and the darker grey surrounding his right foot.

“Ya know there’s no cure from this one don’t cha? A waste for the brain don’t cha think?” His croaky voice distracted Kiera from the item she just acquired.

“Oh don’t you worry about that. If I were you, I’d be more concerned about that pain in your right foot.” Kiera said, throwing a tinkling pouch on top of the counter.” He looked like he was about to answer back, but barely gruff as he pocketed the pouch.

Kiera steps back and starts to head out. Once outside, she took out a small pearl like object from the pouch and rested it on her palms, the smooth white surface glinting in the sun. She then placed it inside with the other objects in her pocket and heads out to her final destination.

*****

The quaint home was easy to locate. The small garden surrounding the house with washed out brick walls made it look unassuming, easy to miss. Which was probably why she had chosen this location. But her scent there was strong, she had been here for a long time.

Kiera noted the rose flowers and low branched trees surrounding the place. Some pixies were playing at the bushes, a magpie perched on one of the tree stares as she pushes the small wooden gate to the garden and steps inside. Just then, the door of the house opens and a girl steps outside, a small human child at her side, tugging at her white dress. She didn’t seem surprise to see her.

“He told me you were coming. He was a bit worried but I told him there was nothing to worry about.” The girl turns to the bird and smiles, one hand absent mindedly stroking the messy brown hair of the child next to her.

“Let’s talk.” Kiera said as she nods to the garden table at the front of the house.

*****

Kiera took out two glass vials from her pocket and holds it out for Lyla to take. “This is your punishment, should you wish to take it.” The teardrop shaped glass jars filled with swirling blue liquid had tiny oak branches braided around it in intricate designs. It was beautiful, fitting for whatever purpose of its existence.

As Lyla reaches out to take it, Kiera hardens her grips on the jars and stares at her. “You understand right? You can’t come home... ever.” Kiera said, looking into Lyla’s eyes for any emotion she might be feeling.

Lyla’s eyes soften at the look on Kiera’s face. “I understand, but… “, she turns around and watch her child playing in the garden, “This is my home now.” Kiera lets go of the glass jar, respecting her decision. She took out another object from her pocket and placed it on the table.

“What’s this?” Lyla asks, frowning upon the object.

“A gift… my last one to you.” Kiera replied. “You won’t remember us, and what you can’t remember, you won’t miss. I hope.”

Lyla sighs at the pearl, casting her eyes to the sky above. “I suppose... this will be kinder to my soul,” She then turns to Kiera, a soft smile on her face. “...but somehow I think I will still miss you.”.

Kiera turns away, crossing her legs as she looks at the child wobbling through the garden, chasing the pixies. “I’ll give you some time if you’d like… to, sort things out.”.

“That won’t be necessary, I’ve been preparing for it for a while. I knew they’d send you here… I’m ready.” She said.

Lyla first went to her child and fed him the liquid from one of the vials. She made sure he was alright, and when he started running through the garden again, went back to the table with Kiera and sat down. Lyla looked at Kiera, and with one final sigh, took the remaining glass vial and emptied out the content in one gulp, then took the pearl and consumed it as well.

She already knew what to expect, but Kiera’s heart still sinks as she saw a glazed look coming over Lyla’s expression, her eyes looking straight ahead but not really focusing on anything.

Slowly standing up from her seat, she pocketed the empty vials left on the table and took one last look at Lyla. “Goodbye sister, I’ll miss you.” She then turns and leave the garden, never turning back.

The glass vials, though empty now, felt heavier in her pocket than it was before.

*****

Lyla looks at the empty seat in front of her, trying to remember what she was doing before. It felt like she was forgetting something important. She can’t quite place it, but it felt as if she has been listening to a radio for a while when someone suddenly turns the volume off. It felt strange.

She looks at the pink and white rose bushes surrounding her small garden with a couple of bees swarming around it. It was her favorite thing about this place.

A magpie perched on top of a tree not far from where she was sitting caught her eyes. It seems to stare at her as it lets out a string of melodious chirps. She wonders if the little birdie will come if she puts out some seeds for him. After a while, the bird stops chirping, and with a flap of its tiny wings took off, its bluish feathers becoming a blur as it takes off into the sky.

For some time Lyla just sat there, trying to figure out what it was she had forgotten about. But then her child came to her side, grinning proudly as he places some leaves on her lap, a gift. Lyla picks him up, hugging him close to her as she breathes in the soapy scent of his soft hair. She sighs deeply and smiles, all other thoughts forgotten.