Hugh's Adventure

Once upon a time, a little boy was walking down the street. The sun was shining and the heat radiating off the cement sidewalk was making him sweat. He was getting so hot, he knew he needed a drink, and he needed a drink right then. The only problem was, the little boy was lost. He’d gone too far when he chased his ball and couldn’t find his way home. The other thing you have to know is that this boy is curious. Some would say the most curious boy in the whole wide world. 

So this boy, sweaty, thirsty, and curious, needed to make a decision. It was right at that moment that a dark, sleek cat traipsed across his path. The kitten wound around his legs, rubbing and purring as he went. The little boy went to scoop up the friendly feline, but the cat stepped just out of reach. The little boy took a step closer, but the cat stepped away again. 

Now, this little game went on for quite a while, until the sun went down behind the trees and the cat began to melt into the shadows. Somewhere in the boy's mind, he knew he was too far from home, but the game was too fun and the cat was too sweet to leave behind. 

The cat continued to where the sidewalk stopped and the forest began. The little boy was always told not to go to this place. ‘The fairies live in the forest, and come out after dark,’ his mother warned him. But surely the cat would keep him safe?

These thoughts tucked themselves cozily into the small corner where 'thirsty' and 'lost' had made a home. 

Trees now surrounded the young boy. They were all he could see, except for the cat, although that was getting harder and harder.

“Kitty! Please don’t go too far! I can’t see you!”

The forest was too cold and quiet, and his voice was too loud. The small thoughts became big again. His mouth was very dry, and he was very thirsty. It had become so dark, he couldn’t see his small hand in front of his face, and, he realized with a shock, he couldn’t see the cat at all. 

“Hello! Kitty!” He called, his voice wobbly. He didn’t want to cry. He usually only saved that for mommy’s arms. Oh, mommy’s hugs! He missed them terribly. 

Only a moment from being swallowed up by his feelings, he heard something that snapped him back out of it. There was a thumping on the ground like… like… drums? No, not drums. He strained to listen closer. 

Hooves.

He heard the whinny of a horse and started to run, but his body was cold and wouldn’t move like it ought to. 

“Help!” He called into the dark night. “Anyone! Please hel-“

The rest of his cry was cut off when a hand reached down and grabbed his neck. The little boy was lifted no harder than a sack of potatoes and plopped down rudely onto a fast-moving horse.

“Let me go!” He screamed. At least, it felt like he screamed. The wind ate his words greedily as he rode through the night.

It was then he knew that he would not go home. He would not see Mommy or Papa. Tears started to run down his face, but the sharp wind gobbled those up too, as soon as they fell. 

By the time the horses stopped, the wind had lost its bitter chill, and the little boy knew the sun would come soon. He could always feel it when the sun was coming. He felt it in his bones, he’d tell his Mommy. She’d tell him it was because she fed him sunshine every day for breakfast when he was a baby.

He tried not to think of Mommy again, not now. The men were getting off their horses and they made him feel too small. He must make himself look big, he thought. 

The leader, or so it felt like, got on one knee in front of him. The little boy thought he’d be angry, or rude, but his face seemed kind, and he had the prettiest hair he’d ever seen. Even prettier than his friend Sarah, who had the longest, shiniest hair in class. She was always making a fuss about it. But this man didn’t seem to be the type to fuss about his hair. 

Curious, as he was always prone to be, the little boy reached out his hand and felt the long black curtain that hung by the man’s face.

“Do you like it, your highness?”

‘Your Highness'. What an odd thing to say, he thought as he ran the ends of it through his fingers. When he looked up, he saw the ears of the man poking through. They were sharp, like a piece of cake, which sounded lovely right now.

“Why are your ears like that?” He asked. He knew better, but he was cold and tired and mommy wasn’t here to scold him.

“I’m a faery, just like you little one. Now let's get you home.”

“Home? You’ll really take me home? To mommy?”

The words got choked in his small throat. He knew these people were kind. They’d help him find his way back.

The members of their party were quiet as the long-haired one lifted the small boy and held him against his chest.

“Now close your eyes, dear one. This part can be scary.” He whispered in the little boy’s ear with a tone that made him shut his eyes as tight as he felt able. 

He held them so tight, he must have looked funny. The leader laughed when he told him he could open his eyes again.

“We’re here.” He said, putting the little boy back on his feet. Only, they weren’t ‘here’. ‘Here’ would have been a small white house with blue shutters and d swing in the front yard, and preferably Mommy standing at the door with the biggest glass of water he’d ever seen.

Instead, the little boy faced a castle, like the ones in the storybooks he read. It was tall and gray and the front door looked like a mouth ready to eat him.

“Where are we?” He asked, tugging on the man’s sleeve.

“Home.”

“This is not my home.” 

The man looked down at the little boy with what he could only describe as sadness. Why was he sad? He was only telling the truth, and he knew telling the truth was very important.

“Come along now. There’s someone who needs to speak to you.”

The little boy looked over his shoulder before he followed. Three men, even bigger than the one with long hair, were standing behind him. They made him feel safe, and somehow scared, at the same time.

The little boy couldn’t walk very fast, but the pointy-eared man was very patient. He even held out his hand to help the little boy up the stairs. He was very good at the stairs, but these ones were bumpy and unfamiliar and his feet were very tired from all the walking and riding. 

It was very quiet. He could hear his shoes squeak on the floor as he went past doors and windows of every shape and size. There were also funny pictures on the wall. He wanted to stop and look at each one, but he didn’t want to make the man run out of his patience. 

The little boy had just spotted a colorful picture with unicorns and was itching to see it up close when they stopped in front of a door. The man knelt again so he could see the little boy right in his eyes. 

“I’ll be right back. Why don’t you look around while you wait? Grendalt and his friends will watch over you.”

The little boy looked at the men behind him, still unsure. The man saw this and laughed again.

“They’re friendly, I promise. And if they give you a hard time, tell them they’ll have to answer to me.”

“Who are you?” The little boy asked. He wanted to ask his name but forgot how that was said, but thankfully the man understood.

“I am Leopold, but you can call me Leo. What can I call you?”

“My name is Matthew, but my friends call me Hugh.”

“Alright, Hugh. I like it. Now don’t beat up my men too badly, alright?”

Little Hugh gave the man a dimpled smile before he slipped quietly through the door.

“Do you want to look at the tapestries, Master Hugh?”

The deep voice high above him made him jump out of his skin and he couldn’t help the little wobble in his chin.

“I- I’m sorry little prince! I did not mean to scare you! Here, take this!”

The giant held out one massive hand the size of Hugh's head and opened it to reveal a little sweet, just like the ones his grandma kept in a crystal jar. 

“Please, take it.” He said, quieter this time.

Hugh reached out a small hand and grabbed the little sweet. His mommy always said to never take things from strangers, but these people didn't feel strange. The temptation became too great when he felt a little ache in his belly. The raspberry flavor was somehow better than he remembered and he decided right there that Grendalt could be his friend.

“Thank you.” His voice croaked out around the melting ball in his mouth. His throat was still very dry. “May I have some water?”

The three guards didn’t have time to respond before the sound of great flapping filled the hall. 

A large eagle, the biggest bird Hugh had ever seen, flew straight at them, swooping up to miss them at the last minute. It delivered a graceful loop before landing in front of the little boy. When the boy realized the giant men were calm, and not trying to save him from this ferocious beast, he allowed himself to relax too. 

That was when he saw something in the eagle’s beak. The object swung right at Hugh’s feet with only a bob of the bird's head.

Hugh looked down to see a pouch with a lid.

“It’s water.” The shortest of the guards pointed out. 

Hugh picked it up and, much like his bottles at home, screwed off the lid and drank.

“How did he know to bring it?” Hugh asked between gulps.

“He’s a messenger bird, raised to protect you. Anything you ask for, they will try to grant it.”

Hugh looked doubtful. He once tried to take in a small pigeon who’d broken his wing. The only reward from that endeavor was a pecked finger and bird poop in his hair. His eyes got wide when he thought about how big these birds' poops would be.

The sound of heavy wood creaking open must have signaled the bird that it was time to leave. With only one flap of his big wings, he was gone.

“Hugh, we’re ready for you.” 

Hugh followed Lio into the large room. It had columns all around that looked like two ice cream cones stacked one end to the other, but where the ice cream would be was only floor and ceiling.

“Welcome home!” A sweet voice said, and it almost sounded like…

“Momma!” Hugh called, and ran towards the beautiful woman kneeling far ahead of him.

She captured him in her arms and held him tight. 

“I’m so glad you’re home. I’ve missed you.” 

Hugh felt her words more than he heard them because his face was buried in her hair.

“Momma, I got so lost and cold, and then these men picked me up and they brought me here! I missed you so much! Momma, I was so thirsty and a bird brought me-“

“Mrs. Walter’s? It’s time for your medicine.”

The door creaked open into the sparse room.

“Not now!” Mrs. Walters screeched to the large orderly. “He’s finally home!”

She rocked back and forth, trying to recall the last moments of the story.

“The bird brought him water. The bird brought him water and then… and then…”

She rocked faster trying to remember what came next.

“Mrs. Walters,” the orderly spoke as if trying to calm a wild animal, “It is just a story. Remember where you are. You’re at Leopold Healing Center. Remember?”

“But Hugh, he just got back. He was in my arms. I have to remember!”

“Please take these, they’ll help you remember.”

The orderly's nametag flashed in the fluorescent light as he tipped a small cup full of pills into her shaking hand. With a robotic motion, she brought her hand to her mouth and swallowed.

"Grendalt?"

"Yes, Mrs. Walters. That's my name."

“Water.” She said, starting to cry.

“Here, here’s water.”

The orderly held out a different cup for her to take.

“No, no, the bird brought Hugh water. That’s what I need to remember.”

“No one needs to bring Hugh water, Mrs. Walters. You need to remember. Hugh didn’t come home. He’s got lost in the woods last year. You must remember.”

The orderly’s words crashed around Mrs. Walters and she was swept up by her grief.

“No! No! He’s coming! He’s waiting for me under the hill! He’s a changeling. I need to meet him there!”

The orderly braced himself for the frail woman to try to escape, but it was too late. The pills had done their job and she became quiet again. As the orderly went to leave, ready to help another patient, he heard the story start over again.

“Once upon a time, a little boy was walking down the street..."