The Art of Fairy Doors

Not caring about the looks she got in her bright rainbow-colored outfit, Suzie beamed as she skipped through downtown like a five-year-old, dropping flower petals in her wake.

She didn’t care if people stared; this was Ann Arbor where you see strange people on the streets all the time. A progressive college town with a strong art community, Suzie fell in love with it when she moved here to go to school, and never left. It was her kind of town, where she could be free from the small town BS she came from and be the artist she wanted to be. It was a very diverse town and she loved exploring all the real and unreal about the people and their different cultures. 

She had picked a few wild jonquils from her side yard without caring what the neighbor might say, then hurried on so she could get back home to work on the piece she recently started. It was a clear spring morning so she would have perfect sunlight streaming through the windows when she got home from the cafe.

“Excuse me miss. Spare some change.” the panhandler sitting on the corner looked up, hoping to be seen.

“Sure,” Suzie smiled, dug in her pocket, and handed him the few quarters she had. Adding a flower as a gift, she smiled, “have a fairy nice day.”

He looked at her oddly. She realized she’d said ‘fairy nice’. What possessed her to say that? 

“And they say we people living on the streets is crazy,” mumbled the scruffy old man.

Suzie continued down Main Street, strolling along lost in her own world. With a grin on her face, she started skipping again.

Buzz, buzz.

She swatted at the bee buzzing in her ear. 

“Skipping...Skipping...” the buzzing turned into a song.

Turning to swat again she saw the wing as it swooped down and disappeared. That was no bee wing! 

“What the hell?” Suzie’s eyes narrowed as she looked down and noticed the fairy door. She remembered her friend, Jen, telling her about them but she’d never seen one before. She wasn’t even sure she believed in them. 

Apparently, they weren’t always visible.

The tiny door was no more than five or six inches high and was cracked open.

Suzie rubbed her eyes. It was early yet and she really hadn’t gotten enough sleep. That had to be why she imagined the ginormous wings disappear into the tiny door.

Stepping into Sweetwaters, Suzie ordered herself a strong green tea and splurged on a pastry. What the heck, she deserved a treat on her day off from the art gallery. She loved her job, but it was exhausting keeping rich people happy all day.

Adding some lemon and sweetener to her tea she turned to head out the door, her thoughts on her latest art piece; she hoped it would be good enough for the exhibit next month.

Buzzzzzz

“What the…” it was back. The NOT bee.

Swinging around and swatting at the air she thought she clipped something or someone. She was acting weird. People really would start staring. She realized she’d brushed the sleeve of a passerby, said “sorry,” and continued heading north toward her apartment. She wanted to get to work on her painting.

“Other way, other way,” the buzz was back.

“No, I’m not listening to something that’s not there.” Not sure why she said it out loud.

“I’m here alright. What makes you think I’m not?” The tiny creature fluttered in front of Suzie’s face. It looked like Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, only with huge wings that were as long as the body of the creature that was maybe four inches from head to toe.

“Why is this happening? I’m a perfectly sane person. A lot saner than most of my artist friends.” Seeing an empty bench in a small corner park, Suzie headed to it and sat down, feeling like she was in a daze. Was she dreaming? Did she actually get out of bed this morning, or was she still asleep?

The fairy fluttered in front of her for a moment then gracefully lowered itself onto the bench next to Suzie. Crossing its legs and carefully spreading the wings, it rested its chin on its hand and pondered, “now why would a perfectly wonderful artist who is budding with success question her sanity? Is that an artist’s thing?

“Hi, I’m Katera, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Um...Suzie.”

“Hiya, Suzie. I’m so glad to meet you. I thought you were a kid at first so I came out to talk to you. Then I got scared when I realized the bright colors skipping down the walk were a grown-up. But once you stopped and I looked at you, I knew.”

Katera started whistling. Swinger her leg and smiling, as if she was enjoying a usual morning visit in the park.

“Knew what?” Suzie could understand how Katera could mistake her for a kid, she’d barely made it to four feet ten inches before she stopped growing.

“Knew you were still a child at heart. Not a lot of you exist anymore, but we fairies are thankful there are a few or we wouldn’t have our fairy doors.

“I’m actually a flower fairy but I got trapped and ended up becoming an urban fairy, not a lot of difference just a different play and work area.”

“Work? What kind of work do fairies do?” She was so lost in what Katera was saying she forgot how absurd it was to be talking to a fairy. She couldn’t take her eyes off the creature. It seemed to continually buzz, even when talking.

“Oh, all sorts, including rescue missions which is why I had to find a fairy-friendly human today. That’s why I buzzed you. I need human help, and, well, I thought you were a kid. They’re the ones that usually help fairies.” Katera beamed at Suzie as if she were a grand prize. 

“It’s hard. The children only come out with the big people and I’m terribly afraid of the big people. But you’re a big people and I’m not afraid of you. How come?”

“How would I know?” Starting to get annoyed with a conversation that didn’t make any sense, Suzie shook her head as if clearing cobwebs; banging her palm against the side of her head like she was clearing water from her ears. This wasn’t happening. She needed to get on with her day.

She stood to leave, “look little...um, fairy, I really want to stay and chat but I have work of my own to get done.”

“I know, I know. I heard you thinking about it when I was in your ear.”

“You what?” that really freaked Suzie out. Maybe she was going crazy.

“Nevermind that, you have to help me get to the other door, then you can get to your sunlit window.”

Suzie frowned down at Katera then turned to go home. Whatever was happening to her she wasn’t going to stay here and talk to a fairy that probably didn’t exist.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

“Go away,” Suzie wanted to plug her ears and close her eyes, but if she was really awake and walking she would likely trip.

“I can’t. I can’t.” The buzzing turned into words again.

“Why are you pestering me?”

“All I need you to do is take me to the theater fairy door. Then you can get about your business. Please!” 

The plea was so desperate Suzie couldn’t bring herself to swat at the bug-like thing as she had intended.

“Please, Suzie. It shouldn’t take but a minute and I desperately need to see my best friend, Prani. She moved to the theater for a job and doesn’t know her family has come looking for her. You see, she was originally a tree fairy - like I used to be a flower fairy - and told me she was certain her family would come looking for her after she’d been sucked into the urban doors. But this is very difficult…”

“Wait!” Suzie held up her hand to stop the fast-talking fairy. “Fine. If I’m going to take you let’s get going. I’m losing a beautiful day of sunlight. Do you mean the Michigan Theater? That’s the only one I know of downtown.”

“Yes, yes, that is where Prani’s door is. I’m told it is not far, but I do not know the way.” Katera sounded so anxious, Suzie’s heart melted. 

“Okay, okay. It’s only about a five-minute walk. Let’s get going.” Suzie scooped up Katera and dropped her in the biggest pocket of her colorful cargo pants.

“Hey!” shouted the ruffled fairy as she climbed up to hang out of the pocket. “Be gentle. We fairies are delicate.”

Katera was grinning so Suzie laughed and said sorry.

It was early yet, not many people out at 7:30 on a Sunday morning, so Suzie took her time deciding to enjoy her pastry and tea while she walked.

“So,” shouted Katera hanging from the baggy pocket, “as I was saying, Prani got trapped here, like me. She told me she has a big family that is very protective and she swore they would come after her, but that is very hard - I don’t know of anyone who has been able to choose to change doors, it just happens.”

Feeling sorry for Katera, who was shouting to be heard from her pocket, Suzie scooped the fairy up and set her on her shoulder. The streets were quiet enough, and she figured most adults were unable to see the fairies because they are so focused on their own lives.

“Phew, thanks. So, anyway, we can’t choose to go somewhere different, but often we get pulled somewhere if there’s like a need for us or something. Of course, that usually only happens within a clan of doors; wood fairies, flower fairies, urban fairies...we usually stay with our own fairies. Prani and I are the only urban fairies I know of that came from the outside, another place of fairy doors. That’s why we became such great chums. I cried myself to sleep when they called her over to theater door. She’s my closest friend at cafe door and I knew there was a chance I would never see her again.”

“Oh, so Prani is a girl?”

“Of course she is, silly. I’m a girl fairy too. Can’t you tell?”

“Um, no. Not really.”

“Well that isn’t really a bad thing, you know. That means you keep an open mind. Great talent for an artist.”

“How do you know I’m an artist?”

“I told you; I heard you thinking about your painting.”

“That’s ridiculous. You can’t hear my thoughts.”

“Some fairies can and I’m one of them.” Katera grinned mischievously.

“Lucky me. Look we’re almost there. Will you be okay? Can you find your way back?” Suzie wasn’t sure why she was concerned for the fairy that she still wasn’t convinced was real.

“Oh, I’ll be fine. I just have to find Prani and get her a message that her family is here. I don’t know if they have a way to get back to their woodland doors, but I have to bring Prani back to cafe in case they do. But I kind of hope they don’t because then my best friend will leave again.”

Since Katera was on her shoulder now, Suzie could see the tiny tears in her eyes. Her heart melted even more.

“If they do, I will be your best friend,” declared Suzie.

“Ohhhh, Suzie. That is so nice!” Katera’s arms wrapped around a clump of Suzie’s long brown hair and hugged it like she was hugging a friend.

“I like talking to you and I don’t want you to be sad.” Not sure why, but Suzie knew deep down that she meant it. “So how will you get back once you’ve found Prani?”

“Oh, that’s easy. My new best friend is coming to get us!” Katera burst out laughing at the look on Suzie’s face. “You didn’t realize you were doing that later today, did you?”

“Um, not that I remember promising.” How was this tiny creature taking over her life so quickly?

“Well, that’s fine. You’ll come. Once your perfect light is gone, I know you will carry Prani and me back to the cafe door.”

Bewildered, Suzie lowered Katera to the tiny door in front of the Michigan Theater, “I don’t know why, but I’m happy to help. I’ll be back here after lunch. Sound good.”

“Perfect,” shouted Katera as she slipped into the fairy door.

It was one of her most treasured friendships. Suzie met Katera every Saturday morning for tea and gossip. She learned all about the fairies and consoled her new friend when Prani’s family took her back to the woodlands. 

Every week there was a new story of adventure from the world of urban fairies and Suzie found it fascinating. Her newest painting, Fairy Light, was on display in the gallery and was one of her favorites.

Author’s note:

I grew up in Ann Arbor and learned about the fairy doors when I was working on Main Street in the early 2000s (yes, they do exist). The mystery and mysticism that have grown over the years about these doors can be inspiring to the imagination and lead to lots of story ideas for a writer. At least they do for me!

If you would like to learn more about the fairy doors in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA visit this site: Urban Fairies [urban-fairies.com].

Sweetwater’s Michigan Theater

Fairy Door   Fairy Door