Pesky Pixie Problems

Another patch, right there on the bottom step of the living room stairs. Dust, like someone had blown off the tops of a particularly stagnant shelf of books. Not entirely ordinary, this dust had a particular shimmer to it. An iridescent shine much like an oil slick on the pavement; tints of blue green when viewed from one side, and yellow-ish purple when viewed from the other.

Laura knelt onto the ground, not that far a distance for a small child, and inspected further. The smallest of muddy footprints were right there, on the last few steps and rounding the corner, leading into the kitchen.

What kind of bug or animal would leave such a mess? She thought, standing to follow the trail. Skipping along, every few steps she paused to examine the footprints up close when she saw another segment of the trail.

A glimmer of shimmering color reflecting off the tiled floor told her which way to go once in the kitchen. Here there were more spattering’s of colorfully opalescent dust. Laura skipped her way to the center of the kitchen and paused. Looking around the room with curiosity, she tried to find where the next clue would be. She couldn’t put a finger on it, but something drew her in, something that wanted to be found.

That’s what it felt like, a game of hide and seek, but only Laura knew the game had started.

Almost imperceptible, another segment of muddy footprints led under the pantry doors. No larger than an inch in length each, the trail of half a dozen steps disappeared right under the door, and Laura tiptoed her way over. Ears pricked and at the ready, Laura pressed into the slats of the pantry door.

A small, reedy voice said, “You think pearls are my style?”

Laura’s mouth opened reflexively, and she covered it with both hands to stifle the gasp that threatened to expose her.

“Not these things,” a slightly deeper but equally wiry voice replied, “so big you could hardly carry the both of ‘em.”

“I could’a carried both of ‘em –

“You couldn’t carry the both of ‘em, that’s why I’m here ain’t it?”

A grunt and something clattered along the shelf. “Alright twinkle toes, and when we’re caught it’ll be your fault for those ‘signature’ footprints you insist on leaving behind us every time.”

“Every good mischief maker needs a calling card!” the other grumbled back.

“An I’d rather not be called on! Get in, get out, it’s that simple…” They were cut off by a snort.

“Get in, get out; you can’t even remember the crack we came through, can you? Unbelievable.”

“You know you, you’re too-too…that’s it, you’re too judgmental. Next time we take something it’s gonna be a ME and not a WE, you know?” the creature cackled.

Laura grabbed the handles and opened both sides of the bi-fold door simultaneously.

Two very tiny humanoid-shaped creatures turned to stare at her, shock and surprise evident on their overly large and round faces.

The taller one, skin the iridescent hue of a greenish-blue beetle, spoke from the corner of his mouth to his companion, “I think we’ve been found…”

“Yes,” the slightly shorter one said, staring at Laura with its large beady black eyes and leaning down to pick up an earring from the shelf he stood on, “I can see that.”

“I think it was your loud-mouth that got us caught…” it spoke from the corner of its lips again. The creature’s long pointed ears bounced with the small jerking movements of its head, glancing from Laura to its comrade and back.

Spying the teardrop pearl earring in the smaller critters hand, Laura looked to the other and found its mate clutched in his little hands.

“Those aren’t yours,” she accused, “those are my mommy’s.”

The taller of the two grimaced, “Oh brilliant, now the kids involved, great goin’ guy.” Behind him, translucent-rainbow wings fluttered with irritation, scattering all manner of glittering dust along the shelf.

Equal amounts of wonder and anger filled Laura. Here were these small and entirely unexpected creatures in her home, and they were stealing her mother’s jewelry, and she had caught them in the act. It rested on her to fix the situation.

Laura stomped her foot, arms stiff at her sides and yelled, “Give them back!”

Jons’ muffled laugh could be heard from upstairs, and she glared harder at the small pixie creatures in front of her. The mottled green-ish one, five inches to the others six, stuck its tongue out at her. The taller of the two shook his head and exaggerated a belly laugh at his friends’ antics, then jabbed a sideways thumb at the guy in a mocking gesture.

“Would you believe this, guy? She wants us to hand over the pearls, just like that.”

Laura’s face contorted further, her cheeks flushing red.

The shorter one sneered at her, “How’s about I hide ‘em? That way no one gets ‘em.” He laughed, “What a shame to ‘lose’ your earrings, on your anniversary no less.”

From the front of the house, the doorbell rang somewhere in the background. In a stern voice she gave the thieves a talking to, “I said, give-them-back. They’re not yours!”

Shorty gave a jaunty laugh, “Well they ain’t yours either toots, now are they?” he retorted.

Jonathan’s footsteps resounded down the hallway on his way to answer the doorbell.

The taller pixie, his skin a greenish-blue said, “Look, it’s a what’s in it for me scenario dolly.” His tiny and articulate fingers snapped a few times in front of her. “Look, sweets, I’ll take sugar cubes. This one makes a real bitter morning brew.”

The shorter pixie scoffed and Laura heard the click of the front door and the whoosh of the seal opening with it. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, “I really don’t know why you roll over so easy. I mean I’ll find you a sugar cube if that’s what you want.”

Growing impatient, Laura held out a hand. Urging them to cough up the earrings, she huffed angrily and demanded, “Hand them over!”

The slightly taller guy easily stepped forward to place the earring he had onto her palm. “I will uh,” he cleared his throat, eyes darting back and forth, “I will return to steal these if we do not get sugar cubes by midnight…”

Laura closed her palm to keep the first earring safe and brought the other hand up for the next earring.

“Oh you tell ‘em, friend.” The green-ish pixie said. “Is there anything else you’d like to divulge that’s as terrible as you apparently-not-enjoying-my-coffee-for-who-knows-how-many-years?!” He accused. Grudgingly he stepped forward and slapped the earring he held into Laura’s waiting palm.

Laura closed the fingers around the second earring.

Jon greeted the sitter at the door, and before Laura could hear Sally’s voice answer him, she set off, running out of the pantry and through the kitchen.

Rounding the corner she cried, “Mommy-mommy!”

Hitting the stairs Laura took them as fast as she could. When she reached the landing, she called out again, “Mommy!”

Halfway down the hall, Laura collided with a skateboard sticking out of Jon’s open door. Hands closed around each earring, Laura heard the clatter when the board flipped over, and her knees thumped to the ground. Grunting in frustration, Laura diligently got back to her feet. Keeping an eye on her hands to make sure her cargo remained safe, she called out, “Mommy! I got them back for you!”

Reaching the door, she smiled wide and knocked confidently on her parents’ bedroom door.

The door opened and Laura rushed in, coming to a halt just at the edge of a lush pool of rich purple fabric. With every movement the gown glittered and shone, reflecting a rainbow from thousands of little crystal gemstones embedded along the dress. Laura slowly took the sight of her mother in, eyes glittering along with it, wondering in awe at the sight before her.

* * * *

“Darling, I’m telling you, I haven’t the slightest clue where your earrings are…” Charles sensed his wife bristling in the silence after the words left his mouth and rushed to continue his sentiment before she became stern with him. “It would be a shame not to have located them before we leave for dinner. Have you checked the top of the dresser, my love?”

Agatha rolled her eyes closed and pinched the bridge of her nose, huffing impatiently, “Yes, Charles. I’ve looked in the place they are supposed to be kept, and I’ve looked on the bathroom counter, they’re not on the kitchen table, I’ve checked under the dresser, and YES,” she said, voice rising, “I’ve checked in the top drawer, and I’ve ruffled the clothes about in my attempts.”

Charles glanced down at the bathroom sink, then back up to the mirror, fingers manipulating the royal purple tie into a tight double Windsor knot. He heard the telltale sound of their creaky wooden bed frame from the next room and sighed, pulling the knot up to sit at the center of his throat. “Mayhaps we pivot my love, go for the amethysts instead of the pearls.” He suggested. “It matches my tie and accents; we’ll look splendid together.” Charles gave himself another once over, turning from right to left before the mirror. Pushing his glasses up, he flipped the light and then stepped out of the bathroom.

“The point was to match your accents and tie with my dress, Charles. It would be less appealing if I pair this full length, shimmering, eggplant-purple silhouette with more purple accents.”

Agatha stared at herself in the small mirror atop her dresser and frowned at her so-far unadorned ears. Tugging at a few strands of hair, she freed several curls, pulling them down to frame her face. She shrugged in resignation and said, “The teardrop pearls would have just…worked.”

Charles slid his fingers into the hand resting on her lap and raised the back of her palm to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her skin. “Is it not enough that I think you look ravishing?” His other hand rose to fiddle with the pearl bracelet she wore, before moving to the carved pearl necklace that lay nestled amongst her ample cleavage.

She frowned at him, “I know, I know…but we only get to go out once a month, I shouldn’t be taking this so seriously. I just want to…I just wanted to be –“

“You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met in my life Agatha Collins,” Charles said, “and whether we find those pearls in the next five minutes or not won’t change my feelings for you.”

She smiled, eyes twinkling, and fought against rogue tears that suddenly threatened to well up. “I suppose I should pull out the amethysts then, shall I?”

Distantly their daughters voice could be heard, then their son laughing. The doorbell rang and heavy footsteps followed, thundering down the hallway and around the bend in the stairs. The front door clicked open, and Jonathan greeted the sitter loudly.

“That would be Sally.” Charles said, pulling his wife gently into a standing position, hand still in her own.

The frantic voice of her youngest called out from downstairs, “Mommy-mommy!”

Agatha leaned in to kiss the corner of Charles’ mouth, then rubbed the small smudge of lipstick off that she had been trying to avoid leaving in the first place. “We should go see that they closed the door, so the cat doesn’t get out.”

Charles eyed his wife and smiled, “Let’s hope that’s not Laura come to tattle on Jon for letting the damned creature slip out as we speak, mm?”

Much closer now, the small voice called out again, “Mommy!”

A clattering noise and a thump from just outside in the hallway, a frustrated grunt, and then Laura had gotten back on her feet again. “Mommy! I got them back for you!” She stopped to rap on the door with her knuckles, panting and triumphant with both fists closed.

Charles strode to the door and opened it. Laura wasted no time running to her mother, avoiding stepping on the hem of her floor-length dress, and gaped up at her, all previous thoughts gone. “You-you’re so pretty…” she mumbled in awe.

Agatha beamed at her child and went to lift her into a hug, but her daughter’s face scrunched up and she held both tightly closed fists towards her mother. “I got them back.” She repeated confidently.

“What is it, Laura?” Her father asked, peering to see what she held in her tiny hands.

Laura explained, tone serious, “They wanted to be nasty, but I told them it wasn’t fair to take things that aren’t theirs.”

Perplexed, Agatha glanced at her husband. He shook his head at her and mouthed silently, ‘I-don’t-know.’

“Well,” her mother said, “let’s see what you’ve got then…”

Right there in each palm, Laura clung tightly to both of Agatha’s teardrop pearl earrings.

Laura smiled at her mom, pleased, “They wanted to have a laugh, they said it would be funny to hide them until you got back.”

Charles frowned and knelt to meet their daughters gaze, asking, “Did you take these?”

Laura stomped her foot in frustration and said, “No. I got them back for you,” before offering them to her mother again.

Agatha, surprised, took the earrings and thanked her daughter, putting them on dutifully.

Eyes wide, Charles shrugged at his wife, looking down at the back of Laura’s head and then up to his wife once more. “What a stroke of luck,” he said finally, “I guess it was meant to be.”

Agatha tucked her dress and sat down on the edge of the bed again, watching her daughter. Reaching out to tuck a stray lock of her daughter’s hair behind her ear, she asked, “Are you alright my dear? Do you not want us to leave, should we stay in tonight?”

“No.” Laura said, voice stern, “I know it’s your andi-versary. They said that’s important. You have to go out. Toniiiight.”

Agatha lifted an eyebrow questioningly and mouthed, ‘who’s they?’ to her husband.

Shaking his head in response, Charles glanced at his watch and let out a whistle. “Time to head out love, if we’re to make our dinner reservations before the show.”

Not entirely convinced, Agatha considered her daughter for a moment longer, “Are you sure you’re okay Laura? You can say if somethings wrong and we’ll send Sally home.” Almost speaking to herself as an afterthought she mumbled, “I’m sure we could get her to reschedule if necessary…”

“No!” Laura insisted. “You have to go, it’s important, I know it is!”

Agatha felt conflicted, but after a glance at her husband she cleared her throat and ‘okayed’ her daughter’s demands.

Once they were downstairs, they hastily said their goodbyes to Jonathan, Laura, and Sally.

Gathering her purse and keys, Agatha spoke absently “Heather’s away at softball camp, Charlie is just down the road at his classmate’s sleepover, and there’s several meals to reheat if you get hungry –“

“I know the drill, Mrs. Collins.” Sally interrupted, knowingly.

Charles nodded and pushed his glasses up. “As per usual, she’s written a note with all of the information you should need,” he reassured, “and then some.”

Finally out of the house, Charles helped his wife into the passenger side of their old faded grey BMW. Kissing her knuckles, he checked her skirts were tucked in and gently closed the door before walking around to take his seat on the driver’s side.

After a few blocks Agatha asked, “What do you suppose that was all about?”

“I don’t know,” Charles replied earnestly, “do you think she took them to begin with?”

“I’ve never seen her play with any of my things like that before without asking, especially my jewelry. You know she can’t possibly reach the top of that dresser to begin with.” She specifically said she had, ‘gotten them back’…

“Do you think Jon grabbed them for some reason?” Charles tried reasoning.

Agatha sighed and rested her head back against the seat, head tilting to look out her window. “Well, he can reach the dresser, but what reason would he have to get into my jewelry?” She scoffed, “If anything, Charlie would be the one trying to rummage for a gift to impress his girlfriend.”

Charles mumbled his assent and continued driving, both ruminating in the silence.