A Hidden Kindness

Friday March the 15^th dawned cloudy and gloomy; kind of appropriate weather for attending a funeral. No rain had been forecast, so that might be considered a plus. Pandora knew her brother Leonard wouldn’t be up for at least another half an hour; she often relished quiet moments by herself.

She didn’t have any trouble getting to sleep the night before. This undisturbed slumber was something of a surprise to her, given the circumstances. Once more she had awakened to another day. “I feel alive.” Which was more than she could say for her parents…

About a month ago, Mr. and Mrs. Michelson were unlucky enough to be on Gladstone Bridge, which collapsed without warning. Forty people perished; fifteen managed to escape with only minor injuries and pulled through. The cause of the accident was found to be a slight weakening in the structure.

Those who worked on the bridge, had become aware of the potential danger, and brought it to their bosses’ attention. But they were unwilling to spend more money at that moment in time, convinced that the bridge would be fine for a little while longer. A disaster was inevitable…

 After her shower, she found black pants and a short-sleeved V-neck top, pairing them with black socks and a black button up jacket. She applied a minimal amount of makeup and slipped her feet into her favorite boots. In the kitchen, as she switched the kettle on to boil for coffee, Pandora heard footsteps and the bathroom door shut. She got out another cup. She sat down at the dining table, wondering if she should have some breakfast. Leonard came in. He was wearing a suit, but as usual struggled with his tie. She expertly knotted it for him. “Thanks.” “Any time, bro.”

The funeral took place at the only church in Gladstone. The cemetery was on the premises too. Aunt Lauren held Pandora’s hand when the priest began to speak. His calm and soothing voice made it easier to listen to his words, rather than try to block them out. It wasn’t nearly as depressing as Pandora thought it would be. In fact, she felt touched that so many came to say goodbye to Valerie and Stuart Michelson.

She stood beside Leonard while the double white wooden coffins were being lowered into the ground. Her brother was trembling ever so slightly. She held onto his arm and squeezed it. He gave her a grateful, if somewhat weak smile. She threw in a handful of dirt and two roses, then turned away.

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The brother and sister eventually began to deal with the pain of losing their parents, although some days were more difficult than others. Pandora graduated from high school and got a job at the library. Leonard worked as a forklift driver. He was out at all hours, so his sister was often left alone in the house. But the neighbors were nice and would be there if Pandora needed help with something. He always checked in with her and she never forgot to answer her phone.

Little did either of them realize that she also had some tiny guardians, living in amongst the tall rose tree in the middle of her mother’s much-loved garden. When she was a child, Pandora used to believe in fairies. Sometimes she swore she could see them, although they kept their distance. Peering outside of her bedroom window at night, she also caught sight of glow in the dark wings that she was sure were not fireflies.

Valerie had planted various kinds of flowers, which attracted bees and other insects which helped maintain the healthiness of the garden. Pandora grew older and her memories of the magical winged creatures faded. They on the other hand, always remembered and were grateful to the kind little girl who made them a home.

One fairy family had taken up permanent residence in the birdhouse Pandora and her mother had repurposed. Each day Marianna, the youngest fairy, entered the Michelson house unseen, for a closer watch on Pandora. Sometimes she considered throwing off her protective shawl to reveal herself and say hello to the girl. She might even be able to call her a friend someday.

Nobody within her family would be upset with Marianna if she did this; it wasn’t forbidden in any way to show a human you existed. But most fairies would rather avoid detection.

She had woven an invisible dreamcatcher using her own long silvery hair, that now hung above Pandora’s bed. She’d almost completed one for Leonard as well. She thought the Michelson siblings deserved to have many a good night’s sleep. Unlike the catchers you could buy in stores, these creations really did stop bad dreams from reaching you and made them disappear.

Marianna also enchanted a silver mirror on Pandora’s desk; you could ask to see anything that has already happened and get a full picture of the event. The future was more unpredictable, therefore harder to envision, but it was possible, with the right concentration. The fairy had a sense that the mirror would come in handy.

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A Few Years Later…

When Pandora did venture out from home, The White Garden Café’ was a regular spot for her. She loved the berry and white chocolate muffins, plus the delicious, iced mochas. Sandiford Park, where she currently sat on a bench, was a useful second option, whenever she had trouble finding inspiration for her writing.

She had fun making up things in her head about the other people who were walking along the stone pathways amongst the trees and well-manicured green grassy areas. Some of them had dogs. Majority of her better story ideas got written down in a glittery notebook; Pandora rarely let it out of her sight.

Her phone buzzed; it was a text. Her face lit up when she saw Aiden had sent her a message: Hey, I have a surprise for you, once we’re done with dinner tonight. I know you’re not keen on surprises, but this is one I guarantee you will love. He was probably right. She sighed and typed her response: If you say so. He came back with: Trust me. I’ll drop by at around six thirty.

She sent him a thumbs up and a heart. Then she put her phone in her pocket and stood up to leave. She was eager to get going; a spark of inspiration for her novel had indeed come to her and now she could continue her book, to bring it ever closer towards the finish line. A local publisher who had known her father was showing interest. She looked forward to presenting him with a complete manuscript.

 While driving, she thought about her boyfriend of three years. Aiden Gallagher was a photographer. He was working on a gallery display which would be open to the public in about six weeks. He enjoyed what he did for a living, and it had finally started to pay off. She was so proud of him. The couple first crossed paths at a party celebrating the New Year, close to seven months after her parents’ accident.

It was like one of those moments in a movie when the characters locked eyes from across the room. He totally swept her off her feet. Their romance blossomed into a committed relationship. Neither was in a hurry to marry or have children, despite family pressure and comments from mutual friends. Sometimes, she and Aiden went to a few of the local restaurants for dinner. However, both agreed that they would just be staying in tonight.

She heard three sharp knocks on the door. Pandora opened it to reveal Aiden, staring at her in that way which always made her heart skip a beat. She accepted his kiss and couldn’t help smiling when they parted for air. Over a homecooked meal of steak, roast potatoes and onion gravy, Pandora knew Aiden had something on his mind.

“Okay, so what’s going on in that head of yours?” “What would you say if I asked you to move in with me?” “Are you serious?” “Why not? My parents bought me the apartment so there’s no need to worry about rent and there’s plenty of room for your stuff.” She almost said yes straight away. But it was rather a big step; she had never lived anywhere else before. “Can I think it over?” Fortunately, Aiden understood her hesitation. “Of course.”

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 A few days later, Pandora told Leonard that she was going to move out. Her brother wasn’t all that surprised; he liked Aiden and knew he’d look after Pandora. She had been so immersed in her novel and sorting through her things, she did not even realize at first that she hadn’t heard from Aiden.

She thought it was possible that her boyfriend had gotten caught up in his photography project; it was important to him. But at the expense of cutting everyone off? It didn’t make any sense. Aiden wasn’t the sort of person to ignore his phone like this.

Pandora dialed his mother’s number. If anyone knew where he might be it would be her. “Hello?” “Christine? It’s me. Sorry for calling you at this hour.” The clock had just ticked over to midnight. “It’s fine Pandora. I was having trouble sleeping tonight anyway. Now, what can I do for you?”

“Have you heard from your son? I can’t seem to reach him.” “I saw him on Sunday morning, and he promised to call me during the week like always. But so far, he hasn’t.” “Do we need to be worried?” “Maybe I could drop by his studio.” “That was going to be my next move. I’ll meet you there.”

Christine was waiting for her, looking just as concerned as she did. Her face was white as a sheet. She stepped aside to allow Pandora access to the front door. “I have a key.” “Great, I had hoped that would be the case, I’m uneasy with the idea of breaking and entering.” The door swung open without a hitch. Nothing appeared to be missing or had been moved from its original place. They could see Aiden had already framed a bunch of beautiful pictures. But there was no sign of the man himself.

The Next Day…

Christine ended up staying with Pandora, both of them worried about her son. They ate breakfast and lunch, but without much enthusiasm. And still there were no calls or messages from Aiden. Leonard did phone to find out if anything had happened. “Are you guys alright? I can finish work in an hour.” Pandora appreciated her brother’s genuine concern. “We’re coping. It would be nice to have you here though.” “I’ll have a word with my boss.” “Thanks bro.” “Sure thing, little sister.”

  Leonard brought home Chinese food and decided an early night for him, (for a change,) was a good idea. At eight o’clock in the evening, Pandora decided she couldn’t take the radio silence any longer. “That’s it. I’m calling the police. He is definitely in some kind of trouble.” A voice that seemed to come from a vase of pretty white roses piped up. “I know what happened to your boyfriend.”

The tiny figure flew into the lounge room, landing lightly on the coffee table. She had delicate wings and wore a pale blue tunic with leggings and a belt. Her skin glowed, she had silver white hair and gold eyes. She was no bigger than a child’s finger. Christine’s expression of disbelief made the fairy laugh.

“It’s okay, you’re not hallucinating. My name is Marianna.” Pandora was staring too, managing a slight grin. “So, you are real.” “Yep.” “I always hoped that you weren’t a figment of my imagination when I was a kid.” The fairy smiled back at the young human, but there was a hint of sadness in her face. “Can we go upstairs to your room? You need that silver mirror which used to belong to your mother Valerie.” “Why?” “Come on, I’ll show you.”

The women followed the fairy into Pandora’s bedroom. Marianna levitated the mirror and placed it between the two of them. “Tell this mirror what you want to see. I do not lie, especially to people that I like. Bear in mind though, what you witness is not something you can change.”

With Aiden’s mother sitting next to her, Pandora asked the question that had been on the tip of her tongue all along. “Where is Aiden Gallagher?” Her reflection disappeared, replaced by a familiar looking figure. She realized when this must have been; about three or four days ago, the last time she saw him. He’d left her house and began walking along the empty streets without a care in the world, which was something that he did every now and then. His apartment was only a few blocks away.

The rose he had taken from the bouquet on Pandora’s table and put in his jacket pocket stood out, a white light amidst the endless dark. A shadow began to follow him. Pandora wanted to call out a warning, but it was hopeless. They watched the scene unfold, both consumed with despair and horror, as a man snuck up from behind, quiet as can be, and stabbed Aiden in the chest with a switchblade. Pandora wiped the tears from her eyes and forced herself to look more closely at the figure standing over her boyfriend. Come to think of it, he actually looked kind of familiar... "That's Peter Mayfield. I'm sure he used to go to the same school as me, but I don't know much else about him."

Marianna shuddered. "That's probably for the best. He is one screwed up kid. I saw him a few weeks ago, hanging around your house. I don't know for sure if he had always intended to go after Aiden, or if it was a total coincidence your boyfriend was the one, that he found alone. I followed him when he left for his mother's house. Mrs. Mayfield was talking quietly to a friend in the kitchen, about her son's behavior. Peter has apparently always been a bit strange. He didn't talk or interact with people much either. She felt something like relief when he managed to graduate and find work far from this place. She has no clue why he really came back.

I snooped around his room while he was sleeping and found he had taken secret pictures, of both you and Aiden. They were up to date photos, slashed with a sharp object. He collected dead bugs and small creatures in jars and had books on his shelves all with a similar theme, unsolved crimes. Not so weird, perhaps he had an interest in a forensics job. There was however a bad smell coming from a backpack which he carried everywhere with him. Peter also looked like he was on something, and I don't mean a caffeine high. I resolved to keep an eye on him, just in case it was something worse. But I didn't count on becoming sick."

A small glow flew out from where Aiden fell. Marianna pointed to herself. “That was me. I may have been able to provide a distraction and stop him from attacking. But I fell asleep inside that rose; I must have brushed up against a plant that makes fairies ill earlier in the day. I heard the boy’s heart stop beating within minutes of being struck down. The killer saw nothing out of the ordinary. I got back here as soon as possible. Much to my dismay, it took longer than I expected to get better. But I am here now. My family and I are willing to assist you in any way that we can, from this moment forward. You gave us a proper home when you were a child. To own a house is a big deal for our kind. We have never left it."

Pandora dropped the mirror onto the carpet, damning Peter to the depths of hell for committing such a vicious crime. “I don’t know what you could do right at this moment, but I appreciate the offer all the same.” Realizing that she’d lost her first love forever, she fell back onto the bed, crying as if she would never stop. Marianna stayed close by, whispering words of comfort. Christine also stayed where she was. She sympathized with the young woman’s grief but in a different way. When the humans had exhausted their tears for all they were worth, Marianna spoke again. “You can find out where the guy hid Aiden’s body, if you ask the question of your mirror.”

Christine picked up the fallen silver object before Pandora could and did just that. Again, they were plunged into the depths of one man’s murderous act. His confidence in what he was currently doing, without anyone around, told its own tale; he would get away with this. No one could point the finger at him. He was safe. He pulled out a small bag of something which he sniffed up his nose. He shivered as whatever he had snorted began to take effect. Then he went on with his grisly task.

Aiden’s killer adjusted his gloves and opened up the trunk. He emptied the pockets of anything which could at once identify his victim, then began to drag the body towards the overgrown vacant lot. He carried a shovel from his car boot to a bare patch of earth and started digging. All the while, he seemed to be in good spirits, even daring to whistle as the dirt piled into the hole…

Unbeknownst to the three upstairs, some of the other small creatures who lived in Valerie’s garden, were listening to their conversation. Bees on a late-night patrol, agreed that their queen should know of this awful crime. The hive had a soft spot for Pandora and Leonard, who had not once thought to chase them off; they were just fine with allowing the bees to stay. As a result, the colony was flourishing. The queen was furious with what she had been told and immediately ordered an attack.

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 Aiden’s mother drove back to her house in the morning. She and Pandora promised each other they would keep in touch. While getting dressed she had to ask herself, what had made Peter think he could take someone’s life and just walk away? The possibility that Peter may have committed murder before crossed her mind; a very disturbing thought to have, but not entirely unbelievable.

Pandora switched the tv to a news channel. Something the female broadcaster Brigette was reporting on, soon caught her attention. “For no apparent reason at all, a swarm of bees went after a man who was jogging in Sandiford Park. A concerned passerby dialed 911. Paramedics arrived on scene, but he was already dead. It turns out he was severely allergic to bee venom. The man’s name was Peter Mayfield, a local resident working a casual job, who had returned to town in order to look after his mother.”

Pandora laughed at the rose-tinted picture the media was painting, of the man who killed her boyfriend. “Wow, you guys don’t even know the half of it!” She would tell them the real story herself soon enough. Justice had been done, and in the most unexpected way. But more importantly, Aiden deserved a proper burial. Pandora was going to make damn sure that he got it, with a little help from a fairy.

THE END