Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat

            Adelina ran down the stairs her wings flapping behind her. She burst through the door a little too loud causing heads to turn to see her. “You are late.” Flora glared at her. “Sorry.” Adelina squeaked and sat down in the last row. “As I was saying.” Flora continued. “As you all know, Pixies get their name when they are 2 years old. And remember this will be a test question. It is because we name all of you based off your appearance and personality.” Adelina rolled her eyes, her name meant ‘small winged one’. Her wings still haven’t grown out as much as her fellow classmates, but she was sure they would soon get big. She could not fly as well but she got fast at running places. “As well as your name.” Flora continued, “We match you where we think you will best fit. You all are dream pixies because the council decided that is where you belong. Does anyone know all five troops and what they are for?” 

            Adelina knew the answer, they had beaten it in them since they were old enough to open their eyes. Blaze rose his hand. Oh great, Adelina thought. His name meant stutter because that was all he did. Thankfully Willow raised her hand. Her name meant ‘graceful’ because, well, everything she did was beautiful. “Willow.” Flora called on her.

            “Well.” Willow started. “There are Flora and Fauna Pixies which make sure the animals and plants thrive well and get everything they need. Then there are weather pixies to bring on rain when there is a drought and sun when the plants are hungry. Love Pixies to match the right ones and separate those who are bad for each other. Dreams Pixies to regulate dreams and deliver messages. Finally Order Pixies to watch over everything and make a bridge between the pixie and human world.” “Very good Willow!” Flora exclaimed.

            Adelina let everything else fade into the background. She wondered what it would be like to be in the other troops. Flora and Fauna Pixies seemed to boring, she did not really have an interested in plants or animals. They were too big, and she was scared she would get eaten, even though Pixies were poisonous, and all the animals knew it. Weather pixies did not interest her either, she did not like when it was too sunny or too cold. She preferred to stay in the safeness of the village. Love pixies were interesting because they got to go out in the human world, but Adelina did not think she would be good at that. Order pixies were the highest you could get and very few were chosen. They had a big role in making sure everything went according to plan. They would let the flora and fauna pixies know if any animal needed more care, or the weather pixies if they needed to bring on a storm, they would also let the dream pixies know which humans dream they were to control and what would be the purpose. Adelina like to push the countries, adding her own little twist or “tricks” to the dream. Enough to make it her own but not too much that she got in trouble. 

            “Alright you are all dismissed.” Adelina refocused realizing it was already the end of class. “Grab your assignments on the way out.” Adelina stood up and stretched her wings. She made her way to the front of the class and grabbed the wood slabs labeled with her name. It was already getting dark, so she needed to get back to her room to start on her work.

            As Adelina walked into her room she sighed and tossed her papers on her little bed. Her room was not very big and consisted of a little bed in the corner, a dresser with her uniform, a stand-alone mirror, and an attached bathroom. Then of course by her bed was a little plant that spiraled down the nightstand it stood on. The plant allowed her to enter people’s dreams. She took a seat on her bed and grabbed one of the vines and let it wrap tightly around her arm. She reached for the first assignment which was engraved on a slap of wood. Matt Whittle. That was the first person, she was to make him dream that he was fired from his job from the lack of work he was doing. Adelina skimmed over the rest of the details to get to the moral of it all. She was to make him see that he needed to get his act together.

            Adelina places the wood slap on top of the plant. The plant then wrapped its vines around and absorbed it. 

            Adelina blinked. She never got used to the transition between the waking and sleeping world. One minute you’re sitting on your bed and the next you are standing on nothing, only blackness to surround you. In the distance she saw a figure. She didn’t have much time before Matt came fully into the dream world. She needed to set the dream up quickly.

            She waved her hand around while shutting her eyes tight, imagining the setting. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in an office with people at desks on their computers. The dreamer’s mind would allow him to see his co-workers and office. Adelina left little holes in the dream to be filled by him. 

            Matt walked by her and sat down at his desk but just stared at the computer. Now Adelina just had to monitor the dream. Well, if she did what she was supposed to. She walked up to Matt who could not see her and set down a pile of papers. She let her intentions pass on to him and he instinctually reached for the pile of papers. Right before his fingertips could grasp it, Adelina made them disappear. He looked around confused and saw another pile on the other side of him. Adelina let her breath carry the message to his ears, telling him to grab the papers. Again, he tried, but again he failed. Adelina continued this dance with the papers, a pen, his mouse, and even a toothbrush. But every time he got close to having it in his clutch, it was ripped away from him.

            Now Adelina brought the Boss in, he walked past all the other workers and straight over to Matt. His voice was deep and scary. “Why did you come here dressed like that?” “What?” Matt looked down to realize that he was no longer dressed in his uniform but in khaki shorts and a Hawaiian tee-shirt. Adelina laughed at the scene she was causing.

            She caused a great big stack of papers to appear next to Matt and willed his Boss to look at them. “What is this?” His boss started to raise his voice. “I thought I told you to stop slacking off and get this shit done!” He was yelling now. “I have had it with you and your incompetence. YOUR FIRED!” Matt looked bewildered at the sudden outburst his Boss just had.

            Before Adelina could make Matt stand up and slip on a banana peel, she heard an echo in the room. She rolled her eyes. Someone was waking Matt up and cutting the dream short. 

            Adelina blinked looking in the surroundings of her room. Matt had been woken up. She still had one more dream to build. She looked at her next person. Damian Young. She was to make him realize that he had a bright future ahead of him. 

            Adelina loved when the guidelines were opened ended because it left more room for her to add her own little flare to the dream. She reached for the dream plant and grabbed the vine letting it once again curl tightly around her arm. She took the slap of wood and placed it on top of the plant to be absorbed. Now she just had to wait to be put into his dream.

            Adelina took a long breath of air and felt almost as if the air was being sucked from her lungs. She knew sometimes strong emotions from the person could affect the atmosphere, but she had never felt it so strong before. Adelina just brushed it off and got started on her last dream of the night.

            She drew out a beautiful park with green grass that swayed slightly in the breeze and a tall oak tree with wide branches. She added a tire swing to the tree and some flowers to pop up randomly. Damian walked into the grass barefoot and took in his surroundings. He seemed on edge even in the calming environment. 

            Adelina knew she was to make him see he had a great future, but first she wanted to have a little fun. She thought up the scene in her head and watched as it started to play out.

            Damien’s mother walked over and stopped in front of him, looking straight through him. “Mom?” Damien asked. His mother crouched down and started to cry. “Why would you do this my sweet boy?” Damian turned around to see himself lying on the ground unmoving. He looked frightened and unsure of his next move. He glanced back to his mother, but she was laughing now. “Silly boy.” She exclaimed. Damian looked back to see his body was no longer there but a little brown puppy. His mother reached for the puppy and picked it up. “Damien, you were always so cute, weren’t you?” His mother said. Damian looked around him and Adelina chuckled a little at his confusion. 

            When Damian looked back, his mother was now holding a monkey. “Silly little boy.” She spoke. “You did always like bananas.” Nothing major was happening but it all seemed to overwhelm Damian too much. Adelina could feel the wind start to blow forcefully without her command. “No!” Cried Damian. “You never loved me when I was little. You made me care for myself. That damn dog seemed to be more of a child to you then I ever was!” Adelina was a little shocked. She did not realize that what she was doing was going to directly relate to his life. She had just skimmed the details on the wooden slap, not reading through them. “That’s it!” Damian yelled. “I’m done!” The wind howled and moaned, picking up even more speed.

            A chill unlike any other Adelina ever felt rushed through her body. Suddenly the world began spinning around her and she yelped in surprise.

            Adelina slowly opened her eyes. Flora and a pixie from the order troop named Hugo which meant ‘intelligent’ stood over her. How long had she been out? Hugo cleared his throat. “What were you thinking Adelina?” his voice was deep and scary, catching her off guard. “What?” She responded. “It seems…” Hugo started. “…that you have not been following the guidelines for dreams and we let it slide but now it’s been taken too far.” “What?” Adelina asked again. Hugo seemed to stare into her soul. “Damian woke up and killed himself. Your dream put him over the edge.” Adelina was in shock and it must have shown because even Flora nodded her head in a disappointed manor. Hugo cleared his throat again before continuing talking. “You were to show him life was worth living, not cause him to go further down his dark road.” Adelina tried to talk but the words wouldn’t leave her throat. “Come with me.” Hugo said. 

            Adelina rose to her feet and found herself following Hugo with Flora trailing behind. “Pixies are to help people and this world, not destroy it.” Hugo sounded like he was trying to contain his anger. “We have no room for mischiefs pixies like you here.” Adelina did not even know what to say. “But…” She started. “No.” Hugo said. “You are no longer welcome here.”

            Adelina tried to remember then next actions taken, but it was just a blur in the back of her mind. All she knew now was she was outside the village of the pixies; in a place she had never been before. Hell, she had only left the village once in her life. Adelina shivered in the cold air, it was still dark, and she had no idea what to do next. Who knew that a little trick would not be such a treat later.