Poet's Branch (Part 2)

Poet woke up to the entire darkness of the night. She looked over to see Eldon but he was gone, probably went to look around or something, Poet thought. She decided to look for him since Poet couldn’t seem to fall back asleep. Climbing the tree up to another branch, she looked around. Suddenly a large caw filled the sky. Poet covered her ears, wincing at the loud cry.

A large winged creature came down onto the branch and with its sharp claws grabbed Poet. She called out for Eldon, squirming like a worm in the creature’s grip.

The creature dropped Poet into a cave, the feeling of falling and a scream ripping open her throat was overwhelming. Her back hit a rock and knocked the air out of her lungs, and then her body rolled over and continued to fall down even more. She couldn’t find anything to grip onto so she remained falling, hoping for something to catch on to.

She was in a dark cave with rigid rocks along the sides of the cliffs. The cave didn’t seem to have a bottom. Poet was rolling down the side of it. With her hands, Poet gripped a cliff ledge, breaking her nails and pulled her body up. With a gasp of pain she rolled down into a pile of bones.

Poet had no idea where she was. She seemed to be in some sort of monster’s lair. The floor of the cave ledge was covered in rotten bones and dirt. The rocks were like sharp teeth ready to chomp. It was dark except for a bit of sunlight that came through the cracking in beams of yellow.

Her body was trembling with shock and fear. Where was Eldon Willow? How did she get there? None of it was known to her.

Small rocks tumbled down the sides of the cliff and dust went flying. Echoes of the rocks hitting the sides and bottom filled her ears. Like a worm, Poet wiggled to the end of the cliff to look around. She looked up to the sunlight and down to the dark abbess. Suddenly a cry ripped through the silence and Poet hugged her knees to shield herself from the falling rocks.

A giant winged animal flew down and grabbed her with its claws. Poet cried out to anyone who could hear. All she could think about was where Eldon was. She wiggled like a worm trying to get out of the creature’s grip. Her yelps of terror and desperate survival echoed throughout the empty cave.

“Poet!” echoed from above and down to her ear, the sound of Eldon’s voice.

“Eldon!” she called back, hope sinking into her bones. She’ll be alright. He was a fairy of course he could save her.

The sound of Eldon’s wings buzzing filled the cave and he let himself drop, falling head first. He fell past her leaving Poet with a gasp. The creature squawked and dogged out of the way. Eldon flew back up and around the creature confusing it and taunting it. The bird pecked Eldon on the head with furious eyes. Eldon hit the wall, his wing crippling.

“Eldon!” Poet called out again in worry.

Eldon panted and got up and tried to fly again but fell. He couldn’t fly with a crippled wing, “Poet, I can’t,” he called with a brittle voice.

Poet swallowed but then gasped when the animal started pecking at the cliff where Eldon stood stranded. Her screams filled the cave and escaped through the opening above. Eldon ran to where a branch was coming out the cave wall and snapped it off, using it to keep the animal’s mouth from coming down on Eldon’s head and ripping him apart.

He called out in pain when the creature’s fang pieced his shoulder. Red liquid oozed from his skin where the creature stabbed him. Poet covered her eyes in fear, she hated the sight of blood.

Suddenly the winged creature called out, and started to falter in flight. Poet uncovered her eyes to see a golden light zipping in and out of her sight. Eldon’s face grew pale and he pierced his lips together.

An arm wrapped around Poet’s waist and the creature fell down to the bottomless darkness of the cave with a screeching, piercing scream. A loud boom filled the cave and send dusty air flying from the darkness.

A gruff voice muttered in Poet’s ear, “Darn bats…”

“That was a bat?” Poet gapped and looked over to whoever was holding her.

He was another fairy with golden wings and golden hair. The fairy had a scuffed beard and green eyes. His body was built of strong muscles that seemed to glitter with a golden light. In fact, the whole fairy and the air around him seemed to glitter of that light. The air sparkled and flickered like the sun reflecting on the ocean.

The golden fairy looked over to Eldon with an odd face. With a sigh he spoke, “What is a willow fairy doing away from his willow?”

Eldon looked down and answered, “I got side tracked trying to help the human child get back to the humans.”

To this the fairy chuckled, “Since when did us fairies help humans? We’re supposed to be invisible to them or have you forgotten the Queen’s commands?”

“I have not forgotten,” Eldon answered, his eyes rising up to stare into the golden fairy’s, “just let me take her home.”

The golden fairy narrowed his eyes and flew over to the ledge, placing Poet down, gently. “How long until you get there?”

“By foot, a day but it will take me barely five minutes to return to my willow afterward, it’s near the human’s home,” Eldon explained.

“Make it an hour,” the fairy commanded, tossing a brown pouch at Eldon, who caught it in both hands and opened it, letting out beams of golden light.

“Fairy dust?” Eldon gapped and looked over at Poet whose eyes were wide.

The golden fairy then flew off leaving nothing but a trail of golden light that soon faded away into the darkness of the cave, and a pouch filled with glorious fairy dust that was certain to bring Poet home.

“Poet come over here,” Eldon beckoned.

Poet stood up, dusted her behind and walked over to Eldon. She looked down at the pouch and smiled, “Do I get to fly?”

Eldon grinned and replied, “You bet!”

⁂

Poet blinked, the golden dust fly off her lashes and glittering into the air. She took a step back, keeping an eye on Eldon. Her feet on the end of the ledge, her heart pounding. She was so excited but so nervous. She was going home but she didn’t want to go home. She wanted to fly with Eldon forever.

Her last step sent her falling and soon flying. She fell down and down closer into the darkness but soon the fairy dust took actioned and she seemed to start floating up. Poet did a couple back flips into the air, giggling and whooping of joy. Grinning at Eldon who leaped into the air and flew after her.

Together they flew out of the cave and into the moon lit sky both laughing. Eldon lead the way, swerving through the wind. Flying along birds who cawed at Poet with a glimmer in their eyes. They flew over the town and the train station. The light from the windows flicked off as citizens went off to sleep. The smoke of the dying fires filled the air in clouds. The bells of the train filled the air. It looked like a toy train from way up there.

Eldon lowered himself down and Poet followed, soon seeing her neighborhood, the gravel path and the quaint homes. She saw her grandmother’s home and the light of the living room. Through the window she could see the color of television. Poet visioned her grandmother sitting in front of it snoring, like she did every night.

They flew down and landed on Poet’s bedroom window. Eldon flew up and kicked open the lock of the window and together they opened it. Poet plopped down onto her bed pillow and smiled. She looked back at Eldon who gave her a small smile but then he looked behind her. She turned around and to see what was there.

Poet’s grandmother opened the door and asked in a gentle voice, “Ready for bed?”

Poet looked back at the window to see it closed and empty of any fairy, “Yeah…”

Her grandmother pulled the sheet over her and kissed her forehead, “Don’t forget to say your prayers.”

Poet nodded and closed her eyes waiting for the sound of the door clicking in place. She opened them and sat up in bed as fast of she could. Poet opened the window, letting in the night air and looked into the backyard at the willow tree. She listened to the rustle of its leaves, the whisper of Eldon’s song and she let that song sing her to sleep.

⁂

Five Years Later

The summer sun kissed Poet’s rosy cheeks, the warm wind embraced her and the sound of her bicycle’s clicking wheels filled her ears. The dust of the gravel path lead a trail behind her as she rode fast, past the quaint homes with their white picketed fences, red brick and colorful shutters.

She stopped at her grandmother’s gate and leaned her bicycle against the fence. Poet wrapped her long fingers around the lock and lifted it, letting herself inside. She turned the handle and opened the door, walking into the living room.

“Hey granny!” She called.

“Poet!” her grandmother called joyfully from the backyard. Poet followed the voice and pulled back the screen door, stepping out onto the stone tiles. “Come over here and help me with picking these tomatoes.” Poet’s grandmother smiled.

“Okay,” Poet smiled back.

Her grandmother stood up and whipped her hands on her knees, “Wait that’s the last of them. Come on inside and we’ll wash them and start on dinner. How about a lasagna?”

“That sounds awesome,” Poet laughed and followed her grandmother but was distracted by the weeping willow tree whose leaves rustled and whispered.

“Poet!” her grandmother called from inside.

“Coming!” she answered and as she turned to walk inside, she could have sworn she saw a silver haired figure sitting on a branch.

“Hello, Eldon Willow,” Poet whispered into the air before closing the screen door.