He screwed it shut.
The fairy inside stood no taller than his little finger.
She had fiery red hair and iridescent dragonfly wings. The incensed fairy pounded her tiny fists noiselessly against the wall of the jar. All around him, Seth heard the tinkling of miniature bells. The other fairies were pointing and laughing.
The fairy in the jar beat against the glass even harder, but to no avail.
Seth had captured his prize.
Grandpa dipped the wand into the bottle and raised it to his lips. As he blew gently, several bubbles streamed from the plastic circle. The bubbles floated across the porch.
You never know what will fascinate them, he said.
But bubbles usually do the trick.
Grandpa sat in a large wicker rocker. Kendra, Seth, and Dale sat nearby. The setting sun streaked the horizon with red and purple.
I try not to bring unnecessary technology onto the property, he continued, dipping the wand again. I just can't resist with bubbles. He blew, and more bubbles took shape.
A fairy, glowing softly in the fading light, approached one of the bubbles. After considering it for a moment, she touched it, and the bubble turned bright green. Another touch and it was an inky blue. Another and it was gold.
Grandpa kept the bubbles coming, and more fairies came to the porch. Soon all the bubbles were changing colors.
The hues became more luminous as the fairies competed against one another. Bubbles ruptured with flashes of light.
One fairy gathered bubbles until she had assembled a bouquet that resembled a bunch of multicolored grapes.
Another fairy entered a bubble and inflated it from the inside until it tripled in size and burst with a violet flash. A bubble near Kendra appeared to be full of winking fireflies.
One near Grandpa turned to ice, fell to the porch, and shattered.
The fairies flocked near Grandpa, eager for the next bubbles. He kept them coming, and the fairies continued to display their creativity. They filled bubbles with shimmering mist. They linked them in chains. They transformed them into balls of fire. The surface of one reflected like a mirror. Another took on the shape of a pyramid.
Another crackled with electricity.
When Grandpa put the bubble solution away, the fairies gradually dispersed. The dwindling sunset was almost gone. A few fairies played among the chimes, making soft music. Unbeknownst to most of the family, Grandpa said, a few of your cousins have visited me here. None of them came close to figuring out what is really going on.
Didn't you give them clues? Kendra asked.
No more or less than I gave you. They were not of the proper mind-set.
Was it Erin? Seth asked. She's a goober.
You be kind, Grandpa scolded. What I want to say is that I admire how you children have taken all of this in stride. You have adapted impressively to this unusual place.
Lena said we could have a party with goat people, Seth said.
I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Why was she talking about satyrs?
We found hoofprints in the kitchen, Kendra said.
Things got a bit out of hand last night, Grandpa admitted. Trust me, Seth, consorting with satyrs is the last thing a boy your age needs.
Then why did you do it? Seth asked.
A visit from a fairy broker is a significant event, and carries certain expectations. I'll concede that the merriment borders on foolishness.
Can I try blowing bubbles? Seth asked.
Another night. I'm planning a special excursion for you tomorrow. In the afternoon I need to visit the granary, and I mean to take you with me, let you see more of the property.
Will we get to see something besides fairies? Seth asked.
Probably.
I'm glad, Kendra said. I want to see everything you're willing to show us.
All in due time, my dear.
From her breathing, Seth was pretty sure Kendra was asleep. He sat up slowly. She did not move. He coughed weakly. She did not twitch.
He eased out of bed and crossed the attic floor to his dresser. Quietly he opened the third drawer down. There she was. Twig, grass, pebble, flower petals, mirror, and all.
In the dark room, her inherent glimmer illuminated the entire drawer.
Her tiny hands were splayed against the wall of the jar, and she looked up at him desperately. She chirped something in a twittering language, motioning for him to open the lid.
Seth glanced over his shoulder. Kendra had not budged.
Goodnight, little fairy, he whispered. Don't worry.
I'll feed you some milk in the morning.
He began shutting the drawer. The panicked fairy redoubled her frantic protestations. It looked like she was about to cry, which made Seth pause. Maybe he would let her go tomorrow.
It's okay, little fairy, he said gently. Go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning.
She clasped her hands together and shook them in a pleading motion, begging with her eyes. She was so pretty, that fiery red hair against her creamy skin. The perfect pet.
Way better than a hen. What chicken could set bubbles on fire?
Closing the drawer, he returned to his bed.
Retaliation Seth wiped sleep from the corner of his eye and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Rolling over, he saw that Kendra was not in her bed. Daylight streamed through the window. He stretched, arching his back with a groan. The mattress felt inviting. Maybe he could get up later.
No, he wanted to check on the fairy. He hoped some sleep had calmed her. Kicking off the tangled covers, Seth hurried over to the dresser. Pulling it open, he gasped.
The fairy was gone. In her place was a hairy tarantula with striped legs and shiny black eyes. Had it eaten her? He checked the lid. It was still on tight. Then it registered that he had not consumed any milk yet. This could be the other form the fairy appeared in. He would have expected a dragonfly, but supposed a tarantula was possible.
He also noticed that the mirror in the jar was broken.
Had she smashed it with the pebble? It seemed like a good way to cut herself. No roughhousing, he scolded. I'll be right back.
A round loaf of bread sat on the table, a mottled mixture of white, black, brown, and orange. While Lena sliced it, Kendra took another sip of hot chocolate.
Considering all the ingredients I left out, I thought they might make a jumble pie, Lena said. But calico loaves are equally delicious. Try a piece. She handed Kendra a slice.
They did a great job on the pot, Kendra said. And the table looks perfect.
Better than before, Lena agreed. I like the new beveling. Brownies know their business.
Kendra inspected the slice of bread. The strange coloring continued all the way through, not just on the crust.She took a bite. Cinnamon and sugar dominated the flavoring.
Eagerly she took another. It tasted like blackberry jam. The next tasted like chocolate with a hint of peanut butter. The following bite seemed saturated with vanilla pudding. It has so many flavors!
And they never clash like they should, Lena said, taking a bite herself.
Feet bare, hair sticking up, Seth trotted into the room.
Good morning, he said. Having breakfast?
You have to try this calico bread, Kendra said.
In a minute, he replied. Can I have a cup of hot chocolate?
Lena filled a mug.
Thank you, he said as she handed it to him. I'll be right back. I forgot something upstairs. He hurried off, drinking from the mug.
He's so weird, Kendra said, taking a bite of what now tasted like banana nut bread.
Up to some mischief, if you ask me, Lena replied.
Seth set the mug on the dresser. Taking a calming breath, he silently prayed that the tarantula would be gone and the fairy would be there. He slid the drawer open.
A hideous little creature glared up from inside the jar.
Baring pointy teeth, it hissed at him. Covered in brown, leathery skin, it stood taller than his middle finger. It was bald, with tattered ears, a narrow chest, a pot belly, and shriveled, spindly limbs. The lips were froglike, the eyes a glossy black, the nose a pair of slits above the mouth.
What did you do to the fairy? Seth asked.
The ugly creature hissed again, turning around. It had a pair of nubs above the bony shoulder blades. The nubs wiggled like the remnants of amputated wings.
Oh, no! What happened to you?
The creature stuck out a long black tongue and slapped the glass with calloused hands. It jabbered something in a foul, raspy language.
What had happened? Why had the beautiful fairy mutated into a revolting little devil? Maybe some milk would help.
Seth snatched the jar from the drawer, grabbed the mug from the dresser, and bolted down the stairs from the attic to the hall. He dashed into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.
The mug was still a third full. Holding the jar over the sink, he poured some of the hot chocolate onto the lid.
Most ran down the side of the jar, but a little dripped through the holes in the top.
One drop plopped on the creature's shoulder. It angrily motioned for Seth to unscrew the lid, and then pointed at the cup. Apparently it wanted to drink straight from the mug.
Seth examined the room. The window was shut, the door locked. He wadded a towel against the space at the bottom of the door. Inside the jar, the creature made pleading motions and pantomimed drinking from a cup.
Seth unscrewed the lid. With a powerful leap, the creature jumped out, landing on the counter. Crouching, snarling, it glared at Seth.
I'm sorry your wings fell off, he said. This might help.
He held the mug out toward the creature, wondering if it would sip the flavored milk or just climb inside the cup.
Instead, it snapped at him, barely missing his finger. Seth jerked his hand away, sloshing hot chocolate onto the counter. Hissing, the agile creature dropped to the floor, raced over to the bathtub, and vaulted inside.
Before Seth could react, the creature squirmed down the drain. A final garbled burst of complaints issued from the dark hole, and then the creature was gone. Seth poured the remnants of the hot chocolate into the drain in case it* could be of use to the deformed fairy.
He looked back at the jar, empty now except for a few wilting flower petals. He was not sure what he had done wrong, but he doubted Maddox would be very proud.
Later that morning, Seth sat in the tree house trying to find puzzle pieces that fit together. Now that the perimeter was finished, adding pieces was a challenge. They all looked the same.
He had avoided Kendra all morning. He did not feel like talking to anybody. He could not get over how foul the fairy had become. He was not sure what he had done, but he knew it was somehow his fault, some accidental consequence of catching the fairy. That was why she had been so frightened the night before. She knew he had doomed her to change into an ugly little monster.
The puzzle pieces started to vibrate. Soon the whole tree house was trembling. Were they having an earthquake?
He had never been in an earthquake before.
Chapter Ten
Seth ran to the window. Fairies hovered everywhere, gathered in the air all around the tree house. Their arms were raised, and they seemed to be chanting.
One of the fairies pointed at Seth. Several glided closer to the window. One held her palm out in his direction; with a flash of light, the windowpane shattered.
Seth jumped away from the window as several fairies flew in.
He ran to the hatch, but the tree house lurched so violently that he fell to the floor. The shaking was becoming intense. The floor was no longer level. A chair tipped over.
The door to the hatch had slammed shut. He crawled toward it. Something hot stung the back of his neck.
Multicolored lights began flashing.
Seth grabbed the door to the hatch, but it would not open. He tugged hard. Something seared the back of his hand.
Panicked, he returned to the window, struggling to keep his balance as the floor quaked beneath him. The flock of fairies continued to chant. He could hear their little voices. With a loud crack, the tree house suddenly tilted sideways. The view out the window switched from the fairies to the rapidly approaching ground.
Seth experienced a momentary sensation of weightlessness.
Every object in the tree house was floating as everything plummeted together. Puzzle pieces filled the air. And then the tree house imploded.
Kendra smeared sunblock across her arms, disliking the greasy feel of the lotion against her skin. She was tanner than when she had first arrived, but the sun was hot today, and she did not want to take any chances.
Her shadow was a small puddle at her feet. It was almost noon. Lunch was not far off, and then Grandpa Sorenson would take them to the granary. Kendra quietly hoped she would see a unicorn.
Suddenly she heard a tremendous crash from the corner of the yard. Then she heard Seth screaming.
What could have made such a huge noise? She did not have to run far in order to see the broken pile of rubble at the base of the tree.
Seth was sprinting toward her. His shirt was torn. He had blood on his face. Scores of fairies appeared to be in pursuit. Her initial thought was to make a joke about the fairies wanting revenge for him trying to catch them, until she realized it was probably true. Had the fairies thrown down the tree house?
They're after me! he yelled.
Jump in the pool! Kendra called.
Seth swerved in the direction of the pool and began pulling off his shirt. The ominous cloud of fairies had no trouble keeping up with him. They hurled sparkling streams of glitter. Casting his shirt aside, Seth sprang into the water.
The fairies are after Seth! Kendra cried, watching in horrified dismay.
The fairies hovered over the pool. After a few moments Seth surfaced. In flawless synchronization, the cloud of fairies swooped, diving toward him. He yelled as blazing rays of light began flaring around him, and ducked underwater again. The fairies plunged in after him.
He came to the surface gasping. The water churned.
Seth floundered at the center of an underwater pyrotechnics display. Kendra rushed to the edge of the pool.
Help! he cried, raising a hand out of the water. The fingers were fused together like a flipper.
Kendra screamed. They're attacking Seth! Help!