www.colincampbell.org all fiction copyright colin w campbell
flash fiction by colin w campbell
The True Friend of Fairy Farndale.
Published online Fantasy Gazetteer Aug 2008. Read
on Radio Sarawak Wed 25 Feb 2009.
Fairy Farndale wasn't like the other fairies. She preferred the company of people to spending time with her own fairy kind. She even had a special friend, a little girl who lived on the edge of town in a house with a long garden that went way down into the fairy glen.
Now, the fairy world likes to keep itself hidden away. Fairy Farndale and the little
girl were true friends and respected this. Mostly they would meet far down in the
garden and well away from any other eyes. They had also prepared a special cover-story.
If the little girl was discovered when she was talking to her fairy friend she would
just pretend to have an imaginary friend. Well this was nearly true, for though the
fairy wasn't imaginary she was invisible to humans unless she chose to use her magical
powers. This way the family would think there was nothing unusual if they found their
little girl talking to herself. And so the secret would be safe.
However, they were discovered and it was not by the humans. Much worse, for it was the Fairy Empress Dowager herself who got to know. She heard it all from her two favorite Fairies in Waiting, the ones who spied on the other fairies. This was an important time for the Fairy Empress Dowager because everyone was waiting for the return of the Fairy King. What she wanted most was to show the whole of the fairy world that she had kept the kingdom safe in his absence and that she could rule just as well as he could.
So the Fairy Empress Dowager called a fairy trial. Some of the fairies said privately that this was unkind and going too far. The Fairy Empress Dowager was not to be argued with. Fairy Farndale carefully prepared her case. She would explain how she and the little girl had a plan to keep the secret safe. The Fairy Empress Dowager had other ideas, for when the time came and Fairy Farndale asked permission to tell her story, the Fairy Empress Dowager just said no. Many of those who were there said quietly that this was a terrible way to treat a fairy. The Fairy Empress Dowager was not to be argued with.
Fairy Farndale was told she must never see her human friend again. The little fairy was sad and couldn't bear the thought of leaving the little girl without saying goodbye. So later when no one was looking, she slipped away to make one last visit to the long garden that reaches way down into the fairy glen.
Just as they were saying goodbye there was a wonderful whoosh of sound and a sparkle of tiny lights in the air.
Fairy Farndale whispered to her little friend, "This is terrible. I've been caught again. I don't know what to do. It's the Fairy Empress Dowager and her two favorite Fairies in Waiting. They think you won't be able to see them or hear them but I can fix that for you."
Speaking slowly and making a very grand gesture with one hand, the Fairy Empress Dowager said, "So, we've caught you with your little friend."
But it was the little girl, not Fairy Farndale, who replied. "There's no one else here. I was just talking to my imaginary friend. Mother says I shouldn't and father just makes fun of me. I can't see anything over there but I can see the three of you very clearly," she said reaching for her mobile phone.
"Even if she really can see us, there's no point in her phoning anyone, they just won't believe her," said the Fairy Empress Dowager with a knowing smile and a giggle that sounded silly in someone of her age for she was well over four hundred years old.
"Oh no, I'm not calling anyone," said the little girl. "But I've taken some nice pictures of you with the camera in my phone. I think the newspapers might pay quite a lot for them."
The Fairy Empress Dowager and her attendants left very quickly. Fairy Farndale stayed. She said, "Please don't show the photographs to people in your world."
"It's all right," said the little girl. "We're friends. I didn't switch the camera on. But did you see the looks on their faces?"
And they laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
(742 words)
