Fairies Don't Always Start With Wings

• Alex Swanson, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2011

The ghost gums looked even whiter than usual in the moonlight. They were almost glowing. Everything else was black and dark, expect for one thing, one creature. It was a very magical creature. It shone in the moonlight. It had a long flowing dress and soft, silky hair. It had white shoes and pink, magical dust. It was a fairy. But that fairy was not the only thing out and about tonight. There were other creatures, dark, evil creatures that were hiding in the bushes, in the trees and behind rocks. Creatures ready to pounce, ready to scare, ready to attack. Some were creatures that seemed invincible, but others were dying, hanging on by a thread, looking for something to make them well. But the poor little fairy didn't know. It was not aware of the many dangers hiding in the shadows. The fairy believed that it was just out on an evening stroll. But it was a target. This fairy was defenceless, oblivious and life saving. One little pinch of fairy dust would save anything. Any person, any animal, any creature. Even dark and evil creatures. The fairy was in danger. It was likely that it would soon face death, for an unworthy cause, for fairies don't give their dust to any stranger. But there's one thing that could save the fairy. Something special, big and flappy. A pair of wings. The fairy could fly away, save itself from a most unnecessary end . There was a problem though. This particular fairy didn't have wings. It could not fly away. A certain act must be performed for a fairy to earn wings. But this fairy was young; only a year or two old. For a fairy to be granted wings, it must perform a favour for a human. Well the fairy had been walking for some time now and had reached a large lake. It bent it's knees and drooped it's head for a drink. Just before the fairy's lips touched the water, it saw something in the reflection, something lying on the bank. The fairy, being curious, lifted it's head, got up and walked over to where the thing was. It was a person, who seemed to have been washed ashore. The person was breathing very heavily and was spluttering out amounts of water. The person's lungs were filled with lungs. The fairy could tell that something was wrong. Instinctively, it reached into it's bag. Pink fairy dust was floating onto the pebbles beneath the fairy. It sprinkled some fairy dust upon the person's chest and suddenly they sat up, looking extremely dazed. He lied back down again, not noticing the fairy. But something else was happening, the evil creatures were acting, now, while the fairy had it's dust out in the open. Just before the creatures pounced, the was a loud 'pop' and two beautiful wings emerged from the fairy's shoulders and it flew away into the moonlight.