The twins are staring at her with large, wide eyes and clutching at each other’s arms. Summer smiles; she has them now.
“And Hayden follows the path of the lights faster and she can no longer recall why she was worried. The music soothes her, and the wind urges her to run now. Hayden runs until she hears the sound of the ocean pounding against the black rocky boulders of the cliff grows louder. Mist sprays up into the air from the crash of the surf, but Hayden only hears the music. She has no fear because she is fairy blind.”
“No!” The twins whisper clutching each other.
“Yes,” Summer says, “these are not the fairy of your dreams. They are naughty sprites, and they live to cause trouble because they care not for the world of humans. They lead the girls off to separate fates. They swirl above the ocean and call for Hayden to join them. In her blindness, she believes she sees beautiful fairies with wings and a lovely garden with a tea set up for her to enjoy. With every step Hayden takes she grows closer and closer to the edge until finally, she falls into the ocean below.”
“What kind of story is this, Summer,” Haley demands.
“Wait, the fairies did not know that Hayden has a champion. The moon watches the girls being led to different fates so she does the only thing she can think to do to save her, she uses her magic and turns her into a mermaid.
Hayden falls into the ocean with a huge splash. The weight of the sea drags her under and just as she thinks all is lost a strange tingling flashes through her body. Her feet disappear, and a golden mermaid tail appears. She is wearing matching sea flowers on her upper body, and she can breathe underwater!
Realizing she is about to be smashed against the rocks, she kicks her strong tail flipping around and swims away from the cliffs. Fear fills her heart for her sister. What kind of trouble is Hayley being led too?
Confident that Hayden is safe for now, the moon turns its attention to the Hayley. She has been led to a party in the center of a forest clearing. Music, fairies and pixies all dance and spin while another one gifts Hayley with a beautiful silver dress. They present her with a tiara made of rubies and diamonds. It is a grand party with food and drink, and all celebrate the arrival of their new friend.
Poor Hayley does not see them for what they really are. Evil fairies with razor sharp claws and fangs hungry for the young girl’s soul. They circle the child as she spins with her arms in the air, laughing, and dancing. A fairy comes forth with a beautiful silver bracelet and slips it on her wrist.
‘So pretty, thank you!’ Her smile widens and Hayley squeals in delight. Another fairy slips one on her other wrist, and they spin faster around the child.
The bracelets snap tightly around her wrist, and Hayley screams as she is raised into the air. Two silver chains shoot out and sink into two large trees. She is caught like a bug in a spider web! The fairies drop the masks of beauty that they wear, and Hayley’s scream is cut short. These fairies are evil! They fly up to eye height with the young girl and stare into her soul. Hayley closes her eyes against the evil she sees in the red-eyed fairy.
The moon thinks hard and smiles, illuminating the child in a bright white light. Hayley shifts and her silver dress turns into a silver mane and her skin into a silky white coat. Her forehead burns as a silver, and white glitter horn appears. The weight of her body breaks the hold on the chains, and she drops to the ground, as a Unicorn! The fairies scream and scatter for everyone knows the power of a unicorn.
Hayley thinks hard, and a magical light shoots from her horn and destroys all the evil fairies, even those that tried to harm her sister. Now the moon lights a new path for her to follow through the woods and into a cave. Only the sound of soft hooves can be heard as she enters the gloomy cavern with her horn glowing brightly. Soon she comes to a pool, where she hears a girl weeping. Hayden sits on a rock a beautiful golden mermaid and stares in awe at the unicorn before her.
The two magical beings stare at each other and Hayden whispers, ‘Hayley?’ The unicorn nods her head and stomps her ebony black hoof on the ground.
‘Oh, Hayley whatever shall we do?' Hayden drops her face into her hands and weeps for she knows she should have trusted her instincts and returned home.
Summer stands, “That’s all for tonight girls.” She begins gathering her night clothes.
“But, but… you can’t just leave it like that,” Hayden yells.
“Yes, what happens to them, do they get to go home, do more fairies come?” Hayley asks.
“I promise to tell you more tomorrow night. Sleep for tonight and dream of magical lands.” Summer smiles and kisses them as she leaves to change clothes. From the other room, she can hear them giggling and laughing as they discuss the story. She will make a pot of tea and settle down to write the next chapter.
When she returns to the room, both girls are drifting off to sleep and as she leaves them Hayden whispers, “I always wanted to be a mermaid.” The joy she feels at that sentence can’t be expressed. Her writing may not change the world, or save lives, but it does give hope and joy.
“Time to write the next chapter.” Summer smiles as she works and sips
