Faeries Don'T Have To Work - LAZARUS (most read books .txt) 📗

mid July heat.
I dive into the refreshing sea, and swim out far from the shore. Overhead, sea terns and gulls wing gracefully…circling effortlessly, held aloft on that warm summer’s breeze.
As I swim, once again I feel a presence…odd and unseen. Ignoring it I continue further out, leaving the palm-treed shoreline far in the distance.
Suddenly, without warning, I see two dark objects speeding in my direction. I’ve seen these before. Large mammals with gleaming eyes…twin otters speeding swiftly, as if flying towards me. “This is not good.” I tell myself, as I turn to try to make my way back to the safety of the distant shore.
Then, about ten yards ahead of me, comes a large porpoise, blue in color, sailing clear out of the water. It has a young woman straddled on its back. With long black hair cascading down her side and back, she reminds me of a famous painting… ‘Lady Godiva’. But instead of a white stallion, this apparition is gracefully mounted on a large blue fish.
She beckons me to hop on behind her, which I do without any hesitation. This large fish easily outswims those menacing threats.
Back on the safety of terra firma, I look at this beauty standing before me, and recognize her green eyes immediately. “Mel…is this you? You’re gorgeous!” I tell her.
She turns a shade of pink as she continues to stand motionless and in utter silence. Her long hair drapes her tawny figure modestly.
Then without further ado, she plunges back into the ocean and disappears under the rolling waves.
Saddened that she has left so quickly without giving me the chance to thank her properly, I renew my morning run.
Erelong, I come upon a couple sitting under a large tree. The fellow resembles a young Sly Stallone, and she looks somewhat eastern, with lovely olive-toned skin that complements her raven black hair.
As I pass, I notice that she is reading poetry to her friend. They wave and I return the gesture.
Soon they are only a blur - two merged dots in the distance.

“Wake up Cal.” I hear a tiny voice calling next to my ear. “You’ve been talking in your sleep. And your legs were moving as if you were running a race. Look at you…all sweaty. Go freshen up at the lake, and come back and tell me all about your dream.”
I look into those mischievous eyes of hers, and ask, “Can you…did you manipulate my dream?”
All she says to me, while looking bashfully away, “Go and get cleaned up… and I’ll get myself something to eat.”And she zips off, catching the churr of an errant grasshopper or cicada.


Chapter Five

Getting to know Mel and her friends


After my dip and breakfast, I was getting some rays, when Mel shows up holding a single light blue morning glory in her hands. It’s big enough to fit her head like a large hat. “It’s for you, Cal. I picked it myself. Take it…it is heavy.”
“Why, thanks, but what’s the occasion?”
“Oh, it’s for being a friend…that’s all.”
“Where are the others? I haven’t heard a peep from them since last evening.”
They’re still sleeping. They had a party not too far from here. Dancing and singing…you know the usual thing that we do when the moon is full.”
I say to her, “Why weren’t you with them, celebrating also? They’re your friends.”
“I prefer to be here with you. Besides you’re more interesting, and I’ve celebrated each full moon now for over a century. I’m sure that I didn’t miss anything different.”
“That is so nice.” I tell her as I smell the flower.”But tell me more about how you manipulated my dream.
Many times I wake out of a great dream and I wish to continue it, but that never happens. Or, sometimes I try hard to remember certain details of it…but it’s lost forever, somewhere in the dusty corridors of my mind.”
She comes closer and lies down on my outstretched legs, using my knees for a pillow. Then with her arms behind her head, she says, “It’s quite easy. All that it is, is simply the power of suggestion. While you were fast asleep, and you entered the R.E.M. stage of your sleep, which is the time when people dream the best, I approached your ear and…how can I explain it most clearly? …I painted a scenario in your unconscious mind, and included myself in it.”
“Wow! It seemed so real, and I remember all of it. That’s so great, Mel, a bit disturbing, but great.”
She beams with delight, and claps her tiny hands.
I put the funnel-like flower on her head, and she gets up and does a small pirouette, laughing like a child with a new toy.
“Later on, why don’t you bring your tiny family circle over so that I can get to know them better? And I really would love to meet Tina and Carmine. They sound fascinating. I want to hear more of their sixties escapades.”
“Okey, dokey, It’ll be my great pleasure.”
By noon I have had enough sun tanning. I pull out a beer from the tent cooler and sit back to enjoy the scenery.
Out of nowhere Mel flies in. “You got beer? Can I have a sip?”She asks.
“You’re too young. Are you sure that you are of the legal drinking age?” I tease, knowing well that she is, and then some.
She smiles sweetly and alights on my shoulder and bites my neck, and flies off to that big pine tree above me, and sits with her arms folded in front of her, looking a bit miffed.
“Mel. I was just playing with you. So don’t be angry. Come down and I’ll give you a capful.”
Like a bullet she is down and hovering in front of me and the opened bottle of brew.
“I was just pretending too.” She says, as she sticks her tongue out at me.
After having drunk the capful, I tell her to round up some of the others, and invite them to come over here.
She nods and flies off toward their location. I perceive that her flight is not as true as it usually is.
An hour later, along with about a dozen others, she appears over the lake. They look like a flock of birds on the horizon over the lake, yet all different in shape and size…and all very colorfully dressed. Instantly I’m able to spot Tina and Carmine.
“What took you so long?” I inquire.
“Well, they weren’t ready, so I took a nap…and it wasn’t because of the beer.” She lies.
For the rest of the day, I get to know them all.
I tell them to return later when I’m to light a bonfire.
“Bring your musical instruments, so that I can enjoy listening to some of your melodies.”
Later that afternoon I gather more driftwood along the shore for the fire. Mel is helping. She’s toting a twig the size of my pinky, looking pleased that she can contribute.
I decide to cool off and at the same time wash off all the dirt that clung to me while hauling the fuel for our fire.
While making my way out, away from shore, Mel dives under the water and emerges next to me a few hundred yards away from where she submerged.
“How do you do that…holding your breath for that length of time? And what’s your record under?” I ask her.
“The longest that I did was forty minutes…but who’s counting? It’s not hard. I can teach it to you in a few minutes.” She says proudly.
For the next five minutes she explains the technique, and I find out that it all has to do with positive thinking.
I dive down and follow her as she virtually flies under the waves. She is as graceful as a penguin swimming tirelessly. Before I even notice, I’m under for a good ten minutes, and still not straining. I think that it’s more than what she tells me. She must have put a little of her pixie magic on me.
“Great, Calvin! See, with a bit of concentration…and my coaching, you’ll be able to accomplish just about anything.”
I jokingly ask if I can become as small as her. She replies immediately, “Why sure…that’s even easier than what you’re doing now.”
I’m stunned. I stop swimming and look at her grinning. “You’re just pulling my leg…aren’t you?”
“Why would I do that?”She replies somewhat puzzled. “I told you that I’m here for you, and I can teach you many things.”


Chapter Six

Dancing around the campfire.


As the evening light dims over our little piece of heaven, I light the fire. Mel wants to blow out the match but I caution her not to. It may catch her delicate wings on fire. Then it will be more paperwork to fill out to receive a new set.
Soon the little people start arriving…more than before. Mel starts to introduce them one by one as they flitter in.
“I hope I can remember them all,” I tell her, as she beckons each in turn to come over.
“This is Sabrina. We call her the Littlest Witch. She loves to put mild spells on us as a joke.
That there…you already met Tina and Carmine. Also, Wicked Wanda, Wordie and of course Fearless Freddie, aka ‘Rambo’.
This is Rosie the Red, whom I mentioned before. Don’t you just love those freckles?
Careful…here comes Mad Marsha…remember what I said about her wart?
This is Darling Donna. She is truly the sweetest of us all.”
“I extend my hand and say, “Please to meet you Donna.” She flies over, curtseys and kisses my cheek instead.
“Now, these here are Samantha and Amanda…we just call them the Twins. They are so alike in many ways that they even finish each other’s sentences.
“Nice to meet you Calvin. Mel told us a lot…”Samantha says.
“about you. She just can’t stop telling us all the things you two talk about.”Amanda finishes.
“Oh, I told you about Tess the Tinkler. Tess this is Cal. He’s my friend. Don’t you go near him. Ok?” Tess draws near, but keeps her distance. I can see that it’s taking a lot of concentration for her not to come closer.
“This is Simple Simon. He’s far from simple. In your world he would be what you would call a nerd…we tease him with that name, knowing very well that he is far from being simple.
Hey Jerry, come over and meet Cal…but no joking around…at least not tonight.
And here comes Cookie. No one knows his real name. This is the best chef we ever had. ‘Say hi’ Cookie.
This is Crazy Chester. He fell asleep on the hottest day of last summer, and fried his tiny brain…heat stroke…he’s harmless, and is coherent most of the time.
The one responsible for all our clothes is Tim…you guessed it…the Tailor.
And that chubby fellow walking is our own Doc. He’s the one who we keep busy because of our minor scrapes and bruises, and the occasional broken wing. Those glasses on him are not prescription. He just wears them to give him a more dignified appearance.”
I said, “Hi Doc. Thanks for coming. I see that you brought your fiddle. Great.”
“There are more of us, but many are away, visiting distant relatives…cousins, over by the other clans.
As soon as they are all here, it takes no time before the festivities begin. Out come the fiddles, penny whistles, drums and tiny accordions. A few had tambourines attached to their belts.
With the moon and myriad of stars above and the lovely fire down here below, the faeries begin to hold hands