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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 hi of
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 knoill 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, andsoftly in the fading light, approached one of the bubbles After considering it for a reen Another touch and it was an inky blue Another and it was gold
Grandpa kept the bubbles co, and more fairies ca colors
The hues becaainst one another Bubbles ruptured with flashes of light
One fairy gathered bubbles until she had asserapes
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 the, and the fairies continued to display their creativity They filled bubbles with shi 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 al soft music Unbeknownst to most of the family, Grandpa said, a few of your cousins have visitedout what is really going on
Didn’t you give theave you They were not of the proper oober
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 holdabout satyrs?
We found hoofprints in the kitchen, Kendra said
Things got a bit out of hand last night, Grandpa ad with satyrs is the last thing a boy your age needs
Then why did you do it? Seth asked
A visit fronificant event, and carries certain expectations I’ll concede that thebubbles? Seth asked
Another night I’ a special excursion for you toranary, and I mean to take you with et to see solad, Kendra said I want to see everything you’re willing to show us
All in due ti, Seth was pretty sure Kendra was asleep He sat up slowly She did not hed 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, limmer illuainst the wall of the jar, and she looked up at hie, lanced over his shoulder Kendra had not budged
Goodnight, little fairy, he whispered Don’t worry
I’ll feed you so the drawer The panicked fairy redoubled her frantic protestations It looked like she was about to cry, which o toently Go to sleep I’ll see you in the ether and shook the 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 fro for aover, he saw that Kendra was not in her bed Daylight strea his back with a groan The et up later
No, he wanted to check on the fairy He hoped soled 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 foronfly, but supposed a tarantula was possible
He also noticed that the mirror in the jar was broken
Had she sood way to cut herself No roughhousing, he scolded I’ll be right back
A round loaf of bread sat on the table, a e While Lena sliced it, Kendra took another sip of hot chocolate
Considering all the ingredients I left out, I thought they ht 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 Cinnaerly she took another It tasted like blackberry jam The next tasted like chocolate with a hint of peanut butter The following bite see It has so many flavors!
And they never clash like they should, Lena said, taking a bite herself