Write...Edit...Publish, Photo Me

Time for another Write...Edit...Publish flash fiction post. To read more excellent stories go here.

So sorry I'm late in posting. I hope you enjoy my story.

Photo Me

“I’m in the picture! Whatever will I do?” Tulip said, brushing aside her golden hair that had streaks of peach coloring running from the green tips at her roots.

     “What do you mean, you’re in the picture?” Lily asked, a frown squished her delicate brown and caused her faerie eyebrows to almost look human.

     “Picture! Do you mean the humans have a picture of you?” Daffodil asked, her yellow hair drooped past her shoulders.

     “I was curious,” Tulip said. “When I heard them talking about taking the woman’s picture in front of her garden I wanted to see, so I peeked out from within the tulip I was tending. The picture shows me and my wings. Now the woman is trying to find me with a magnifying glass. I had to hide under the dandelion.”

     “That’s not good, that’s not good at all.” Lily stomped her foot.

     “If the fae council learns of this you’re---“Daffodil began.

     “I know!” Tulip said.

     “There’s only one thing to do,” Lily said. “We’ll have to break into the woman’s house and steal the picture.”

     “Do you think we can?” Tulip felt hopeful.

     “What do you mean ‘we?’” Daffodil asked.

     “It’ll take all three of us,” Lily said.

     “When? I mean when should we do it?”

     “The sooner the better. Don’t give her time to show a lot of people.” Lily sat at the table in her parent’s bungalow and proceeded to draw a map of the woman’s home.

     “What is this?” Daffodil asked.

     “Really Daffodil, have you never peeked in the window?” Tulip asked.

     “You mean this is the woman’s home? Oh my great grandfae!”

*

The plan was simple. They’d wait until the human turned off her lights and went to bed and then slip through the dryer vent. Tension spread through Tulip as she waited.

     “Do all humans stay up so late?” Tulip asked. “We have to do this before the others show up to tend the garden.”

     “I’m going to pee my socks,” Daffodil said.

     “I’d like to see that,” Lily said. Daffodil punched her in the arm.

     “Quiet you two,” Tulip said. “She’s walking by the window.”

     The faerie girls held their breath and fluttered as low as possible into the evergreen bush.

     “She’s going to bed,” Daffodil said.

     “Finally,” Lily said.

     All three flew toward the dryer vent, entered and used their wands to light the way through the dark tunnel. At the dryer door Lily used her wand to magically open the door. It shot out and banged against the dryer.

     Daffodil jumped and covered her sensitive fae ears. “Owe.”

     “Oh no, that will surely wake her,” Tulip said.

Before they could fly out of the dryer a big scruffy cat leapt up on the machines door. His eyes turned amber as he surveyed the three.

     “Scoot,” Lily said and sent a flash of colored sparks at the cat. “Meow.” The cat fell over backwards as the girls flew from the dryer.

     “It’s fallowing us,” Tulip warned. Sure enough the cat wasn't far behind.

     “Where is this picture?” Daffodil asked.

     “She had it out on the table the last time I saw,” Tulip said.

     “It’s not there now,” Lily said. “What now? Should we ask the cat?”

     “As if we could,” Tulip said. “We’ll have to search.”

     Daffodil and Lily went into the living room and began to search through the bookcase. Tulip investigated the kitchen. The cat decided to follow Tulip and jumped on the counter watching her open the drawers with a flick of her wand. He growled whenever the faerie dust came close to his nose. Tulip felt a little nervous with the animal close so she kept watch on his movements.

     “We found it,” Lily called from the living room.

     Tulip flew toward the girls.

     “Nice picture,” Lily said and held up the photo that was nearly as big as she was.

     Tulip saw herself emerging from the flower just behind the woman’s smiling face.

     “You’re really very pretty,” Daffodil said.

     “Thanks,” Tulip said.

     “Now what? It’s kind of heavy,” Lily said, her wings fluttered wildly as she tried to hold the photo.

     “Put the picture down face up on the table,” Tulip said.

     Lily did. Tulip hovered above the likeness of herself, pointed her wand, screwed up her face in a mask of frowns and shot out a violent blast the swooped the photo off the table, caused it to spin in the air violently, hit the cat on the back before landing on the floor. The cat howled and ran from the room.

     Lily went to inspect the image. “There’s a bright spot where you used to be.”

     All three girls studied the photo, nothing of Tulip remained.

     “Time to leave before the others show up,” Tulip said.

      All three headed back to the dryer, shot through the vent and landed in the evergreen bush.

     “Ugh,” Lily said removing a twig from her hair. “I hate these bushes.”

     “Don’t let Spruce her you say that,” Daffodil said.

     “I won’t,” Lily said.

     “Let’s get out of here,” Tulip said. She flicked the portal between the human world and the fae open and all three flew home, their adventure over.

Word Count: 869

I think I will expand on this when I have more time. Hope you enjoyed it.

Nancy