Faerie Tales, WEP, Stealing Pearls

I’m joining the Write, Edit, Publish bloghop, posting this story. The challenge is to write a story about a jewelry box. So, being the faerie lover that I am, Primrose is being mischievous. I hope you enjoy and please check out the other stories. Follow the links here. I want to thank Denise Covey and all the other judges for starting this ongoing bloghop.

 

Stealing Pearls

Primrose pointed her toes and arched her arms above her head with her hands together and her fingers pointing toward the stars. She twirled; her multi-colored skirt twisted with her body. Time whipped around her. The stars appeared to explode in the heavens. She lifted, up and up until she broke through the portal from faerie land into the land of humans.

          She stopped twisting and found herself in the boughs of a maple. The leaves a mere bud on its limbs. The smell of the human world differed from faerie. In her world, all smelled of earth, flowers and trees. In the human world, the scent was confused. Exhaust from their motorized vehicles was strong. Factories that produced things she couldn’t name left residual odors even when miles away.

Primrose sneezed. She patted her hair in place. It curled all over her head and cascaded down her back like ringlets in the shape of the flower she was named for. Each lock a primrose in colors of pink, mauve and yellow. The ruby and emerald gems embedded on the side of her forehead hurt. She touched them, ignoring their warning. Do not go to the human world. Too late, she was already there.

Before her stretched a view of multiple human dwellings. Three houses down, the lights were on, but not in the two-story home before her. She’d been here before, many times.

Lifting off from a branch she flew toward the dwelling, found the dryer vent and entered. Someone had shut the dryer door. Primrose wouldn’t be deterred from her mission. She pulled her wand from a pocket in her skirt and touched the dryer door. “Open.”

With little noise the door opened just enough to let Primrose enter the house. She flew toward the master bedroom. The entire house was dark. “Light.” The tip of her wand became a tiny glow.

All the bedroom doors were open except for one. She flew to her destination. No one was there as in the past. Curious. On the dresser was the most beautiful jewelry box she’d ever seen. She hovered above it.

The small box had stained glass inlay with a picture of a primrose. After nightly visits she had decided that the box was hers. She used her wand to open the delicate lid and heard the tinkling sound of a beautiful song. Gathered within were pearls. Earrings, necklace, and matching bracelet in all their perfect white splendor.

After making them all float so she could admire each, she lowered the jewelry into the box and shut the lid. Pulling out her pouch of faerie dust, she heard a noise and dashed behind the curtains. A human woman entered the room and turned on the light. Primrose had never seen her before.  

The woman walked to the dresser and lifted the lid to the jewelry box. “I could have sworn I heard you,” she said to no one. Turning, the woman left. Primrose flew to the door and peered around the corner. The woman entered the bedroom that had the closed door, murmuring as she went. “I’ll be glad when you’re home from your vacation, sister. Your house is haunted.” She shut the door behind her.

Primrose hurried back. She let faerie dust fall over the jewelry box. It was heavy and she needed extra support if she was to take it with her. Wasting no time, she tapped the box with her wand, and it lifted off the dresser. Guiding the box before her, she flew from the room, down the stairs and out the dryer vent.

Predawn light spread its hue over the yard. The tree was against the back fence. The box began to fall, and she tapped it, then flew toward the tree. Without warning, a huge dog came around the corner and barked. The noise startled her for a moment, and she hesitated. The dog pranced toward her. She needed height, but the weight of the jewelry box zapped her strength and she couldn’t rise further. Speeding forward, she flew as the dog charged. Its mouth opened and captured Primrose. The jewelry box fell, and she heard it crack. Warm, wet saliva surrounded her, and the dog began shaking its head violently, releasing Primrose a moment later. She sailed, not with her wings but from the force of the toss and smacked into the tree, hard. She fell and lay unconscious at the base.

When she awoke, the dog was standing over her. Its long brown and black muzzle close to her body as it sniffed. Then it used its long, damp, tongue to swipe her entire body in a huge lick.

“Go away.” Desperation made her voice boom. The dog backed up before coming forward again. It nuzzled her causing Primrose to turn on her side.

There, in the grass was her faerie dust. She grabbed the pouch, reached in and took a handful of dust. Then she jerked up and blew the dust on the dog. Immediately, he lifted off the ground. Whining, his legs tried to run but he had no control.

Primrose found her wand, flew to the jewelry box, and saw that the lid was half way off its hinges. Gathering the misplaced pearls, she replaced them in the box before tapping it with her wand. Once at the tree, she released the dog from her spell and watched it fall to the ground where it began to bark again.

She tucked her wand and pouch away, held the ruined box above her head and began to twirl. She’d have one of the metal craftsmen fix the box. A moment later, she disappeared from the human world and entered the land of faerie once more.

To be continued May 20, 2019.

Word count: 959

What do you think?

© N. R. Williams 2019