Fairy tale

Once upon a time there was a little fairy dancing in a meadow. No one could see her but a young boy. Everyday, he hid behind a fallen tree trunk and watched the little fairy dancing to a music that chimed as airy and light as her delicate dress swaying with every turn of her slender body. In his hiding place, the boy began to sway too. The music seemed to fill every ounce of his being. But then, he stopped. Looking down at his torn, washed-out, much-too-short pants, his skinny legs and dirty feet, he felt shame and sorrow. Never. Never would he ever dance with an ethereal creature like her. If she could see him, she would disappear. His longing sighs seemed to fill the meadow. And yet, the fairy danced on.

One day, the young boy arrived late at the meadow. The sun was setting, adorning the horizon with spectacular glows of red and orange, with silver streaks reaching like feathers towards the snowcapped mountains. Because of that, he got distracted.

He jumped at the sound of a crystal-clear voice beside him, “Want to dance with me? Dance, until we reach the horizon?” Eyes wide, he looked at the fairy. She floated beside him in all her beauty, leaving him breathless. The shimmer of her wings, her sky-blue eyes and her dress swaying with the slightest movement of her body. He was frozen, still.

Smiling, she beckoned, “Come, beautiful boy, dance with me.” Hesitating, he took one step, then another, and another, and with every step his appearance changed. Until finally, his beauty matched hers. Joining hands, they danced, featherlike, into the silver-lined horizon.

This story was published in Writer’s Challenge “Fill in the blanks” by Bubblegum Jones, Writing.com., and received a Merit Badge for Creativity from the publisher.