Swear Not By The Wings
3 Curse

I'm awoken by a sharp pinch to my leg. I jolt up and survey my surroundings. The trees are glowing and the sky is purple! Either I hit my head too hard or I am a long way from home. I inspect my thigh to notice that there is already a bluish bruise forming from whatever nipped me.

I'm startled when I hear a familiar giggle echo throughout the area. My memory floods in and I remember everything. I argued with my mom, went to school, got asked out by Landon, who probably thinks I've stood him up, and then, I walked home.

The walk home! More remembrances enter my dazed mind. I was being followed by those people who wanted my chocolate bars. Wait, what?

That's the last thing I recall before waking up in this place. The trees rustle with the wind and I catch glimpses of people scampering in between the luminescent tree trunks. I try to locate my bag only to realize that it is no longer strapped around my shoulders.

Darn it!

If I could be anywhere right now, it'll be in my mother's arms. Anxiety engulfs me when I realize that I'm alone with whoever has brought me here.

There's nowhere to run to. I don't have my bag, which means I have no phone or chocolate bars! In a place like this, no one would hear me if I scream. Not even my mom and she's always there to protect me. All she's ever wanted to do was protect me. I am such a terrible daughter! I didn't realize that I spoke aloud until a voice responds to me saying,

"That's the first correct thing you've said all day."

This is the same velvety voice that spoke to me before. The depth of the voice tells me that I am dealing with a male. I turn around to face him, but much like earlier, discover nothing.

"Stop doing that! Show yourself, coward!" I say, suddenly angry.

"She wants to see what we are! Freya, show her!" The smooth voice is now shouting. If I'm not mistaken, the boy referred to themselves as "what", does that mean they aren't human?

Without a warning, a young girl with black hair and violet eyes swoops into my vision. I feel myself being heightened into the air. My eyes almost pop out of my head when I come face to face with the top of a tree. And no, the tree is not small. The freak of nature easily peeks at three hundred feet!

By now, I'm screaming like a banshee. I hear dozens of voices snickering at me from below. As if taking me up so high isn't enough, the girl drops me. My stomach does multiple backflips and my voice gets lost due to the amount of shrieking I've done. I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing to hit the cold forest floor.

The impact doesn't come. Instead, I am caught by a pair of strong arms. I don't know if I'm lucky or doomed. Icy gray eyes bore into my amber ones. I'm breathing heavily, still processing the incident from just a couple of seconds ago. I examine the boy and notice he has frost white hair and snow colored skin. He's absolutely enchanting and scarily beautiful.

My heart stops when I spot two iridescent wings flutter from behind him. And that's when everything clicks,

I am in the arms of a fairy!

I've cursed the fae name and now they've brought me to their world just as mom said they would!

"Mom was right, " I mumble under my breath.

"What was that?" Asks the fairy. I shrink into him, afraid of making him angry. The winged boy roughly plops me onto the ground and stands strongly in front of me. I look up at him and notice several other figures appear from around the male fairy. Each and every one of them wears nasty glares on their faces. The fairies all have distinct sets of wings. The most shocking part of the reveal is that they are all human-sized!

The creatures look at me as if I'm the evilest thing to exist. They kidnap me and I'm the bad guy? I focus on Frosty when he opens his mouth to speak. Yes, I've named the white-headed fairy, Frosty.

"Stupid girl, your mother has taught you well and you chose not to listen. You have spoken disrespectfully against the fairies and creatures of this woodland, " he nods his head to a unicorn standing at the side of a fae girl with pink hair.

Please tell me that is a horse with an ice cream cone on its head and my mother set this whole thing up to punish me for my rude behavior this morning!

I didn't even mean what I said! I was just angry. Even though I said those terrible things, is it that much of a big deal?

"Because of what you said, you are now cursed. The only way to leave this world and return to your world is by believing in fairies with your whole heart. Then and only then will you be free to go," Frosty finishes.

I stare at him like he is the dumbest thing alive.

"Are you not right in front of me? I believe you're real! I can see your wings. The curse is broken. Now please, let me go," I request. The magical beings laugh at me. The handsome fairy with the white hair just watches, blankly. He snaps his fingers and a gorgeous necklace appears around my neck. It is a heart pendant. There is fuchsia-colored dust that occupies the heart, but the dust only reaches just below the center of it.

"The dust that inhabits the pendant represents your belief in us. When and only when the dust fills all of the heart will you be able to return home. As you can see, you have some work to do. Seeing isn't believing after all." The fairy boy explains to me.

So, I really am cursed! The first thing that comes to my mind is my mother. I didn't even tell her goodbye before I left. What if my pendant never fills up?

Will I have to stay here forever? The thought has me gasping for air. I desperately look up to the fairy.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you. I was just angry! Please, give me another punishment! I just want to see my mom," I beg through tears.

The dashing fairy gives me an unforgiving smile.

"You're not leaving until that pretty little pendant on your neck is full. Oh, and you can kiss your date goodbye," he says coldly. Jerk.

"This has to be a dream," I whisper as I stare at the inhuman boy. He smirks down at me mischievously, bends close to my ear and whispers,

"Go ahead and pinch yourself, little human."