Swear Not By The Wings
7 Hide & Seek

After training, a bunch of fairies got together, talking about a "fae hunt". I went to ask Elio about it but he told me that I wasn't allowed to play and disappeared. Literally, he left in a puff of smoke!

I sit down on a log with a dejected sigh.

"What's wrong, newcomer?" I look up to discern three fairies I haven't met before. I identify the bunch as Malachi, Savvy, and Chance. Chance is a muscular fae with turquoise eyes and blonde hair. He is an earth bender fae.

Then there's Savvy, a music fairy with deep brown hair and colorful highlights. She has piercing black eyes.

Finally, we have Malachi. Malachi is a fire fairy. Naturally, he's got a lot of spunk to him. The fairy sports dark purple hair and dark blue eyes. These fairies scream trouble, but I ignore the impression. I'm not one to judge.

"Hi, I'm Arrietty," I introduce myself. The fairies greet me with smug attitudes.

"Does Elio still have you on a leash?" Chance laughs out. I nod my head in agreement.

"That fae has always been so uptight. Say, you wanna play a game with us? It's really fun," Savvy suggests.

I feel my mood perk up a bit and ask curiously,

"What game?"

"Fae hunt," they respond in unison. This is the same game Elio told me not to play. The reckless fairies stare at me with expectancy.

"Come on, you'll be fine! It's a lot like the game hide and seek. Elio won't replace out either. Just innocent fun," Malachi reasons.

I can practically hear Elio screaming in my head to walk away. I suppose nothing will happen to me. Malachi and the other two will watch out for me, right?

"Okay, I'll go," I state. The fairies cheer and take me to the spot. I look around at all the competitive faeries. I've never seen anyone so enthusiastic about playing hide and seek before. I shrug and stand next to Savvy.

"Alright, the rules of the game are simple. Hiders will have thirty minutes to hide wherever they want. Once the time is up, I along with the rest of the seekers will come to replace you. When we locate you, well you know what happens. The last fae standing wins!" Malachi announces.

I feel my face pale a little. What happens if the seekers replace us? I have no time to ask Savvy, who's standing right next to me because Malachi sounds a horn that has every fae diving into the forest.

I bolt in a random direction. I can't help but point out how much of a disadvantage I have. The fairies have wings, making it easier for them to travel. I just have my stubby legs and poor stamina.

Time passes by and I hear a horn sound again. The seekers are out. I quickly hide inside of a random tree. I'm pretty deep into the woodland and can't imagine getting caught easily.

My heartbeat accelerates when I hear screeching from nearby. Someone has been caught. Chills break out all over my arms and the cool air of the timber isn't helping. I hold my breath when I see two seekers pass by me. Both of these fairies have glowing blue eyes. If I'm not mistaken, they are using their night vision to catch everyone. Faeries have special abilities like this to accompany their excellent senses.

A couple of seconds pass and a cry is heard from a closer distance to me. Can I change my hiding spot? I reject the thought and freeze when I overhear the voice of Malachi,

"When you replace the human, bring her to me."

I shiver at his mischievous tone. What does he want with me? Then, it happens so fast. I make the slightest exhale from inside of the tree and catch the attention of the seekers.

Their electric blue eyes light up, even more, when they spot me. I feel uncomfortable by the creepy grins on their faces. Alarms go off in my head. I really should've listened to Elio!

My uneasiness grows when one of the fairies tosses me over his shoulder. I scratch, claw, and even bite the fairy's wing! When nothing else works, I begin crying for help. The nymphs continue dragging me to an unknown location. I look to my left and see Malachi.

"M-Malachi? I'm scared. I-I don't want to play anymore," I violently stutter. Malachi laughs at me along with the others.

"Sweetheart, that's not how the game works. Once you're in, you cannot leave." He states.

I feel sick to my stomach.

"Malachi, we're here," says the fairy who's currently carrying me.

Just before I can ask any questions, I'm thrown into a cold and dark place. I am in a cave. The seekers stand outside of the place with wicked looks on their faces. I try to get up but stumble over my feet.

"Have fun, human," Malachi waves at me before securing a metal door to the tunnel. I run to the closing and attempt to open the exit. I hear the fairies clapping and laughing as they walk away. I slump against the cave wall in defeat, what is the point of this?

I turn into a statue when I hear a scratching noise coming from deep within the cave. My eyes snap to the darkness. I can't see anything, but I have an odd feeling that I am not the only one locked in here.

My thoughts are confirmed when I hear a terrifying rumble of a growling sound. I swiftly move to my feet when I see two glowing orbs piercing through me. I'm trapped inside a cave with an unknown and probably hungry creature! I hear the footsteps of the monster get closer and I move further into the cage-like door.

Hundreds of jagged teeth appear in my vision. The luminous eyes are fierce and determined. I'm an intruder in this animal's home. Never taunt a woodland creature, Elio once told me.

Elio!

"Elio!" I scream my head off. The creature is put off by my booming voice. My cry for help echoes from the cave and all around the woodland. I keep screaming, hoping that someone, Elio, will hear me. My wishes are granted when I hear a voice from a distance call,

"Where is she?"

It's Elio, and he does not sound happy. I close my eyes in humiliation. How am I going to explain this? I can't come up with an excuse in my head because the unknown creature strikes me across the face.

I hate fae hunt!