Fairy Nuff

Chapter 1

'Nuff?'

'What?'

The coachman checked his passenger list, 'You for Earth? Paul Nuff, Fairy?'

He raised his eyes from his clipboard just long enough to look Paul up and down. He shook his head and gave a slight tut.

Mrs. Nuff pulled a white square of cloth from her pouch, dabbing at her fresh tears.

'That's him.' She said to the coachman before turning her attention back to her son, 'You be good, Paul. Write as soon as you get there.'

'I will!' he answered. His throat grew tight as he approached the small steps that led to the coach door. A year was a long time to be away from home, no matter how exciting the prospect had been until now.

The coachman pointed through the door, into the coach, 'That's your seat there... between the dwarf and the ogre.'

Paul climbed into the coach.

The guard held his hand upright. 'Stand back please!'

Mr. and Mrs. Nuff moved away from the coach. Mrs. Nuff called out. 'Bye, Paul, don't forget what I told you!'

How could I forget, it was only a few minutes ago.

He couldn't help but remember the wait for the coach to arrive...

####

The noise coming from the hawthorn tree was out of place in the quiet grove.

'Paul, turn that thing off!' yelled Mrs. Nuff. She perched on top of a giant toadstool, growing in the middle of a grassy clearing, surrounded by trees. Her long, blue hair sparkled in the morning sunlight. Wings arched out from her shoulders, fluttering with every slight movement she made. After a few moments, she flew up and across the clearing towards a nearby tree. 'She hovered in mid-air, peering up into the hawthorn tree. Her wings opened to reveal the intricate patterns of veins visible through their delicate membrane. Reflected sunlight cast jewel colored shadows onto the nearby grass. Tiny shoots pushed through the soil underneath her. They budded to create a host of flowers, bluebells, buttercups and daisies. Such was this fairy's magic.

The noise from the hawthorn branches continued.

'Argh!' She raised her hands to her ears and went back to the circle of toadstools. 'She tickled the antennae of the long, fat caterpillar that lay on the top of one of the smaller toadstools. 'What do you think, Rex? Are you irritated as well?'

Rex purred and rustled his lime green, spiky fur. Mrs. Nuff stroked Rex's head and played with his silver collar that looked like a daisy chain.

Another fairy marched backwards and forwards across the grove. The flattened grass showing his repeated path. His tunic and tights were a blend of greens and yellows, giving the impression of grass, blown by the breeze. Perched on his head was a hat that looked suspiciously like an acorn cup. He stopped his marching, picked a dandelion, its white seeds ready to be set free on the wind. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he blew the dandelion. He watched the seeds sail away and blew again to release the few which held on to the stem. He forced a cough to get his wife's attention, before tapping the now empty stalk against the palm of his hand.

Mrs. Nuff glared at him. 'The coach won't get here any faster if you devastate the supply of clocks!' she snapped.

Turning her attention back to the hawthorn, she yelled 'Paul, can't you turn that thing off?'

'No!' answered a dark figure, hidden among the hawthorn leaves.

'Don't make me come up there and get you!' Mrs. Nuff called up, glaring up at the hawthorn tree. There was no answer. Mrs. Nuff noticed that Paul looked quite dangerous perched in the shadows, with his wings furled, hidden from the sunlight. To add to the sinister effect, Paul was wearing the clothes he had ordered from Earth.