FAIRYTALES FOR A HUMAN (Lesbian)

Part 20 HUMAN

"What's up with your face?" Sylvester is sitting on a crooked three-legged stool; his arms are crossed. Just like a super strict dad who has been waiting for his party daughter. "Where is a..." he puts his hands in front of the chest as if touching invisible breasts. He physically can't stay serious for more than a minute.

Juni's lips are curling, "Didn't waste much time, did you? Cleaned the room? Lit the fire? Found and served some Doris's tins? Did everything for women to make them feel comfortable and protected here? No? Why so?" the dryad demonstratively opens a cupboard door and takes out some long shelf life products: cans with preserved meat and fish, pickled vegetables, a feebly glimmering jam jar, and some ancient hardtacks. They must have been bought by Doris, but I've never seen these package labels before. Hope they were made at least in this century.

"Do you have anything to drink?" I meekly take view of the room: the lighthouse interior looks old fashioned, fragile, and spiderwebbed.

"The freshwater spring is in the middle of the forest. You can drink rainwater, the tank is outside, under the window," Juni points somewhere out. "What about wine?"

"Wine or rainwater from a suspicious tank? A difficult choice! Wine, please..." I sigh; my heart is still thumping a little, and the fingers are shaking as if I've used the inhaler. I was so eager and frightened at the same time to face Doris in the lighthouse: that's why her absence makes me even more excited and uneasy.

"I thought you would come back for her," I whisper to Juni taking the opportunity to talk to the dryad secretly while Sylvester is    obediently getting a heavy wooden box from a tiny storeroom.

"I guess she has already figured out that we are here," it might be a little uncomfortable for her to be in my company.

"Are you afraid of her strange behaviour too?"

She nods reluctantly, "Last time... well, never mind! She is not made of sugar," she sniffs, but her hands are trembling too, "Nothing's going to happen to her now. Water won't melt her, right?! Don't worry. She'll come any minute. At last!" Juni takes an old dusty bottle from the wooden box Sylvester is holding. The girl is quickly uncorking it with a knife she has been keeping hidden in one of her boots. Sylvester gives a surprise whistle watching her wielding the knife. It feels like the girl is pleased to be the focus of his attention. Her cheeks and the tips of her pointy ears are blushing; she is casting quick glances at him every single moment he doesn't look at her.

Juni takes a sip from the bottle, "We have no glasses," she explains and hands it to me.

"Don't forget about me," with a sly smile Sylvester is stretching an empty can he has found somewhere. He holds it the way a gentleman dandy would hold a crystal Bordeaux glass, "I think I deserve a treat: I'm stressed out, not to mention the fact that I probably got a hernia carrying a load like that."

I know that he's saying it jokingly (I agree, not exactly his best line), but Juni, obviously not knowing him very well, takes it seriously, "You are a pathetic human. None of male dryads would mention or exhibit their weaknesses in the face of a woman!" she is quickly shoving me the bottle again.

A tranquil moment is ruined: the mercury is rising, and I am pretty sure that one of them is going to explode. A knock on the door saves me from being a referee in the ring of their sexual tension.

"It must be Doris!" I almost shout with joy and rushes to the door.

Independently but as though on cue, Juni and Syl grab me from both sides: the girl is holding my shoulder, my friend is wringing my wrist.

"What is wrong with you?" I ask in surprise, trying to get rid of them.

"Marina, you out of your mind?" Juni looks at me, knitting her dark brows.

"But it's Doris..." I falter out. I'm not sure anymore.

"Why should she knock on the door of her own lighthouse," whispers the young man, holding my wrist even tighter as if I'm going to run away.

"It's ridiculous! Maybe she wants to be polite," I whisper back, getting my wrist out.

His ginger head turns to the dryad, "Are you expecting a company or something?"

"No doubt, I am expecting a company: a gorgeous banquet room is ready for their arrival! Do I look like I'm waiting for the guests, human?" I notice that she's talking through her teeth. "Stand back. Both of you!" she commands, penetrating Sylvester with her amazingly green eyes, "Protect the girl. Doris will drown us if something happens to her."

With ill-grace Sylvester stops: beyond all shadow of doubt, he was about to go to the door first to show how manly man he is.

I open and close my mouth like a fish: a strange sensation is filling me. Does she really think that the mermaid cares that much about me? It seems impossible to expect it from any other person you met several days ago.

"It doesn't have a smell," she says to herself.

"Can the rain prevent your sense of smell?" I ask. She doesn't bother to react.

What a stupid assumption to compare her to a sleuth dog?! But I still think that they are over-reacting: maybe some random yacht owner happens to be on the island too and wants to wait out the storm in the protected lighthouse but not in a wobbling boat or a tent in the humid palm forest with scary snake-like creepers.

Meanwhile, Juni takes her spear and tears off a white plastic bag from its head. She walks noiselessly towards the door: none of the dilapidated floorboards gives a plaintive creak. I hold my breath hoping to see Doris. I notice Sylvester holding the knife. Are they all going crazy?

She briskly pushes the door ready to skewer a hapless traveler. A fresh gust of wind breaks into the dusky house. All we can see is a dense rain wall. Juni is genuinely taken aback.

"See! Just wind. The lighthouse is old enough to create strange 'otherworldly' sounds. Nothing supernatur..." I don't finish the sentence, for something invisible pulls one of my strands and a tank top. I give a piercing shriek, uselessly trying to chase it away.

Juni doesn't rush to help me, "It's back again!" she rolls those green eyes.