The fairy who lost her memory

 It was a bright and warm Saturday and Peaches was walking through the woods, on her way back to the fairy castle where all the fairies lived, Peaches was always happy fairy and loved playing with and talking to all the animals and insects that lived with the fairies in the woods.

 

Peaches had picked a few of the flowers to take back to her bedroom when she saw something sparkling in the grass below a tall tree, Peaches walked over and there in the grass was a small silver ring. 

 

What Peaches did not notice was that Charlie the squirrel was collecting his Acorns to put away for his dinner.

 

 Charlie already had his hands full of acorns, but he could see a really big one just up the tree a little bit, so off he went upwards and using his bushy tale to hang onto a branch he reached for the acorn.

 

Charlie had managed to loosen it, but just as he was to take it his tail slipped and he lost his balance, not wanting to loose the acorns that he already had, he let go of the large acorn as he could always pick it up from the ground below. 

 

The acorn dropped through the leaves and branches towards the ground and just as Peaches stood up with the ring, the acorn hit her on the head and bounced onto the path near the grass.

 

Poor Peaches collapsed into the long grass and watched as the world turned around her, her slowly eyes closed and then all went dark.

 

Well Charlie had no idea that Peaches was below him and was just glad that he had kept hold off all the other acorns. He climbed down the tree picked the large acorn up off the path and made his way home.

 

When Peaches finally woke up she had no idea what she was doing lying here in the long grass or why she was even in the woods, in fact she could not even remember her name or where she came from.

 

Peaches looked around trying to find something or someone that she might know, but there was no one around to help her. 

 

Peaches started to walk back into the woods not sure of what she was doing here or where she was going.   

 

She tried to remember why she was here and but she could not remember anything. 

 

Just then in front of her Jasper the rabbit came up from his burrow. “Why hello Peaches how are you today” he asked, well peaches was surprised that a rabbit could even speak and why was he asking someone called Peaches how she was?  

 

“Go away leave me alone” said Peaches “why would I want to talk to a rabbit”? She said and walked away.

 

Well poor old Jasper did not know what to do he scratched his head and looked at Peaches as she walked away from him then jumped back into his burrow.

 

It was now starting to get dark and poor Peaches was completely lost, she had wandered deep into the woods, “Which way do I go” said Peaches as she looked around her trying to remember anything.

 

Peaches carried on until she was now at the edge of the woods at a small path.  Peaches looked both ways at the path, the path down lead towards a large lake and upwards towards a large mountain.

 

Peaches decided that she would go up the path and look for somewhere to shelter and sleep for the night as there seemed nowhere near or around the lake to shelter. As Peaches reached the start of the tall mountain she could see a small cave just a little way up the mountain path,” that will help keep me warm and dry” Peaches said to herself.

 

Soon Peaches was inside the cave, she was surprised how light it was as outside the night had come and all was dark now.   But here inside the walls seemed to shine more the darker it became.

 

Peaches touched the wall and it felt sticky and as she did the walls would light up in a kaleidoscope of different colours, bouncing all over the cave, from the ceiling then across the walls and then bouncing back up off of the floor. 

 

This happened for a little while then slowly it change back to a normal bright light, Peaches looked at her hand to wipe the sticky thing off the but there was nothing on her hand.

 

Peaches gently touched the wall again and the dancing coloured lights started again.

 

Well Peaches loved it and as soon as the dancing lights stopped she would touch the wall again, the harder she touched the wall the longer the dancing lights would stay.

 

Soon though Peaches was feeling tired and her head was starting to hurt a little again, so Peaches went back out of the cave and after looking around she had found some dry moss and grass that she could make herself a bed inside the cave. 

 

Soon the bed was made, Peaches made sure that the bed and herself would not touch the wall as she slept, for she did not want the bouncing lights to keep her awake or wake her up while she asleep.

 

Peaches woke up as the sun’s rays slowly crept inside the cave and towards her, as she rolled over Peaches caught her hand against the wall, “Oh now the dancing lights will start again” she said, but nothing happened and the walls this morning did not feel sticky at all, in fact they just looked like any other wall inside a cave.

 

Peaches touched the wall again but still nothing happened, “I must have been dreaming, but why am I in a cave and why can’t I remember where I live” she said to herself. 

 

Just then she felt something move or touch her on her back, Peaches turned around quickly, but there was no one there, she then felt it again and spun around, but again nobody was there.

 

Peaches walked outside of the cave now getting a little worried, “what is happening” she said as again she felt something move again on her back, Peaches ran away down the path and away from the mountain as fast as she could not even looking back.

 

Peaches was now back at the edge of the woods not far from the lake, she decided that she would go to the lake to get a drink as she was quite thirsty and while there she could have a wash. 

 

Peaches reached the edge of the lake as she looked around she found a large acorn shell that once had a nut inside, “this will do as a cup” she said to herself and picked it up. 

 

I will give it a quick wash in the lake so it is clean, then I can get a drink some water from the lake, as Peaches  knelt down to wash her drinking cup she could see her reflection on the water.

 

But just behind her on each side of her head were two large coloured wings that seemed to be bending at their tips as if they were coming to take hold of Peaches. 

 

Well Peaches jumped up and started to run back towards the woods, looking back over her shoulder hoping that whatever it was would leave her alone; as she ran she could see a shadow beside her of the thing that was chasing her.

 

Peaches kept looking behind but the there was nothing to see, then as she reached the edge of the woods she tripped over a root from one of the trees and down she went, catching her head on a branch as she fell, the world started turning again and slowly the sky and all around her turned dark.

 

Soon though Peaches woke up and rubbing the now small bump on her head said to herself, “I think that I had better go home and rest for today” and opening her wings she started to fly through the woods back to the fairy castle.

 

On her way Peaches saw Jasper the rabbit who had come up from his burrow and was looking for something to eat for his breakfast.

 

 Peaches flew down and landed beside him, “how are you today Jasper” asked Peaches, well Jasper looked at Peaches and while scratching his head said “I’m fine today, but what was wrong with you yesterday”  “I said hello to you and you told me to go away and to leave you alone and then said why would I want to talk to a rabbit”.

 

“What day is it today” asked Peaches” “Why it’s a bright Sunday morning why do you ask” said Jasper?  “Because I tripped over a something and caught my head on a branch, I still have the bump on my head, but I thought it was Saturday today”, said Peaches.

 

 “Well it certainly is Sunday today because I am going to see my fifteen children and have lunch with them today, so I will have to leave you now and I hope to see you again tomorrow when you feel better”, said Jasper and disappeared back into his burrow. 

 

Peaches opened her wings and she was soon high into the bright morning sky on her way back to the fairy castle.

 

“Where have you been asked the other fairies, we have been looking for you since yesterday”

 

“I can’t remember anything apart from tripping on something today and hitting my head on a branch, I still have the bump on my head, so where and what I was doing yesterday I can’t remember”. Said Peaches

 

“Well you had better go and rest today and you might even remember what happened yesterday when you have had a rest” the oldest of the fairies said.

 

Peaches went to her room and had a nice warm shower, this made her feel a little better, she then lay on her bed resting and trying to remember what she had been doing on Saturday and why she could not remember.

 

Peaches slept for a bit and in her dreams, dreamt of being in a cave that when you touch the walls they would light up into a kaleidoscope of different colours, bouncing all over the cave, from the ceiling, then across the walls and then bouncing back up off of the floor.

 

Peaches woke up a little before dinner time and could still remember her dream, which would be fun if you could make that happen she thought, with a big smile on her face.

 

By a small cave not far from a large lake close to the woods, a young fox named Matteo wandered inside looking for some food and to have a rest, he was surprised how light it shone especially on the walls, as outside it was now getting dark, he looked around but could find no food here.

 

At least I can have a rest here and that moss and grass will make a nice bed for me he thought, he moved his bed close to the wall as he lay down rolled over and fell asleep. 

                                            The End

© David Gore 2017