Onyx Ring (Incomplete)

[Hugo Prosperio]

I have some hardcore writer's block when it comes to Carnival of Dreams, so I decided to visit my old friends from Pixie Dust, and tell their next story, which I've been plotting for a while now. I hope you all enjoy it!

ONYX RING
A Pixie Dust Tale
by Hugo Prosperio (aka darthspielberg)

Chapter One: Black Pebble



The spring air swept into the bedroom of Alana Sweet as she slept soundly, the wind tussling her raven hair like it would grass. She sighed softly as she gripped onto her pillow. She suddenly stirred moments later, however, when she thought she heard her name. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

The 22 year old girl was home visiting her family in Maine for a week, and was enjoying the rest and relaxation, but every night she swore that she could hear someone calling her name. She rose from her bed, planting her bare feet on the ground, and stood up, looking around. She couldn’t see anyone, so she sighed and began to crawl back into bed when she heard it again

“Alana!” it said, distinctly. It was coming from outside. She walked over to her window and stared out, and looked onto the front lawn of her parents home, and again the voice called out to her. “Alana!”

She quickly slipped on a pair of her sneakers, not bothering to change out of her pajama pants and t-shirt, and crept downstairs. She slid out the front door and listened, and sure enough, the voice called again. She followed the sound of it into a nearby patch of forest next to the house. She had played amongst these trees when she was little, so she knew her way around, even in the dark. The voice called out again, and she could make out something in the distance, a figure.

“Hello, Alana.” It said, with a soft, friendly male voice. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Who are you?” Alana asked.

“I have many names, some human, some of other worlds you can only imagine. But for now, you may call me Strom.” He said stepping into the moonlight to reveal a man around Alana’s age, and if you had asked her at that moment, she would say he was very cute.

“Well, Strom, why are looking for me.” She added, looking around for possible escape routes, in case things get scary.

“I have gift for you. You see, I have magical powers. Now I am sure you don’t believe me, but that’s okay. Time will tell if I am lying or not. I come to give you a very simple gift, a gift of…freedom.”

“Freedom?” she asked curiously as she looked him over.

“You are a college girl, right now, are you not?” he asked.

“Yes…” she said hesitantly.

“…and a working girl, if I not mistaken. Have to pay for school one way or another, right?”

She didn’t like the tone of his voice, but she stood her ground.

“I work as a waitress some nights, to make some extra cash, that’s all.”

“And wouldn’t you like to be free of the burden and stress of it all…to live a life of adventure and…freedom?”

“You can give that to me?” She asked, highly doubting it.

“Of course I can. Like I said…magical powers.” He said chuckling.

“Look, I don’t know you who you are, but I think this prank has gone on long enough, don’t you?” she said, hands firmly on her hips.

“I can imagine this very strange for you…but I am telling the truth…” he stated. “Perhaps…a bit of proof?” he said a smile on is face, made incredibly creepy by the moonlight.

Deciding to humor him, She replied with a simple “Yeah, sure…”

He the stepped closer, and produced a small velvet bag and handed it to her.

“Inside is a small stone, hold it in your hand, and wish to be free of your earthly burdens, and the stone will make it so.” He instructed.

She opened the bag, and shook out a small black pebble, that shone in the moonlight.

“Now grasp it tight…and think those thoughts…” he smiled.

She did as she was told, and oddly a warm sensation began to transfer from the stone to her body.

“What is it supposed to do…” she asked.

“My dear, you are about to find out” Strom said with a laugh. A laugh that Alana didn’t like one bit.

Suddenly she felt the warmth spread from her hand to her arm, to her whole body in a matter of seconds. The warmth began to tingle, and the tingle got stronger the longer she held onto the stone. She then felt a strange jerk in her body, and suddenly the whole world started to morph before her eyes. It seemed as if it were slowly getting bigger, the trees, the moon, even Strom…but then the realization that her clothing was getting loose singled that the world was not getting bigger around her, but that she was getting smaller. She dropped the stone with a loud gasp, but it was too late. The magic had already worked it’s way into her body, and she was rapidly, and steadily, shrinking in size.

“Soon, you will never worry about another thing in life, my dear” Strom said as her pajama pants began to slide off. “You will be in my collection of pets, and My dear, you are going to be the prize of the bunch, I can tell you that…”

“What?!” she shrieked and tried to run, all the while screaming “Help! Mom, Dad! Help”

“They can’t hear you. They are in a deep slumber, and you, Little Alana, are mine.” Strom said as Alana felt another jerk, and she dwindled down quickly to around six inches in height.”

“Please!” She shouted up, standing stark naked, in the center of what used to be the neck of her tee shirt. “Please turn me back…”

“You took my gift, which means you really wanted to be freed from your stressful life, and now you are…” he said as he grabbed her, her tiny body squirming in his hand. She tried kicking, punching, and even biting, but he was wearing leather gloves, and she couldn’t seem to do anything to harm him.

“Come, Alana, Let’s go Home” Strom said, sounding quite satisfied with himself.

The only thing that remained was a pile of her clothing, and a small pebble, black, but no longer shiny…now very dull…

-----

The police detective left the room as the parents of Alana Sweet sat there, trying to desperately get the cops to believe that their daughter had been abducted.

Her father shouted, “You have to believe us, we aren’t mad. All that was left was her clothing…and that…pebble…what if it’s a calling card?”

Detective Alex Horn knew they were telling the truth, but he wasn’t sure how it had happened. What he was sure about was that this was the third disappearance of it’s kind in the last month. Each case was the same; a young college-aged girl disappeared in a heavily wooded area. All that was left behind in each case was the girls clothing, and a dull ugly looking black pebble.

“CSI find anything?” Horn asked his partner, Jacob Leonard

“No” said Leonard. “No signs of abuse or foul play other than the disappearance. No footprints, no trace, no nothing. Whoever is doing this…is a real professional.”
“Yeah, seems like it.” Horn said. Horn was running out of ideas, and even worse, he was running out of excuses for the loved ones of those gone missing.

“Make sure to get a full report of what Mr. and Mrs. Sweet have to say, Jacob” Horn said as he grabbed his cup of coffee. “I’m gonna head back to the scene…see if I can dig anything up. I just wish someone in this building knew what the hell is going on.”

Oddly, at that very moment someone was in the building that knew what was going on and he happened to be the chief of Fairy Police. Da’av Harken. He sat in the window, listening to the cries of the Sweets, and to the conversation between Leonard and Horn. He saw Horn leave, and he flitted out of the room, unnoticed by anyone, and followed the grizzled police detective to his car.

“This is gonna be interesting.” Da’av said as he flew into the back of Horn’s beat up pick up truck.

-----

The cool splash of the tropical waterfall soothed both Jadaris Pevnock and Jenna Hall as they bathed.

“I love vacations like this…” Jadaris said wistfully.

“Me too.” Jenna added “And the scenery is to die for.

Of course, one might think that they were off in Hawaii or something, but the truth was much more…odd. They were sitting in the middle of a waterfall themed soothing fountain, like one you might find at Brookstone or some place like that. They couldn’t have been taller than four inches, and Caitlin Miller just rolled her eyes as she walked past Jadaris’ desk.

“Guys…I’d love some help closing up shop!” Caitlin said.

“But we are on “vacation”, Caitlin!” Jenna shouted up.

“Yeah, Big Bad Caitlin is ruining all our fun.” Jadaris said, sounding like a massive child.

“Oh Can It, Jade” said the voice of Beth Gainsborough, who was sweeping the floor. “ Just because your magic who-doo rakes in the customers, doesn’t mean you get to sit on your ass and we have to clean it all up.

“Fine…” Jadaris said crossing her arms. She then blew on her hands, and dust mixed with the mist of the water from the fall, and In a flash both Jadaris and Jenna were human sized, standing next to the desk, wrapped in towels.

“Now…get some clothes on, ladies” Caitlin said. “You’ve got mopping to do.” She said pointing out the puddles growing beneath their feet on the salon floor.

-----

“Nothing at all. Damn it” Horn said through his teeth. So far, the clothes and the pebble remained as part of the crime scene, but Horn knew the crime lab would be back momentarily to take them to the lab to do further tests. He swore as he kicked a nearby tree. This case had been plaguing him for months. First it started off slow, a kidnapping would happen every once in a long while, but in recent months, it’s gotten worse, and all he had to show for it was a collection of dull pebbles that meant absolutely nothing to him.

Da’av on the other hand had a pretty good idea what the pebbles were, but he would need to do some investigating to be sure. He swooped down while Horn was distracted with the pain in his foot from kicking a tree, and sighed. He saw a small red velvet purse, on it was a strange seal. Da’av knew what it meant, but he said nothing as he collected the purse, and stuffed it into a knapsack on his back.

“This is far more complicated than I thought” he mumbled to himself as he flew off, heading towards the city in the far distance.

Horn just stood there, silently wishing he knew what the hell to do…perhaps, someone would grant his wish soon, perhaps not…all he knew is that he had to find this culprit, and bring them to justice…if only he knew how hard that would be.

I liked Pixie Dust, but I'm already inclined to believe this will be better. The main characters from the last story are 'comfortable' with the magic involved, and their casual attitude towards it makes the waterfall scene that much more enjoyable than the sink scene from the first.

The makeshift fun is one of my favorite parts of shrinking. One of my old favorites was a fishbowl bubbler, adjustable hotplate and ceramic bowl that combine to make a jacuzzi for 3"-6" people.

I am curious to see if Lauren or Kaylie make an appearance. If I were Kaylie, I'd be bringing Lauren back daily just before the dust wore off for a refresher dose.

[LOD]

Just loved the scene in their shop. Things like that put things in perspective.

[Hugo Prosperio]

It's been a long week, but I finally finished chapter two! Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Two: The Moon and The Shadow



Over the past half year, Jadaris had invited her three friends to move into her ?Human Habitat? as she called it. Since it meant not having to pay rent, they quickly agreed. They had refurbished the whole place since opening the Pixie Dust salon, and it had become quite a comfy little place to live.

Alfred, Jadaris? human ?assistant? as she called him now, was in the kitchen preparing dinner, while the four girls sat in the living room, watching the nightly news.

?This just in? said the voice of the female reporter. ?Another mysterious disappearance has occurred, this time in Wells, Maine, a small coastal tourist town.?

?Hick-ville, if you ask me? Beth said as she sipped from a soda can.

?Police have not released a statement yet, but it is believed to be linked to several other recent disappearances of similar natures.? The reporter continued. ?The girl in question, one Alana Sweet??

Caitlin about spit her drink across the room. ?Alana!? she shouted.

?I take it you know the missing human?? Jadaris said as she helped Alfred bring in food, sandwiches to be exact.

?Yes. I did know her. She was my lap partner first semester this year!? Caitlin said. ?She?s such a?well, no pun intended, sweet girl?

?I knew her too. She sat next to me in English last year? Jenna said as she sippied from her soda.

?This is horrible.? Jadaris said. ?Poor girl??

?It?s worse than you know? said a male voice from by the window. There, standing on the sill was a tiny figure, male, wearing a modest toga, and a badge.

?Da?av!? Beth said with glee as she saw her boyfriend.

?What do you mean, worse than we know, Da?av?? Caitlin asked.

?These disappearances weren?t some human kidnapping, as the police say.? He then removed his knapsack and removed the small velvet bag. He tossed it up to Jadaris, who grimaced.

?Oh no.? she said, rubbing the golden seal embroidered on the front. ?This has to be a mistake, right??

?I hope it is. I really do.? He sighed as Beth walked over and picked him up ?Not now, hun.? he whispered to her as he stared at Jadaris.

?What is it, Jade?? Jenna asked.

?This is a magic bag. It allows magic to stay in, not leaking through or getting out until it is opened?it holds the seal of the Royal Colony. The King of all Fairies.?

?I?ve already informed your mother. She is going to speak to the king himself?to see if this can lead to any new information.?

Jadaris said nothing, but simply looked at the golden seal, a black spiral?

-----

?A black spiral that waved on the banner over the entrance to the royal throne room was all Prince Mortimer could seem to pay attention to. He paced back and forth as the banner flapped in the wind overhead. Soon the large doors opened, and a small man, wearing white robes stepped out.

?How is he?? Mortimer asked the man

?He will be fine, with some rest, young prince. You may go in and see him? he replied.

?Thank you, Doctor? Mortimer sighed as he opened the doors and entered his father?s chambers.

There, on a large bed sat King Moon, the king of all Fairies.

?My son, come in!? he said, a glimmer of happiness in his weary voice. ?It is so good to see your face.?

?Father, are you alright?

?I?ll be fine, just a cough, really.? He said hugging his son.

?Father, I don?t know what I?d do without you? he said. ?I am not ready to rule?

?Son, you will make a fine ruler?someday, but I am not yet dead, and don?t talk like I am? he said with a wink.

?King Moon, your highness!? said a voice. ?The High Magistrate from the Meridos colony is here to speak with you.?

?Ah, Lorna! Send her in!? he said, again, a fleeting happiness in his old weary voice.

In stepped Lorna wearing a regal gown, her hair flowing in the wind of the room. She bowed befor the king, who nodded his head in thanks.

?It?s good to see you, Lorna? Moon said.

?I agree, it?s good to see you too, your Highness. I trust you know why I am here.? She said.

?I sense it is about the human disappearances. You have news.?

?Yes, My chief of police has found a magic concealing pouch bearing the royal seal at one of the disappearances. He surmises it held whatever the culprit used to kidnap the girls.?

?Very troublesome indeed. I?ll have my Advisor look into what can be done about it. I trust Da?av is making other progresses.?

?He is, My Lord. He will be working day and night until this enemy of both peoples is caught? Lorna said.

?Excellent.? The King said as he stood up and poured a glass of fairy wine for Lorna. ?I trust your daughter is doing well?? he said.

?Oh, Jadaris? She?s doing quite well for herself. She is helping some humans run a business.?

?I know, I hear many a great thing about Pixie Dust, even from fairies. I am glad for her. There was a time where I wished her to return, if only to marry my young Mortimer here. I think that she would make an excellent queen.?

?She?d be flattered? Lorna said as she looked Mortimer over. ?And how are you, Mortimer? I haven?t seen you since you were a youngling.?

?I am well, Madame Pevnock. I miss spending time with you and your daughter. Like a second family to me, you two were.? He smiled.

?I miss having you. Perhaps you should come for tea sometime?I?ll invite Jadaris?

?I?d like that? he said, still smiling.

Lorna finished her wine, and was poured another glass, as King Moon, Mortimer, and her sat down over lunch.

-----

Alana shivered in the cold dark of the box she had been placed in since being tricked by the mysterious figure known as Strom. He had left her in a box on the edge of a forest somewhere, and had left for what seemed like days, but was less than 24 hours from when she had been kidnapped art first. She cried as she sat there, knees up to her chest, wondering if she?d ever see home again.

Suddenly a shaft of light came in through the barred window in the box. Then the lid opened, and a giant hand scooped her out. The hand, wearing the same gloves as Strom, set her down.

?Don?t run, little thing. You won?t get far. The owls are out tonight, and you would make a fine snack for one of them? Strom said, his voice deeper than she remembered it, but unmistakable. Two other creatures, humanoid in shape, then surrounded her and oddly, they were the same size as her.

?Bring her down, then bring her to my chambers at once. I?ll shall meet up with you later? he said before vanishing into the shadows.

One of the creatures pulled a small bag, much like the one Strom had used to conceal the stone, and poured a fine dust out of the bag and blew it in the face of Alana. She watched as the world began to grow again, and she did nothing but cry. Shrinking down to miniscule size, the creatures picked her up and placed her inside the box again, which was now infinitely bigger than before.

?Hold on tight, Human? said the voice of one, a female.

?Yeah, this could be a bumpy flight? the other voice said, a male.

At this point, all she could do was pass out, from fright and exhaustion.

-----

The sunlight lit the house as Caitlin readied herself for work. She sipped from a cup of coffee as her hair dried, and she began to knock on the door marked ?Beth?

?Beth!? she screamed.

Inside the room, the naked figure of Beth laid still, the outline of where Da?av had been from earlier next to her.

?Come on, Sleepy Head, you and I have to open the shop for Jade.? Caitlin sighed, and then slowly opened the door.

?Beth, Don?t make me come under there.? She said as she saw the six inch figure of Beth walk out from under the large bed.

?I?m up, bitch, let me get dressed, alright.? She said, in her usual tone.

Caitlin smiled. ?I?ll let Jade know you need dusting.?

She walked out of the room and saw the small figure of Jadaris flitting through the house. She loved sunrise, and frequently flew to the top of the Prudential Center, the tallest building in the city of Boston, to watch it.

?Just get back from the Pru?? Caitlin asked.

?Yep. Another beautiful day in the world? she said smiling.

?Da?av dusted Beth last night so they could?well, you know?and she is opening with us, could you do the honors?

?Love to!? she said flying into Beth?s room

?Hey, can?t you knock first, Jesus? came the tiny, but growing voice of Beth.

Jenna walked out of her room and into the kitchen.

?Morning, Cait!? she said, rubbing her head full of bed hair.

?Morning. So what are you gonna do with your big day off?? Caitlin asked.

?Not sure yet. I?ll figures something out.? She said as she poured herself a very colorful bowl of cereal.

A little while later, Beth, having showered, walked with a grown Jadaris and Caitlin to the door.

?Don?t get into any trouble today, Jenna? Beth said with heaps of snark.

?You either? Jenna retorted with a chuckle, as she plopped down on the couch and put on some Cartoons.

-----

?Crime Lab has found nothing, Mr and Mrs. Sweet. At this point all we can do is wait to see if anything turns up. We?ll keep you informed?? Detective Horn said. He then leaned in and whispered ??I?ll keep you informed. If you have any thing, leads, questions, need directions to the nearest coffee shop when I town, call me? he said giving them his card.

?Bob? he yelled to the cop sitting behind the counter ?Validate the parking for the Sweets. I have to go.?

Horn always got a weird feeling whenever one of the kidnappings were near, and he could feel like he was on the verge of breaking the case.

Da?av followed him, as usual. His daily routine of coming to Maine to follow Horn was getting old, but if any one of the two peoples were going to make a break through, it was going to be Horn. Da?av knew it.

-----

?She is in her cage, sir? said a female fairy to the cloaked figure of Strom before her. ?I will see to it that no one disturbs you.?

?Thank you?but prepare the stone. I am off again today to add to my collection?

?So soon?? she asked.

?It is no business of yours when I do what I want, just to make sure that I get it done!? He shouted.

?Yes, Sir.? She said cowering as she left.

?Now, my crystal ball? he said holding a large clear crystal orb. ? Show me?show me my next pet?

[LOD]

This story is truly going places.

[Hugo Prosperio]

After another month, here we are.

Neat trivia fact about this story is that all the locations mentioned (with the exception of the Fairy Colonies...) in the story exist in the city of Boston and it's surrounding area. For example The Pixie Dust Salon? It's a Starbucks in real life. Enough fun facts, let's get to the story. A few shrinking scenes in this chapter, to appease the process fans

Chapter Three: Jenna?s Jog

When Jadaris, Caitlin, and Beth arrived at the salon, their first customer was eagerly awaiting them.

?Good Morning, Girls? said the chipper voice of Lauren Daniels, a former foe of Caitlin and Beth?s, now their most loyal customer. Her little sister, Kaylie peaked out from behind her and smiled at the girls, and waved to Jadaris.

?Morning, Lauren.? Caitlin said as she unlocked the door to the salon. ?Come on in!?

Beth and Jadaris quickly headed out back to get things prepped for the day?s work, while Caitlin went to the cashier desk.

?Your usual today, Lauren?? she asked.

?Of course, Cait.? She said smiling, patting her little sister on the head, which caused the child to giggle. Jadaris stepped out from back as Lauren stated. ?I don?t actually have an appointment today.?

Caitlin sighed and flipped through the book, and saw solid bookings until closing, and she looked at Jadaris who smiled. ?Your usual is pretty simple. I can fit you in before we open? the pixie said smiling.

Kaylie jumped for joy at hearing this and watched with glee as Jadaris sprinkled the famed Pixie Dust onto her sister, who?s body started to glow a bit, before beginning it?s decent into tiny.

?I am so glad you two enjoy this so much.? Jadaris said as Lauren shrank at a brisk pace. ?It?s a great improvement over the first time I met you? she added.

?What can I say, My little sis is a really good BIG sis.? Lauren said laughing as Kaylie giggled.

Caitlin couldn?t help but smile as well. Since opening the Salon they had made many people happy, and it was always a good feeling.

?Almost done? Jadaris said as the girl reached doll size, this time her clothing shrinking with her. ?Now, as usual, you have to be careful Kaylie? Jadaris added ?You can?t let anyone else see her, or lose track of her.?

The little girl was well aware of the rules, and nodded her head to each one. ?I?ll take real good care of her, as usual, Ms. Fairy.?

?Good. You two have a good day.? Jadaris said before adding. ?It?s on the house?

Kaylie picked up her now tiny older sister placed her in her overall pocket, and the two left, ready for another day of sibling bonding, albeit the most unusual kind?.

Beth entered the room just as they were leaving, and noticed that Lauren wasn?t anywhere to be seen.

?Another happy customer? she said.

-----

?Have you retrieved the stone?? asked Strom, particularly antsy in his tone.

?Yes, as you asked, master.? The female fairy said.

?Good. You are free for the rest of the day, Miss Echon.? He said as he took the small pouch from her and pocketed it in his robes.

She left the chamber and he smiled.

?Another Hunt. Victory shall be sweet.? He stated as he stared down at the crystal ball, projecting an image of a very pretty redhead.

-----

Jenna dried her red hair with a towel after her shower. She moved to her room, smiling and waving at Alfred as she passed him in the hall. When she got to her room she removed her robe, and began dressing herself in a pair of sweats, a sports bra, and a t-shirt.

?I haven?t been for a jog in ages? she said to herself happily as she grabbed her iPod, and keys, and walked out the door.

The sun was shining brightly as she jogged past her old apartment building and down towards the nearest subway station. Once there, she waited for a good fifteen minutes before a train arrived, but she was lost in her music as her ear buds pumped tunes in, and pushed her troubles out. The train arrived and she shuffled along with the other city dwellers onto the green and silver train that would take her to Boston Common, where she would jog.

?Stop: Boston Commons!? the cheerful recorded voice said in the train as she got off and jogged up the steps into the lush green park that was Boston Common. She turned her music up loud and began to jog at a brisk pace.

?This is gonna be a good day, I can feel it?? she said softly to her self as she took off.

-----

Alana Sweet sat with her knees tucked up to her chest in her dark prison. In mere hours, she had been shrunk twice and was now captive to some strange figure of shadow, whose face she had not seen. Suddenly bright light shone into the box she was in as the lid was lifted up. In looked the woman who had helped transport her.

?Come, little one. It?s time for you to meet the others.? She said as she placed her hands down. ?I won?t hurt you. I promise?

Alana gently placed her foot onto the hand of the girl and climbed into her palm.

?There we go. I figured we?d let you get some air. That box can get a bit dark and cold, I bet...?

It was at this time that Alana noticed the elegant butterfly style wings protruding from the girl?s back.

?What are you?? she asked.

?I am a fairy. Cora Echon is my name. What is yours, Human?? she said. She had a kind voice, which took Alana by surprise/

?Uh?it?s Alana. Alana Sweet.? She said taken aback that she was in the palm of a fairy.

?Now, welcome to the master?s collection. He takes good care of his pets?especially the ones he keeps for himself. You are in good hands.?

?But my family?my life??

?I know it?s hard to accept at the moment, dear, but you?ll get used to it, I?m sure. Now then, let?s introduce you to the others? she said setting Alana down in front of a large stone structure. There was a wooden door just her height. Cora unlocked the door and pushed the tiny human in with the tip of her fingers. She spoke, her voice filling the large room Alana had just entered.

?This is Alana, please welcome her!? and with that, Cora Echon was gone.

?Hello? said a soft voice from ahead. Alana saw beds lining the walls of this large stone room ?I?m Kayla. Welcome!? she said

?Uh, thanks, I guess.?

?The other girls are out in the other room, would you like to meet them??

?Sure?? Alana said as the other girl, who was wearing a makeshift toga, led her to the back door.

-----

Jenna jogged past the large statue in the park, and headed down the path towards the frog pond. As she ran, a little girl playing by the side of the pond waved to her and she saw that it was Kaylie, from the salon, and she waved back. The girl smiled and held up a small figure, the figure of Lauren, who quickly waved, but saw an older couple walking by, so she pretended to be a toy.

?Jadaris would be proud? Jenna said as she moved quickly towards the wooded area of the park. And that?s when it happened?she heard a voice, whispering to her from behind a tree. It was strange, because she could hear it over her music, over all the noise in the park?the whispering spoke to her through everything.

?Jenna?? it said softly, and whimsically. Jenna moved towards the tree.

?Hello?? she said.

?Hello Jenna.? The voice said as a tall man, wearing a wide brimmed hat, stepped out from behind the tree. The hat concealed his face. ?My name is Strom, and I?ve been waiting for you.?

-----

?There you go, dear? said Jadaris as she fluffed a customers hair, having turned it bright pink with some dust. ?Hot Pink, as requested, and it really suits you.?

The girl smiled as Jadaris showed her a mirror.

?Thank you, You guys are the best.? She said getting up and walking over to the desk to pay Caitlin.

?Have a good day? Caitlin added as the girl left.

?And that?s Lunch!? Beth said as she came in with the girls lunch order from a nearby Mexican place.

?Two Steak Burritos, and one?Rice Only Burrito? she said handing Jadaris hers, who happily unwrapped it.

?I don?t know how you can eat that thing?it has no flavor? Caitlin said as she opened her steak burrito.

?Flavor is in the mouth of the eater, my friend? Jadaris said before getting a very strange look in her eyes.

?Something is wrong.? She said very suddenly.

Beth and Caitlin shot each other a look before looking at Jadaris.

?Jenna is in grave danger. We have to go.?

-----

?Waiting? For me?? Jenna asked the stranger.

?Yes. You see, dear girl, I have a gift for you?? Strom said.

?What kind of creep are you?? Jenna said through clenched teeth. This was really weird. A cold wind blew past her, which caused her to shiver.

?Creep? I am not sure what you mean. I am just a friendly stranger wishing to give a gift to a lovely lady. You have a busy life do you not? Today is in fact the first day off you?ve had in a long time, correct??

?Yes? she said quickly.

?Well, I can make it all go away, the tediousness of the school work, the responsibility of your job. You can be free, if you accept a small token.? He said holding up a small velvet bag, which Jenna recognized at once!

?Oh My God! You?re a fairy! The Kidnapper!? she said. Strom froze in his tracks. No one had ever known what he was before.

?How did you know I was a fairy??

?The emblem on that bag?? she said, ?It was found on the bag at Alana Sweet?s disappearance.?

?Very interesting. I?ve never come across a human who knows of fairies, at least, not until I?ve taken them. It matters not. You shall be mine, like the rest of them?

?HELP!? Jenna shouted trying to see if anyone near would come to her aid, but no one moved. In fact every person in the park seemed frozen in place.

?They can?t hear you. Time is different for you and I at the moment. They are moving about their lives, and to them we don?t even exist. A special trick of mine, in case of public problems.?

?You can?t take me. I won?t accept your gift. You can?t shrink me without that stone.?

?If you know of fairies, then I bet you know of Pixie Dust.? He said smiling as took another pouch from his pocket.

?It?s not as strong or effective as a stone from Onyx Ring, but?it will do the job, none the less.? He said throwing dust at her, hitting her in the face, and she knew she was in deep trouble as the world expanded around her.

?And so Jenna, it is time for us to go home?? he said reaching for the freshly shrunken girl, leaving her clothing behind. He took the stone out of the bag, and crushed it in his hand, tossing it on the ground as it lost its sheen. The patrons of the park began to move again, as if nothing had happened, and to them, nothing did happen.

[LOD]

Great new chapter

Let's hope that Beth gave her some pointers on how to react in these situations

[Hugo Prosperio]

Here is the new chapter (after MONTHS) I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Four: Lady Luck

Boston Common was littered with tourists on this spring day, and Jadaris, Beth, and Caitlin pushed through the crowds. Jadaris had her eyes shut, her right hand extended, as if using it to sense something.

?This way? she said, passing the Frog Pond where children splashed their feet in the water. They continued to walk, Jadaris focusing hard, until Beth gasped. There?not three away was all the proof they needed that something terrible had happened.

?Jenna?s clothes!? Caitlin said.

?You?re too late?? said a familiar voice. Da?av, stepped out from behind a tree, Human sized, which as an odd sight in itself.

?I got here as soon as I could, but?I wasn?t fast enough. I sensed today would bring another kidnapping, but I had no idea??

?It?s not your fault? Beth said leaning her head on his shoulder. ?How could this happen?? she sighed.

?Look?? Jadaris said as she held up a pouch, much like the one Da?av had found before. ?This one has the king?s seal on it as well?but it looks like it was filled with dust, and not a stone??

??you mean a stone like this? Caitlin said holding up a dull black, careful to pick it up with the sleeve of her shirt and not her hands. Da?av quickly moved and picked it up?

?The same as before, except?this still has it?s magic semi-intact?oh, my stars?this is bad.? He said with a voice filled with despair.

?What?? Jadaris asked

?It?s a stone from Onyx Ring?the great fairy ring that surrounds the Grand Colony?whoever our attacker is?he is within that colony?which makes this much more complicated?and now with Jenna?This is out my league??

?I think I know who to call? Jedaris said with a twinkle in her eye.

---

King Moon sat in his bed, coughing.

?Damn Cold.? He said to himself as he looked out the window. The sky was turning grey, preparing for a spring thunderstorm. ?At least I?ll have something to entertain me??

?Your Majesty?? spoke the calm voice of Moon?s highest royal advisor, Jorbeth.

?Ah, Jorbeth. What is it?? coughed the King.

?You have a visitor.? He said as Prince Mortimer entered, bowing his head.

?Ah, son, come in, come in!? the king said, his mood brightening.

?Father. How are you feeling?? he asked.

?Shitty.? He said smiling ?What?? he added after he saw his son?s reaction. ?Did you want me to lie??

?I just don?t expect such vocabulary from you, father.? Mortimer said with a slight sigh.

?Oh, I can?what?s the human term??cuss like a sailor?? the king said with a chuckle.

?Father, I?m serious. I worry for you. I don?t want anything to happen to you.? He said softly. His father gazed at him

?Mortimer, you are a wonderful son, but you do too much. I thank you for your concern, but it is a passing matter, and will be resolved soon. Now, how about a drink?? The king said with a wink as he pointed to the bar.

?What would you like, father??

?Wine, like usual.? Moon said with a smirk.

Mortimer walked over and poured himself a Brandy, and his father a wine.

?Don?t Skimp. I have no tolerance for wasting good wine.? King Moon laughed as Mortimer brought his drink over.

?To your good health, father!? Mortimer said rising his glass. Moon did the same.

?And to yours, my son? he added as he drank.

Something in the air felt off to the King, but he wouldn?t let the odd feeling spoil the moment with his son.

---

Kayla walked in front of Alana as her hips swayed with a seemingly excitied gait.

?So where are you from, Alana?? she asked as she lead her through the halls of the concrete house.

?Maine.? She said softly.

?Oh, Yes. Master Strom mentioned that he was headed north for the neweset member of our little club.? Kayla said with a giggle.

?You call him Master??

?Oh, Yes. Some don?t, but he?s kind to me, so I give him the respect I think he deserves.?

This didn?t sit well with Alana, but she didn?t say so. She just walked quietly behind Kayla as they reached a door. Kayla opened it and inside were ten other girls, dressed the same.

?Girls, fetch a new robe for our newest member?Alana?oh, I didn?t catch your last name? she said.

?Sweet? Alana said softly.

?Ah, yes. Alana Sweet! From Maine!?

The other girls ooohed and awed at this. One of them fetched a white robe and handed it to the naked Alana. ?They aren?t high fashion, but they work well enough? the black girl said with a smile. ?I?m Kari.? She said shaking her hand.

Alana was taken aback at all the smiling faces in front of her.

?This is the common room. We all hang out in here when we aren?t entertaining the Master and his friends. Did he say if you were a personal pet, or for sale?? Kayla said curiously.

?For Sale?!? Alana said alarmed.

?Oh, he auctions some of us girls off? said Kari. ?I believe I am for auction next week. I can?t wait to meet my new master.? She laughed.

Alana couldn?t take anymore. ?You girls like this?! We are slaves. Tiny Slaves!?

?Well, you could look at it that way? said another of the girls. ?but Strom isn?t cruel?he is very kind. He treats us well, and sells us to the kindest masters around?

Alana just sighed and plopped down on the nearest object (a thimble) ?This is a dream. A very long, very stressful dream.?

---

Beth, Caitlin, and Jadaris approached the small pub, and Caitlin sighed.

?Drinks? Is that all you can think of, Jade??

?No! There is someone here who can help us. I just hope she is sober? Jadaris said with a groan as she opened the door. Inside was a charming little Irish pub that was mostly empty. The barkeep smiled and waved at Jadaris.

?Jadaris, how are you?!? he smiled.

?Oh, I?m fine, Bubby. Is Shannon here today??

?Oh, you want to see her, do you?? the barkeep asked. ?She?s in back. Feel free to go. Your friends can go too.?

?You are too kind, Bubby.? Jadaris said.

Caitlin looked at her oddly as they walked into the back room. ?You friends with the barkeep.?

?You aren?t the first human friends I ever made. Although, he already knew I was a fairy when we met, but now isn? the time. Shannon?! You back here??

?Aye!? said a small voice with a large hiccup. ?And who wants to know??

?Jadaris Pevnock.? She said simply.

?And what would the fey want with a wee lass like me?? said the voice again.

?I need your help, old friend.? Jadaris said looking around trying to spot her, when suddenly a paper cup sitting on the table flipped over, and there stood a tiny figure, dressed in green with firey ginger hair.

?Suddenly I?m an old friend, am I? she said hiccupping again. Jadaris ignored it and turned to Caitlin and Beth.

?Girls, this is Shannon Mahoney??

?A Leprechaun!? Beth gasped, sounding almost like Jenna.

?Don?t be giving away me secrets!? Shannon said, standing up putting her hands on her hips. ?I?ve a right to keep me heritage to meself.?

?I was just guessing? Beth said. ?Jeesh?These little folk are touchy?

?Watch your tongue, lass? the leprechaun said before turning to Jadaris. ?What is is you want my help with, anyway?

?A fairy is kidnapping humans?and one of our friends was the latest victim.?

?And you, Almost-Queen of the Fairies, can?t figure it out.?

?Almost-Queen?? Caitlin asked

?It?s a long story?? Jadaris said

?As big as her Ego?? Shannon interjected. ?Well, I suppose I?ll listen to your plea, but I don?t want to be yelling up at you three?? she said waving her hands and green dust surrounded Caitlin, Beth, and Jadaris. They felt the world shifting, and in a flash of light, they were standing face to face with Shannon.

?You could have just grown yourself.? Jadaris said, sighing, as the other two girls looked around realizing they had shrunk?again.

?Could have, prefer it this way?unlike you.? She said. ?now then, when did your friend disappear??

?Today. Only an hour ago? Jadaris said. ?The kidnapper is?well, he?s using stones from Onyx Ring to shrink humans and take them.?

?So your kidnapper is from the Grand Colony of Moon.? Shannon said. ?Interesting. You want me to find this?kidnapper, don?t you??

?Well, you are the best tracker in the world of magic, are you not??

?They don?t call me Lady Luck for nothin? lass? Shannon smiled.

---

?Let me go!? shouted Jenna from inside her new prison. The black box blocked out the daylight, and all she could do was hit the walls with her fists, but it was getting her nowhere.

?Quiet down in there? said the voice of the fairy who had taken her from her kidnapper. If only she had gotten a good look at his face, but she was too frightened to try. She couldn?t believe this had happened, and yet it seemed almost too perfect. She had survived the whole Mabia ordeal, and now Karma was paying her back in kind.

?Out you go?? said the voice as the lid of the box opened, and a hand came in and picked her up.

?The Master wants you separate from the others? said the fairy as he took her to what looked like a cage.

?Do enjoy your stay, now won?t you!? he laughed as she kicked and screamed.

---

The Banks Hospital for the Mentally Unstable was full of strange and unusual patients, but none more unusual then Patient #23. An older woman, she was found wandering the streets of Boston, mumbling to herself?claiming she was someone very important, and yet she couldn?t remember who she was at all.

She sat in her room, quietly watching the sky through the window, when suddenly a noise caught her attention.

?Hello there.? Said a dark figure in the corner, concealed by his long coat and Fedora style hat. ?You don?t know me?but I know you. Oh Yes?and I want to help you. I want to help you receive what is truly yours.?

She stared at him blankly as he stepped forward, revealing his eyes to her.

?I want to help you remember?

[LOD]

The last part sent a chill up my spine...

She can't be back!!

[YetAnotherLurker]

Just a quick word to say that I'm glad that you decided to continue this story, darthspielberg. It's really good.