Pixie Ring I

“Hello, Eddus Brandt.” 

Abbi stood beside a smaller ring of mushrooms a few meters away from him, next to a large elm tree. She wore a black, knee-length dress with short sleeves.

Her head tilted slightly, light brown hair falling over one shoulder, she gazed at Eddus with a mild look of amusement on her face. In the light of day, she looked even more like a child than he remembered. “What are you doing?”

“Abbi, how did you- what are you doing here?”

“I was following you.”

“You were?” Eddus looked in the direction from which he’d come. He hadn’t noticed her, or anyone else for that matter, on the path he’d been on. In truth, he never really took notice of anyone he’d passed, unless they caught his eye as a good subject for a future artistic endeavor.

Abbi approached him, stopping about a pace away. Her amber eyes glowed in the late morning sunlight as she looked up at him with a smile. It was the same smile that had randomly come back to his memory as he drew her.

She shook her head with a small laugh. “It’s good to see you, Eddus. I’ve missed you.”

“You missed me?”

“Very much so, didn’t you miss me?”

Taken aback by the question and still stunned to see the young woman in front of him, Eddus could not seem to find his voice. He didn’t know how to answer, even if he could. In truth, hardly a day had gone by that he hadn’t thought of her, but miss her?

Abbi’s eyes danced as she tried to suppress a smile at Eddus’ visible discomfort.

He opened his mouth but said nothing.

“Eddie, I’m fucking with you.” She said nothing for a moment and then extended her hand, glancing at the ring of fungi that Eddus stood at. “Will you walk with me?”

Eddus hesitated a moment before taking her hand, his heart quickening. Several times, he’d thought about the night the two of them had met, and how her actions and mannerisms that night had been so different to what he was used to. At the time, it had been so foreign to him, almost to the point of annoyance, but upon reflection, they had evoked something he wished to feel again. He had the feeling of knowing one shouldn’t do something, but doing it anyway.

Leading him back out of the small clearing, Abbi steered him between the rings of mushrooms around them. Once out of the clearing, they walked to the paved pathway, walking beside it, rather than on it.

As she put her arm through his while they walked, Eddus became very self-aware and glanced around quickly. There were several people in the vicinity, though none of them gave any notice to the two of them. Although they were not attracting any attention, Eddus felt more uncomfortable in the light of day with Abbi on his arm than he had the night they’d met.

The sun shone through the trees above, providing brightly lit areas along the pathway between those in the shade of their canopy. For several minutes, neither of them said anything as they walked along the path.

Eddus watched Abbi as they walked. She wore a content smile as she took in the scenery. Closing her eyes, she slightly raised her chin, letting him guide her as they walked. The sunlight bathing her youthful face, he couldn’t help but wonder again about her age.

“Don’t you just love the forest, Eddie?” Abbi spoke, her eyes still closed. As she opened them, she shifted her gaze to him. Eddus smiled nervously, quickly glancing away.

“I do, though I don’t think of City Park as much of a forest,” he told her skeptically, as they passed an overflowing rubbish bin beside a park bench.

“Nonsense,” Abbi looked out at the surrounding trees. “The forest is beautiful. It just isn’t much of a park.”

“You think so?”

“Eddus, do you realize that we are walking through the oldest area of the city? This square mile of trees is all that is left of the forests that were here for hundreds of years. Before humans. Even before time. This forest is the only magic left in this area.”

“It is? Magic?” Eddus chuckled.

“Why do you think the city was built around the forest rather than just clearing it?”

Eddus stopped walking and turned to face the young woman beside him. There was no playfulness in her voice, and a somber look in her eyes.

“This is a serious subject for you,” he said. “You’re not... fucking with me?”

Eddus had lived in the city his entire life. He’d played in the park growing up, then visited it as a place to be alone with his thoughts, as well as having found artistic inspiration there. Never had he thought of City Park as anything other than a park.

Abbi’s face flushed. She nodded and glanced away. “I guess so,” she said, “my people have been in this area for a long time. I was born here.”

“Here in the park?” Eddus joked, regretting the question instantly. He did not want to come across as insensitive to what he could see was something she felt deeply about.

“Close enough.” Abbi tilted her head up to look at him through narrowed eyes, the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

“How old are you, Abbi?”

“Eddie!” Abbi’s eyes widened, a mock look of offense on her face, she leaned away from him.

“No, I-I didn’t...”

Abbi quickly raised her hand, putting her fingertip to his lips. She gave her a head a little shake, then smiled.

“You should know better than to ask a girl that question, Eddus Brandt,” she said, “and the answer is that I’m older than you may think.” Her eyes glowed momentarily. “I’m not quite old enough to take offense to you asking it, though.” She smiled, removing her finger from his lips and tapped the tip of his nose. Slipping her arm again around his, she pulled him forward again.

As they walked, Eddus again looked down at his companion, who now rested her head lightly against his shoulder. He then laughed.

“Abbi?”

“Yes?”

“Do you ever wear shoes?”

“Not if I can help it,” Abbi said absently. Her arm tightened around his for a moment. They continued in silence. “This was my favourite part, you know.”

“Excuse me?” Eddus looked down at her again.

“Walking with you the other night,” Abbi said. “The play, the pub, your friends... The walk home was my favourite part.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly walk you home.”

“Close enough.”

“And the other night was six weeks ago,” Eduus said, amused.

“Six weeks?” Abbi looked up at him, a perplexed look on her face. “Really? I was only gone a couple of days.”

Eddus nodded. He knew the feeling. Sometimes he got so stuck into a piece he was working on that he would lose track of time completely. There were times he’d emerged from his studio after completing a piece, and he wouldn’t know what day it was.

“Time really goes by so fast. I didn’t mean to be gone that long.”

“I had begun to think that perhaps I wouldn’t see you again.”

“Eddus.” Abbi stopped walking. “I told you that you would see me again.” She looked insulted. Her expression was genuine. “I promised.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I keep my promises, Eddus Brandt.”

Eddus nodded thoughtfully. The girl remained downcast, as though hurt by the idea that he had doubted her. Eddus waited for her expression to change, for her to smile again, but it did not, so he decided to change the subject.

“What do you do, Abbi?”

“What do you mean?”

“For a living. Like, I’m an artist. What is it you do?”

“Why do you ask?” A momentary look of uncertainty crossed her face, which was quickly replaced with an almost mischievous smile.

“It’s probably a coincidence,” Eddus said, “but I just wondered if our meeting here today meant that perhaps we have the same day off. ”

They started forward at a slow pace after the young lady studied him for a moment.

“I have a flexible schedule.” Abbi closed her eyes again as they walked.

Eddus remained quiet for a moment. Looking at the top of her head, which remained against him, he tried to imagine her in a shop, or perhaps waiting tables. Now he was even more curious as to what the young lady did for a living, but she obviously didn’t want to say, so he didn’t press it. Another thought came to mind.

“Abbi, how did you find me today?”

“I was nearby, and I saw you walking between the trees,” Abbi told him. “I know the spot you went to pretty well. At first, I wasn’t going to interrupt, but I couldn’t let you disturb them.”

“Disturb them? Abbi, there was no one else there. Disturb who? The mushrooms?”

“No, Eddus,” Abbi looked into his eyes, and reached out a hand and touching his elbow. “I couldn’t let you disturb the faeries.”