After the Park

“But, you can’t be. How? You don’t have wings...”

Abbi was quiet for a moment. She pursed her lips with an anxious look on her face.

“I do have wings, Eddus Brandt,” she said softly.

Eddus studied the young woman. The dress she wore fit her form, leaving little to the imagination about the slim body beneath it. There was no way she could be hiding such appendages.

For a moment, Abbi stood, watching him surveil her. She looked down and away; the expression on her face had not changed, and her breathing had quickened.

“You won’t see them. Not here. Not now. Not in this realm.” The look on her face was that of concern and fear. “I’m so sorry, Eddie.”

All Eddus could do was to nod. He couldn’tnotbelieve what she was telling him, but his mind could also not accept it. Unlike having seen what he had inside of the pixie ring with his own eyes, his mind couldn’t accept what he could see no proof of.

He said nothing, but stood facing Abbi, waiting for her to look at him. If what the young woman had shown him had been real, then what she was telling him could very possibly be real as well.

Shuffling her bare feet for a moment, Abbi met his gaze. Her face expressed worry, and even fear. In her eyes Eddus could see both emotions, but her eyes did not tell him she was being dishonest.

Eddus’ mind was in a jumble. He felt numb, looking down at the young lady in front of him, who said nothing. She again shuffled her feet, still looking worried.

“You just apologized to me,” Eddus said, breaking the silence.

“I did.” Abbi’s eyebrows rose in surprise for just a moment before knitting once more. She looked down again, shaking her head.

“But, you never let me apologize to you.”

Abbi smiled, glancing up at him. She still looked worried, but Eddus could see relief in the way that she looked at him now.

“Are you not going to ask me about what I just told you?” Her eyes met his for a moment.

“No.” Eddus shook his head. “Yes- I don’t know. I don’t know how to wrap my mind around whatever it was you showed me,” he told her. “And I could ask you a thousand questions. Honestly, I don’t even know what to ask you right now.”

Abbi nodded in silence. She watched Eddus for a few moments before she spoke.

“I stop you from apologizing because you don’t owe me anything, Eddus Brandt,” she said. “And I don’t want you to owe me anything. Most of the time, you try to apologize for things I only play with you about. You’re so sweet, but you do not owe me a thing.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean? What could I owe you?”

The corners of her mouth curled slightly, and she shook her head.

“I should never have shown you what you saw today. And for it, I owe you more than I can ever give you.”

“I still don’t understand. I’m still not sure what you showed me, or if I can even believe what I saw.”

“I didn’t ask you if you wanted that burden.”

Eddus laughed. “Truthfully, as truly unbelievable as it was, I don’t know if it’s a burden.”

“Eddus.”

“Is it- the faerie ring- something that you’ve not shown many people before?”

“I trusted you, Eddus... I do trust you. I showed you one of our most guarded secrets. I showed you- I have never taken anyone into a pixie-ring,” Abbi shook her head, suddenly looking distressed, “with, or without permission.”

“Wait- What permission? You need permission?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Well, it’s not forbidden,” Abbi said with a thoughtful look. “I’ve never taken anyone before, but perhaps I should have asked first.”

“Will there be trouble? Will you be in trouble?”

“We’re really not supposed to bring anyone into our realm without first being granted permission.” Abbi shrugged, looking away. ” But I didn’t take you all the way in.”

“But, why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it is so that the person being brought in can be vetted, or something. I’ve never even thought about it before.”

With his free hand, Eddus gently turned her head toward him, lifting her chin. “Why would you risk it? I mean, why me?”

Abbi turned toward him. “I couldn’t tell you not to disturb the pixie rings without showing you why.” Her voice trailed off.

Eddus watched her in the dim glow given off by the park’s lamppost. “Abbi, what is it?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Abbi’s eyes met his.

“Six weeks.”

“What?”

“You said that it had been six weeks since we’d last seen each other,” she said, speaking quickly. “I really didn’t mean to be gone so long. And I have missed you, Eddus. I wanted you to know that. Sometimes I don’t notice the time passing, and I couldn’t explain it to you without-”

Abbi leaned forward, raised up on her toes, and pressed her lips to his, kissing him gently. “You really are the sweetest human being I have ever met.”

Eddus blinked in surprise at her action, remembering that she’d said the same thing to him while saying goodbye the night they met. It dawned on him that now it had a much different meaning than it did six weeks prior.

“But, what... What kind of trouble will it mean for you? I don’t want you to get into trouble. What will happen to you?”

“Well, it could go unnoticed,” Abbi wrinkled her nose, smiling, but only for a moment, before she became serious again. “Or this might be the last time I ever see you, Eddus Brandt.”

Pulling him by the hand, they began to walk again.

Eddus glanced at the young lady by his side as they made their way up the sidewalk. Abbi wore a content look, but said nothing. He wondered how she could be so calm in light of what she’d just told him.

He tried to imagine what sort of trouble the young woman could get into. He felt somewhat responsible for the fact that she might be facing some sort of consequence, and he didn’t want to think about the fact that he might not see her again.

It was all still impossible for him to wrap his mind around. If he weren’t dreaming or hallucinating, then Abbi was literally from a different world. He had so many questions.