THE STUDS #2

A sweet voice came out from nowhere. Mary opened her eyes wide. The icy cold feeling was gone as the thing appeared. She saw a tiny little figure floating in front of her. No! It did not floating. It actually was flying! Even Mary herself could not believe her own eyes. She had never heard, saw, or touched an odd creature like that before. Mary tried to reach it and touched it tenderly. It has tiny fingers, tiny face. It also possessed a pair of beautiful blue eyes and light blue flappy wings, which suits it the most. It looked just like a human but in tiny and flying version.

‘What are you? You spoke to me?’ asked Mary.

‘Yes, my lady. I am a faerie. We lived in this cave ever since your great grandfather built the building above it.’

A faerie? Never heard of them.

‘Why are you here? You are supposed to not to be in this spooky place.’

‘Oh, uh, I am... I am lost.’

The fifteen-year-old girl began to search for the golden ball, which had brought her into this spine-chilling grotto. Later, she saw it hidden behind a big black boulder, as she almost cannot see it. The ball began to float again, making its own path, as it knew where it was going. Mary certainly had no idea what was going on.

‘Fine, then. Let me take you to our cave with that ball. You are following it all along, right? I guess you have opened the book secretly, ey?’

‘I guess so. Is it wrong?’ Regretfully she asked. Maybe she should not enter her father’s reading room.

‘No. It is good, actually.’

They started to follow the golden ball. Silence began to occupy the circumstances. The only sounds heard was the buzz from the flying thingy and water dripping from the stalagmite. Now Mary knew that the tunnel she met earlier was leading her to a cavern. They walked and walked until they reached an enormous painted wall. She stared at the wall for a long time. She had never seen a wall like that before. There was a painting of an old man. Yes. He was her great grandfather. But, what was standing behind him? She looked intently at the picture. She gave a hard look and that was the time that she saw what she had never ever been seen. She saw a large red glowing dragon with fiery eyes. It also had a pair of cumbersome flamed wings! She froze as she dazed by the bewilderment. She had her jaw opened wide, almost.

‘Are … are you okay?’

‘Oh… uh, I am… I am fine. Thanks.’

‘Can we go now? Are you ready?’

‘Go? Where we want to go? This isn’t the dead end, ey?’

‘No. my place is right beside this giant wall. Do you think that you can just go back when you 

reach this place? No way! You must see my hideout. I really want to show to you. Don’t be scared.’

‘Okay. Where is it? Let us go and then we can go back home early before my father finds out that I am not in my room.’  

She wrapped her hand in Mary’s finger as if she was the knight in a shining armor that will protect Mary from danger. A small giggle came from the faerie as she was enjoying the time. The golden ball suddenly began to shine brightly. It floated towards the wall and launched a solid knock on the massive wall. In no time, the barrier cracked open. A dazzling ray came from it and made Mary could not stand her eyes. The next second, she was blacked out. Only dark shade covered her. Black.