1 CHAPTER 1

As the colours of the night fainted into the welcoming morning, the slanting rays of the rising sun brightened the entire sky, and dawn approached crisp and clear. The blazing sun shone like a golden medallion in the sky, emerging into the gentle blanket of the towering clouds over the sky.

"I always felt myself different from the others in my town, I felt disconnected and weird. It was not that I was lonely. There was just this sixth sense inside me that kept whispering that I do not belong here, with everyone. I...".

"You are late Abby…. again. What do you keep writing in this journal of yours anyway?", said Abby's mom, as she came barging into her room. "Nothing, mom, I will change and be right out.", replied Abby.

Abby's mom, Vivian, went outside and closed the door behind her. Vivian is 5ft 5 inch. She has dark black hair and light skin. Vivian is very concentrated and straightforward, she is very slim, smart, and has purple wings. She loves cooking and golf. All fairies have something for sports, they are great athletes.

Abby closed her journal and kept it locked away in a secret space in her messy closet. Her closet was less like a wardrobe and more like a garbage dump. Not only were clothes scattered on the ground, but they were also hanging from the chandelier in her closet. Her shoes were all over the place, and every drawer was wide open. She kept her closet this way all the time. Not once did she bother to pick anything up and put it away in its place. Abby was a 13-year-old fairy. Maybe teenagers are supposed to be this way? You might be guessing who I am. Well…. I am Nora. The age difference between Abby and I is 17 years. I have never seen Abby before in my life and, she does not even know I exist.

We are all fairies. We have wings, we have magic but, we lack the ability to think everything through. We are emotional and fast to react. Fairies have elf-like ears and a long pointy nose. Our hands are usually tiny, and our wings glow in the dark. We are extremely serious about our festivals and celebrations. Celebrations amongst fairies are very fancy. And when I say fancy, I mean crystal chandeliers, diamonds, glitter, thrones, expensive food, gifts, lavish décor, and much more. Fairies love the sparkle and partying. You give them all this, it will be like serving heaven on a platter.

Today was also a celebration. It is called "The Awakening", it sounds creepy but, this celebration was dedicated to the first fairy to exist. My mom told me that the first Fairy, Martha found a peaceful place for fairies, apart from the human world so, the conflict between the fairies and humans could stop. The area is secured with magic. No human can ever enter our lands. It has been more than a thousand years since we have surfaced on the human world. Now we may be remembered as mythical creatures of the past.

You may not know a lot about fairies, so let me tell you. A fairy's time span is more than 500 years, 1000 maximum. We have numerous powers and strengths. Only a few fairies in fairyland are awarded special powers like shapeshifting, invisibility, some can fly in the rain, some can grow crops by the blink of an eye, and some can freeze the water to carry out special missions. Those fairies are chosen by the council members themselves. A group of fairies is allocated with different strengths to surpass the dangers of the missions. An ability we all have in common is that we can fly, and heal a wound with our fairy dust. We all have limited fairy dust, Papa Morgan, the chief of the town, gives everyone some extra fairy dust on birth as a blessing that lasts as long as fifty years, that is if you use it wisely. I wasted a lot of my dust on several stupid things. So, I ran out of it at the age of 15. You can buy fairy dust from the store in our town. This was not possible in the early stages. In the early days, fairies would run out of fairy dust, and couldn't do anything about it. But, as time went on, our nerdy fairies found a way to create more fairy dust through the pollen of the flowers.

Because abundant fairy dust was already present, a lot of it was wasted in festivals like "The Awakening".

Abby put her baggy clothes on and went downstairs to get breakfast. Although the festival was all diamonds and bows, Abby did not feel like this was her type. She put on a milk-white sweater over black jeans, and some knee-high boots with block heels. She has curly dark-brown hair, almost like noodles. She had a light brown skin complexion; her face was flawless, with a few freckles running down the cheekbone. Her eyes were sea blue with a faint black outline around the pupils. Her hands are very delicate and soft. Abby is very strong and independent; she likes to make her own decisions and is a girl of her words.

In the celebration of the festival tonight, Vivian made her special alfredo pasta and chocolate pudding for breakfast. Not a very healthy breakfast but, hey! It is once in a year opportunity. Abby showed up at the table and greeted her dad, Joe, sitting on the breakfast table, reading the newspaper. Joe is a big tough fairy. He has big arms and strong wings. Joe is bold, he lost his hair in his early 60s.

"Morning dad.", said Abby. "Morning kiddo.", replied Joe. Mom faced the stove as she swung the waffles through the air singing, Cheryl Lloyd, 'got to be real'. She turned around to put the waffles on the table when she gave Abby a ghastly look.

"What are you wearing?!", said Vivian. "It's the time of the festival, why are you wearing these colorless clothes?", she added.

"Mom, it is just morning, I'll change later when we go okay.", said Abby.

"It is a special day, and it is important that we keep this spirit alive and well throughout the day, right daddy?", said Vivian.

Joe all confused, put the newspaper aside and supported Vivian.

"Of course, of course.", He chuckled, "The festival is only once a year, it wouldn't hurt to dress up for one day, huh peach?". Joe calls Abby peach. She is his heart and soul; he loves her very much and tries his best to keep her happy.

Joe and Vivian are part of the leading families, more like founder families. Their great great great great grandparents were amongst the first to settle in after Martha found the town. The council consists of 5 more people. They discuss the well-being and thriving of the fairy world. As members of the town's main council, it was their duty to execute the event perfectly. They were in charge of everything, the food, the lights, the show, etc.

Vivian, Abby, and Joe finished breakfast and hopped into the car. Vivian and Joe had to go to the office, so they dropped Abby off at her school on their way. Abby was a very likable fairy. She fit in perfectly, had loads of friends, was a teacher favourite, and popular. As Abby got out of the car, the school bell rang…. again. This time it wasn't her best friend waiting for her at the school door, it was the school principal. Middleton's high school principal did not give off a friendly vibe. She looked a lot like principal Trunchbull from the movie Matilda. She stood there with a nasty grin on her face, her eyebrows lowered and drawn closer together. Her eyelids squinted, and her lips curled inwards. Her facial expressions showed nothing but extreme anger.

"Would you like to come to my office miss Abby.", Said the principal. Full of fear, Abby bent her head down and followed Miss Megan into her office. Miss Megan's office, was located at the very beginning of the school entry. Although the office was beautifully designed, it was nothing less than a hell hole. The interior was grey and white with black sofas and chairs. At the very corner of the room was a big, lavish stand lamp. The principal sat on her seat, and Abby sat right in front of her. An awkward silence dominated the atmosphere for a few seconds. After a while, the principal straightened her back, crossed her finger, and lowered her glasses staring right into Abby's eyes.

"Late again?", asked the principal. "Actually, miss principal….", said Abby. Cutting off during her excuse Miss Megan said, "This is the fourth time this week. Do you know how badly this will affect your academic skills? I let you go once for this behaviour, I will not tolerate this again under any circumstances, you hear me?", said the principal. "Now get up and go to your class, you are already late, and I do not want to take away any more of your time. Go! Get to class.", she added.

Abby grabbed her bag from the floor and came out of the principal's office. The entire school hallway was empty, everyone was in their class except for Dory, Abby's best friend. Abby's gloomy face turned into a happy smile.

"What did you get in trouble for this time Abs?", said Dory, flapping her wings around.

"Oh my god!", Abby exclaimed in happiness, "Your wings are back!", she said.

"I know right, this is so exciting!", Dory added.

At a very young age, Dory was diagnosed with a fatal disease. Because of this, she lost her wings and her powers. Her parents were very worried at one point. The fairy doctors said that she would not survive another year and that the fairy dust couldn't work on her. Dory's mother did not let this statement lose any hope in saving her daughter. She had the full support of her family and Abby's family. After 3 years of treatment, Dory was finally getting better. She got her fairy dust back, and her powers were returning slowly but weren't that strong right now. Her wings were coming back slowly but she didn't have enough strength to fly.

"So, the doctors say you are getting better, huh.", asked Abby. Dory placed her hand across Abby's shoulder and said, "Yeah! they couldn't believe I was still alive. They were in pure shock Abby. You should have seen the look on their faces when they saw me before their eyes.", Dory laughed.

Abby was really happy to see Dory laugh again. Both of them have been through so much together. She thought that she would lose her best friend but now that she was all well and smiling, Abby couldn't be happier.

Dory is a girl of fine character and personality. She is very strong and caring but she has a rebellious side hidden under that angel-like face. Dory was obsessed with Ariel in the little mermaid and also dyed her hair red. She was a little chubby yet healthy. She lost a lot of weight due to her sickness but was finally normal when things settled. Dory tries her best to stay happy and uplift the mood in a room. Even if she is not happy, she tries her best to make sure that others around her are cheery and enjoying every moment of life. Dory always laughs and smiles, trying to hide the terror underneath her. Before Dory was diagnosed, her parent would fight all the time. They would bicker and quarrel at night, thinking that Dory was asleep. But she was wide awake, in the middle of the night, listening to fights of her parents. She didn't let this become a weight on her shoulder and brushed it off with her grumpy attitude.

Abby and Dory do absolutely everything together, Dory even switched schools and studied math because of Abby. Dory despises math, mainly because she is confused as to why letters are combined with numbers in a subject that is specifically dedicated to numericals.

Both the ladies entered their class. It was the first period of the day and it was a subject dear to Abby, English. Abby was a big literature fan, she loved reading and writing. Dory on the other hand loved sports, Abby couldn't stand sports. The teacher teaching English was Miss Swan. Miss Swan was everyone's favourite teacher. Miss Swan is very considerate and thoughtful. She cares about others' opinions and voices. She isn't like any other fairy; Miss Swan lost her wings a long time ago in a tragic incident. She doesn't really talk about it but she sometimes seems very dishearten when she sees everyone fly around in the corridor.

"I think everyone now understands the passive word misuse and complex sentences. Make sure you don't make this mistake in long paragraphs. I will give you an Essay for practice, complete it and hand it to me the next day.", explained Miss Swam.

In the middle of her speech came in Abby and Dory.

"You guys are late …. again, it's alright, come and sit down, I'll repeat what I said.", Unlike Miss Megan, Miss Swan is very delicate and soft, she doesn't blow up on every little thing.

They both sat down on their seats and listened to the lecture. The bell rang and their next class began. Dory and Abby got up and went to the other class. On her way, Abby was stopped by Miss Swan.

"Are u okay?", asked Miss Swan. "You have been late 4 times this week. Is something wrong back home?".

Abby and Miss Swan are really close to each other and she shares everything with her. After hearing what Miss Swan said, Abby lowered her head and tears rolled down her eyes.

Miss Swan quickly sat her down and raised her head.

"Hey, it's okay, you can share it with me if you want to.", she said.

After taking deep breaths, Abby finally got the courage to tell Miss Swan about her problem.

"Nothing is wrong, I just…. Lately, I feel very separated and different from others. There is this feeling inside of me that keeps making me miserable every second,", Abby replied with a crackling voice. "I don't know what it is or why I feel this way because everything is perfect Miss Swan, everything is the way I want it. Yet something is still missing", she cried, "But I can't figure out what it is.".

Miss Swan took her in her arms and hugged her tightly. She ran her hands through her hair and tried to comfort her.

"Hey, listen to me. I love you like my own and I can never see you like this. This is just a teenage phase every fairy goes through; they have trouble knowing their place or where they belong. When you get a little older, everything starts to fall in place. Don't worry.", said Miss Swan.

Abby wiped away the tears from her face and went out of the classroom. She thanked Miss Swan for helping her and making her feel much better. She walked to the other class when she saw Dory come again.

"Why did she stop you?", Dory asked. "I dint plan on breaking down in front of her, it just happened.", Abby replied. "You had a panic attack, again?", Dory questioned. "Yes, all my feeling just came flooded in, I didn't realize what and how much I said.", Abby replied.

"Your panic attacks are getting really serious, you should tell your mom.", said Dory. "No! I don't want to tell her, she'll get anxious.", Abby replied with a worried look on her face.

"Hey if you don't tell her, I will. I am concerned for you.", Dory cried. Abby sighed away and continued her way to the next class.

She felt as if someone was watching her. You know the chilly feeling that runs down your spine when you feel like someone is monitoring your every move. Abby stopped moving and turned her face back towards the corridor door. There was no one there. It was empty. She nodded and proceeded to class, thinking it might have been her paranoia.

The school day was finally coming to an end and there was only one last class left to take. The fairy class. In this session young fairies are taught the blessings and magic of fairies. Their capabilities and their ability to control their powers for the good. It is also a type of history lesson. It talks about the struggles, the betrayer, and the deceased of the past. Today, the class learned about a new figure.

It wasn't exactly a role model to look up to instead, a betrayer of the fairies in the past. Almost 2 decades ago a person named Richard was a popular fairy among the town. He was known for his outstanding control over his powers and the ability to make something out of nothing. Richard was a highly qualified, Ph.D. master, who had a great interest in the field of medicine. His weird interest left everyone dazzled, considering that his interests were aligned with that of humans. Some began to suspect that he was a human, disguised as a fairy. But, this rumour short-lived, and over time, Richard became a fairy favourite. He was the first fairy to discover artificial fairy dust and was one of the leading members of the town council.

The old fairies have not properly explained the problem with Richard, it is still a mystery as to what happened between Richard and the council but he was thrown out of the council and the fairyland. After that no one has heard from him, nor has anyone talked about him. Now it is more like a ghost story.

The school was now over and Abby rode with Dory to her house. Dory lives right across from Abby's house. They are neighbours. They grew up together. Their houses are opposite to each other's and are located in a peaceful location. There is no main traffic on the road and no rowdy neighbours. It is calm and quiet.

"Well, today was a boring day at school.", said Dory. "I mean there was literally nothing fun or amusing. It was plain.", she added. Meanwhile, Abby was in her thoughts, she was lost so bad in her mind that she could barely hear what Dory was saying.

"Hey, hey!", are you even listening to me?", said Dory. "Wait what? huh? ", said Abby in an unusually awkward way. "I am sorry I wasn't listening, what were you saying?".

"School, I was talking about how today sucked.", said Dory.

"Yeah…. It was very dull.", said Abby. Both of them then went on talking about their own stuff.

"So…. What are you wearing for today's event?", asked Dory. "I don't know, I'll pick something out, plus I don't want to dress up all fancy and weird. I wish I could stay at home but apparently, mom and dad won't agree.", Abby sighed.

"Come on the event is only once a year, it wouldn't hurt to dress up.", exclaimed Dory. "Ugh, you sound just like my mom.", said Abby. Dory gave a ridiculously big smile and started babbling again.

"I was thinking going a little more…. Ummm vintage, would it be great? Do you remember the...,"

"Sh sh sh", whispered Abby. "Wait what….,", questioned Dory.

All suspicious, Abby shut Dory's mouth with her finger and gently turned her head backward. She felt another presence with them, looking at them and staring at them.

"Okay you are really creeping me out girl, what happened?", said Dory in a shaking voice.

"There was someone there.", said Abby, "Who?", asked Dory. Not wasting another second, Abby grabbed Dory's hand and made a run for it. Abby kept on telling Dory to look forward and keep flying. Both of them were freaking out right now. After flying for a while, they stopped to catch their breath. Their hearts were beating louder than a drum, their hands were shaking nonstop and they couldn't feel their legs.

Consumed by anger, Dory confronted Abby. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS!", she shouted.

Breathless and confused herself, Abby couldn't utter a single word from her mouth. She was panting very fast. Shook by the whole situation she sat on her doorstep, curled her legs, and laid her head down.

Dory looked at her in complete surprise. She didn't know whether to strangle her or console her. She walked up to Abby and stood beside her. "What is wrong Abby? Hey, look at me, tell me, what happened back there?", asked Dory. Abby sobbed as she lifted her head to face Dory. "I saw something.", she cried. "I felt someone was watching us, monitoring us…. I…. I…. didn't know what to do, I panicked!", she continued.

Dory put her arms around Abby and hugged her tightly. She was confused and scared to see Abby this way. Abby was a strong fairy and was extremely good at dealing with pressurized situations, she never showed signs of fear on her face even if she was scared to death. Looking at her like this made Dory's heart sink.

Abby sat straight to look at Dory and said, "Dory?... am I going crazy?", she sobbed.

"No, no, no, no, no, you are perfectly fine, just a little tired. It is okay.", Dory replied.

Abby and Dory sat at the staircase when suddenly Dory's mom came out of her house to get her.

"Dory! Come on! Get inside.", said her mom.

Dory got up and turned towards Abby. She told her to stay strong and patient. She gave Abby a big warm hug and ran inside. Abby sat on the staircase for a while and went inside after a few moments. She grabbed something to eat and went upstairs into her room. Her parents were still working on the event, and would only return home at the last moment to get dressed. So, for the time being, Abby was home alone. She was completely petrified by the recent incident. But she decided to brush it off and continue her day.

She took a bath and got some sleep. The evening was almost kicking in. The evening colours deepened into blue and purple, turning the sky in molten brass. Daylight began to sink away but the sun still cast a faint yellow light over the horizon. It was almost time for the event. Sound asleep, Abby woke by a loud thud in the kitchen. Her eyes were wide open as she lay still in her bed trying to make up her mind on whether or not she should check downstairs. After several considerations, Abby got up from her bed and went out of her room. At first, she glanced through the staircase into the kitchen to see what made the noise. Then she gradually stepped downstairs towards the kitchen. After experiencing a terrible panic attack today, Abby's heart was up to her throat. She was scared but at the same time, very keen to see who was in her house. She gently took little steps down the stair and peeked out from the staircase every now and then. The thudding sound got more and more vibrant as she approached the kitchen door. The kitchen door is a translucent, sliding door that blocks the view from the outside. Abby couldn't properly see who was in the kitchen but she saw a few colours moving around through the thick translucent door.

It was someone wearing a red shirt with black jeans and purple wings. The image was really blurry so she couldn't identify the intruder. She was a 100 percent sure that it wasn't her parent because they were not supposed to be home until later that night. Seeing that image move, caused shivers down Abby's spine. She did not know whether to confront it or back away.

Abby's special power as a fairy was invisibility, she could cause herself to disappear and make herself invisible to the eye. She deliberately opened the kitchen door and flapped her wings behind the fairy. Abby took a blanket from the sofa nearby and approached the impostor. As she got closer, Abby covered the fairy's head with a blanket and dragged it down the floor. She curled her hands into a fist and swung it across the intruder's face. In defense, the other fairy flipped around and forced the blanket off of her head. It struggled to remove the blanket, meanwhile, Abby hit him real hard in the stomach.

"OUCH!", the intruder screamed in pain.

"This scream sounds familiar?", Abby thought in her head. She stepped back from the fairy and waited for it to reveal itself. The fairy took off her blanket and it was none other than.....