4. the punch line

Carol and Emily smiled, knowing better than to tell her anything. As if! Did she think they were new? Hah Emily snorted then tried to turn it into a cough.

Rasmina looked at them, the question lingering on her lips. "But why? Why would she do such a thing?"

Briefly, Emily considered telling her the truth, or a watered-down version of it. Sure, she'd get in trouble, but at least the weight would be off her shoulders. But the trouble, oh the trouble.

"Let's go down to the beach and I'll show you" said Carol. Emily frowned at her, unsure where this was going.

To the beach, apparently....

--+-|-+--

The trio stumped across the sand, Emily and Carol carrying their shoes in their hands; Rasmina maintaining her poise in those fabulous purple boots.

"Let's go ask the jellyfish!" said Rasmina. Exchanging looks, Carol and Emily agreed.

But when they got to the water's edge, no jellyfish could be found. Where were they all? This was jellyfish season - indeed, Emily had seen dozens in that same spot earlier in the day. What had happened?

The tide was out - way out - but still, no jellyfish. Emily began to ask sea stars if they had seen the jellys, but no one had. "Sand dollars?" she asked "have you seen the jellys?"

The dollars rearranged themselves in a 'no'; she moved on to the crabs.

"Hey crabs, seen any jellys?" She shouted, then waited. And waited. You know how crabs are - always expecting someone else to answer. Too busy to help out, they try to scuttle away before you see them.

But she knew the law - they had to answer. Tapping her toe, Emily glared at one particularly self-important large red crab; the kind who always know the answer. Eventually he puffed his shell and bowed forward on massive pincers.

"Good afternoon, Superiors. My name is Allouitious and I bow to you." Bowing deeply, he continued, "Please convey my sincere loyalty to She Who Is Your Superior. I live to be of service."

 

3. Why jellyfish don't like eels

Rasmina came to them, striding across the beach in her new high heels. (She was one of the only fairies allowed to wear heels during the day)

Emily looked back at the sand, pretending not to notice this tall elegant beauty of a fairy in equally fabulous boots, who looked out of her element on a beach yet was the type to be comfortable anywhere.

And those heels! Purple high heels - the exact ones Emily wanted. If she, Emily, were allowed to wear heels, she'd wear those boots all day and all night.

Bet they're hot though, she said to herself. But still she wanted them; all the sour grapes in the world wouldn't convince her that she didn't.

Ever notice how some people get upset when we have/ say/ do what we want? Emily was usually not one of those people, but this time she really really coveted those boots. She just couldn't muster joy for anyone who had those boots which so obviously would look better on her.

-o-

Rasmina came nearby. Emily determinedly ignored her, hoping to ignore the interloper and get back to work.

"Ahem, why, yes...", looking pointedly at Carol, "why yes we are turning it into a museum. Jut like the old fortress from that story. It could be interesting and a show at the same time."

Pretending to be engrossed in conversation, Emily smiled at Carol, silently urging her to go along.
 

They could easily ignore the Superior. Surely she wasn't coming to speak to them anyway - what would a Superior want with two small fairies? Surely this Superior was on her way to other business - another group on the beach. 

Why slow her down and possibly get themselves in trouble? The fewer who knew of their plan, the better.

-o-

But Carol looked up and greeted Rasmina; of course she didn't yet know her name. "Hello, Superior. My name is Carol QLC. I bow to you."

Aww, Carol, with her sucky ways.

But Emily also knew her manners - and what forgetting them could cause. "Hello Superior. I am Emily QLC. I bow to you". And she bowed.

"My Daughters, my Prettys. I bow to you. Pray be about your business."

"Thank you Superior" they chanted, bowing again. Emily felt relief. Kept her head down, waiting for the Superior to leave. Watch for the shadow; that way you don't have to look up. No possibility of engagement with the enemy.

Carol - good old loving friendly Carol, couldn't leave it be. She had to do it - had to raise her head and say, "Pray, Superior, joins us for dinner. You must have come a long way."

"Fine, child. I will. I am Rasmina. I will be at your house at twelve. Be sure That One [glaring at Emily] attends." With a swirl of her wings she was gone.

The name  Rasmina, like a dark cloud, gave Emily a little shiver. 

2. Rasmina da-da-duh

Emily remembered the day they met Rasmina. The day had started out sunny and bright. Emily and Carol were discussing their plans for the day. They'd been working on an interactive art project that helps people love and understand nature. Emily and Carol know that part of their jobs as fairies is teaching humans to treat nature better, so that everybody can survive. Without nature, there are no fairies and without fairies, there are no humans.

So they discussed the project and what to work on that day. After lunch, they would stop work and go to Fairy Beach, looking for jellyfish and sea stars. Fairies are light enough to ride on jellyfish without being bothersome, so they never get stung. Sea Stars are usually underwater, but each low tide, many stars stay out on the sand, drying up and apparently dying. They don't actually die; they absorb lost souls, which makes them seem rigid and dead. Once covered up by the incoming tide, stars release the souls to the sea. In the water, the previously-lost souls are guided by ocean life until they resolve their pain and are able to find their way to heaven.

The fairies like to go by the beach to welcome the sea stars, and thank them for the work they do. Getting souls to their proper places is important! And so Emily and Carol were at the beach at 3.15, with no idea of the extent to which their lives would change that afternoon.

The afternoon they met Rasmina.

1. Emily

"Emily?", said Carol as they drifted downward, silently mesmerized by the light. Shafts of 'heaven light' glinted down on them, lighting the path of their descent. Warm golden beams, the kind that attract fairies, which indeed is what Carol and Emily are.

Carol never liked her name. She thought it too pedestrian, normal like a secretary. Secretly, for she didn't want to be seen as a complainer, she wished her name were Estenzia, or Syllibusisia. Or Amanda.

"Emily?", asked Carol again, trying to break her friend's spellbound gaze. "Emily, I think you should come over after."

"Why? What do you mean?" Emily came to with a start. "Why should I come over?"

"To keep you out of danger, of course. To make sure that doesn't happen again."