Emerald Delight

Before she set foot and changed her fate, Laura sat in boredom on the cold concrete patio. It was days after she and her parents moved to Hull, with some of the boxes yet to arrive. Despite being nine years young, her parents left her alone while they were busy with some papers. 

Of course they were, Laura frowned her freckled face, couldn’t care less about me. 

She could have spent her time reading a Morpurgo book, if only those came with them. Worst of all, the wi-fi still wasn’t set up, so all she could do was… nothing. 

The garden was not particularly interesting to her. The dewy grass was as tall as her knees, about a Wellington boot high. Along the side, remnants of once exotic flowers lost after a hard battle against the invasive weeds, ending in a bog of slimy algae. Near the bottom, muddy trenches of the vegetable patch stink from the rotten carcasses of pumpkins. Beyond no-man’s land, an old shed awaits.

It was only then, a tiny rustle among the tall ferns did Laura’s tiny ears it caught. She couldn’t care less what it is, but it was something at least. Slowly sitting up, she observed carefully on that thing. As she moved along, so did it too. Eyes focused and freckles scrunched up, she chased it down. 

She ran past the flower patch, past the small pond, she couldn’t see what she was pursuing. Suddenly, her foot tripped on a ceramic gnome, gleefully sticking out in the mud, bringing her down face-first onto the pungent soil. 

Holding in a sob, she struggled to get back onto her feet. Trying to push herself back up was a great effort, like a tortoise getting back up from its shell. 

Soon as she wiped the mud off her hazel eyes, a shape of movement disappeared into the ancient gates of the Wendy house. Laura stood for a while piecing together what her trusty hazel eyes caught.

“Kitty?”, she called out. No response. 

For a while she waited an eternal six seconds, hoping that thing would appear again. 

Peeking into the decrepit shed, a strange emerald glow came out the ivy-covered wall at the back. She beamed in curious excitement, gleaming in glee even. What could this be? Quickly entering through the damp dripping interior, she followed the light like a moth to a flame. Her hands brushed away the ivy and pushed through, she couldn’t wait to see what treasure she could find! It felt like miles that web of ivy prolonged. Her hands kept itching and aching, but Laura’s volition helped her peruse the fiery copper light. Around her the passage warped and twisted. No longer did the walls were groveled dirt anymore, but glossed teak and peculiar patterns. Showing a tapestry of figures flying with curvaceous wings towards the exit. Until the vines were no more, and the carvings halted with a scripture:

“COME NAU O FÆRIEFOLK. COME NAU. KONIGRÜN AWAITS THOU.”

There! Laura halted and became breathless in awe. Glistening in the air, magic light of emerald and sapphire imbue the huge hall in divine glory. Bronze-like wooden walls, naturally grown with precision, sculpts the surrounding in elegance. Above, sparks of fireflies danced around in chaotic harmony, giving a peaceful atmosphere. Empty silence sang in a chorus. She could not be more delighted. Laura felt she stepped into another world, one full of magic and wonder. Looking around even more, she noticed three thrones at the far end of the nave. After she ran to take a closer look, she got even more curious. All had the same royal wooden sheen, almost as if they grew straight from the floor. The outer thrones had the same curly patterns as on the walls. But the middle, protruding out from the straight line of the other two, had thorns growing out of the sides. Laura looked around to see if there was anything else. A sign of life perhaps? Maybe even the thing she was-

Something appeared on the middle throne.

There, as if it’s sitting patiently, a bejewelled crown of emerald delight awaits on the throne of thorns...

Thank you very much for reading this, right now it's 12.55am in the UK.

I think I need to go back to bed now...

Maybe I'll dream some færies...