Faerie Mist

He was always looking up towards the mountains. He was always, looking, waiting. What he was waiting for, I didn’t know. I passed by him everyday when I went to the county store. I always wanted to talk to him, but the other people of the village had gossiped so much, I never did.

I would always hear a few hushed voices as I passed by him, gossip. He was sitting on a tree stump, staring into the misty mountains. The village I lived in was a small farming village at the base of the mountains. But the crops weren’t coming in as easily as the last year, and last year’s was less than the year before that.

Papa told me that he had first appeared nearly three years ago. I heard a few of the talkative women at the county store say he was the cause of the famine, as though he were some bad-luck spirit or something. But he didn’t seem so bad to me. However, I was young and innocent. I had never ventured into the dark, magical mysteries of the mountain woods. So everyone assumed that I didn’t know anything. That’s how it always was: people assuming.

Often, I would stare up into the swirling mist settling along the mountain trees and try to see what the man was looking at, or looking for. But my young eyes saw nothing. The man sat on that broken down tree and never moved. There were a variety of bags and cases beside him, as though he were traveling somewhere. But I never saw him get off of that stump of his.

One day, curiosity had taken hold of me. I was heading to the store to try to sell some of my father’s crops, hoping I might meet a foreign trader on the way there. I looked at the man briefly, passing him as usual. But then my body pivoted around and I walked back. I looked at him, I must have looked and felt very awkward when I let out a quiet, “Hello,”

The man looked at me with weary eyes. He nodded in a silent greeting. I had no clue what to say next. I took a long, deep breath and sat down next to him, “What are you looking for?” I asked innocently. I knew by now that innocence could get you your way in almost every scenario. I practically relied on it.

The man didn’t look at me, he continued to stare out, his eyes in a dreamy daze, “You don’t want to hear that story,” the man said calmly. His voice was raspy and dry, like he hadn’t spoken in a long time. His hair was a mess and he had some stubble on his chin. His face was pale and thin.

I nodded vigorously. I was determined, “No. I do want to hear ‘that story’. Please?” I asked, I was almost begging.

He sighed, “It’s a short story. But don’t take it lightly. I lost my wife three years ago, in those mountains.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I whispered. I felt bad for the man. He must have really loved her if he was able to look to the mountains with such sadness for such a long time.

He shook his head, “But I’m sure you’re still wondering why I’m sitting here. I can’t help it, really. I’m a hopeless wreck with a hopeless gaze,” he took a deep breath that seemed to consist of the anxiousness and worries running through his head, “I will tell you:”

The man, named Adrien Cosenza, was moving from his town after he lost his job. He was hoping there would be work on the other side of the mountains. But his wife, as any wife should, had reserves about leaving the place she called home.

“Esmée,” the man persisted, “Times change. We need to find a new life.”

‘Times change? These times are only changing because you were fired. If you had just tried to appease your boss, we wouldn’t be here right now! I’ve just been trying to create a family, Adrien. You’re making this too hard on me!” she shouted, exasperated. This was the third job he had been fired from, “I’m tired of moving, I’m tired of ‘finding a new life’, I’m tired of your excuses, I’m just tired Adrien. You can go find your new life. But I’m not coming along.”

Adrien smiled sadly. He understood where the young woman was coming from. He had no working skills. He knew the two had gotten married too soon. But he had to try if their relationship would ever work out. He took Esmée’s hands and encased them within his, “No. No life of mine could be complete with you by my side. You will come with me, right?” he asked with hopeful eyes.

Esmée picked up her bags and headed into the mountain path, with out another word to her husband. Adrien picked up his bags and followed her, happy that she finally came around.

The forestry in the mountains was thick and covering. The young couple could barely see through the dark foliage. Esmée was walking quickly and Adrien had to struggle to keep up.

Adrien could just barely see through the canopy. The sun had reached the top of the sky. Birds chimed loudly, too loudly, in fact. The trees began to rustle and move, but there was no wind. He looked around for his wife. She was far ahead of him. He felt suspicious about the loud noise in the usually quiet forest. So he sped up to get to her.

But the trees began to close in around the two, separating them. Esmée looked at her husband through the tangled branches with sad eyes. But she said nothing as the branches entangled around her and left Adrien alone in the darkness. He cried out her name, but she didn’t call back. She was gone.

The birds quieted down and the trees moved back to their original state. But Esmée was nowhere to be found. A new path in the mountains had appeared. And it led Adrien here, to my village.

I looked at him with sad eyes, trying to understand the pain he must be going through. But it was hard for someone at my age. I had lost my mother when I was five. But that was the only thing I could think of. And even that was hard to remember. I took his hands, trying to comfort him.

He gave me a sad smile in return, “I would be okay,” he croaked, looking as though he was ready to cry, “But I have no clue where she is. She could be dead or perhaps still suffering out there. But I have no clues. Not a body or a piece of her luggage. Anything will do, really,” he said softly.

“Why don’t you go in and check?” I asked dumbly. Right after I asked that, I wished I could have taken it back.

He looked at the ground and stared, “I…can’t go back there. There is something there. I just know it. My fears cage the love for my wife.”

I nodded and looked at the sun in the sky. It was just beginning to set. I had to get home or Papa would throw a fit. I picked up my pace.

I stayed up all night, thinking about Adrien’s words. I couldn’t quite fully comprehend them. What had caused his wife to disappear like that? The next day, I ran off to one of wisest women of the village I knew, Arlette Derinzio, my grandmother. I looked at her with big eyes, “Grand-mama, what is in the woods? No one has ever told me.”

Grand-mama looked at me with curious eyes. She sighed, “My dear child,” she said with a warming, wrinkled smile, “I guess it is time I told you some of things I know. Your ol’ grand-mama is getting old. And you do have to carry down my knowledge.”

I tugged at her shirt from impatience, “Grand-mama! Tell me!” I said softly, whining just a bit to avoid being annoying.

Grand-mama sighed again, “Nymphs, or something of the sort. They gather in the mountains every three years. They usually hold festivals and send mystical spirits in all the forest beginning every day at noon and midnight for weeks at a time. The signs that the festival is about to begin is obvious. Birds fly west, mist settles in the morning, and strange cries in the middle of the night. It is going to happen fairly soon, all the signs are slowly coming. But…” her voice lowered.

I nodded, I recognized the signs myself, “But?” I tilted my head, “Grand-mama, what do you mean by ‘but’?” I urged her to continue.

“But,” she said with a heavy heart, “Each year someone disappears into the mountains. And there is no evidence of them until the next festival.”

My heart beat quickened, “You mean…I can try to get that person out, as long as it’s before the end of the festival?” I asked, excited.

Grand-mama looked at me, appalled, “Well, yes. But only if you have a strong desire to come back. If you don’t, then you yourself will be consumed by the forest.”

At this news, I set off in an almost an instant to find the man on the tree stump. I told him what Grand-mama had to say. He looked at me with wonderment and stood up. He ruffled my hair and laughed, “You’re a good kid!” he said, picking up his bags and heading towards the entrance to the forest.

I started in after him. He looked at me, “You’re not coming to, are you?” I simply nodded and followed his pace, not allowing him to protest.

The forest was a dark place. The smell of spring seemed to reverberate throughout the entire mountain-side. It was sweet and pleasant. Yet, somehow, it was dark and foreboding. My heart was heavy and frightened. I had no clue what was going to happen. I could only hope that Adrien would find his wife.

We wandered through the woods for a few long hours. With every snap of every twig, my heart would skip two beats. And every time a bird sung, my heart skipped three beats.

Suddenly, the sun reached the top of the sky, it was noon. The birds all flew to the west, just as Grand-mama had said. I looked around; I saw a dark figure dart around the trees. I tugged on Adrien’s sleeve, “Could that be her?” I whispered, afraid to scare her…or it…off.

Adrien looked in the direction I was looking. His eyes brightened, “Esmée!” he shouted, running to the figure.

Although I was scared stiff, I couldn’t stand being left alone. So I ran after him. To my relief, the dark figure was a beautiful young woman. She had wispy brown hair and smoky blue eyes. She embraced Adrien with teary eyes, “My dear Adrien,” she whispered, crying with a stiff throat, “It’s been so long. I thought you’d never come. Never…” she whispered, falling into his arms.

He stroked her hair as he sat on the soil, placing Esmée’s head on his lap so she could rest, knowing she didn’t have to worry anymore, “We’ll get out. I found you. We can get out.”

But she looked up at him with sad, longing eyes. Eyes that would send a piercing jolt through anyone’s soul. I heard a moaning cry resounding throughout the trees. I looked around; a soft green mist began to swim around in swirls. The trees began to move on their own, “Adrien! Look!” I whispered loudly.

The man looked around. He looked down at his wife, “Esmée, let’s get out of here,” he said softly but strongly. He stood up, holding out a hand to help Esmée up.

She took his hand and started to stand up. But then the green mist began to swirl around us. I touched it and tried to grab it. I felt my hand holding something. I pulled my hand out to find myself holding a small green girl with shining wings, “A faerie?” I asked myself. The faerie looked at me and struggled to get out of my grip.

I felt a shock of pain on my hand, causing me to let go of the creature. I’m going to assume she bit it, because I was bleeding, with the sent of saliva in the wound. I looked at the couple. Esmée froze as the mist swirled around her. Then something happened; she began to glow the soft green of the faeries.

Suddenly she began to disintegrate into hundreds and thousands of the fairies. She was dissolving in Adrien’s very arms. She left nothing but the sundress she was wearing. Adrien hit his knees, unsure of what to do or say. He fell over like a lifeless lump.

Bewildered, I leaned over Adrien’s body, trying to shake him to his senses, “We need to go. We need to get out,” I said over and over, until I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore. I only heard words stumbled out my mouth, like pebbles hitting the ground.

He sat up and looked around, “I can’t see out,” he said softly, “I’m staying,” his eyes had a ghostly glow to it. Then I remembered Grand-mama’s words: ‘One can only come out if he has a strong desire to return.’ His soul must have left with his wife.

I stood up, swallowing his tears. I couldn’t stop him. I tried to talk him back into his senses. But I knew it was no good. The trees began to close around us. I was able to walk my way out, unscathed. But Adrien was devoured by the forest, I never saw him again.

But three years later, some travelers from the other side of the mountains came through our village. They were carrying a white sundress and luggage they found lying in the woods. I knew it to belong to only one person. Something rolled down my cheek. I assumed it was a tear. I took the belongings and tucked them away. I wasn’t terribly sad. Because I knew the two were together, as the faerie mist of the mountains.

© Rachel “Lehcar” VonZee 2007