by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Portfolio
by Sarah Kirchner ’21
The Irish fairies were the ones you always heard about. They were the chimes in the forest you heard on windy days, and the sparkles that fell from the sky on a starry night. They were always there, but they hid it well. The fairies knew how to please the humans, even if the humans did not know the fairies were the ones doing it.
I heard the fairies once. They were always by the hills. Typically, they came out at night, but I saw them during the day. The lights of the sky came down to the grass and danced for me. It caught my breath, but made me feel so alive. I had never seen such a sight. For years, I was alone in the backyard staring up at the sky. I always thought nature spoke to me, but I never knew to what extent. When I was alone, the trees were there. The wind whistled, and the flowers swayed all for me. It wasn’t until I saw them that I knew there was a reason I was alone for so long.
“Ellaaa,” they sang to me. “Dance with usss.” They spoke like snakes, but their voices were light and airy. The sparkling lights were like hugs. All of a sudden, I was safe and loved.
My body moved with them. All up the hill the sparkles rose and tiny bodies emerged in the sky. They all had transparent wings and translucent dresses. They were the size of my pinky, but I could see them so clearly. They became a part of me immediately, and I knew my place in the world.
“Your place is with us now, Ellaaaa.” All together, the voices called to me. My heart was filled.
For years, I had let bullies torture me. In the schoolyard, they taunted me for enjoying the outdoors. I told them that I had a connection with the world, and they all laughed in my face. I went 16 years feeling helpless, feeling as if I didn’t belong. But deep down I knew it was all going to change. And the fairies did that. They saved me. They made me find myself.
“Ella, welcome home.” Together, all the fairies gathered around me. The greens of the hill turned greener. The dirt began to shine, and the clouds swirled together like cotton candy. In that moment, I saw the magic of it all. I understood that I needed to go through the suffering in order to find my magic.
“Thank you,” I whispered to them all. As one, they smiled at me. They all grabbed hands and floated around me. They formed a circle, and the sun poured down. All of nature was coming together, and all I could think was that it was coming together for me.
“You’re safe now, Ella.” A tear dripped down my cheek. They were my security blanket.
Then, in that moment, the sparkles came closer to me. They took control and suddenly everything became one bright light. I was becoming one of them. I was going home. And suddenly, everything felt complete.