Bedtime Stories

Finish That Thought #19 (Judge's Comments)
Prompt: [She] awoke in the grass, freshly mowed except for a ring around [her] body.
Special Challenge: An ending and an answer


"He awoke in the grass, freshly mowed except for a ring around his body.  It took him a moment to realize he was in his backyard and that Mom was ringing the supper bell.  Brushing the bits of loose grass from his trousers, he leapt to his feet, and ran towards the house.

'Coming, Mom!'

As he slipped into his seat at the table, surrounded by his family once more, he wondered for a moment if it had been just a dream.  But he soon dismissed the thought, for everyone knows that the Pixie Dreamers were just another story.

The end."

Grandpa closed the old leather book and set it on the nightstand beside the rocker.  He glanced down at his granddaughter snuggled on his lap and was surprised to find her blue eyes brightened by the bedtime story.

"Read it again, Grandpa!" Suzy implored.  "Please!  I want to hear about the pixies again!"  Chuckling, Grandpa picked her up and tucked her into her little bed.

"Not tonight.  It's bedtime for you."  With a huff, Suzy settled her head on her pillow and watched reluctantly as Grandpa smoothed her sheets around her.   

"Are the pixie dreamers real, Grandpa?  Do you think they'd visit me, too?" Suzy blurted out.

Grandpa's eyes twinkled as he chuckled again, "Perhaps, but they only visit sleeping children!"  He switched on her fairy nightlight and bent over to turn off her bedside lamp.  "Good night, Suzy.  See you in the morning!"

"G'night, Grandpa," she replied as he closed her door softly behind him.  As soon as the latch clicked, Suzy scrambled to the side of her bed and reached over to turn on her lamp again.  Carefully picking up the book, she reverently placed it on the bed and opened it to the first page.  The colourful drawings intrigued her, as well as the story of the little boy who discovered pixies hiding in his backyard.  Flipping page after page, she ooooh'ed and ahhhhh'ed over each chiseled face with the pointy ears.

"But what if we get caught!"
"Silly imp, she can't see us.  Come now, quickly!"

Suzy's head jerked up as the hushed voices came from her window.  Two little creatures scurried across the ledge. 

"Hello?" she whispered hesitantly as she put the book down.  They froze for a second and dove for cover behind the curtains.

"I told you she would see us!" the distinctly female voice spoke.
"What do we do now?" hissed the male voice.
"Maybe if we stay quiet, she'll ignore us."

Crawling out of the covers, Suzy jumped down from her bed and held her breath as she crept over to the window.  Her heart was thumping so loudly, she hoped her parents couldn't hear it all the way out in the living room.

"She's coming this way!"
"Be quiet!"

Suzy pulled the curtain up and smiled.  They were pixies!  "Don't be scared, I won't hurt you.  My name's Suzy, what's yours?"

The female stepped forward timidly.  "Azamuthel, and this is Kilren," she replied.  "I don't get it, how can you see us?"

"Because she believes," Kilren answered in awe.