Ella`s Story
My Love From The Future
BOOK SIX

Chapter 5 : The Fair Folk

Episode 58 : April 24 2023 Monday grade 12

Copyright © 2019-2025 Gary Brandt. All rights reserved.

Part One

Eileen hunched over her cluttered desk, the glow of her laptop casting shadows across her calculus textbook and a half-finished college essay titled "Why I Want to Study Environmental Science." The late autumn evening pressed against her bedroom window, the air outside crisp with the scent of fallen leaves from the old oak in the backyard. At seventeen, Eileen was used to juggling homework and her part-time job at the local bookstore, but tonight her mind wandered to her friends, Maya and Sophie, and their bizarre encounter last month with Zara, an interdimensional girl who'd turned their quiet English village upside down.

A sharp thump jolted her from her thoughts, the sound like a heavy stone striking glass. Her bedroom window rattled, and Eileen's heart skipped. She shoved her chair back, nearly knocking over a mug of cold tea, and bolted for the door.

"Where are you going, sweetheart, in such a hurry?" her dad called from the living room, his voice warm but edged with concern. He was sprawled on the couch, a dog-eared sci-fi novel in hand, his glasses perched low on his nose. Since her mum's late shifts at the hospital had become routine, Dad had taken to filling the evenings with quiet protectiveness.

"Something crashed into my window and fell in the backyard," Eileen said, already halfway down the hall, her trainers squeaking on the hardwood. "It might be hurt. I have to check."

Her dad sat up, frowning. "Could be a bat, love. Be careful—those things can carry rabies. It's probably dead anyway, poor sod."

Eileen paused at the back door, her hand on the knob, and shot him a look. "Dad, why do you always assume the worst?" Her tone was sharp but familiar, a mix of teenage exasperation and affection. She'd inherited his stubborn streak, but his pessimism clashed with her quiet optimism, especially since Zara's arrival had opened her eyes to the impossible.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just looking out for you. Go on, then, but don't touch anything weird."

Eileen pushed open the door, the chilly air biting at her bare arms as she stepped into the backyard. The old oak loomed under the twilight, its gnarled branches swaying faintly. She scanned the grass, expecting a stunned bird or a squirrel—common culprits in their garden. Instead, her breath caught. There, crumpled in the grass, was a tiny figure, no bigger than a squirrel.

It was a girl, but not human. Her steel-blue hair shimmered like polished slate, cascading over a delicate dress of satin and lace, the fabric torn at the edges as if caught in a storm. Her wings—gossamer, veined with silver like stained glass—twitched weakly. She was a fairy, straight out of the old Cornish tales Eileen's gran used to tell, but her presence felt… wrong, like a piece of a dream that didn't belong here.

"Dad!" Eileen shouted, her voice cracking with awe and panic. "Come quick!"

Her dad jogged out, still clutching his novel, and froze beside her. "Bloody hell," he whispered, his skepticism crumbling. "What… what is that?"

"It's a fairy," Eileen said, barely believing her own words. The tiny creature stirred, her opalescent eyes fluttering open, dazed from the collision. Eileen knelt, her hands hovering, unsure but compelled to help. "She's hurt."

Her dad blinked, his practical side wrestling with the impossible. "Eileen, love, that's… not normal. Be careful."

Ignoring him, Eileen gently scooped the fairy into her palms, her touch as light as if she were cradling a moth. The fairy's warmth surprised her, a faint pulse of energy humming against her skin. "I'm taking her inside," Eileen said, already moving toward the house. "She needs help."

Her dad followed, muttering about calling her mum, as Eileen rushed to her bedroom. She laid the fairy on a soft hand towel beside her laptop, the glow of the screen catching the fairy's wings in a prism of light. Eileen's mind raced—first Zara, now this. Whatever was happening in their sleepy village, it was far bigger than she'd ever imagined.

Part Two

Eileen's bedroom was a sanctuary of soft light and teenage chaos—band posters peeling at the edges, a cluttered desk, and a faint scent of lavender from a candle she'd forgotten to blow out. She rummaged through a dusty box under her bed, pulling out a relic from her childhood: a tiny baby doll bed, its turquoise plastic frame chipped but intact. She lined it with a scrap of flannel, creating a makeshift haven for the fairy, who still looked dazed from her collision with the window.

Eileen set the bed on her desk, gently lifting the fairy—Blue, as she'd learn—and placing her on the flannel. "Here, this should be comfy," she murmured, her voice soft with care. She grabbed a bottle cap from her desk, filled it with water, and added a drop of milk from a carton she'd snuck from the kitchen. A spoonful of chocolate pudding from her snack stash completed the offering, a nod to the old stories her gran told about leaving gifts for the fair folk. "Drink. Eat. You need to get your strength back."

Blue, her steel-blue hair glinting under the desk lamp, propped herself up on the tiny bed, her silver-veined wings limp against the flannel. She sipped the water, then nibbled the pudding, her opalescent eyes wary but grateful. Eileen sat cross-legged on the floor, her calculus homework forgotten, and leaned in. "Why did you fly into my window? You're not a silly bird, you know better than that. By the way, what's your name?"

The fairy's voice was melodic, like wind chimes, but tinged with exhaustion. "My name is Blue. And I wasn't flying. My wings… they don't work here. I jumped from a branch of that old oak out there, trying to knock on your glass. I misjudged the distance." She paused, her tiny hands clutching the flannel. "I don't belong in your world. I was visiting, and I got trapped here. We need to go back outside—my sister Violet is still out there. You can tell us apart because I always wear blue, and she wears violet."

Eileen's heart lurched. Another fairy? She grabbed a flashlight and the jewelry box she'd used earlier, carefully lifting Blue into it. "Hold on, we're going to get her." She hurried to the backyard, the night air sharp and heavy with the scent of damp earth. The old oak loomed, its branches clawing at the starry sky, and that strange cluster of mushrooms still glowed faintly at its base. Eileen swept the flashlight's beam across the grass, her breath catching as it landed on a tiny figure huddled against the tree's roots.

Violet was unmistakable, her violet dress shimmering like amethyst, her wings as limp as Blue's. She looked up, startled, her eyes wide with fear until she saw Blue peeking from the jewelry box. "Violet!" Blue called, her voice trembling with relief. Eileen knelt, gently scooping Violet into her hands, her touch as careful as if she were handling a butterfly. Violet clung to her finger, shivering.

Back in the bedroom, Eileen arranged a soft throw pillow on her bed, placing both fairies side by side. Blue nestled close to Violet, their tiny hands clasped together. Eileen sat on the edge of the bed, her heart pounding with a mix of awe and responsibility. "So, what are you two doing here? You said you were trapped. How's that possible? And why don't your wings work?"

Blue sighed, her voice heavy. "It's a long story." Both fairies' faces fell, their eyes glistening with unshed tears. Violet's voice, softer than Blue's, broke the silence. "We were here to visit, you know… do fairy stuff. Mischievous stuff, like hiding car keys, tangling shoelaces, scaring puppy dogs. Just harmless fun, like our kind have always done in your world."

Blue picked up the thread, her tone bitter. "But something went wrong. We found some cheese left on a picnic table—thought it was an offering, like in the old days. We ate it, and suddenly we started getting… bigger. Heavier. Our wings couldn't lift us anymore. We tried to cross back to the fairy dimension, but the portal wouldn't take us. They said we were too 'tainted' by this world. We're stuck here."

Violet's voice cracked, tears spilling down her tiny cheeks. "And there were four of us. Our sisters, Rose and Amber… we were trying to find a place to hide. Then a hawk—or maybe an eagle—swooped down and grabbed Rose. Its talons crushed her before she could scream. It was so quick." She choked back a sob. "Then a yellow cat chased Amber. She ran, but it caught her, carried her off in its mouth. It's just me and Blue now."

Eileen's throat tightened, her eyes stinging. She reached out instinctively, then stopped, afraid to overwhelm the fragile creatures. Blue continued, her voice steadier but laced with grief. "We were lost, hiding in your oak tree, when an owl came. We thought it would eat us, but it… spoke, in our minds. It said to find you, Eileen. That you'd take care of us. That you have experience with things like us."

Eileen's mind flashed to Zara, the interdimensional girl who'd crashed into their lives, and the rifts that seemed to be tearing holes in reality. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, her voice thick with empathy. "I'm so sad for you, for your sisters. But… I'm also happy you're here. It's only been minutes, but I already feel like you belong with me." She smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You look exhausted. Let's get some rest. Tomorrow, I'm taking you to the Navy Commander. He knows stuff about… weird things like this. We'll get you fixed, and I'll keep you safe."

Blue and Violet exchanged a glance, their wings twitching faintly as if stirred by hope. "The Navy Commander?" Violet asked, her voice small but curious.

Eileen nodded, though she wasn't entirely sure herself. The "Navy Commander" was a local eccentric, a retired officer who lived on the edge of the village and collected strange artifacts—rumors swirled he'd once worked on classified projects involving "anomalies." If anyone could help with interdimensional fairies, it was him. Or so she hoped.

She tucked the throw pillow into a corner of her bed, making sure the fairies were secure, and dimmed the desk lamp. The room felt heavier now, charged with the weight of loss and possibility. As Eileen lay down, her mind raced. The cheese, the rifts, the owl's message—it all pointed to something bigger, something tied to Zara and the glowing symbols she'd seen under the oak. Whatever was happening, Eileen knew one thing: she wouldn't let Blue and Violet face it alone.

Part Three

The Navy Commander's study was a labyrinth of oddities, tucked away in a creaky Victorian house on the edge of the village. Bookshelves sagged under the weight of leather-bound tomes, star charts, and peculiar artifacts—a crystal that hummed faintly, a compass that didn't point north. The Commander himself, a wiry man in his sixties with a salt-and-pepper beard and eyes sharp as a hawk's, leaned back in his chair, studying the tiny fairies perched on Eileen's throw pillow. Blue and Violet, still weak but alert, clung to each other, their satin dresses glinting under the lamplight.

"Ah, the fairy folk," the Commander said, his voice gravelly but warm, like he was greeting old friends. He adjusted his glasses, peering at Blue's steel-blue hair and Violet's amethyst gown. "These are different from your interdimensional friend, Zara. She was totally ethereal, a spirit caught in the wrong reality. The density of this world started seeping into her, so we had to take measures—special tonics, rituals—to keep her alive. Over time, we grew her into a proper earth girl, solid as you or me."

Eileen, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her backpack beside her, nodded. She remembered Zara's transformation, how her translucent glow had faded into freckled skin and a penchant for stealing Maya's hoodies. "So, what about Blue and Violet?" she asked, glancing at the fairies. "Can you help them?"

The Commander steepled his fingers, his gaze softening. "Fairies are different. They're in between—part physical, part ethereal, like a bridge between worlds. The cheese they ate, tainted with this world's matter, started anchoring them here. All you need to do is feed them—normal food, mind you, nothing fancy. They'll slowly get taller, heavier, until they're fully human, like Zara. But unlike her, it'll happen naturally. No rituals needed."

Eileen's face lit up, a giggle escaping her lips. The thought of Blue and Violet growing into full-sized girls, like sisters from a fairy tale, warmed her heart. She imagined them borrowing her clothes, arguing over pizza toppings, maybe even joining her at the bookstore. "That's amazing," she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "You'll be my fairy sisters!"

Violet, perched on the pillow, bristled, her wings twitching indignantly. "Hey, don't think we're your little baby dolls. You don't own us. We're not your pets."

Eileen's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing. "Oh my gosh, no, I'd never do that!" She leaned closer, her voice earnest. "You're sovereign individuals, and I respect that. We didn't meet by accident—there's a higher power at work here, I can feel it. I'm going to do my best to help you grow into full-size girls and teach you the ways of our world, which… yeah, are super complicated. But once that's done, you're free to be whoever you're destined to be. You'll always be my sisters, though, and I'll love you with all my heart."

Blue and Violet exchanged a glance, their tiny faces softening. Blue's lips quirked into a hesitant smile. "You're… kind," she said, her melodic voice quieter now. "The owl was right about you."

Violet nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. "We've lost so much. If you'll have us… we'll try."

The Commander cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "There's more to it than feeding them, lass. If they're staying, you'll need to protect them. This world isn't kind to anomalies." He tapped a folder on his desk, labeled CLASSIFIED in faded ink. "I've got contacts who can help with documentation—birth certificates, IDs—to keep them off the radar of certain… agencies. You don't want men in black suits knocking on your door."

Eileen's stomach twisted at the thought. She'd heard rumors about secret government projects, labs where strange beings were studied like lab rats. "Right," she said, determination hardening her voice. "We'll keep them safe."

Part Four

Back at Eileen's dad's house, the living room was a cozy chaos of mismatched furniture and half-read novels. Eileen's dad, still reeling from the fairy revelation, sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, while Eileen, Blue, and Violet gathered on the couch. The fairies, now slightly larger—about the size of Barbie dolls after a breakfast of oatmeal and honey—sat on a cushion, their wings tucked awkwardly against their backs.

"So," Eileen's dad said, rubbing his temples, "we've got two fairies who'll grow into human girls, and we need to make them legal citizens before some shadowy agency snatches them. Did I miss anything?"

Eileen grinned, though her nerves buzzed. "That's the gist. Oh, and we need to teach them everything—school, phones, Netflix, taxes. You know, human stuff."

Her dad groaned, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You're gonna be the death of me, love. Alright, let's make a plan. First, we'll need clothes. They can't keep wearing those… sparkly frocks."

Blue piped up, her voice sharper now. "These are traditional Sylvan Court garments, thank you very much."

"Yeah, and they're gorgeous," Eileen said quickly, "but you'll need jeans and hoodies to blend in. We'll hit the thrift shop tomorrow."

Violet, still quieter, hugged her knees. "What about school? We've never… studied. In the fairy dimension, we learned by dancing with the wind, singing with the stars."

Eileen's heart melted. "That sounds beautiful. We'll figure out school. Maybe homeschooling at first, so you can catch up. Sophie's a genius at research—she'll help."

Her dad jotted notes on a legal pad. "I'll call my mate at the registry office. He owes me a favor from that time I fixed his car. We'll get you girls some paperwork—birth certificates, maybe adoption records to make it official. We'll say you're distant cousins or something."

Eileen reached for the fairies' tiny hands, her fingers dwarfing theirs. "You're family now. We'll figure out the rest—driver's licenses, social media, all of it. And we'll keep you safe from hawks, cats, and creepy government types."

Blue smirked, a spark of her mischievous fairy nature returning. "Good. Because I'm already planning to hide your dad's car keys. Old habits, you know."

Her dad chuckled, shaking his head. "Bloody fairies. Alright, let's get you two settled for the night. Eileen, grab some of those doll clothes from the attic. We'll sort the rest tomorrow."

As Eileen headed upstairs, her phone buzzed—a text from Zara: Heard you've got new strays. Need me to portal over? Also, that oak in your yard is glowing again. Eileen froze, her gaze drifting to the window. The old oak stood silhouetted against the night, and sure enough, a faint violet glow pulsed at its base, where the strange symbols still lingered.

She typed back: Get here. Something's not right. The fairies were safe for now, but the rift—and whatever was causing it—was still out there. Eileen glanced at Blue and Violet, now curled up on the cushion, and felt a surge of protectiveness. Whatever came next, they'd face it together.

Part Five

The Navy Commander's study was a labyrinth of oddities, tucked away in a creaky Victorian house on the edge of the village. Bookshelves sagged under the weight of leather-bound tomes, star charts, and peculiar artifacts—a crystal that hummed faintly, a compass that didn't point north. The Commander himself, a wiry man in his sixties with a salt-and-pepper beard and eyes sharp as a hawk's, leaned back in his chair, studying the tiny fairies perched on Eileen's throw pillow. Blue and Violet, still weak but alert, clung to each other, their satin dresses glinting under the lamplight.

"Ah, the fairy folk," the Commander said, his voice gravelly but warm, like he was greeting old friends. He adjusted his glasses, peering at Blue's steel-blue hair and Violet's amethyst gown. "These are different from your interdimensional friend, Zara. She was totally ethereal, a spirit caught in the wrong reality. The density of this world started seeping into her, so we had to take measures—special tonics, rituals—to keep her alive. Over time, we grew her into a proper earth girl, solid as you or me."

Eileen, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her backpack beside her, nodded. She remembered Zara's transformation, how her translucent glow had faded into freckled skin and a penchant for stealing Maya's hoodies. "So, what about Blue and Violet?" she asked, glancing at the fairies. "Can you help them?"

The Commander steepled his fingers, his gaze softening. "Fairies are different. They're in between—part physical, part ethereal, like a bridge between worlds. The cheese they ate, tainted with this world's matter, started anchoring them here. All you need to do is feed them—normal food, mind you, nothing fancy. They'll slowly get taller, heavier, until they're fully human, like Zara. But unlike her, it'll happen naturally. No rituals needed."

Eileen's face lit up, a giggle escaping her lips. The thought of Blue and Violet growing into full-sized girls, like sisters from a fairy tale, warmed her heart. She imagined them borrowing her clothes, arguing over pizza toppings, maybe even joining her at the bookstore. "That's amazing," she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "You'll be my fairy sisters!"

Violet, perched on the pillow, bristled, her wings twitching indignantly. "Hey, don't think we're your little baby dolls. You don't own us. We're not your pets."

Eileen's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing. "Oh my gosh, no, I'd never do that!" She leaned closer, her voice earnest. "You're sovereign individuals, and I respect that. We didn't meet by accident—there's a higher power at work here, I can feel it. I'm going to do my best to help you grow into full-size girls and teach you the ways of our world, which… yeah, are super complicated. But once that's done, you're free to be whoever you're destined to be. You'll always be my sisters, though, and I'll love you with all my heart."

Blue and Violet exchanged a glance, their tiny faces softening. Blue's lips quirked into a hesitant smile. "You're… kind," she said, her melodic voice quieter now. "The owl was right about you."

Violet nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. "We've lost so much. If you'll have us… we'll try."

The Commander cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "There's more to it than feeding them, lass. If they're staying, you'll need to protect them. This world isn't kind to anomalies." He tapped a folder on his desk, labeled CLASSIFIED in faded ink. "I've got contacts who can help with documentation—birth certificates, IDs—to keep them off the radar of certain… agencies. You don't want men in black suits knocking on your door."

Eileen's stomach twisted at the thought. She'd heard rumors about secret government projects, labs where strange beings were studied like lab rats. "Right," she said, determination hardening her voice. "We'll keep them safe."

Part Six

Back at Eileen's dad's house, the living room was a cozy chaos of mismatched furniture and half-read novels. Eileen's dad, still reeling from the fairy revelation, sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, while Eileen, Blue, and Violet gathered on the couch. The fairies, now slightly larger—about the size of Barbie dolls after a breakfast of oatmeal and honey—sat on a cushion, their wings tucked awkwardly against their backs.

"So," Eileen's dad said, rubbing his temples, "we've got two fairies who'll grow into human girls, and we need to make them legal citizens before some shadowy agency snatches them. Did I miss anything?"

Eileen grinned, though her nerves buzzed. "That's the gist. Oh, and we need to teach them everything—school, phones, Netflix, taxes. You know, human stuff."

Her dad groaned, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You're gonna be the death of me, love. Alright, let's make a plan. First, we'll need clothes. They can't keep wearing those… sparkly frocks."

Blue piped up, her voice sharper now. "These are traditional Sylvan Court garments, thank you very much."

"Yeah, and they're gorgeous," Eileen said quickly, "but you'll need jeans and hoodies to blend in. We'll hit the thrift shop tomorrow."

Violet, still quieter, hugged her knees. "What about school? We've never… studied. In the fairy dimension, we learned by dancing with the wind, singing with the stars."

Eileen's heart melted. "That sounds beautiful. We'll figure out school. Maybe homeschooling at first, so you can catch up. Sophie's a genius at research—she'll help."

Her dad jotted notes on a legal pad. "I'll call my mate at the registry office. He owes me a favor from that time I fixed his car. We'll get you girls some paperwork—birth certificates, maybe adoption records to make it official. We'll say you're distant cousins or something."

Eileen reached for the fairies' tiny hands, her fingers dwarfing theirs. "You're family now. We'll figure out the rest—driver's licenses, social media, all of it. And we'll keep you safe from hawks, cats, and creepy government types."

Blue smirked, a spark of her mischievous fairy nature returning. "Good. Because I'm already planning to hide your dad's car keys. Old habits, you know."

Her dad chuckled, shaking his head. "Bloody fairies. Alright, let's get you two settled for the night. Eileen, grab some of those doll clothes from the attic. We'll sort the rest tomorrow."

As Eileen headed upstairs, her phone buzzed—a text from Zara: Heard you've got new strays. Need me to portal over? Also, that oak in your yard is glowing again. Eileen froze, her gaze drifting to the window. The old oak stood silhouetted against the night, and sure enough, a faint violet glow pulsed at its base, where the strange symbols still lingered.

She typed back: Get here. Something's not right. The fairies were safe for now, but the rift—and whatever was causing it—was still out there. Eileen glanced at Blue and Violet, now curled up on the cushion, and felt a surge of protectiveness. Whatever came next, they'd face it together.

Part Seven

Three months had passed since Blue and Violet crashed into Eileen's life, and the sleepy English village had never felt so alive—or so strange. The fairies, once tiny enough to fit in a doll bed, were now nearly full height, standing just shy of five feet, their delicate frames filling out with each hearty meal. Their opalescent eyes, slightly too large for human faces, were cleverly masked with smoky eyeshadow, a trick Zara had suggested to blend them into the human world. Their translucent lips shimmered beneath bold red lipstick, and their steel-blue and violet hair was styled in loose waves to hide their faintly pointed ears. To the casual observer, they looked like quirky teenagers, perhaps a bit heavy on the makeup, but Eileen beamed with pride at their transformation. They were her sisters, not just in name but in heart.

Zara had been a godsend, coaching Blue and Violet on human behavior with her usual mix of sarcasm and wisdom. "Don't stare at each other when you're talking telepathically," she'd warned, rolling her eyes. "Humans pick up on that. You'll look like you're plotting a heist." The fairies had taken to her lessons, mastering the art of texting, binge-watching sitcoms, and even sneaking into Eileen's GED classes, where they aced history and literature but struggled with math. Today, over a breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and heaps of scrambled eggs, the girls chattered about their next milestone: Driver's Ed.

"They're eating us out of house and home," Eileen's dad said, grinning as he refilled the orange juice pitcher. The kitchen table groaned under the weight of plates, and he didn't mind one bit. Blue and Violet had become his daughters, too, their mischievous giggles and endless appetites filling the house with joy. "If you lot pass Driver's Ed, I'm getting you a car. Something beat-up, mind you—no sports cars for fairy girls."

Blue smirked, flipping her blue hair. "I'd look good in a convertible."

Violet, quieter but growing bolder, nudged her sister. "You'd crash it into a tree. Again."

Eileen laughed, but her thoughts drifted to the Navy Commander—Commander Beaker, as the locals called him. He'd been studying the rift under the old oak, the one that pulsed with violet light and strange symbols. His cryptic updates hinted at a larger problem: the rifts were spreading, destabilizing the barriers between dimensions. Zara had mentioned similar disturbances in her homeworld, and Eileen couldn't shake the feeling that Blue and Violet's arrival was no accident.

A sharp knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. "That's gotta be Zara," Eileen said, jumping up. She rushed to the front door, her heart light with anticipation, but froze when she opened it. Two gruff men in crisp Navy uniforms stood there, their faces hard as stone. One held a clipboard, the other a badge that glinted ominously. "Eileen Harper?" the taller one barked. "We need to speak with you about certain… anomalies in your possession."

Her heart lodged in her throat, the world tilting. The Commander's warnings about secret agencies flashed through her mind—experiments, dissections, Blue and Violet taken away. Her knees buckled, and she felt herself falling, the edges of her vision darkening—

And then she sat bolt upright in bed, her chest heaving. "OMG, it was a dream!" she screamed, her voice echoing in the quiet room. The posters, the laptop, the lavender candle—they were all there, but the doll bed was gone. No Blue, no Violet. "No, no, no, no!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "I want my sisters, my fairy sisters! It can't be a dream!"

Another knock—real this time—jerked her from her panic. Eileen stumbled to the door, her hands shaking as she flung it open. There stood Helana, Ella, Roxanna, and a new girl with pure white hair, dark eye shadow, and fire truck red lipstick, not unlike Zara from her dream. Helana spoke first. "So, you had another dream."

Eileen blinked, her breath hitching. "You… you saw it too?"

Ella, petite and bookish, nodded, clutching a notebook. "We all did. Me, Roxanna, Asherina—" she gestured to the new girl, whose eyes glinted with an otherworldly calm—"and half the sensitives in town, I bet. It was too vivid to be a normal dream."

Roxanna, with her skeptical squint, crossed her arms. "Shared dreams aren't random, Eileen. This is no coincidence. The fairies, the rift, the Navy guys—it's either prophetic or a metaphor for something coming."

OMG guys, it was so real, and so different. I was living in a small village in England, you were all there but you had different bodies and different names, sort of like that Over The Rainbow movies, except you weren't all animals. Beaker was there but he was an old retired hermit tinkkering with all sorts of little electronic projects. Dad was there too, but he was, you know, Dad. Oh I miss my little fairies, to me they were so real. Everywhere I go now I'll be looking at the crowds, seeing if one of them is hiding there in plain sight. I hope I dream of them again.

Asherina, the new girl, stepped forward, her voice soft but resonant, like Zara's when she spoke of her homeworld. "The oak in your yard. It's a nexus, a thin place between worlds. I felt it in the dream. Something's trying to warn you."

Helana's eyes softened, but her tone was firm. "We think you should rejoin our group with Commander Beaker. You left after Zara stabilized, but your job with us isn't over. The rifts are getting worse, and you're tied to them—dream or not."

Eileen's mind raced, the ache of losing Blue and Violet still raw, even if they were dream-sisters. She thought of the glowing oak, the symbols, the owl's cryptic message from the dream. "Okay," she said, wiping her eyes. "I'm in. But if those fairies are real—or become real—I'm not letting them go."

Ella scribbled in her notebook. "We'll check the oak today. Beaker's got new equipment to measure the rift's energy. If it's active, we might find answers."

Asherina touched Eileen's arm, her touch cool but grounding. "The dream wasn't just a dream. It's a thread. Follow it."

Eileen nodded, her resolve hardening. She grabbed her jacket, her gaze drifting to the window where the old oak stood, its branches swaying in the morning mist. Dream or prophecy, she'd find Blue and Violet—or whatever truth the rifts were hiding. With Helana, Ella, Roxanna, and Asherina by her side, Eileen felt the stirrings of hope. The fairy sisters might be gone, but the fight for their world—and hers—was just beginning.

Violet`s favorite pass time is hanging the park and communing with the small animals.

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NEXT >> Chapter 1
Sleep Over

Thirteen-year-old Ella and her best friends Eileen and Roxana encounter an interdimensional being named Helana during a sleepover, who appears as different benevolent figures to each girl and reveals glimpses of their legendary futures. When Helana tries to leave after accidentally revealing herself and disrupting their timelines, Ella cleverly traps the entity by claiming authority over her domain, forcing Helana to stay as their `genie in a bottle` despite her pleas to return home.

<< PREVIOUS Chapter 57
57

Asherina and her unconventional crew have found success with their revolutionary shelter designs, though Ella struggles with the fact that only wealthy buyers can afford their life-saving technology while pushing for broader legislative changes to protect everyone. Their peaceful existence is shattered when armed attackers attempt to kill them at the Patel family home, forcing the girls to use their weapons and psychokinetic abilities in deadly self-defense before relocating to a secure compound.

FIRST Chapter 0 Sleep Over

Thirteen-year-old Ella and her best friends Eileen and Roxana encounter an interdimensional being named Helana during a sleepover, who appears as different benevolent figures to each girl and reveals glimpses of their legendary futures. When Helana tries to leave after accidentally revealing herself and disrupting their timelines, Ella cleverly traps the entity by claiming authority over her domain, forcing Helana to stay as their `genie in a bottle` despite her pleas to return home.