Chapter 3

  When I woke up, it felt like 30 bricks had been unceremoniously thrown at my head. I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes, the crust gluing them shut. When I finally managed to open my eyes, I felt like I wasn’t seeing correctly.

  I really should’ve realized I wasn’t on my ship from the moment I didn’t feel the rock of the waves underneath me, but honestly I was too delirious to notice. I was in some sort of cabin from what my migraine muddled mind could understand.

  I tried to sit up, my eyes scanning the room, before landing on the child in the corner. I instinctively jumped, not realizing they were there. They came closer, said something in a language I cannot understand, and then pushed me back down into a lying position.

  I cleared my throat as best as I could. “Where… where am I?”

  They smiled at me. Like, genuinely smiled. Then walked out. Just like that. Not a word I could understand. Not a single explanation.

  My gut told me to chase them, demand answers—but my body had other plans. The moment I shifted, a jolt of pain ripped through my side, knocking the wind out of me.

  So I stayed still, stuck in some stranger’s bed, staring at the ceiling like it might explain what the hell was going on.

  When the child came back into the room, I decided to try my luck at talking to them again.

  “Hey little… girl?” I cleared my throat again. “Do you, uh. Know common?”

  They tilted their head, expression unreadable, and held up a bowl of something warm. Only then did I hear a buzzing sound coming from behind them.

  Before I could make out what it was, a sharp voice echoed from somewhere above me.

  “They’re not a little girl. Watch your mouth.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  Then, an incredibly small and very fast creature zipped into the room directly toward me. I barely caught sight of its wings before the creature landed on my chest as if a brick fell and hit me—with fists.

  "OW! What the hell?!" I swatted at my face, feeling as though I had been hit in the face with a bee the size of a brick. "Did that bug just smack me in the face?"

  As the small bug-like thing hovered just out of reach, arms folded over its chest, its whole body puffed up, as if it were ten feet tall.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "I am not a bug. Have you never seen a fairy before?" the bug-like thing said, really scoffing at me.

  I blinked. "Oh right, A fairy! Because those totally exist still."

  Erik quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.

  I looked back at the kid—short, wide-eyed, still smiling as if they haven't just been the topic of the weirdest identity crisis I have ever witnessed. To me, they looked like a little girl. But what do I know? I apparently was hallucinating a damn talking mosquito.

  “Okay, I’ve got it,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “So you are a fairy, the child is not a girl, I’m somehow alive, and this whole situation isn’t a bad fever dream caused by saltwater poisoning?”

  “Nope,” said the fairy, grinning proudly. “Just your lucky day.”

  So, here I was, stuck on some weird island with a weird mysterious kid and a weird judging bug, and all I wanted was to get back to my ship already and fuck off. I rested back in bed and sighed heavily.

  “Fine, whatever. I’ll go along with it.” Im too tired for this.

  The kid pushed the bowl toward me before silent leaving it on the small nightstand. The steam came off of what I think is porridge, and smelled quite good.

  The???????????????? flying gremlin was still hovering close by. "Eat. You're going to need your strength," he said.

  I gave him a look of disbelief. "For what, if I may be so bold? Are you planning to throw me into the sea again when I’m able to walk?"

  Erik was quick to respond. "Only if you give me a reason to."

  Charming.

  The child was sitting on the chair close to us and was observing everything with the same expression on their face. Not unfriendly - just silent. Though I say that with caution because still water can hide a lot. I had no clue of what they might be thinking, and that made me even more uncomfortable.

  I grabbed the spoon and dipped it into the food, checking the temperature. The food wasn’t cold. In fact, it was quite delicious. Simple and warm. The food I ate just did what it was supposed to do, it filled the void in my stomach that I hadn’t even realized was there. I kept silent for a minute, while both of them were watching me as if I was going to faint.

  After some mouthfuls, I redirected my gaze to them. “So… what is this place? Who are you guys?”

  The fairy raised his pitch slightly, and his wings quivered. “You’re on an island. One that’s protected. We saved you, so you should be grateful.”

  I laughed.

  "That’s not really what being lucky feels like to me."

  "You’re still alive," he said without any remorse. "That’s what lucky is, I suppose."

  I didn’t argue with that. Mostly because I was too busy eating.

  I looked at the child again.

  They were not talking; they were not making any noise. Their face remained serene, maybe even a little kind. But there was something peculiar about them, something not quite normal. Not that it was a negative thing; just… different. Yet, they had looked after me. Gave me something to eat. Helped me get nice and clean. In fact, this child was one of the ones who saved my sorry ass.

  "Thanks," I whispered, not really knowing who I was thanking. Maybe both of them. The child gave a slight smile. And for some reason, I hated it. It made me feel like crap.

  "By the way, my name is Erik," he said. "I really am a fairy. Kid is Someone," Erik said. "I call them One for short, though. One doesn't understand common, so you'd best quit tryin’ to talk to them. You're just wasting your breath."

  I looked at him, and all that information was melting in my brain one after another.

  A fairy. As in, with wings, magic, and supposedly extinct for centuries. I wasn't a big genius, but even I knew the legends—they were long gone. And then there's the kid with a name like Someone and a face that reveals nothing. What kind of a name is that, anyway? The whole thing felt like one long fever dream, and judging by the throbbing in my head, maybe it was.

  They had, however, saved me. Put me back together, fed me, didn’t let me drown. The least I could do was return the favor with some basic courtesy.

  "My name is Mane Marrow," I said, pulling myself up with a grimace. "Thanks for the help."

  I, on impulse, extended my hand - but immediately realizing the size difference made the gesture a little awkward. My fingers looked like tree trunks next to Erik's tiny body. However, he doesn't seem to be disturbed. Instead, he takes hold of my index finger with both of his hands and gives it a surprisingly firm shake.

  "Pleasure to meet you, Mane," he said cheerfully, and then he looked at the boy and said something in that weird language which I couldn't even guess.

  The kid—Someone, as it turned out—acknowledged me with a nod, still quiet, still observant.

  I averted my gaze, feeling strangely uncomfortable under that calm stare. My eyes fell on the bowl of porridge that was lying on the bedside table, and I had almost forgotten it.

  This whole thing was strange.

  Quite strange.

  Nice, ???????????????? ????????????????though.