Back to the Ordinary

The world shimmered, then settled. One moment, Lily was waving goodbye to a rather bewildered-looking Barnaby, who was trying to stifle a chuckle that sounded suspiciously like a deflating balloon. The next, she was standing on the familiar, slightly mossy patch of grass behind her house. The air smelled of freshly cut grass and distant barbecues, a stark contrast to the damp, earthy scent of the Whispering Woods. A vibrant butterfly, its wings patterned with the same iridescent blues and greens as the Glimmer Sprites, fluttered lazily past her nose. It paused, as if acknowledging her, before continuing its journey towards the towering oak tree at the edge of the garden.

Lily blinked. The Whispering Woods, with its sighing trees and its grumpy badger and its shy, giggling sprites, was gone. Utterly, completely gone. It was as if she’d simply dreamt the whole fantastical adventure. But the memory was too vivid, too real, to be a mere figment of her imagination. She could still feel the tickle of a sprite’s wing against her cheek, still hear the rumble of Barnaby’s surprisingly jolly laugh, still see the joyous sparkle in the sprites’ eyes as they rediscovered their mirth.

A tiny sigh escaped her lips, a sound that was more wonder than sadness. She’d done it. She’d gone into a forest where laughter was forbidden, where everything was serious and grey, and she’d brought it back. She’d broken a spell with nothing more than a giggle and a good dose of kindness.