10. Chapter 10

ten

Harper eased out of bed a few minutes after midnight and slipped on her pink cotton bathrobe. She picked up her mirror and phone from her nightstand and placed them in her robe's pockets. Then she picked up the baseball bat beside her bed, reassured by its weight. She left the novel she had been reading, George MacDonald's At the Back of the North Wind, face down on her bed and padded to the apartment door.

Stopping, she listened intently at the closed door. All was silent for a few seconds, but then, there it was again. An unworldly music was coming from downstairs. It sounded too loud to be coming from the basement or from the jewelry shop. Besides, it was a bit late for Robert to be hanging about his shop listening to music. Undoubtedly it was coming from near the bottom of the stairs.

The music stopped only to be replaced by the sound of scurrying footsteps and low murmuring. She stiffened in dread. Looking down at her phone, she considered her options. Should she call a neighbor? Not just yet, she decided. Her phone was in her pocket if she needed it, with 911 at the ready.

With the baseball bat gripped tightly in one hand, she eased open the lock of the heavy apartment door. I'll have to find out what this is all about sooner or later; it may as well be now. Her heart battered her chest and her throat cinched tight, but she slid through the door and onto the landing on the other side as quietly as she could. She was relieved that the new door's hinges were soundless. Lights flashed from the floor below, though nothing about them suggested flashlight. Supercharged fireflies or perhaps disco lights winking on and off was more like it.

After standing quietly and gathering her nerves for a moment, she treaded softly down the stairs. The smell of river water, pine, and undergrowth was almost palpable. As she approached the final step, she stopped to listen again. Then, there it was. No doubt about it, something—or someone—was sliding something across the floor. Other indistinct rustlings and whispers were coming from near the front door, where small but powerful lights still flickered. Without allowing herself time to think, she turned on her phone's flashlight and aimed it toward the front door. The sight that met her eyes was so unexpected, she released an involuntary yelp.

Caught in the phone's light was a tableau featuring three miniature people, their mouths open and eyes wide with surprise. Except for their faces, they appeared childlike. One had skin the color of maple leaves in early spring, one was paper white, while the third was deeply wrinkled and the color of beech bark. Most amazing of all, one of them was hanging motionless in the air. All three wore red vests.

Harper began to say "Who—" But before her lips formed the word, she saw a pale silver shimmering cloud moving toward her so quickly, she had no time to react. The moment it reached her, she felt a burst of bliss and peace, and then everything went dark.

"I hear music," Harper muttered as she opened her eyes, finding herself tucked snugly in her bed upstairs. Well, that was a dream for the record books , she thought.

Then, turning her head towards the doorway, she saw a small person, no more than three feet tall, with brown skin and silky, straight black hair falling around enormous ears and reaching past the waist. The small visitor was holding a mug of something steamy that smelled like chamomile tea.

She bolted upright. "Dobby?"

"Dobby?" the creature responded, in an ancient but feminine voice, one eyebrow cocked. "No, Dearie, I'm not a house elf, if that's what you're thinking." She looked up at a corner as if considering the idea. "Well, not exactly. "

"Then … what—I'm sorry—who, are you?"

The creature held up a hand and motioned for her to lie back. "Don't fret yourself about that now. All will become clear with time. We've been worried about you. You gave us all quite a scare last night! Now sit up slowly—let's prop some pillows behind you so you can drink this nice tea."

Feeling too confused to argue, Harper leaned back in bed. As she did so, the small creature placed the stoneware mug on the nightstand and made the bed comfortable. As she bustled about, Harper inhaled the scent of honeysuckle blossoms.

"There, Dearie, lean back. I put a little sugar and milk in the tea. I hope that's okay." Its forehead wrinkled with concern. "Don't think I've been snooping, but I believe you like cream?"

"Yes." Harper sniffed the tea, hesitantly.

"Oh, go on. It's perfectly safe! I got the water from your faucet, and the tea, sugar, and milk from your supplies. A little bit will do you good. Once that settles, I'll give you a bit of the bread I've baked with butter." The creature smiled slightly with her thin, dark brown lips, but her forehead still wrinkled with tension.

Bread! So that's what was making the apartment smell so wonderful. Harper took a sip from the mug, gave the creature a small smile, and nodded. "It's good."

The little person released a breath and her forehead smoothed out. "Mind if I have a seat?" She waved toward a dining room chair that had been brought into the room.

Harper nodded. "Of course. Now, can you please tell me who you are and what's going on around here?"

The creature looked at her intently. "How much do you remember from last night?"

Harper considered the question. What did she remember? "I remember … Wait, last night? What time is it now?"

"I don't keep track of time like you do, but I think you would call it late morning."

Harper took in this bit of information with alarm. "I remember being here in bed. Just before midnight, I was settling in with my book." She checked the nightstand and found the book there. That was good to see, but the bat was nowhere in sight. She swallowed. "Then I heard a noise downstairs that sounded like music …"

The little creature nodded. "Go on, Dearie."

"I thought … I thought whether it was people or ghosts, it was better to confront whatever it was than to keep wondering about it."

The little person sighed and nodded. "And then?"

"Well, I put my book down, grabbed my phone and my baseball bat, and padded downstairs as quietly as I could. Where's my bat?" She put the cup of tea on the nightstand and looked around the room.

"Still on the premises. Do go on."

"When I got to the bottom step, I flipped the phone light towards the sound at the front door. And I saw …" It seemed so absurd that to say it was ridiculous.

The creature looked at her intently with small, round black eyes, waiting.

"I saw small people. Not you. But I saw a little old man, and two young-looking … well, they looked like children except for their faces. And one of them … had orange hair and was floating in the air! Then I saw a sparkly mist heading my way, and that's it. That's all I remember." She sat up straight and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"The time has come then." The creature stood up and rubbed her hands together. "It's time you met us all."

Harper clutched her gown. "Wait! Who are you? Who am I meeting? Can I get dressed first?"

The creature waved both hands from side to side. "Of course, Dearie. Go right ahead and get yourself in order. You may call me Piper. I'll wait until you're ready before I call in the others. Would you like to meet us here in your bedroom or in a different spot?"

"Where are they now? How many are there?"

"They're at the top of the steps, just on the other side of the door, I'd imagine. We are nine in all." She walked to the doorway and turned to face Harper.

"Nine?!" With an effort, Harper steadied her nerves. "I'll meet you in the living room. Are they all as nice as you?"

Unless she imagined it, Piper's look was compassionate. "You needn't fear a one of us."

Harper stood and grabbed the headboard to steady herself. In the bathroom mirror, she noticed that her eyes looked huge, like they'd been frozen in surprise. And her hair was even wilder than usual. Where many women her age seemed to lose their hair, Harper's was becoming thicker. And the streaks of black and brown were more pronounced this morning. She quickly bound it all up with a clip and splashed water on her face.

Five minutes later, she was sitting beside an open window at the corner of her couch. Before she sat, she opened all the windows wide so she could yell for help should things take a bad turn. She held her phone in one hand and her mirror in the other. She'd even tucked a flyswatter into the side cushion as an extra precaution.

Harper had brushed her teeth and put on a large, pale green linen shirt over a pair of jeans. A pair of old brown leather sandals graced her feet.

Feeling as prepared as she'd ever possibly be, she nodded to Piper, who went to the door and said in her crackling voice, "She's ready to meet us all now."

As she watched the assembly appear at the entrance to the living room, Harper gulped. One by one, the small beings made their way into the room, each of them bowing politely. With them came the renewed scent of river water and pine.

First was the wrinkled man she remembered from the night before. He removed his pointed red hat and bowed at the waist. "Pleased to meet you, Lass! Earl Grey at your service."

His formality prompted Harper to stand. "Call me Harper. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Grey."

Some of them hopped about and twittered. "Everyone calls me Earl Grey. I am what you would call a gnome," he said, with a twinkle in his eye, before moving to the window to make room for the others on the rug. Harper felt like a queen receiving a court.

Piper, standing at her side, nudged her. "Do sit down, Dearie. This may take a while. We'll take no offense at your sitting."

Harper, already feeling a bit dizzy, gratefully returned to the sofa.

Earl Grey was followed by two small … were they men? Standing at no more than two feet tall, they were dressed in green and brown, with green caps and brown curly hair amassed about their heads. They smiled shyly as they approached. Piper continued, "Here we have what are commonly called brownies."

"Tiptoe," said one, removing his hat with a bow.

"Tarryfoot," said the other. "At your service," both announced, then together they replaced their hats and moved to stand beside Earl Grey.

Next there were the two small females she had seen the night before, one with green skin, which now glowed in the daylight. Her dark brown hair was tied in two plaits which reached her tiny waist. The one caught floating in Harper's flashlight had incredibly white skin with curly, shoulder-length hair the color of a ripe pumpkin. Both wore dresses that resembled ballet tutus or perhaps upside-down buttercups in faded shades of green and brown.

Piper moved behind them and placed a hand on the first one's head. "This is Alida." Then she placed her other hand on the flaming orange hair. "And this is Lily. They are water sprites. Alida comes from rivers while Lily hails from the deep blue sea."

"Pleased to meet you," they chirped with bell-like voices.

"You as well," Harper responded, her eyes wide.

After them, three taller beings, ranging between three and four feet tall, moved to the front of the rug. The tallest appeared to be a female, with mahogany skin so smooth it seemed polished. She nodded regally. "Ivy, at your service," she said in a clear alto, after which she glided to her place at the back of the rug.

In response, Harper nodded, equally grave. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The second to last being, heavyset and wearing what looked like clothes from Renaissance England, bowed from the waist. "I am Hawthorne. I'm very pleased to meet you. And this"—he indicated the taller, slimmer one—"is Ash. You will find that he is quite well read." Ash, with long, straight black hair reaching his knees, looked the most like Piper. He was dressed in simple tan leather pants that were covered in a straight tunic. He bowed silently to her before taking his place at the rear.

Hawthorne continued, "You've already met Piper." Piper bowed slightly.

All fell silent as Harper took in the odd assortment of beings before her. The red vests were the only thing they all had in common.

Not sure what to do next, she smiled at them. They smiled hesitantly back at her.

She cleared her throat. "It's nice to meet all of you. Please, call me Harper. And make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you something to eat or drink? We can bring in more chairs from the kitchen if you would like …"

"That's not necessary, Dearie," said Piper as they all seated themselves on the wool rug.

Harper suddenly felt unaccountably happy, perhaps from relief at finally knowing who was behind the odd events in the shop. But also, something about them inexplicably conjured memories of her grandmother, which evoked feelings of shelter and safety.

"I hope it's not rude to ask. But I've thought for quite a while that perhaps I had ghosts here. But you're not ghosts, are you? What should I call you? I know some of you are brownies and sprites, but what should I call the rest of you?"

Hawthorne stood. "There are many stories about our kind. We are as varied as are you Earth-dwellers. But for our Troop, those of us you see before you, we are broadly what humans call faeries. But you needn't be alarmed at that. It's true some of our kind are dangerous and most of us are mischievous." They all smiled and nodded. "But you needn't fear us . We've lived in this shop for a long time. And we've pledged ourselves to help the owners. Our intentions are purely benevolent."

"Thank you." She looked at them in wonder. "I very much appreciate all the help you've provided so far."

Alida flew up in the air. "You're welcome. We want to be friends!" She settled next to the tallest, dark faerie and gave her an adoring look. "Ivy here is a forest nymph." Ivy placed a gentle hand on Alida's head, smiling down at her before meeting Harper's eyes with a solemn gaze. Her bearing was strong and queenly. Harper's instincts told her not to cross this one.

Ivy spoke. "Yes, I am a wood nymph. And Ash, Hawthorne, and Piper are sometimes called common Fae. Though I hope it's plain to you, there's nothing common about any of us. We each have our gifts."

"Did the other owners, Frank and the ones before him … did they know about you?"

Hawthorne spoke again. "Not all of them. Only Frank and one of the others. They never discussed us with other humans."

This opened a new line of thought. "Should I not tell others about you either?"

"Not unless you want to be thought touched in the head!" shouted Earl Grey with a hearty laugh.

They all broke out into bell-like sounds and chirping again. Now Harper understood this enchanting sound was laughter.

Once it died down, Harper said, "This is a lot for me to take in."

They looked at her and at one another with delighted smiles and wide eyes. Earl Grey stood. "Oh, we are a lot to take in. But you'll get used to us in time."

"Just one more question—I've been working here for almost six months now. I've seen what you've done, and as I said, I appreciate the help. But why have I never seen any of you before last night?"

Harper was surprised when the sound of bells and twittering started up again as some of them rolled or hopped about. Then she froze when they all began to chirp. It sounded exactly like the robins that hung about the shop.

"You have seen us before!" Earl Grey cried. "Think, Harper!"

Harper gasped in amazement as they transformed into robins right there in her sunny living room.

"Wait! You mean you're the robins?"

They chirped and hopped about, while a few of them took flight for a few seconds before resuming their earlier shapes.

"Yes, Dearie! We've been keeping an eye on you from the start!"

Harper suddenly felt very hot. She laid her grandma's mirror on the table beside her and wiped her forehead. Suddenly, they grew completely quiet. Several got up and came closer to get a better look. Piper looked at the mirror closely before looking up at her. "We've seen this before. Where did you get this, Dearie?"

"From my Grandma Sophie. She died in a car crash near here when I was ten. She sent me this just before she died." Harper's throat swelled, and she reached over to pick up the mirror again. Really, despite the relief she felt at having the mystery solved, she felt completely overwhelmed.

"We can see it's special to you. It would be good to keep it close." Piper exchanged a meaningful look with Hawthorne, which Harper missed.

"Yes. It means more to me than anything else I own. And it's funny. You all remind me of my grandma in some ways. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but when you're around, everything smells like her house smelled. It makes me happy."

They nodded, but this time with serious looks on their faces.

Piper moved toward the door. "We'll leave you to rest now and get adjusted to the idea of having us around. Unless you'd like one of us to stay and keep you company? You might have questions later on."

Harper didn't want to offend these creatures. But it was true she wanted some time alone to process the seismic changes in her worldview.

"Thank you, Piper. It's a relief to know who you are and that you're friendly. But right now, I'd like some time alone to think."

They all got to their feet with Harper, who walked them to the door. On the way out, each bowed to her once again, and again she returned the gesture. Earl Grey was the last one out the door. "Can we expect to see you at the Fourth of July celebrations, Harper?"

Harper nodded, surprised they would know anything about the planned festivities on the other side of town. "Yes, I plan to go. Are you going too?"

"Ah, yes, that we will. Perhaps we'll be seeing you there." And with that, they were all gone.

Back on her soft, flowered couch, she opened her mirror and looked at its clear surface. "I need your guidance more than ever. Please help me know what to do."

Unable to settle down, she wandered to the basement and pulled some books on fairies from the shelves, which she took upstairs to read. She went to bed early that night. And this time, she placed earplugs in her ears.

Two days later, Harper got ready for the Fourth of July festival by dressing in a navy blue skirt she had recently bought at S'Elena's, a store outside town that did alterations and made one-of-a-kind clothing. She paired the gauzy skirt with a white t-shirt, then tied a red scarf around her unruly ponytail. Then she headed out to Main Street where the parade was scheduled to begin at 11:00 am.

The Fourth of July parade was a smaller version of the one the town held for Christmas back in November. It started at Whippoorwill Gap Municipal, the large park on the other side of town, and made its way down Main Street before ending in the library parking lot.

Most of the entries were homemade. People pulled decked-out children and pets in equally festive wagons, all done up in red, white, and blue decorations. The high school and college marching bands played patriotic songs. A few businesses made floats. Harper saw Bryan Greene driving by in a sky blue convertible with a small girl riding shotgun, probably his daughter, she thought. They were throwing out bookmarks with seeds embedded in them. Bryan's eyebrows raised when he saw her, and he threw up a hand in recognition. Harper picked one of the bookmarks to take home and plant in a pot on her balcony.

She recognized a few people from the Chamber of Commerce meeting threading through the crowd, distributing small American flags on wooden sticks. She had skipped their April and June meetings. Now, she moved to the back of the sidewalk, trying to avoid eye contact with any of them. But she couldn't avoid Gracie, who smiled broadly when she saw her. "Oh, hi, Harper! We're so glad you could make it to the parade. Are you coming by the park later?"

Harper frowned, expecting an invitation to stop by the Chamber booth. Though she had no intention of talking to Chamber representatives that day, her reflexive politeness took over. "Maybe, Gracie, I haven't made my mind up about that, yet."

"Well, if you do, make sure to stop by the Pies for Paws booth. You haven't lived until you've tried their pies. And they sell them cheap. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

Without another word, Gracie moved on to the next person, leaving Harper with a new flag in her hand.

After the parade ended, Harper allowed the crowd to sweep her to the park. The Whippoorwill Gap Municipal Park, commonly called "Gap Park" by the locals, was roughly ten times the size of Puckett's Park. The festival was held in a large field near its entrance.

Harper wandered from booth to booth, stopping to purchase small items that caught her fancy. She had always admired people who could make beautiful things with their hands. She bought a bright purple fabric shopping bag from a perky elderly lady in a straw hat, and she filled it with purchases of homemade dish cloths, soap, lip balm, and even Christmas ornaments. Most she would give away as presents.

She said hello to the people who made eye contact with her. Ida Barker, the short-haired woman Deanna had described as the town's Grand Dame, was there, but she didn't see Harper. Instead, she held on to a clipboard while consulting with a small group of young people dressed in red Whippoorwill Gap t-shirts.

Under a few tents, lemonade and sodas were for sale. A roped off, adult only section sold beer and wine, with wooden barrels for people to congregate around. Outside this area, large tubs containing ice and free bottles of water were scattered about. Harper was pleased they had provided water, but she'd brought a bottle of her own.

She enjoyed the mix of bluegrass and folk music a band was playing, so after making her rounds of all the tents, she found a place on the grass to listen. While she sat, she enjoyed a cherry pie she had bought from Pies for Paws. As she licked the delicious filling from her fingers, she looked up to see her very own Fae arranging themselves around her.

She quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking their way. "Well, hello," she said quietly, moving her lips as little as possible. "Aren't you guys worried about people seeing you?"

They all began chirping, and Harper felt woozy as she found herself looking at a group of robins. She closed her eyes and shook her head in confusion.

When she opened her eyes again, she was once again looking at the beings from her shop. Earl Grey addressed her. "Relax, Harper. We're just out taking in the scenery and soaking up the atmosphere. We saw you sitting here alone and decided to stop by to give you a little company. Don't worry about the people. Unless they're meant to, they don't know we're here."

Harper gave one small nod. Then she turned her head away from the crowd. "You mean, they just see a bunch of robins?"

"You've got it!" Earl Grey responded, smiling broadly while the others nodded. Harper wiped the pie residue from her hands. "Can I get you guys a snack of some sort?"

Earl Grey tossed a twig in the air. "That's mighty kind of you, but we'll be helping ourselves to all the leavings tonight. I think we may be too stuffed to even make it back to the shop. Am I right, Goodfellows?"

Harper heard tinkling bells, but a quick glance around told her no one else saw or heard anything unusual.

She watched the crowd enjoying the party on this beautiful summer afternoon. It had been a long time since she had attended an event like this without working in a booth herself. She had plenty of past experience serving up hot dogs and selling cookbooks for organizations that either Olivia participated in or Surgical Solutions supported. It was nice to be here on the periphery for a change.

But after a while, she allowed herself to wonder if things really were different here in her new hometown. Maybe the pressure she'd felt in Raleigh to impeccably perform her duty wouldn't be an issue here. It was possible she would enjoy participating in Whippoorwill Gap events. She had yet to detect any unpleasantness from anyone, apart from Bryan Greene. Perhaps she could slowly get involved and help out with a few things, without overcommitting herself.

After a while she began to feel drowsy. She lay back in the grass and closed her eyes to better take in the warm breeze and the band's music. She relaxed so completely that when she opened her eyes, the robins had gone. Shadows had lengthened and craft vendors were packing up their wares. Families were making their way back toward the entrance.

The celebration was scheduled to continue until 10:00 that night, when the traditional Fourth of July fireworks display concluded it. Harper was happy to skip the noisy finale. So she got to her feet and took the long way home, walking through parts of town she'd never seen up close before. Maybe the Fae would come by to visit that night. She thought watching the fireworks with them from her kitchen window might be fun.