After another month, here we are.
Neat trivia fact about this story is that all the locations mentioned (with the exception of the Fairy Colonies...
) in the story exist in the city of Boston and it's surrounding area. For example The Pixie Dust Salon? It's a Starbucks in real life. Enough fun facts, let's get to the story. A few shrinking scenes in this chapter, to appease the process fans
Chapter Three: Jenna?s Jog
When Jadaris, Caitlin, and Beth arrived at the salon, their first customer was eagerly awaiting them.
?Good Morning, Girls? said the chipper voice of Lauren Daniels, a former foe of Caitlin and Beth?s, now their most loyal customer. Her little sister, Kaylie peaked out from behind her and smiled at the girls, and waved to Jadaris.
?Morning, Lauren.? Caitlin said as she unlocked the door to the salon. ?Come on in!?
Beth and Jadaris quickly headed out back to get things prepped for the day?s work, while Caitlin went to the cashier desk.
?Your usual today, Lauren?? she asked.
?Of course, Cait.? She said smiling, patting her little sister on the head, which caused the child to giggle. Jadaris stepped out from back as Lauren stated. ?I don?t actually have an appointment today.?
Caitlin sighed and flipped through the book, and saw solid bookings until closing, and she looked at Jadaris who smiled. ?Your usual is pretty simple. I can fit you in before we open? the pixie said smiling.
Kaylie jumped for joy at hearing this and watched with glee as Jadaris sprinkled the famed Pixie Dust onto her sister, who?s body started to glow a bit, before beginning it?s decent into tiny.
?I am so glad you two enjoy this so much.? Jadaris said as Lauren shrank at a brisk pace. ?It?s a great improvement over the first time I met you? she added.
?What can I say, My little sis is a really good BIG sis.? Lauren said laughing as Kaylie giggled.
Caitlin couldn?t help but smile as well. Since opening the Salon they had made many people happy, and it was always a good feeling.
?Almost done? Jadaris said as the girl reached doll size, this time her clothing shrinking with her. ?Now, as usual, you have to be careful Kaylie? Jadaris added ?You can?t let anyone else see her, or lose track of her.?
The little girl was well aware of the rules, and nodded her head to each one. ?I?ll take real good care of her, as usual, Ms. Fairy.?
?Good. You two have a good day.? Jadaris said before adding. ?It?s on the house?
Kaylie picked up her now tiny older sister placed her in her overall pocket, and the two left, ready for another day of sibling bonding, albeit the most unusual kind?.
Beth entered the room just as they were leaving, and noticed that Lauren wasn?t anywhere to be seen.
?Another happy customer? she said.
-----
?Have you retrieved the stone?? asked Strom, particularly antsy in his tone.
?Yes, as you asked, master.? The female fairy said.
?Good. You are free for the rest of the day, Miss Echon.? He said as he took the small pouch from her and pocketed it in his robes.
She left the chamber and he smiled.
?Another Hunt. Victory shall be sweet.? He stated as he stared down at the crystal ball, projecting an image of a very pretty redhead.
-----
Jenna dried her red hair with a towel after her shower. She moved to her room, smiling and waving at Alfred as she passed him in the hall. When she got to her room she removed her robe, and began dressing herself in a pair of sweats, a sports bra, and a t-shirt.
?I haven?t been for a jog in ages? she said to herself happily as she grabbed her iPod, and keys, and walked out the door.
The sun was shining brightly as she jogged past her old apartment building and down towards the nearest subway station. Once there, she waited for a good fifteen minutes before a train arrived, but she was lost in her music as her ear buds pumped tunes in, and pushed her troubles out. The train arrived and she shuffled along with the other city dwellers onto the green and silver train that would take her to Boston Common, where she would jog.
?Stop: Boston Commons!? the cheerful recorded voice said in the train as she got off and jogged up the steps into the lush green park that was Boston Common. She turned her music up loud and began to jog at a brisk pace.
?This is gonna be a good day, I can feel it?? she said softly to her self as she took off.
-----
Alana Sweet sat with her knees tucked up to her chest in her dark prison. In mere hours, she had been shrunk twice and was now captive to some strange figure of shadow, whose face she had not seen. Suddenly bright light shone into the box she was in as the lid was lifted up. In looked the woman who had helped transport her.
?Come, little one. It?s time for you to meet the others.? She said as she placed her hands down. ?I won?t hurt you. I promise?
Alana gently placed her foot onto the hand of the girl and climbed into her palm.
?There we go. I figured we?d let you get some air. That box can get a bit dark and cold, I bet...?
It was at this time that Alana noticed the elegant butterfly style wings protruding from the girl?s back.
?What are you?? she asked.
?I am a fairy. Cora Echon is my name. What is yours, Human?? she said. She had a kind voice, which took Alana by surprise/
?Uh?it?s Alana. Alana Sweet.? She said taken aback that she was in the palm of a fairy.
?Now, welcome to the master?s collection. He takes good care of his pets?especially the ones he keeps for himself. You are in good hands.?
?But my family?my life??
?I know it?s hard to accept at the moment, dear, but you?ll get used to it, I?m sure. Now then, let?s introduce you to the others? she said setting Alana down in front of a large stone structure. There was a wooden door just her height. Cora unlocked the door and pushed the tiny human in with the tip of her fingers. She spoke, her voice filling the large room Alana had just entered.
?This is Alana, please welcome her!? and with that, Cora Echon was gone.
?Hello? said a soft voice from ahead. Alana saw beds lining the walls of this large stone room ?I?m Kayla. Welcome!? she said
?Uh, thanks, I guess.?
?The other girls are out in the other room, would you like to meet them??
?Sure?? Alana said as the other girl, who was wearing a makeshift toga, led her to the back door.
-----
Jenna jogged past the large statue in the park, and headed down the path towards the frog pond. As she ran, a little girl playing by the side of the pond waved to her and she saw that it was Kaylie, from the salon, and she waved back. The girl smiled and held up a small figure, the figure of Lauren, who quickly waved, but saw an older couple walking by, so she pretended to be a toy.
?Jadaris would be proud? Jenna said as she moved quickly towards the wooded area of the park. And that?s when it happened?she heard a voice, whispering to her from behind a tree. It was strange, because she could hear it over her music, over all the noise in the park?the whispering spoke to her through everything.
?Jenna?? it said softly, and whimsically. Jenna moved towards the tree.
?Hello?? she said.
?Hello Jenna.? The voice said as a tall man, wearing a wide brimmed hat, stepped out from behind the tree. The hat concealed his face. ?My name is Strom, and I?ve been waiting for you.?
-----
?There you go, dear? said Jadaris as she fluffed a customers hair, having turned it bright pink with some dust. ?Hot Pink, as requested, and it really suits you.?
The girl smiled as Jadaris showed her a mirror.
?Thank you, You guys are the best.? She said getting up and walking over to the desk to pay Caitlin.
?Have a good day? Caitlin added as the girl left.
?And that?s Lunch!? Beth said as she came in with the girls lunch order from a nearby Mexican place.
?Two Steak Burritos, and one?Rice Only Burrito? she said handing Jadaris hers, who happily unwrapped it.
?I don?t know how you can eat that thing?it has no flavor? Caitlin said as she opened her steak burrito.
?Flavor is in the mouth of the eater, my friend? Jadaris said before getting a very strange look in her eyes.
?Something is wrong.? She said very suddenly.
Beth and Caitlin shot each other a look before looking at Jadaris.
?Jenna is in grave danger. We have to go.?
-----
?Waiting? For me?? Jenna asked the stranger.
?Yes. You see, dear girl, I have a gift for you?? Strom said.
?What kind of creep are you?? Jenna said through clenched teeth. This was really weird. A cold wind blew past her, which caused her to shiver.
?Creep? I am not sure what you mean. I am just a friendly stranger wishing to give a gift to a lovely lady. You have a busy life do you not? Today is in fact the first day off you?ve had in a long time, correct??
?Yes? she said quickly.
?Well, I can make it all go away, the tediousness of the school work, the responsibility of your job. You can be free, if you accept a small token.? He said holding up a small velvet bag, which Jenna recognized at once!
?Oh My God! You?re a fairy! The Kidnapper!? she said. Strom froze in his tracks. No one had ever known what he was before.
?How did you know I was a fairy??
?The emblem on that bag?? she said, ?It was found on the bag at Alana Sweet?s disappearance.?
?Very interesting. I?ve never come across a human who knows of fairies, at least, not until I?ve taken them. It matters not. You shall be mine, like the rest of them?
?HELP!? Jenna shouted trying to see if anyone near would come to her aid, but no one moved. In fact every person in the park seemed frozen in place.
?They can?t hear you. Time is different for you and I at the moment. They are moving about their lives, and to them we don?t even exist. A special trick of mine, in case of public problems.?
?You can?t take me. I won?t accept your gift. You can?t shrink me without that stone.?
?If you know of fairies, then I bet you know of Pixie Dust.? He said smiling as took another pouch from his pocket.
?It?s not as strong or effective as a stone from Onyx Ring, but?it will do the job, none the less.? He said throwing dust at her, hitting her in the face, and she knew she was in deep trouble as the world expanded around her.
?And so Jenna, it is time for us to go home?? he said reaching for the freshly shrunken girl, leaving her clothing behind. He took the stone out of the bag, and crushed it in his hand, tossing it on the ground as it lost its sheen. The patrons of the park began to move again, as if nothing had happened, and to them, nothing did happen.