Siya

by Katherine L. Michaels

Siya fanned her still-damp wings and looked around with curiosity. There were so many things to see; so much to learn. All about her, others were emerging from their cocoon-like homes and fanning their wings to dry them. All were looking around them with the same wonderment on their faces.

An older fairy flew over to the nursery area to check the progress of new births. Satisfied at last, she flew to each newly born nymph. After checking their wings she gave instructions to the ones fully dried. The nursery soon emptied of tiny bodies, as their now-dry wings carried them over to a clearing.

Lessons began that very morning. Siya was frequently in trouble. Her curiosity often led her to daydreaming and inattention to the lesson. Over and over, the teacher would throw up her tiny hands in exasperation at her diminutive student. Siya tried, she really did, but there was so much to think about!

Finally, classes were over, and all the new nymphets were freed to be on their own. Siya flew over to her best friend’s flowering bush to talk with her. “Finally, I can see the world! Will you come with me?”

“See what? Go where? Everything we need is right here,” answered Kiria.

Siya was annoyed. “I want to see everything there is to see. You know they told us almost nothing about what’s outside the forest. I want to know!” Huffy with her friend, Siya twirled about in midair and flitted off to discover the world.

* * *

The sky was darkening, and Siya’s wings were getting tired. Hungry and thirsty, she alighted on a bush and drank the nectar from its flowers. Sated, she settled back into one of the blossoms to sleep.

As she snuggled in, she chanced to look up at the sky. What she beheld there had her gasping in wonder. Peeking through the branches overhead were many tiny sparkles of twinkling light. She had never seen anything so beautiful! Briefly, she wondered why the elders hadn’t told the class of such things, but then dismissed it from her mind. Perhaps it had been during one of her daydreams...

No longer tired, Siya flew away from the bush, and headed towards those beautiful points of light. She was frustrated in her attempt by the many branches in her way. Afraid that she might tear one of her fragile wings, she decided to fly straight to the borders of the forest instead.

Not long later, Siya alit upon a blade of tall-growing grass and looked around herself. The lights were still there, in the sky, but seemed to be no closer. She sighed, again tired and aching. She felt that she was never going to achieve her dream of knowing the world. Then she happened to glance in the direction away from the forest’s edge. What she saw there had her stupefied. Several beautiful squared yellow-white lights arrayed in lines drew her gaze. And these were much closer! Reachable!

As Siya flew slowly towards the lights, she noticed another, even more beautiful light to the side of the squares. This one was a beautiful shimmery blue and it called to her. Excited, she flew toward it, her gaze riveted on it. Her heart filled with the wonder and excitement of this moment.

* * *

The middle-aged farmer walked out onto his deep-set porch to enjoy the early night air before heading off to his bed for some well-deserved rest. As he headed toward his porch swing he noticed his cat pawing at something on the boards. Reaching over, he pulled the animal back so he could see what she was playing with.

Bending carefully to avoid hitting his head on the bug zapper hanging there, he surveyed the charred body with disgust. Sweeping it off the porch with his foot, he told the cat, “Durned bugs keep getting bigger every year.”