MPJS Chap 9: Glossy Ribbon Scent 1(James E Boston IV) The butterflies elegantly danced in the wind like they were performing the finest ballet performance. My only desire at the moment was to flutter my wings and join them in their journey of dreams. All I could do was dream about such a gift. The pretty fluttering critters are able to fly away from their reality into a fantasy land that is real enough for each of them to enjoy.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been granted with the privilege to flutter with companions in a frame of time that felt like a thousand years. All I could do was watch the butterflies paint their dreams into reality together with an artistic paintbrush that I’ll never have the privilege to put my hands on. All I could do is fantasize about the time that I’ll never be able to spend with them.
I smirked at the sound of my wings flapping, but the ounce of happiness that I had in the palm of my hand soon faded. I was merely a guitarist without a band to add flavor to my soup of musical notes. I failed to hear the sounds of various fluttering wings complimenting the sound of my take off.
“You’ve done it again, Dysnomia. I don’t know how you do it, but you did.” said a knight as he stepped out of the knight center.
“Yeah, the Ribbon Twin gang wasn’t hard to beat. Their ribbons and switch blades weren’t enough to beat my trusted companion.” I said as I looked at my baseball bat and smiled.
“You think you got us, Dysnomia.” said one of the ribbon twins as two knights escorted them into the knight center with handcuffs.
“I don’t think I got y’all. I know I did,” I said before sticking my tongue out at them.
“Yeah, you’re doing the right thing. Laugh now while you can because soon we’ll be the ones laughing. We’re gonna get you. We’re gonna get you and burn you to ashes.” He said.
“Oh, no! What should I do?! They’re gonna kill me!” I said before laughing. “You two have the right to shut up.”
I continued to laugh at them like they were two clowns that performed a comedic skit at a circus. They looked back at me with the eyes of a raging dog that was trapped in a cage. All they could do was bark and attempt to use physical force to break out of captivity. At the end of the day, all they could do was accept that there’s no escape. The universe sealed their fate in an envelope and they’ll soon be in the dog pound.
“I can’t believe that they murdered someone in cold blood. These two usually go in and out of jail for crimes like stealing and robbing. I can’t believe they shot that old man. They never went as far as killing anyone. At least while they’re doing life in prison, I won’t have to pick up the stupid ribbons that they always leave behind. I’m tired of seeing these gold stars.” said the knight as he picked up silver ribbons with a row of gold stars going down them.
“Wow, I can’t even imagine shooting someone down in cold blood. These two are crazy. I don’t know how anyone could actually take away someone’s ability to wake up and see another day. You have to be a really sick person to do something like that. I’ll never understand or even feel bad for any crazy nut that takes someone’s life. On a positive note, at least the Ribbon Twin Gang is going to jail for a long time.” I said.
I received seven thousand dollars for each gang member. I gracefully fluttered home with a smile due to the thought of fourteen thousand dollars in my pocket. I knocked on the door of my apartment room as I thought about the damage that my bat caused that night.
“You turned the big bad wolves into frightened little puppies. You are amazing.” I said as I looked at my baseball bat.
The door swung open, interrupting the intimate conversation that I was having with my partner. As I looked into the eyes of Bryce, they appeared to be wet, like they were drenched with tears. His eyes were so wet with tears that they dampened my mood as well.
“Why are you talking to your baseball bat again? Why won’t you get some real friends, Dysnomia?” said Bryce before he walked to his bed and plopped on it.
“What is the problem, Bryce?” I asked.
“What do you mean? There isn’t a problem.” said Bryce as he threw a sheet of paper into the air.
“I’m not an idiot, Bryce. Let me know what the problem is.” I said.
“Why would I tell you? It’s not like you would be able to do anything about it anyway.” said Bryce as he looked down at the floor.
“You never know unless you ask. You know I make sure I take care of my protégé.” I said.
“Fine, there’s this girl that I like, but she got into a relationship with another guy. Why do girls always go for the bad boys?” said Bryce as he aggressively tugged his covers and laid in his bed.
Bryce reminded of a toddler that threw a fit because he didn’t get his favorite piece of candy. Despite the image of a grown man painting this picture in my mind, I felt a spot as soft as a fluffy pillow for him. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to give him his favorite type of candy, but a piece of candy was certainly in the realm of possibility.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you, my poor Bryce.” I said.
“Yeah, and how are you going to do that? By asking her out for me?” Bryce snapped.
“No, but I have an idea.” I said.
“Good night, Dysnomia,” said Bryce as he turned to the other side and turned the lamp off.
As I laid in my bed and stared into the darkness, I attempted to have visions of light. I desired to go to sleep because I had a long shift at the movie theater the following day, but Bryce’s frown didn’t allow my desire to materialize. I attempted to think of ways to raise his happiness from the grave, but I had little success. Unfortunately, he was right. I can’t ask her out for him. Like an idiot, I left my cloudy globe in Mother Fée’s world, so I can’t even spend my peace points on him to make his dream come true.
A night of relaxation swiftly turned into a work shift. I couldn’t rest my mind and body. I was constantly tossing and turning in the sheets. I developed plans just to scrap them later. I might as well have done a shift at the theater that night.
During my shift at the theater, the seats were vacant, like a mass evacuation took place because of ferocious weather. All I did was sit in a chair and listen to every tick on the clock, like I was listening to music. Truthfully, such music could’ve been meditation music because the simplistic and repetitive nature of the arrangement of notes put me in a trance that I couldn’t break.
Unfortunately, the setup was perfect for poisonous thoughts to slip into my mind. Flashes of images of Bryce’s tears played in my mind like I was watching a compilation of photos of my failures in life. I beat the brains out of villains all day and night, but when my loved one needs help, I’m useless. Bryce needs to feel the warmth of my hand so I can pull him out of the hole that he is in. Unfortunately, as he looks around, I’m nowhere to be found.
“What’s wrong, Dysnomia?” said Katie as she popped the back of my head with a newspaper.
“There was nothing wrong until you hit me with that newspaper. I’m gonna get cha back.” I said as I picked up a pen from the desk and tossed it at her.
“Woah, no need to go to war. I just want you to talk more like usual. Tuesday nights are so slow. I need someone to talk to for entertainment.” said Katie.
“I have a family member that needs help. I don’t know what to do.” I said.
“Oh no. Sounds like family drama.” said Katie.
“Pretty much. I would ask for your input, but I know you don’t want to hear my rambling.” I said.
“Lay it on me. It’s not like I got anything better to do. I got my popcorn and soda.” said Katie as she dumped enough salt onto the popcorn to turn her tongue into the surface of a desert. “You might as well tell me what happened before this sodium gives me a heart attack.”
“Whatever you say,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “A cousin of mine told me that he was strongly attracted to this fine girl, but she chose some jerk over him.” I explained.
“Oh, I heard that one before,” said Katie as she rolled her eyes. “Maybe he should just enjoy being single. There’s nothing wrong with that. My boyfriend is a serious pain. Sometimes I envy single girls. I can never get myself to leave him. Tell him that.”
“I agree with you. I definitely have to take a break from the dating scene for a little while.” I said.
“You must of had boy trouble recently, huh?” said Katie.
“You have no idea. Let’s just say my relationship was a killer. It was weird. I loved him and hated him at the same time. I just put the past behind me now.” I said. “I’ll make sure I tell him that, but I think I need to do a little more than that to help him get over heartbreak. Heartbreak is nothing small. Heartbreak hurts.”
“Magic Gift day is coming up in a few days. Maybe he’ll get a gift that makes him happy.” said Katie.
“Magic Gift day?” I said, scratching my head.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot you’re new to this crappy town. Magic Gift day is probably the only good thing about this place.” said Katie.
“What is Magic Gift day?” I asked.
“Magic Gift day is a holiday that we’ve been celebrating in this town for decades. Here’s how it works. Citizens of the town fall asleep on Magic Gift day’s eve and a whimsical fairy woman with wings watches them. If the citizen did good deeds, he’ll get a prize that is good. If the citizen was a jerk, he’ll get a prize that sucks.” she explained.
“That’s it?” I said.
“In a nutshell,” said Katie.
“Katie, you’re a genius. Who doesn’t love gifts? If someone doesn’t like gifts, then they’re a weirdo. That’ll cheer him up.” I said.
“Yeah, according to legend, the magic gift fairy hides in this movie theater. She lurks in the shadows and watches what you do. Hopefully Bryce is a good guy.” said Katie.
“Of course he is. Every day, I get flooded with peace points that I don’t have the ability to spend on him anymore. I wish I could help him more. Sometimes I feel like a failure of a cloudy fée, but I’m glad the gift fairy can help me.” I said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m glad you got things sorted out,” said Katie.
“You have to be a cloudy fée to understand. Don’t worry about it.” I said.
“According to legend, the Gift Fairy starts preparing for the night of her holiday trip tomorrow night,” said Katie.
The night moved along as slow as a turtle. The night certainly snapped like a turtle, too. Every time I heard the tick and tock of the clock, I felt the night snap at me, causing me great pain. I was losing time in developing a complete solution to the problem.
I got the graphic organizer laid out, but I’m lacking in details. It’s always in the details. The details are always the killer. What are you going to do, Dysnomia? What are you going to do?
For the rest of the night, I pondered about the situation that recently presented itself to me. Katie attempted to spark a conversation with me, but like a wet wooden stick, her sparks weren’t strong enough to start the fire. I was far too drenched from my wave of thoughts.
Even when I returned to the warm sheets in my apartment room, I couldn’t escape the viscous waves. The waves pushed my mind in various directions that were impossible to predict. All I could do was go with the flow.
I really want to make sure that the Gift Fairy gives Bryce the exact gift that he wants. I don’t want her to give him something that he likes. I want her to give him something that he loves. How can I tell her what to give him? How can I get in contact with her? Where can I find her? That’s a big theater. She could be anywhere in there.
The sound of something slamming on the floor caused my chain of thoughts to break like a saw cut it in half. I swiftly turned on the light, hoping that it wasn’t some robber trying to rob my poor Bryce for a couple of dollars.
“What is wrong, Bryce?” I asked as he looked at me with eyes as cracked as a shattered wine glass.
His hair was so messy that one would think that he just escaped the vicious wind of a hurricane. My eyes began to match the color of his eyes. The strong gas of depression that filled the room burned my eyes, causing them to swell up with tears that stained the carpet.
“What should I tell you for?! It’s not like you can help.” said Bryce, raising his voice high enough to feel the midst of the clouds.
“You don’t have to be so loud, Bryce. We’re in an apartment. You tell me to lower my stereo all the time, remember?” I said. “Besides, I already said that you can tell me anything.”
“Fine. The store that I work at isn’t doing too well. Because of dropping sales, my hours got cut. I’m not going to be able to pay this month’s rent. I need more hours or we’ll be out on the street.” said Bryce.
“Don’t worry, Bryce. I’ll figure something out.” I said.
“How? You work a minimum wage job. How are you going to pay rent? This is why I didn’t want to tell you the problem. You can’t fix it. You’re good for nothing.” said Bryce as he stormed into the hallway and slammed the door closed behind him, creating the sound of thunder.
My heart truly felt the lightning strike of the thunderous sound that rattled the room. His words made me feel the pain of a thousand needles sticking into my heart. How can I help so many people, but be so helpless at the same time? Everyone relies on me and uses me as their comfy bed and sheets to cover them from the nightmares that roam the world looking to snatch them up.
It would be a dream to have the feeling of security in the soft sheets of a bed. It would be nice to depend on someone to save me from the powerful waves of the ocean that vowed to swallow me up. It would be nice to have my very own cloudy fée. Unfortunately, the thought of a cloudy fée having a cloudy fée would make all of my sisters laugh. The thought is nothing more than foolishness. A mere statement that a drug addict on the streets would say. I’m playing myself by even entertaining such a thought.
My eyes widened as the sound of the cuckoo clock ripped me from my thoughts of depression that had me chained by the neck. I felt a magic sparkle shine through my mouth. A life saving thought handed me the gift of a smile. In a few days, I won’t have to play the game alone. Playing myself will no longer be my cruel reality. I’ll have a playdate tag along with me. Together, we shall play the cruel game of life.
The following night was a repeat of my previous work shift. My mouth was closed like a locked safe, and Katie attempted to open it. She looked bored and depressed, but I was going through a crisis far too important to play her little game.
While she’s playing checkers, I’m playing chess. I’m a general at war. I have to do all I can to protect my poor Bryce. I have to protect him from the cruel world as well as himself. Soon I shall have the key to the door of my dream.
Even though time crawled slowly like a snail, midnight eventually slid to my doorstep. While I was sweeping popcorn off of the floor of a nearly pitch black theater room, sparkling, vibrant pink light emitting from the crack of a partially opened door made me drop my broom. My eyes widened, and I froze like the most beautiful gift descended from the sky in front of my very eyes. Like a moth attracted to a shining lamp, I fluttered to the sparkling pink light that kept me trapped in a state of awe.
“Wow! Could it be?!” I said as the power of her image was enough to make me almost cry. Her beauty was so great that it was like I was looking at the most vibrant garden that mother nature had to offer. All I could do was bow to her royalty, for I felt I wasn’t even fit to touch the tip of her wings.
“Yes, I am the Magic Gift Fairy that balances this town with blessings and curses.” said the Magic Gift Fairy.
“I have to keep myself from fainting. I can’t believe this.” I said as I looked at her sparkling light blue hair, wings, dress, and bow.
“Wow, your skin is pink, just like mine. Now I guess I’ll no longer be known as the pink chick.” I said. “But you’re not a plain old cloudy fée. You’re like a cloudy fée times a hundred. You don’t just watch over one protégé, but everyone.”
“Your kindness is greatly appreciated, but I’m not doing anything that I wasn’t created to do. I am merely sprinkling the love that I feel in my heart across the town for everyone to enjoy. Joy comes to those who bring joy. Am I wrong?” said the Magic Gift Fairy.
“Everything that you say is gold. Can you please help me with a problem, my divine queen?” I asked.
“Tell me your issue and I promise your problem will be no more.” said the Magic Gift Fairy.
“Well, I have a loved one that feels depressed because things aren’t going his way. His heart was broken by his crush. He is losing money and can’t afford necessities. He needs help.” I said.
“Bryce, is he?” she asked.
“Yes, how did you know?” I asked.
“Ah, the Magic Gift Fairy is the wisest of them all. I know exactly what he needs. I’ll give him the perfect gift that will cure his sorrows and depression.” said the Magic Gift Fairy as she picked up her wand that hung on the wall.
“What is the gift?” I asked as I jumped like a puppy that spotted her owner holding her favorite treat.
“I can’t tell you because I’ll break the rules. Patience is a virtue and none other than the Magic Gift Fairy can know what any of the gifts are until the gift is opened by the appropriate citizen.” said the Magic Gift Fairy.
“I can’t believe you know so much,” I said.
“Don’t think I don’t know who you are, Dysnomia. Your love and kindness shines the light of a thousand stars. I’m aware of what you’ve done for this town. I applaud you. The fact that you got the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the Magic Gift Fairy and you chose to ask for a gift to help your friend instead of a gift for yourself is truly remarkable. I have a special gift for you, Dysnomia. I’m giving you the gift of opportunity to help me bring gifts across the entire town on Gift Day Eve.”
“Thank you so much! I can’t wait! I can’t believe this!” I said.
“Believe, my Dysnomia. Believe indeed.” said the Magic Gift Fairy. “Much work has to be done. Meet me in this closet tomorrow at midnight.”
“Sure thing. Can’t wait!” I said.
A second after the end of my shift, I fluttered through the pitch black sky with a heart full of the light of passion. I couldn’t help but smile at the future smiles of all citizens that deserve it, especially my dear Bryce. The thought of me working with the Magic Gift Fairy almost made me faint.
As I laid in my bed, I was finally able to rest with my problems in someone else’s hand. No longer was I the rack for everyone to hand their stress on. No longer was I the one that had to go to sleep with thousand pound problems weighing me back from reaching sleep. No longer was I the one that had to worry about sacrificing myself for the smile of others. I can relax and let my unofficial cloudy fée take the lead.
“You did what?!” asked Katie.
“You heard me. I met the Magic Gift Fairy in this very theater.” I said.
“Um, Dysnomia.” said Katie.
“What?” I asked before I suffered from the awkwardness of several seconds of silence.
“The Magic Gift Fairy isn’t real,” said Katie.
“Really?! What are you talking about? I saw her last night before we left. Plus, you’re the one that told me about her.” I said.
“Yeah, but I didn’t expect you to take it so seriously. It’s just a fun holiday, you know?” said Katie.
“What? I’m so confused.” I said while scratching my head.
“We just tell kids they get gifts from the Magic Gift Fairy. The parents are the real ones that give the kids the gifts. They just tell their kids that the gifts came from the Magic Gift Fairy.” Katie explained.
“Yeah, what is the point of doing that? It sounds stupid now that you said that.” I said.
“Yeah, I never believed in the Magic Gift Fairy as a kid. All the other kids around me did. I always knew the world was far too cruel. It would be too good to be true.” said Katie.
“I don’t know why it sounds so far-fetched. I’m literally a cloudy fée standing in front of you. Do you think I’m real or am I just a hallucination?” I said.
“Well, with the stuff that I be doing, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were,” said Katie before she chuckled. “But for real, I don’t know who you saw. I know it wasn’t the Magic Gift Fairy. No one other than employees should be in the theater during closing time, anyway. Whoever it was, you should have told them to leave. No one else should be in here while we are closing the theater.”
“Don’t feel bad when the Magic Gift Fairy doesn’t give you what you want. Don’t cry to me saying that you wish you believed in her.” I said.
“I think I can live with that,” said Katie as she rolled her eyes while walking off.
As I rode on the rollercoaster of time, I felt the ride was rather disappointing. The rollercoaster was moving at a pace that was painfully slow. A snail would win a race against the ride with ease. The only thing that I had to keep my sanity was the thought of my appointment with the Magic Gift Fairy.
When one is trapped in darkness, hope is the only beacon of light. Hope can come in many forms. Each form depends on the individual. For me, it was the picture of the Magic Gift Fairy hanging on the wall of my mind.
Once the rollercoaster finally reached the end of its journey, I fluttered my wings with the happiness of a butterfly fresh from the cocoon. While Katie was working on closing the store, I snuck to the theater room of my savior. I fluttered to the other side of the theater and cracked the closet door open.
“Magic Gift Fairy,” I whispered as I softly stepped on the floor.
“Ouch!” I said as I felt the sting of a wooden paddle strike my bottom. I swiftly turned around and saw the Magic Gift Fairy smiling. “What are you doing?”
“Your initiation. You can’t come with me and help me deliver gifts without being initiated.” Said the Magic Gift Fairy.
“Ouchie!” I said, as she swiftly poked my arm with a toothpick.
“Interesting. Pink blood. What species are you?” she asked.
“A cloudy fée. My friend Katie doesn’t believe in you. You do so much good and I don’t think that it’s fair. What can I do to prove to her that you’re real?” I said.
“I appreciate your effort, but there’s nothing you can do about it, Dysnomia. You do a million things and people will continue to think the way they want to think. If I want her to be aware of my existence, I will make myself present to her. However, such a task is irrelevant to my goal. The only thing that we have to worry about is getting these gifts delivered efficiently. Can you do that, Dysnomia?” she asked.
“Of course,” I said as I watched her put the bloody toothpick in a ziplock bag.
“Always remember those words of advice. It doesn’t matter what people think as long as you focus on accomplishing your goals.” she explained.
“Yes, wise savior,” I said.
I treasured her words with so much gratitude that I locked her words in my heart like a treasure box that’ll always be with me. I didn’t have words that were worthy enough for her kind deeds. A million words truly can’t compare to priceless deeds. All I could do was smile at her while she opened the box in the corner of the closet.
My smile soon faded away like sunlight being swallowed up by the ocean of darkness in the evening sky. My eyes were locked on the discovery so tightly that I felt like I was frozen in a glacier. Once I saw her pull silver ribbons with golden stars on them out of the box, one would say that it looked like I witnessed a murder.
“Would you like to help me pack?” asked the Magic Gift Fairy.
“I would love to, but I have to go. I gotta have a good night’s sleep because Gift Day’s Eve is tomorrow night. I can’t be tired tomorrow.” I said as I felt my heartbeat faster than the sweat pouring down my face.
“That is a wise choice, my helper. Very, very wise choice.” said the Magic Gift Fairy as I fluttered out of the room.
As I laid in my bed that night, I felt disturbed, but fascinated at the same time. It was like I was looking into the eyes of a fox. Did the fox just slaughter a sheep? Is the fox hungry? Is the fox looking at me because it wants to eat me? Perhaps the fox just wants to be a friend. It is impossible to know what’s going on behind the eyes of a fox.
I only managed to snag a few hours of sleep that night because questions kept acting as jerks by tapping my head every time I was about to fall asleep. It was a vicious cycle that I was stuck in. One that made me powerless. Without answers, I could do nothing.
Is the Magic Gift Fairy affiliated with the Ribbon Twin Gang? They’re literally known for silver ribbons with golden stars. I mean, it could be a coincidence, but local stores banned those ribbons because of the locally known gang. Something is fishy. All I could do was grab my boat, fishing hook, and bait. I really want to help Bryce, but I have bigger fish to fry.
The following morning, I skated to the movie theater swiftly enough to make people think that I was racing against the clock to make it to work. As a crowd of people talked while walking toward the front entrance, I skated through them and knocked a few people over. Fortunately, their words of hatred were left behind in the dust because I was like a race car driver. My attention was on nothing other than the finish line. Nothing other than my goal.
“Katie! Katie! Katie!” I said.
“What do you want, Dysnomia? Aren’t you off today? Why are you here? You wanna see a movie?” asked Katie.
“I saw her again last night,” I said.
“Who?” asked Katie.
“The Magic Gift Fairy,” I said.
“That really concerns me because there isn’t supposed to be anyone here during closing time. It’s actually kind of creepy. How does this Magic Gift Fairy look?” asked Katie.
“In a strange way, kind of like me. She has wings. Pink skin.” I said.
“I think I know who you are talking about. The girl that hangs around the theater but never buys anything. Me and the staff saw her all the time before you were employed here. We called her the theater ghost. Did she have purple eyeshadow?” asked Katie.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Yup, that’s her. I never saw her with the pink skin and wings, though. She must be playing some weird game of dress up or something.” said Katie.
“So, she isn’t really the Magic Gift Fairy?” I said.
“Nope, just a plain old human like me.” Katie responded.
Her words felt like a jab to my gut. I almost bend over in pain from a boxer’s punch. I felt like I just lost a friend that was so dear to my heart. I felt like a close friend of mine just jumped on a ship and sailed away without returning. I felt abandoned by a dream I thought was in the palm of my hands.
I thought I was finally able to befriend a girl that was like my kind again. I thought I was able to converse with someone that understands me. Someone that didn’t only understand human social problems, but the social problems that I face too.
“Yup, we never knew her name, but we always used to see her. Technically, she was loitering, but we never told her to leave because we knew she came from the orphanage. We’ll we didn’t know for a fact if she did, but it was a strong rumor. We accepted it as true.” said Katie.
“I refuse to believe that. She was the Magic Gift Fairy. I’ll go to the local orphanage and dig through the records to prove it.” I said.
“Or you can just enjoy the fact that you have off on Gift Day Eve. I wish I had off today. Why won’t you just spend your time relaxing?” said Katie.
“Not until I prove you wrong,” I said before I skated toward the front of the theater.
As I skated on the sidewalk of the kingdom, I didn’t have the view of the picture of the kingdom that I usually get to enjoy. The picture was upside down and I was racing to set it back. Katie had the audacity to flip the picture over, but I have a little trick up my sleeve to set the picture straight.
Once I arrived at the local orphanage, I was greeted with a peculiar energy that hit me like a cool breeze. I shivered. The aura of the orphanage almost made me think twice about approaching the door. If someone took a glance at the building, I can guarantee that they would think that it was abandoned. There were cracks in the wall. A couple of the windows were shattered. The grass was so tall and wild that it resembled a forest.
I took a leap of faith and slowly made my way through the cold wind like a penguin waddling through snow. I felt the intensity of my heartbeat increase as I approached the door like I was anticipating a jump scare in a horror movie. As I knocked on the door, I felt sweat drip down my face before it stained the wooden porch.
Once the door opened, I was ready for the jump scare scene to take place. However, to my surprise, a gentle elder woman with glasses opened the door with a warm smile. Her eyes had the aura of the warm rays of the sun. Her eyes were enough to melt the snow off of me that made my spine shiver.
“Hello, miss. Is there anything I can help you with?” asked the woman.
“Yeah, can you tell me about a girl that plays dress up in fairy wings?” I said.
My question struck her heart like a lightning strike. I could hear the thunder roaring in the background as she gasped. She looked at me in a state of horror for a few seconds.
“Follow me,” said the woman.
A few moments later, I was in an old office watching her look through a book on an old desk. I sat in a wooden chair on the other side of the desk, wondering what I got myself into. All I could do was hope for the best.
“You’re talking about Alora Kipper. I remember her. She was quite a dreamer.” said the woman.
“Is she the Magic Gift Fairy that flies around and gives people gifts that truly deserve it?” I asked.
“No, she was just a poor orphan like the other children,” she answered.
I sat there in silence. The loudest sound in the room was the ticking clock. I couldn’t handle the sight of seeing a newly found friend being buried in a grave in front of me.
“She never got along with the other kids. She had no goals or ambitions. She was an outsider to the others. None of us were able to get into her head. Sometimes we would see her watch herself cry in the mirror. We attempted to find out what was wrong with her, but she never spoke to us. She had a weird obsession with the Magic Gift Fairy.” said the woman.
“That seemed to be the only thing that gave her a little happiness. She looked forward to Magic Gift Day because that was the only day that all the orphans received gifts. As you can see by the conditions of this building, we don’t receive much funding. I guess no one cares about orphans anymore. One year we had a major budget cut and we couldn’t afford to give the orphans gifts for Magic Gift Day anymore.”
“All the children looked disappointed, but Alora was the one that had the guts to ask what happened. We didn’t want to crush their spirit, so we just told them that the Magic Gift Fairy died. They all took it hard, but no one took it harder than Alora. She slumped into a deep depression. One day we saw her wearing a fairy costume. At first, we were going to tell her to take it off, but we knew she was just trying to keep the spirit of the Magic Gift Fairy alive.”
“We let her grieve in her own way. One day, she finally found a friend that she got along with. Somehow, Alora got access to a firearm and shot her friend in cold blood. Unfortunately, Alora was too young to be tried for murder. After a long trail, they gave her a slap on the wrist because she was a minor. She was right back in the orphanage.”
“Once again, she shot another child. It was like living in a nightmare all over again. I suffered through another long trial before it ended with the same result. As soon as she turned eighteen, we kicked her out. We were glad we could finally get rid of that creepy girl. We haven’t seen those creepy fairy wings since. She’s a murderer that escaped the handcuffs of the knights.”
All of her words tasted like alphabet soup that was way past the expiration date. Such words made me sick to my stomach. I was literally watching the autopsy of a close friend that I recently lost. I wanted to curl up in a corner and cry, but as a hero, I have to face my problems.
The next thing I knew, I found myself coughing at the smell of Husky’s cigarette smoke that infested my nose like an army of ants constructing an anthill in someone’s yard. He gave me a smirk. I felt the presence of the ghost of a laugh.
“I knew you’d upgrade soon or later. Tired of that little baseball bat, huh?” said Husky.
“Yeah, the villain that I’m fighting is known for carrying firearms,” I said.
“That’s not a problem. The Ice Killer gang has some of the most feared shooters in the kingdom. I can get someone to whip you into shape.” said Husky.
For the rest of the time that the sunshines its warm rays upon the grass of the kingdom, the gun trainer and I were together like peanut butter and jelly. I was like an art student sitting in an art class and the pistol was my paintbrush. Together, we decorated a wooden board by putting holes in it.
“Remember, don’t shoot just to shoot. You actually have to become the gun. When you put your hand on that gun it’s no longer just a tool, but it becomes an extension of you.” said the gun trainer as he stood behind me while I was holding the pistol in firing position.
I pulled the trigger like my life depended on it. Unfortunately, the bull had the last laugh because I missed the bullseye. The next few hours, I was entertaining the bull with a comedy show because no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t hit the target. I felt like a hopeless clown.
As clownish as I felt, the thought of the poor orphans was enough to motivate me to avoid clowning around. I didn’t even notice the dimming sunlight because I was blindfolded by the white target sheets. I literally saw nothing else, for I was determined to rob the bull of his laugh.
Right before the death of the sun’s rays that sprinkled upon the grass, the bull’s luck finally ran out. It looks like the bull didn’t really get the last laugh like we thought he would. I robbed the bull of his laugh and his vision.
“You finally got the bullseye,” said the trainer. “Always remember that the strongest weapon of a shooter isn’t actually the gun. It is the heart. Courage. Because I knew many people who were skilled shooters. They never missed a target. The problem was that when they got into a real shootout, they froze up in fear. Everyone knew that they could’ve hit their target. They could’ve walked away with the victory, but fear got in the way. They froze up and their opponent shot them first. The sad thing is that their opponents weren’t nearly as skilled as they were.”
“Real shooters will find themselves in many difficult circumstances. Take your strength and use it to your advantage. Take other people’s strength and turn it into a weakness. Always remember that someone’s greatest strength can become their greatest weakness.” said the trainer.
“I’m ready for war,” I said with a smirk.

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