1.

It wasn't a classmate watching a movie

in a drive-in. It wasn't the best-liked boy

on a school trip,

or at a friend's birthday party.

It was at twilight, when the fairies were all around.

2.

Sarah walked into the woods at the edge of town

following the river all along until

she was alone, lost, a bit apprehensive.

And yet, among the green branches in late May

the last sun rays lingered, and hung like necklaces,

getting caught in the copious leaves.

Little by little, she felt more at ease,

a drowsiness came over her, her body

felt heavy like the earth she trod.

She sat down and leaned against an old oak tree.

As her eyelids closed, she caught a glimpse of

something moving at the edge of her field of vision,

a flicker, a presence, a shape she could not quite make out.

3.

"Who's there?"

The moving shape was a twirling ball of light in the dark

clearing. Out of it came a rainbow-edged boy:

his skin gave out a coloured halo all around.

He had long spiky ears, large green eyes, and dark skin.

He didn't answer, but smiled.

"Don't you speak my language?"

He came nearer and took her hand. He traced

invisible symbols on her palm. They turned into

fireflies. They flew away. He traced more symbols

on her skin. They turned into burning embers

she threw away.

"Enough!" she said. "I get it, you are quite a magical being!"

He smiled again, and kissed her quickly on her lips.

She quite liked the trick.

3.

He offered her a bunch of wild berries and they danced

together, and made merry. Soon, she felt a strange desire:

"Give me more!"

He obliged. She tasted berries of all types.

Then, she sighed. He looked so nice.

She undressed and he glowed in the night.

His hand was a cool breeze on her skin,

his lips as sweet as wild strawberries.

Their bodies merged throughout the night

and both forgot about the time.

4.

At dawn, he disappeared as she slept on.

At noon, she woke up all alone.

In the evening she was at home, but alas

she felt so forlorn.

At night, she slept in her bed and dreamt of

her faerie friend.

"Farewell," he said with a sorrowful look,

"We have broken all the faery and human rules."

"Please, stay, don't you go!"

But he just blew a kiss from his hand and was gone.

5.

When she got up in the morning,

she was as ancient as the old oak

that had witnessed their love,

as luminous as the fireflies born in her hands,

as fierce as the embers she had held.

Yet, you could only tell if

you stayed and looked in her eyes

long enough.

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