The circle of mushrooms glowed in the forest as the village bonfire touched the sky. A frail young woman’s cries of pain eased into a sigh when a wail from teeny lungs reverberated around her bleeding body.
A shimmering presence loomed over them before darkness swallowed the longest day of the year. The deal was made.
***
Sixteen Years Later
“Be at the barn tonight, leannan,” Idris whispered, his breath tickling the red curls at her nape. He left before she could respond, whistling a tune she loved.
Deryn’s moss-green eyes shone with excitement. She went inside the hut, ignoring her da on the cot, asleep from too much drink, as always. She packed her two dresses and the few coins she saved into a makeshift bundle.
“Deryn, are you ready?” A soft voice called from outside.
“Aye! Coming,” she replied, shoving the bundle under a basket beside the door.
Deryn straightened her pale blue frock and lopped her arm around her friend’s. They set off towards the center, where the villagers were already immersed in the Midsummer celebrations.
The hours passed in a blur of activities. As the orangey evening eased into a night, the men and women were more than a little drunk. Laughter and chatter echoed everywhere, mixed with the scent of crushed flowers in the crowns. Someone lit the bonfire, and they moved closer to it. Deryn danced in abandon, her skin sparkling with sweat and heat.
With the same fire in her heart, she sneaked off on her rendezvous.
“Idris… are you there?” She whispered into the barn, clutching the bundle to her chest. She almost sighed in relief upon spotting him with his three friends.
Before she could speak, they dragged her inside.
“Idris! Argh… stop!” She cried, pushing at their hands.
“You thought I’d run away with a drunkard’s bastard when I could marry the village belle?” Idris sneered, leaning into her face. “We use girls like you for fun, leannan.”
Deryn shoved hard at him. He stumbled and hit the wall. The torch fell. The hay caught the flames. Deryn fled as the men cursed, struggling to control the fire in their inebriated state. She ran through the narrow streets, knocking down the torches lit outside the homes to ward off evil.
Idris chased, his long legs covering more ground with each leap. “Bloody witch!”
When they were deep in the forest, Deryn stopped. She stood within a fairy circle—the place of her birth and her mother’s death.
“What…!”
“Oh, Idris… aren’t you just like your da?” Deryn mocked. “Now, all of you will pay the price.”
He tried to lunge at her but froze mid-step and slumped to the ground. Meanwhile, the cries from the burning village got louder. No one would survive.
Deryn smiled.
“Well done, my leanabh. Your mother has been avenged.” Said a beautiful faerie who appeared at her side. “Let’s celebrate the solstice.”
The fairy ring gleamed as they danced through the night.
***
Glossary:
- Da: father
- Leannan: darling
- Leanabh: baby
- Fairy/ mushroom ring: a circle (of any size) formed on the ground and said to be a portal to the fairyland and a dancing ground for faeries
- Midsummer night: Summer solstice; the longest day of the year when humans can meet faeries or make a wish by standing within the fairy circle
***
Image Credit: Made on Microsoft Bing.
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Prompt: This story is a part of the Full Circle Five00-21 Event hosted by ArtoonsInn Writers’ Room.
