Behind the Bedroom Wall

We need help Trixie, it's the third fairy to be captured this week." "Belle you are not thinking of asking the Giant in the bedroom are you?" stuttered Trixie. "We have no choice it's only the Giant that the trolls are afraid of" replied Bella.

The fairies, pixies and elves had lived in harmony in the wall of 22 Elm Drive, for over eleven years. The Giant had been smaller then. As she grew, they had made homes, opened cafes and shops and even opened a hotel for visiting friends.  The Giant who lived in the in the bedroom beyond the wall often left them little treats; she seemed to know they were there, even if they were too shy to say hello.  Then about a month ago, their peace was shattered.  The giant could often be heard stomping up to her bedroom, slamming doors, and crying into her pillow. It was then that the Trolls moved in.

The Trolls were trouble from the start, and they absolutely stunk. At first, they left everyone alone, but then they started quarrelling really loudly. They complained that the Giant never left them any treats, but they were too cowardly to creep into the Giant's bedroom where treats were left. So, that's when the kidnapping started. Late at night they would sneak into the fairy village, brandishing a net, they would capture an unsuspecting fairy and imprison them in a jar. The poor terrified  fairy would be dragged back to their lair and thrown into a dark cave, They had no chance of escape as a fierce dragon guarded the entrance.

 Then the ransom notes would arrive: Fairy folk - We have your friend, if you wish her to be returned before her magic fades, fetch us all your food treats, anyone trying to attempt a rescue will face Scorch the Dragon, he loves eating fairies for breakfast.

The trolls would release the fairy, when the ransom was paid, but then it would start all over again.  It got to the point every fairy was terrified to go to bed. The whole community was suffering; goods were on ration in the shops, and everyone was going hungry.

"So, what's the plan Belle"asked Trixie. "Well first of all we will call a meeting in the Honeysuckle Hotel, this morning, when the trolls are sleeping.

Addressing all the community Bella began "Well all this began when our Giant became unhappy. It was then the trolls came, so I think if we can make the giant happy perhaps the trolls will move away, so I need some suggestions" Bell paused looking around the hotel lobby. At first, she was met with stunned silence, and then everyone started chattering all at once, very excitedly.

Slowly the plan came together. They would need to make a really special batch of dust. Dust was made every time a fairy performed a good deed. It would take a lot of goodness to make a jar big enough for a Giant, but surely that would make her happy, she could make a wish that would hopefully solve her problems. Wishes had to be used wisely; they could not give you possessions or money but could help you achieve something good.

 “We need a volunteer to get the dust to the Giant” proclaimed Belle. Most of the fairies stared down at their feet shuffling awkwardly, but one older fairy stepped forward. Dressed in silver with matching silver hair, she seemed to shimmer as she moved, and around her neck was a necklace made of milky teeth.  “I’ll do it, I may have lived more years than all of you, but I am the only one who has ever been to the bed where the giant sleeps, when I would leave a silver coin in exchange for her lovely milk teeth” whispered Silverine.

The next few days were really busy behind the wall, there was a very special buzz around the village that had been absent for a long time, as everyone went about their goods deeds. It made for a much happier life, and enough special dust was soon collected. The fairies even left a special treat for the trolls without being held to ransom.

The big night arrived. They listened at the bottom of the wall as the Giant lay her in her bed, she tossed and turned for ages, but at last her breathing changed and she began to gently snore. Silverine quietly flew up to the bed placing a silk pouch of dust under the pillow. With her tiny heart fluttering she crawled beside the giant's ear whispering how happy and grateful they had been with their home and treats, and explained their recent troubles with the trolls.

Bzzzzz Emily sat up in bed. Stretching she wiped the sleep from her eyes.  She had had some very strange dreams last night but they were very familiar. She'd had them before, but years ago.  She dreamed that she had ruled the land of the fairies, and that she had to keep all the little folk safe from some horrible monsters. She smiled to herself as she remembered  that when she was a little girl she had believed that there was a kingdom behind her bedroom wall. Even now out of habit she would leave little treats for her people, though her mother just believed she was too lazy to take her leftover snacks downstairs. For some reason she felt happy today, more than she had for a long time. Laying back she hugged the pillow to herself and as she did, she felt a little silk pouch. She smiled to herself; her mum must be thinking she was still a child, but she was thirteen.  She suddenly felt guilty she had been horrid to her mum lately, being lazy, not listening and sulking over the must stupid things.  Absent-mindedly she opened the pouch and its contents lightly fell out over her. "I wish I would be a nicer person to my family and be more helpful sometimes" sighed Emily.

Behind the wall Bella and the other fairies wondered if their plan had worked. The Trolls were very quiet that afternoon. They couldn't hear them quarrel but they hadn't moved out. They had all gathered at the Ivy Inn to discuss what to do next when the ground began shake, and slowly a great big hairy troll advanced towards them, his huge wrinkly hands carrying a guitar. All the fairies fluttered up in a right tizzy. “Oh its ok I just wanted to play you a song” he boomed. The fairies stared in disbelieve.  “I just wanted to pay you back for the treats you left the other night. I know we have been behaving really badly, it’s in our nature we can't help it” he stated sadly. “I can’t promise we will always be good, but we wont kidnap anyone again. Although we would love it if you would share some of your treats now and again”.

So, a compromise was reached and things got back to some kind of normality for the fairy folk, but the trolls did add a bit of spice to their lives from time to time.