Madison and the Three Fairy Queens

558 words

When a silver cat lures Madison into a magical forest, three fairy queens offer her everything—except the one thing she truly wants: a way home.

Madison loved stories of magic.

Every night she pulled her favorite books from the shelves, and her mother would read to her about mermaids and pirates and dragons.

Just before the sleepy dust won its nightly battle, Madison’s mother would close the book and whisper, “Never forget where your home is, Madison.”

Madison would nod, already dreaming of strange creatures and faraway places.

One morning, Madison was in the kitchen with her parents when she saw a strange glint in the woods behind her house. She pressed her nose against the window.

“Is that a silver cat?” Madison exclaimed.

“Sure, honey,” said her mother as she flipped the eggs on the pan.

“Of course,” mumbled her father as he read the newspaper.

Madison looked at her parents, and then she looked at the backyard door. Her parents had warned her many times to never go into the woods alone.

But…

The silver cat—for indeed it WAS silver—was waiting at the edge of the woods. It led her down a winding path through trees that grew thicker and taller around her.

Soon they were running, and Madison was deeper in the woods than she had ever been before.

She did not think to look back towards home, so she did not see the path fading behind her.

The two of them burst into a meadow where three fairy queens danced and twirled among the wildflowers. Their eyes fell on Madison. They squealed, swooping towards her and grabbing her hands, spinning her through the air.

Madison laughed, breathless.

“We are three sisters,” sang the fairies. “Queens of the land and the sea and the sky.”

“You shall live with me,” said the earth sister. “I will name the most beautiful of flowers after you. We shall never stop dancing on the hills.”

“No, you will live with me,” said the sea sister. “I will name an ocean after you. We shall swim and play forever.”

The sky sister threw her head back and laughed. “Live with me, Madison, and I will name the stars after you. I will give you the world.”

“A choice,” said the three fairy sisters. They crept closer, their wings brushing. “Madison, where shall your home be?”

Madison looked from one queen to another. All of them sounded wonderful.

Still, she knew exactly what to say.

“Thank you,” said Madison. “But I already have a home. I will never forget where it is.”

Sharp teeth grew from the fairies’ smiles. Claws sprouted from their fingertips.

“You dare say no to us!” they thundered. “We will never let you go!”

Madison fled back into the woods, terrified. Branches reached out and scraped her cheeks and arms. Claws swiped through her hair.

Try as she might, she could not find the path that would lead her home.

She thought desperately of her father’s smile when he saw her after a long day’s work.

She thought hopelessly of her mother’s voice as she made stories come alive.

Suddenly, a path appeared. Two familiar faces waited at the end.

Madison’s heart lifted.

The fairies shrieked with rage.

Madison rushed into her parents’ arms. They held her tightly.

All was quiet.

“I didn’t forget,” Madison said. “I didn’t forget where my home is.”

Her mother kissed the top of her head. “I never worried that you would.”