Pixie Problems
Ever wonder what happens to your lost keys and left socks? Hope you enjoy this fantasy short story!
In all my years with House Pixie Intervention, the toughest case by far was Bella Kat. She might only be knee high to water sprite, but she was quick and hard to catch. Her list of alleged offenses was longer than my beard -which I’ve been told is quite impressive.
As you well know, many of the smallest house pixies are kleptomaniacs when it comes to human items. They don’t give a roach’s whisker about the Laws of Anonymity. To make matters worse, we’ve never been able to figure out why the items humans value the most stand out with an irresistible, lustrous glow. HPI agents, like myself, try our best to stem the tide of chaos caused by our fellow pixies.
Just once, I was able to catch Bella Kat in the act. An emergency alert went out after a particular key went missing. I entered the apartment in question. According to my intel, the human should have just left for work. I chose the high vantage point of the kitchen counter. I settled behind the air fryer and lowered my wings out of sight.
I waited… passing time watchin’ the dust motes dance across a stream of filtered sunlight. I checked my holster, grateful for our newly- issued orb blasters, courtesy of the local Spider’s Guild.
I heard whistlin’ before the culprit came into view. Bella Kat flitted across the linoleum: blonde hair concealing ever-searching eyes. She never looked up from the floor. The duffle bag slung between her wings was nearly full to burstin’.
I aimed my blaster. Pop! The webbing exploded out and stuck her wings shut. Thud. She landed bottom first on the ground with a squeal and sprinkle of glitter- or what I like to call- devil’s dust.
“Ouch!” she exclaimed. I flew down for the confrontation. She tossed her hair casually to one side and straightened her glittery dress.
I flicked my beard aside to show her my badge. “Officer Neville Akernshield with HPI. Hand over the bag ma’am.” With a smile and innocence in her sparkling blue eyes she said,
“What bag? Officer, I’m really not sure what all the fuss is about.”
At this point I rolled my eyes and pointed to the bag. “You’ve got something that doesn’t belong to you.”
Now began her painful attempt to feign confusion, but her right eye was twitchy. I yanked the bag off her back and dumped it out.
Sure enough, it was stuffed. Batteries, a left sock with cat faces on it, wads of silver candy wrapper, and what looked to be the back of a remote control. I held up the last item… the missing key. She laughed.
“Oh that old thing! I’ve been carrying around that trash for forever.” It didn’t escape my notice that she couldn’t stop staring at it.
“Ma’am that’s a bald-faced lie and you know it.”
“I don’t appreciate your tone.”
“Bella Kay you have violated code 59 section 65 line 47 of the Human Hindrance Act. Time to make it right.”
Now she clasped her hands and whined. “But I couldn’t help it! It was so beautiful…. Practically calling out to me!”
“Of course it did… objects humans need the most always glow the brightest. But I suppose you’ve never heard of resisting the call?”
She began to protest, but just then, the front door burst open.
A young woman threw her purse down, and kept up a stream of mutterings while tearing through the room, searching. Even Bella Kat knew to be silent. We shuffled over to hide ourselves behind the trash can.
We pixies might be invisible to humans, but a golden key floating in the air sure would be a strange sight.
The floor boards shuddered as the human rifled through papers on the table. Tears crashed down her face. Couch cushions went flying. Now she was searching on all fours, coming closer, looming above us.
Then it occurred to me- maybe this interruption was for the best. It might give Bella Kat a chance to really see the turmoil she caused. We could hear snippets now.
“…I could swear I put it… gave me another chance…can’t blow it this time…to explain this… ever trust me again?” The woman returned to the couch and sank down, head in hands.
“Humans like to talk to themselves don’t they? Bella Kat whispered.
“Focus! You’ve got to get that key back to her!”
“I’m not going anywhere!” she gestured to her webbed up wings.
“Don't worry, it will dissolve before sundown. Until then… well you’ve got legs. Find a way to get that key to her now.” She glanced at my holster, shoulders slumped.
“Ok-fine.”
It was a good thing she was quick even without her wings. She walked back to her duffle bag on the floor and stuffed the key in to keep it invisible. She darted hither and thither, between the furniture until she got to the front door.
She looked around before dropping the key into a pair of blue sneakers. I wasn’t sure what the crazy pixie was up to- but then she pushed over an umbrella propped against the wall. It hit the side table- causing a lamp to wobble.
This was enough to make the human jump up to steady it. Then we heard a guttural cry of relief. The key was found. The human raced back out, slamming the front door.
I handed Bella Kat a warning notice with the HPI seal pressed into the beeswax. “A word to the wise… one day everyone runs out of chances to make things right.”
She was silent for a moment as if expecting me to continue. There wasn’t any more to say. She wasn’t ready to listen.
After a moment she picked up her duffle and headed for the air vent in the hallway. Wings still stuck, she climbed through and was gone. By this time my insides were rumbling something fierce- I couldn't wait to get home to my biscuits and fried beetles.
So far, I’ve been the only one at the HPI to ever catch Bella Kat.
I love this!
Cute story!!