"Ella the fairy goes the Elfwood Party" by Emma Lydia Bates

         “What’s happening? What’s happening?”

         Ella was only a small fairy, and could hardly keep up with the steady stream of people walking through her stream. They had been coming for the past three days and nights, and she didn’t know what to make of it. And being such a small fairy, no one heard her questions and protests about what a mess they were making of her home.

         They were making a mess of it, too. There had been humans and elves, centaurs and unicorns and even a couple of trolls – they had been particularly bad. There had been lovely spring flowers on the banks of her stream until they came along, and now? Now?! Now there was only mud, with great big troll-footprints in showing whose fault it was. When the FRPA (the Fairy Residential Planning Authority) came along, Ella was glad that she’d at least be able to point to those footprints to show what had remodelled the landscape like that. As though she’d do such a thing to her home anyway! And as though she’d be able to! And as though she wouldn’t apply for planning permission! It was quite dreadful, what these tough sprites at the FRPA must think of people!

         Ella fluttered along next to one of the humans – they were easiest to keep up with – and tried to listen to what they were saying. Ella understood all forms of Human perfectly, but this was incomprehensible gibberish they were speaking.

         “Well, I was a little annoyed when the mods rejected that piece,” one was saying, “I mean, it’s not my fault my scanner’s broken, is it? But now I see I probably should have trimmed the edges properly.”

         “Yes,” replied the other. “I got a mod’s choice the other day. Wouldn’t it be fantastic though, to get a mod’s choice on the big day? On the day itself?”

         They both fell silent in contemplation of how fantastic that would be. Ella, who had been falling behind a little, flapping her wings furiously to try and catch up. They were a way away from her stream now, but she didn’t care. She was determined to find out where all these people were going. After all, she thought, they must be going somewhere good – there must have been hundreds of them, and surely there couldn’t be that many idiots in this part of the world?

         “What day is it?” Ella shouted into the ear of the taller one. Maybe then they would hear her. “What’s going on? Where are you all going?”

         Suddenly, one of its appendages reached towards her, plucking her out of the air. The human held her up to its face. “What did you say?” It asked, speaking painfully loudly.

         Ella was pulled back through the air again, to be held at the human’s ear so that it could hear her reply. She was amazed they had noticed her, and shown no surprise at her existence. Normally humans could be surrounded by magical creatures and seem to ignore them entirely. Maybe these humans just had a little more magic in them than the rest.

         “I said,” she yelled, “WHERE ARE YOU GOING??”

         “We’re going to the birthday party, little fairy,” the human told her. “Elfwood’s birthday party. Everyone’s invited. I thought you must be going there too.”

         Ella waited to be whisked through the air to its ear before replying, “No! I just followed you because I wanted to know where everyone was going. What’s Elfwood?”

         “Sssh,” said the human, pulling her away from its ear again. They had begun the steeper part of the ascent up the hill above Ella’s stream. “You don’t need to shout so much now. We’re getting closer to Elfwood – you can feel the magic in the air. That’s why I can hear you better. And I can see the dragons, too.” Ella twitched away then – she was desperately afraid of dragons – but the human held her tight. “There’s no need to be frightened,” it said, pointing to the green shapes dancing in the distant sky. “These are Elfwood dragons. They wouldn’t hurt you.”

         “What is Elfwood?” Ella repeated.

         “It’s a place for people who write and draw? Is that like magic?” Ella asked. “Is that why there’s so much magic here?”

         The human smiled and exchanged glances with its companion. “I suppose you could say that,” it replied. “It’s making something out of nothing, or making something brand new out of what you see. And yes, Elfwood is full of magic.”

         They had reached the top of the hill. Ella glanced back at her stream. As they walked over the hill, Ella could see a great dark forest, filled with ancient trees. Above it, dragons, phoenixes and winged horses circled. The sounds of music and dancing reached Ella’s ears. She could smell the magic in the air and see it reflected in the eyes of the humans. Occasionally, sparks of magic flickered out of the trees, bursting in multi-coloured flame.

         Ella knew already that Elfwood was a wonderful place, and that this party was going to be one to remember. You could already sense the magic – and yet, it had hardly even begun…