Wednesday Brief! Your Hump day dose of flash fiction!

Greetings everyone and happy Wednesday! As usual I'm running around in major chaos with all my classwork, day job and home chores. (That's the reason there was no Monday hottie this week, sorry.) I almost didn't get this week's brief done, but at the last minute, (I've checked the story, but please forgive any errors), I came up with this magical tale which I hope you like.

This week's prompts were:

"Hit me with your best shot"

or

unicorn, mandolin, some sort of plant

or

"hit or miss"

or

"sex on the beach"

or

"I thought I knew (fill in the blank), until he/she...."

or

bartender, math, elephant

Hope you enjoy the flash and don't forget to read those other great stories brought to you by the lovely authors participating in the Wednesday Brief's. (links at the bottom). Have a great day!

Music of the heart

Orla stepped through the ivy curtain running and laughing. Her golden locks waved behind her like a banner, marking her position. Lightning lit the sky and thunder announced its presence with a booming voice. A light wind blew and her light green gown tangled round her legs, yet she did not pause. She heard the human behind her, calling out and begging her to stop but Orla ran on.

The moon glowed in the sky, lighting her path, though she needed no light to know the paths of the forest. Tiring of the chase, Orla climbed a tree. Making herself comfortable atop a branch, she waited for the man to appear. She’d spotted him the night before, a mandolin at his back, whistling a merry tune while walking down the road. Mesmerized by his song she’d come closer. The man was marvelously handsome. Too handsome to be human, she had thought, but he looked like one nonetheless: Tall, broad, with muscled arms that demonstrated that this was no simple musician but a man who’d traveled many paths in life. He had a friendly face that might not have been described handsome by some but that she found fascinating. He was beardless, with a straight nose, thin lips and a strong jaw, but it was his eyes, green as the meadow, that urged her into playfulness.

Oh, Orla hadn’t been a naughty fairy luring innocent men into the forest in a very long time. Abandoned by her fairy brothers and sisters as they found new paths in life, she had taken to caring for the forest on her own. She couldn’t remember the last time she had teased a human, but this man was different. This man made her fairy blood boil in excitement. Deciding that it was time she had a little fun, she called to him in dreams.He followed without question, and thus the merry chase was one.

Suddenly, the man crashed through the trees, interrupting Orla's trail of thought. Orla covered her mouth, fighting the temptation to laugh and provoke him further. Her laughter died in her lips and desire rushed through her veins as she caught sight of his pale skin peaking through the open neck of his chemise.

Orla watched the human as he stopped and looked up at her tree with a cheeky grin. Orla’s breath caught in her throat. Could he see her? She remained still, using her powers to camouflage with the nature around her. The man’s smile grew. He moved towards her and Orla panicked, afraid he'd catch her. However, he did not climb the tree, but simply sat at its root. Passing a hand through his brown curls, he looked up. Orla bit down on her lip to stop herself from gasping. Through the branches, leaves and flowers, the man’s eyes found hers, stirring something deep inside her.

“So you’re still here, fair maiden. No need to answer, I’ve seen you, just like you’ve seen me.”

Orla sat quietly on her branch, afraid to move and afraid to acquiesce that she had indeed locked eyes with him.

“You have only shown yourself to me this once, maiden, but I have glimpsed you before.”

The man began to whistle the tune she had heard when she first saw him. Orla held her breath, the melody seeping into her skin, impregnating her with some sort of knowledge that at the same time remained hidden beyond her grasp. The man began to sing, and Orla nimbly climbed down the tree. As if in a trance, she approached the musician, watching him in pure rapture. He did not move his mouth, but she heard his song loud and clear for it was one that came from the heart.

“Sweet maiden, of golden hair,

Smile like sunshine,

Laughter like bells,

You are the answer to my prayer.

Where it up to me,

I’d bring you the moon.

Where it up to me,

I’d bring you the sun.

Where it up to me,

I’d take you into my arms and whisk you away on a unicorn.

Sweet maiden, of golden hair,

Smile like sunshine,

Laughter like bells,

You are the answer to my prayer.”

Orla bent down and placed her hand over the man's. The music stopped. She shook her head slightly but stopped when he looked up at her, his green eyes piercing right through her magical soul.

“What are you?” she whispered.

“A musician,” he replied.

The man took her hand and though he did not tug, she fell onto his lap, circling his neck with her arms, like he was no stranger. The human wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer, his eyes, never leaving her face.

“Your name?” she whispered urgently.

“Erin,” he said, his lips a breadth away from hers.

“Erin.” The whisper of his name disappeared into the wind as his lips touched hers. Orla closed her eyes and rested her hands on Erin’s chest. She felt the erratic beat of his heart under her fingertips, the creation of a new song sprouting among them as their tongues mingled and danced in to the rhythm. Wind blew against them, thunder pealed the sky, rain began to fall in furious droplets but all Orla felt was Erin’s warm body pressed against hers. All she heard was his song mingling with her own song of the forest and its creatures. A bird cried out in the distance breaking the spell. Orla pulled away and gazed at the sky. Pink flower petals caressed their skin as they fell from the tree. For the first time, she realized they had been under an almond tree. They had Mother Nature's blessing. She smiled and gazed into Erin’s eyes. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his cheek. He responded by tilting his head towards her hand, searching for it's soft caress.

“Green as the meadow,” she whispered. “You bring a new song to the forest, meadow fairy.”

Erin grinned. “I have long searched for your song, Orla of the forest. You have brought a new song and a new home, to a lost fay."

Orla pressed her lips to Erin's and took in a deep breath. Rain, grass, pine, freedom, love. She was alone no longer. Like her brothers and sisters, she at last found her own song for she now had her own fairy lover.

BRIEFER'S

Ashlynn Monroe m/f

MA Church m/m

Michael Mandrake m/m

Tali m/m

Nephylim m/m

MC Houle m/m

Victoria Blisse m/f

Sara York m/m

Julie Lynn Hayes m/m