The fairy floated just off the ground, tiny feet trailing, toes down, skimming the grass. Glitter streamed in her wake. Only she and that shimmering trail lit the night. Flowers bloomed in her faint glow and faded into obscurity once she passed.
Closer, closer I urged her.
It was a little known fact that fairies, while twiggy, were delicious. Wrap them to a stick, wave them over the flames, and poof! Their dust burst forth all at once, cooking them to medium-rare perfection.
This fairy was healthier than most. She looked like a somnolent bumble bee floating here and there on wings barely strong enough to hold her.
The wings I could do without, except maybe as a toothpick once I’d finished dinner. I readied my lasso. The woven vine was coiled perfectly, ready to fly at a moment’s notice.
Closer, closer.
I’d caught my first fairy by stealth, tracking it all night long and bringing it down by poisoned dart. It had ruined the flavor. I didn’t bother with that this time. One quick toss and it would be all over for the little fairy.
I swung the vine. One. Two. Three!
A flick of my wrist and it sailed to the fairy. To and through.
What the—
She darted after it too quickly for my eye to follow. I could only see her glowing trail as it sped straight toward me, the spiraled around my body. My arms were trapped before I understood the frantic circling. I struggled, to no avail, cringing back as the sprite flew into range and landed on my face.
A glint caught the edge of my vision. Another. Then another. Something landed on my head. My shoulder. Clung to my pant leg.
“Little known fact,” the fairy pinching my face said in a tiny voice, “humans, while fatty, are delicious.”
Fanged teeth sank bit off the tip of my nose first.
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