Cory’s Story: A fairy and a red room

DISCLAIMER: the 2nd scene is the part of the story where we start having fantasy super powers. Sonic booms, teleportation, glowing energy shields… Just wanted to make that clear real quick 🙂

Some extra background info if you’re interested

***

Hello. I’m back. It’s Cory, again. Are you still sitting in that cave?

No. Sorry, I’m scared to leave.

You can come out. I can help you up to the house if you want.

I tried flying. Before. It burned my skin.

Oh? You can fly?

Of course. I can fly. I’m a fairy.

The canyon burned your skin?

No. I mean I tried flying out of…here. What’s with the cages full of moaning people? I mean, sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that. It was rude.

I could get you something to shield your skin. Maybe a blanket?

Could you? That would be very kind… *sniff* you’re the first kind person I’ve met, Cory. Your name is Cory, right?

Yes, my name is Cory. What’s your name? Or, do you have a name?

Should I?

No, you can take as long as you want to think of your name. I could help you come up with names.

I don’t want to be named Cory, Cory.

No, I mean other names, that aren’t Cory. Like…actually, are you a girl fairy or a boy fairy?

A magenta fairy.

Could your name be Magenta?

Why would my name be a color?

What about Riley? Or Taylor?

No. I don’t think so. Cory?

Yeah?

I think I would much like a blanket. I want to fly somewhere. I think if I could fly, I wouldn’t think about hurting as much.

Okay. I can go get you a blanket. Will you be able to fly under a blanket?

Of course I will. I’m a fairy.

***

Ripple screamed. The dusty baseboards in Cory’s vision went fuzzy, like heaps of sawdust. Ani was screaming with her. The dusty baseboards and pale blue walls and creaky wood floor faded, color and sound seeping away like someone was stuffing his senses full of cotton.

Ani yelled. Cory gradually became aware of a room of gray shadows and red light. Two black silhouettes menaced them. Ani screamed and boomed with sound, tossing Cory further back in the consciousness, until he was fuzzily aware of pale walls. He was dragged forward again as one of the silhouettes flew backwards from Ani’s powers. The other, somehow, appeared unaffected. Distantly, Cory thought they should be running away, until the remaining silhouette leaned close and the dark room split into a myriad of colorful lights.

Cory slid into control. Instincts took over and a white, curving energy shield glowed beside them. He reached backward for Ani but she had already faded, retreating back into the subconscious. Close by, Ripple was startled, terrified, trying to force her way back in and likely wanting to destroy something.

He didn’t let her. The myriad, splitting colors shattered to pieces, revealing nothing but solid black and solid weight beneath his knees. Cory pushed more energy into the shield, its soft glow expanding slightly. Leaning forward, he studied the illuminated ground. Black hair fell across his face and he jumped. He always forgot that was there. He always forgot about this body’s thin arms, young frame.

He rubbed delicate fingers across the metal floor. Bumps made dull taps on his skin. “Ripple?” he said out loud, unwittingly discovering they were in a room. An echo-y room. A very small room. “Ripple, can you hear me?” he said more quietly, his shield hovering from the floor. It floated only a short distance before reflecting against a curving line of the ceiling. Cory tried not to measure the distance from the too-short ceiling to the floor. And he certainly didn’t try standing up.

***

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