Book By The Cover
“A Ghost And A Porcelain Doll”
The aged scarecrow hung upon his cross as he had these lasting years, countless seasons. Those Aeons highlighted by the one night of the year that fairies majik brought celebration to the villages toys. Even to he, a lonely scarecrow upon a rickety cross. His cornfield on the edge of town bordered on the far side by a dead forest. Beetle kill had ravaged the trees now everything dark, brittle and scratchy. The village hadn’t organized cutting down the dead forest. So it stood a monument to death.
The fairies didn’t like coming through the dead forest. They lived far beyond. They did come on the only night they could cast the spell though. An Unspoken Promise. The scarecrow hung there perhaps the fifth hour of the night. Hard keeping track of time. He could sense the majik of the fairies just before the glow that surrounded the diminutive flying creatures. A bright glitter came before his sight while giggles found his sense of listening. He climbed down off his cross with unsteady movements.
“Thanks, Good to see you.” The scarecrow rasped. All but one of the fairies had gone into the village. She spoke in her little voice:
“We found a dead porcupine rolled up in there.” Motioning to the dead forest. “Rolled up in a ball, all quills, bones, and dried up skin clinging to the skeleton, oh yea and the teeth.”
“Yea, This is the best night of the year.” The scarecrow replied. The fairie burst into laughter and she spoke at the same time, almost interrupting herself.
“We found a portal! When all the toys get here we have to hurry, we have to get there before dawn. You’ll all live forever!” The scarecrow was amazed. Shocked.
“All the time?”
“All the time.” She smiled. “C’mon”
The two of them went to a grassy area bordered by the cornfield and the dead forest. All the toys were gathering there. Fairies flitted back and forth, flying about here and there. The fairie that had arrived with the scarecrow addressed the crowd of toys:
“We have news for you this year! Instead of half a night; We have found a portal you can pass through and be alive forever!” There was a great clamor. It was at this moment that the scarecrow noticed a new addition to the community of toys. A porcelain doll, and she was beautiful. What should he do? In that moment the thought was shattered and panic gripped his thoughts. The human church leader shouted as a crowd of torch bearing villagers approached:
“I knew it! It’s an abomination. Fairy magic, you will all be destroyed!”
The firelight coming from the torches of the villagers replaced the cool moonlight as the toys ran for the forest led by the fairies. The scarecrow ushered those around him to pass. Some fairies used majik to temporarily blind the closest pursuers helping to get the toys a head start.
More villagers rushed into the dead forest, torches held high. Instantly starting a blazing forest fire. Almost as if the very weather couldn’t have been asked not to, the wind began to howl spreading the fire violently. The toys ran as fast as they could. Panic! Still the promise of the fairies portal to life ultimate motivation. The scarecrow brought up the rear urging toys on and lifting several back to their feet.
“Get that one!” The scarecrow heard. He looked back and saw three villagers thrust torches at him as he burst into flame. In that moment his thought disappeared. In that split second before was a word ‘Forever’
It would seem that all the toys of the village had been destroyed or had disappeared. In some ways yes. All The toys that had escaped into the portal during the dead forest inferno existed there in the newly discovered plane in contact with the toys that became ghosts. The ghost of the scarecrow came to approach the porcelain doll, Fairie majik made a chance at forever.
A ghost and a porcelain doll.
