Scrivenings of the King-Beyond-The-Wall

Door #14

When my parents sent Josie and me outside to chase after lightning bugs, I don’t think they actually intended for either of us to actually catch one. Or that the lightning bug would turn out to be a faerie! Sadly, it was not a “Tinkerbell” situation where she was a delightful, if precocious little pixie who could sprinkle magic dust and guide us to a far-off place like Neverland; this one actually seemed pretty pissed to have been captured inside a mason jar.

“Do you grant wishes or anything?” Josie and I asked the faerie.

“The only thing you’re going to be wishing for is a swift death, unless you let me out of here,” the faerie demanded.

“Okay, but from your tone I’m kind of feeling like if we do let you out, you might hurt us,” Josie said. “So maybe we just leave you in there while we figure out what to do?”

“Maybe I was a little hasty,” the faerie admitted. “If I say I’m sorry, will you let me out?”

“Depends on what you can do for us,” I replied, seeing the opportunity to bargain.

“How about a wish?” Josie asked.

“That’s a genie,” he replied.

“What about good luck?”

“Leprechauns.”

“Well what can you offer us?”

“A light. That’s kind of our thing.”

“That’s it?”

“It’s why you thought I was a lightning bug.”

“Can you do anything else?”

“Not really.”

“So then the whole thing about making us wish for a swift death if we didn’t let you out... what was all of that about?”

“... It was a bluff.”

“Wasn’t a very good one.”

“Well, like I said, the only thing we’re really good at is creating light.”



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(284 words)


Prompt: What if lightning bugs are actually fairies?!

Authors of the Iron Throne  (ASR) A literature-themed crossword created as part of 2024's Game of Thrones. #2318521 by Jeff