Specials - Chapter 3

I remembered someone feeding me something, but I couldn't remember who the "someone" was, and what the "something" was. It tasted like grass that I accidentally chewed when I tripped on Layce's garden.

My eyes twitched open. I was lying on my back. As if I was dead, my hands were clasped tight on my stomach. The person who fed me probably thought I was dead. Or maybe he or she just thought that he or she was successful in killing me. My back was itching because I probably was squashing grass beneath me. Grass. Was I on the garden?

A gust of wind attacked my skin, and it felt cold on my skin. It was colder, and sharper than when a wind blows on me when I am in Layce's house, or even out in the town.

That was when I realized that I wasn't wearing my sea-blue nightgown. It was more silky, and lighter than my nightgown. I raised my head, and looked down my chin. I was wearing a short dress that reached about three inches above my knee (which made me grateful that I had long legs), which had colored beads along my neck, leading to the off shoulder thin sleeves. It had the same sea-blue color as my nightgown, which pleased me. I loved blue, or any colors that associated with blue.

Another wind attacked me, snapping me out of my color-world, and that was when reality struck me.

I looked around. I realized that I wasn't in Layce's house, or anywhere near it or the city near the town that I saw when I was flying. It seemed like an opening in a forest, like the ones that are shown on movies. The surrounding trees had a healthy dark-brown color, and were thin, but tall in height. I couldn't even see where the leaves started to grow, since the sunlight shining through the trees was so intense, that I couldn't look up for long. The greenery around me had a special greenish color. The color was so bright, nourished, and was magically clear. Everything around me was magical. Even the air was, though it was cold. I guess I had to get use to it, since I was only wearing the short dress. My feet were bare too. I guess I have to buy a new one that matches my dress.

Where am I? The question mark still remained. Was I in another country? Was I in another planet? Or was I even in another world? That seemed right, because there was something about the place that wasn't earthy. Maybe I was in wonderland, considering the magical-ness of the atmosphere.

Suddenly, a voice spoke from the back of me. It was in another language, but surprisingly, I understood it. It was as if I knew the language all along.

"Ah, finally, you're awake. Welcome home."

It was an elderly voice, had a tender tone on it, and it was surprisingly familiar to me. I twisted my back, noticing my butterfly-ish wings once again.

Standing there was... Mrs. Perkins. She looked younger, wearing a similar gown as me, but with a purple shade and a silk trouser that had the same color as her gown. Her face was wrinkled like Layce's, but showed only purity and kindness. Her familiar dull reddish thin lips had curved into a timid smile -- the smile that she makes when she talks to me. I soon recognized that it was Mrs. Perkins who fed me when I was unconscious.

"Um... Madam Perkins! I am thoroughly glad and surprised to see you here! Thank you for feeding me, Madam. What was that made of? And where am I?" I asked, trying to be polite as possible in this situation, but failing and stuttering with every few words. I guess I was kind of nervous, being in a strange place, and talking to -- Mrs. Perkins. After all, I had to stay alarmed, in case she suddenly turned into a psycho or something. But 99.9 percent of my mind told me that she wasn't, taking the kindness as evidence.

"Aw, now, now Liana. My name is Grace. Don't call me Madam Perkins. That sounds really odd around here." She smirked, and looked around the place as if someone might've overheard. "Well unless you're a Brownie or something like those maid faeries, or else you will be... um, criticized. That was a medicine designed to help you adapt to the atmosphere here. This world is called Specia, your new home." Grace cocked her head, and raised her eyebrows, and looked at me curiously, as if this was obvious. Did she just say fairy?

"I've never heard of such country... And I got straight A's on geography, Mada-- Grace." This was true. I always got good marks on geography in grade 6, when I had to guess countries that are pointed on. I was the best at that game, that my classmates called me "Geo-Liana". They always called me that when I won in the game, or when they needed help with their geography studies.

"Oh, my bad. I forgot to explain. This Specia is another dimension. It is the world that holds Heaven and Hell separate. In other words, it is the space between Heaven and Hell. The word "space" originally came from Specia. And the world "Special" also comes from Specia, since" She paused, and grinned. "This is also the place that brings in creatures that don't belong to the Mainland, like you. As for Mainland, it is where you call Earth."

I realized that my mouth was agape, as my brain tried to process the information. When it finally processed it, and when the tension on my shoulders (I didn’t feel that either,) dropped, only two words came out of my lips.

"No kidding." I raised my eyebrows. It was surprising. Me? Me? Liana Fuller? ”So I don't belong to the Earth too? What am I? A fairy?" I showed her my wings, turning only my back, and my sea-green eyes still resting on her chocolate brown eyes. This was the thing that bothered me ever since I got the wings.

"No, you're not a fairy. You are a faerie" Grace answered matter-of-fact-way. But I didn't get the difference between a fairy and a... faerie?

"I don't understand. They're both the same, aren't they?"

"No. You make faerie sound like "fair-ry" but that is just how humans adapted it. Faeries are never fair. In fact, some are cunning too. You must call us faeries, to make us all equal."

I shrugged and bit my bottom lip, shifting my gaze to the rock nearby.

"Oka-ay. Then why didn't I get these wings before?" I asked. This was also one of the things that I couldn't understand. All this while, I was a fairy - faerie and I never had the wings?

"Faeries all get their abilities in different ages. For you, it came out on your eighteenth birthday. Lucky you. Well for me, it was just yesterday. The faerie council had decided that I was worthy faerie to be a faerie leader." Grace had her thin smile again.

“A council? A faerie leader?” I asked.

“Yes. Specia is divided between two courts. One is Katharo, as it means “pure”. This court focuses on purity and beauty, and takes in people like you and me. In fables by humans, you can refer to the Seelie Court, the name adapted by humans.

The other is Apeiros, meaning “anything”, a court that takes in anyone they can find, including vile faeries and unpredictable ones. It is an equivalent to the Unseelie Court in human fables.

Each court has a council, made up of ten chosen faeries. The leader of the council is the faerie leader, something like a president in the Mainland.”

No wonder. I thought that her status was well deserved, for such a kind person as Grace. I was also surprised by the fact that she handled all this and took the responsibility as a leader in just one day.

Then I was confused. Wasn't I supposed to be seventeen? Wait, was it March 19th yesterday? I shook my head and gazed down. Then I thought, no way! I'm an adult now?

As if Grace read my mind, she raised her eyebrow and shook her head, and murmured,

"Oh Lily, poor girl. You forgot your own birthday. You turned eighteen when you went out in the midnight. Happy birthday." Grace murmured.

Then Grace walked towards me, and hugged me reassuringly. I couldn't do anything except hugging her back, as if I knew Grace all along. Grace twirled my hair, which felt like the way my mother reassured me when I was feeling sad, depressed, or even when I was exasperated, like this moment. Then I was suddenly aware that Grace had called me Lily. That was my secret middle name, which I secretly favored. I never told anyone my middle name. How did a stranger like Grace know my middle name?

"How did you know that my secret middle name was Lily?" I asked.

"Because that is your true faerie name. Everyone has their temporary name at the Earth and a name especially for when they return home. Some faeries, when they were in the Mainland, think of that name as a nickname for themselves. They never realize that there is actually a reason to keep that name a secret." Strangely, I realized that I had accepted every word Grace said. I actually believed her. But looking around me, it was true enough. There was no such place that had such clear environment. In an instant thought,

"Will I be able to go back to the Earth – Mainland again?"

Her shoulders shrank. "Sadly, no. Because your wings can't be retracted again. Once it's out, there is no way of it to go in. Same is to Specia. Once you're in, there is no way out. Plus, I don't think you want to go back to that cruel lady again, do you?"

That was true, I felt like I didn't want to go back again. I was confused. While I wanted to stay in Specia, I wanted to go back to the Earth again. But thinking that I had to face the consequences of Layce getting mad, I didn't feel like going back again.

“But how about my parents?”

Grace had an enigmatic face for a moment. Then she smiled again, “They’ll be fine.” I thought I saw a flicker of sadness in her tone, but as it was a tiny flicker, I dismissed it.

Still, I was surprised that Mrs. Perkins -- aka Grace was in this... Specia.

"Now, let me show you where you have to live from now on."

Then she pulled my hand, and flew up into the air.