I didn't know what to say.

I had rarely seen Chris quite so serious before, at least when he wasn't watching the Patriots lose. But that just involved him watching a football game. This serious look he had no was combined with a call to action. And I had no idea how to talk him out of it.

"Chris, no, you've got it wrong."

"How? How have I gotten this wrong? Everything you've told me is that some lady gave you a wand to transform you, she messed with your mind, and captured you. How is that not a curse?"

A thought for a second, at first even doubting myself. How could I be sure a great trick hadn't been played on me? I took for granted all the peculiarities of being a fairy. I made deals, I served those who had captured me, and I observed the rules of hospitality. And I liked doing it. How could I know my mind hadn't been changed? And I glanced outside while biting my lip. It was an upsetting thought.

I liked myself, finally, after months and months of fighting it. Dreading being small, knowing that every morning I would wake up in my bed, rain or shine, at just a few inches tall. And then it hit me.

"The sun," I said, turning back to Chris. "That's how I know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Sunrise breaks down magic and shows the truth in things. If I was cursed, the sun would break that curse. But every morning I wake up like this -- Zippity Do Da" I said while waving my wand over my body. A moment later I fluttered in the air, dangling from white wings. Chris had never seen this part of me, exactly, and his eyes went wide. "Every morning I woke up just a few inches tall. The sun revealed myself for what I really am, and this is it."

That gave Chris a bit of a pause, but he began to shake his head. “No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“I mean I’ve known you,” he jabbed a giant finger toward me that I fluttered away from, “since we were kids. I know you, man. And you’re not a fae.”

“Fairy,” I corrected, “and I am.”

Chris threw up his hands. “Fairy tales are full of curses that last longer than a day. How are you so sure she didn’t curse you?”

“Uhhh,” I had to say.

“Exactly! Tell me where this Weirding Woman lives and I’ll get her sorted out.”

My eyes went wide as I buzzed in front of Chris. “No way! Absolutely not. She is a Fae, she has magic. She’s waaay more powerful than you.”

“Fae don’t like iron. I think I read that somewhere. Is it right?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“That’s a yes, then.” Chris spun on his heel and moved into the kitchen and I raced after him. Again. He began to search through drawers and cabinets for iron or steel tools. I put myself in his face.

“Christopher Michael Robertson, stop this.” I said in my most authoritative voice my tiny body could muster. He didn’t stop, or even pause. Humans never did respect the power of names. I had to find a way to keep Chris away from Wellowyn. I couldn’t imagine what actual curse my Lady could put on my friend. He had no idea what he was getting into. He had less of an understanding of fae than I did before my transformation.

I had some magic, but I still wasn’t very skilled with it. I knew of spells that could put Chris to sleep. But I wasn’t sure I could wake him back up. I could try and calm him down, like I did earlier in the day. But a second whammie so soon after the first wouldn’t be as effective. And Chris was more worked up than he had been then.

Instead of trying to figure out how to stop Chris, I should have been keeping my focus on him. Because as I fluttered in the air, he had grabbed a red plastic cup from the cupboard. I didn’t see his arm move until it was too late. Chris had brought the cup around and down, trapping me inside. I reacted on instinct, trying to dive down around the lip of the rapidly dropping cup. But the cup hit the countertop before I could get out of it.

I banged and buzzed off the sides of the cup before I settled down on the counter and gave the red plastic a hard punch out of frustration. Chris had his hand holding the cup down, so it didn’t budge at all.

“Chris, this isn’t going to work,” I said, crossing my arms and adjusting my grip on my wand. My voice echoed inside the cup, and I looked up and up to try and get a glance at Chris’ face high above me. His fingers cast deep shadows through my little prison.

He frowned as he looked down at me. “You said that if a fairy gets captured, it’s customary for her to serve her captor for a day or a night. So, I captured you.”

“I have wings and a wand now. I can’t be captured with a cup anymore. Just let me out.” I didn’t like the situation. Our shared house was dirty, yes, but I didn’t think Chris captured me just to do his chores. He wanted something else, something about Wellowyn, and I wasn’t going to help him there. But i didn’t have many options, even with magic. And with Chris here. I could get out of the cup, I was sure, but not fast enough for him not to recapture me. Growing back to my human size, unfortunately, wouldn’t work, and it was the only quick spell I had.

“I’m doing this for your own good, Brian,” he said while putting a skillet over my cup, shrouding me in shadow. I frowned. Of course he would choose a heavy iron object to trap me. “I’m going to break this curse the Weirding Woman put on you, and I need you to tell me about her, and how to fight her.”

I actually laughed. “You can’t fight her, you big dummy. She’s an actual Fae lady, with magic every which way about her. She’s been alive for centuries, and she has no problem doing nasty things to humans. She’s smarter than you. She’s more clever than me.”

“Then you better tell me how I can get the best of her, because I’m going to see her, one way or the other.”

Humans are so fucking stupid. Brave and noble. But misguided and stupid all the same. I stomped my little foot. “Fine. You have captured me fairly, human, and I ask: what can I do so that I might go free?”

“Uh . . .ok . . tell me anything I ask about the Weirding Woman, and . . and don’t leave the house until morning.”

“I accept your most gracious offer.” I said with a customary curtsey, and a pit of dread forming in my stomach.