Faith, Trust, and Costumes!

Amy Wilder walked down the street near her Red Leaf house. It was already the middle of December, and the air was turning frigid. Frost hung about everywhere, despite it being well after noon. People everywhere where bundled against the cold, mittens and parka's becoming the standard fashion for this time of year.

Another patrol car came down the street, and she waved at the officers inside as they passed. The smiled and waved back as they slowed slightly to see if she wanted help. Smiling broadly, she gave a slight shake of her head, and they sped onwards. There sure were a lot of patrols lately. Of course, who could blame them? There were all sorts of rumors flying about from the recent murders, and she wondered who it was they were patrolling for.

She pushed such melancholy thoughts from her head. Today would a happy day, for her baby sister was having her birthday party and had invited all her friends. Of course, it was a costume party, and with Serena's latest excitement about the new Tinker Bell movies, it was fairy themed. Which was really cool, as Amy liked fairies too, even though they were for "younger kids". Well, regardless of whether or not it was for younger kids, Amy was determined to make sure her sister had the best birthday bash ever! She already had all her friends in on it, and they had managed surprise cakes and decorations. There was just one thing missing: her costume! Amy couldn't believe that she had forgotten to grab a fairy costume for the party! Fortunately, there was still a little time left before Serena got home, so Amy had rushed from her house leaving the decorating in the hands of her friends to search for a costume.

So far, she was not having any luck. The usual stores had already removed all their Halloween lineup, and the specialty shops were still waiting on fresh shipments during the slack period. Some of the shops had what she was looking for, but they were all way to large or too small for her. Amy's friends had joked that she all she really had to do was glue some wings on her back to become a fairy. She was short for her age, barely five-foot nothing, and ninety-seven pounds wet. Her hair was cut around her shoulders, as she hated it when it was longer. It would constantly get in her way. Her small face almost always had a smile gracing it. Her mother had once said she had the beauty of a princess. However, Amy put little stock in such an assessment. After all, it was kind of a biased source.

A sharp pain in her foot pulled her out of her mental fog. Rubbing her foot on the back of her leg, she bit back an unlady-like curse. She looked down to see what she had run into. It was a cheap sandwich board that read "ENCHANTED THREADS". This could be exactly what she was looking for. Looking around wildly, she sought out the store. She finally spied the leader board for it down an alley. That's funny, what's a costume shop doing back there? Then she shrugged it off. Perhaps it was cheaper to have that location than any of the other struggling businesses. Either way, now was not the time to look a gift horse in the mouth! Hurrying down the alley, she came to the small overhead sign and saw that it hung above an old storefront, seemingly around since the nineteen-fifties. However, the window was clean and full of costumes, with a banner advertising the store hung just in front. I hope this place has the costume I'm looking for, she thought.

Pushing open the door, she was surprised to hear the sound of an actual bell tinkling and not the electronic alert system that most stores used these days. This place was certainly old fashioned! She thought. It seemed nice, with wood walls, an ascending staircase, and a small counter in the corner. The elderly man sitting there reminded her a bit of her grandfather; tall, broad-shouldered, and a military bearing that came through even when he was in that hospital bed.

As if feeling her scrutiny, the man looked up from a leather-bound book he was reading and smiled at her. "Good afternoon, miss. Can I help you find something today?"

His smile made her flashback to when her grandfather had held her after she had skinned her knee after falling off her bike in his drive. His smile and tenderness had made the pain go away. Pulling herself out of memory, she nodded, smiling back. "Yes," she said. "It's my sister's birthday and I'm looking for a really good fairy costume. I wanted to surprise her, you see and since she likes fairies…"

"…You thought you'd have a costume party for her." The man finished for her. His smile widened. "That sounds wonderful. It's nice to see how much you care for your sister." He tapped his chin slightly though. "I have such a costume in the back, and it looks to be just your size, but I'm not sure it would work for you. I might have another one on the floor. You're welcome to look." He told her.

A costume in the back! And it might be her size; this was too good to be true. She was a bit curious to know why he was holding out on her, but thought that he might just be trying to make a better deal for himself. After all, he had to be feeling the slack soon, and would be looking at any way he could turn a profit. "I would like to see the one in the back." She said firmly, never losing her smile.

The man actually looked uncomfortable, and seemed to be seriously considering telling her no. Her smile began to slip as she wondered why he was trying to keep from selling a costume, but he finally shrugged and began walking to the back. His heavy footsteps vanished behind a rack of Elvis, Morticia and Frankenstein costumes. She watched him go, and wondered why it suddenly seemed so dim in the shop. Perhaps a lightbulb had burned out?

The man came back holding the most beautiful fairy costume she had ever seen in her life. The dress that made the body of the costume was the most vivid shade of forest green, cut modestly in the bodice, with a skirt that seemed to flow like water. Embossed on the dress were what appeared to be gold, red and, oddly, white lines that flowed around the dress in delicate patterns and ended in a small Celtic knot under the bosom. In the center of the knot was a gemstone that swirled with the same color as the lines. The skirt might come down to her knees, she estimated, looking at it. There was a pair of almost knee-high boots that seemed to be made of the supplest leather, dyed to the same color of the dress, with more of the embossed metal in even more intricate patterns. On the back was a pair of gossamer wings that looked to be made of the finest silk. They had the classic fairy shape to them, seemingly hinting at great speed and agility.

Amy stared at the costume in awe. No wonder the man had been reluctant to sell it; it had to be worth a small fortune. She thought bleakly of the small allowance she had, and the dead end job she had been working part-time at. There was no way that she would be able to afford that costume.

The man laid it out over the counter, catching the light with his nametag: Roland. That name seemed familiar, but she couldn't place why. It would come to her sooner or later, she reasoned, and so she returned her attention to the costume.

"It's beautiful." She breathed reverently.

Roland nodded, pleased. "Yes it is. It's been sitting in the back for months looking for just the right customer. I think it's finally found it."

Oooookay. It was obvious that Roland had spent a little too much time with his costumes and not enough with people. However, if this delusion was going to knock some off the price, she wasn't going to argue. "This costume would be perfect for the party. How much are you asking for it?" She asked, nervously. She didn't have much, and this costume would put a serious dent in her budget.

"About two hundred dollars, normally." Roland replied, and her heart sank. There was no way she could convince herself to spend that much money. However, his next words made her look up in shock. "However, for you…I would sell it for maybe eighty-seven dollars."

"R…really?!" she gasped, unable to believe her ears.

Roland simply smiled at her. "Yes. I think that would be a fair price. Eighty-seven dollars, and a smile."

Her heart soared, and she gave him the biggest smile she was capable of. Her sister would have the best birthday party ever, and she would have the best costume! She quickly dug the cash out of her purse, afraid of that he would change his mind and demand full-price. He quickly rang up the sale and passed her a receipt. Then he looked over at her. "There's a fitting room near the back of the store if you're interested in trying it on." He told her. "I didn't tell you earlier because this store has a strict policy. You have to buy a costume to try it on, and there are no refunds."

She nodded to him and kept beaming her smile while inside she was thinking that it was the craziest policy she had ever heard. But then a thought came to her. "Say, do you have a similar costume to this one for my sister? She's turning eight today, and I know she would love to wear a costume like this."

Roland shook his head. "I'm sorry miss. I don't stock those in that size."

Curiouser and curiouser, she thought. Still, a final check to see if it fit wouldn't be a bad idea. She smiled at Roland again and headed to the back. There were indeed fitting rooms back there. The door was wood and shuttered, reminding her of the wooden sliding doors her grandfather had in his house. Smiling in fond remembrance, she quickly wiggled out of her jeans and her sailor mercury shirt. The dress easily slid on, the soft fabric hugging her curves. She slid her arms through the sleeves and zipped up the back. She eased into the softest pair of boots she had ever tried on. They were the perfect fit! She stood up to admire herself in the mirror. This was easily the nicest costume she had ever tried on. It was so comfortable; it almost felt like she was wearing nothing.

Fire suddenly ripped down her back and spread until it felt like her whole body was burning. She gasped and shuddered at the pain. Whimpering in pain, she curled up into a fetal position and closed her eyes. There was a tightening sensation, as if the dress was squeezing her. The pain seemed to last for an eternity, but was really only a few seconds before it was gone, leaving her trembling from its echo.

She was badly frightened, and hesitantly opened her eyes. As the room slowly came into focus, she was shocked to see the wall of the dressing room so far away. Turning her head slowly, she saw that the entire room had grown to giant proportions, with the ceiling almost lost to her in the distance. Then she saw her old clothes lying in the corner where she had carelessly tossed them. They seemed to be literal mountains of cloth to her. She came to the only conclusion available, she had somehow shrunk. The full-length mirror!

She turned to the wall where it stood and ran towards it. She got a weird sensation in her back, and suddenly her feet left the ground!

"Aaaah!" she yelped. She lost control and banged headfirst into the mirror. Dazed, she could only lie on her back and wait for the room to stop spinning. When the world had settled sufficiently for her to stand up, she looked at herself in the mirror and froze. Slowly she reached out a hand to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Her reflection looked back at her with a dazed expression.

Her body had shrunk, perhaps, but it had gained excellent muscle tone. Spreading out from her back was the most beautiful set of wings she had ever seen. Thin and translucent like dragonfly wings, they had veins of silver and gold running through them that seemed to pulse with vitality. The veins in her dress and boots seemed alive as they throbbed with the same colors. The jewel in the center glowed softly, enhancing the beauty of the strange outfit. The real shocker was her face. Amy touched it to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Her face had become more streamlined, almost aquiline, and her ears came up to points, resting against her skull. They weren't overly long, like in some comics, but instead were not much bigger than her normal ears.  The overall effect on her was to make her stunning in a strange, fay way.

Okay. I'm a fairy. Now what do I do? She wondered. The only thing she could come up with was to get out of the dressing room. She turned and craned her neck. There was the handle, way up there. Could she…? She focused on getting off the floor and felt her wings began to beat. She began to feel lighter and lighter. Her toes left the floor! She was afraid for a moment, but summoned what was left of her courage. She had to get out! Her sister was counting on her to make it to the party! Amy blinked; the handle was in front of her. She had to turn it. She felt and incredible sensation, like a warm blanket on a cold day, or a happy memory. Mere words could not describe the feelings she was getting. Her dress began to glow from the worked veins. The jewel seemed to swirl with energy. She reached out with her hands and felt fire explode from her fingertips. A ray of light shot out and enveloped the door handle.

The door clicked. Yes! She howled in triumph! She had no idea what she had done, but she had gotten out of the room. She flew out, ready to give that Roland a piece of her mind and demand that he change her back. She stopped dead in the air, dumbfounded with a cold, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The entire store was gone. There was no sign that it had ever existed. There was a thick layer of dust upon the floor, showing no signs that it had ever been disturbed. All the costumes had vanished, the racks where they had hung missing. Above where the counter had stood was an enormous banner, with glowing green letters: NO  REFUNDS! As she watched, the banner slowly faded away until it was gone.

Staring around the desolate shop, she began to tremble. Now what?

After an eternity of staring, Amy tried to pull herself together. She had to figure a way out of this mess. She flew back into the fitting room, where all her street clothes stood. She happened to catch sight of a rubber band on the floor near her jeans. With a start, she realized it was her watch. It must have fallen off when she had shrunk. Let's see, the time read: 3:07 PM. Oh crap! Her sister's party was about to begin.

Her hands formed motions without her realizing it, the all-too-familiar glow built up, and the clothes she had shrank. They went from being built for a slightly-smaller-than-average girl to being her size. As they shrank, they rose up off the floor and floated in front of her. A bag appeared at her waist, hung around a belt and she made a slight grabbing-and-pocketing motion. The set of clothes folded themselves and shrunk, disappearing into the bag, which also vanished.

I must be dreaming, she thought as she turned and flew towards the front of the shop. Amy knew she had to concentrate to open the door. Making the same motions as she did in the fitting room, she concentrated on opening the door. Her heart soared when the door opened on her own. This was too cool, Amy thought. She flew out the door and into the sky. She rocketed over the roof and high into the sky. There, spread below her, was the town of Red Leaf. Up here, it seemed so quiet and peaceful, with none of the grime and despair that permeated the rest of Red Leaf. The neighborhoods were laid out in strips, with the oldest being closest to the center of town. Her house was a little ways out, in an area that had recently been constructed as part of the town's revitalization projects.

Amy had no idea how hard it would be to find her house from this high up. The layouts of the streets were nearly the same. There was little to distinguish her street from the others. A feeling of despair threatened to drown her, but she pushed it down. She would not be beaten! Amy decided to head to the nearest street from where she flew. If she could read a street sign, she would know where her house was.

A hint of a shadow passing in the corner of her eye was all the warning she had. She folded her wings and dropped as razor sharp talons clawed the air where she had been. She plummeted earthward for a moment, before opening her wings and beating them furiously against the air. She quickly slowed her fall into something a little more controlled and searched frantically for her assailant. There! Amy was surprised to see a sparrow turning after her. This time, its beak was open wide for catching her. There was no way, she decided, no way she was going to become a sparrow's lunch. She looked ahead. A roof was coming up. Even better, it had a chimney. She angled for the flue, focusing on the chimney top. She could hear the sparrow pushing aside the air behind her as it fought to catch up. In her mind, she could feel the beak closing around her legs. So much so, that her legs tingled as if from the creature's hot breath. She twisted and flared her wings, spilling much of her speed as she jinked right. The bird shot past, its beak clicking shut on air. She saw it pull out of its dive and began looping back to make another pass at her. This bird was as stubborn as a jock looking for a date! The open flue promised a safe hiding place, and she darted down the chimney. Behind her, she could hear the bird landing on the chimney top, chirping as it watched her rush down to the fireplace.

Amy shot into a nice living room. The walls were painted white and were covered in photos of an elderly couple, and some small children. The shelves were lined with books and in the corner there was a stand full of toys and knickknacks. The other furniture included a TV, couch, and small table. She made for the stand in case the bird followed. Hiding behind a wooden model dump truck, she tried to calm her pounding heart. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for any sign of that fiend. A slight chirping from the fireplace told her the bird was still at the top of the chimney, waiting for her. Gah! She wanted to scream, that feathered creep was worse than her last date! How on earth was she going to get out of here?

Unable to find an answer, she realized that she would have to wait the bird out. Amy began fluttering around the room, looking around to find out where she was. The elderly couple she didn't recognize, but the pictures of what she could only assume where grandkids did. She vaguely thought that they might be classmates of Serena, but she wasn't sure. In the kitchen she found some bread and a plate of muffins sitting on the counter. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a while. Flying down to the muffins, she decided to pluck one out of the plate and eat some of it. The muffin is about as big as me! She realized. Actually, that was an exaggeration. It really only came up to her knee. Sighing, she sat down to eat while wondering how in the world she was going to get home.

The sound of a key sliding into the lock warned her that the masters of the house were home. Oh, god. What if they see me? Amy wondered. Visions of her stuck in an terrarium for scientists to poke and prod with giant needles filled her with dread. She needed to hid, but where? She jumped off the counter, opening her wings and flying to the ceiling as the door opened. She heard them entering, and had a flash of inspiration. There was a crack between one of the cabinets in the kitchen and the top of the refrigerator. If she hid in there, she might not be noticed.

"Martha, that was wonderful." Came a man's voice as she quickly landed on the door of the fridge. She tucked her wings around her and began sliding into the opening.

"Thank you Gerald. You weren't so bad yourself. What was the score at the end?" The wife said coyly.

"I think it was sixty-forty. But only because I faulted in the last match." The husband laughed.

"I'm sure that's your excuse, love." Martha laughed.

Amy breathed a sigh of relief. She had made it into the opening and was pressed against the wall. It would be nearly impossible to spot her now. As she listened to the conversation, she tried to solve who they were. She gathered that they had just come back from a tennis game, and that Martha had won by a wide margin. She heard them pass by the kitchen and head to the rear of the house, perhaps to change?

It doesn't matter, she thought. This was her chance. If she could make it to the door, she might be able to make down through the bushes, and hopefully, avoid any unwanted attention. To use a tired cliché, it was now or never. She could here Jake laughing in the back of her mind-he loved tired cliché's. Squeezing back out of the space, she flew close to the ceiling. Nobody ever looks up, she knew. However, the hallway was bare. In the back she could hear giggling and other sounds. She flushed a bright red and raced towards the door. Her hands weaved an intricate pattern, and the front door opened without a sound.

Making her escape, she found to her delight, that Martha was quite the gardener. Thick bushes lined the walk, and skeletal roses lined the yard. It was the perfect cover. She stole from bush to bush, keeping a wary eye out for birds, cats, or any other critter that would try to make a meal out of her. As she came to the last rose, she felt something twist her stomach. Unbidden, a thought arose. They had unknowingly helped her out of a tight spot. She felt a need to repay them. A smile touched her lips, she knew just what to do. Her hands began formed a pattern in front of her while she chanted in a strange tongue. Her jewel glowed, and spread into her dress. A pair of long green gloves suddenly appeared on her arms, the palms shining. A moment later, the rose burst into bloom. Leaves grew on the thorny stems, previously bare. The ruby red bud grew and opened into the most exquisite rose. Its petals were plump and perfect. Somehow, despite it being freezing out and with the onslaught of winter threatening, she knew that the rose would continue to bloom for the couple. Smiling, she let the magic, for that was what it had to be, go and flew down the street. Before she was even gone, she heard neighbors gathering to talk about the strange flower that had mysteriously appeared.

Amy spotted a street sign that announced she was on Holland Lake Dr. That was just a few blocks from her house! Eagerly, she raced home, using the bushes and trees as cover. When she got there, several cop cars were already there, including the Police Chief's. She had to hide. Her house had a chimney as well, and though it was cold out, the lack of smoke showed that they hadn't lit it. Thank goodness. Soaring up and into the chimney, she grabbed a brick just above the flue and held on.

Her sister's tearful voice pleaded with Chief Gardner to find her, wrenching her heart. Amy suppressed a desire to rush out and comfort her sister. Ben's voice told her calmingly that he would do all in his power to find her. She grabbed tightly onto the brick as tears threatened to flow. She would stay hidden until her family had gone to bed.

It was well after midnight before she stirred from her hiding place. The chief and his units had left hours ago. All her friends had decided to stay the night, in case she returned they said. Amy knew that they were really keeping an eye on Serena, and she felt happy that she had such great friends. She had thought about revealing herself, but a little bit of fear remained. So she stayed hidden, until the clock chimed eleven. Her friends were sleeping lumps on her living room floor, thin blankets covering them.

Quietly, she flew from the fireplace and crossed the living room. Gliding down the hall, she came to a very familiar door, covered with horses, fairies and unicorn postcards and a great wolf poster. The door was open a crack, and a light burned inside. Probably from her sister's bedside lamp, Amy realized. Pushing the door open a bit wider, Amy squeezed inside.

Serena was sitting up on her bed, quietly crying. Next to her bedside was a framed photo of Amy and Serena, smiling in the park. Amy quietly flew up to the nightstand and landed next to the photo.

"Serena?" she said quietly.

Serena's head snapped toward's the door. "Amy?" she blurted out.
"Shhhh! Not so loud!" Amy called. She didn't want to wake anybody and have to explain this.

"Where are you?" Serena called out, looking around.

Amy winced at the question. This was not going to be easy. "I'm down here, on your nightstand."

Serena froze for a moment, "what?!" she gasped.

"I'm right here." Amy said, taking the initiative. She jumped from her position and fluttered in front of Serena's face. Serena gasped, and jerked back in shock. Amy quickly made shushing motions as she listened intently for any sign that somebody had heard. Hearing none, her heart slowed to normal.

Serena was staring at her with something akin to awe on her face. "A-Amy? Is that you?" she stammered.

Amy nodded. "Yes, it's me." She confirmed. She made a slight pirouette in the air. "What do you think?" she asked.

Serena grappled with her shock. "You're a, a…"

"A pixie?" Amy finished for her. Serena nodded silently, eyes huge. "Yep. Now Serena, I'm going to ask you to do something for me." Amy asked nervously. She had to trust her sister. "I want you not to tell anyone you've seen me. Not right now, at least."

"Why not?" Serena asked. "Surely mom or dad…"

"NO!" Amy said a bit forcefully. Serena rocked back, afraid. Her sister never yelled at her! Even when she was big. "I don't want anyone finding out about me until I've had a chance to figure out how to reverse the change."

"You mean, you're stuck like this?" Serena asked, frightened.

Amy nodded, not sure what to say. "Listen kiddo, think of this as a secret between sisters. We don't share secrets, right?"

Serena nodded.

"That's right. We don't." Amy thought desperately around, she wanted to change the subject and salvage something of the evening. The memory of what she had done with the rose hit her and she smiled. "Hey, I never got you a present, Birthday girl." Flying over to the nightstand, she considered. Serena leaned in over her shoulder as Amy grabbed a flower from the vase that Mom had brought in weeks ago. It had wilted and was about ready to be thrown out. Amy focused on the flower, and it was enveloped in a soft glow. Amy felt more power burning through her, more than she had used on the rose bush, and began to feel frightened. The flower glowed bright and hot before fading away. Amy released the power she had been holding. Both she and Serena stared.

On the nightstand lay a silver comb, the teeth very fine and the handle delicately etched with bluebells.

"Wow." Serena breathed, carefully touching the comb. She picked it up and held it up to the light. The metal caught the light and reflected it, making it shine. "It's beautiful sis. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Serena. Now, let's get some sleep. We'll talk more in the morning, OK?" Amy said. Serena nodded, and together they drifted off to sleep.