Faery Fires

I spotted the dancing lights—mesmerisingly beautiful. They flickered in the darkest corner of my room. When I switched on my bedside lamp, they vanished. I saw flashing ambulance lights at the street corner outside my window. Who died? I wondered.

On the metro again, another day at Uni. The surprise stop in the tunnel sent cross words flying up and down the carriage, while a standard apology squawked over the train’s loudspeakers. I sighed at the delay. Then we were plunged into darkness, and we heard yelling outside the train.

‘What’s happening?’ Someone asked in rising panic.

Then I saw the dancing lights flicker beneath the far seat—Hmm. Someone’s had an accident, I thought.

A chug and clank started up and soon carried us into the bright sunlight, and then the usual screech of my stop jostled me out into my day. I blinked away the disruption to my time.

My afternoon dental appointment arrived all too quickly. I sat in the chair, sweating and wriggling nervously, my stomach churning. First the gas, then the wooziness, and then I saw those dancing lights—I finally understood. What could I do?

So, I giggled.

The End