A Fairy's Guide to Disaster by A W Hartoin Page B

our parents and somehow life would go back to normal.

CHAPTER 9

    WE rounded the last corner and saw the mantel leaning against a wall. The wood gleamed warm and wonderful under the bright lighting tubes and I couldn’t wait to get inside to smell familiar smells and hug Iris. Coming home when home was no longer a sure thing was a wonderful feeling. Gerald’s wing brushed mine and I’m sure I saw a warmth in his eye, although his expression was as resentful as ever.
    I reached for his small hand, but before I grasped it, there was a clunk and the lights went out. A red glow bathed the area and distorted everything. I stopped short and heard Gerald cry out beside me. I pivoted toward Gerald, but he was too close and I ran into him. We tumbled downward, entangled.
    “Tuck!” I yelled.
    Gerald obeyed instantly, tucking his wings and wrapping himself in a ball. I grabbed him and righted us just before we hit a table.
    “What was that?” Gerald asked, still in his tuck.
    “Soren said it would be dark soon. I guess that was it. I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.” I tossed Gerald away from me like a ball. He spread his wings and hovered.
    “Everything’s red.”
    “Yeah, it’s weird. Let’s go home,” I said.
    Gerald glanced at the mantel. “Home.”
    We flew to our front door, hovered and knocked. I hoped that Iris would hear and come quickly. Before I could knock a second time the door flew open. Iris stood in the opening, grinning so wide it looked painful.
    “You’re back,” Iris said, shooting out of the doorway into my arms.
    I hugged Iris and flew her back through the doorway. Gerald landed on the threshold behind us and made discontented sounds at our reunion. He scowled at us and said, “Something smells weird.”
    Iris put her hands on her hips. “Our house doesn’t smell weird.”
    “If you think this smells normal, there’s something wrong with your nose.”
    I turned to look around the dark hall. Something did smell a little off, but all the feelings fit in the right places in my heart. Suddenly, I never wanted to leave the mantel again. It was my tree, like Soren’s mother said. I never wanted to be separated from it.
    “I found Barbara and picked up the rest of the mushrooms, but they’re still not putting off any light. Should we use the torches?” asked Iris, gesturing to a bracket on the wall that held a bundled bunch of sticks dipped in sap.
    “I guess we’ll have to. Since the mushrooms are damaged,” I said.
    “Do you think Mom and Dad will be mad? Torches are only for extreme emergencies and you know how they feel about fire.”
    “I think today counts as an extreme emergency, but I don’t know where Dad keeps his flint.”
    “I found it,” said Iris, holding up pieces of flint and metal.
    The metal had some fresh scratches on it and I raised my eyebrow at Iris. She ducked her head and handed them to me.
    “It’s dark in here without the mushrooms,” she said.
    Gerald squeezed past me and pushed up his sleeves.
    “I’ll do it,” he said. “I’m the best at making fire.”
    “Go ahead, Gerald. Give it a try,” I said.
    “Try? I don’t need to try,” said Gerald. “I’ll do it.”
    Gerald went to get one of the brackets, but tripped on a wad of blankets on the floor.
    “What’s this?” he asked.
    “I was taking a nap, if you must know,” said Iris. “I wanted to be right here when you came back. I sleep so soundly, I knew I’d never hear you knock unless I was right by the door.”
    “Where’s Easy?” I asked.
    “Ezekiel? Are we calling him Easy now?”
    “We are. It’s loads better than Ezekiel. Where is he?”
    “Sleeping. He was really tired. I didn’t know babies slept so much.” Iris turned to Gerald and stuck her chin out at him. Her plump face wry and disbelieving. “Go ahead, Gerald. Make fire. We’re waiting.”
    Gerald grabbed a torch and handed it to me. He kicked the blankets out of his way, shook his shoulders like an