Note: This was written for Natalie Whipple’s contest (objective: write 500 words or less based on her illustration, seen below). This is just an exercise, not a full story or a final draft.
…
When Melora asked if we could get a dog, I fisted my hands on my waist and scowled. I shouldn’t have had to answer such a ridiculous question, but her expression indicated that if I didn’t, we’d both be standing there for a long time. That was the problem with being a teeny tiny fairy: no one took you seriously.
Still you had to try.
“Absolutely not. No dog, no way.”
“Now, Linn,” she said in her melodic Elven voice. “I know you think he’s going to be a lot of trouble, but I assure you that I will take full responsibility for—”
“‘Full responsibility?’” I scoffed. “The same ‘full responsibility’ you took for the dragon?”
She merely smiled at the memory, further infuriating me with her impenetrable positivity. “Oh, she was such a dear.”
“She melted half our stuff!”
“She had a cold,” Melora reminded me. “She couldn’t help the sneezing.”
“Yeah well, I couldn’t help being annoyed.” My wings quivered in frustration, and I began to pace across my Partner’s palm.
This was a stupid discussion, and one we didn’t have time for. If we didn’t complete our assignment within the next three weeks, the Administration would incinerate us both. Melora never seemed to worry about our impending doom, but then again, Melora never really seemed to worry about anything. Her pretty blonde head was blissfully empty. I wished I could say the same about my fiery red one.
Maybe the Administration would spare me if I could explain how much of a hindrance Melora was. I could ask for an extension! And a new Partner of course.
Almost as soon as I had the thought, I dismissed it with a sigh. One, it would never work. Two, as much as she annoyed me, I didn’t want Melora to get incinerated. I just wanted to finish the assignment, fulfill the Partnership, and go merrily on our separate ways.
“How about this?” I suggested, softer now. “Let’s focus on our assignment. Find the goblin, kill him, and bring him back to the Administration. If we do that, I will get you a dog myself.”
Melora grinned. “Yay! Let’s go get him now.”
“No. Goblin first, then the dog.” I felt like I was teaching a child.
“I know. Let’s go get the goblin now!” She dropped her hand as she headed for the door, and my wings automatically fluttered so as to follow.
“What do you mean now? We can’t just wander the countryside until we find him.”
“I know where he is.”
“You… you… you…” I had a hard time finishing the sentence. “You know where he is?”
She nodded cheerfully. “Uh huh. I found him last week. But you weren’t there, and we’re supposed to do everything together, so I was waiting until…”
I stopped listening. As she led the way to the stables to get her horse, I flew beside her and counted to ten, then a hundred, then a thousand. I took deep breaths. I thought about my dear, sick mother. I did everything in my powers not to get upset with Melora, because I didn’t want to hurt her. Thanks to the Partnership, hurting her meant hurting myself. And I didn’t want that. What I wanted was the same as before: to finish the assignment and go our separate ways.
But I did change my mind about one thing: it might not be so bad if Melora got incinerated.
So fun! I thought it was plenty light:) hehe.
Hehe, well, this scene is. It’s more the looming incineration that gets heavy. Fortunately I didn’t have room to get into all that. (For now.) :)
More please. That was fabulous. When I die, I want you to write my biography. I won’t actually have done anything to write about, so you’ll have to make it all up. But clearly, you’re very good at that. I was completely drawn into this world. And now, I want to read about the goblin hunt.
LOL. Hmm. I could probably have a lot of fun with your biog… ;P