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“Are you ready Bluebell?”

It was such an innocuous question. Yet it was one that could mean a hundred different things. On this occasion, it meant that I was about to start on what was probably my most daring and dangerous adventure yet.

And no, I was absolutely not ready for it.

I did my best to disguise this, keeping cool and calm on the outside, the only indication of my nervousness being my jiggling legs as I sat across the room from my parents. My mother had been the one to ask the question. I looked straight into her deep blue eyes, the same colour as my own, and I nodded.

Silence fell between the three of us as we savoured what were to be our last moments alone together for an undetermined amount of time.

Eventually my father spoke. “You don’t have to do this. Nobody would think any less of you.”

“No dad I have to,” I insisted. “If there’s even the slightest chance I can bring granddad back home then I’ve got to take it. And if in the process we can finally find out what Foxglove’s ultimate plan is, and how he’s managed to establish a link to the human world, then it’s the only way I can bring peace to Daffoville.”

He smiled at me in response. It was the kind of smile when someone understood the logic behind an argument but was still having trouble accepting it. “Just…look after yourself. And make sure you come home safe.”

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t intend to come home dad,” I replied with an air of determination. “I will come back, bring grandad back with me, and then sort out Foxglove once and for all.”

We heard a knock on the door, and a member of the Nymph Elite Guard came in to tell us that all had been prepared. Time seeming to pass incredibly slowly, I got to my feet and gave my parents one long, lingering embrace. I batted away the tears with my eyelids, then as a family we walked out of the bedroom, down the spiralling staircases of the Daffoville Royal Palace, and into the sprawling banquet hall were I’d had my now famous showdown with Foxglove all those months ago.

The room was filled with delegates from Daffoville and beyond. Politicians, envoys from other fey species, members of our Elite Guard and Defence Force. All of their eyes were not fixed on my, but on the shimmering, rippling portal that had been created right in the centre of the Daffoville Palace.

The Black River had once again been summoned.

The summoner this time was none other than Ribwort, the eccentric, bowtie wearing nymph currently bouncing around the place like a rabbit, apparently not tired out at all having just used a colossal amount of magic to summon this portal. He saw me arriving and waved enthusiastically, and I gave him a nervous wave in response.

I then saw four of my companions for this journey I was about to undertake. One was Ivy, the head of the Elite Guard, stood in full uniform ready to protect both me and my companions from whatever dangers awaited us. The other three were the humans who had been transported to Daffoville by a powerful being known only as the White Mage. Gary, Rebecca, and Aaron. They wore the very same clothes that they’d worn the day they’d first been transported here.

Because they were about to go home.

Gary was the first to greet me. “How you doing there Blue?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” I responded quickly. “Are you looking forward to going home?”

Oddly, my three new friends seemed to have mixed feelings on the issue. On the one hand they were pleased to finally be returning, especially Rebecca who had missed her close family terribly. But what would they be returning to? How could they possibly explain their disappearance in a way that also ensured our woodland realm remained secret and secure? The question of how I was going to take on those humans seeking to destroy our home was one I was struggling to answer as well. I was venturing into the unknown, with no idea of what to expect next. I just knew that I had to do something.

Fortunately I wasn’t going to be alone, as the final two members of our party arrived.

Fern was dressed practically in trousers, flat hiking shoes and a long sleeved top, all coloured a deep green and made out of woven grass. I was wearing similar clothes, though mine were coloured a gentle shade of blue and I wore a woven beanie hat over my long blue locks, whereas Fern had tied her green hair back into a practical ponytail.

Marigold, on the other hand, had dressed like she was about to go on an expedition up a frozen mountainside. She wore several fluffy jumpers, two pairs of trousers (one water resistant), gloves, a hat and two scarves. On her back she carried a massive rucksack, pressing her long golden hair against her back. It contained a huge variety of extra clothes for all occasions. She’d taken some serious persuading that she was unlikely to need a pair of expensive high heels and a party dress where we were going. She’d also stuffed the bag with all sorts of tools and trinkets from her garden that she thought we might need, such as some medicinal herbs, some digging tools and a couple of empty vials. She was also seeing this as a good opportunity to collect some samples of plant life from the human world to add to her collection.

Noting how she was already hot and bothered by her eclectic wardrobe and belongings Fern asked, “You regret not travelling light yet?”

“It doesn’t hurt to be prepared,” Marigold huffed in response.

We all allowed ourselves a little laugh at her expense, after which Aaron said, “You don’t need to worry Marigold, the human world isn’t some lost civilisation full of danger and peril.”

“That may be the case, but she is venturing to a world far beyond the realm of many fey creatures,” spoke an authoritative voice. The crowds parted as in strode Queen Snowdrop and the Nymph Royal Family. They all gathered around Marigold, their youngest member, and one by one they embraced her. Honeysuckle, her older sister, was on the verge of tears. “I can’t believe what you’re doing Marigold, you’re so brave.”

“I’m not brave,” Marigold answered. “But if something were to happen to Blue and Fern then I’d never be able to live with myself.”

“Don’t worry your highness, I’ll get her back in one piece,” Fern insisted.

“And who will make sure you get back in one piece?” said Moss, Fern’s boyfriend, as he fought through the crowds to be by her side.

Fern was not normally one for outward signs of affection, but she surprised us all when she replied, “The thought of returning to you will make sure I come home.” Then she gave him a long and passionate kiss in front of everyone, and they didn’t seem to care one jot.

She wasn’t the only one saying goodbye to a romantic interest. Prince Ash came up to me, and I could tell he wanted to do more than provide me with an affectionate embrace, a peck on the cheek and a whisper in my ear telling me to stay safe. Our close friends knew about our fledgling relationship but not the fey world at large, and we were trying to keep it a secret for now. I gave him an extra kiss on the cheek to let him know how upset I was about having to leave. But I had a job to do.

As indeed, had Primrose and Reed, my two friends from Daffoville magic college. “Still time for you to change your minds and invite us along you know,” Reed insisted as I embraced him.

“I need you to stay in Daffoville and work with the other students to protect it should Foxglove attack,” I insisted. “You’re the best mages I know, so keep the town safe!”

“We’ll do our best, I promise!” the bespectacled, pink haired Primrose responded firmly as she hugged me.

It seemed that all these goodbyes was making Ribwort impatient…well even more impatient than usual. “I don’t want to rush you or anything, but creating this portal to a distant world isn’t exactly the most relaxing pastime I’ve enjoyed. That would have been when I had a nap on the back of a swan travelling along the Slowbrook River. What a day!”

That was his way of telling us all to hurry. So Gary, Rebecca, Aaron, Ivy, Fern, Marigold and myself stood together on the edges of the shimmering portal in the floor. Queen Snowdrop and the collected assembly stood to attention, during which our monarch said in a regal tone, “You carry with you the hopes and the future of Daffoville and all its neighbours. What may be waiting for you through the tides of the Black River we do not know, but remember that our prayers and thoughts travel with you, and if you remain true to yourselves and steadfast in your resolve then you cannot fail.”

We all gave appreciative replies to her words, as we took each other’s hands and prepared to make the leap into the unknown. I was stood between Aaron and Fern. I first looked to the human boy who had become a truly close friend even during the short time in which I’d known him. He saw me looking and smiled at me. I smiled back, and gave his hand a squeeze for reassurance.

I then looked to Fern, and saw her eyes were fixed on Moss, and his eyes in turn were fixed on her. I then looked down and happened to glance an object around Ferns’ wrist that made my heart stop. It was a bangle, made out of intertwined oak branches weaving in and out of each other, forming a beautifully sculptured flower at the point where the two branches met. She’d hidden it underneath the sleeves of her top, but when she took me by the hand it had been momentarily revealed.

There was only one situation where a lady nymph started to wear such a bangle.

I glanced up at Fern with my mouth agape and asked, “Fern are you and Moss...?”

“On the count of three!” Fern yelled, cutting me off. “Three….Two…One…!”

And we all jumped into the Black River.

The instant sensation was that of swimming, like we had been dipped into ice cold water. My blue hair billowed around me and I found it hard to move my limbs and wings effectively. Yet I didn’t need to breath. It was as if my body had been frozen in time, locked into one singular moment while my mind remained unaffected by what was happening.

All around us was darkness, but varying shades of dark. Grey swirls twisted around an inky blackness, with dark bubbles pushing against our bodies. I kept hold of Aaron and Fern’s hands tightly as I realised that this is what must have happened to my Granddad Lupin when my deranged uncle Foxglove had forced him to take this journey.

Suddenly we started spinning around and around, like we were caught in a whirlpool dragging us further and further underwater. I struggled to keep hold of my friends as we spun faster and faster. I felt like every part of my body was being pummelled by raging torrents of water. All I could do was hold onto my friends for dear life.

Unfortunately the effects of the Black River proved too much for Marigold to take, and she lost her grip, breaking our tight ring apart. I watched as she was dragged away from us, disappearing into the inky blackness of the portal. I tried calling after her but no noise came out of my mouth.

This had a chain effect on us all, as the increasingly powerful torrent broke us apart one by one. Despite me holding on for as long as possible, eventually Aaron and I were wrenched apart after he witnessed Gary and Rebecca being pulled away. Fern and I were thrown apart next. Suddenly I was alone, unable to see my friends as I was sucked downwards and downwards.

My vision was filled with a bright, yellow light, and despite the raging Black River about me I was filled with a serene calm. Like my body was being filled from the inside by a warm, comforting liquid. I looked down at my body and suddenly realised that I was the source of the glowing. My skin and hair were all emitting this shimmering golden light, piercing the gloom around me. I only had a moment to reflect on this unique magic before the relaxing sensation took over me completely, and I slipped into unconsciousness.

“Hey…hey…you alright there? You hearing me?”

I could hear that voice. But it wasn’t one I recognised. Even the accent was one I was unfamiliar with. I tried focusing on that voice instead on how exhausted I felt, or of how uncomfortable was this surface I was lying on.

“Hey you stirring there? Come on, rise and shine!”

I responded to the voice by opening my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a dull grey sky. Then as my focus returned I saw the face of a young man, kneeling by my side. The more I looked at him the more odd he seemed. He was wearing a dark hooded top, but it was made out of a material I was unfamiliar with and had some kind of metal strip in the middle of it. His face seemed normal enough, but his dark hair had something in it which made it look wet, and allowed him to fix it into some kind of strange spike formation on top of his head.

He smiled reassuringly at me as he saw me awakening. “That’s a relief. Thought I was going to have to call the ambulance or something. What are you doing sleeping in the middle of nowhere?”

“Well…I…” I began to explain with my mind still addled by my recent voyage. I could barely remember it at the time. Everything, from my mind to my memory, was strangely foggy. Eventually I stammered in reply, “I…got lost…I think.”

“You’re telling me,” the young man answered with a smile. “You’re about four miles away from the nearest town. Only building around here is Mr Milliworths farm. Can you stand?”

“I think so,” I replied.

He helped me put that statement to the test, taking my arm and helping me to my feet. “There we are. No harm done,” he chatted as he made sure I was stable on my feet. “What the heck were doing out here? You part of a hiking group or…”

“HOLY BUTTERCUPS I’M HUGE!” I suddenly shrieked as I looked all around me, taking in my surroundings.

I made the poor man jump out of his skin, and he quickly replied in a confused tone, “Well…I wouldn’t say that…you like kinda…slim to me.”

He misunderstood my meaning. I wasn’t huge in terms of weight, I was now huge in terms of sheer size. All my life I’d lived among the trees and undergrowth as a tiny nymph. And now, the very world in which I’d lived my whole life was suddenly…miniscule. Blades of grass that had previous towered over me now only reached my feet. Bushes in which I previously could have hid and clambered around in were now roughly the same size as me. Trees in which I’d lived and worked my whole life were…still quite big actually, but were far less imposing now.

This whole new sense of scale threatened to overwhelm me. As humans, imagine if you woke up to find yourselves about three times bigger than your house. That was sense of amazement I was currently experiencing. I couldn’t control my frantic gasps of shock as I gazed at a horizon which once would have been imposing, but now would only have taken me five minutes to walk. I found myself jumping on the spot, suddenly aware of how huge I was, trying to watch my feet in case I accidentally trampled on an unsuspecting insect. I even found myself mumbling words of apology to any bug or creature I might unwittingly crush.

Then I thought to myself ‘silly Bluebell, just fly up and then you won’t crush anything.’ So I tried to do just that…and nothing happened. I reached behind me to grab my wings and only grasped air. I looked over my shoulder and instead of seeing the tips of my blue tinted wings I saw…nothing!

My wings had gone!!!!!!

I felt like I’d lost a limb. Like I was a helpless, lost child unable to move. Despite my now imposing size I’d never felt so immobile. I also felt heavier. Like my every step was causing the earth to quake around me. I twirled and twisted on the spot, beginning to hyperventilate. This was just too weird for words.

I think this young man who’d found me summed it up best when he said, “You’re not from around here are you?”

Suddenly everything clicked into place in my memory, and I remembered my trip through the Black River with my friends, and I then quickly realised that I was now on my own. Managing to gather my thoughts I said to this boy, “Listen, I was with a group of my friends. We were on this journey but we…seem to have got separated. Did you see anyone else around her like me BUTTERCUPS WHAT AM I WEARING?”

“Looks like shorts and a hoodie to me,” the young man replied, now looking thoroughly bewildered.

It wasn’t what I was wearing which threw me, but the material of my clothing. Gone were the clothes made out of woven plants, grass and reeds which I’d always worn. I was now wearing… well the tights I was wearing were dark blue in colour, but not made out of spidersilk like I was used to. Over them I was wearing these blue coloured shorts made out of a material I’d never encountered before. I was wearing a hooded top yes, coloured a dark shade of purple, but instead of being made out of woven reeds, it was made out of…some material beyond my knowledge. As for my footwear, they were a kind of lace up, flat heel shoe made out of a dark blue material, the tops of which reached over my ankles. They seemed quite comfy, and I remember thinking that they’d be pretty good for sneaking around in.

As I examined my new dark red bobble hat made out of a material which felt a lot like the fluffy coat of a sheep I began to realise that they were incredibly similar to the kind of clothes worn by Aaron, Gary and Rebecca when they’d first arrived in Daffoville. Slowly the true power of the Black River dawned on me. It hadn’t just transported me to the human world.

“Do you have a mirror?” I demanded of the confused man in front of me.

“Er no…hang on, you can use this.”

From the pocket of his own pair of odd trousers he pulled out some kind of square shaped device with one side made out of glass which glowed like a fire fly. He tapped and swiped against it a few times before holding it up for me to see. On this glass was my reflection, though it wasn’t like a usual mirror. The image was different somehow, the colours less realistic, if that was even possible. But my amazement at this device was lessened by the image it was showing me.

Because it confirmed what I’d began to suspect.

I was no longer Bluebell the nymph.

I had been transformed into Bluebell the human!

It was still very much me. My blue tinged wings might have disappeared but my facial features were identical, from the shape of my face to my deep blue eyes. But my ears were no longer pointy. Instead they were round like human ears. The other big difference I noticed was that my usually bright blue hair, while maintaining the same length and shape, had changed colour. I fiddled with strands of hair that were now a shade of brown, the same colour as a horse chestnut.

I stared and stared at myself, examining my changed body with a mix of awe and trepidation. While I looked the same and felt the same (albeit I felt a lot heavier) pretty much all traces of my nymph body had been removed. I looked like an ordinary human being, nobody passing me by on a human street would have batted an eyelid. I marvelled at the power of the magic that had done this to me. So this was how the fey species and humankind had once communicated. No wonder such a power had been locked away by our ancestors.

There was, however, one critical difference which I was only just being made aware of. Normally my body was bubbling with quintessence, the energy of life itself which allowed my magical powers to manifest and be controlled. But as I concentrated and tried to summon a basic spell I felt…nothing. The only sensation I could feel throughout my body were that of my heart beating and my lungs filling up with air. I felt…blunted in all honesty.

No wings and no magic. Buttercups how do you humans even cope?

I was brought back to my senses when I tapped the glass I was staring at, heard it whir before a bright flash was emitted from the device, dazzling me. “What just happened?” I gasped in astonishment.

“I think you just took a selfie,” the man informed me. His suspicions were confirmed when I saw the image of me on that square device had frozen in time, precisely on my moment of panic and alarm. He came around to look at it himself, and when he saw the image he started to laugh. Evidently his initial confusion was beginning to give way to amusement. “You’re a right funny lass I’ll give you that,” he said as he examined me quizzically.

Realising I was acting like a fool, I began to babble, “I’m so sorry for all this trouble. Here take your…well take it back. Thank you for waking me up and I’ll see if I can find my friends…”

“You’re seriously not going to head off back into the wilderness?” the man asked. “Look, you’ve obviously had some kind of shock or something, so why don’t you come with me to my village. My family runs the local café, so we’ll grab you a brew and then figure out what happened to you. OK?”

Only about half of that sentence made any sense to me, and I was sceptical of his generosity. I’d grown up being told to be suspicious and distrustful of humans, and sometimes those stories are hard to disregard. But this young man seemed genuinely keen to help. Besides, with my friends all missing, what choice did I have?

“OK I’ll come with you. Thanks for the offer,” I replied.

“Great, my motor’s just parked on the road above!” He set off up the grass covered hill on which he’d found me, beckoning me to follow. I struggled up after him, whether it was because of the shock or of me trying to avoid stepping on any creatures I didn’t know. The young man made the most of our slow progress to properly introduce himself. “My name’s Ollie by the way. I live in the nearby village of Pontwick. What’s your name?”

“Bluebell,” I informed him.

“Wow, that’s an awesome name. Can’t say I’ve ever met a Bluebell before,” Ollie told me.

“Oh, really?” I asked, admittedly a little disappointed. I’d heard humans sometimes named their human girls after flowers, such as ‘Rose’ and ‘Holly.’ I’d secretly hoped Bluebell might be a little more popular.

“You a Uni student or something?” Ollie asked me next.

“Er…yeah I’m studying…”

“How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Thirty seven,” I replied before I could stop myself.

Ollie laughed at me again. “Oh you’re definitely having me on with that one!”

I was about to insist it was the truth before I remembered how humans aged a lot faster than we did, and had a shorter lifespan. “Er yeah, course I am. I’m actually…twenty one,” I responded, picking the age which I knew Aaron was and one which would therefore be likely for me in human form. Curious to figure out if I’d got it right I asked, “And how old are you Ollie, if you don’t mind?”

“Twenty!” Ollie grinned at me.

“And are you a student or…”

“Me? Not a chance. Not that clever or rich unfortunately. I spend my winter working on a local farm and then in the summer when the tourists come in I work at my mum’s café…Well here she is. Like her?”

I looked around, scanning the area for any sign of someone else. I was confused when I saw no-one. I was even more confused when I realised he was speaking to a chunk of metal contorted into a thin shape, resting on two round wheels constructed out of something very bouncy. “It’s…nice,” I said politely, not wanting to give my ignorance away.

“Yeah she’s a beaut. Nearly paid her off as well. There’s room for you on the end if you hold tight. You don’t mind riding motorbikes do you? You can wear my helmet if you want.”

“Er, that’s very kind of you…” I answered in trepidation, wondering why in the world of daffodils I needed to wear a helmet. He passed it over to me to put on, and after I did so (marvelling at how it encased my whole head) he told me to perch on the end of a cushion like material, my legs straddling either side of the metal object. He then sat in front and instructed me to wrap my arms around his waist.

I really should have paid attention to all of these warning signs. Even so, I was caught completely off guard when Ollie, using some process beyond my comprehension, ignited the fuel in this device’s chamber, forcing the wheels to start spinning and sending us rocketing forward.

To my credit I didn’t panic, even though the way I was barrelling along roads of stone twisting in the direction Ollie was directing it, using a process powered by a fuel created out of ancient dead trees and animals, was a terrifying experience. I felt very vulnerable wearing no protective clothing of any sort save for this all-encompassing helmet. But Ollie seemed to be in complete control, his eyes fixed on the road and ensuring that he took the corners at a (presumably) safe speed. He certainly was courteous to his passenger. The sensation this device provided was similar to gliding across the forest floor at low height. Now I knew just how humans compensated for their lack of wings.

After a while I began to take in my surroundings. I could see we were currently travelling through a valley winding between lush green hills, a river snaking alongside the road. Seeing the world from this perspective for the first time was somewhat illuminating. No wonder humans can get so cocky and arrogant when you’re this size. The sky was a light grey, and I began to feel specks of rain through my new clothing. My instinct was to seek shelter, as getting caught in a storm was not good for Nymphs. But now as a human the rain was more of an inconvenience. It was certainly weird getting used to this change in perspective.

There was no point in engaging Ollie in conversation over the roaring sound this device was producing, so I just held on tight until we arrived at our destination. Ollie’s home village.

As the device came to a stop I leapt off of it and pulled away the helmet, and had a good look at the first human settlement I’d ever visited. I heard some humans lived in cities that stretched for thousands of Nymph miles. This settlement was much smaller, consisting of a few square shaped dwellings constructed out of grey stones, with ivy clambering over sections of the walls and immaculately presented plants and flowers in their front garden. It was all very quiet, there was no-one around save for Ollie and myself.

My new human companion directed me towards a building which had a wooden sign hanging out the front, on which was written, ‘Darlingdale Tea Rooms.’ He opened the front door for me, and ushered me into a small room with low hanging ceilings and round tables covered by red and white chequered clothes. We were the only ones in attendance. He then yelled into the empty room, “Hey, what kind of service do you call this?”

“Sod off Ollie,” yelled a female voice from some unseen corridor of the establishment.

“Suzy watch you language, what will the customers think?” another female voice retorted.

“Relax, there’s no-one else in,” Ollie informed these voices. “Could you bring us a cuppa out, we have a guest who needs one.”

I heard heavy footsteps before an older human woman appeared, with yellowy hair clipped back off her face in a bun, wearing a red and white striped pinafore in front of her maroon casual dress. I correctly surmised that this was Ollie’s mother. “I wasn’t expecting you back from the farm so early today…and who might this young lady be?” she remarked as she seemed to analyse me intently.

“Mum this is Bluebell. She was out with a group of friends on the moors but she got separated from them. Says she’s got lost. We OK to give her somewhere to get her bearings and figure out her next move.”

“Well of course,” Ollie’s mother replied brightly. “My name is Cynthia sweetheart. Let’s get you something to warm you up shall we. Suzy, are you there?”

I watched as another young human adult, a girl this time, poked her head around a doorway and gave us a look which resembled surprise and a glare. Her long dark hair, the same shade as Ollie’s, was held back in an incredibly tight ponytail, and her face seemed to be an odd shade of orange for a human. I quickly deduced however that she was in fact the daughter of Cynthia, and the younger sister of Ollie.

“What is it mum?” Suzy asked in a frustrated tone, even as her keen brown eyes analysed me.

“Bring us out a cup of tea for this young lady will you. And how about we fix you a little something to eat?”

“Oh you don’t have to go to this much trouble,” I told her.

“Nonsense, you must be famished, wandering around the moors at this time of year. What would you like? A bacon buttie? A tuna melt toastie? On the house of course.”

This was my first big challenge as a human. We Nymphs live on a strict diet of fruit, vegetables and herbs. We find the concept of eating meat and products that come from animals abhorrent, but humans can’t seem to get enough of them. I mean, the milk of cows? Eurgh! I wasn’t initially sure how to convey my feelings to my hosts in a polite manner, until I remembered that Aaron had a name for humans who followed our example.

“Er, just so you know, I’m a…what’s is it? Vigar…Vogon…VEGAN! That’s it, I’m a vegan!”

Now all three of my hosts were staring at me with strange expressions, none stranger than that being shown to me by Suzy, making me feel for a second like I’d committed some kind of social sin. “Knew it, you’re totally one of those students down by Barhay Forest aren’t you?” Suzy then asked me.

“Don’t fling accusations around Suzy, you don’t know that,” chided Cynthia. Then smiling at me reassuringly she said, “We could maybe fix you up a salad if you like?”

“Or how about your world famous baked beans on toast, minus the butter of course!” Ollie suggested.

I could have gone for the safe option, but Ollie’s recommendation made me curious, so I ordered that. While Suzy disappeared into the kitchen to prepare my meal Cynthia fetched me a cup of green tea. One thing Nymphs do have in common with humans is our love of lose tea leaves in hot water. Though I was amazed by the tiny bag they all came in which kept the leaves in place. As I tentatively sipped my first human drink Suzy re-emerged with my dinner on a plate.

Well I had never seen anything like it before. Two pieces of human bread on which were dolloped a huge number of beans. But unlike those green beans which were normally so big I had to pick them with two hands, these were coloured a strange, orangey red and covered in a sauce of the same colour. I gazed at it my meal with trepidation, not sure of what I had let myself in for as I scooped up some of this bread and beans onto my fork, before I cautiously put it into my mouth.

And was instantly transported to a world of culinary delight!

I had never tasted anything as delicious as these ‘baked beans’ in my life. They were divine, they were gorgeous. I must have looked a real sight as I eagerly chowed down on them, only then realising how hungry I was. Evidently being transported to a different realm used up a lot of your energy.

Ollie and his family watched me eating with their confused looks only increasing, apart from Suzy, who seemed to find my actions highly amusing. “By the way, love what you’ve done with your hair,” she suddenly announced.

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked with my mouth still full of bread.

“Those blue hairs just by your right ear, what kind of dye did you use for it?”

Her words made me stop eating, and I immediately started fiddling with the hair around my right ear, pulling it in front of my face for me to examine. Suzy was right. A few strands of hair had not changed into this new brown colour, and instead remained my original shade of bright blue. Not wanting to reveal my secret I answered, “Er yeah I dyed it, can’t remember what I used on it though.”

“So tell us about yourself Bluebell, and these friends you got separated from,” Cynthia asked as she sat down opposite me with a cup of human tea in her hand. “How many of them were you? Where were you heading?”

I took a deep breath as I devised a convincing cover story. “Well…it’s difficult to explain. You see, I come from a long way away, and I’m looking for my missing grandfather. We were separated a while back and I recently found out he was living near here, so me and my friends came all this way to find him.”

“Where is your grandfather living now?” Ollie asked.

“That’s just it, I don’t know. Until recently I didn’t even know if he was alive or dead. We just know he’s around here somewhere. And I have to find him soon otherwise…well…family stuff.”

“I understand dear, you aren’t the only person who’s ever suffered a familial dispute,” Cynthia told me reassuringly. I half wanted to say ‘I bet no human has ever had a familial dispute like mine,’ but I held my tongue.

“Well once this place is all closed down for the day we’ll have a look on the web and see if there’s anyone around here whose name you recognise, how does that sound?” Ollie suggested.

I frowned at him in confusion, and before I could stop myself I said, “How would looking at spiders help us in this…”

“OH MY GOD MUM!” Suzy interrupted me from the kitchen.

“Keep your voice down!” Cynthia told her daughter.

“But mum, Ollie, it’s those missing students. They’re on the news. They found them!”

“You’re kidding! They found Rebecca!” Ollie exclaimed.

Suzy evidently wasn’t kidding, and she brought out some kind of weird glass covered tablet to prove her point. On it were a series of moving pictures with sound also playing out of it from…somewhere.

I had to stifle a gasp. Being shown on this tablet, as clear as if they were in the room, I saw Aaron, Gary and Rebecca being escorted by uniformed humans into the backs of these weird metal hutches on wheels, with their hands held behind them by metal cuffs. There seemed to be a huge amount of interest in them judging by the crowds of people surrounding them and asking questions, none of which the three humans were answering.

“Where have they been? Where were they found?” Ollie interjected.

“On the outskirts of the forest where they first disappeared according to the news, apparently they were sleeping in the open when a search team found them,” Suzy replied.

“So it was all a big publicity stunt then,” said Cynthia. “Poor old Lord Haldwick being put through the mill like tha…”

“MARIGOLD!” I cried before I could stop myself.

The family all looked at me in stunned surprise, while my eyes were fixed on this magical tablet on the table, as it showed by some kind of sorcery a live picture of Marigold.

But she too had undergone a transformation. Gone were her bright golden wings, as indeed had the multiple layers of clothing that she’d decided to wear for protection. In place their place she now wore human clothes too, a maroon long sleeve top, a bright purple miniskirt, scarlet nylons and bright red flats. Her hair remained the same length, reaching all the way to her waist, but instead of its normally sparkling hue it was a sandy yellow colour similar to that of Rebecca’s.

And just like Rebecca, Marigold’s hands had been cuffed behind her back as she was hauled into the back of this mysterious wheeled metal hutch.

My outburst had completely given the game away, and the family all stared at me with wide eyes. “Wait, you know those people?” Suzy exclaimed.

“Well, er, yeah. They’re helping me find my grandfather. Where are they taking them?” I demanded.

“They’ve been arrested by the police. They’ll probably have been taken to the local station,” Cynthia told me, ignoring the tinkling bell as the front door to the café opened and closed. “But how do you know them?”

“It’s complicated,” I answered evasively. “Why, are they in trouble?”

“In trouble? Aaron, Gary and Rebecca have been missing for ages. Their disappearance is national news, everyone is talking about them. But you know them right? So where the hell have they been?”

“That’s something I’d like to know very much as well,” spoke an unfamiliar voice.

We all looked up to face the new arrival in the café. It was a male human, quite old judging from the wrinkles on his flabby face. He was quite rotund and had no hair, wearing some kind of flat hat to presumably keep it warm, and he also wore some kind of pungent green suit with a yellow waistcoat. Running around his feet was a small terrier, which stared at me before emitting a series of excitable growls. And there was a massive smile on this man’s face, and he seemed to be directing it straight at me.

Cynthia seemed to leap to attention. “Lord Haldwick, I wasn’t expecting you today. Can I get you your usual or…?”

“No I’m afraid a coffee will not be necessary today dear Cynthia,” Lord Haldwick replied ominously. Lord Haldwick. Where had I heard that name before?

Ollie immediately interjected. “Did you hear the news? They found Aaron and his friends, they’re safe!”

“Yes the police have already informed me of the reappearance of my troublesome nephew,” Lord Haldwick said nonchalantly, as he turned around and, as if he owned the place, flipped over the OPEN sign so it instead read CLOSED.

Troublesome nephew? Aaron? No…no was this man really…?

“I will be sure to deal with him later,” Haldwick continued, seeming to love the sound of his voice. “But right now I have a rather urgent meeting to attend to, with an individual I have been keen to meet for a very long time.”

“Who would that be?” Suzy asked.

A sinister smirk forming on his face, Lord Haldwick responded, “Why, with dear pretty Bluebell of course!”

Description
“Are you ready Bluebell?”

It was such an innocuous question. Yet it was one that could mean a hundred different things. On this occasion, it meant that I was about to start on what was probably my most daring and dangerous adventure yet.

And no, I was absolutely not ready for it.

I did my best to disguise this, keeping cool and calm on the outside, the only indication of my nervousness being my jiggling legs as I sat across the room from my parents. My mother had been the one to ask the question. I looked straight into her deep blue eyes, the same colour as my own, and I nodded.

Silence fell between the three of us as we savoured what were to be our last moments alone together for an undetermined amount of time.

Eventually my father spoke. “You don’t have to do this. Nobody would think any less of you.”

“No dad I have to,” I insisted. “If there’s even the slightest chance I can bring granddad back home then I’ve got to take it. And if in the process we can finally find out what Foxglove’s ultimate plan is, and how he’s managed to establish a link to the human world, then it’s the only way I can bring peace to Daffoville.”

He smiled at me in response. It was the kind of smile when someone understood the logic behind an argument but was still having trouble accepting it. “Just…look after yourself. And make sure you come home safe.”

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t intend to come home dad,” I replied with an air of determination. “I will come back, bring grandad back with me, and then sort out Foxglove once and for all.”

We heard a knock on the door, and a member of the Nymph Elite Guard came in to tell us that all had been prepared. Time seeming to pass incredibly slowly, I got to my feet and gave my parents one long, lingering embrace. I batted away the tears with my eyelids, then as a family we walked out of the bedroom, down the spiralling staircases of the Daffoville Royal Palace, and into the sprawling banquet hall were I’d had my now famous showdown with Foxglove all those months ago.

The room was filled with delegates from Daffoville and beyond. Politicians, envoys from other fey species, members of our Elite Guard and Defence Force. All of their eyes were not fixed on my, but on the shimmering, rippling portal that had been created right in the centre of the Daffoville Palace.

The Black River had once again been summoned.

The summoner this time was none other than Ribwort, the eccentric, bowtie wearing nymph currently bouncing around the place like a rabbit, apparently not tired out at all having just used a colossal amount of magic to summon this portal. He saw me arriving and waved enthusiastically, and I gave him a nervous wave in response.

I then saw four of my companions for this journey I was about to undertake. One was Ivy, the head of the Elite Guard, stood in full uniform ready to protect both me and my companions from whatever dangers awaited us. The other three were the humans who had been transported to Daffoville by a powerful being known only as the White Mage. Gary, Rebecca, and Aaron. They wore the very same clothes that they’d worn the day they’d first been transported here.

Because they were about to go home.

Gary was the first to greet me. “How you doing there Blue?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” I responded quickly. “Are you looking forward to going home?”

Oddly, my three new friends seemed to have mixed feelings on the issue. On the one hand they were pleased to finally be returning, especially Rebecca who had missed her close family terribly. But what would they be returning to? How could they possibly explain their disappearance in a way that also ensured our woodland realm remained secret and secure? The question of how I was going to take on those humans seeking to destroy our home was one I was struggling to answer as well. I was venturing into the unknown, with no idea of what to expect next. I just knew that I had to do something.

Fortunately I wasn’t going to be alone, as the final two members of our party arrived.

Fern was dressed practically in trousers, flat hiking shoes and a long sleeved top, all coloured a deep green and made out of woven grass. I was wearing similar clothes, though mine were coloured a gentle shade of blue and I wore a woven beanie hat over my long blue locks, whereas Fern had tied her green hair back into a practical ponytail.

Marigold, on the other hand, had dressed like she was about to go on an expedition up a frozen mountainside. She wore several fluffy jumpers, two pairs of trousers (one water resistant), gloves, a hat and two scarves. On her back she carried a massive rucksack, pressing her long golden hair against her back. It contained a huge variety of extra clothes for all occasions. She’d taken some serious persuading that she was unlikely to need a pair of expensive high heels and a party dress where we were going. She’d also stuffed the bag with all sorts of tools and trinkets from her garden that she thought we might need, such as some medicinal herbs, some digging tools and a couple of empty vials. She was also seeing this as a good opportunity to collect some samples of plant life from the human world to add to her collection.

Noting how she was already hot and bothered by her eclectic wardrobe and belongings Fern asked, “You regret not travelling light yet?”

“It doesn’t hurt to be prepared,” Marigold huffed in response.

We all allowed ourselves a little laugh at her expense, after which Aaron said, “You don’t need to worry Marigold, the human world isn’t some lost civilisation full of danger and peril.”

“That may be the case, but she is venturing to a world far beyond the realm of many fey creatures,” spoke an authoritative voice. The crowds parted as in strode Queen Snowdrop and the Nymph Royal Family. They all gathered around Marigold, their youngest member, and one by one they embraced her. Honeysuckle, her older sister, was on the verge of tears. “I can’t believe what you’re doing Marigold, you’re so brave.”

“I’m not brave,” Marigold answered. “But if something were to happen to Blue and Fern then I’d never be able to live with myself.”

“Don’t worry your highness, I’ll get her back in one piece,” Fern insisted.

“And who will make sure you get back in one piece?” said Moss, Fern’s boyfriend, as he fought through the crowds to be by her side.

Fern was not normally one for outward signs of affection, but she surprised us all when she replied, “The thought of returning to you will make sure I come home.” Then she gave him a long and passionate kiss in front of everyone, and they didn’t seem to care one jot.

She wasn’t the only one saying goodbye to a romantic interest. Prince Ash came up to me, and I could tell he wanted to do more than provide me with an affectionate embrace, a peck on the cheek and a whisper in my ear telling me to stay safe. Our close friends knew about our fledgling relationship but not the fey world at large, and we were trying to keep it a secret for now. I gave him an extra kiss on the cheek to let him know how upset I was about having to leave. But I had a job to do.

As indeed, had Primrose and Reed, my two friends from Daffoville magic college. “Still time for you to change your minds and invite us along you know,” Reed insisted as I embraced him.

“I need you to stay in Daffoville and work with the other students to protect it should Foxglove attack,” I insisted. “You’re the best mages I know, so keep the town safe!”

“We’ll do our best, I promise!” the bespectacled, pink haired Primrose responded firmly as she hugged me.

It seemed that all these goodbyes was making Ribwort impatient…well even more impatient than usual. “I don’t want to rush you or anything, but creating this portal to a distant world isn’t exactly the most relaxing pastime I’ve enjoyed. That would have been when I had a nap on the back of a swan travelling along the Slowbrook River. What a day!”

That was his way of telling us all to hurry. So Gary, Rebecca, Aaron, Ivy, Fern, Marigold and myself stood together on the edges of the shimmering portal in the floor. Queen Snowdrop and the collected assembly stood to attention, during which our monarch said in a regal tone, “You carry with you the hopes and the future of Daffoville and all its neighbours. What may be waiting for you through the tides of the Black River we do not know, but remember that our prayers and thoughts travel with you, and if you remain true to yourselves and steadfast in your resolve then you cannot fail.”

We all gave appreciative replies to her words, as we took each other’s hands and prepared to make the leap into the unknown. I was stood between Aaron and Fern. I first looked to the human boy who had become a truly close friend even during the short time in which I’d known him. He saw me looking and smiled at me. I smiled back, and gave his hand a squeeze for reassurance.

I then looked to Fern, and saw her eyes were fixed on Moss, and his eyes in turn were fixed on her. I then looked down and happened to glance an object around Ferns’ wrist that made my heart stop. It was a bangle, made out of intertwined oak branches weaving in and out of each other, forming a beautifully sculptured flower at the point where the two branches met. She’d hidden it underneath the sleeves of her top, but when she took me by the hand it had been momentarily revealed.

There was only one situation where a lady nymph started to wear such a bangle.

I glanced up at Fern with my mouth agape and asked, “Fern are you and Moss...?”

“On the count of three!” Fern yelled, cutting me off. “Three….Two…One…!”

And we all jumped into the Black River.

The instant sensation was that of swimming, like we had been dipped into ice cold water. My blue hair billowed around me and I found it hard to move my limbs and wings effectively. Yet I didn’t need to breath. It was as if my body had been frozen in time, locked into one singular moment while my mind remained unaffected by what was happening.

All around us was darkness, but varying shades of dark. Grey swirls twisted around an inky blackness, with dark bubbles pushing against our bodies. I kept hold of Aaron and Fern’s hands tightly as I realised that this is what must have happened to my Granddad Lupin when my deranged uncle Foxglove had forced him to take this journey.

Suddenly we started spinning around and around, like we were caught in a whirlpool dragging us further and further underwater. I struggled to keep hold of my friends as we spun faster and faster. I felt like every part of my body was being pummelled by raging torrents of water. All I could do was hold onto my friends for dear life.

Unfortunately the effects of the Black River proved too much for Marigold to take, and she lost her grip, breaking our tight ring apart. I watched as she was dragged away from us, disappearing into the inky blackness of the portal. I tried calling after her but no noise came out of my mouth.

This had a chain effect on us all, as the increasingly powerful torrent broke us apart one by one. Despite me holding on for as long as possible, eventually Aaron and I were wrenched apart after he witnessed Gary and Rebecca being pulled away. Fern and I were thrown apart next. Suddenly I was alone, unable to see my friends as I was sucked downwards and downwards.

My vision was filled with a bright, yellow light, and despite the raging Black River about me I was filled with a serene calm. Like my body was being filled from the inside by a warm, comforting liquid. I looked down at my body and suddenly realised that I was the source of the glowing. My skin and hair were all emitting this shimmering golden light, piercing the gloom around me. I only had a moment to reflect on this unique magic before the relaxing sensation took over me completely, and I slipped into unconsciousness.

“Hey…hey…you alright there? You hearing me?”

I could hear that voice. But it wasn’t one I recognised. Even the accent was one I was unfamiliar with. I tried focusing on that voice instead on how exhausted I felt, or of how uncomfortable was this surface I was lying on.

“Hey you stirring there? Come on, rise and shine!”

I responded to the voice by opening my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a dull grey sky. Then as my focus returned I saw the face of a young man, kneeling by my side. The more I looked at him the more odd he seemed. He was wearing a dark hooded top, but it was made out of a material I was unfamiliar with and had some kind of metal strip in the middle of it. His face seemed normal enough, but his dark hair had something in it which made it look wet, and allowed him to fix it into some kind of strange spike formation on top of his head.

He smiled reassuringly at me as he saw me awakening. “That’s a relief. Thought I was going to have to call the ambulance or something. What are you doing sleeping in the middle of nowhere?”

“Well…I…” I began to explain with my mind still addled by my recent voyage. I could barely remember it at the time. Everything, from my mind to my memory, was strangely foggy. Eventually I stammered in reply, “I…got lost…I think.”

“You’re telling me,” the young man answered with a smile. “You’re about four miles away from the nearest town. Only building around here is Mr Milliworths farm. Can you stand?”

“I think so,” I replied.

He helped me put that statement to the test, taking my arm and helping me to my feet. “There we are. No harm done,” he chatted as he made sure I was stable on my feet. “What the heck were doing out here? You part of a hiking group or…”

“HOLY BUTTERCUPS I’M HUGE!” I suddenly shrieked as I looked all around me, taking in my surroundings.

I made the poor man jump out of his skin, and he quickly replied in a confused tone, “Well…I wouldn’t say that…you like kinda…slim to me.”

He misunderstood my meaning. I wasn’t huge in terms of weight, I was now huge in terms of sheer size. All my life I’d lived among the trees and undergrowth as a tiny nymph. And now, the very world in which I’d lived my whole life was suddenly…miniscule. Blades of grass that had previous towered over me now only reached my feet. Bushes in which I previously could have hid and clambered around in were now roughly the same size as me. Trees in which I’d lived and worked my whole life were…still quite big actually, but were far less imposing now.

This whole new sense of scale threatened to overwhelm me. As humans, imagine if you woke up to find yourselves about three times bigger than your house. That was sense of amazement I was currently experiencing. I couldn’t control my frantic gasps of shock as I gazed at a horizon which once would have been imposing, but now would only have taken me five minutes to walk. I found myself jumping on the spot, suddenly aware of how huge I was, trying to watch my feet in case I accidentally trampled on an unsuspecting insect. I even found myself mumbling words of apology to any bug or creature I might unwittingly crush.

Then I thought to myself ‘silly Bluebell, just fly up and then you won’t crush anything.’ So I tried to do just that…and nothing happened. I reached behind me to grab my wings and only grasped air. I looked over my shoulder and instead of seeing the tips of my blue tinted wings I saw…nothing!

My wings had gone!!!!!!

I felt like I’d lost a limb. Like I was a helpless, lost child unable to move. Despite my now imposing size I’d never felt so immobile. I also felt heavier. Like my every step was causing the earth to quake around me. I twirled and twisted on the spot, beginning to hyperventilate. This was just too weird for words.

I think this young man who’d found me summed it up best when he said, “You’re not from around here are you?”

Suddenly everything clicked into place in my memory, and I remembered my trip through the Black River with my friends, and I then quickly realised that I was now on my own. Managing to gather my thoughts I said to this boy, “Listen, I was with a group of my friends. We were on this journey but we…seem to have got separated. Did you see anyone else around her like me BUTTERCUPS WHAT AM I WEARING?”

“Looks like shorts and a hoodie to me,” the young man replied, now looking thoroughly bewildered.

It wasn’t what I was wearing which threw me, but the material of my clothing. Gone were the clothes made out of woven plants, grass and reeds which I’d always worn. I was now wearing… well the tights I was wearing were dark blue in colour, but not made out of spidersilk like I was used to. Over them I was wearing these blue coloured shorts made out of a material I’d never encountered before. I was wearing a hooded top yes, coloured a dark shade of purple, but instead of being made out of woven reeds, it was made out of…some material beyond my knowledge. As for my footwear, they were a kind of lace up, flat heel shoe made out of a dark blue material, the tops of which reached over my ankles. They seemed quite comfy, and I remember thinking that they’d be pretty good for sneaking around in.

As I examined my new dark red bobble hat made out of a material which felt a lot like the fluffy coat of a sheep I began to realise that they were incredibly similar to the kind of clothes worn by Aaron, Gary and Rebecca when they’d first arrived in Daffoville. Slowly the true power of the Black River dawned on me. It hadn’t just transported me to the human world.

“Do you have a mirror?” I demanded of the confused man in front of me.

“Er no…hang on, you can use this.”

From the pocket of his own pair of odd trousers he pulled out some kind of square shaped device with one side made out of glass which glowed like a fire fly. He tapped and swiped against it a few times before holding it up for me to see. On this glass was my reflection, though it wasn’t like a usual mirror. The image was different somehow, the colours less realistic, if that was even possible. But my amazement at this device was lessened by the image it was showing me.

Because it confirmed what I’d began to suspect.

I was no longer Bluebell the nymph.

I had been transformed into Bluebell the human!

It was still very much me. My blue tinged wings might have disappeared but my facial features were identical, from the shape of my face to my deep blue eyes. But my ears were no longer pointy. Instead they were round like human ears. The other big difference I noticed was that my usually bright blue hair, while maintaining the same length and shape, had changed colour. I fiddled with strands of hair that were now a shade of brown, the same colour as a horse chestnut.

I stared and stared at myself, examining my changed body with a mix of awe and trepidation. While I looked the same and felt the same (albeit I felt a lot heavier) pretty much all traces of my nymph body had been removed. I looked like an ordinary human being, nobody passing me by on a human street would have batted an eyelid. I marvelled at the power of the magic that had done this to me. So this was how the fey species and humankind had once communicated. No wonder such a power had been locked away by our ancestors.

There was, however, one critical difference which I was only just being made aware of. Normally my body was bubbling with quintessence, the energy of life itself which allowed my magical powers to manifest and be controlled. But as I concentrated and tried to summon a basic spell I felt…nothing. The only sensation I could feel throughout my body were that of my heart beating and my lungs filling up with air. I felt…blunted in all honesty.

No wings and no magic. Buttercups how do you humans even cope?

I was brought back to my senses when I tapped the glass I was staring at, heard it whir before a bright flash was emitted from the device, dazzling me. “What just happened?” I gasped in astonishment.

“I think you just took a selfie,” the man informed me. His suspicions were confirmed when I saw the image of me on that square device had frozen in time, precisely on my moment of panic and alarm. He came around to look at it himself, and when he saw the image he started to laugh. Evidently his initial confusion was beginning to give way to amusement. “You’re a right funny lass I’ll give you that,” he said as he examined me quizzically.

Realising I was acting like a fool, I began to babble, “I’m so sorry for all this trouble. Here take your…well take it back. Thank you for waking me up and I’ll see if I can find my friends…”

“You’re seriously not going to head off back into the wilderness?” the man asked. “Look, you’ve obviously had some kind of shock or something, so why don’t you come with me to my village. My family runs the local café, so we’ll grab you a brew and then figure out what happened to you. OK?”

Only about half of that sentence made any sense to me, and I was sceptical of his generosity. I’d grown up being told to be suspicious and distrustful of humans, and sometimes those stories are hard to disregard. But this young man seemed genuinely keen to help. Besides, with my friends all missing, what choice did I have?

“OK I’ll come with you. Thanks for the offer,” I replied.

“Great, my motor’s just parked on the road above!” He set off up the grass covered hill on which he’d found me, beckoning me to follow. I struggled up after him, whether it was because of the shock or of me trying to avoid stepping on any creatures I didn’t know. The young man made the most of our slow progress to properly introduce himself. “My name’s Ollie by the way. I live in the nearby village of Pontwick. What’s your name?”

“Bluebell,” I informed him.

“Wow, that’s an awesome name. Can’t say I’ve ever met a Bluebell before,” Ollie told me.

“Oh, really?” I asked, admittedly a little disappointed. I’d heard humans sometimes named their human girls after flowers, such as ‘Rose’ and ‘Holly.’ I’d secretly hoped Bluebell might be a little more popular.

“You a Uni student or something?” Ollie asked me next.

“Er…yeah I’m studying…”

“How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Thirty seven,” I replied before I could stop myself.

Ollie laughed at me again. “Oh you’re definitely having me on with that one!”

I was about to insist it was the truth before I remembered how humans aged a lot faster than we did, and had a shorter lifespan. “Er yeah, course I am. I’m actually…twenty one,” I responded, picking the age which I knew Aaron was and one which would therefore be likely for me in human form. Curious to figure out if I’d got it right I asked, “And how old are you Ollie, if you don’t mind?”

“Twenty!” Ollie grinned at me.

“And are you a student or…”

“Me? Not a chance. Not that clever or rich unfortunately. I spend my winter working on a local farm and then in the summer when the tourists come in I work at my mum’s café…Well here she is. Like her?”

I looked around, scanning the area for any sign of someone else. I was confused when I saw no-one. I was even more confused when I realised he was speaking to a chunk of metal contorted into a thin shape, resting on two round wheels constructed out of something very bouncy. “It’s…nice,” I said politely, not wanting to give my ignorance away.

“Yeah she’s a beaut. Nearly paid her off as well. There’s room for you on the end if you hold tight. You don’t mind riding motorbikes do you? You can wear my helmet if you want.”

“Er, that’s very kind of you…” I answered in trepidation, wondering why in the world of daffodils I needed to wear a helmet. He passed it over to me to put on, and after I did so (marvelling at how it encased my whole head) he told me to perch on the end of a cushion like material, my legs straddling either side of the metal object. He then sat in front and instructed me to wrap my arms around his waist.

I really should have paid attention to all of these warning signs. Even so, I was caught completely off guard when Ollie, using some process beyond my comprehension, ignited the fuel in this device’s chamber, forcing the wheels to start spinning and sending us rocketing forward.

To my credit I didn’t panic, even though the way I was barrelling along roads of stone twisting in the direction Ollie was directing it, using a process powered by a fuel created out of ancient dead trees and animals, was a terrifying experience. I felt very vulnerable wearing no protective clothing of any sort save for this all-encompassing helmet. But Ollie seemed to be in complete control, his eyes fixed on the road and ensuring that he took the corners at a (presumably) safe speed. He certainly was courteous to his passenger. The sensation this device provided was similar to gliding across the forest floor at low height. Now I knew just how humans compensated for their lack of wings.

After a while I began to take in my surroundings. I could see we were currently travelling through a valley winding between lush green hills, a river snaking alongside the road. Seeing the world from this perspective for the first time was somewhat illuminating. No wonder humans can get so cocky and arrogant when you’re this size. The sky was a light grey, and I began to feel specks of rain through my new clothing. My instinct was to seek shelter, as getting caught in a storm was not good for Nymphs. But now as a human the rain was more of an inconvenience. It was certainly weird getting used to this change in perspective.

There was no point in engaging Ollie in conversation over the roaring sound this device was producing, so I just held on tight until we arrived at our destination. Ollie’s home village.

As the device came to a stop I leapt off of it and pulled away the helmet, and had a good look at the first human settlement I’d ever visited. I heard some humans lived in cities that stretched for thousands of Nymph miles. This settlement was much smaller, consisting of a few square shaped dwellings constructed out of grey stones, with ivy clambering over sections of the walls and immaculately presented plants and flowers in their front garden. It was all very quiet, there was no-one around save for Ollie and myself.

My new human companion directed me towards a building which had a wooden sign hanging out the front, on which was written, ‘Darlingdale Tea Rooms.’ He opened the front door for me, and ushered me into a small room with low hanging ceilings and round tables covered by red and white chequered clothes. We were the only ones in attendance. He then yelled into the empty room, “Hey, what kind of service do you call this?”

“Sod off Ollie,” yelled a female voice from some unseen corridor of the establishment.

“Suzy watch you language, what will the customers think?” another female voice retorted.

“Relax, there’s no-one else in,” Ollie informed these voices. “Could you bring us a cuppa out, we have a guest who needs one.”

I heard heavy footsteps before an older human woman appeared, with yellowy hair clipped back off her face in a bun, wearing a red and white striped pinafore in front of her maroon casual dress. I correctly surmised that this was Ollie’s mother. “I wasn’t expecting you back from the farm so early today…and who might this young lady be?” she remarked as she seemed to analyse me intently.

“Mum this is Bluebell. She was out with a group of friends on the moors but she got separated from them. Says she’s got lost. We OK to give her somewhere to get her bearings and figure out her next move.”

“Well of course,” Ollie’s mother replied brightly. “My name is Cynthia sweetheart. Let’s get you something to warm you up shall we. Suzy, are you there?”

I watched as another young human adult, a girl this time, poked her head around a doorway and gave us a look which resembled surprise and a glare. Her long dark hair, the same shade as Ollie’s, was held back in an incredibly tight ponytail, and her face seemed to be an odd shade of orange for a human. I quickly deduced however that she was in fact the daughter of Cynthia, and the younger sister of Ollie.

“What is it mum?” Suzy asked in a frustrated tone, even as her keen brown eyes analysed me.

“Bring us out a cup of tea for this young lady will you. And how about we fix you a little something to eat?”

“Oh you don’t have to go to this much trouble,” I told her.

“Nonsense, you must be famished, wandering around the moors at this time of year. What would you like? A bacon buttie? A tuna melt toastie? On the house of course.”

This was my first big challenge as a human. We Nymphs live on a strict diet of fruit, vegetables and herbs. We find the concept of eating meat and products that come from animals abhorrent, but humans can’t seem to get enough of them. I mean, the milk of cows? Eurgh! I wasn’t initially sure how to convey my feelings to my hosts in a polite manner, until I remembered that Aaron had a name for humans who followed our example.

“Er, just so you know, I’m a…what’s is it? Vigar…Vogon…VEGAN! That’s it, I’m a vegan!”

Now all three of my hosts were staring at me with strange expressions, none stranger than that being shown to me by Suzy, making me feel for a second like I’d committed some kind of social sin. “Knew it, you’re totally one of those students down by Barhay Forest aren’t you?” Suzy then asked me.

“Don’t fling accusations around Suzy, you don’t know that,” chided Cynthia. Then smiling at me reassuringly she said, “We could maybe fix you up a salad if you like?”

“Or how about your world famous baked beans on toast, minus the butter of course!” Ollie suggested.

I could have gone for the safe option, but Ollie’s recommendation made me curious, so I ordered that. While Suzy disappeared into the kitchen to prepare my meal Cynthia fetched me a cup of green tea. One thing Nymphs do have in common with humans is our love of lose tea leaves in hot water. Though I was amazed by the tiny bag they all came in which kept the leaves in place. As I tentatively sipped my first human drink Suzy re-emerged with my dinner on a plate.

Well I had never seen anything like it before. Two pieces of human bread on which were dolloped a huge number of beans. But unlike those green beans which were normally so big I had to pick them with two hands, these were coloured a strange, orangey red and covered in a sauce of the same colour. I gazed at it my meal with trepidation, not sure of what I had let myself in for as I scooped up some of this bread and beans onto my fork, before I cautiously put it into my mouth.

And was instantly transported to a world of culinary delight!

I had never tasted anything as delicious as these ‘baked beans’ in my life. They were divine, they were gorgeous. I must have looked a real sight as I eagerly chowed down on them, only then realising how hungry I was. Evidently being transported to a different realm used up a lot of your energy.

Ollie and his family watched me eating with their confused looks only increasing, apart from Suzy, who seemed to find my actions highly amusing. “By the way, love what you’ve done with your hair,” she suddenly announced.

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked with my mouth still full of bread.

“Those blue hairs just by your right ear, what kind of dye did you use for it?”

Her words made me stop eating, and I immediately started fiddling with the hair around my right ear, pulling it in front of my face for me to examine. Suzy was right. A few strands of hair had not changed into this new brown colour, and instead remained my original shade of bright blue. Not wanting to reveal my secret I answered, “Er yeah I dyed it, can’t remember what I used on it though.”

“So tell us about yourself Bluebell, and these friends you got separated from,” Cynthia asked as she sat down opposite me with a cup of human tea in her hand. “How many of them were you? Where were you heading?”

I took a deep breath as I devised a convincing cover story. “Well…it’s difficult to explain. You see, I come from a long way away, and I’m looking for my missing grandfather. We were separated a while back and I recently found out he was living near here, so me and my friends came all this way to find him.”

“Where is your grandfather living now?” Ollie asked.

“That’s just it, I don’t know. Until recently I didn’t even know if he was alive or dead. We just know he’s around here somewhere. And I have to find him soon otherwise…well…family stuff.”

“I understand dear, you aren’t the only person who’s ever suffered a familial dispute,” Cynthia told me reassuringly. I half wanted to say ‘I bet no human has ever had a familial dispute like mine,’ but I held my tongue.

“Well once this place is all closed down for the day we’ll have a look on the web and see if there’s anyone around here whose name you recognise, how does that sound?” Ollie suggested.

I frowned at him in confusion, and before I could stop myself I said, “How would looking at spiders help us in this…”

“OH MY GOD MUM!” Suzy interrupted me from the kitchen.

“Keep your voice down!” Cynthia told her daughter.

“But mum, Ollie, it’s those missing students. They’re on the news. They found them!”

“You’re kidding! They found Rebecca!” Ollie exclaimed.

Suzy evidently wasn’t kidding, and she brought out some kind of weird glass covered tablet to prove her point. On it were a series of moving pictures with sound also playing out of it from…somewhere.

I had to stifle a gasp. Being shown on this tablet, as clear as if they were in the room, I saw Aaron, Gary and Rebecca being escorted by uniformed humans into the backs of these weird metal hutches on wheels, with their hands held behind them by metal cuffs. There seemed to be a huge amount of interest in them judging by the crowds of people surrounding them and asking questions, none of which the three humans were answering.

“Where have they been? Where were they found?” Ollie interjected.

“On the outskirts of the forest where they first disappeared according to the news, apparently they were sleeping in the open when a search team found them,” Suzy replied.

“So it was all a big publicity stunt then,” said Cynthia. “Poor old Lord Haldwick being put through the mill like tha…”

“MARIGOLD!” I cried before I could stop myself.

The family all looked at me in stunned surprise, while my eyes were fixed on this magical tablet on the table, as it showed by some kind of sorcery a live picture of Marigold.

But she too had undergone a transformation. Gone were her bright golden wings, as indeed had the multiple layers of clothing that she’d decided to wear for protection. In place their place she now wore human clothes too, a maroon long sleeve top, a bright purple miniskirt, scarlet nylons and bright red flats. Her hair remained the same length, reaching all the way to her waist, but instead of its normally sparkling hue it was a sandy yellow colour similar to that of Rebecca’s.

And just like Rebecca, Marigold’s hands had been cuffed behind her back as she was hauled into the back of this mysterious wheeled metal hutch.

My outburst had completely given the game away, and the family all stared at me with wide eyes. “Wait, you know those people?” Suzy exclaimed.

“Well, er, yeah. They’re helping me find my grandfather. Where are they taking them?” I demanded.

“They’ve been arrested by the police. They’ll probably have been taken to the local station,” Cynthia told me, ignoring the tinkling bell as the front door to the café opened and closed. “But how do you know them?”

“It’s complicated,” I answered evasively. “Why, are they in trouble?”

“In trouble? Aaron, Gary and Rebecca have been missing for ages. Their disappearance is national news, everyone is talking about them. But you know them right? So where the hell have they been?”

“That’s something I’d like to know very much as well,” spoke an unfamiliar voice.

We all looked up to face the new arrival in the café. It was a male human, quite old judging from the wrinkles on his flabby face. He was quite rotund and had no hair, wearing some kind of flat hat to presumably keep it warm, and he also wore some kind of pungent green suit with a yellow waistcoat. Running around his feet was a small terrier, which stared at me before emitting a series of excitable growls. And there was a massive smile on this man’s face, and he seemed to be directing it straight at me.

Cynthia seemed to leap to attention. “Lord Haldwick, I wasn’t expecting you today. Can I get you your usual or…?”

“No I’m afraid a coffee will not be necessary today dear Cynthia,” Lord Haldwick replied ominously. Lord Haldwick. Where had I heard that name before?

Ollie immediately interjected. “Did you hear the news? They found Aaron and his friends, they’re safe!”

“Yes the police have already informed me of the reappearance of my troublesome nephew,” Lord Haldwick said nonchalantly, as he turned around and, as if he owned the place, flipped over the OPEN sign so it instead read CLOSED.

Troublesome nephew? Aaron? No…no was this man really…?

“I will be sure to deal with him later,” Haldwick continued, seeming to love the sound of his voice. “But right now I have a rather urgent meeting to attend to, with an individual I have been keen to meet for a very long time.”

“Who would that be?” Suzy asked.

A sinister smirk forming on his face, Lord Haldwick responded, “Why, with dear pretty Bluebell of course!”