Free stuff - follow-up
My non-naturist author side has a bunch of free short publications out there. They originated when I started writing, and was ‘forced’ to publish one of my better stories. (Long story, that being forced.)
Those three shorts are available everywhere. Hopefully Amazon will make them free through their price-matching system.
For those who have Kindles and can’t spare the 99c minimum for the short stories (can't blame you!), here’s the first one.
For free. It’s a fantasy story called “Fairies”. The cover may have given that away already.
“Mark. We should go home now.” Layla looked at the sky, hardly visible through the treetops. “It’ll be dark soon.”
Mark sighed. “Okay… But don’t be scared, okay? Those tales about people getting lost in this forest are all old-wives-tales. None of them has ever been proven.”
Mark and Layla had gotten together a few months ago, during singing practice. They’d both joined the choir, known for its opera repertoire, a few weeks before, and somehow they’d felt a mutual attraction. That had ended up in them going steady, and a few trips together. This picnic was the latest.
“Yes, I know, but still. We’re still a stretch away from the car, and I don’t want to break a leg or something out here.” Layla looked at him. “And you’re an IT consultant, not a first-aid specialist.” She added a wink to that, because she knew he’d never leave her in times of peril.
“The fairies will come to our rescue then,” Mark said, as he put the remains of their picnic in the basket. “But you’re right. No need to take risks.”
“Fairies aren’t always around when you need them,” Layla joked. She got up and folded the blanket. “There. Done. Ready to move when you are.”
“Let’s go then!”
Hand in hand they started walking, sticking to the path they’d used to find this fabulous picnic spot. It had looked as if no one had ever been there before.
“Ehm… Mark? Are you sure this is the right way?” Layla felt they’d been walking too far already. “Shouldn’t we have been at the car yet?”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Mark said, slowing down his walking. He took his phone and pulled up a maps-app. “What…” He shook the device.
“Is something wrong?” The mere fact she asked that, told her something had to be wrong.
“My phone says there’s no connection,” Mark said, killing the app and starting it again. “There has to be connection.” He’d been streaming love-songs from his phone for a while, and they’d been deeper in the forest then.
“Wait, let me try.” Layla took her own phone. “That’s weird. No connection either.” Again she asked if he was certain they’d been going the right way.
Mark was positive. “We decided to sit down at that spot because the trail was getting too narrow, remember?”
“Oh. Yes, you’re right.” Layla tried her phone again, but got the same lack of result. “And what do we do now?”
“Well, first off I’d get rid of those garments,” a high-pitched voice said.
Both Mark and Layla almost jumped as they heard that strange advice.
“Who is that?” Mark asked, looking around as he tried to switch the light on his phone on.
“Me,” the voice said, “and you have to look down. I’m not a giant like you are.”
“Giant?” The two looked down. Mark’s phone-light finally came on, and the beam revealed a four-inch tall, naked woman. With wings.
“Yes. Giants. Imagine yourself in my position,” the tiny apparition said. “Now kneel down, so I don’t have to yell. And get out of those garments before it’s too late.”
“Too late? For what?” Layla wasn’t going to strip naked just like that. Even when the request came from a tiny person who couldn’t exist. “Who are you, anyway? And what? Are you a fairy?”
The tiny person, still in the beam of light, looked around. “Yes, I’m a fairy, and I know you’re taking a huge risk. Damn it, at least kneel down!”
Layla looked at Mark, who was slowly become invisible in the darkness which started to surround them. “Should we?”
“Why not,” he said. “Losing the trail is weird, losing the connection is weird, so this just is another weird.” After those words, he knelt down.
Layla did so too, and as her knees reached the forest floor, they heard a variety of growls. “What was that?”
The fairy shook her head. “That’s the sound of you being too late,” she said. “Get those fabrics off you and throw them away. Look at me. Do I have such things on me?”
“No,” Mark said, totally unnecessary. His one-word response was almost out-sounded by more growls. Those seemed to be a lot closer now. “Can you tell us what-”
Even louder growls rose up around them. They also heard the rustling of plants and leaves as something - or various somethings - seemed to come closer.
“Get out of them,” the fairy said. “There is still time. If you wait too long, I’m leaving and you’re on your own. Hurry!” To add emphasis to her words, the fairy wings started moving, and she lifted off.
Mark was the first who started undressing. Layla stared at him, asking what he was doing. “I’m not taking chances,” he said. “Maybe this is a weird dream, from something we ate or drank, but I don’t like the sound of those growls.”
As in agreement, another growl erupted, too close for comfort, and something howled as well.
“What was that?” Layla now also started undressing, worrying about how Mark would react if he saw her body. She turned her back to him, to have some feeling of privacy, even though it was dark now. The only light they had, came from his phone.
“What do I do?” Mark asked.
“Throw them away. As far as you can.” The fairy was still hovering, and she had escaped the beam of light. “Switch off that thing. The light will tell them even more where you are.”
Layla felt her cheeks burning as she removed the last bits of clothing. She picked up the bundle, hoping she found everything, and hesitated. Throwing this away? In the middle of a forest? What if they found a way out and they were all naked? What about Mark’s car keys?
A huffing sound, very close to her, made her look up. Of course, she saw nothing, but something with a rough, hairy coat rushed past her. She shrieked and threw her clothes away.
“Layla! What happened?” Mark’s phone-light moved and tried to find her.
“Switch it off!” The fairy flew up to it and tried to block the light with her body.
Mark did as she asked, and felt the phone slip from his fingers.
A moment later, he could see clearly again. His brain told him it was still dark, but everything - including them - seemed to light up with an inner illumination. “Layla.” He looked and found her. She, too, seemed to light up.
“Mark?”
“No time for this,” the fairy said, flying between them, as clearly visible as they both were. “Come with me, away from this place.”
A growl and a howl sounded, combined with the tearing up of clothes.
***
The fairy flew ahead, leading them through openings and passages in the shrubbery, spaces they hadn’t noticed before. With everything emitting light, that was easy, of course.
“I feel so strange,” Layla said after a few minutes. “Are we really running through a forest? Naked? Following a fairy?”
“Looks and feels so,” said Mark. “I feel the leaves and twigs, so you probably do too.”
“Quiet,” the fairy told them. “We’re not safe yet.”
Their journey took a while. Both had lost track of time, but they were relieved when they entered an open space. There was a small lake, perhaps a large pond was a better name for it.
“Now we’re safe,” the fairy said, landing on the soft grass.
“Where is this place?” Mark asked, astonished he could see each individual blade of grass. He also noticed the grass got brighter for a moment as he put a foot on it. “This is stunning.”
“This is home,” the fairy said. “The nasties won’t come here.”
Layla sat down in the grass, relieved their mad run was over. “And what are those nasties?”
“Werewolves, metabears and other creatures you don’t want to encounter,” the fairy said.
“Werewolves?” Mark hadn’t expected that. “And what are metabears?”
“Nasties,” was the simple answer.
“Do you have a name?” Layla asked. “I’m Layla. He’s Mark.”
“I’m called Loleerasheney,” said the fairy, “but you can call me Sheney, like everyone else.”
As if she’d said a magic word, fairies appeared from everywhere in the forest. Mark and Layla were stunned by the view; suddenly they saw at least a few hundred of them. All of them naked, male and female, and all of them giving off that faint glow.
Layla marveled at the amazing colors of the many wings. “You are all so beautiful…”
The swarm of fairies landed around them. Sheney asked how Mark and Layla had gotten into this part of the forest. “We hardly ever find humans here, and if we do, we stay away from them.”
Mark, who’d sat down as well, wondered about that, and asked why Sheney hadn’t just left them alone.
“I couldn’t. Not with the nasties around and out to get you.” Sheney shook her head.
“Well, we didn’t plan on coming here,” Mark said. “We just walked along the trail and found this nice spot for a picnic.” The whole experience was confusing so far, but also exciting.
“How did you find this part of the forest?” another fairy asked. This was a male. “Usually humans don’t even find their way into this area.”
“I guess we didn’t pay attention,” said Layla, laughing a bit nervously. “Next time we will. I think. If we know what to look for.”
“They’re probably in love,” a third fairy said. “When they’re in love, they often fail to sense the barriers. We should do something about that.”
“You always say that, Fenra,” said Sheney, “but that’s all you add to this. Go and think of something we can do.” She looked at the humans. “That’s Kolorishfenra. He always has ideas and no actions.”
“I object to that,” Fenra muttered. “And now we’re stuck with two humans. Big humans. What will you do with them?”
Sheney looked at him. “Hush, Fenra. All humans are big. We’ll make them comfortable, and I’ll guide them back to where I found them when the night is over. When the nasties have left.”
“Something needs to be done to make them comfortable, though.” This came from yet another fairy.
“Very true, Nagala,” said Sheney. “They won’t be able to sleep in our nests like that. We should do that now.”
“Do what?” asked Mark. It had been exciting up to now, but having ‘something’ done sounded a bit worrying.
“You just have to lie down in the grass and close your eyes,” Sheney said. “We’ll do the rest. You need not worry.”
“What are you going to do?” Layla asked.
“We’ll change you to our size,” Nagala replied. “You won’t feel it, and it’s a much safer size for the forest.”And we will change you back to your own size later, when Sheney takes you back."
“Uh-huh.” Layla slowly stretched her legs, preparing to lie down.
“Are you really going to do this?” Mark asked.
“Of course. With everything that happened so far, this is just another thing,” she replied. “Why not? They said it’s safer too.”
“I’m not so sure. Can we trust them?”
“Come on, Mark. Sheney could have left us back there, and we could be injured,” Layla said. She knew it might have been even worse, but she didn’t want to think about that now. Or ever. “I’m ready.”
Mark mumbled something unintelligible, then lay down too.
“Close your eyes,” Sheney said. It sounded like a whisper.
***
The two didn’t remember falling asleep, but another whisper from Sheney woke them up. “You’re safe now.”
Mark and Layla sat up, seeing several of the fairies kneeling around them.
“Jesus,” said Mark as he noticed how high the blades of grass were. “We’re small!”
Layla stared at Sheney. “We’re your size.” She checked herself. It was still really her, just a tiny version. In an impulse she reached behind her. “Oh.”
“Oh? Is something wrong?” Nagala, who sat close to her, looked worried.
“I had hoped I had wings too,” Layla said, and grinned.
“No. You’re not fairy folk. You can’t have wings,” said Sheney, “but now we can lift you up to where we have our nests, so we can get some sleep.”
Nests. It sounded worrying to Mark. “Are those things safe?”
Sheney laughed. “No. We always sleep in unsafe places.” She and Nagala took Layla by the arms and lifted off.
Mark was surprised Layla didn’t scream out in pain. A moment later, two other fairies held him in the same way, and lifted him up into the air as well. He was shocked it didn’t hurt at all. He was also stunned by the speed with which they were moved up towards a branch, where Layla and he were placed in a nest. It looked like that of a large bird. Four other fairies landed in it too, and they immediately lay down.
Sheney sat on the side. “Lie down. Sleep. It’s nice here.”
“And you?” Layla asked.
“I sleep there.” The fairy pointed to a branch a little higher. “Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here. Birds know where to go and where to stay away.” Sheney winked, spread her wings and flitted up to the higher nest.
Mark felt a bit weird. “This is not how I had imagined our first night together.”
Layla grinned. “Nor me, but let’s get some sleep. I’m tired enough.” She didn’t wait for him. It was easy to find a good spot, next to the other fairies, and soon she felt comfortable lying there.
Mark needed a few more moments, then lay down behind her, fitting almost like a spoon to her shape. It astounded him how natural it felt. “Good night.”
“G’night…”
***
Cheerful fairy voices woke up the two humans.
“Are you always awake this early?” Mark asked, slowly sitting up.
“Of course,” one of the flying people said. “You should know your own saying, how the early bird catches the worm, right?”
“You eat worms?” Mark already regretted his question but he had to know.
“No. Of course not. We’re not birds,” a male fairy said, laughing at Mark’s disgusted expression.
Layla had woken up too, and lay there, enjoying the funny exchange. “Glad you don’t eat worms. What do you eat, exactly?”
“Sensible question,” the male fairy said. “Let us get you down to the ground. You will see.”
Pairs of fairies airlifted the couple from the nest, and carefully put them down in the grass. Now, in the light of day, the world looked enormous, and enormously scary at that.
Sheney and Nagala welcomed them. They were in a spot where the grass had been cut. Around them lay a variety of leaves, with berries on them, and a kind of nuts and torn up stuff which turned out to be the root of a plant. “Sit down, and eat. After that, we’ll take you back.”
Mark wondered what time it was. He didn’t find his watch on his wrist, and assumed he’d lost it during their escape from the nasties, the night before. That would mean an investment.
Layla asked if the fairies would fly them to the car.
Sheney said they couldn’t. It was too far for them to carry the two over, so it would be quite a walk. “But we know the shortest route, so you won’t have to worry.”
“There is one small thing you need to know,” Nagala then said. “Your fabrics won’t be there. Where your vehicle is, I mean. They are back there, where the nasties got them.”
“Oh no!” Mark paled, and stopped eating the berry in his hands. “The car keys! They were in my pocket!”
Layla recalled her purse and the keys to her home. “We’ll have to go there first,” she said. “Without those things, we can’t go home. Well, we can’t get inside.”
“Very well. We’ll return you to your normal size first, and then we’ll show you to where your fabric clothes are.” Sheney smiled at the two, as if this was a daily routine for the fairies.
After the odd breakfast, the humans lay down again, and closed their eyes, as directed by the fairies. Again they suddenly woke up, now having returned to their original sizes. Slowly the two sat up, naked as before. Layla noticed how the fairies kept a safe distance to them. She understood why, but she felt a bit sad about it.
“I can take you now,” Sheney said.
“The others aren’t coming with us?” Mark looked at Nagala and the other fairies.
“No. I will fly ahead and guide you. The others have things to do,” Sheney explained. She flew up. “Come. This way.”
Mark and Layla slowly got up, being a bit confused about the sudden change in size of the world again. For a moment, they studied each other’s naked bodies, then decided to skip that, and focus on each other’s face.
Layla turned to the fairies. Several of them had already left, which saddened her a little. “Thank you. For everything. It was amazing meeting you.”
“Be careful out there,” Nagala said as she flew up. Then she vanished into the forest.
Mark and Layla followed Sheney. They noticed they’d stumbled and ran quite far, the night before. The trip back to where they’d been attacked took well over a quarter of an hour.
Sheney quickly discovered the remains of their clothes.
Mark and Layla needed some time to locate and pick up what was still usable. It wasn’t much. They found their keys soon after that, plus Mark’s wallet and a few other bits.
“I will leave you now,” said Sheney. “You need to go that way to get back to your vehicle. It was, indeed, nice meeting you. Goodbye.” Without waiting, the fairy turned and hurried away.
“That’s… sad,” Layla sighed. “She was nice. They all were nice.”
Mark sighed too. “Yes. This was unbelievable. I guess we shouldn’t tell anyone.”
“No. Unless we want to end up in a padded room and a straight-jacket.” Layla looked at the strips of fabric in her hand. “I can’t wear this anymore.”
Mark’s former clothes weren’t much better. “I guess we’ll have to walk to the car, hope no one’s near, and get home as quickly as possible.”
“And then what?” Layla shook her strips of fabric.
“Cover up as well as possible, and run inside,” said Mark.
“Not much else we can do, I guess.”
They started walking, anxious at first, but more relaxed as they went along.
“This is actually nice,” Mark commented. “I mean, walking here naked. And with you.”
“I was just thinking that too,” Layla agreed. “Maybe…”
“Maybe what?”
“Maybe we should do this more often. I mean, without getting our clothes ripped up, of course.” Layla glanced at him.
“I like that idea.”
They walked along in silence after that, until they reached the car. It was the only one there, and no one was in sight. It was a huge relief for both of them.
“Right. Let’s do this, and hope we’re not stopped,” Mark said, after they’d gotten in and draped the remains of their clothes over them.
“Don’t speed,” Layla said. “Let’s not attract attention.”
And so they drove off, almost naked, not attracting attention…
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