Douglas Martin wiped the sweat form his brow and surveyed his work as he stood in the middle of his basement. Moving all those boxes from his attic by himself had taken him considerably longer than he wanted and as a result, worked up quite a sweat.
Douglas reached under his shirt and brought it to his face to dab at his eyebrows a bit. The basement was small but big enough to stand in without hitting his head on the ceiling. All around him were cardboard boxes full of things he had kept throughout his twenty nine years.
Douglas stretched a moment and reminisced about some of the things he'd collected while living on his own.
There were boxes of old comics, collectible cards, and even some family heirlooms. He smiled surveying his cache of boxes proudly.
Every box had been put away and stored. He loved collecting things. It was his one true love. His collection had helped him get through the long, lonely years of solitude.
Every box except that one in the far corner.
Douglas walked over to it curiously. He looked it over carefully.
The box was more decorated than he had ever seen. It was colored brought gold not the usual drab brown cardboard color. As he scanned the sides, he noticed a small flap bout six inches wide cut in the top.
What an odd thing, he thought. It definitely wasn't something he remembered having. Had it been here long, he wondered?
Douglas combed his memory trying to recall if perhaps someone had given it to him. No. No one had given him such a box. Then perhaps someone had left it here? Perhaps someone who had lived before him, he thought.
Yes that had to be it, he decided. But why hadn't he noticed it before? He had been down in his basement at least a dozen times. Surely he would've noticed it then.
Douglas shook his head. It didn't really matter now, he decided. What mattered was what he would do with it. There was after all a small hole. There would be no harm in peeking in to see its contents. Besides it was in his basement after all.
Leaning over the top, he carefully opened the small flap with his thumb and forefinger and peered down inside.
No sooner had he done so, when a bright light flashed from the inside blinding him.
Douglas reeled and fell back wards, landing hard on the cold concrete floor.
"Ow!" he groaned rubbing both his eye and his bottom. "What the hell was that?"
A bright green ball of pulsating light dropped down right in front of his good eye.
Douglas blinked both eyes. Was he seeing things? He rubbed both eyes then looked again. The glowing green ball of light still hovered in front of his face.
"What the-?"
Douglas watched the bright green ball dim slowly until the light faded and in front of him floated a six inch tall female.
A six inch female dressed in what looked like green silk. She had long dark hair that flowed beyond her shoulders. And she had wings!
And they were moving!
Douglas couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was a small person flying in front of his face.
"Okay what the fuck is going on?" he stammered in disbelief.
"That's exactly what I said when I saw you peeping in on me," came a tiny little reply.
Douglas blushed at being reproofed. " You..you c..can talk?"
"Duh," the female replied. She crossed her arms in front of her tiny chest. "I am right now aren't I?"
Douglas sat there dumbfounded.then finally got the nerve to speak. "Are you a ..fairy?"
"Yes I am," said the fairy proudly. She smiled but still glared at him. Her wings buzzed with emerald light as she hovered. She flew a quick circle around him then lit on the top of his head. "Are you a human?"
"Yes I am," he blurted, still rather flabbergasted. His eyes narrowed as her face lowered down between his eyes.
"Ah that explains it," the fairy said, putting a finger to her lips in thought. She nodded in affirmation. "Only humans are so rude as too look into a fairy's home uninvited."
"I was not being rude!"
"Oh but I didn't ask you come in, did I?"
"Well no but--"
"See. You were being rude. And in typical human fashion , you can;t even admit to it," she shook her head then dived of his head into a full twirl then rise up again to hover mere inches in front of him. She shot him an accusing look.
"Well I didn't even know you had a home...Let alone even existed!" He protested.
"Ignorance is no excuse for rudeness," the fairy said. She made a tsk tsk sound with the waggle of one tiny finger.
Douglas sat there not sure what to do or say. He blinked and watched the fairy hovering there chastising him. His cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment. How had things gotten so ridiculous? Here he was feeling guilty for being rude to some imaginary creature.
"Well I'm not sure what to say," Douglas said softly," I guess I should apologize?"
"Oh I most definitely think you should. At the very least!" the fairy replied. She watched him, her foot taping the air as if waiting impatiently.
"Alright then," Douglas conceded. " Then I apologize for..Looking in on you."
"Apology accepted," the fairy said with a wide smile. "you know maybe there is hope for you humans after all!"
"Well we aren't all bad," Douglas said.
"That remains to be seen young man." she rubbed her nailed against her chest then blew on them lightly. Her eyes locked with his. "What were you doing looking at me anyway?"
"Oh! Um, well you see I live here. I mean in this house. This ..you..your house is in my basement."
"Hmm I see. Likely story." she said sounding unconvinced.
"Well you are. What are you doing here anyways? Aren't fairies just part of someone's overactive imagination?" Douglas asked.
She shot him a hurt look. "First you apologize then you insult me? how typical!" She humphed and turned her head up at him.
"Oh no no I mean no offense," Douglas held up his hands and scrambled to heal some of the damage he'd inflicted. " Just well..it's not every day you meet a fairy in your basement."
