The Unusual: The Dreams Of Dark Faeries

Remember that awful nightmare you had a few nights ago, when you woke up shaking uncontrollably and sweating? Remember when you wondered why those dark faeries were hovering in the corner of your bedroom, before kidding yourself that you were merely still between sleeping and waking? Or what about the feeling of all the cheerful thoughts you had when you laid down to sleep disappearing in the blink of an eye, while a shadowy silhouette with butterfly-like wings stood there and watched you with a pitying look on her face. Did you ever think that it could mean something more?

      Nightmares; they are the dreams we'd rather forget. It never enters our minds what might be lurking outside our windows or in our wardrobes while we slip into dreamland, ready to step out from the gaping darkness and corrupt our pleasant thoughts. But they are there and deep down inside our hearts we know it. But why do these tiny creatures haunt us? Hopefully, questions will be answered and it will be understood why these imps of darkness steal our dreams and replace them with thoughts and feelings of their own. And the answer may not be the one we expected.

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      She awakes abruptly, her tiny glowing body quivering in fear. Shaking her head which is strewn with many shades of purple hair she climbs upwards, out into the dark forests or foreboding mountains, where the dark faeries dwell. She wanders across a small and thin branch and let's herself float above the trees. A small tear rolls down her pale cheeks as this faerie hovers just outside her makeshift home, wondering and hoping. Soon it will be dawn and light will appear to the world once more. Then, as they have done for many days, months and even years, the dark faeries will retire to the uncaring shadows in hope of finding some poor soul that will give them a tattered shred of happiness, something to believe in for at least one day more.

      Sitting, alone in the yawning darkness of alleyways outside of shops, this faerie, nameless like many other dark faeries in the world of Neopia looks up at the unusually blue sky, patterned with clouds and filled with the light of the morning sun. It glitters merrily, filled with twinkles of light which are the other faeries. The faeries that get to dwell in the light and bless the Neopets during the day and comfort them in the night. This faerie wishes and dreams of being like the other faeries that get to frolic in the daylight; all of them do. But nobody will care for them, or give a second thought. After all, they are but dark faeries. To think they would be capable of feelings would be diabolical. To actually register that they might attempt to dream of the light that everyone else gets to share and live in is impossible. But they do. Barely clinging to the light that always escapes them, they do.

      When a story is told of a young neopet being captured by dark faeries and forced to do their bidding, we all believe instantly that they are evil, twisted and demented by their own dark hearts. This isn't all true. The nameless faerie spies a neopet skipping along the cobbled road; a blue faerie Shoyru with its owner laughing and smiling as they walk behind it. The faerie's blood freezes and she lets out a squeak, tears brimming in her eyes. The pet's happiness tears her up and makes her yearn for its feelings, its unbelievable amount of soul.

      Using what power she has, the nameless one lures the pet closer, feeling its merriness begin to ebb away the lonely pit of darkness in her own soul. She tells it in a whisper that is barely audible, "Come closer. I won't hurt you." The Shoyru veers closer, oblivious to what will happen. The nameless one never wants to hurt the pets, none of the dark faeries do except perhaps Jhudora, but her darkness has long consumed her. Nevertheless the tiny dark faeries in Neopia do not want to hurt, the need for soul and feeling merely gets the better of them, consuming them into a state where they no longer can act rationally.

      Her eyes now glittering in the darkness, the nameless one begins to feel what she knows is happiness and lands on the Shoyru's nose. The startled pet jumps back, pale and shivering. It quickly runs back to its owner who hugs it and makes sure it's okay, before glaring at the alley way and walking forward towards the main shops. The nameless one utters a shriek as the sadness returns and she floats to the floor, silent tears returning to her face. The faeries around her try and comfort her but have no luck, for they too have been cursed with emotionless hearts.

      The nameless one wanders the streets at night, her head down and her wings drooping. This is the real image of a dark faerie. Those who see them will always see it mischievously leering at them and beckoning them closer. This is only because they are so desperate for happiness that they are driven to become that which they have been named as and secretly hate. Dark faeries don't want to be what they are, but have to, for they have been shunned and disliked that people don't dare look within.

      Now that the nameless one is alone, she senses everything with detail. Every pet that is having a pleasant dream, or simply relaxing or enjoying itself, lets out a scent that is only visible to one with immense sadness inside them. The nameless one feels it, but cannot reach it. Noticing a particularly strong scent, the nameless one's wings prick up and she flies upwards towards a bedroom. Inside, sleeping and dreaming wonderful dreams, a small red Lupe is lying in bed. The nameless one jumps forward from the windowsill and lands on the soft material of the bedspread.

      She clambers up towards the Lupe, her heart filling with joy at its dream while her own sadness is transferred to the poor pet, waking it from its slumber with an amazing scream of terror. The nameless one is startled and flies back, her eyes widening in surprise. The Lupe looks her in the eyes for a moment, judging her before blinking, checking to see if what is there is actually real. The nameless one squeaks and leaps out of the bedroom, once again depressed as the warmth of emotion is snatched from her.

      She cries as she flies across the sky towards the forest and whimpers as she stumbles across a single lonely branch back to her home. She has cried every night for what she feels to be like forever, although every night she says to herself, determined: "I am what I am. But I can choose who I want to be. Tomorrow I can change. Tomorrow I can be accepted."

      This is only one account of the dark faeries out there, but if you look around and actually notice what is in front of you, you will probably find that every story, every account is very similar. Dark faeries are not to be feared, but to be pitied. So the next time you wake up with sweat pouring down your face, your heart pounding and the vision of a tiny creature looking up at you curiously, please, think twice before you clear it from your mind.

The End