Little Lady Read online

  Chapter 2

  The path only proved to grow darker as we made our way down. I periodically called out to Mazy, only scaring a few crows along the way.

  “Why did you name your dog Mazy?” Wanda asked.

  “I didn’t. It’s not my dog. It’s Grammie’s dog.”

  “Grammie? What’s a Grammie?” Wanda laughed.

  I laughed in return. “She’s a Grandmother.”

  “Do you mean God Mother?”

  “No,” I began. “She’s just a---” Wanda threw her hand over my mouth before I could finish.

  “Shh!” Wanda said. “They’re listening.”

  I pulled her hand away and asked, “Who?”

  “The goblins. They live in the trees. Do you have any pebbles by chance?”

  “Pebbles?” I checked my pockets. “No. What good would they do?”

  “They more than likely know where your dog is. Pebbles can get you information. Do you have anything in your pockets at all?”

  I checked my coat pockets and pulled out three nickels, two pennies, and a button. I showed her these. “This’ll do,” Wanda said, grabbing my other hand again and we walked off the path. I pocketed the objects again as we pushed through bushes full of thorns and though they caused me to slow my pace, Wanda pressed on.

  We came to a place where even in the dark it was obvious someone pulled out the bushes, creating a small clearing.

  “Why, Wanda!” a whiny, almost childlike voice said. I looked around to see if I could find the kid but saw nothing. “What brings you down Banshee Lane?” it continued.

  Wanda let go of my hand and moved to the center of the clearing. “Come down from your perch, goblin. I want to make a deal.”

  I heard giggling from above my head. As I looked up, something the size of a large cat dropped down on me. I screamed with surprise and the thing that was covering my face with its small, cold hands giggled more. I ripped it off of me and threw it to the ground. As it stood, I saw a small person that wore brown rags over tan skin. It lacked hair on its large head which made it hard to tell if it was a boy or girl. Its legs and arms were very long compared to its short body. It couldn’t be natural.

  “What is that?” I asked, bewildered.

  Wanda walked over and ignoring my question, yanked its feet from beneath it and dangled it upside down. “What’s your name?” she asked.

  “Gloria!” the thing squeaked. “Now put me down. Want that deal or not?”

  Without care, Wanda dropped Gloria on her head.

  Gloria righted herself and sat, crossing her freakishly long legs. “What did you bring with you?” she asked, looking at me.

  “Buttons.” Wanda said.

  Gloria shook her head. “I meant,” she pointed at me, “Who is that?”

  “Little Lady.”

  Gloria smiled at me; her teeth were small and sharp. “I thought you wood nymphs learned not to gather.”

  Wanda laughed. “Look at her closely, Gloria. What do you think she is?”

  Gloria’s ruby colored eyes squinted at me then widened. “A girl!” She clapped her hands together. “Just an ordinary girl! Oh, best not let Bonita know there’s a girl around.”

  I had never wanted to ask so many questions!

  “I don’t need your advice,” Wanda said, crossing her arms. “I just need to find a dog.”

  Gloria held out her hand. “Give me the buttons.”

  I stuck my hand in my pocket to find it was empty. I looked to Wanda. Wanda held out her hand and she had them already. I scratched my head, trying to decide when she took them and how she took them without my knowing.

  “Have you seen a dog?” Wanda asked before she gave Gloria our bargaining chips.

  “Yes. A big black one with floppy ears,” Gloria said, motioning with her hands by her head how the dog’s ears flopped. “Chased me a good ways too.”

  “That’s Mazy!” I said, excitedly as Wanda dropped the coins and button into Gloria’s lap.

  “Where’d she go?” I asked. Gloria looked at her new prized possessions.

  “She’s around here somewhere. Went down the path towards Bonita’s.”

  Wanda rolled her shoulders and huffed. “Great.”

  She walked past me and went towards the path. Before I followed her, I turned back to look at Gloria who was now eating the coins.

  “Who’s Bonita? What’s a wood nymph? And why in the world did Gloria eat those nickels and pennies?” I let all my questions out in one breath once Wanda and I were back on the path.

  Wanda smiled at me. “A wood nymph is what I am. We make the forests what they are. We help them grow and stay healthy and alive.”

  “Like in Fern Gully?”

  Wanda shrugged. “Where is Fern Gully?”

  “I don’t know. It’s a movie. Who’s Bonita?”

  Wanda sighed as she turned and headed down the path again. I followed behind. “Like Gloria had said, the wood nymphs don’t get together anymore. We can’t see how powerful each of us is because someone like Bonita is born. Bonita was a wood nymph but now she’s gone banshee.”

  “What’s a banshee?”

  “It’s a bad fairy. Evil if you will. She wants to be the all mighty powerful fairy so she’s trying to wipe the nymphs like me from the forest. If she succeeds, all forests will die.”

  “But if she’s a fairy, then wouldn’t she be growing things, too?”

  “No. She’s not a wood nymph anymore, remember? She’s gone bad. She’s a bad seed.”

  “Oh. Wait. Doesn’t she live down here?”

  “Yes.”

  “If she wants to kill you, then why are you going to where she is?”

  “Because, you need your dog and I am good. Good helps people.”

  “Well…thank you.” I said. “How did you know who I am?”

  Wanda stopped abruptly and I nearly ran into her. She turned around and looked down at me, smiling. “Because, Little Lady, you’re meant for great things. Even if you feel small now, one day you’ll be bigger than life! There’s so much more to you than there is to you. That’s why I feel the need to go with you to where Bonita lives. I need to keep you safe.”

  Wanda grasped my shoulders. “God has big plans for you, Little Lady. There’s nothing you can do about your destiny. He’s already laid it out for you. It’s your job to reach your destiny. The path isn’t straight and there’s many paths that could lead you away from you’re true meaning, but don’t fall to lies. You’ll know the truth when you see it.”

  “But how will I know what I see isn’t a lie pretending to be truth?”

  “If any part of you thinks it’s a lie, it usually is. Truth has no doubts.” Wanda turned around again and headed down the path.