Now I will tell you about the Timorite faerie. In case I have readers, though, I would like to clarify the difference between a faerie and a fairy before I begin. In essence, both creatures are related, fairies being more generally acknowledged. Although fairies do get into their fair share of mischief, they are usually remembered for their clandestine acts of kindness and service to the human world. Faeries, on the other hand, have a nasty habit of indulging in the irresistible desire to disrupt any semblance of peace that humans haven’t already demolished for themselves. Equipped with this knowledge, it may be of some concern to you that the Timorite faerie is one of the most successful of his breed at this pestiferous mission.
The Timorite faerie always uses methods of the most cunning quality so that his victim feels their own guilt rather than having someone to blame. Where some faeries use the cover of darkness to physically attack their victims or furtively steal things and homes and people from behind their victim’s back, the Timorite works in broad daylight and still no one sees him coming. The first thing that comes to mind in my personal experience is the case of my niece, Natalie.
It happened while she was walking outside in the woods one afternoon. Her mind was off in wonderland, dreaming up conversations with dryads and encounters with griffins and other such nonsense when she noticed that she wasn’t alone; there was a small rabbit a short distance away. She stopped moving and began the process of gently coaxing the animal near her. The rabbit sniffled her fingers congenially for a moment and then looked up into her face. There she met with a pair of sparkling, icy- blue eyes pierced by two deep black diamond-shaped pupils. Rather than being filled with wonder and admiration for such a unique and lovely view, Natalie felt a cold shiver run up her spine and an inexplicable disgust drained her heart. With a hard lump in her throat and a mind frozen in terror, she carefully backed away and ran as quickly as she could back home.
She did not feel safe there, however, nor could she explain her fear, but it permeated every aspect of her life for some time. She slunk about the house in terror and never went out. Her parents were filled with fear for their daughter’s well-being and began to blame each other for the pain. Everyone around them was filled with sorrow at the disarray of their home.
Eventually, I was able to cajole Natalie into revealing the truth. I pretended to be confused and frightened as well so as to validate her, but I knew what I had to do. Every day, I brought a fresh flower to her. She would reject it and get angry at me, but I left it there and filled up vase after vase. Finally, one day I offered her yet another beautiful hydrangea. She looked at me in exasperation and listlessly took it. Though she accepted it with reluctance, she did receive the gift and I saw the distance in her eyes melt away as this bond formed between us. Then, she smiled and broke the spell.