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Meena knew the person she must thank for the journal. Zim must have retrieved it for her and waited for the right moment to send it to her. They had a secret spell they created when they were kids. Using it, they could send each other anything they wanted. In their youth, they only exchanged notes. It had been many years since either of them used the spell, but she was glad he did. With the help of the witch’s journal, it would be easy for her to find the realm of the witches. Maybe she would learn about her true heritage at last.
She turned a page, feeling the edges beneath her fingertips, and thought about the witches who contributed magic spells to the journal. Legend had it that one thousand witches wrote in this journal, making it the most unique book in the world. Each magic spell opened a door into your soul and another into reality, bringing the two together. But it was also said that no witch had ever been able to master all these spells. It didn’t matter to Meena because magic spells weren’t what she was after.
Skimming through the pages, she paused at the one that looked different from other pages. The paper was thick and rough, and the writing was in a language she couldn’t read. She tried spells to translate it, but none worked. On instinct, she closed her eyes and traced the words with her index finger. And a smile appeared on her face. This was the spell that would take her to the realm of witches. Breathing deeply, she murmured the words and waited.
Moments later, she felt a cold wind on her face. Anticipation made her shiver, and she opened her eyes only to close them again. What she saw couldn’t have been right because it was the one place in the universe she never wanted to see: Fairy Woods. It was home to the most annoying, bumbling creatures to walk in any world. With their broad smiles and happy hearts, they were her antithesis.
“You got to be kidding me,” clutching the now closed book to her chest, Meena looked around in utter confusion, “Did the spell not work?”
Before she could confirm her suspicion, a voice said from behind, “You’re in the wrong place, dear.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Meena took her time to turn around and see the fairy standing before her. He was tall and thin. His long, white hair reached his waist. And like all fairies, his ridiculously happy smile was all she could focus on. “And you are?”
“Your welcoming party.” He chuckled.
Meena couldn’t tell if he was serious or sarcastic, but she didn’t know fairies could use sarcasm.
When she didn’t respond, he said, “I’m here to greet the guest, but you’re not who I expected. When someone uses old magic, they usually reach their desired destinations. Why have you come here, witch? Witches are not welcome here.”
“And why not?” Yet again, someone was rejecting her because of who she was. Meena couldn’t help but get angry. “Why are witches not welcome in your precious paradise?”
He didn’t respond to her anger. Instead, he explained, “Because our magic is the opposite of yours. Witches threaten the peace of our world, and we can’t have that. And it’s not just us. Witches don’t like Fairy Woods because this world will suck all your magic and make you feel powerless.”
“I don’t feel powerless,” Meena said, shrugging. She flicked her finger, and the wind messed up the man’s perfectly styled hair. She laughed and said, “See, my magic still works.” She knew the fairy wouldn’t get angry because it wasn’t in their makeup, but she hadn’t expected the shocked expression he now wore.
“Then you must be in the right place,” he said as if in a trance. “Please, follow me.”
He didn’t wait for her response, which gave Meena no choice but to follow him. Pausing in front of a small cottage, he gestured for her to enter. She didn’t want to, but his dazed expression made it impossible for her to question him.
The inside of the cottage was much bigger than the outside. It was warm and inviting. She moved toward the fireplace, and a contented smile appeared on her face. For the first time in her life, she felt welcome. The place had an odd charm that made her feel right at home as if she had lived there all her life.
“I’m glad to see you smile, my child.”
Meena whirled around to face the woman, who stood near one of the cottage windows. She hadn’t noticed her before.
“My name is Adna,” the woman said. Slowly, she walked away from the window and came closer to Meena. “Come, sit.” She extended her arm and gestured toward the sofa.
Meena wanted to ask many things, but her voice no longer felt like hers. Without making a sound, she sat down. The fairy who brought her there was no longer with them.
“You’re safe here,” Adna said. “I see you found the journal.”
The woman’s words made Meena glance at the journal clutched tightly in her hands.
“It has brought you home.”
“Home?” Meena croaked.
“Oh, yes,” Adna smiled, “this cottage belonged to your father. I have been taking care of the place waiting for you. I knew you’d find your way back to us.”
“My father was a Grim Reaper.”
“I understand your confusion, and I’m sorry I didn’t know about you, or I would have brought you here long ago.”
Not letting the woman continue her story, Meena exclaimed, “Who are you, and what the hell is going on?” Her outburst made her feel like a child, and she didn’t like the feeling. The place was having a strange effect on her. Her heart was softening, and the hatred that followed her everywhere was leaving her side. But the best part was that she didn’t feel alone anymore. A sense of connectivity washed over her. She felt like everything in the place was hers, and she was theirs.
Adna smiled lovingly as if she had known Meena all her life and loved her. Smiling softly, she said, “I’m the caretaker of your father’s home, my dear. He passed on and worked for the Grim Reapers before perishing at the hands of the witches. But he left this place for you. Your father was a fairy who moved on to the Underworld at an age no fairy should. On my advice, he decided to work for the Grim Reapers.”
She paused, wiped a stray tear from her eye, and continued, “I heard this only after he was long gone. He fell in love with a witch. They married and lived in the Aboveworld. Years later, they discovered that the witches planned to take over the human world. He reported it to his supervisor, and the war between the Grim Reapers and the witches started. Many died in the war that lasted for five years. Your father escaped, but he lost his immortality. It didn’t matter to your mother, though.”
Meena couldn’t believe her ears. How was it possible that such a war took place only centuries ago, yet no one talked about it, and there was no mention of it in any history book? Grim Reapers, demons, and witches alike could live for thousands of years. Many who fought in the war must still be alive, yet it was like it never happened.
Adna didn’t give her the chance to think too deeply and said, “Your mother willingly gave up her witch heritage to become a human. They lived happily in the Aboveworld. But soon after, a witch found them and killed your father. I think your mother died of a broken heart right after she gave birth to you. They were humans at their demise, and no supernatural interfered in the events. No one thought that you might have inherited their powers.”
“But you were waiting for me?” Meena said. As unbelievable as the tale was, she knew in her heart it was the truth. Everything she knew and all she assumed was wrong.
“Yes, I had my suspicions,” Adna smiled, “Even in the Fairy Woods, we have heard of the witch bent upon destroying the Underworld. And then you used a spell only a handful of people can use. Still, I wasn’t sure until I saw you. You have your father’s eyes and his smile.”
Her stay in the Fairy Woods changed Meena forever. As soon as she embraced her true heritage, her fairy magic manifested. And it made her just as deliriously happy as any other fairy, but in her heart, she knew it wasn’t her true North. Even though the fairies accepted her, and she would always have a home to return to, she still needed to find a place where she could set down roots. She decided to follow in her parent’s footsteps and give the Aboveworld another chance.
