A Meeting

He peeked through the layers of bush at the girl who had come rushing so suddenly towards the pond with tears streaming down her face. She was a beautiful girl with pale clear skin and ribbons in her fiery red hair. She wore a wonderful dress of the most remarkable golden color.  It was streaked with bits of dirt and leaves were caught up along the hem.

“I hate you Sean McArdle” she whispered vehemently a few minutes later still sniffing. She sat up a little straighter and scooted closer to the edge of the pool. She reached into the small basket she carried removing a handkerchief and dipping it into the water.

He watched in silence as with a sigh she began to rub at the streaks of dirt and pick off the bits of leaves clinging to her dress. He leant over to keep her in sight as she moved around a small stick suddenly cracking under his weight.

“Who’s there?” She called out straightening; her eyes suddenly clear as they searched along the edge of the surrounding wood “I see you there, why are you hiding in the bush watching me?” He eased his way up to his full height as her eyes stayed on him.

“I suppose you think I’m caught now do you, lass?”He questioned

“You’re a leprechaun” She said in wonder as he drew himself up to his full height and walked out of the brush. Her eyes were wide and round as she looked down at him “You really are aren’t you?”

“Aye” He answered

“Have I caught you then?” She asked

“Aye” he answered once again.”I must grant you three wishes”

“I don’t want three wishes, my father says wishes are for those who do not do for themselves” She answered.

“Your father is either very wise or very foolish then” responded the small man.

“Wise” she answered with a smile “Is this where you live?”

 “Aye” He answered cautiously “why were you crying?”

“Some of the boys in town do not like me.” She answered “My father owns much of the land around here and so they are jealous.  One of them pushed me in the dirt, made me drop the flowers I’d been picking”

“What’s your name?”

“Aileen Finnegan, what’s yours” she asked

“I am just a leprechaun I have no name”

“Well that’s a pity, what then should I call you?”

“No one has ever asked me that. I do not know “He paused thinking carefully”Perhaps Goban I have heard this name for one us before”

“Alright Goban it is my pleasure to meet with you on this fine day” She said curtsying before him.

“And you” Goban answered bowing. She sat back down by the water’s edge her eyes drifting back to the water.

The leprechaun stared at her; she had turned her eyes from him willingly releasing him from her. Perhaps she really did not want a wish. He hesitated he knew he should run it was against the nature of a leprechaun to stay with a human willingly. She didn’t want his wishes “Do you want my gold?” he asked suddenly.

She glanced back at him “why would I want your gold, you worked for it not I.”

Goban sat down beside her staring at the water.  “You are a most unique girl Aileen”

A voice rang out from a distance “Oh that is my mother I must go home. Will you move on now or may I come to see you again?”

“I think….I will stay here, if you will not tell anyone about me”

“Ok I will keep it secret, maybe we can talk I would like to know what you are like, I’ve never met a leprechaun.” Aileen said hopefully”I’ll bring some sweet cakes for us to share.”

“I will stay”

Aileen gave him a broad smile and a small wave as she turned towards the calling voice

“Aileen wait” said Gorban “Your flowers” he said snapping his fingers with a smile.

A beautiful bouquet of wildflowers even nicer then the bunch she has picked and lost appeared at her feet. “Thank you Gorban, I look forward to our next meeting”

“As do I” Gorban responded slightly bewildered at the odd turn of events.

Creatures in The lake

Prompt-A mythical creature appears.

“I saw it, Grandpa Come quick I saw it” John yelled racing through the open doorway.

“Saw what? Not just anything gets these old bones up anymore you know”

“The lake monster, I did, but it wasn’t a big one today.  He was little like me, maybe the big one is his grandpa, but he had flippers on his feet and a big fat body and he was kind of grey looking but he was more purple than the big one. Maybe he’s a baby like Jake. ” John was pulling insistently on his grandpa’s shirt sleeve”you have to come see”

“All right I’ll come down with you, don’t get your diapers in a bunch”

“Grandpa I don’t wear diaper just Jake does” John retorted a look of disgust on his face”and he makes them smelly”

Grandpa pulled his old wool coat on with a chuckle and picked a battered and well used pipe from a pocket as John danced around clearly impatient.  John knew he would come, Grandpa always did but sometimes it seemed to take forever waiting for him to fill and light his pipe.  

Normally John waited patiently but today he couldn’t help but sigh as he watched the first match flare to life and sputter out.”My we are in a hurry today, but not to worry we’ll get going in our own time” The second match did its job and Grandpa finally led the way out of the woodshop and started down the stony path to the lakes edge.

John jumped along from stone to stone circling back whenever he got too far ahead. The scent of Grandpas pipe on the wind gave John a nice warm feeling inside. Grandpa  would never tell him to stop being silly he always believed John that the lake monster was nearby even though it was always gone by the time they made it back down to the lakes edge.

“By the dock Grandpa down here” John called excitedly pointing at something along the shore “see look he waited for us”

Grandpa had stopped a few steps further up staring at the creature sitting half in and half out of the water his pipe forgotten grasped in the crook between thumb and forefinger “My word, just like I remember”           

 “You remember?”John asked watching as his Grandpa bent down and held his hand towards the animal sitting in the water. The creature stretched its long neck towards Grandpas hand and gave it a tentative sniff before a high pitched noise echoed across the lake and it turned and splashed away.

In the distance they watched as two more, much larger creatures appeared. They floated in the water waiting for the little one to join them. When the little one reached them it and one of the bigger ones disappeared back under the water while the third floated looking at the old man on the water’s edge.  The high pitched sound echoed over the water once again before it too sank out of sight.

“Your Mom never wanted me to tell you, she was very mad when you started seeing them, thought I’d gone against her you see.”Grandpa slowly sat down in the long grass pulling a book of matches from his coat.”Wasn’t sure if you had really seen ’em till now so I kept my mouth shut” He puffed on the pipe until it was once again burning to his satisfaction.”Guess I could tell you now, you really do know about them anyway, just don’t tell your mother I did” John settled down next to Grandpa on the grass nodding solemnly.

“See when I was a boy not much older than you I found one of these guys, he was a little bigger than the little guy we just saw now and he was hurt…….”