ELIZABETH DREAMS

It was snowing heavily on a cold frosty morning, five days before Christmas when it all began; shortly before the mist had given way to the morning sun, when quite unexpectedly, a Jackdaw battling the snowy blizzard, its eyes half closed against the dashing snow swooped down from the sky and landed in “Trimbull’s Toy Fair” shop doorway, and from off its back, slipped shivering and exhausted, the tiny figure of the fairy princess ‘Kaybee’! ‘It’s no good Jack’, said the fairy princess as she slumped heavily onto the toy-shop doorstep. ‘I cannot hold on any longer…. I….I’, the fairy princess’s voice quivered faintly. ‘I must rest now’…. The fairy princess’ clothing, bearing all of the signs of a ‘bloody’ combat, were torn and tattered, her long silvery wings broken and twisted hung lifelessly down her back… her ‘life’ was almost gone…. The princess’ last ounce of strength had all ‘but’, been sapped in her bid to escape from the black Witch ‘Elandora’ who lives beyond the Wreeking mountains of Lostland. Witch Elandora, with the help of her three evil apprentices, ‘Dogra’, ‘Ghetto’, and ‘Essgone’, known by all as the ‘grim-reapers’, raged war disputing the sovereignty of Queen Helena over Mislaidland. Then… from beyond the mist of the swirling blizzard, the princess heard the sound of heavy footsteps crunching through the ice and snow, coming closer and closer towards where she lay bedraggled in the toy-shop doorway. ‘Go Jack’, she whispered weakly to the Jackdaw, summoning what little strength she had left to speak. ‘Go now before it’s too late… I, I cannot be helped any further’, she added despairingly. Jack ‘nudged’ the princess with his beak beckoning her to get to her feet, and then looked towards the ever oncoming sound of footsteps, his white eyes blinked, flashing black eyelids, and then nudged the princess again, this time a little more intensely urging the princess to climb up on to his back again. ‘It’s no good Jack I cannot go on’. She insisted faintly as tears began to fill her eyes. ‘Go Jack’, she begged earnestly, ‘Go now and save yourself, while there is still time… go before’…. The fairy princess’ voice tapered off into an eerie silence…. The princess, unable to endure the pains of her battle wounds any longer, had fainted into deep unconsciousness, as the sound of crunching ice under heavy footsteps became louder and louder…. Jack glanced ‘hurriedly’ towards the sound of the oncoming footsteps, and then back again towards the princess, who was now lying quite motionless, and then back again towards, the dark unmistakable outline of a tall hooded figure, wearing a heavy cloak, and carrying a large black knobbly stick…. From the doorstep, Jack could see the brightly lit ‘bow’ shop window with its multiple glass panes, each casting illuminating light to where they lay. The inviting fairy lights; greens, yellows, blues and reds flashed in curios harmony; at times putting Jack and Kaybee into shadow, and then into a dazzling psychedelic glow, highlighting their presence for all to see. Jack fearing that he and the princess were about to be discovered by one of Witch Elandora’s grim-reapers, crouched down low in front of the fairy princess, and spread his raven wings protecting and concealing her limp and vulnerable body as best as he could from the betraying lights… discovery was imminent as the footsteps came upon them, the outline of the hooded figure headed towards the toy-shop doorway, discovery was now certain, death would surely follow…