Sparks Ch. 01

This is my first attempt at this. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Finn looked at his watch one more time, but the day seemed to be crawling along. Two more hours, and the three day 4th of July weekend would start. He looked back to his monitor; his boss wanted this project done by the middle of next week, and he didn't like to let the man down. They treated him very well here and he had worked hard to earn their trust.

A short while later, absorbed in his work, he was mildly surprised by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and his boss Dan was there.

"Finn, why don't you go ahead and take off early. I know tomorrow is your birthday, you would probably like to get a little head start."

"I appreciate it, but maybe another hour, two at most, I can have this finished. I..."

"Finn, it's okay. I know you'll get it finished, you always do. Now take off. No arguments!"

"Alright, thanks Dan. See you Tuesday!"

Finn walked through the office, glancing at the pretty new receptionist they had hired. She had her head down, and didn't notice him, but he couldn't help but notice her. Slim; brown hair down to her shoulders, a cute pixie nose. Everything in proportion, dressed immaculately. As it frequently did, a thought of his sister Erin popped into his head. They looked very much alike. He wondered how she was doing, they hadn't talked in a few weeks.

Walking out of the building, he went across the parking lot to his old beat up pickup truck. It wasn't much to look at, but it was reliable. A small duffel bag sat on the passenger seat, packed and ready to go.

He started the truck, then pulled out of the parking lot and headed west out of town.

With the windows down, since the truck didn't have air conditioning, Finn cruised along, listening to some of the progressive rock Granny had introduced him to. Granny was who he was on his way to see. She didn't know he was coming, it was going to be a surprise. They shared a birthday, and he wanted her to have a special day for her 95th birthday.

She wasn't actually his grandmother. Finn had been orphaned at a young age; he had no memory of his parents. When he was 5, the orphanage has placed him, and a little girl Erin who was one year younger than him, in a foster home with Maeve, whom they called Granny -- her husband had died many years ago. For whatever reason, neither of them were ever adopted; it was almost as if they were both forgotten. Maeve was a true Irish woman, complete with a heavy Irish brogue, red hair, and an interest in the old ways.

They had grown up in an old house far out away from any other children, so Erin and he had become fast friends early on. They were raised as though they were brother and sister, Maeve even calling them brother and sister. At their young age, they didn't know any better, that's just what it was. As they grew older, Granny had instilled in him the duty to protect her and take care of her, since Maeve, in her seventies when they were teens, wasn't able to keep up with them and all their adventures.

So the two of them spent all their summers outside, roaming the countryside, and finding hidden places they thought the adults didn't know about. One of their favorite spots was a meadow quite a ways back in the woods. There was an old Ash tree in the middle of the meadow with large stones around it, and a small stream on the edge, with a large clear pool and a nice, sandy bottom. The meadow itself looked as though it was well-maintained by a groundskeeper, although they never saw anyone there.

He remembered when they mentioned the meadow to Granny the first time. She got a concerned look on her face and asked them to show it to her, so they hiked with her back to the spot. She looked at Finn, and said, "that's a Fairy Tree."

"What's a 'Fairy Tree'?"

"It's the entrance to the underworld for the wee ones. Whatever you do, don't damage it or you'll have bad luck the rest of your life!"

"The 'wee ones'?"

"Aye. A Pooka, or a Leprechaun."

"I've heard of Leprechauns, but what's a 'Pooka'?"

"A mischievous spirit. They supposedly only appear at night; you don't want to meet one. They like to play tricks on you. They aren't likely to hurt you, but their pranks can be uncomfortable."

"Granny, we're not in Ireland! I doubt there's a Pooka or a Leprechaun in West Virginia."

"Those are tales for later, maybe, when you're older. Come, let's go to the house."

She turned and started to walk away. At the last instant, the little girl turned to look at the tree and gave a shy wave, then she took hold the older woman's hand, and they left the glade.

Two small pairs of eyes watched the three humans leave the glade, peering out from a hole in the center of a large knot in the trunk of the Ash tree.

"The little girl knows about us!" The creature who spoke appeared to be human, if a human was only six inches tall, had a deep tan, with snow white hair, pointed ears, and translucent green wings like a dragon fly. The creature was completely naked, clearly female, and achingly beautiful.

"She does. She will cause no trouble." The second creature was the male twin of the first, except his wings were blue. "Still, we must be cautious while they are young."

The small creature turned her head and looked at the other. "Did she tell the children about us?"

He smiled and looked at her. "I doubt it. Perhaps the child just has the Sight." The birds chirped for a few heartbeats. "Yes, I believe she has the Sight." One of his hands wandered idly across her shoulder and down her back, caressing her wings.

"What about the boy?" She asked.

"Not yet. Male humans rarely have the Sight as early as the females." He paused again. "It's not impossible." His hand wandered further down, cupping her perfectly rounded butt.

"Mmm," she hummed, leaning towards his lips. "Enough talk. Kiss me."

The sun was setting when Finn finally pulled his old truck into the long driveway to Granny's house. The house sat back at least a quarter mile from the road. If you didn't know the house was here, you would never find it. The driveway wound through dense trees, and around a large outcropping of rock.

Finn's excitement quickly turned to concern when he drove around the outcropping toward the front of the house; a tidy, two-story farmhouse painted in a pleasing shade of cornflower, hanging baskets of flowers on the porch. A sheriff deputy's cruiser and an ambulance sat close to the front door. A tractor that Finn didn't recognize was off to the side of the house next to the small garage.

Pulling to a stop, he shut off the truck and quickly jumped out.

Just as his foot hit the first step on the porch, an older deputy stepped out of the front door.

"Finn? Didn't expect to see you."

"I never told anyone I was coming."

Finn tried to go around him, but the deputy stopped him.

"Finn. I'm sorry, but she's gone."

A lump formed in his throat. "Gone?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. The EMT's are inside, we're just waiting for the coroner to show up. We think she passed away yesterday evening."

"Can I come in Earl?"

"Of course, of course. This has always been your home."

Finn walked around the deputy, and saw Maeve sitting in her rocking chair. A teacup and saucer sat on the table next to the chair, still full of tea. Her simple blue dress was neatly pressed; she always did try to take care of things. Her eyes were closed, and her chin was on her chest, almost as though she were asleep; her hands clasped in her lap.

One of the EMT's put his stethoscope in a bag, then looked at the other EMT, who nodded. The first EMT walked over to Finn and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss." The EMT's walked out.

Feeling his sight blurring, Finn stepped over the settee across from her chair and sat down. Tears fell unashamedly down his face. He suddenly felt very alone.

Earl came over and squatted down, and placed a hand on Finn's knee.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Finn wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and tried to take a calming breath. It didn't help much.

"I'll be fine, I guess. It was going to be a surprise for her. She would have turned 95 tomorrow."

He looked around, and for the first time saw an older man standing out of the way in the corner, his face in the shadows. He was wearing overalls, a checked shirt, and boots that had clearly seen hard use. He was holding a battered old ball cap in his hands.

"Do I know you?" Finn asked.

The man took a step forward into the light.

"Oscar. Sorry, I didn't recognize you.."

Oscar walked over and held his large, calloused hand out to Finn; they shook hands, then Oscar stepped back a pace. "I'm sorry about Maeve. I'm the one who found her. I stop by a couple times a week to chat, and my boys mow her yard when it needs it."

Oscar lived had lived a mile or so up the road Finn's his whole life.

"I was always too busy with the farm to do much visiting until the last couple years. My two boys have mostly taken over, so this old man has enough leisure time to chat with his neighbors now and then."

"Thank you. For coming and chatting with her. I'm sure she was lonely, and she definitely had the gift of gab."

"That she did," he said with a sad smile. "Well... I'm going to head home. Call me if you need anything, my number's over there by the phone."

"Thanks, Oscar."

The farmer walked out of the house. Finn could hear the old tractor start up, then it put-putted out of the driveway and faded out of hearing.

The sound of a car came from outside, and a few moments later the coroner came in, followed by the EMT's with a gurney.

The coroner spoke quietly with the deputy for a moment. The deputy walked over to Finn. "Let's go outside for a minute, let them take care of things."

"Yeah, sure."

Finn walked outside, still in a daze, and sat on the porch swing. He leaned forward, put his head in his hands, and sighed heavily.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? You're welcome to spend the night with us, if you'd like. I'm sure Janet would like to see you." The deputy's wife had been one of Finn and Erin's teachers in high school.

Finn looked up at him, his eyes red. "No, thanks, I believe I'll stay here."

"Okay. Well, listen, I'll drop by tomorrow and check on you. I think someone in town will need to speak with you, as well. Do you remember Patrick Brady?"

"Vaguely. Isn't he the local lawyer? He must be 100 years old by now."

"Close to it. He has some paperwork that Maeve left for you, in the event something happened to her."

"What would that be?"

"Maybe a will. I don't know, you'll need to find out. I'll call him this evening and give you more information tomorrow when I stop by. Are you sure you're okay staying here?"

"Yes, thanks, I'll be okay."

Just then, the EMT's and the coroner brought the gurney out, the black bag forlorn in the fading light.

Earl stepped off the porch, and turned his head toward Finn. "Take care. See you tomorrow sometime."

Finn just waved at him, too overcome by emotion to speak.

Finn wasn't much of a drinker, but he found a bottle of Irish whiskey he knew she kept in the cupboard, and poured himself a drink. He felt like he should eat something, but he wasn't hungry.

He went back outside and sat on the porch until it was dark. Fireflies were out, their twinkling lights reminding him of when Erin and he caught some and put them in a Mason jar. Granny hadn't been able to tell him much about them; they had no fireflies in Ireland where she grew up. After a while she made them release them. "It's bad luck to keep the wild things locked up." For some reason, the memory of her saying that was strong.

Eventually, he got up and went back inside. He didn't look in Maeve's bedroom, he wasn't ready for that yet, but he carried his duffel bag up the stairs to the room that had been his as a child.

Like the rest of her house, the room was tidy and clean, although it smelled just slightly musty from disuse. His bookcase was still full of all the books he had as a teenager, along with a few toys from his much younger years. An old teddy bear sat on top of the bookcase, looking a little worse for wear. One eye was missing, and there were stitches holding it together in places.

It was warm in the room; the house had no air conditioning. Opening the window, he took off his shoes and sat on the bed with his back against the head board sipping his whiskey, listening to the sounds of the night.

He didn't even realize it when he fell asleep.

Something woke him, he didn't know what. He glanced at his phone; it was a little after 2 AM. It was very dark - there was just a sliver of a moon that had already disappeared over the horizon, and it was cloudy. There were no city lights. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a light by the window, but when he turned his head, it was gone. Just a firefly, probably.

Realizing he was still dressed, he took off his shorts and t-shirt. After a few moments, he still felt unusually constricted, so he stripped off his briefs. He lay in bed for a short while after that, enjoying the feeling of the air moving gently across his bare skin, listening to the quiet. He drifted off again before much time had passed.

The almost indiscernible sound of tiny wings blended in with the soft breeze. Two pairs of eyes appeared, sitting on the window sill. They didn't exactly glow, but they seemed to collect every scrap of light available and reflect it back.

"He's handsome". The voice was like a whisper of a whisper. It came from the creature with the green wings. She was sitting on the window sill, next to the creature with the blue wings. Their legs dangled, like children sitting on the end of a dock. Indeed, Finn was handsome -- muscled and toned like the competitive swimmer he had been in college -- it was clear he still kept himself up. He had light brown, almost blonde, wavy hair, kept very short, and a beard, also very short.

"I can see that. I think you will enjoy him. The girl is pretty, too, as I recall. She will be here soon."

"I'm looking forward to it."

The cruiser's tires made crunching sounds as it pulled to a stop in the gravel driveway. Deputy Earl Wallace stepped out of his car. It was just past 9 AM.

Finn was sitting on the porch, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Good morning, Earl. Would you like a cup?"

"No thanks. Janet thinks I have too much caffeine as it is. May I?" He stepped onto the porch and gestured at one of the old wooden deck chairs. Finn nodded, and Earl took a seat. "How are you this morning?"

"Okay, I guess. Still processing things."

"I talked to Patrick Brady last night after I left here. He asked that you come see him, he has some paperwork for you. He wouldn't tell me what. He said it doesn't have to be today, but the sooner the better." He handed one of his deputy's business cards to Finn. "I wrote his number on the back. He asked that you call first."

They sat for a minute or two in companionable silence, until the deputy's radio crackled. "County to 24."

Earl keyed his mic; "24 here."

"Earl, can you go see if you can calm down Mrs. Winters? One of the Menton's cows got into her garden again, and she's ready to turn it into steaks."

He looked at Finn and chuckled. "Now you see what horrible crimes you miss when you move to the big city." He stood up. "If you need anything, please call. We all loved Maeve."

"Thanks, Earl. I will." He watched the deputy walk to his car, then stood up and went into the house.

Finn spent the rest of the morning wandering around the place. Maeve had the house that sat on 5 acres, and it included a small garage, two barns, one small and one larger, and a spring house.

First, he went into the garage and checked on Maeve's car. It was a white 1965 Buick Skylark 2-door hardtop coup. It appeared to have been driven recently, and, as he expected, was clean. It wasn't perfect - it could use a paint job, and there were a few small rust spots showing. The garage was not big enough for two cars, but there was room at the back for a work bench and a few tools.

Next he went into the smaller of the two barns. When he and Erin were home from school for the summer, this had been their second favorite hangout, next to the meadow in the woods. It was in the shade of a huge oak tree, and Maeve had always kept straw in it. Now, there wasn't much in it apart from a lawn mower and a gas can.

The larger barn was much the same; empty of everything but memories. When he was very little there had been an old Ford tractor here, but she had sold it many years ago. There were half a dozen stalls for horses, and a tack room, now empty but for dust. It had not been a working farm in decades.

The spring house sat off to the other side of the main house from the barns, up against the base of a hill about 50 yards away. It was a small stone building, not tall enough to stand in. He opened the door and stooped to go in. It was just as he remembered it - a cool respite from the early July heat. The spring had a steady but small supply of water that came out of a crack in the rocks, went into a tiny little pool, and then trickled out into another crack to disappear. Where it came from, and where it went, were mysteries to him. The pool had a flat stone in the bottom where milk cans would have been stored before refrigerators were common. Granny had put watermelons in it periodically for Erin and him to find while out playing.

The two winged creatures sat on a rafter just over Finn's head, their legs nearly grazing his hair. Finn stepped back out of the spring house, and the light from outside disappeared as he closed the door.

"The old woman cared for him, didn't she? I think he's cute." The female of the two looked at the male. Reaching over with her hand, she slowly rubbed it up and down his naked thigh.

"You've said that," he said with a little chuckle. "She cared for the girl, too," he replied. "The old woman took care of us. We shall take care of them."

She moved her hand between his legs. "That doesn't mean we can't have fun with them, does it?"

"Of course not," he said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "It's all part of it."

Finn made lunch, and sat on the porch eating. He seemed more comfortable outside, the memories maybe not quite as close.

After lunch, he made three phone calls. The first was to Dan, his boss. He explained everything that had happened. Unsurprisingly, Dan was very supportive. "You have a week of bereavement time off, and if you need more, I'm sure we can work something out."

The second call was to the lawyer, Patrick Brady. This call was short, and gave him no answers. The lawyer merely asked him to show up Monday the 5th of July, at 9 AM. His office was in the tiny town, and county seat, Cork, WV. It was a 10 minute trip down the road. He asked a few questions, but the lawyer just said "everything will be made clear to you Monday. Well," he paused, "clearer, anyway. I've already called Erin, she will be here."

The feel of adrenaline went through him. "Oh my gosh, I didn't call Erin! I need to call her immediately! I need to go Mr. Brady, thank you! I'll see you Monday."

He immediately ended the call and dialed Erin's number.

"Hello, Finn?" The sound of her voice sent warmth through him.

"Hey, sis. I'm so sorry, I should have called sooner."

"It's okay, I understand. The lawyer said you were there, but he didn't say much more."

"I just got here late yesterday afternoon. The EMT's and the deputy were here when I arrived, along with Oscar. I was going to surprise her for our birthday..." He had to stop, his voice choking up.

"No, no, really, it's okay." He could hear the sadness in her voice, as well. "Are you staying at the house?"

"Of course."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few hours." She paused. "It will be good to see you," she said with a slight sniffle.

"You too."

Finn ended the call, and stood up. Walking inside, he went upstairs. The room across the hall from his had been Erin's room; the door was open. He leaned against the door frame, looking in but not really focusing on anything in particular.

It was evening, but not yet dark, when Erin made it to the house. He was sitting on the porch, a glass of iced tea next to him, when she pulled up. She was driving a Jeep of a similar vintage to his truck, doors and windows all removed. Her face looked red from the heat; a slight sheen of sweat on her neck, under the pony tail sticking out of her baseball cap. She was wearing her usual summer attire -- shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt, although he noticed it wasn't quite as baggy, and the sleeves were cut off. He could see the sides of a sports bra peaking through the arm holes. She was beautiful.

As she came to a stop, he stood up and started walking to the Jeep. She shut it off, then jumped lightly out and looked at him. Without saying a word, she threw her arms around him and began crying into his chest, her head resting in the crook of his neck. She hugged him so tight it was almost painful.

He put his arms around her, her hair against her back under his hands. They didn't say anything for a minute. Her crying slowed down, and she slowly released her hug. Putting her hands on his chest, she gently pushed him back and look up in his eyes.

"It's going to be okay," they both said simultaneously.

"I...", "You..." They both stopped. "You first," he said.

"Oh, Finn." She sniffled. "I'm glad you're here. I wouldn't want to do this alone."

"I'm glad you're here," he said. He could feel himself getting emotional as well. "Come on, let's get you inside." Looking in the back of her Jeep, he saw a suitcase and a duffel bag. "Is this it?" He asked as he picked them up.

"Yes, that's it." She picked her purse up off the passenger seat, and together they walked inside. He carried her bags up to her room, and sat them on the bed.

"I'm going to take a quick shower," she said.

"I'll be on the porch," he replied. "I'll get you a tea."

He could hear the shower running for the next few minutes. He sat quietly on the porch swing and watched it slowly get dark. Eventually she walked out, her hair still very wet. Her t-shirt went almost to her knees. She kissed his forehead, and sat down next to him on the swing. He handed her the iced tea off the small table. She took a sip and smiled. "The fireflies are out," she said quietly after a few moments. He looked at her and smiled. It was almost dark, and the porch light was off. The only light was a faint light coming from the upstairs hall she had left on.

Her hair tie was out, and her hair was wet but combed. She leaned against him and lay her had on his shoulder. He could feel the side of her breast against his arm. He looked down -- the light was faint, but her t-shirt had started to get wet from her hair, and he thought he could see a nipple. She did not appear to be wearing a bra. 'She's your sister!' He forced himself to think of other things.

Two small figures sat on the top of the Jeep, their tiny feet dangling against the windshield. They were invisible in the dark.

"I'm glad she's here," said the blue-winged male fairy.

The female reached her hand between his legs. "I can tell," she smirked. "You think she's cute." She slowly stroked his erection with her hand. "She likes him."

"Of course she does. He likes her, too. But, they still believe they are siblings. That will change in time." He reached around and cupped her breasts in his hands. "I like it when your nipples are hard." He bent his head down, and the two fairies kissed passionately.

Erin sat up, and looked at Finn. "I'm tired, it's been a very long day. I'm going to bed." She kissed his forehead again, and stood up, her nipple ever so slightly brushing up his arm as she rose, the t-shirt the only thing between them. She definitely wasn't wearing a bra.

"Okay. Sleep well." He watched her walk through the door. After a few minutes, Finn stood up, went quietly up the stairs, and into his room.

The two fairies sat on the window sill of Erin's room. She was sleeping, but was restless. The fairies were kissing, one of her hands wrapped around his erection. One of his hands was sliding its fingers up and down her slit, the other was playing with her nipples, his hand moving back and forth between her breasts.

Erin's eyes opened, and she abruptly sat up in bed. She didn't feel watched, exactly (who could see through the window anyway?) She looked at the window, but the two fairies had already tumbled off and outside the instant she moved. She suddenly felt constricted, her nipples sensitive to her t-shirt, so she slid it over her head and hung it on the bed post.

Laying back down, she felt more comfortable, and quickly drifted back into a sound sleep.