The Unseen Helpers

They jump down off the counter. The four of them fall as slow as dust particles to the wooden floorboards. The sisters Madria and Quitae float with hands joined. Castillae hugs his shoulders with his transparent wings stretching out. And Tsubaki, they twirl to fall faster than their friends. They even touch the floorboards first. As the group’s feet slowly touch the wood, it ripples with temporary life.

The sisters bow to the tree spirits’ honor. Castillae weeps. He curls up and wraps his arms around his knees.

“We should bring it back,” Tsubaki says. The tall Madria looks up.

“It has its purpose. For without this the strata would be strewn with plastic poison,” she answers.

“Of course, you are so wise,” Tsubaki says. “Oh Castillae, don’t cry. The spirit surrounds us.”

“It just feels so strong. I cannot help it,” he says. Quitae rises with her luminescent wings outstretched. She nods to the left and blinks.

“The spirit cannot die. It luminates the humans’ bulbs. It flows through the newborn. It cascades around us,” Tsubaki says. They hug Castillae. Quitae blinks again.

“You are so beautiful today, Quitae,” Castillae says. She signs thank you to the fairy gentleman. Tsubaki helps him rise.

“The boy sleeps on the couch,” Madria says pointing.

“He is so hungry. It really hurts,” Castillae says.

“His mother is trying. She does her part and we do ours,” Madria answers.

They bounce toward the old blue ripped up couch rippling the floor as they go. Tsubaki takes the lead and flitters up the blue wall of the couch. The others watch from below.

“Becareful,” Madria says.

“It’s so easy,” They answer.

A creature with claws out pounces at Tsubaki, but the force of the creature’s momentum throws them out of the way. Tsubaki lands in the arm of the couch.  

“Quitae, it’s a cat,” Madria says. Quitae breaths in and brightens her luminescence. She takes off into the air whipping through space and shoots past the orange cat’s nose. The feline follows her. Quitae twirls creating a jingle with her wings. The cat follows, tragically without a chance of catching her.

Madria and Castillae make their way to their fallen friend.

“Are you hurt, my darling?” Madria asks.

“Like a strong wind, I suppose,” Tsubaki says faintly. Castillae hugs them and luminates. “I thank you for your spirit.”

“Tsubaki will not heal the way we can effect nature,” Madria warns. “It’s still very kind.”

Castillae lifts Tsubaki. The three make their way over to the young child. He whimpers in his sleep. Madria floats over to his forehead.

“He’s burning up,” she says. A static bridge shoots between Madria and the boy’s skin. His shoulder partially uncovered by an old blanket is where Castillae lands with Tsubaki in his arms. The child’s hair slightly rises as the static arching begins between him and the other two fairies. “Up here.” Madria waves.

The three meet on the boy’s forehead. They kneel in a circle and press their hands to his skin.

“Castillae, this will feel stronger. Tsubaki, you must let him react and you must react yourself. We cannot help him unless we let our feelings flow through us in this moment,” Madria says.

“He is so very sick. I cannot not believe it could feel worse,” Castillae says.

“We must keep our hands to the boy and our minds must stay focused on the electricity of the spirits,” Madria says.

Quitae continues jingling and distracting the orange cat. The cat still keeps diving and crashing into clothing and walls and toys.

Madria nods at her two apprentices. They press their hands to the forehead. The heat of the boy’s skin spikes and centers around the three fairies. The child whimpers and shifts. The three slide a bit, but remain with hands attached in place. The arching a static electricity grows.

Castillae lets out a scream. Tsubaki tears up and their sweat glands pour.

“We have this,” Madria says. Her voice shakes in an unusual way. “Focus.”

Tsubaki lets out a yell.

“It burns. Are you we close?” Castillae cries.

“Not yet.” Madria tears up.

The cat notices the electric arching of the child’s forehead and loses interest in Quitae. It moves back toward the couch. Quitae zooms in front of the creature. It swats at her and keeps moving forward. It jumps up on the couch and steps on to the boy’s hip. Quitae lands on the cat’s collar as it walks across the boy.

The boy whimpers, the three fairies cry out and the child shifts again in his blanket. The healers flop on the vertical forehead with only their hands keeping them attached. The feline climbs up the child again and Quitae tugs at the cat’s collar.

It makes its way to the child’s face and as it presses its paw toward the circled and flopped fairies, an arch of electricity zaps the cat. Quitae floats off before it tumbles to the floor. She meets the creature on the ground. Quitae pats its stomach and glows against it. The cat purrs and curls up around Quitae.

The child shifts leveling out his forehead. The fairies remove their hands. Madria hugs Castillae and Tsubaki.

“He feels so much better. His body is fighting the virus,” Castillae says. “I don’t feel good though”

“It takes a minute,” Madria says.

“His skin feels so cool,” Tsubaki says. “And so wet.”

“We should find water after this,” Madria says. Tsubaki jumps up. Castillae grabs their arm.

“Quitea, what about Quitea?” Tsubaki says.

The three slowly float off the child to the ground. The cat appeared to have their friend in its body.

“No,” Tsubaki cried. Castillae tugs on their arm.

“She’s just fine,” he says. They open their eyes to look closer at the cat. Quitae is lounging in the purring fur. She notices them, nods her head to the left, and blinks.

Quitae flits up and meets her friends at the cat’s water bowl.

“This is the work. Are you still up for it?” Madria asks soaking in the water. The bowl glows with fairy agreement.