I ran through the garden with poor scared Mimi running behind me. While I felt bad for her, this was truly a chance I could not pass up. The location I spotted the shadow in before was where the flowers and the tall hedges that were sculpted into different kinds of animals, some of which I have no idea what they are even called, connected. These hedges looked like monsters for someone who was only five years old due to their size. Luckily I was not mentally five years old. Although, some of my actions do make me question that sometimes.
During those times, I play it off as me acting my age. No one will ever know that I am like one hundred something mentally…. Because even if I try to tell them, they won't believe me anyways… I know this because I have tried many times! Just thinking about it makes me sigh… "Now, where is that pixie…."
"Are you looking for me?" A tiny voice came from my side. I turned to see a bug eyed creature with dragonfly wings on its back. My lips curled up as my hand shot out and snatched the little thing out of the air! "Ahhh! Let me go! You damn human, let me go!"
"Hehe." I giggled as I brought the bug close to my face to inspect it. It was sorta human like but it had bug qualities like antennas on its head, big black eyes, gray skin, and green hair. The wings were a pretty blue color and had some sparkles coming off them, but nothing too extravagant. "How the hell is this a pixie!? It's a bug!"
"Hey, human, let go of me!" The bug yelled out once more. But it only made me tighten my grip some more.
"You disappoint me. You don't fit up to the cute name of pixie at all. You're nothing more than a bug." I said with a grin as I pulled on its wings.
"Ahh! Cut it out! You will tear them off!" The bug screamed in pain. For some reason, I was really finding this to be very amusingly fun. Was I becoming a sadist?
"I will stop if you tell me about demons," I replied while giving the bug's wings a good yank.
"Ouch! Let me go this minute, or you will be sorry!" I sneered and tightened my grip more. I could see the fear building up in the bug's eyes as I continued to squeeze it.
"You have only one option, and that is to answer my questions, or I will truly squish you like a bug," I said coldly.
"Alright! Just stop squeezing! I promise to answer whatever questions you have!" I smiled and loosened my grip a little but was not letting it go free so easily.
"Bella….?" I heard a timid voice behind me. I turned to see Mimi standing there with a pale face. I smiled and showed her the bug in my hand. "Mimi, I caught a bug!"
"Bella! Quickly throw that away and run! That is a pixie demon!" Mimi yelled out. She reached down to grab my hand, but I pulled back, causing her hand to grab air. I turned and looked at the bug in my hand with a smile that did not reach my eyes and asked: "You are a bug, right?"
"Human, I am no bu….."
"You are a bug, right?" I continued to smile at the bug in my hands until it finally lowered its head and nodded. "I am a bug. I am nothing but a mere bug to be squashed in the middle of the road."
Mimi stared at me, then at the bug in my hands with eyes of disbelief. I can understand why. I mean, after all, she thought that pixies were some kind of amazingly scary demon. But here it was being squashed like a bug in a five year olds hands. Mimi did not try to get me to get rid of it anymore but still stood a few steps back away from me, but this was to be expected as she still had some lingering fear. For me, though, I could now get some answers.
"Now tell me about demons," I ordered. I only came out searching for this bug to get this information.
"Demons….. I do not know why you keep calling me a demon, but I am nothing more than a race of sentient beings like you humans, elves, or dwarves. We just live differently. We are just a race of gathers. We collect pollen and create honey with it. When we get too much, we trick kids into helping us sell our goods in the human cities." The bug answered, but I suddenly heard a scream coming from behind me.
"Don't listen to him! It's a demon that eats children!" Mimi yelled out.
I looked at the bug in my hand and slightly squeezed it a bit more, causing it to panic. "Wait! No, it's the truth! All the kids get returned after they sell our goods. Our bodies are too small to eat anything as large as you. It would take a few hundred just to eat a baby, never mind a child your age!"
Mimi was about to yell out once more, but she paused. I mean, it did make a good argument. And now that I was looking closely at it, its teeth seemed quite small. It probably could not even bite through our flesh. "So you trick kids into doing your bidding. But if you return the kids, why do you get a bad reputation?"
"Well… not all of us abide by the rules. Just like you humans have your bad eggs, so do we. No race is perfect, you know? There were a few occasions of pixies working with human traffickers. They sold off all the kids they tricked into doing their bidding, and those kids would never be seen again. This made it seem like we were eating them. It only takes something like this happening a few times before we get a bad reputation." I watched as the bug lowered its head and sighed.
Whether it was telling the truth or not, I am not sure, but I can only believe it for the time being. I mean, its life was on the line, and it didn't look all that smart to come up with such a story so quickly and to be honest, it sounded very plausible. "Okay, so you are just a race of bugs….."
"I am not a bug! I am a pixie!" The bug yelled out, but I just waved it off. It looked like a bug to me, so it was a bug.
But now I am very disappointed. I mean, I came here searching for a demon and found a bug. Not very productive if you ask me. I tapped my chin while still holding the bug before looking at it once more. "So you know nothing about demons?"
"Demons? No never heard of them. We pixies do not do much of anything but farm pollen and nectar to make honey based goods. We do not care about otherworldly things unless we need it for our honey creation." The bug replied, causing me to feel even more depressed. But I guess this bug could be a source of entertainment. However, it would probably run away if I let it go, but it was still worth a try to ask.
"Alright, I tell you what. I will let you go, but I want you to come here every day around this time and tell me stories of the outside world." I just wanted to know more about the world outside. Mimi was reluctant to tell me anything due to my parents, and I also did not wish to get her in trouble. After all, Mimi was like a little sister to me, even if she was five years older.
"That I do not mind doing since I come here every day anyways, but please do not squeeze me anymore. Your reaction speed is insanely fast." The bug answered without hesitation. I guess it did not seem to mind me, or it was just telling me what I wanted to hear.
I released my grip, and the bug floated in the air in front of me before flying over and sitting on my shoulder. "Since I still have some time, let me know what you want to hear about. I will try to tell you what I know."
"You're not going to run away?" I asked. I mean, it could easily just fly away without a problem now.
"No, I mean, this place has some of the best pollen and nectar for my honey. I don't want to give it up so easily. If all you want is some stories from me, I do not mind as long as I can keep coming here. Ah, right, don't worry, I won't do anything to anyone in this house. It would be stupid of me to control your minds to help me with my work. " I see so it would not ruin a good thing so easily. I guess pixies were dedicated to their life's work.