An Ordinary Fairy by John Osborne Read Free Book Online

site. As dumb as they might seem to most people, Noah found these sites to be helpful when locating old friends. He typed in Willow’s name, entered her age as thirty-five and began searching. No Willow Brown listing existed for Vermilion County. He searched further back year by year, each time with an older current age for Willow, stopping when he reached sixty-five.
    “She can’t be that old. Maybe she’s not from Hoopeston.”
    Noah’s mind returned to his conversation with Varney. He should go back to Willow’s pond for some good pictures. She had granted permission to photograph the pond, although she had insisted on being present. Still, a quick visit wouldn’t do any harm. He would park in the harvested fields west of the woods and attempt to locate a trail that led to the pond. The late afternoon sky was cold-air clear. He’d have time to get into position and take advantage of the soft early evening light.
    His eyes strayed to Willow’s photo.
    “Hope you don’t mind.”
     
    Thirty minutes later Noah spotted the beginning of a path right where he had hoped. He rolled the Dakota to a stop on the grassy strip between the plowed fields and the woods.
    The narrow track through the woods was hard to follow; it appeared to be a deer path, the quickest way to summertime meals in the cornfields. After about ten minutes, he saw light through the trees ahead as he neared the pond. He arrived on the west shore, where Daisy the deer had been. He worked his way up the shore toward the rock ledge, stopping when a hundred feet or so away from it.
    Stunning light illuminated the dead calm surface of the pond. Clear, deep blue sky contrasted with the bright sun at treetop level behind him. Conditions would be perfect for the next thirty minutes as the sun sank. The woods’ vibrant remaining leaves glowed, but didn’t overpower. No twittering of birds disturbed the quiet, which Noah found peculiar. He took a long, deep breath, savoring smells of wet marsh grass and stone, and wished he didn’t need to work. He would like to just sit here and enjoy the peaceful energy.
    Nevertheless, duty called. He extracted the big digital camera and the tripod from the case and assembled them. He started to follow a short path to a little beach, but thought better of it and dropped the tripod to the ground right where he stood, among some hemlock trees. For several minutes he studied scenes on the camera preview screen, changed angles, experimented with f-stops and exposures, until he arrived at the proper settings and view. As his finger sat on the shutter, ready to click the first picture, a commotion rose in the distance.
    At first, there was a fluttering sound, and then something heavy rustled through dry leaves. Two blue jays shot through the trees and blasted across the pond, low to the water. A burst of barking exploded in the quiet, and then Shadow the black Lab ran into view, careened across the rock ledge and made a long, graceful leap into the water.
    I’m in trouble.
    Willow wouldn’t be far behind. The gloom around the pine trees would conceal him, but he stood in a pile of dry leaves that would crackle at his slightest move. He hoped Shadow kept thrashing the water.
    Songbirds twittered and a sweet feminine laugh drifted across the pond. Gooseflesh ran up Noah’s back at the sound, and yesterday’s strange feelings returned. His heart beat a little faster, not from fear of discovery, but at the prospect of seeing Willow.
    She appeared at the opening in the trees, with birds whirling in circles around her tiny form. Captivating, she wore a full-length white robe, her cheery face framed by a broad hood. The garment hung loose on her small frame, the belt carelessly tied. She glided over to the edge, revealing glimpses of bare legs. The white robe presented blinding contrast to the darkening trees; all else faded to drabness. The way her face reflected the robe’s luster, her skin seemed to glow.
    Willow laughed again