The Trick in the Meaning

I found another cool writing prompt on Pinterest the other day. I’ve had fairies and fae and such on the brain lately, so this prompt stuck out to me. Let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy:

The Trick in the Meaning

He pointed me toward the opening in the tree. “I’m sure you’ll be pleased. It’s surprisingly large once you’re inside.”

I shot him a look, my eyes narrowed, and turned my attention to the tree. It stood over twenty meters high with a crown at least forty meters across. I saw dots of red among the olivine leaves. Fruit, though I did not recognize the variety.

Then there was the large opening in the enormous trunk. It stood almost two meters tall.  Plenty of room for me to get through without even having to duck. Within the opening stood a closed door painted in pale sapphire.

But I knew there had to be a catch. There always was with the fae. My fae blood didn’t protect me from that. I thought through each word of what he said. Then I went through my request—a place where I could hide so my stalker would not find me.

“Wait, a minute.” I turned and scowled at the blue-haired elfin creature next to me. “How do I get out?”

“Out? Why you’ll be out as soon as you’re in.” He grinned, the points of his teeth peeking through his thin purplish lips.

“What does that mean?”

“That you are free. Free as you are now.”

I rolled those words over in my mind, still sensing a trap somehow in what he said. Yet I could not place it. Perhaps he did not work to trick me and the feeling I had came from my paranoia at dealing with my mother’s people.

With a deep breath, I opened the door and crossed the threshold into the tree. Magic draped itself across me and clung like strands of spider silk. I tried to back up, wiping at the invisible gossamer, but found myself trapped. The door had shut. I turned and shoved at it, but it did not move.

Through the door I heard the fae’s voice call out with a laugh, “Should have thought about how free you were before crossing the threshold! Have fun!”

Damn fae and their wordplay. I should have known better. Instead, there I was. Stuck in the world of my mother’s people with no map, no guide, and no way out.