The Sun Veil - Pt. 2

It was a little less than an hour later when Fiona finished the last story, and wondered about Aerya. It was awfully quiet. Except when she was asleep, Aerya wasn’t usually this quiet. In fact, she could be a real pest at times. Now she was as quiet as a melting ice cream cone, alone with the ‘good scissors’ and sewing needles. Fiona’s eyes got wide as she said to herself, ‘oh no!’

She dashed down the hall. The door was still closed. She knocked.

“Who is it?” called Aerya.

“It’s me, Fiona.”

“What do you want?”

What did she want? Did she want to say ‘Aerya, I suddenly realized it was really stupid to give you the ‘good scissors’, or any scissors. I am afraid of what you have cut up, or sewn together.’ No, she didn’t want to say that. It was unfair to say that. Besides, Aerya was making a present. What could she make that needed scissors and needles? Probably some kind of fairy bag, as a present. Yes, that was what she was probably doing. Or maybe a fairy scarf. Fiona thought about that, and realized that to make a scarf, Aerya would ask for knitting needles, yarn, and about a month’s worth of lessons on how to knit. No, this was most likely a fairy bag. Or a pillow case.

“I wanted to see how things are coming.”

“Wonderful!”

“Can I come in?” Fiona tried to make herself sound calm.

“For what?”

“Uhm, I want to get something.”

“What do you want?”

“A pillow. To rest my head.”

“I’ll get it for you.”

A moment later, the door opened, and Aerya peeked out. She smiled, and handed Fiona a square throw pillow with the picture of a pony on it.

“Thank you - “ Fiona gasped, and pushed the door open.

“What?” asked Aerya.

“Aerya - what have you done?”

The curtains were off their rod, and what was left of them was arranged on the floor. Where once Fiona had lovely curtains with chiffon and pretty puffy fabric at the top and bottom, now there was a jig saw puzzle of fabric on the floor. A jig saw puzzle with about a million pieces!

“Aerya - what are you doing!”

“I’m working on your present. You have to leave now so I can finish.”

“Dad is going to be really mad.”

“No, not when I’m finished. Come on, I need your help again.”

Fiona was shaking her head as Aerya lead her into the hallway. Fiona held the pillow with both arms, hugging it like a teddy bear. Dad was patient, but cutting up the curtains, this was really too much. And Aerya did it with the ‘good scissors’ - that made it worse.

“Fiona, where are they?”

“Huh?” Fiona was so distracted by the bits of her curtains on the floor she hadn’t heard Aerya.

“Where are the sheets?”

“In the linen closet - the closet in the hall. Oh, no, no way!” Too late, Fiona understood her mistake. “You can’t cut up the sheets along with the curtains!”

Aerya already had the door open, and pulled out a large, ivory colored sheet.

“Don’t worry, Fiona. Everything will be fine - you’ll see! Now go read your book.” With that, Aerya was back in the bedroom, with the door closed. Fiona could almost hear the sharp scissors celebrating.

“At last, we are free to cut - cut - cut! First the curtains, and now the sheets! Ha ha ha - we are free to cut - cut - cut!”

What would be next?

“Take us to the couch to cut the covers!”

Dad would go crazy if that happened.

“Take us to the closets to cut the clothes!”

No wonder the ‘good scissors’ were kept in a separate drawer! They were crazy, and they made children crazy, too! Fiona shuddered as she imagined the sound of those wild scissors slicing the shower curtain, and then leading Aerya out to the car to attack the seats. Nothing in the world was safe once they were released! As she sat down on the couch, Fiona was really, truly, deeply sorry that she ever released the ‘good scissors’. She should have known there was a reason her dad kept them far away. It wasn’t that he was afraid she would hurt the scissors - it was that he worried what the scissors would make her do!

As she opened a book, Fiona secretly hoped that neither Madigan Marbles nor Blubbanol, would become victims of the ‘good scissors’.

The house was so quiet, Fiona was pulled into her story. The shadows outside swept into new positions, stretching longer and longer as the sun started the slow slide that dipped the world in night. The sounds of the day world changed; people came home and talked outside; lawn mowers buzzed over scruffy grass; music played as cars gleamed as they were washed. Fall was just a couple of weeks away. It seemed that the world around knew that once autumn arrived, the warm weather would be packed into summer’s closet until next year. This was the final round of summer tasks, filling the air with sounds, seeds, and suds as the two girls continued on their projects.

“Hey, Fiona!” Aerya shouted from the bedroom.

Fiona snapped her book shut and sat straight up. It took just a moment to adjust herself out of story land and back to the couch.

“What?” shouted Fiona back.

“Come and see what I made for you!”

That reminded Fiona of Aerya’s work with the ‘good scissors’. She shuddered, got off the couch, and walked to the bedroom.

“Ta da!” said Aerya, her arms extended like a product model on a game show.

“What - oh, Aerya - oooh!” From question to shock to delight, in a single sentence!

-- End Pt. 2 --