A Most Magical Beginning

It was Christmas morning in the small village of Spiddal, County Galway in Ireland, and a girl named Ciara was so excited she thought she might burst.
Ciara was seven years old and more than anything, she had wished and wished for a fairy of her own. 

Ciara knew she had to wait until seven o’ clock to go downstairs with her parents and little brother Liam to see if Santa had delivered their Christmas
presents. Ciara looked at her clock and because she had been learning about telling the time in school, she knew it was nearly that very special time.
She kicked her legs in her bed excitedly as she waited for the big hand to hit twelve, with the small hand at seven… and then, finally, it happened! 


Ciara sat up in her bed and whispered to Liam, who was four, saying “It’s time!” and they both ran into their parents’ room. Their tradition was that the
children would wait at the top of the stairs while their Dad would check the sitting room. When they heard “He’s been!” they ran down the stairs, giggling
with excitement.

Ciara ran to her corner and saw it straight away – her very own pink fairy door from The Irish Fairy Door Company! “Mam, Mam, does this mean we can have
a fairy??” she asked her mother. Ciara’s mother nodded and smiled. “I hope so!” she said.

All day, Ciara played with her toys but kept thinking about her fairy door. She knew that if everything went right, her fairy would arrive the next morning.
But she also knew there were a few things she had to do first!

As the sun started to set that evening, Ciara’s mother called the family together. “It’s time to set up our fairy door, and hopefully one will find their
way to us!” She placed the pink fairy door on the floor against the wall, and asked Ciara to place the stepping stones. Ciara placed the three stones
carefully, and imagined a tiny fairy hopping from one to the next.

“Mam”, she said. “Do you think the fairy will know where we live?”

“I’m not sure, love,” replied her mother. “Hopefully!”

Ciara’s Dad started to chuckle. “Can fairies use Google Maps?” he asked.

The whole family laughed, but Ciara was still feeling a little nervous.

The family read through the Fairy/Family Lease Agreement and signed their names. Next was the bit that excited Ciara and Liam the most – the magical key!

Ciara held the bottle with the key inside in her hands and squeezed tight. “Oh I hope I hope I hope you find this, little fairy”, she whispered, before
placing the bottle beside the door.


And so, their door was ready. Ciara went to bed thinking how funny and strange it was that she was almost feeling more excited going to sleep on Christmas
Day than she did waking up!

Just before she fell asleep, she whispered to herself “Safe journey, fairy Lucy. I can’t wait to meet you.” She wasn’t sure why she said that name, but
it just felt right.

That whisper rose from Ciara’s bed and out of her window, above her house and across the town of Spiddal. The whisper travelled over the mountains and
weaved through the clouds until it finally reached the teeny tiny ears it was looking for.

Fairy Lucy heard it loud and clear. Her heart felt so full she thought it might burst. “It’s my human!”, she gasped.

As quickly as she could, Lucy packed her fairy belongings into her suitcase, which was about the size of a puppy’s paw. She flew to Do-Come-Back Docks
in Fairy Valley where she saw hundreds of fairies lined up, waiting to set off. Lots of other fairies, unicorns and ladybirds had gathered to celebrate,
too.

Lucy saw another very special fairy emerge from the crowd. She knew immediately that it was Queen Kate.

“Fairies”, said Queen Kate. “Remember this moment: the very special moment you set off to find your perfect human home. I know you have all been preparing
for this moment for a long time and I am so proud of you all, and excited to come and visit you in your new homes. Along with everyone in Fairy Valley,
I wish you well on this most magical beginning.”

Lucy held tight to her suitcase, took a deep breath and flew into the air. She looked back and waved at her friends and at Fairy Valley. “I’ll see you
all soon”, she said, and turned to face the sky.

Lucy was flying with some other friends of hers until they had to turn and head for another country, like Portugal, South Africa or New Zealand. Lucy knew
that there was a magical force in the air that was drawing her towards her door, so she didn’t have to wonder which way to go. She just knew.

Before too long, Lucy’s wings began to glow, which told her she was closer than ever to her destination. She knew it was time to make her descent, and
as she did, she saw her magical key glowing through a window in a house. “My home”, she whispered.

Lucy used a special magical spell she had learned to fly through the window and flew to her door. When she got to the bottle she could feel the warmth
and love from when Ciara squeezed it.

Lucy signed her name on the Lease Agreement and turned the key in her door, and thought to herself that she felt the happiest she had ever felt.

At the very same time, Ciara smiled in her sleep. They both knew then that the most special, magical experience of their lives was just about to begin…

The End