text: Some have all the luck A wedding is set for April fools day, but Maggie feels more the fool than a bridesmaid. Her sister Rebekah has planned a fantasy themed wedding. To make matters worse, she has even chosen her sister’s costume, without any room for negotiation. Pointed ears, a green dress with glitter and sparkles adorned. Then there came the shoes out of it’s box, carefully wrapped in tissue paper, with great pointed toes!. How on earth was anyone to walk in these without falling flat on their face, was beyond Maggie’s understanding. But she had promised to go along with her sister’s wishes, even if it meant photo’s on social media that would plague her for the rest of her life! The wedding’s location is by a great lake, centred within an ancient Celtic forest. Maggie was sent there early, to make preparations. The tents had already been set up by hired hands, and a few gathered round a camp fire as the sun began to set over the tree tops. Everyone must remain in character, while they are staying, so costumes and ears were fixed appropriately. Maggie avoided any eye contact with others there, she was a recluse and did not care for social interaction, though she enjoyed a concert if it meant she could sit back and close her eyes to take it all in. The wedding is at noon, in 2 days time. The night was quite cold, as she tried, but failed to sleep, the wind blew through her tent and Maggie sat up, with one ear on, and the other hanging off, stuck to the side of her cheek. She poked her head outside, to see where this strange noise was coming from. She could hear music playing, and yet it was in the distance, amongst the trees, and not in the camp. Putting on her floppy pointed shoes, she hopped about, pulling the tights until they reached up and over her waist, as they had a habit of pulling downwards in an uncomfortable fashion. Maggie left the camp site, in search of this jolly music with such a hypnotic good beat. There she saw, tiny lights, flickering and moving about amongst the forest trees. Out of no where, this man, dressed like her ,only with dark green baggy clothes, and dirt all over as if he had been rolling around in the ground, leapt out. He cried “So ye be wantin te join the party?”. Maggie just burst out laughing. Thinking, these hired actors her sister joked about hiring, must have arrived and are in character. So she played along, fixing her wonky ears. “Yes, I be wantin, te join ye”. She replied. If there was one thing that could get Maggie out of her shell, it was music. To her it was a way to reach out to the world but still keep a safe distance. The pixie grabbed her hand, and trailed her with great haste towards a small group of people dancing and playing, all like him, but male an female. The lights, came from old fashioned lanterns, hung around the trees. There were also these strange holes in the ground, a bit like giant rabbit holes. Musical instruments were being played, and Maggie joined in when she was offered to play. She played the flute and found this to be a fun party that had this trance feeling of comfort and joy. They did not pressure her with any questions, it was just simply music and dancing. As drinks were handed out, they tasted like wild nut tea. But Maggie felt dizzy and suddenly blacked out. When she awoke, her head was splitting. Feeling for her false ears to take them off, they refused to move!. She tried over and over, pulling at them, but it hurt!. Had they pranked her and glued them on?. Furious, Maggie rushed to a mirror, but she had no reflection. Feeling the tops of her ears, and pinching them, it hurt even more!. ‘This can not be, it’s a nightmare or some weird mushroom drug was in that tea, I’m having a hallucination’ she thought. Running outside, there was her sister Rebekah, and other guests. All seemed concerned and were talking about her disappearance. Maggie reached out to them, but her hand went straight through, as if she were a ghost. Running now in sheer panic, she reached the place of the late night party. Only to find no one there, but a hole was still visible. She built up the courage and began to climb through it. Mud and water, made her filthy as she squeezed through tight corners. There a light, Maggie reached the end. A great cave, with a glorious waterfall and a rainbow which hung over it. An entire town was situated, streets and shops, and even a school. All of them carved out of the natural bed rock stone. Maggie rushed towards a pixie, who walked with her cow from a small field. “Please, I need help, I think, I’m trapped”. The young pixie laughed, and turned towards her father who was now coming up the lane. She spoke as though this were a normal event. “Father, here is another one”. Maggie now with her throat dry from horror, begged to know what on earth was going on?. He answered, “isn’t it obvious, you made a deal with a pixie and now you must repay him”. Maggie, tried to think back. But while she was gazing around in deep thought. It dawned on her, everything here was small, as was she. There was a nut, being crunched up by 2 pixies on some strange apparatus with hammers. And again, another example, a flower, a buttercup lay on it’s side, used by children to slide down like a playground. “What must I do to return to normal?”. She begged in desperation. They explained, there is a way, but Maggie must repay her debt first. The pixie who had invited her to dance, was their chief prankster and he declared himself the champion, undefeated. Maggie in all her wisdom challenged him. If she fails, she will remain a pixie, and if she wins, he will grant her what she longed for, self confidence. In her hand, just as if magic had prevailed, there appeared a scroll. A list of pranks, to win this bet. Maggie, placing it in her belt, and saying goodbye to this strange underground world, wished never to return, for fear of being trapped. She crawled inside the hole to make her exit. Maggie looked upon the first prank. An easy one by far. To place frogs inside her sisters wedding boots. Silly, but who was she to question the list. Only one problem, Maggie was fully visible now and was being scorned for her filthy appearance. Her ears could be removed, which was a blessing, but the list remained and so this was no dream. Time to avoid the crowd gathered and focus on this list, the frogs will just have to wait. She snuck into the wedding tent and replaced the figure of the bride with another, her keyring which was of a cartoon pig. But had to make conversation with two couples who lingered at the tents entrance, before making her escape. Next, to mix up the seating arrangements, no easy task when people are coming and going, and having yet again to make small talk with her sisters guests. Maggie was not panicking she had until tomorrow, at the wedding. But when she passed a calender on the wall, there a day had vanished!, her sister was to marry, in one hour!. If she fails before noon, a pixie she shall remain forever. Reaching now for seats, reading the list, that was declaring that drawing pins be placed, and on top of this, she is to burn a horrible smell, sabotage the catering with creatures such as worms and slugs. It was too cruel, too much, and unfair to Rebekah. Her sister looks so upset, already she has witnessed her cake. Maggie just felt awful, knowing that her sister had diet problems and was sensitive about such things. Maggie could not follow through any longer. No this was over for her. She threw the list into an open fire and approached Rebekah. “I wish you all the luck, joy and happiness in the world sister”. With a shocked expression from her sister, she was glad, both were of a renewed friendship that was just about hanging in there. The sun was now in the south, as Maggie stood at the alter and watched her sister wed. Maggie heard music now, being played in the distance. Only she could hear this, she knew where it came from. The beat, the drumming sounds, they were back, and possibly waiting for her. Too afraid to touch her ears, Maggie shook with fear, as she knew, at any moment, she would vanish from sight. But she did not. An entire hour passed by, with nothing horrible taking place. Dare she touch her ears?. Yes they are OK. Needing answers, though terrified of the result, Maggie rushed through the dark forest, towards the music. The pixie stood waiting for her, he mocked, “so ye thought ye could beat me? Ye failed!”. Maggie agreed, but he laughed. “Why the long face, ye haven’t failed yer self, no, passed ye did, and wit flying colours”. Maggie was confused. Then she realised, she had lost, but her punishment was to be more like them, more open and alive. This was no curse, it was a lesson and a gift. As it says, it takes a wise man to act a fool. Sometimes, those we see as being fools, are the wisest amongst us.