Midsummer Nights

A year passes fast when you're busy and so it was June again. School was out. No more tests, lectures or planning to do, and I returned to stay with my parents.

Katarina was but a memory but hope stirred as midsummer arrived. Preparations were the same as always and the maypole was put in place to announce the start of the celebration. As I returned after taking a bath a pair of arms surrounded me from behind.

"Hi Carl. Remember me?"

Katarina. Her jaw landed on my shoulder and her lips nibbled my earlobe.

"Hi." I answered, probably rather coldly "Why did you leave like that?"

"Last year? There was nothing much to say, was there? A summer fling for one magical night, that was all it was, wasn't it? I'd love a repeat today though."

"I missed you the next morning, the weeks after that. We made love and you didn't even say goodbye."

"Had it been better if I had woken you up and said 'Thank you, take care and see you next year'?"

"At least I would have known then. Where we stood, what it meant to you. I wouldn't have had to wonder."

I freed myself from her embrace and turned around to look at her. She was as beautiful as I remembered but looked tired with bags under her eyes. That softened my heart a bit.

"I have missed you, you know. Are you okay? You look tired."

"Yeah, I'm okay. Granny died six months ago but I'm over that now. With dad gone too I had to handle everything myself and I let my business slip. I've been catching up ever since."

"I'm sorry. Are you really okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What about your mum? You said your dad was gone too but what about her?"

"You don't know? I thought everyone here heard about that."

"I don't think so."

"That was the reason why we moved away: she disappeared, vanished as if she had never existed. Dad had always been suspicious and jealous so he said she had left with a lover. Granny wasn't all that clear in the head even then and said mum had found and married a fairy king. I said they were both nuts, and the police said 'possible murder' but found nothing to go on. That they suspected dad was clear but with no evidence -- no victim even -- there was nothing they could do. So we moved away because dad couldn't stand being around granny."

"That's crazy! She disappeared without a trace? Didn't say anything or leave a message?"

"Nothing. She even seemed to leave all her clothes behind. Granny took that as proof that she had found a fairy king, been swept off of her feet, and she told dad straight up that he should have been kinder. She even suggested that I probably had a half-sister by then, a fairy noble."

"Excuse me for saying this but it doesn't sound as if your granny was sane at all!"

"I know. Who believes in fairies today? Except you and she... remember what you told me last year?"

"Yeah, but I was more than half asleep and didn't know what to think."

"And maybe that was granny's way to tell dad he had driven mum off with his sarcasms and slapping her around."

"He hit your mum? And you and granny?"

"Mostly mum, never granny, seldom me. He had nothing to be jealous about with us. Not with mum either as far as I know but she was his wife and that was enough. In the end I guess it hurt me more to see mum get beaten than being hit myself."

"You do seem a lot happier now than you did back then. I don't think I ever saw you smile then and now you always do."

She actually hadn't throughout our conversation there and then but I didn't blame her for that.

"Dad is gone and so are the memories of him and what he did. Most of the time anyway. He kept an emotional and physical distance to me except when he got angry so in a way he was no more than a stranger to me. It's strange but I can't even miss him a little. I've learned to appreciate things, to see the bright side."

"Thanks for trusting me with this Katarina. It isn't what you should be reminded of a day like this though. I'm sorry the subject came up today of all days."

Her smile returned at once with sparkling eyes and all.

"But that's it you see! I can see the bright side of that too! You were grumpy because I left you like that last year but now you are closer to me because I told you. It's one step further along the road and I hope you trust me more now. That's a good thing!"

"Okay, if you say so. Care to dance then? As another step?"

"Of course. Polska has always intrigued me, I hope you are a tolerant dance teacher."

- - - - - -

Much later we made slow love in the same spot as the year before, and just like then I fell asleep with Katarina beside me. Wake-up was very different though.

I lay on top of her, moving in and out of her at a furious pace until I erupted. We were both panting heavily and holding on to the other desperately. Katarina had her arms and legs around me and didn't let go even after I had finished.

It was a little scary to wake up and find I was in the middle of having sex, not least when I was the active one. I had no idea how it had happened, how it started or who initiated it. A total blank!

Held by her that way I couldn't roll off or sit back, so we lay there panting and sweating on the pine needles. It was Katarina who first broke the silence.

"Are you happy now? Have you had enough fun?"

She didn't sound angry or upset, possibly a bit strained though. I took her words to mean I was the instigator and she had been a reluctant participant. Not what I wanted to hear. I was about to apologise and try to explain when she continued:

"Puck, for heavens sake! This was the fourth time since you woke me. I can't take much more and I'm sure he can't get hard again. Can't we at least take a break, nap for an hour or two?"

Puck? The fourth time? What the f...?

"One more." a demanding voice said behind me. If Katarina hadn't held me so tight I swear I would have jumped a meter or more.

"Five in a row seals the deal." the voice continued, giggling "And don't you worry dear sister, he will perform for as long as I want him to. Look at this!"

Something or someone touched my balls and sent what felt like an electric bolt through my entire body. It's effect was immediate: a full erection that I pushed all the way inside Katarina.

"Oh fuck!" she gasped and dug her fingers into my back "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

She was right, that's what I did to her without a will of my own. Starting off slow and deep, lifting myself up at the same time as I moved in, I seemed to stimulate Katarina like I had never managed to do with anyone before.

Her body moved with mine, following as if dancing while making small noises of pleasure. Nibbling on one of my earlobes as she was every release of breath from her tickled me excitingly and made me add a little extra thrust in penetration. It was an upward moving spiral towards bliss that had only one possible ending.

Katarina was first to arrive there, and second. When it was my turn she followed once again.

"See? I told you, and now he is yours." the giggling voice commented from behind "And you are his. And you have a Puck as an eternal memory. Let go of each other now and rest for a moment."

Katarina released me from her grip and I rolled off to the side. When laying on my back I got my first look at who the speaker was. Or what.

Over a rock a meter from our feet hovered a cloud of mist. It was much like the mist over the pond the year before but very local. The centre column was much denser than the rest and... yes, it looked human in a vague way. See-through but almost solid, in part hidden by the surrounding mist trails but not quite. I could see long hair like silk flowing down the body.

Though not absolutely convinced I was awake, my mind told me I was looking at a fairy: a mythological creature from old fables. It looked female somehow even if not counting the long hair, and the voice might have suggested that too if vaguely. No, I must be asleep after all.

"Yes, I am what you call a 'fairy' and yes, I am what you call female, but thinking of me as a 'creature' is not nice." it said as if hearing my thoughts "Yes, I can read your thoughts so don't try to deny anything."

"Oh, sorry!" I hurried to apologise "I didn't know what to think. Still don't to be honest. Are you part of my dreams?"

"Apology accepted, for now. No, I'm not part of your dreams since you're awake. At the same time I'm not really here either. I can't explain it so you would understand but not all humans could see me now, only those I wanted to. Since Katarina is my sister and she wanted my help I let you see me for now."

"You are Katarina's sister? And a fairy? But she's human. Her mum, she really ran off with a fairy?"

"Our mum! Yes, she did."

"You're a child then? I mean..."

I covered myself with my hands.

"A child? You're joking, right? I'm older than you, almost twice your age! Time is not a constant as you think it is. Then again, it can go backwards too if you know how to control it. You don't but we do."

There was no doubt she -- it -- was teasing me because of our lack of knowledge.

"She, not 'it'!" she added a little sharper.

I had already forgotten she was inside my head.

"Your name is Puck then?"

"No, our names are not for humans to hear so Katarina gave me that name for her to use. Some guy wielding a lance or something had used it and she said it felt right for me. Ask her for details, I'm not really interested in names."

I turned to look at Katarina. She lay with a hand between her thighs, massaging a sore spot tenderly. At my look she blushed and started to giggle much like Puck seemed to always do.

"I'm a bit tender down there you know. I have never had so much excitement in one night ever but it was worth it. About why I picked Puck now, that's easy. Shakespeare, A midsummer night's dream. Fairies don't seem to read or write so shake spear or wield lance is pretty much the same thing. That's where I got the name anyway."

"How did you meet? When?"

"A year ago, before I came to you at this very spot. I talked to granny a lot when I got here to try to get more information about what mum had said and done before she disappeared. I didn't learn a lot but it joggled my memory. Mum's favourite spots for picking cloudberries, where we went to bathe and so on. I revisited those places the week before midsummer without finding anything. I felt something though, a presence, something talking to me in a language I didn't understand. No words or sounds at all but inside my head."

"It wasn't me!" Puck giggled naughtily "It could have been but it wasn't!"

"If you say so Puck. Still, when I took my bath in this pond last midsummer, when you saw me Carl, I wasn't alone. Puck was there with me and that was the first time we met. I wasn't aware at first and have no recollection how I got down to the shore and into the water but there I woke up and saw here. When I left to pick seven flowers it was her suggestion and she showed me... things. Then I came to you and we made love, and then I left with Puck. I couldn't tell you that without you thinking I was crazy you know."

"You're right, I can't believe it now even, despite seeing a fairy and talking to her. Have you met your mum then?"

"Not yet. Puck says there are rules that can't be broken. A human can only enter their world to marry one of them and stay forever. They are not allowed to visit our world unless they have a specific task. I was lucky last year because Puck was here to help an injured deer. Once here she happened to be passing the pond and contacted me."

"Happened to pass? Huh!" was Puck's comment.

"So, are you going to marry a fairy then?" I asked Katarina.

"He's not that smart, is he?" Puck interrupted again "Are you sure he's not the village idiot, sister of mine?"

"Yes Puck, I'm sure. Remember, he doesn't know what we know. It's a girl thing."

"You are the one who has to live with your mistakes. It's too late to change anything now anyway."

It was my turn to interrupt:

"What are you babbling about? If you don't want to answer my question, fine, but after our lovemaking I thought we had something going, that's all."

"I told you: he's stupid!" Puck laughed as her foggy appearance lifted from the rock and twirled and danced around.

"Calm down Puck!" Katarina admonished her, and Puck returned to the rock "Carl, we do have something going between us. I knew it a year ago but wanted to think it over and not rush into anything. What we did here tonight, making love five times in a row, was the prerequisites for a fairy wedding kind of. I know you weren't aware of that, literally not aware at all the first couple of times, but I hope you like the idea anyway."

Marriage? That was fast! Well, a year since last time we met. Ten more before that and knowing each other for several years before that. Perhaps it wasn't that sudden after all. And she was beautiful and positive. And naked. And mine.

"Katarina, will you marry me?" I therefore asked her.

"Why, yes of course!" she answered, smiling brightly.

"Not as stupid as I thought, but still stupid!" Puck giggled.

- - - - - -

"Have you recovered now?" Puck asked eagerly half-an-hour or so later "I should get on my way or it will be too late."

"Too late for what?" I wondered.

"I can't stay here during your day. Yes yes yes, I know the sun's been up constantly for days but we have a set time. If I stay after that I can't return, ever, and will wither away."

"You mean you would die?"

"Yes! Come on, take my hands and please try to keep up! I'll let you help open the portal and get a glimpse of the other side but you cannot enter!"

Katarina and I came to our feet but I hesitated.

"Puck, don't get insulted now but how can I take your hand? It's only mists as far as I can see."

"Good point stupid, but didn't you feel my hand on your balls when I got you hard? It doesn't matter what you see with your eyes. See it with your mind, close your eyes and take my hand the same way Katarina already has."

I looked at Katarina and saw her holding out one hand as if grabbing something. I closed my eyes and held out a hand the same way and there it was. A slim hand with long fingers, soft to the touch like a summer breeze. On contact everything changed.

My eyes were still closed but I saw what was around me clearly. Puck was no longer mists but a slender female. Pale-skinned with white long hair. Her emerald-green eyes shone like lasers at me as she smiled. A short white 'dress' covered her torso, ending high up on her thighs and leaving the shoulders bare. No straps or sashes to hold it in place but it was skin-tight.

Katarina had changed too. She had the same pale skin, the green eyes, white hair and dress. There was one difference between them: Puck had a golden glow around her like an aura, very bright, while Katarina's was darker and reddish.

"Look at yourself through my mind Stupid and you will see your own fairy appearance." Puck told me "Just think it and it will happen."

It seemed she had decided on a name for me much like Katarina had done for her: Stupid. I let it pass though and did as she said, thinking I saw through her mind. Nothing changed for a moment but then my world rocked! Everything flipped as positions changed around, and I almost toppled over from the experience. Then I saw a man instead of Puck and Katarina.

He had the same skin and eyes. The hair colour was also the same but it was half as long as theirs. He looked as graceful and limber as them, far from the bulkier build I really had. The aura was blue as the evening sky and there was no clothes at all.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Puck laughed "Never mind how you look, it's not real anyway. It's a mix or the images all fairies that have met you have of you. Since I'm the only one so far it is my image. What you saw of me and Katarina was also my image, censored I might add. The images change as more fairies see us, for better or worse. Get out of my head now, think of what your own mind see."

Again I had that nauseating feeling of a world toppling over and jumping about as I returned to myself. Strange though, I still hadn't opened my eyes!

"Now I will open the portal to our world. Don't let go of me or you might disappear into oblivion."

Puck started running around in a circle with us on tow. Faster and faster she went until everything was a blur. I had no feeling of using my legs or touching the ground but stayed with her with ease anyway. Then she slowed down and stopped before taking a step to the side and pointing to the ground. A ring of long grass had materialised where before it had only been pine needles.

"A fairy ring." she said.

We stepped into the circle with Puck in front, our hands still joined. As my feet touched ground inside the circle I saw a path leading down into the ground that had somehow opened up. Mysteriously it wasn't caves, dark and damp, but looked pretty much the same as what I was used to.

There was forests, fields, lakes, blue skies with white clouds and a sun shining. Every plant, even the single straws of grass, had an aura of coloured light around them though, covering the spectrum of the rainbow.

There was also fairies, some very far away but a few very close. The nearest two were no more than a couple of yards away.

"Mum?" Katarina said, puzzled "Mum! It is you!"

"Yes Katarina, it is me. I'm very happy to see you again at last. I could feel your presence some time ago and tried to get your attention. Since you were not tuned in on us I couldn't but your sister told me you had met."

Katarina made a move to enter the path but was held back by Puck.

"You cannot enter sister. If you do you cannot leave and you have agreed to marry Stupid."

"But it's my mum! I haven't seen her in years, I thought she was dead!"

"I know child and I'm sorry about that. I had little choice that time though. I was out to really end my life but was saved at the very last moment. It pleases me to hear that you are getting married, and that is more important than being with me. Perhaps we will meet again somehow if you're in the area. Now you have to back away though to let your sister enter. There's not much time left so please hurry."

"You did this on purpose Puck? To let us meet?"

"Of course! Leave the ring now, backwards, and let go of my hands. As mother said we may meet again if you're around here. I'm likely to be around to help animals and will recognise your presence if you're here."

I took a step back and let go of Puck's hand. Suddenly all I saw was the forest, the pond and the blue sky above. And a fairy ring on the pine-needle-covered ground. I stood looking around for a moment, waiting for Katarina to appear beside me but nothing happened.

The thought hit me that she could have decided to enter the fairy world to be with her mother after all. Why wouldn't she? It was her mum and sister after all.

I had just about given up, thinking she had deserted me again, when she appeared by my side.

She was crying softly and just stood there looking into the fairy ring, so I put an arm around her and pulled her to me. She let me do it without resistance but kept staring at the same spot in silence.

"It was a difficult situation for you Katarina, I understand that, but I'm glad you decided to stay with me." I whispered softly in her ear.

"I didn't. I couldn't decide. Puck pushed me away."

With that admission she started to cry for real and sank to the ground. I followed her down, holding her tight. I got us into a laying position, and with her crying against my shoulder we must eventually have fallen asleep.

- - - - - -

You know how it can be sometimes when you wake up and remember a dream you've had? A crazy dream that you know can't be real but at the same time it feels real? That was how I felt. At the same time I held Katarina in my arms and we were both naked, just like in the dream. Had it been real? Had I proposed to her, were we engaged?