The Twilighting and the Daoine Sidhe

You can never know the loving bond of family quite the way you do once you’ve stared into the eyes of a beloved blood relation and you see… an imposter. One day your new born sister is the most beautiful baby in the world. Next day- you see her and… something feels different. O she’s there alright but- that’s… not her! Of course I be speaking of a changeling. Gabriela was switched at birth by the faeries she was. Her Sister Maureen knowed it and the family- aye the village knowed it too! Now- she’s found the one with answers at last.

“Oh Gabriela- poor Gabriela. … Where can you be?”, she wondered- looking out at the gold horizon as the twilight swallowed the day in it’s gullet of impending darkness. The veil between the worlds was thinning as the daylight fell and she could feel the stranger drawing near. All day she had waited. The twilight was beginning soon. They told her to go inside. the wind was changing. Anyone could feel it. At the consternation of Papa- she succumbed.

    “You want to bring down the Wrath of ‘The Good People’-Do you?” Asked her Father as the breeze raised his last remaining hairs. “You want them to take another one of ours? Best get inside Maureen! And do it quick!” She heard that chilling warning in Papa’s voice again and again now as she stared into the fire. There was no way around it. The veil was almost shifted. Papa had travelled to the far neighbors place to trade pork for some eggs, whiskey, and some turnips. She had intended to heed his wishes-honest she had- and to stay there but... now he was away. The room was - for the moment empty and the window was not latched. If she left now- no coat and no shoes- just the fresh night gown upon her- she'd make it out unseen and no one would pick up on it for almost an hour. Now was the time- not a moment to lose. Up she went from her seat, the window practically flung itself open before her such was her surity. She was going back to glimpse the Strange folk. She was going to visit the People of The Mound- ‘The Dionhe Sidhe’ {pronounced Doona-Shee} as fast as her sure, fleet- bare- feet would take her. Go through that little faerie mound and you enter ‘the Otherworld’. Realm of the dead. Realm of the Faeries. The Little Folk. The Good Folk- the Folk what took her sister. Took her away.

That ‘thing’ they call Gabriela-in her family's cradle- it looked like her little sister, talked, spoke with the same voice. Nay but she knowed it be not her. Strange creature. Identical. But angry. Always frowning and screaming. She shuddered at the thought.

Yes she should be there inside the house by the fire with Clara, Daryl, Nicholas, Shane, Bert, Mama, and Papa and the ‘thing’ they called Gabriela. They don’t understand though—not a one.  She SAW this blivin’ stranger confound it all and knew it were the Daoine Sidhe - looked into his sad white eyes and saw… tears! He had tears in them. She could almost taste his tears - and not a one of them believed her tale. Well no matter. Maureen was here now. She prayed for the cold to be merciful to her in the Ill-equipped night gown that gave her only her own modesty and little else. The mud between her toes was cold but for now- thank goodness- the gale was no where.

      There was still a little wind picking up but it was a light billowing- the kind you feel when someone’s face moves right up to yours as if to steal a kiss. And she pressed her dress closer to herself. This was the moment that the Worlds merged; Ours and… theirs- the Otherworld. This was the twilighting.  If he was to appear again to her it would be here. Now. 

“O I would so love to see him and tell Clara- and Nicholas especially- that I- Maureen- have SEEN the  Dionhe Sidhe! Me! The one you teased and said the Sidhe would come and steal me away one day for being curious! And you know what- these little folk’ of yours- humph! Well he is a giant of a man. He can be small or he can be large- he can be ugly as you say but when he comes to ME- he chooses beauty.” Ah that would be a wonderful boasting. Alas, she could never do such a thing as tell others what she sees in this strange place. That was Maureen’s strength. No need for the validation that comes of telling exciting secrets. She locked them away within her. Never to tell a soul… but there is one- she would indeed tell anything. Him. THE Him. The Stranger of the mound. Her own sad- aching-for-something-or someone- Daoine Sidhe. Perhaps he might share his secret in turn with her. Yea and he was drawing nearer and nearer. He was HER very own little secret.

“If he is sad again I will linger and comfort him- Whatever he needs...", she thought to herself. "...Then he will give me back my baby sister He has to!” Her bravery was cut short for just then the breeze increased and in the rippling ethers before her she made out the chilling form of the faerie whom she awaited. The Faerie appeared. “The Man of the Mound” she said breathlessly. She trembled with worship for his beauty, the way he rose up above her to stand tall.  The golden curls of his beard blending with those flaxen strands that fell down passed his ears, about his shoulders from beneath a crown of clary buds that seemed to rise, stiffen, and bloom at the sight of her. She gazed upon him feeling strange things within herself. She felt for her dress as if to make sure it was still there and though it was- his eyes seemed to see through her entirely. The wind howled around her now and though she expected a shiver- the breeze was- strangely- warm.

She looked back at him. He received her gaze with white eyes - soft! There it was again- a single tear began to make it's way to that glorious golden beard of his. He looked as if a ghost or a spirit- appearing and yet strangely incorporeal. Though the Sidhe seemed clad in tattered raggety silks- the age of which cannot be fathomed- he appeared resplendent in them… were they the old royal robes as told in legend! Was this a faerie nobility? A faerie king? Was he Daoine Sidhe or was he older- was he of the Tuatha De Danaan. Though the warm wind waled through his delicate hanging rags, it was never able to influence them or produce the slightest billowing. The Sidhe approached her and she felt her blood stirring… his transparant hand reached up and made it's way towards her quivering body. She felt the wind nearly pushing her from behind-as if to bring her to him. She steadied herself with her hand upon the nearby tree. Now the wind moved to beat against her poor night gown. The closer the hand came to her person- the more it materialized. Again she felt for her dress and the hand- traveled up her without touching. It passed her belly, her ribs, up between her breasts, over her throbbing heart, her collar bone, her sweating neck, until he found the hair blowing in her face. With perfect effort he gathered  those strands in two warm fingers and brushed them behind her ear, smoothing it behind her soft lobe and she instantly calmed, taking in his ghostly gaze.

   She couldn’t speak- how could she? “Gabriela.” Her eyes said to his. “Where?” She felt the warmth of his strong fingertips as they lingered there in the sensitive place behind her ear. She beheld another tear. It was all so confusing. Why was he moved so? Before she understood what was happening, her own eyes began welling up with sadness and water. Her vision was as clouded as her mind. Through the mist of her woe she saw the twilight pulling white stars in his tears. She felt like she had somehow conquered him even though he seemed to hold her fast in some sort of love spell. "Tell me where- is she- alive?" her watery eyes implored. She felt herself moving to him. How dare she but yes she was heading straight for him. He never wavered his white eyes always taking her in. "You are safe here" said his white eyes as his whispering lips materialized to meet hers. And before she knew what she was doing- she had kissed his tear.  It was like salted honey. Now came his lips, nestled in the golden beard, and now her lips burned hotter than thet did with her dear William. A tremendous fire roared up through her and soon she was enveloped in his arms as the twilight wrapped them both in the fading gold. "My Sister, she thought. Where is she".

"Your Sister is ours and we left you one of ours. And you will love her." He said- and made a sound which seemed to her almost like a cackle. "Besides my dear... you are not here for her. You came for something else... now I shall bestow it it to you. Come down into the ground with me. Come here- to become with me. Learn when and how you conquered me Maureeeeeen." He hissed as he knelt down in front of her.

And she heard the first words now that she ever said out loud to the Daoine Sidhe,

"I... conquered you? But... how" she asked as he took her hand to join his kneeling to her....

"It was a long time ago. Come down here with me..." And she travelled down to join him on the grassy ground....

"I shall show you how the conquering happened... And she heard another sound like cackling from him.

The was rising now. And soon she too was laughing...

"Good-bye Gabriela" she whispered. And his burning kiss came to her smiling lips...

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