🌙 The Night Pixies

Ash and the Dream That Went Dark

 

There is a world that exists alongside ours.

You cannot find it on a map.

You won't see it from an aeroplane, and no grown-up has ever managed to find the way in.

But when night falls, the world of the Night Pixies comes alive.

Hidden beneath leaves, between the branches of ancient trees and behind the places we pass every day without noticing, tiny lights begin to appear.

Doors open.

Windows glow.

Wings stretch.

And the Night Pixies wake.

They are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but never mistake their size for weakness.

Every Night Pixie has their own colour.

Every Night Pixie has their own personality.

And no two Night Pixies are ever exactly alike.

But there is one thing they all have in common.

Every night, somewhere in the human world, a child falls asleep...

and begins to dream.

That's when the Night Pixies go to work.

Because dreams are not always peaceful.

Sometimes they are strange.

Sometimes they are wonderful.

Sometimes they take you places you never knew existed.

And sometimes, when the darkness feels a little too close and something frightening appears from the shadows...

a Night Pixie is there too.

They may not know what is waiting for them.

They may be frightened themselves.

They may even make a few mistakes along the way.

But that's what makes an adventure an adventure.

And tonight, one particular Night Pixie is about to discover just how far a dream can take them.

Their name is Ash.

Ash is yellow.

And Ash is about to have a very interesting night.

It is just after midnight in the Night Pixie world.

The village is quiet.

Moonlight spills between the trees, turning the pathways silver, while hundreds of tiny lanterns float gently above the rooftops.

Most of the Night Pixies are already busy.

Some are flying between the trees.

Some are carrying little parcels.

Others are checking the dream maps that hang inside the great old Dreaming Tree.

Ash stands outside a tiny wooden doorway, fastening the strap of a small adventure satchel.

Ash gives it a shake.

Something rattles inside.

"Map?"

Ash pulls one out.

"Check."

"Compass?"

Ash searches.

Nothing.

Ash searches again.

Still nothing.

"Compass?"

A small pebble falls onto the ground.

Ash looks at it.

"Not a compass."

Ash puts it back.

Then comes the important question.

"Snack?"

Ash reaches into the satchel and pulls out a biscuit.

Ash smiles.

"Check."

The biscuit disappears back into the bag.

Ash is just about to leave when the great bell in the centre of the village rings.

GONG.

Ash looks up.

One of the lanterns above the village changes from white to gold.

Then another.

Then another.

Ash's expression changes.

A dream is beginning.

Ash spreads their wings.

"Right."

With one powerful flap, Ash lifts into the air.

Higher and higher.

The village shrinks beneath them.

The trees become tiny.

The moon seems closer.

And then the world below begins to disappear.

Ash flies through a cloud of silver mist.

For a moment, there is nothing but darkness.

Then—

POP.

Ash lands on a path.

Ash looks around.

Something is wrong.

This is a dream.

Ash knows it immediately.

But it isn't like most dreams.

There are no bright colours.

No floating stars.

No strange talking animals.

The path stretches ahead through a dark forest.

The trees are enormous.

Their branches twist together above Ash's head, blocking out almost all of the moonlight.

Ash takes a cautious step forward.

The leaves beneath their feet make a soft crunching sound.

Crack.

Ash stops.

A second crack comes from somewhere deeper in the forest.

Ash looks around.

"Hello?"

Nothing answers.

Ash waits.

Still nothing.

Ash takes another step.

Then comes a sound that makes Ash's wings twitch.

A quiet whimper.

Ash turns towards it.

"Hello?"

The whimper comes again.

This time, Ash follows it.

The path bends between two enormous trees.

Beyond them is a clearing.

And sitting in the middle of it is a child.

The child is alone.

Ash slowly walks closer.

"Hi."

The child looks up.

For a moment, neither of them says anything.

Then the child whispers,

"Are you real?"

Ash smiles.

"Real enough."

The child looks at Ash's glowing yellow face, their wings and their tiny satchel.

"You're a Night Pixie."

"That's right."

"What are you doing here?"

Ash glances around the dark forest.

"That's a good question."

The child looks towards the trees.

"I don't like this place."

Ash sits beside them.

"Neither do I."

The child looks surprised.

"You don't?"

Ash shakes their head.

"No."

That seems to make the child feel better.

Ash looks into the darkness.

"So I suppose we'll have to work out how to get out together."

The child nods.

But before either of them can move, the ground begins to shake.

Very gently at first.

Then harder.

Leaves fall from the trees.

The child grabs Ash's hand.

"What is that?"

Ash doesn't answer.

Because something enormous is moving through the forest.

Ash can hear it.

THUD.

A pause.

THUD.

Another step.

Closer.

Ash's wings begin to glow brighter.

Not because Ash feels brave.

Because Ash is scared.

The child whispers,

"Is it a monster?"

Ash looks towards the trees.

"I don't know."

A huge shadow moves across the ground.

The child squeezes Ash's hand.

Ash squeezes back.

Then Ash notices something.

The shadow isn't moving towards them.

It's moving away.

Ash stands.

"Wait."

"What?"

"I think it's running."

The child looks confused.

"Monsters don't run away."

"Maybe this one does."

Another enormous THUD shakes the ground.

Ash points towards the trees.

"Come on."

They run.

The child follows.

They race through the forest as fast as they can.

Branches whip past.

Leaves fly into the air.

Ash's wings beat furiously.

Then the trees suddenly disappear.

Ash stops.

The child nearly bumps into them.

Ahead is a huge hill.

And on top of the hill stands the most enormous thing Ash has ever seen.

It is dark.

It has four enormous legs.

Two giant ears.

A huge round head.

And a tail that is nearly as long as Ash is tall.

Ash stares.

The child stares.

The creature stares back.

Then it sneezes.

AAACHOOO!

A cloud of leaves explodes into the air.

Ash blinks.

The child blinks.

The enormous creature gives a tiny whimper.

Ash slowly lowers their hand.

"You're not a monster."

The creature shakes its head.

Ash smiles.

"You're lost."

The creature gives another little whimper.

The child steps forward.

"He's scared."

Ash looks at the enormous creature.

Despite its size, its ears are folded back.

Its tail is tucked underneath it.

And its eyes are enormous.

Ash suddenly understands.

This isn't a monster.

It's a puppy.

A very, very large puppy.

Ash walks closer.

"Hello."

The puppy lowers its enormous head.

Ash reaches up and places one tiny hand against its nose.

The puppy sniffs.

Then gently licks Ash from head to toe.

SLOOOOOORP.

Ash disappears.

The child bursts out laughing.

Ash emerges from a cloud of fur.

"I see."

Ash wipes their face.

"So that's how this dream is going to be."

The puppy wags its tail.

WHOOSH.

The child laughs again.

And for the first time since Ash arrived, the forest doesn't feel frightening.

It feels different.

The shadows aren't monsters anymore.

They're just trees.

The strange noises aren't creatures.

They're branches moving in the wind.

And the darkness isn't empty.

It is full of tiny points of light.

Ash looks up.

Stars are beginning to appear.

One.

Then two.

Then ten.

Then hundreds.

The child looks up too.

"Where did they come from?"

Ash smiles.

"I think they were here all along."

The puppy begins to walk down the hill.

Ash and the child follow.

As they travel, the dream changes around them.

The dark forest becomes a glowing woodland.

Flowers open beneath their feet.

Tiny lights dance through the air.

The moon rises above the trees.

And the enormous puppy bounds ahead, chasing its tail.

Eventually they reach a wide river.

On the other side is a little wooden bridge.

The child stops.

"I can't cross that."

Ash looks at the bridge.

It is old.

Some of the wooden boards are missing.

The river below is rushing quickly.

Ash looks at the child.

Then at the bridge.

Then at the puppy.

Ash takes a breath.

"Okay."

Ash walks to the edge.

One step.

Then another.

The bridge creaks.

Ash freezes.

The child watches.

"You can come back."

Ash looks behind them.

They could.

But Ash looks at the other side.

The bridge isn't impossible.

It's just frightening.

Ash takes another step.

Then another.

Slowly, carefully, Ash crosses.

When Ash reaches the other side, they turn around.

"See?"

The child smiles.

"I think I can do it."

Ash holds out a hand.

Together, they cross.

Halfway across, the bridge shakes.

The child gasps.

Ash's wings flutter.

For one second, Ash feels terrified.

Then the enormous puppy walks onto the bridge behind them.

The bridge stops shaking.

The child laughs.

"I think he's helping."

Ash smiles.

"I think you're right."

Together, they reach the other side.

And suddenly the entire sky lights up.

The stars swirl together above them.

A golden doorway appears in the air.

Ash knows what it means.

The dream is ending.

The child looks at the doorway.

"Is that home?"

Ash nods.

"I think so."

The child turns towards Ash.

"Will you come with me?"

Ash smiles.

"As far as I can."

They walk towards the doorway together.

The puppy follows.

But just before they reach it, the child stops.

"Thank you."

Ash looks up.

"For what?"

"For being scared with me."

Ash smiles.

"I was scared."

"I know."

Ash looks at the child.

"And you were too."

The child nods.

"But we kept going."

Ash smiles.

"Exactly."

The golden doorway begins to glow.

The child steps through.

The puppy follows.

Ash spreads their wings.

Just before flying away, Ash looks back at the dream.

The forest is no longer dark.

It is filled with stars.

The river sparkles.

The flowers glow.

And the enormous puppy is sitting beside the child, wagging its tail.

Ash smiles.

Then—

WHOOSH.

Ash flies through the doorway.

POP.

Ash lands safely back in the Night Pixie world.

The village is still glowing.

The moon is still shining.

And the great Dreaming Tree is covered in hundreds of tiny golden lights.

Ash lands on a branch.

The child is safe.

The dream is peaceful.

And somewhere in the human world, a little face is resting quietly against a pillow.

Perhaps the child is still dreaming.

Perhaps they are dreaming of the puppy.

Perhaps they are walking through the glowing forest.

Or perhaps they are simply sleeping peacefully, knowing that somewhere in the night, a tiny yellow Night Pixie is looking after their adventure.

Ash reaches into their satchel.

"Time for a biscuit."

Ash pulls it out.

Takes one bite.

Then another.

Ash looks up at the stars.

"Not a bad first night."

A tiny voice calls from below.

"Ash!"

Ash looks down.

Another Night Pixie is standing at the bottom of the tree.

"There's another dream coming!"

Ash looks at the half-eaten biscuit.

Then at the sky.

Ash smiles.

"Of course there is."

Ash finishes the biscuit, swings the satchel over one shoulder and opens their glowing yellow wings.

Because the Night Pixies don't know what tomorrow's dreams will bring.

They don't know whether they'll be funny, strange, wonderful or frightening.

They don't know where the next adventure will take them.

And sometimes...

they don't know if they'll be brave enough.

But they do know one thing.

Whatever waits beyond the edge of the dream...

they won't face it alone.

Ash flies into the moonlit sky.

And somewhere below, a child smiles in their sleep.

The End.