Words on Wednesday ~ 8/11

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This month, [David M Gascoigne] is providing the prompts for Words for Wednesday, but they are being hosted on [the Elephant's Child blog]. Started by Delores ages ago, it is now hosted by different people each month on various blogs around the world. The aim of Words for Wednesday is to encourage us to write using some or all of the prompts.

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Alvina was aghast as she looked over her flower garden.  Someone had come in and destroyed ... she turned quickly.  There was something that sounded like a snivel coming from behind the tree.

"You there," she shouted, "hiding behind that tree!  Come out or I shall shoot you where you stand!  Are you the creep that destroyed my beautiful garden?"

A small cry and a tiny voice responded, "Please, Miss.  I beg you to be magnanimous.  I had nothing to do with it.  I was just trying to catch a little bit of sleep before my travels again."

"Sleep?  In MY garden?  I shall frogmarch you down to the police station and charge you with trespassing!  Come out immediately!"

There was a rustling sound and to her surprise, a tiny man, no taller than half a foot stepped out from behind the tree.  Alvina took a step backward, feeling as if someone was trying to spoonfeed her a not-so-funny prank.  She looked around for hidden cameras.

"Is this some kind of a Candid Camera prank?  Who are you?  WHAT are you?"

"My name is Ealhdun.  I live or rather lived, in the valley by your city Roanoke.  I am an elf.  If you don't mind, and I promise you no harm, it would be so much easier for me to explain if you allow me to sit on your shoulder so that I don't have to scream to be heard.  I'm quite thirsty after last night's scare and my throat is sore already."

She looked at him cautiously before nodding her head, "Just so you know, if you do harm me, I shall tie you up in a knot you will never be able to untie.  I'm not quite sure I believe in elves, and that you are real and not a sleep-walking dream."  Bending, she allowed him to step onto her hand and then to her shoulder.

"I assure you this is no dream.  Elves do exist, and many other beings that humans cannot see or hear because of their unbelief.  Some part of you must believe, otherwise, we would not be able to have this conversation."

"Well, I'll be the judge of what I believe or don't believe.  Now tell me what happened to my garden before I drop imaginary you into the compost bin."

Ealhdun told her about the wild dogs that had sniffed out his village and gone into a frenzy chasing anything that moved and snapping them up in the air like they were some kind of toy.  He had managed to escape by slipping into a tunnel wicket too small for them to be able to get their snouts in.  Still, he had wriggled as far back into the tunnel as he could go, until there was no more visible light and he could no longer hear the screams of his family.