A Fairy’s Trial: 10 Minute Story

In ten minutes, write a story about a fairy who just committed a grave crime.

This particular writing ended up taking 12 minutes, though I tried hard to come up with something and complete it in just 10 minutes. This was so much fun! I need to do these more often, as it is a great warm-up for novel writing.

Jezebel stares absentmindedly at the floor, refusing to look at what was causing the murmurs through the court room. Refusing to look at the evidence the small fairy presents at the witness stand. She stopped listening a long time ago. What was the point in listening if she didn’t even want to win?

“Jezebel Everett Wingstrom, do you have any comment regarding the evidence currently presented at the witness stand?”

The direct question causes her to glance up, slowly, and take in the subject of the Judge’s question. Laying on the witness stand is a knife, a magnifying glass, and a length of bloodied rope. She supposes she’s never been great at cleanup.

The judge looks at her, cold, calculated. He looks as though he’s seen the likes of her before; dealt with them before. He’s already made up his mind that she’s guilty–she can see it in his frigid gaze, the way he scrunches his eyebrows together, eyes and mouth downcast in a grim recognition that she is below him, less than him.

Jezebel takes one deep breath before she summons her response, “No, Your Honor.”

She can feel the court room seize behind her, every breath released at the same moment. If she were to object, were to defend herself, the trial would continue for as long as it took the temperamental committee to show up and declare her guilty without question. The group of elderly male fairies never gave fair trials anyway. Besides, Jezebel truly had committed every crime they accuse her of.

“Jezebel Everett Wingstrom, you are sentenced to a life serving the Queen in any fashion she finds beneficial to cleanse your soul. Even with the nature of your future work, this is much better than you deserve.”

She couldn’t help but smile. She knows it looks bad, but it’s just so easy to get what she wants. It’s incredible–pathetic, even–that everything is working out exactly how she planned. She stands, still smiling, and walks with the officers directly to the palace.