The old man tumbled out of bed, the screams of his grandson ringing in his ears, as he fumbled to light the candle and stagger down the corridor to his grandson’s room.
Hurrying through the open door, he enfolded his whimpering grandson in his arms. whispering words of comfort, soothing his brow, making the evils of the night gradually recede to the shadows.
He lay with his grandson throughout the night, keeping watch, ensuring the child slept soundly with no more night visitors disturbing his rest.
The grandfather arose before the sun and searched for his book of herbal remedies rifling through the pages till he came upon the correct recipe for the night terrors attacking his grandson.
After breakfast the grandfather showed his grandson how to select and mix the ingredients until a thick paste was formed, nodding with satisfaction at the results, he proceeded to apply the paste to his grandson’s face and body covering the bites and scratches incurred the previous night.
That night the grandfather slathered more of the thick paste on his grandson’s body, knowing the boy would have to endure one more night of agony, for the paste was not only a cure but deadly to the faerie creatures from the bottom of the garden, who tormented the boy at night.
Lensdiary 
Ooh scary!
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Beware, when you sleep. You never know what dreams will assail you.
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I have been reading about Irish Faeries lately. Often they possess children
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My mother is Irish, she’s from Kilkenny, and I have been there many, many times, and am attracted to their folk tales.
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They are so very interesting
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We need to protect ourselves from those faerie creatures and the like. If paste works, put on the paste.
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If spells don’t work there are always herbal remedies.
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I’m glad there is a remedy, and sorry the creatures cannot be convinced to leave him alone but have to be destroyed.
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Some creatures only know destruction, so needs must.
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Nature has remedies for almost everything, Len.
Nice story of them two…glad you picked up your pen, again ( leave naysayers to their toxicity😉)
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Thanks, Nick. I was away for eight days visiting family, and we had to escape our small town because we were hit with 70 cm of snow over Christmas and all the roads were closed. Then my wife and I received an unexpected present from the grandkids and came back sick with some bug that lasted for three weeks. But back to normal now, whatever that is.
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An enoyable and spooky fairytale, warning of the power of malicious sprites who come out at night – at risk of a good dose of Mother Nature’s medicine!
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Mother nature protects her own with many herbal remedies.
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Disturbing, but delightfully so!
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Thanks, Keith. I’m always checking the bottom of the garden for unwanted creatures, but is usually skunks or raccoons.
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I like that grandpa was an herbalist, with knowledge of the wee folk. Good story, my friend.
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Thanks, Abi. You have to know your neighbours.
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Hey! Excellent Six!
You managed a neat trick, imo, with the story, kind of a double back on the old ‘and they woke up and it was all a dream’ plot meme. Where as a Reader, I was thinking, ok, bad dreams, kindly grandfather… then, only at the end it became a first aid/self-defense theme.
lol
cool
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Thanks, Clark. Always expect the unexpected.
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I really like this. The sweet, gentle, loving grandfather who was protecting his grandchild by knowingly killing others (even though they deserved a good killin’). Powerful imagery.
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Thanks for commenting, Marla. Have to protect your family, no matter the cost.
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I am more of a “protect within reason.” I will never use deadly force as a first resort, but if you push me into pummeling you, there’s an equal chance of death.
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Ha, ha. I think the military phase is the “use of proportionate force”.
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Nice twist with the faeries
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Thanks for commenting, Brenda.
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What a great character the grandfather makes, not just his protectiveness, but his tenderness, devotion, and resourcefulness! I think the fairies are in for it.
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Thanks, Dora. A grandfather gotta do what a grandfather gotta do.
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And this is exactly why you should never sleep without at least a sheet over you and NEVER let a limb hang off the edge of the bed!
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Thanks for visiting and commenting, Dyanne. Things that go bump in the night can be vert scary.
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Fantastic story! The faeries aren’t always as cute as they seem.
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Too true, Nicole. Like humans, there’s good and bad in faeries.
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