Local-news.ca is thrilled to present part two of Mia Greene’s serial novel, titled Party of Misfits. In a nod to the literary traditions of the Victorian era, where renowned authors like Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins captivated readers with serialized narratives, we bring you a modern twist on this classic form. Our talented writer Mia is a Burlington high school student and one of last year’s Burlington Public Library short story contest winners. Set in the contemporary world, Mia’s monthly installments of Party of Misfits will whisk you away into an enchanted fantasy realm. Join us on this literary adventure as we unfold the pages of Party of Misfits exclusively on Local-news.ca, where tradition meets the digital age, and storytelling takes on a whole new dimension.
To read Part 1 of Party of Misfits, click here.
Party of Misfits, Part 2
Uninvited Guests
Aarwyn’s initial shock subsided, replaced now with an all-consuming sensation of bewilderment.
Picking a loose piece of hair from her mouth and storming up her own porch, Aarwyn was determined to discover exactly what was happening. She banged on the door with her fist, her shoddy porch light flickering and attracting an entire bloodline of moths. It took a few moments for the fog in her mind to clear and realize that this was her building, her apartment on the ground floor. Why, for heaven’s sake, had she just knocked? Before her mind could conjure up a response to her own landslide of questions, she hastily turned the handle and entered her home.
The music didn’t stop, but everything else did.
Eyes. So many eyes met her own. So many inhuman eyes.
She spotted the creature that tumbled down her porch steps first, its features more clear up close. The moss-green skin she’d noticed outside shone under the lights in her apartment. Her eyes roamed from its elongated ears to the diamond-sharp spikes dotted along its head, and then down to the burly lump of another creature beside it.
Then there were the fifty or so other creatures, now standing stock-still in little cliques around Aarwyn’s apartment.
Strangely enough, all these creatures staring at her didn’t cause fear — though she certainly felt deep confusion.
Blinking hesitantly, as if they might disappear if she were to close her eyes for too long, Aarwyn found the courage to speak.
“What…what are you doing in my home?”
The creatures blinked back, looking at one another, the silence deepening to the point of being deafening.
“I said,” Aarwyn’s voice raised, “what are you doing in my home?”
“Now, dear, there’s no reason to get flustered, I assure you.”
Aarwyn’s head snapped in the direction of the voice as a creature made its way through the crowd of its kin. The creature looked to be a female troll of sorts, with long auburn braids and pale brown skin. Warts dotted the line of the troll’s nose, and Aarwyn got a glimpse of its chipped teeth as it opened its mouth to talk again.
“We did not mean to startle you. Please,” the husky, yet feminine voice pleaded. “Come in. Join us. This is your home, after all.”
The female troll guided Aarwyn through the throng of creatures who had resumed their partying. There was a sense of familiarity in the way the troll led Aarwyn through her own home; the troll was apparently quite comfortable here. If Aarwyn hadn’t been so confused, she’d be angry that these creatures had not only invaded her home for their strange gathering but seemed entirely at ease, as though they were doing nothing wrong or out of the ordinary.
The troll woman led Aarwyn to the kitchen, where they spotted a tiny, human-like creature with fairy wings flying around the space, opening the ancient wood cabinets and leaving a trail of sparkles.
“Thalia,” the troll woman said, warning in her tone.
The fairy creature — Thalia — let out a squeak before turning around and accidentally smashing her face into the side of the open cabinet.
“Ow!” Thalia exclaimed. “Sorry. I’m leaving now.”
Thalia fluttered away, Aarwyn’s eyes trailing her.
“I apologize.” The troll woman frowned. Aarwyn’s eyes latched back on hers again.
“Can you please explain to me what is going on? And why is it going on in my house?”
“Yes, though I suggest you have a seat and enjoy a drink. It’s quite the story.”
Aarwyn’s head began to pound and she placed her thumb and pointer finger on the bridge of her nose. “No, I’m fine. Just start explaining, please.”
“As you wish,” the troll woman nodded. “Listen, my friends and I didn’t mean to disturb your evening. We didn’t think that you’d come home and find us…” She searched for a word to describe the situation, though Aarwyn offered one before the troll woman could finish speaking.
“Partying? You cannot deny that this isn’t a party.”
“Partying. Yes.” The troll woman didn’t hesitate. “We come from another world, these creatures and I. You see, we rarely ever visit the mortal realm, in fear of humans discovering our existence and invading our world, Eyuviell.”
Aarwyn’s nose crinkled in confusion. “Well, I’m a human, who now knows of your existence. Unless I’m living some wild dream.”
“This isn’t a dream, dear. As I said, we don’t typically come here, though when we do, it’s to ensure that the portal between realms is still functional, should we ever need it, and to gather resources that one cannot locate in Eyuviell.” She paused. “As for your walking in on us…well, you don’t look like the type to chase us with pitchforks and torches or initiate an army to infiltrate our home. I hope.”
Head swimming, Aarwyn continued to ask questions. “Okay…that still doesn’t explain why you’re having a party in my house.”
“And for that, I extend my sincerest apologies. Truly. If we had known that we’d be seen, we never would have used your house for our entertainment.”
“How could I possibly miss this and not see you?” Aarwyn wondered out loud.
Just then, a glass shattered. Shouting followed.
“For the love of the graces.” The troll woman stalked into the living room. “Stop that right now! You’re being beyond disrespectful. Do anything besides party quietly and I’ll feed you to the wyverns.”
“Party quietly?” A squeaky voice piped up. “How is that even —”
A goblin-like creature with stumpy legs elbowed the other before it could finish.
“Sorry, Meenah,” the squeaky voice grumbled, clueing in Aarwyn as to the troll’s name.
The troll woman — Meenah — returned to the kitchen where Aarwyn’s jaw was still hanging wide open. This night just kept getting stranger and stranger.
The leathery scent of Meenah’s skin swirled in the open air of the kitchen, unlike anything Aarwyn had ever smelled before.
“Anyhow,” Meenah said, “I apologize again. I’ll gather everyone up and we’ll return back to our world immediately, so long as you do not notify anyone of what you walked into tonight.”
Aarwyn’s head made to nod, but the curiosity she was born with was far faster, beating her head in an invisible race. “Wait. Tell me more of your world. I don’t own a pitchfork, I promise.” She smiled nervously. “I’m just interested.”
The smile that Meenah offered Aarwyn was warm with a faint hint of mischief.
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
“We are fae,” Meenah began. “Though we are many different kinds of what you would call ‘species,’ we are all fae.”
Time then passed rapidly as Aarwyn learned the lore of Eyuviell, the world that Meenah and her fellow fae shared. It was all-consuming; Aarwyn barely registered any other sensations or sounds, despite sipping occasionally from a drink in front of her, and the sniffs and grunts coming from the array of fantastical creatures not more than seven feet away. With each new piece of information, Aarwyn’s desire to know more had grown stronger, her fingers twitching to grab a pen and write everything down so as not to forget any detail.
She learned of the seven kingdoms and their respective fae. She could not help herself from bombarding Meenah with questions — what do they do there? What does it look like? To such inquiries, Meenah only replied politely.
“We cannot inform you of that through mere words,” Meenah explained to Aarwyn’s now-frowning face. “It is something you must see for yourself.”
Aarwyn nodded and resumed listening to another story from the creature much smaller than Meenah who sat beside her — a goblin, as the creature informed her after noticing her confusion. The goblin was currently explaining how the only way into the goblin kingdom known as Gryvbourne was by answering a series of riddles. Though interested, Aarwyn now found her mind drifting, stuck on Meenah’s earlier words.
It is something you must see for yourself.
Heart skipping, Aarwyn realized that she wanted to see it for herself. If it was anything like the creatures said it was, who would pass up the opportunity to experience a brand-new, enchanting world like theirs?
“Take me there.” She blurted, shooting an apologetic look at the goblin she had just cut off. “I mean, can you? Take me there?”
She watched as silence descended across the whole party, and the eyes of all the different creatures met across the room before latching onto Meenah’s. Meenah seemed to be the leader of this group, as each pair of eyes all silently asked her opinion.
Something akin to recognition sparked in Meenah’s kohl-coloured eyes.
Before Meenah had a chance to reply, Aarwyn knew the answer would be yes.
Hi! My name is Mia and I’m a high school student at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School. I love all things to do with writing, especially coming up with short stories and poetry. My other hobbies include acrylic painting, reading (books are among my favourite objects on Planet Earth), and spending time with my family and friends.
