They Do Exist

I stepped out of my shabby cottage and looked around. Everyone was already gathered outside for the St. Patrick’s Day feast. Apparently that’s what the humans called it, but we just called it The Pinching. I sat down at the beautifully carved wooden table. When the stools and table were put together, the carvings created a story of how The Pinching came to be. I sat with my parents, both of them were eating. But I was too excited to eat. I had turned 16 this year, so I would finally be allowed into the human world, but only for today, of course. I was also curious whether or not humans were real. Everyone who had gone out for The Pinching claimed that humans were real. But I wouldn’t believe it until I saw one for myself.

“You ready to go out today, son?” asked  my Dad. “Tell me one more time what you got to do.”

“I have to walk to The Great Tree, the biggest tree in our village that has magical powers. Then all I have to do is touch it, and it will transport me into the human world. Wherever I end up, my job is to find someone who isn’t wearing green, and pinch them. After I’ve done that, I snap three times to come back home,” I said somewhat confidently.

“Good, you got it down. Now let’s go to The Great Tree,” answered my Dad with delight. And so we left for the Great Tree.

When we got there, it was crowded. My dad went first, and I watched as he reached out his hand, touched the tree and vanished very abruptly. Nervous but also excited, I stepped up to the tree and reached out my hand. One second I saw my hand on the tree and felt my feet on the ground, and the next colors were swirling around me and I felt like I was floating on water. It only lasted a few seconds, and when I landed I felt dizzy. I looked around, and saw that I was in a room full of humans. They do exist, I thought to myself as I stared with awe.

“Oh, Sam, you’re gonna get pinched by a leprechaun for not wearing green!” one of the kids taunted.

“Shut up! That’s just a superstition! There’s no such things as leprechauns!” replied the kid sitting next to him. And as I stared at the kid who was talking, I realized he wasn’t wearing green. I slowly walked up to him, even though I knew he couldn’t see me. I took two of my fingers, grabbed some of the skin on the arm, and pinched as hard as I could.

“Ah!” the kid bellowed in pain, “what did you do that for?” he asked sternly.

“It wasn’t Me! I swear,” said the other kid, slightly raising his hands into the air.

“Oh yeah, then who did it?” questioned the kid who I had pinched.

I turned around and walked back to where I had first entered the classroom. With my task complete and my curiosity gone, I snapped three times and vanished.