(no subject)

"Those stories that Mum told me," Ben says as he ties Cu's broken leash around Saoirse's waist. She frowns at it, but he continues, "Are you really a . . . selkie?" She looks at him steadily with a small smile on her face. His eyes widen and he pales a bit. "Oh, Geney Mackerel," he says. Saoirse looks down at her shell and kicks her feet a little happily.

They ride the bus for a time, but soon enough, Saoirse grows bored. She begins to idly play her shell. At first, it's not to any tune in particular, but as always, the same one comes out, and the pretty little faerie lights appear in the window of the bus. She's not entirely sure why, or how, but Saoirse knows she can trust these lights. And she knows they're leading her back to her coat.

Without hesitation, she makes her way to the emergency exit door. The red and white bar handle is vibrant, but before she can push it, Ben shoves her back.

"What are you doing? We're on the bus!" He steps back towards the seat and retracts the leash connecting them a little. "I'm getting us home!" he insists.

Saoirse glares up at him. The lights are leading off into a field, now. The bus is going the wrong way!

She shoves her shoulder into the bar. It depresses, and the driver jams his foot onto the brake. The door flies open. Saoirse tumbles out, shell and all. She feels give, as if the leash has broken. The impact with the ground is jarring, but the fall isn't far, and the bus hadn't been going very fast. All the same, it takes her a moment to orient herself. She sits up, hugging her shell close.

There's no bus. There's no pleasant Irish countryside.

There's no Ben.

Cu's leash is still tied around her waist. She can see the leash handle on the ground in front of her. It's half-hidden in the snow.

Snow! Saoirse is suddenly aware that it's cold here — winter time, she thinks, though there's only a little snow on the ground. Her sweater and dress aren't doing much to keep her warm, and her toes are already starting to go numb. She pushes herself to her feet to look around, and stamps in place to try to warm up. She has no idea where she is. This isn't where the bus stopped. This isn't Granny's city. This isn't the lighthouse.

Nervously, she pulls her shell close and plays the tune that thrums inside of her. The saoilse — the faerie lights — dance up around her, and that's reassuring, but they don't go anywhere. They don't attract any scary owls, but they don't lead her to her key, or her coat, like they had before. She lowers the shell and sneezes, then starts walking. She should at least find someone, some grownup, to help her.

It isn't long before her cheeks and nose feel numb, too. The plastic leash box clatters against the ground behind her as she walks, like a noisy tail. To take her mind off of the cold, Saoirse lifts her shell to her lips and plays a wavering tune. The saoilse dance up around her once more, but only hover around her as she walks. It's still reassuring, at least. She looks around as she walks. There's a grownup, just coming out of a building.

The saoilse begin to float over towards him. Saoirse perks. Maybe he has her coat!