 
 The Kinby Michael Heinich
 

        [Author's Note: I always like to read how writers come with
        their ideas for this and that so I thought I would mention
        how this one came about.  There is an occasional Short-Short
        Fiction contest on GEnie every so often based on specific
        topics.  The one I wrote this for was on acquired powers or
        abilities that can have beneficial or harmful effects.
             I have always been interested on folktales about the
        little people so I wondered about where these stories could
        have come from.  What if we have another sense that is
        naturally blocked most of the time and the only way to
        detect the little people was through this "sixth" sense.
        They are there but just not detectable to you and I. Have
        you ever seen movement out of the corner of your eye but
        when you turned and looked there was nothing there?  So Mark
        has this extra sense activated for a little while.
             One of the rules of the contest was that the story had
        to be around 750 words.  When I first wrote this story, I
        found that had over 3000 and was not finished yet.  So major
        surgery was needed.  I think some of the scars of the
        cutting are still visible.  In any case this story won first
        place.
             Hopefully I will get around to fully developing the
        full story one of these days.]
        
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         Mark woke to find his parents and some doctors standing around
    him.  His voice cracked as he tried to speak.
         "Where am I?"
         Mrs. Harlow reached down and grasped her son's hand.
         "You're in the hospital.  There was a bad car accident."
         This didn't seem to comfort the seven year old.  He still felt
    very confused.  His father tried to explain.
         "You were in a coma for several days after the accident. 
    Don't worry.  If everything goes well, you should be able to go
    home soon."
         Mark was able to go home the next day after the doctors had
    finished running their tests.  After he had been home for several
    hours, Mrs. Harlow became very confused by how quite her son was
    acting.  Mr. Harlow tried to comfort her.
         "It's all right, he is still trying to recover from the
    accident.  That head injury will take some time to heal."
         The next day, Mark seemed to be more like his old self.  He
    noticed some kids from his bedroom window that he did not
    recognize.  They were playing by the edge of the woods that were
    behind Mark's house.  Mark raced downstairs and headed for the back
    door.
         "Where do you think you are going young man?  March over to
    that table and eat some breakfast."
         "I want to go out and play, Mom."
         "After you have eaten something."
         Mark wolfed down his food before rushing out the back door. 
    His mother could only shake her head in wonder at the energies of
    youth.  She was glad though that he was feeling better then
    yesterday.  
         Later that morning, Mrs. Harlow went into the backyard to tend
    to her garden.  The garden had been neglected for the past several
    days and she had much to keep her busy.  Every once in awhile she
    lifted her head to see Mark playing around the edge of the woods. 
    She was sorry that there were not other children near their home
    that Mark could play with.  He really needed to find some friends.
         That evening, the family sat down together for dinner.  Mr.
    Harlow asked his son how he was doing.
         "I'm fine."
         "What did you do today?"
         "Nothing."
         "I saw him playing out by the edge of the woods most of the
    morning," Mrs. Harlow inserted.
         "Oh?  What was happening out there Mark?"
         "I made some new friends and we played for a little while
    before I had to come in for lunch."
         Mrs. Harlow looked at her son in astonishment.  Mr. Harlow
    gave her a questioning look.  She declined to say anything.
         Mr. Harlow continued "Who are your new friends?"
         "There were several children but I only played with two of
    them: Rosaleen and Erin."
         Later that evening after Mark went to bed, she told her
    husband what was wrong.
         "You remember when he talked about those children he met
    today?  Well, I spent most of my morning working in the garden and
    I saw him several times.  He was always alone.  There were no other
    children that I could see."
         "Are you sure?  Perhaps tomorrow, we should contact that
    psychoanalyst that the doctor at the hospital recommended."
         When Mr. Harlow spoke with the psychoanalyst, he agreed that 
    he should see Mark.  They set up a time for that evening for Mr.
    Simmons to come out to the house.  Mr. Simmons arrived while there
    was still light in the sky.  He went to the backyard and looked
    around before he came inside.
         "Mr. Harlow, do you mind if Mark and I talk for a little while
    alone?"
         "No, not at all.  We will leave you two in the kitchen and
    retire to the den."
         Mr. Simmons waited a few minutes before asking Mark whom he
    met and what he saw.  After Mark explained about Rosaleen and Erin,
    Mr. Simmons was quite for a second.
         "Mark, do you realize that no one else is able to see the
    children?"
         "No."
         "I am going to tell you a secret. Can you keep a secret? 
    Good, I can see them too.  Not many people can.  They are not like
    you and me.  Now I am going to tell you something that you have to
    do.  It will be very hard, but you must do as I say.  Do not
    play with those children."
         "Why, I like playing with them.  There is no one else to play
    with around here."
         "Mark, please try to understand.  If you do not try to ignore
    them, you may become hurt.  There are things you may not be able to
    understand.  I am not sure I can explain.  People react badly to
    things that are strange.  They also react badly to people that are
    different.  Do you see what I am trying to say?"
         "I think so."
         Mr. Simmons went into the den to talk with Mark's parents.  He
    tried to explain to them that Mark was just creating imaginary
    friends to combat the emptiness that he feels right now.  These
    imaginary friends will leave as he gets other interests.  It would
    be a good idea if he found some children his age to play with.  The
    Harlows said that they understood and thanked him for coming.
         Before Mr. Simmons left, he went once more to the edge of the
    woods.  Small figures broke from the line of trees and stood around
    him.  
         A young girl with bright red hair spoke, "You have come to
    visit, Llywellyn."
         "Only for a moment, Rosaleen.  Soon I will come for a longer
    time."
         "Will you ever return to the Kin?"
         "You know why I joined the world of the humans.  I must ask a
    favor of all of you.  You must leave the boy that lives in this
    house alone.  You will only hurt him, though I know you do not mean
    it."
         Another spoke, "But he can see us."
         "It is only temporary, Sean.  The injury to his head will
    heal, and when it does, you will only be shadows in his mind. 
    Please, find another part of the wood to play."
         The figures slowly left one by one into the woods.  Each one
    touching Llywellyn's hand before leaving.  Then, when the last
    figure had gone, he returned to his car and drove away.

                                  -end-
                      Copyright (c) 1993 Michael Heinich
