Mark turned out the lights, lay his head on his overstuffed pillow, and went to sleep. He had had a big day today, and was utterly exhausted. Mark worked as in-house counsel at a construction firm and was working on a workplace injury settlement case. One of the contractors on the new high rise hotel project had fallen 13 stories while on the job because of a faulty harness. It was a miracle that the contractor had even survived, but he certainly wouldn't be working anything other than a desk job for the rest of his life. Mark's purpose in this settlement was to protect the construction firm's bottom line and pay out as little as legally possible. It was clear that the construction firm was liable, but the question remained as to how much. Mark had been negotiating with the contractor's attorney all day, and that's why he was so exhausted and was able to drift off to sleep immediately.
As soon as Mark's eyes danced to a close, the Dust Fairies emerged from the dwarf fiddle fig leaf plant sitting on Mark's bubinga wood desk. Dust Fairies are an unusual species, and inhabit most older homes. They don't like to settle into a place until they are certain it will be standing for some time. While not creatures hell bent on perfection, Dust Fairies do indeed have a keen sense of justice, and will intervene in their own unusual way when they sense that justice is being circumvented. This is why the Dust Fairies came out on this particular night, and in this particular home.
"What's this nonsense on Mark's bubinga desk?" asked Aisling, in a soft, echoing voice.
"It looks like a draft of the settlement agreement for that case he's been working on," Eanraig replied. "The one with that guy his company almost killed. Looks like Mark's really trying to screw him over, by the looks of it. This looks real bad."
"Well that won't do now, will it?" said Aisling.
"No, no, no. We can't let that happen, of course. The cosmic justice of the universe won't be happy. Not at all." Eanraig said, shaking his head slowly back and forth.
"We have to do something. The balance of justice depends on it! And did we not swear an oath to uphold the sacred values of fairness and righteousness when we were reincarnated into the spirit of the Dust Fairies?" said Aisling.
"Well of course we will do something. Of course." said Eanraig, still shaking his head slowly, as if this were the first time he had encountered a human incapable of sympathy. "The question is, what exactly is called for in this situation?"
"Indeed, what will put the world back on the right track? Hmmmm...always such a delicate decision to make. You hit back too hard, and the world starts spinning in the other direction, but you don't hit hard enough, and you've hardly made a dent." Aisling added.
"But," said Eanraig, his head no longer shaking his head back and forth, and a cat-like smile beginning to appear on his lips, "it's not so much how severe it is, but how he reacts."
"Yes, you're right." said Aisling, nodding in agreement.
"Well, then, it's settled." said Eanraig. "We will start immediately. Otherwise, the settlement will go through, Mark will learn nothing, and the world will spin ever more slightly off balance."
Eanraig and Aisling got to work immediately. The two Dust Fairies carefully and quietly pranced from Mark's bubinga wood desk to the foot of his bed. The plunged under the covers, then under the sheets, and went straight towards Mark's plump toes. Eanraig took the big toe, and Aisling took the small toe. Ever so slowly, but with a surprising amount of force, the Dust Fairies began tugging and pulling on Mark's big and small toes. While Dust Fairies may be small, they have an extraordinary amount of strength, especially on night's like tonight when the fate of the universe is resting in their dainty Dust Fairy hands. With a heave, and then a mighty hoe, both Eanraig and Aisling pried off Mark's big and little toes. Mark awoke with an awful howl, and Eanrig and Aisling scurried away, making their way back to the dwarf fiddle fig leaf plant sitting on Mark's bubinga wood desk.
(original lead photo: https://noise.cash/post/q00pz7vs5pzgw)
Ouch!!!! naughty fairies lol