Long, long ago before man, there was a large group of pixies, called the Izzies. The Izzies were beautiful creatures. They had iridescent wings that fluttered at an extremely fast rate, and that shone brightly in the sun. They were not very big, only growing up to two feet tall at most. The Izzies were happy creatures. They loved each other very much and loved to have fun together.
They lived at the very top of what they thought was an island. They had little families and these families lived in little houses. All the houses were made out of dust, pixie dust. As they flew this dust came down from their wings and covered the ground. With the dust and the water from the nearby ocean they built their homes.
These creatures also loved to sing. They were constantly fluttering through the air singing a tune. They had beautiful voices. When an Izzie was singing everyone near and far heard the beautiful song.
The story of the Izzies has been told over many generations. Certain people have learned of these creatures, but not all. Most people would laugh at the idea of pixies living on this earth before us. This story can not be told to everyone. So, I have picked you to tell this story to. You and you alone must learn this story well. Tell it only to people who really believe in the story and will carry it with them forever. This story is not to be joked about or laughed at it is to be cherished because of its special meaning.
Now, back to the story. Where was I…oh yes, the gathering. Every so often, the Izzies would have a gathering. This was a time of great celebration. They had gatherings when a baby was born or any special occasion arose. These gatherings were located on the shoreline. They would all join together in one group to celebrate blissfully with each other.
There was one particular gathering that caused the end of the Izzies. A baby had been born. This was a particularly strange baby. It was born without wings. They did not know what to do with it. The baby was normal in every other way, yet was it normal was the question.
Despite the problem, they had a gathering for the baby. Everyone got together to welcome the new Izzie. They all wanted to see it and soon managed to make a line leading up to the baby. As soon as each pixie looked at the baby, they became sad. This baby never smiled or giggled. It just laid still; staring into the eyes of every pixie that looked at it. There was obviously something wrong with this child. No one understood what was happening. These once exuberant pixies were now just the opposite, sad and depressed.
The pixies had always lived happily. The sky above them always is blue and the sun always shining brightly for them. Their weather was always a direct result of their mood. They didn’t know of storms, harsh winds, or lightening and thunder. These creatures in their pixie dust houses only knew of perfect weather and a perfect life.
This perfect life was coming to an end. They were now all sad and life as they had always known it was different. Suddenly, the weather began to change. It could no longer be sunny and bright while the Izzies were so sad. As a result, one night a storm began. This wasn’t just any storm; this was a huge storm. There was thunder and lightening and very harsh winds. The pixies were no longer singing, but weeping. Everything was going wrong.
The storm was a harsh storm. The pixies’ little houses that were located right along the shoreline were being blown over. One right after another these little houses were destroyed. Sometimes, these houses toppled right on top of some of the pixies. They were buried by their own dust and died underneath it.
The houses collapsing did not kill all of the pixies. There was another factor, the water. The water was tossing and turning wildly. It was splashing over everything, drowning what was left of the Izzies. The water thrashed heavily and huge waves were crashing at the shore, pushing the pixie dust further and further up. The Izzies were now extinct. They all died in this horrible storm and were never seen again.
This story I am telling you is not just the story of the Izzies, but also the story of the Indiana dunes. The pixies had thought they lived on an island, they were very wrong. They lived on the shoreline of what is now called Lake Michigan. The pixie dust that made their homes is what we call sand. This is the sand that surrounds this great lake. Most importantly though, was the dunes. When the waves crashed harshly against the shore, they pushed the sand. It was pushed into what we now call the dunes.
What was left after this horrible storm was very beautiful. Some people even say it is so beautiful because of these pixies, it is there for them. No one really knows if that is true, but they deserve the credit for this marvelous feat of nature. The Izzies deserve to have died in a beautiful place.
Now, remember this story for the rest of your life. It is now your responsibility to pass it on. Do your best to keep the story of the Izzies alive. Most of all, go to the dunes. Sit on them and remember this story. Think of when life was so good. Also, listen when it storms. When the wind is blowing hard and howling, that howling is the Izzies. That is the sound of them weeping as they lost their lives that sad day. Most importantly, look in the sky after that storm. The beautiful rainbow that shines in the sky, that is the Izzies way of saying thanks, for remembering us always.
Sarah is a nineteen year old student at Purdue North Central University in Westville, Indiana.
E-mail: Sarah_lizzie83@hotmail.com
Visit Aphelion's Lettercolumn and voice your opinion of this story.
Return to the Aphelion main page.