a very sweet recipe

Lucy held the metal sieve over the bowl and placed in it two cups of flour and one cup of sugar. She pumped the handle in multiple bursts of two and as the white sifted out into the bowl to form a soft heap, fairies the size of dust specks, fluttered out from the sprinkling and rose up to hover in front of Lucy’s nose. There were twelve of them, and like little chimney-sweeps they were covered in soot, except that it was not dark. They shook their dusty slippers and rubbed at their faces. Their tiny fists worked circles over their eyes and as the powder disappeared, twenty-four twinkling blue lights appeared. Lucy raised her hand and extended her finger towards the bright dots, but the fairies quickly scattered. They rose higher again and circled about her head and the few cheekier ones darted closer to her eyes. They brought their hands to their mouths, unfurled their fingers and blew gently towards Lucy. Sugar crystals settled on the tops of her cheeks and the ends of her lashes, pulled her top eyelids down. The fairies tugged at the bottom of her apron  to guide her down, like the flour and sugar, into a soft heap. She slept soundly. Later, when Lucy awoke and stood and straightened her apron, she found in place of her bowl and sieve two cupcakes on a plate. Both were iced perfectly, complete with snowy stacks, but one, though not quite half-eaten, was not quite untouched.

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