Tulip was a fairy of the forest. She spent most days patrolling her favorite glade, pollinating flowers and helping flipped tortoises back onto their feet. One day while investigating a mysterious pile of picked flowers resting on a stump in a treefall gap, she found herself trapped in a butterfly net.
Startled and confused, she kicked and screamed beneath the mesh only to tangle herself deeper and deeper.
"Finally!" groaned a loud, crackly voice somewhere outside of the net. "I thought you said they'd show up in a couple minutes."
"Oh shut up," replied a lower but still somewhat squeaky voice. "It wasn't even half an hour. You got the jar open?"
"Wait, stop!" Tulip shouted at her captors. Surely this was some sort of mistake. She had heard of humans capturing butterflies but never fairies. Surely she could explain the mistake to the two boys and they'd all just laugh it off.
Ignoring her shouts, two sweaty hands reached into the net and begin to untangle her, groping carelessly at her arms and wings in the process.
"Ow! Cut that out and listen to me, please!" she begged. "I'm not a butterfly, I'm one of the caretakers of this forest."
Finally untangled from the net, the fairy was quickly stuffed into the open jar and trapped inside.
"Wow, Craig, you were right. It's a really pretty one," the squeakier of the two remarked as they stared at their tiny prisoner.
"I told you it would be," replied the other before continuing, "Forest fairies are always cute. All the better to play with."
Tulip cowered inside the jar as they gazed upon their new plaything. What were they planning? She had to know.
"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, horrifying images swirling around in her head.
"Whatever we want, insect," replied the first boy as he set the jar down onto the flowery tree stump. "Maybe we'll tear your wings off. Maybe we'll jam needles in your eyes, or pluck your cute little antennae."
"WHAT? NO!" Tulip screamed. "I didn't do anything wrong! Why are you-"