Quinn woke with a start. Something had shocked his nose.
One of the star folk appeared before him. It was the first one he’d seen, the girl with blue skin and butterfly wings. She waved hello, then put her finger to her lips. Quinn did the same.
He reached up a finger to touch the tiny, glowing woman. When he was an inch away, a miniature bolt of lightning arced from her sphere of light to his finger, shocking him. He instinctively pulled his hand away, then put it over his mouth to suppress a giggle.
She beckoned to him with a tiny finger. He slowly, silently rose to his feet and followed her down a path, her soft glow lighting his way.
"Do you have a name?" Quinn whispered.
The glowing thing looked at him and shook her head, smiling.
"How about Bluebonnet?" he asked.
She smiled and nodded.
"Where are we going?"
She just beckoned, smiling.
After a few minutes treading a downward slope, she led him to a natural spring. Steam rose from the waters.
Quinn looked at Bluebonnet. "Drinkable?"
She nodded. He scooped up a handful of the water. "It’s hot!" he said. He let it cool a moment before drinking. "But refreshing. A bit bitter. Bitterier than most water." He took another sip.
Other star folk slowly winked on, images of tiny men and women of all shapes, sizes, and colors, with wings like butterflies, dragonflies, doves, bats, or eagles.
Invisible forces tugged at Quinn’s clothing, slowly disrobing him.
"Um. Okay? I guess you think I need a bath?" he asked.
The star folk laughed silently.
Quinn stepped gingerly into the steaming pool. It was the hottest bath he’d ever taken. After a few moments, he felt energized.
The star folk descended into the pool with him, seemingly unhindered by water. They began to shock him with little bolts of lightning. Each one seemed to hit just the right nerve, with successive ones hitting in just the right order.
Quinn arched his back. "Oh," he said. "Oh my." He closed his eyes as his head sank backward into the water.