A Guide To How To Survive In The Fairy Land

First of all,
Don’t say thank you.
Not too loud, not too soon.
Gratitude is a transaction,
And debts?
Debts get collected.
If they do something for you,
Do something back, quick.
It doesn’t matter what,
Just make sure the scale stays balanced.
Don’t let them see
the weight of the favour.

Laugh?
No.
Don’t.
Especially not in wide-open spaces
Where eyes can see.
Keep your joy inside,
Like a candle you snuff out,
So no one can tell you’re burning.

Tears?
Tears are for the shadows.
Don't let them know
Cry, and they’ll take it all from you,
Every single thing...
The warmth.
The beats.
The soft spots inside your ribs.
They’ll just…
take it.
So don’t.

Anger?
Anger is a crime here.
It’s a monster you don’t feed.
Be still.
Be obedient.
Tuck the rage inside
And let it rot.
But never let it out.

Love?
Don’t you dare.
The fairies will trick you,
Wrap their silk around your heart,
Call it love,
And before you know it,
You’re chained to them
Like a soulless slave,
They’ll promise you the stars,
But they’ll take your wings
And leave you crawling,
Hungry for what you can never have.

The trinkets?
The treasures?
Don’t look at them.
Don’t let your eyes linger on the shiny things
That sparkle like they mean something.
They’re bait.
They’re distractions.
And if you care too much,
If you reach for them,
They’ll take it away.
Just like that.
A snap of the fingers,
And your world goes empty again.
What you think you want here
Will always slip through your fingers.

Sweet words?
Don’t believe them.
There’s always a trap hidden inside.
A whisper here,
A promise there,
Remember–
Words are serpents poised to strike.

Compliments?
Don’t give them.
They’re like sugar,
sweet on the tongue,
but bitter in the belly later.
Don’t make the mistake of feeding them,
they’ll expect more,
and soon, they’ll own you.

And never accept compliments either.
Not one word,
not a glance of praise.
They’re lies with strings attached,
meant to twist you into something you’re not,
to make you believe you’re theirs,
just for a moment,
just long enough to pull the strings.
Keep your head down,
and don’t let your heart rise at their words.

And when you speak,
Let your words be deliberate,
Short, sharp—
No room for confusion,
No room for change.
Don’t improvise,
Don’t leave gaps
Where they can twist your meaning.
But it’s better still not to speak at all.
Smile.
Smile, and say nothing.
The silence will serve you better here.

No one asks you what you feel.
No one asks if you’re okay.
And if they ever did, they never mean well.
And if you ever say it out loud,
They’ll rip the words from your throat
And hand them back to you,
Twisted and wrong.

Here’s how you survive in this fairy land:
Shut your mouth.
Lock your heart.
But keep your head high,
Like you are above them.
Never ask for too much.
Never show them your need.
And if you’re lucky,
Maybe they’ll leave you alone,
Just long enough
For you to forget–
You’re trapped here
And not one of them.