Erin Doyle was as sad as a lass could be; hard to believe that just a little over a year ago she was on top of the world. She'd met Brian Doyle when he came to her town looking for work. She fell for the tall dark stranger at once and right off convinced her father to hire him at the granary. As they say, opposites attract and these two could not look more different. Brian, with the long black hair and those dark eyes that appeared to look into your soul was as handsome a man as Erin had ever seen. Erin had light red hair and pale blue eyes that always sparkled when she smiled. With the slight dusting of freckles across her pert little nose, the two made quite a pair. Whereas Brian had broad shoulders and strong arms, Erin was small and thin framed. As much as she laughed and enjoyed life, he seldom smiled and never laughed.
Ah yes they truly loved each other and when he asked her to be his bride she leaped into his arms and kissed him on the lips as she repeatedly answered yes. To add further to her joy she became with child right away, maybe as early as on their honeymoon. Erin loved being pregnant and proudly walked about town with her belly showing in front of her. Even the night of Chloe's birth things went well, as the midwife was surprised at the ease of the delivery.
Then one night, soon after they brought the wee one home, Erin got up to check on the baby only to see Chloe lying lifeless in her bassinet. Erin was inconsolable and to make matters worse she had the feeling that Brian blamed her for the loss of their child. The couple grew apart as Brian began staying at work later and later leaving poor Erin alone with her grief. As the four walls of their little cottage began closing in on her, Erin began talking walks in the nearby forest, trying to escape her thoughts and her sadness. She found solitude among the trees and thus a daily routine was begun.
One bright and sunny day she went farther than ever before and suddenly she realized she felt disoriented and lost. She noticed a lovely field of grass ahead and in the center, there was a ring of grass that was raised above the rest. She remembered from her childhood that these circles were called fairy rings and the fable was that the rings were magic. She thought about and it seemed that the fairies could sleep inside the rings safely as nothing could harm them there. The sun felt so good and she was tired so Erin decided to lay inside the ring for a short nap.
Erin awoke to water dripping on her face; she opened her eyes to see a girl holding her in her lap. The girl was crying and the tears were running down her face and dripping onto Erin. The girl had curls of gold and the sun shining through them looked almost like a halo to Erin.
"Girl why are you crying so," Erin asked the stranger.
"I cry for you and your loss, tis so unfair my beautiful Erin."
When Erin asked how this girl knew her name, her answer stunned her.
"I was there the night the evil ones took your dear child; there was nothing I could do. I've been here waiting for you ever since, I knew you would come just as I know I can make your tears go away."
As she talked, she brushed her hand through Erin's locks, it felt so soothing, and as she sighed, she noticed she was smiling for the first time in a long time.
"Tell me what happened that night I need to..."
