Laughter echoing in the dark woods. Scuttling footsteps under the bed and behind the walls. Shadowy figures dancing about behind us, leaving only fleeting images out of the corner of our eyes. The faerie folke still intrigue and elude us no matter how much we try to categorize the flora and fauna of the world around us. Our otherkin have been with us since time immemorial and hopefully will be with us, taunting and playing, until time ends.

SINCE my earliest memories, faeries and their ilk have held a special place in my heart. I read EVERYTHING I could find about them. While others were struggling through "See Spot. See Spot Run. Go Spot." I was huddled over my latest book on the legends of Ireland or the myths of ancient Greece. Satyrs and nymphs dancing in their sylvan meadows. Elves, pooka and goblins in the primordial forests of Eire ... I was entranced by them all and loved them all dearly.

Many were the daydreams I enjoyed of cavorting amidst them within a faery ring. Countless were the drawings I scribbled of fauns and trolls while I should've been paying attention to my teacher at the front of the class. Few understood my fascination with the otherkin. Fewer still would have believed the reasons behind said fascination. I'm sure if I would have told anyone, they would have either dismissed it as a child's fantasy. Others would have recommended that my adoptive parents send me in for psychiatric help.

YOU SEE, I was lucky ( or unlucky, depending on your Point Of View ) to have SEEN such mystical creatures. I grew up on ten acres of woodland and tamarack swamp and spent most of my freetime either buried in a book or running through the hills. I don't remember the first time I saw them. They just appeared. No one else seemed to see them. Least of all, my brother and sister. So, being scared of seeming crazy, I kept my secret for years.

It wasn't until years later, when others described one of my companions in shocking detail, that I openly started talking about my experiences with the faerie realms. Now I'm searching the web for others who've had other similar experiences.

Have you danced with the forest dwellers? Have goblins terrorized you in the night? I'd love to hear from you. Tell me in detail about your experiences, stories, beliefs, whatever. Don't be afraid to sound like a lunatic or a crackpot. Millions believe in aliens and UFOs. How much more of stretch is it to believe in elves, sylphs or dryads?