“Where did they go?”
“Back into energy,” she replies.
“Wow. Our government could use you.”
“No thanks. Fairies are trying to save the world.”
“Weasel won’t even go into the kitchen until I set mouse traps. Mr. Dudley is taking us out to dinner hoping we’ll catch them.”
When Fairy Godmonster laughs, her whole face lights up. I’m even getting used to her tiny fangs.
“Stay home. We’ll let my whip do the magic and get this place cleaned up.”
Finally. I breathe a sigh of relief.
A car door slams, twice. Screams pierce the air. What now?
I look out the window. Daria kicks and shrieks while Claire drags her toward the house.
Chapter 17: Wrong Way - Catastrophe
Fairy Godmonster looks out the window over my shoulder. “Ooh, fun! Let’s go eavesdrop.”
“No. Stay here. Please.”
Fairy Godmonster covers her face with the veil and turns her back on me.
I sneak downstairs and sit on the bottom step. Peeking around the banister, I can see Daria pouting in a chair.
“She needs to be punished, Mother,” says Claire. “I have never been so embarrassed. If I hadn’t already purchased hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from the store, I think they would have taken us to the police station.”
Weasel is speechless, for once.
Mr. Dudley frowns and sits in front of Daria. “What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?”
Daria squirms under her father’s gaze. “It was a stupid stuffed animal.”
“A five hundred dollar one!” exclaims Claire. “You tried to steal it.” She paces in anger. “I said you could buy anything you wanted.”
“Calm down, Claire,” says Mr. Dudley.
Claire glares at her father.
The doorbell rings. I head for the front door when I hear Weasel say, “Claire, please get the door. No telling where that girl is hiding.”
I go through the living room so Claire won’t know I’ve been eavesdropping. We get to the front door at the same time.
“I’m sorry Winifred. It’s your house,” she apologizes.
“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know I was coming downstairs.”
The UPS man is at the door.
“Hi, Mr. Blakely,” I say.
“Hi, yourself. Got a bunch of packages for Mr. and Mrs. David Smith. What’s up?”
“My brother is getting married. This is his fiancée, Claire.”
“Oh yeah. I remember the Missus telling me about our invitation. Right nice of you
to invite us. Congratulations, young lady. I’ve known David since he was in diapers. Sign here and I’ll get your packages.”
Claire smiles. “Thank you.”
“David is one lucky guy.” Mr. Blakely goes to his truck and starts carrying the packages to the door.
“Where shall we put them?” asks Claire.
“Er, in the living room, for now.”
Claire and I take turns carting them to the coffee table. There are so many, we have to use the sofa.
“Last one,” says Mr. Blakely. “I imagine I’ll be here again soon by the looks of this load. Have a good day, you two.”
“Bye, Mr. Blakely.”
Claire smiles. “Thank you.” Her eyes sparkle when she turns to me. “I can’t wait until David gets back so we can open them.”
Mr. Dudley strides into the living room. “We are going out to dinner as soon as Daria finds Gazella and locks her upstairs.”
“Gazella. Kitty, kitty,” calls Daria.
“Is she going to be punished this time?” asks Claire.
Mr. Dudley notices me. “Winifred, would you mind getting the mousetraps ready?”
“Sure thing. Mice love peanut butter almost as much as I do.”
I leave the room and hear him say, “She will be confined to her bedroom for one day.”
“Is that all?” asks Claire.
“When the wedding is over and we return home, we will consider our options and take the necessary action.”
I try not to feel sorry for Daria and wonder why a rich kid would steal.
Daria is carrying Godzilla out of the kitchen when I go for the traps.
“Be sure the bedroom door is closed, Daria. I am going to be setting mousetraps and they could hurt your cat.”
Her eyes grow big. She hauls the cat upstairs with effort. Godzilla protests with a loud growl.
I laugh as I set traps for magical mice.
Mr. Dudley steps into the room. “Thank you, Winifred. Claire is getting John from the barn. Are you ready to go to dinner?”
“I don’t want to be rude, Mr. Dudley, and I appreciate the invitation. Would you mind if I stayed home?”
“I wouldn’t want your father to think we’re neglecting you.”
“It’s okay. I have lots to do, besides feeding the horses.”
“If you’re sure.” Mr. Dudley looks right into my eyes.
“Yeah, just bring me a chocolate shake, please.”
He smiles. “Fair enough.”
The limousine leaves and I rush upstairs. I unlock the door not knowing what to expect. The attic is back to normal. Until I look around the door. Fairy Godmonster sits in a huge hot tub.
“You took long enough. Shoplifting is accepted behavior where I usually work,” she mumbles.
“We’re not monsters.”
“So you say,” she laughs. “Let’s get busy while the house is empty.” She glides out of the hot tub in a spectacular bikini, sexy even with a tail. She cracks her whip. When the cloud evaporates, she wears a French maid’s outfit. “Thought I’d look the part.”
“You’re something else.” I laugh.
“I know.”
“Let’s eat first. I’m starving.”
Fairy Godmonster puts her whip in the NTMT chip and we go downstairs.
“That chip sounds like a bird.”
“So annoying. The nanoparticles rub each other at high speed and the designer hasn’t figured out how to eliminate the problem.”
I fix spaghetti with meatballs and Fairy Godmonster watches with interest.
“Cooking takes a lot of time.”
“Yeah, it’s worth it.”
We sit at the table and she takes a small taste. “This is fabulous. You must give me the recipe.”
We have the best dinner I’ve had since company arrived. When we finish, I point to the mousetraps. “I need some mice, in case Weasel wants proof.”
“You think she wants to see dead mice?” she asks.
“Guess not.”
We both laugh.
I spring the traps, wipe off the peanut butter and put them away.
“You ready to watch the fun?” asks Fairy Godmonster.
“I have stable chores.”
“Go ahead. Since my whip is working, I’ll clean the house.”
“I’ve dusted downstairs,” I say. “You’ll have to dust upstairs and vacuum everything. I’ll be back in to do the kitchen and the bathrooms.”
“Bet I get done before you do,” Fairy Godmonster chuckles.
I head for the barn and have the horses fed and their stalls cleaned in record time. I need to remember to thank John for mucking out half of them. Kong eats his dinner and follows me into the house.
When I enter the kitchen, I’m stunned. It’s spotless. I check all the rooms downstairs. Everything is sparkling clean. I hurry upstairs, Kong at my feet.
Fairy Godmonster’s tail flips into the bathroom.
Kong gallops past me.
“CRIPES!”
I rush in.
“A warning would help when your dog decides to goose me,” grumbles Fairy Godmonster.
“Can I watch your magic?”
“Better put him in the attic.”
“Kong, c’mon boy.” I put Kong inside and lock the door.
I hurry back to the bathroom. “Ready.”
<
br /> With a small flick, the whip produces three white whirlwinds. The whirlwinds twist around the toilet, sink and bathtub leaving some kind of sparkling silver dust. They swoosh over the floor. It takes about twenty seconds. One more flick of the whip and the
silver dust disappears.
“That’s fast. How come you didn’t finish before me?”
“Watched a dance competition on television. Humans have interesting hobbies. You know how to waltz?” she asks.
“No.”
“What if Scott asks you at the reception?”
I moan.
Fairy Godmonster takes my hand. “Come on. I’ll teach you. Easier than falling off a horse.”
Like she knows.
I follow her into the hall. She cracks her whip.
A strobe light materializes overhead and flashes neon orange and pink. Loud music blares from a hard rock band in the corner.
“They won’t have this kind of music at the wedding,” I yell over the beat that pounds through my body.
Fairy Godmonster shouts, “If you can waltz to this, you can dance to anything.”
She pulls me into her arms.
I try to follow and trip on her toes. She laughs. I trip on my own toes. I laugh.
“Do monsters waltz?” I yell.
“They have their version. Not something you would do.”
“Why not?”
She says, “It involves smashing your partner’s feet.”
We kind of spin, swirl and skip to the music until I can follow her lead.
“Cool,” Fairy Godmonster says. “You’re a natural.”
I don’t think there’s anything natural about waltzing to hard rock.
She cracks her whip and everything disappears.
“Back to work, Winderella.” Fairy Godmonster smiles and glides across the hall to Daria’s room.
“Godzilla’s in there,” I warn.
“I’m not afraid of a cat,” she huffs.
I follow her into the room and close the door. Godzilla glares at us from the middle of the bed.
Fairy Godmonster inspects the wallpaper. “This your room?”
“Yeah,” I say quickly, embarrassed. “I want to update it, but don’t know what to do.”
“Hmm.”
She walks around the room and smiles. CRACK! My bedroom transforms into the
sweetest room I’ve ever seen. Shiny silver and white. CRACK! Red, oriental. CRACK! Blue and cool.
Dizzy, I say, “Awesome!”
Fairy Godmonster snaps her whip and the bedroom returns to the way it was.
“Now you have some ideas.”
Her magic fills the room with a white whirlwind. It swishes around the room, sucking out the dust. Not one of Daria’s stuffed animals moves.
Satisfied, Fairy Godmonster puts her whip into the NTMT chip. It chirps. She lays the chip on the dresser and primps in the mirror.
I sigh, wishing I could look half as good as she does.
Suddenly, Godzilla jumps to the dresser and snatches the NTMT chip in one paw.
“Give that back,” hollers Fairy Godmonster.
Meowrrr!
Godzilla snatches the chip in her mouth and scrambles across the dresser.
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
“Quick, grab her!” yells Faro.
My hands slip off Godzilla’s silky tail. I end up with a handful of fur.
The cat leaps to the floor.
Fairy Godmonster lunges after her.
CHIRP!
Godzilla swallows the chip and disappears.
Chapter 18: Speed Bumps
“NOOOOOO! My clothes, my food, my exercise machines!”
“Your whip,” I whisper in shock.
Fairy Godmonster’s eyes turn pink. She throws herself on the bed. “They’ll expel me from Fairy Court if they hear about this.”
“WHAT HAPPENED TO GODZILLA!?”
“She’s in the NTMT chip.”
“THE CHIP IS IN GODZILLA AND SHE’S GONE!”
“Oh, chill. It’s really a matter of semantics. The nanoparticles in the NTMT chip have transferring intelligence. There are safeguards against sintering. I’m sure the quantum confinement cell enclosed Godzilla inside.”
“Is that good?” My legs wobble. I collapse on the edge of the bed.
“It’s only a matter of time. Godzilla won’t be able to digest the NTMT chip. When she poops, she’ll reappear.”
“How long will that take?” I ask.
“One to four days. Of course, the poop will still be invisible, except for the microscopic luster,” she adds.
My head spins. “Four days?”
She nods.
I’m dead meat.
A car door slams.
“They’re back.” I stand up in panic and the room swirls around. Fairy Godmonster
grabs me before I crash to the floor.
“Buck up. Quick. Let’s go.”
She hustles me out of the room. I start to close the door.
“No. Leave it open a crack, to cover your tracks. Get downstairs and pretend to be working.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have to get the Luster Detector from my motorcycle.”
“How will you find it at night?”
She rolls her eyes.
I forget about her X-ray vision.
“You can’t get downstairs in time,” I say in panic.
She smiles. “I’ll climb out the attic window and jump.”
My brain swirls and I want to throw up. “I can’t get Kong out of here in time.”
“I’ll take him with me,” she says.
“He weighs a hundred-and-forty pounds!”
“I don’t lift weights for fun. Some of my monster clients are huge. Now go!” She sprints for the attic.
“Wait!” I yell. “Here’s the key!” I throw it to her.
The front door opens.
I run down the hall and eye the banister. I jump on, sliding like a maniac. Faster and faster. The curve comes sooner than I remember. My legs sail off. I fly through the air. Hit the back of the sofa, roll over the wedding presents and crash to the floor. I stand up and try to look casual, heart hammering in my chest.
John and Claire walk into the room.
Claire hands me a milkshake. “The house looks wonderful.”
“You did a great job,” adds John.
I cross my legs to stop them from shaking.
“Thanks. Did you have a good dinner?”
John pats his stomach. “Delicious. For a small town, you have a good selection of restaurants.”
“If you don’t mind, I need to get to bed early,” I say.
“You earned it.” John smiles.
“David called while we were at the restaurant,” Claire says. “He doesn’t know when he’ll be home. He’s searching the city’s shops for enough benches.”
John laughs. “You’ll have to do with my expertise in the morning.”
“I don’t expect you to help when David isn’t here, John,” I say. “You’re company.”
“I need the workout. Can’t have you doing everything alone, so I better go to bed. See you in the morning. Goodnight.” John strides toward the den.
“‘Night. Thanks.” I swallow a gulp of chocolate shake to soothe my dry throat. It tastes like mud.
Mr. Dudley saunters into the room. “I’m impressed with your work ethic, young lady. Good job.”
Fairy Godmonster’s magic did the work. I ignore the guilt. “Thanks for the milkshake, Mr. Dudley.”
“Least I could do.” His cell phone rings and he excuses himself.
Weasel hovers in the doorway. “I wonder how you accomplished so much in such a
short time.”
“Mother. That’s not nice,” Claire says in a quiet voice.
Daria’s piercing screech fills the house. Chills shiver all the way to my toes.
Weasel rushes to the stairs. Claire follows her and I stumble after them.
“Dear heavens!” exclaims Weasel. “The mousetraps.”
“GAZELLA!” Daria heads for the kitchen.
“I put the mousetraps away after I caught the mice, Mrs. Dudley.”
Weasel clutches her throat in silence.
Claire grabs her sister. “Calm down, Daria. I’ll help you search the house. She has to be here somewhere.”
Daria points at me and screeches louder. “She cleaned my room and left the door open.”
I tell the truth. “The cat was there the last time I saw her.”
“We’ll find her.” Claire takes Daria’s hand. “You get some sleep, Winifred.”
“Thanks. ‘Night.” I hurry up the stairs. Fairy Godmonster left the key and I lock myself in the attic. I plop down on the bed and stare at the ceiling. The hot tub gurgles.
“Daria. Come back inside.” Mr. Dudley’s voice booms through my open window.
“Gazella! Gazella, kitty, kitty!”
“Come in this house, young lady.”
“Daddy, she’s not in the house! She got outside! She’ll die!”
“Cats are very good at hiding, Daria. Besides, you can’t find a black cat in the dark. We’ll look in the morning. Time for bed.”
“I can’t sleep without Gazella! She’s my only friend!” Daria starts crying like her heart is breaking. Her sobs get louder and then there is silence.
Mr. Dudley and Daria have gone inside, but Daria’s cries still fill my mind. I know it’s not my fault that her cat disappeared. What if Godzilla never comes back?
I roll over, totally lost. “Oh, Mom. What am I going to do?”
The moon peeps over the windowsill and a beam of light shines on Mom’s trunks.
I drag myself off the bed. With a shaky hand, I slowly lift one lid and see Mom’s beautiful clothes. I search through them carefully and go on to the next trunk. Under a pile of books is a soft, leather diary with a single rose etched on the cover. I hold my breath and open it. The title leaps out from the lace-edged pages, “To Winifred, My Precious Daughter.”
Chapter 19: Do Not Pass - Discovery
The world seems to stop. All sound, all feeling, everything. Moonlight softly shines on Mom’s words. I touch them with my fingers. Tears slide down my cheeks. Questions crowd into my mind. Why did she write to me? Did she know she was going to die in childbirth? I turn the page.
My Fairy Godmonster Page 9