Chapter 10: Monster Crossing

 

What spooked Dancer? Fear sweeps through my body like a flash flood, tingling every nerve. Dragging myself up, I look around for bear or cougar.

The air glitters with a purple mist. A dainty hand with a wand floats before my eyes.

A sweet voice says, “Don’t be afraid. I’m your Fairy Godmoth ... OOOFFF.”

Electricity cracks in the air. Chills slither down my spine.

The hand disappears in a flash.

BOOM!

The ground shakes. I scramble backward and thump into a tree. Dark clouds

menace the meadow. Heartbeats crash in my head. I can’t breathe or move.

An engine roars overhead. Chrome plunges down through the mist.

I scream and hit the ground.

A Harley Davidson pops through the vanishing mist. Metal wings on the sides of the motorcycle clank back and forth in flight as it lands. Astride it, is a tall, female figure in a cool, red leather jumpsuit that fits like skin. Her yellow knee boots shine.

“Be quick about it,” says the rider in an irritated, yet sexy voice. “My stylist freaks if I’m late and it’s not a pretty sight.”

She pushes a button. The metal wings fold up against the sides of the motorcycle.

Silence and exotic perfume fill the air.

I try to move, but I’m shaking too much.

Suddenly, I notice the whip hooked onto her silver-studded black belt. I scramble backward and bump against the tree. Dry bark digs into my hands.

The rider removes the black helmet.

I scream. It’s the monster in my nightmare.

“Buck up,” orders the rider.

I run away on shaky legs.

A gloved fist grabs me by the back of my shirt. I hang in the air like the catch of the day.

“Going someplace?” the voice purrs.

“H-home.”

“Not.”

The fist swings me around. I stare into yellow, cat eyes.

She puts me down and removes her gloves. Long claws with red fingernail polish extend beyond her four, graceful fingers.

“W-who are you?” I stammer. I can’t stop my knees from shaking.

“The Big Bad Wolf,” she laughs, running her claws through orange, spiky hair.

“Yeah, right.”

She smiles and I glimpse those white fangs.

I gasp.

“Chill. I don’t harm my assignments. Except for that Striplehook who kept trying to grope me. Had to knock him out.”

I can’t speak.

“Not a scaredy cat, are you?” she grumbles.

“I’m not afraid of anything.”

“That’s a relief. It will make things easier.”

She swings the whip around her head.

I yell and flatten myself on the ground.

“Oh, get a grip.”

Her whip fizzles like a wet firecracker and hangs limp.

She stares at it. “Cripes, what a bother. Let’s hope those idiots get things sorted out. The faster the better.”

I drag myself up. “Who are you?”

She smoothes the one wrinkle in her jumpsuit. “Your Fairy Godmonster.”

“Sure you are,” I say. “And I’m Little Red Riding Hood.”

Her yellow eyes turn black.

“Look. It’s like this. FIMM is frozen.”

“FIMM?” I ask.

“The Fairy Instantaneous Manifestation Monitor. It regulates Fairy Godmothers, Fairy Godfathers, Fairy Godpets and the best of all, Fairy Godmonsters.”

“What’s that got to do with me?”

“You need a Fairy Godmother.”

“Huh-uh,” I say.

“FIMM doesn’t make mistakes. Your Fairy Godmother was almost here when she crashed into my bike. It caused an electrical malfunction in the biorhythmic alpha particles of FIMM. I ended up here instead of Monsterdome.”

Her eyes gleam. “I wonder how your Fairy Godmother is doing there?” She purrs, then laughs. “She’ll definitely be freaked out.”

My head spins.

She whacks the top of the whip and it curls up so fast that I wonder if I saw it.

Shoving it into her belt, her fox-like tail flips in irritation.

“Why the whip?” I ask, biting my tongue to keep from snickering at her tail.

“Magic wand.”

I giggle. Can’t help myself and burst out laughing. I grab my mouth when she glares at me. It doesn’t help. I can’t stop laughing. Tears run down my face and I clutch my aching stomach.

She watches me for a while.

“Do you need a slap in the face?” she asks.

I stop laughing and look into her concerned, luminous eyes. Unfortunately, I see the wings of the motorcycle behind her. I chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

“How come you don’t have wings?”

“Wings are so last-century.”

My hysterics last until she touches my face with one claw.

“Are you finished?” she purrs.

I hear motors in the distance and Dad shouting, “Winifred, Winifred. Can you hear me?”

“It’s my dad!”

She exclaims, “Oh bother! I can’t be seen.”

“You’re invisible to others?”

“Not as long as FIMM malfunctions,” she said in disgust.

“Quick, disappear!” I exclaim.

“I can’t,” whispers Fairy Godmonster. “My whip won’t work.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“My powers are limited without it.”

“Winifred.” Scott’s voice calls now.

“Hide!” I plead. “They’ll be here any minute.”

Fairy Godmonster looks around. She grabs her cycle and hurls it under some large bushes. She leaps to a low hanging tree branch and glides up the trunk like a snake, snarling when the needles pierce her hands. She disappears into the high branches.

“Don’t move,” I warn. “Stay there. I have enough problems.”

Needles and small branches fall to the ground as she hides.

Dad and Scott drive in on three-wheelers.

I run toward them to keep them from coming into the meadow.

“Win!” Dad shuts off his motor. “Didn’t you hear us calling? Are you all right?” He looks me over from head to foot.

“I’m fine.” I ignore his first question.

I hold my breath and hope Fairy Godmonster doesn’t move. What if her yellow boots show in the trees?

Dad continues, “When Scott told me Dancer came back without you or a saddle and bridle, I was worried.” He hugs me.

“What happened?” asks Scott.

“Something scared Dancer. I wasn’t expecting him to stop and I came off.”

“That’s not like Dancer,” says Dad. “What frightened him?”

I can’t tell him about ‘you know who,’ so I say, “He spooked at a cloud of mist.”

Dad looks into my eyes. He can always tell if I’m lying. Luckily, he believes the

part of the truth I tell him.

“Can we go home? I’m hungry.”

Dad laughs. “That’s my girl. You missed lunch, but I think Erminia left a sandwich for you.”

Scott says, “You okay? You look as white as a ghost.”

Not now, I don’t. Heat sneaks up my neck.

“Sure,” I mumble. “You just have to know how to roll when you land.”

“Famous forward dismount?” Dad grins.

I laugh. “How’d you guess?”

He frowns. “Where’s your helmet?”

I cringe, “Forgot it.”

“That’s not like you. What happened?”

I don’t look at Scott and hope he doesn’t say anything about Weasel’s insults. “Nothing. I was in a hurry.”

“Don’t let it happen again,” growls Dad.

He jumps on his three-wheeler and starts the motor.

Scott smiles at me. “Hop on.”

“I drive,” I say.

He jumps off and smiles. “Your wish is my command.” He sits behind me.

I ignore my burning face and start the motor. Not prepared when his arms circle my waist, I floor the gas pedal. A surge of energy electrifies my body.

“Hot-rodder!” Scott laughs.

We head for home and I hear a loud CRACK and THUMP in the woods behind us.

Scott, whispers in my ear, “What was that?”

The chills up and down my spine from his arms almost make me let go of the handlebars.

“Do you mind not talking? I’m trying to drive.”

He continues, “Just a warning. Mrs. Dudley needs to see you about the wedding.”

I forgot about the wedding. His warmth makes my mind numb.

Could my life get any worse? Yes. If I knew what was going to happen next, I would have stayed in the forest and begged Fairy Godmonster to take me to Monsterdome.