The incessant, blood curdling screams reverberated in her head and wouldn’t stop. Hands clamped to her ears, Misti pulled her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, praying it would stop. Praying it was all a horrifying nightmare and she’d wake up in her own bed any minute now. A wave fear and nausea washed over her. Any minute now. Any minute she’d wake up.
It didn’t happen.
Just when she thought she might be sick, the door to the miniscule closet flew open. A blinding blue light bobbed in front of her.
Mistress Merriweather. Oh, boy. Not good.
Merriweather’s eyes flashed blue lasers as her icy, imperious voice commanded, “My office. Now!”
Like down on a thistle, multicolored lights swept Misti to said office. She immediately missed the warmth of the closet. Especially considering what was sure to happen next.
The office door banged open and the blue dervish that was Merriweather swept into the room. By the time the tiny fairy settled in her desk chair, the door slammed shut with bone chilling finality.
“Explain yourself.” Brilliant blue eyes pinned Misti to her chair, as she tried to refrain from nervously swinging her dangling feet.
Before she could offer or even think up a plausible explanation, Merri boomed, “What did you think you were doing?”
“W-well, Amanda—that’s the girl’s name—woke up and, I guess, I panicked.” If she cowered more, she’d surely disappear into the cushioned chair.
“You think? Misti, you were hiding in her closet! She was terrified. Once again, I had to fly to your rescue and fix your mess.” An exasperated sigh escaped before she continued. “And have you looked in a mirror?”
Misti, touched her hair, surprised when she felt…slime? “Um, well, not recently.” Before her supervisor could start yelling again, she hurried on. “But I did remember the first rule of fairy school: never be seen. I hurried to cast an invisibility spell, but as I said, I was panicked. I couldn’t quite remember the exact words, but I felt that bubbly feeling, so I assumed I’d done it correctly. Then she started screaming and, well, I ran.”
“Into a closet? Where, pray tell, did you think you’d go?” At Misti’s mumbled words, Merri leaned over the desk and asked again, louder this time. “Where did you think you’d go in a closet? Answer me.”
“I was hoping it might be a portal?” Her shoulders almost met her ears. Her new mantra repeated itself over and over. Be brave, be brave.
“You were in a little girl’s closet. There are no portals in little girls’ closets.” Disdain dripped from every word. A mirror was thrust into Misti’s hands. “Look! Look what you conjured!”
Misti gasped at the sight staring back at her. A hideous lone giant green eye in her forehead blinked as translucent green slime ran down her face and dripped onto her shoulders. Her bulbous, crooked nose ran with purplish snot. Her lips, easily three times their normal size, could barely close over the single yellow tooth. Even the tuft of bushy pink hair crowning her gigantic head looked pitiful yet terrifying at the same time. The little girl must’ve been traumatized at the sight. “Oh, my.”
“Oh, my, indeed!” Merri flitted around her desk to hover in front of Misti. “It was bad enough when you had the less than brilliant idea to color your perfectly nice blonde hair such a hideous shade of bright red. Even faded to something resembling hot pink, it isn’t any better. Now this. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Misti wasn’t concerned about herself, at the moment. “What happened to Amanda? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, no thanks to you. I wiped her memory.” She blasted another piercing look Misti’s way. “As much as it pains me to say this, I’m afraid you’re just not tooth fairy material.”
Misti was sure it didn’t pain Merri to say it nearly as much as it did for her to hear it. “I understand. But, please, give me another chance!”
“Need I remind you about your abysmal failure as an elf?”
Misti again fought the urge to cower. “I bet a lot of people are afraid of reindeer,” she mumbled. She just had to learn to be more assertive. Everyone always reminded her of it. She usually avoided playing the pity card, whenever possible, but it was inescapable. Deep breath. “My parents will be devastated if I can’t be a fairy…”
“Well, you should’ve thought about that earlier in the process, shouldn’t you?” After a put-upon sigh, she continued. “Honestly, your parents are the reason you haven’t been expelled by now. They are exemplary. Exceptional examples of all things fairies should be…then there is you.”
“Please, Mistress, just one more chance!”
“At what? You’ve failed just about everything there is to fail.”
“Um…only just about?” A flicker of hope flared. “Does that mean there’s something else?”
“Hardly.” Merri fussed with straightening a stack of perfectly straight papers on her desk. After a moment, she met Misti’s gaze. “Very well.” She held up a tiny hand. “Don’t get too excited. This is a complicated, difficult, if not impossible, assignment—”
“I can do it! What is it? Oops, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. But…” She balanced on the edge of her chair. “What’s the assignment?”
“I’m going to allow you one more chance to become a Fairy Godmother. One. More. Chance. Do you—”
“Yes!” Misti hopped off her perch on the chair, pumping her fist in the air. “Wait. Do I get a wand? I’ve always wanted a wand!”
“Wands are not given, they must be earned. In fact, I feel you may lose your enthusiasm once you hear all the stipulations.”
“Lay ’em on me!” Misti plopped back onto the soft cushioned chair, putting on a solemn face “I mean, please explain exactly what those stipulations might be.”
“First: You will be assigned a subject. He or she will be in need of fairy guidance to restore his or her Christmas spirit. Second: You must not reveal yourself as a fairy to the subject. Third, and perhaps the most important thing: No magic of any kind, for any reason other than emergencies, may be used. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” There were lots of times she’d go for long stretches without using magic. Of course, that might be because she wasn’t all that adept at spells and any other kind, even levitation, was usually beyond her skill level. Still, Merri was giving her another chance. She could not, would not, let her down again.
“I’ve arranged for you to work in the Christmas Village in Sprucehill, in what’s called Deep South Texas. You’re a decent sewist. Therefore, your job will be to help make costumes and decorations for the Merry Christmas Boutique as well as the annual Christmas Festival it sponsors. Edna Whitcomb, the owner, has graciously agreed to help in any way she can, by providing employment as well as a place to live.”
“I’ll be living with someone I’ve never met? Is she my subject?”
“Don’t be absurd! She’s your employer, your benefactor, even your confidant, if needed. She owns Christmas Wishes Inc, the company that not only produces the festival every year, but maintains the Merry Christmas Boutique in their Christmas Village of shops. She has a carriage house on her property that’s currently vacant. I think you’ll be happy living there. It’s cozy and even has a dedicated sewing and craft room, containing all the machines and materials you will need. Do not disappoint, this time, Misti. This is truly your very last chance.”
Fairly bouncing with excitement, she hopped off the chair and headed for the door to begin packing.
“Wait! We’re not quite through,” Merri called.
Brow furrowed, Misti gripped the crystal doorknob and looked back over her shoulder. “We’re not?”
Lips tight, Merri shook her head. “Are you really planning to go to your next assignment, looking like…that?”
She touched the still dripping slime. “Shoot.”
In a blink of Misti’s giant eye, Merriweather hovered in front of her. A sparkling wand appeared. Merri immediately whipped it in a circle, showering shimmering fairydust everywhere.
Misti’s mid-section clenched, her stomach bubbled, then warmth washed over her in a tropical-feeling breeze.
Merri gripped her shoulders, turning her to look at her reflection in the gilded mirror on the wall. Misti sagged in relief when she saw her normal reflection staring back at her. Two green eyes. Check. Reddish pink shoulder length hair. Check. Nose that actually fit her face and did not drip anything. Check. And the sight of her normal size mouth and straight, white teeth brought grateful tears to her eyes. “Thank you, so much! I won’t let you down,” she vowed in a choked voice.
Merriweather again stopped her exit. “Not so fast. One more thing.”
“What’s that?” Hadn’t she covered everything?
“Your wings.”