A Horrific Fantasy

Chapter 55

For next several hours, everyone took a break to play cards and then while Moxxie cooked dinner, Alastor educated Charlie more and the others just spent their time entertaining Octavia with games and tricks. Supper was something very special. Garlic butter-grilled codfish, roasted cornish-hens, and pork sausage served with stewed mushrooms, red-beans and rice, corn-rolls, and for dessert angel-food cake with cream and mulberries. Truly quite impressive that something that technically didn't need eat could be such a marvelous cook.

"Well once Alastor came along, it was only natural that Millie and I learn to cook. He needed to eat." Moxxie said. "So I had Louis start bringing me recipes and ingredients fro mother outside world."

"But how does an owl get all that?" Angel asked.

"Simple, we give him money for what he needs, he flies into a market to get what we request, and he leaves behind the money."

"But where do you get the money?" Charlie asked.

"Well Issac had crafted many antique toys that are worth a great deal at a pawn shop, so we sell them for money. The ones that aren't alive that is."

"But how does that work? Last I checked people don't normally do business with an owl."

"I arrange the sales online." Louis explained. "It's very easy really, I make up a false email, sneak into any house or apartment with a computer when a window or door is left open, I make online orders and tell the market or the pawnshop where to make the exchange, and I instruct them to just simply leave the groceries or the money at the spot and take the payment or product waiting there."

"And no one finds that just a little bit suspicious?" Angel asked.

"Probably but it's perfectly legal and they still get paid so who cares?"

"Almost perfectly legal." Loona corrected. "Technically you're breaking and entering someone's house to make those orders."

"Well I never break anything, I never steal anything, and I always clean up my mess. And what else can I do? I'm a bird. I can't make exchanges first hand, I can't speak in the real world and if I did I'd probably find myself getting dissected in a government facility or something."

"What about Levana?" Charlie asked. "How does she get money and food?"

"Oh she doesn't get food. She doesn't buy anything. It's all illusions that she takes from images projected in the mirrors. Reflection of food."

"But how can it be an illusion? I can touch it, smell it, eat it."

"Yet it doesn't really fill you up or give you any nourishment, does it?"

"Huh...Now that I think about it I never did feel full when I ate her food. And I did wonder why we never gained a pound despite eating junk food. But if she can't get food how does she keep herself or anyone else here alive?"

"That one is a mystery." Alastor said. "Though when she kept prisoner, she fed me leaves and grass that blew in from the other side."

"Seriously? She fed you leaves and grass?" Angel said skeptically.

"How else do you think I got this skinny?"

"Is she going to do that to Vaggie?" Charlie asked.

"Where is Vaggie anyway?" Angel asked. "You seem to know a lot of about this psycho bitch, so you have to know where she's keeping Vaggie...And Molly."

"I do." Alastor confessed. "I know where she's keeping them both. In a cell behind one of her many mirrors. The same cell where she kept me for."

Angel suddenly paused, tears welling up in his eyes. Tears of relief, brought on by so many years of guilt. fear, and "What if" thoughts.