Delilah Recovered **2017 Watty Winner**

chapter six

Dee's body felt heavy like she was filled with stones. She looked over at Aros. He turned toward her and gave her a toothy smile. She noticed that he had a space between his front teeth that made him look endearing.

Aros and Dee stood in front of an arched flaxen wooden door engraved with woodland fairies surrounded by bright red poppies. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, it opened, and standing in the doorway was a lithe woman with short, platinum blonde hair. When she saw Aros and Dee, she tried to shut the door on them, but Aros wedged his work boot in the doorframe.

"Whatever," she said with a shrug, leaving the door open as she walked away.

Dee looked inside. It was an abandoned church. The pews were converted to rows of long tables with stools. The floor was littered with empty Red Bull cans, Amazon boxes, discarded make-up, and designer fanny packs with Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton logos. There were canvas hammocks hanging from the rafters of the vaulted ceiling. The women were all dressed alike in charcoal grey turtlenecks, leggings, and combat boots. They ignored Dee and Aros because they were focused on their laptops.

Moments later, Samuel and Jonathan flew through a broken stained glass window. As they landed in the center of the aisle, the fairies looked up and commenced hissing like a hive of angry bees.

Samuel approached the woman who greeted Dee and Aros, "Faye, how've you been love?"

Faye flashed her teeth and they had turned into sharp fangs. "You know there's a price for entry."

Samuel pulled out a thick roll of bills. "Will cash suffice?"

Faye snatched the money from his hands. She raised her hand and showed fairies the cash, and they immediately stopped hissing.

Jonathan ran over to Dee. "Delilah, are you okay?" He asked as he peeled off his shirt and wrapped it around her shoulders.

The fairies froze. In silence, they got on their feet, walked over to Dee, and kneeled before her.

Dee looked down at them. "What's happening?"

"She doesn't know?" Faye asked. "You witches need to get your houses in order."

Samuel leaned into Faye, his nose almost touching hers, "You forget yourself."

Jonathan set his hands on Samuel's shoulders, "Easy going there, boss. We're all on the same team."

Samuel smacked Jonathan's hand away, "I have urgent business I must address."

Dee looked around her. It all seemed like a bad dream, but she knew it wasn't. "What in the hell is going on?" yelled Dee. "You," she said pointing to Faye. "What are you?"

"A fairy," Faye replied.

"Like Tinkerbell?" Dee asked.

"If Tinkerbell is a dead soul paying penance for her sins, then yes just like her," Faye said as she pulled a vape pen out of her pocket.

"Is this a dream?" Dee asked.

"More like a living freaking nightmare that won't end," Faye said.

Jonathan shot her a dirty look, "Faye, not helpful."

Dee looked down at the fairies still kneeling before her. "You were all there on the night I was attacked?"

"More liked saved your ass," Faye replied.

"Delilah, I want to take you home to Tabitha Anthea, she can help us sort this all out," Jonathan said as he put his arm around her.

"Why do you keep calling me Delilah?" she asked Jonathan, shaking his arm from her shoulder.

"Because that's your name, doll face," Faye replied, walking back up the aisle. "You're Delilah Johanne D..."

Jonathan quickly placed his hand over Faye's mouth. "Tabitha Anthea will explain it."

"Please stand up," Dee said to the fairies. They looked at one another, unsure of what to do. Dee waved her arms, motioning for them to stand up. Slowly, they began to rise.

"Faye, you're coming with us," Jonathan said.

Faye stuffed her vape pen into her pocket. She walked over to Dee and offered her hand, "Let's motor before those hunters track us."