I Take It Back: A Dark Fantasy

Chapter Nine

Trudy blinked to refocus her vision. Chaos swirled around her. Electrified air hurt her teeth as her jaw clenched. A tall figure, taller than Blue Fairy, dominated the room. As her vision sharpened, the full magnitude of the figure manifested.

Massive wings unfurled, stretching to length. Barreled chest puffed out while arms like ham hawks moved with precision and purpose. Glowing red eyes focused on Elle.

Trudy pushed up to her hands and knees.

"Yet, you remain a disappointment." Trudy heard him say.

"Father, she's insufferable! It's not my fault!"

Elle floated in the air before the beast of a man. Terror sat heavy in her eyes. Wide saucers. White.

Blue Fairy stepped forward. "Father, let her finish this Pathing, she may surprise you."

Red gaze shifted. "The only surprise from her is that she tried at all." Ponytailed long blonde hair blew in waves as if by an invisible wind.

"Please, father, I'll get this right. Give me a chance." Tears fell.

"The Pathing is complete. Your charge made her choice. It pains me, dear one, but I cannot tolerate your failure."

Light manifested in his hands, flaring and pulsing. Ribbons of energy flowed from the elder fairy to surround Elle in an electrified glow.

Elle screamed, "No!" a second before a blood-curdling noise ripped from her throat.

Air crackled in radiant intensity.

Blue grabbed at Elder Fairy's raised wrist. Energy surged without missing a beat, propelling Blue Fairy across the room and out of the house.

Trudy watched, mesmerized by the surreal nature of the scene as if she hadn't spent her night whisked through time and space. A monstrously beautiful fairy sent continuous streams of energy to inflict pain on a smaller fairy in her best friend's apartment in the past! Her best friend who sat frozen, unaware that anything was out of sorts. How did this happen?

As her faculties returned, Trudy steadied herself to a standing position. Every scream and whimper from Elle sent her body into tingling spasms. The sensation was one she was unfamiliar with which heightened her anxiety.

"Stop hurting her!" she begged Elder Fairy. She instinctively extended her arm and an unexpected bolt of light left her palm to hit the fairy in his chest.

The spell holding Elle aloft broke to deposit her to the ground.

Stunned, he reeled for a moment before he found his footing. His wide gaze locked Trudy in place. He looked as if he were about to speak before a wicked smile stretched his lips. He lifted his chin to look down his perfectly straight nose at her. "What is this?"

Trudy looked in horror from her trembling hand, to Elder Fairy, and back to her hand. "I don't know," she whispered.

Elle sobbed, curled in a tight ball. Her arms wrapped around her stomach.

On instinct, Trudy went to her. "Elle, how can I help?"

Elle opened her eyes when Trudy laid her hand on her shoulder. They contemplated each other for a moment, ignoring Elder Fairy who paced close to them.

"Tell me what to do," Trudy said, worried

Elle shook her head and said, "Stay out of it."

Confused, she shook her head. "Hell no! Uh-uh."

"You're stupid! I don't want your help!"

At a loss for how to respond, Trudy stood and turned to Elder Fairy. He watched her, head cocked to the side. His bound blonde hair would have made him look younger if it weren't for the goatee and mustache. A scar on his upper lip marred his handsome, almost god-like features. His creepy smile gave her pause. Should she listen to Elle and stay out of it? If she did, what would happen to Elle?

Her mind made up, she swallowed her fear and stated, "You can't hurt her anymore."

A genuine laugh left Elder Fairy, deep and pleasant if the situation weren't as it was. "What is to prevent me from punishing my daughter?"

"I won't let you." She swallowed nervously.

"Is that so? Well, this is unexpected. What do you purpose happens instead?"

Dumbfounded, Trudy stared at Elder Fairy in silence for a long time. Finally, she said, "She's my fairy until I die, right?"

He nodded.

"Then give her another chance. If she doesn't change in that time, then do what you want. Leave her alone till then."

He rolled his eyes, but his tone conveyed amusement rather than annoyance. "Fine. She has until your death to become a worthy child. Hopefully, you live a long time. Now, I have to find my favorite son to make amends for banishing him from his charge's home." He stretched his wings wide and disappeared.

As before, the air seemed to leave the room to then slam back into the room a second later. Trudy fell to a knee but took deep, slow breaths to keep from passing out. She turned to Elle.

The fairy moved to a sitting position, keeping her gaze averted. She seemed smaller—less imposing.

Trudy opened her mouth to speak, only to shriek in surprise when Melody passed through her as she headed out of the room. She felt nothing like she imagined she would have as a physical person walked through her. Whenever she saw it happen in movies where a person walked through a spirit or vice versa, she thought it would feel cold or—something! She felt none of that. One second she was looking at Elle, and the next Melody's insides obscured her vision. Unable to think for a moment, Trudy stared at Melody's back. Her brain bypassed the horror of the moment and focused on the fact that Melody walked into the kitchen. How could she do that?

She looked behind her to see Jackson looking at his phone. He looked toward the kitchen before tapping out a text. "I changed my mind," he called to Melody. "Could you get me a water, please?"

"Sure."

Jackson continued typing and then put the phone down on the coffee table. He shifted around as if he were trying to get into a more comfortable position. Trudy realized he fidgeted because he'd been doing something he wasn't supposed to.

Melody entered the room. "Here you go, honey."

Trudy shuffled out of the way before getting another look at her guts. She didn't like her in the first place, but now that she saw Melody in that way, she didn't think she could ever look at her again without wanting to puke.

Elle startled Trudy when she spoke, "Are you ready to go?"

Trudy blinked. "Huh?"

"Leave? You made your choice." Her voice held none of her previous snark. Her eyes held none of her previous fire.

With a last look at Jackson and Trudy cuddling on the sofa, Trudy replied, "Yeah, I'm ready."

Elle scooted closer to Trudy. Even her movements held none of her previous confidence. This Elle seemed more like a little girl, unsure of herself and going through the motions of how a grown-up acted without the confidence to back them up.

Trudy smiled and held out her hand.

Elle sneered before taking it. "Fuck you."