Crimson Roses; A collection of Short Stories
Written by ; Ren Elizabeth
Authour's Notice: Hello folks. This is the first story of the eight that will be added. It would mean a great deal to me if you commented. If you feel that I deserve a vote, to do so. And if you like my work enough, to fan. I would greatly appreciate it. Happy Reading!
Warning: This story The Tooth Fairy may include topics unsuitable for those with weak hearts and low tolerance for blood. No offensive language included.
------------------------------------------------|
The Tooth Fairy.
The tooth fairy, one of the many myths children believe in. Just like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, The tooth fairy’s arrival is waited for every time a child’s tooth is hidden under their pillow. Until they hit the age of eight, and the talk of the play ground is that the child only got six dollars this time around.
The tooth fairy’s existence is questioned. Children these days believe that their parents are the ones leaving the money under their cartoon patterned pillows. Do parents deny it? Yes. When their children are still young and they want to keep the naïve glint in their baby’s hearts.
He went by Don when he wasn’t dressed in tights and wearing angel wings. During the day he worked as a planter. In fact he was the Messer family planter. Alice Messer had him over twice a week to keep her plants in full bloom every season. He was a trusted, well respected man. He seemed harmless, but that was before Luna Messer had disappeared in the dead of the night.
Luna’s mother Alice had driven herself crazy over the month Luna had been missing for. She watched more crime shows trying to get a step ahead in her situation. She spent late nights lying awake in her bed, staring out her window in case Luna raced up the path. She called the police department twice everyday and she was a constant visitor at Sheriff Mahoney’s home.
Seven year old Luna Messer had been missing for exactly a month. She had disappeared from her bedroom on November 23rd. Alice hadn’t heard a sound that night, she hadn’t noticed Luna was missing until that morning rolled around and it was time to wake Luna for school. At first she didn’t comprehend that Luna may have been taken, she figured Luna had left early for school. But that didn’t settle right in her gut.
Luna always took the bus when it pulled up in front of their house at 8:05. She never spent school nights at a friend’s house asAlicewould never allow it. During the night Luna would never leave her room, not even to use the bathroom.
The strange thing was there was nothing amiss in Luna’s bright pink bedroom. The sheets were rustled from where Luna’s small body was nestled. The window with its white satin curtain was closed and sealed tight. All the small Magic Treehouse books were stacked mismatching on the white book shelf beside the bed, the stuffed animals that sat in the window seat remained in their usual position. The princess night light in the corner was still shining and the white closet door remained closed. There was not a single sign of a struggle, entrance or departing. Luna had been taken by someone who knew what they were doing.
The only thing the police and the detectives could find was Luna’s tiny molar tooth. The tooth that had fallen out of her mouth that afternoon. Instead of placed carefully under her pillow, the molar was on the floor in front of the window cushion. It’s pearling white colour gleamed in the princess night light rays.
Alice was certain that Luna had slipped the tooth under her pillow securely, as soon as she had arrived home from school that afternoon. After Alice had explained the myth of the tooth fairy of course, Luna raced up the stairs giggling about how rich she would be by the next morning.
Her eyes prickled with tears again.Alice grabbed a crumpled tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her leaking eyes. It was that time of day again. The time of day when she would think of her missing daughter and cry at the memory. She glanced towards the digital clock on the stove noticing that it was time to make a call to the police department like she had done the same time everyday since Luna went missing.
Alice reached for the wireless phone and pressed 2 for speed dial. The phone’s shrill ring echoed in her mind as she waited patiently for the click. When the click came a tired voice followed,
“Hello Mrs. Messer,” The woman, Piper, at the front desk muttered, “Would you like me to send your call on to Sheriff Mahoney?”
Alice nodded to herself before realizing she was on the phone and Piper couldn’t see her nodding. She cleared her throat and dabbed at her eyes again, trying to regain control of her raging emotions.
“Yes thank you Piper” She croaked.
“No worries Mrs. Messer” Piper chirped, “Have a nice night”
The only thing that would make my night ‘nice’ would be Luna’s return, or a new lead. Alice thought to herself. Her throat was restricting again and her lips were sticking together.Alice coughed and leaned forward grabbing her glass of room temperature water, downing it all in one gulp. As she sat the glass back down onto the wooden dinning room table, Sheriff Mahoney’s voice broke through the speaker.
“Alice,” He said in a voice that wasn’t cheerful, “I was expecting your call”
Alice forced a small smile, “Of course Mahoney. I call at the same time every night. For the same reason. What do you have for me? Anything new? Have you found Luna? A lead? Her kidnapper?”
Sheriff Mahoney’s sigh leapt through the phone. Alicecould tell something was different about this phone call. Mahoney always got straight to the point, before her voice even freed itself.
“Mahoney” She drawled wearily, “What is it?”
“Alice,” Sheriff Mahoney said sternly, “Have you not seen the news?”
“No? Mahoney tell me!”Alicecried, the hand that held the receiver shaking.
“Alice, we’ve found Luna” Mahoney declared, “The team pulled her remains from the river this morning. Forensics has already confirmed it is her. Her clothing was also found tossed on the river side”
Alice couldn’t believe what she had just been informed of. The words “The team pulled her remains...” continued racing through her mind like a black and white movie. Slowly the words began to register. She gasped as the phone slipped from her fingers, and crashed to the floor. The back broke off and sent the batteries rolling on the tiled kitchen floor.
Alice stared, blinking down at the shattered pieces of the phone. She could feel her heart breaking just like the phone, and the pieces stabbed into her side like the batteries rolled. She lifted a quivering hand to her shaking lips and cried out. Tears raced down her cheeks like a water fall, flowing faster then Niagara Falls.Alice slipped from the chair, landing on her knees. They cracked off the tile but the pain was nothing compared to what she felt on the inside.
She reached for the batteries shoving them back into the place, securing them with the back. She pushed the green ANSWER button and held it to her ear. Alice felt pain in her soul; it raced through her body filling it from head to toe like black ink. Slowly she felt numb. Numb from the pain of heartache and all she could feel was anger. Black, Murderous, Anger.
“Alice, Alice, ALICE!” She heard Mahoney call from the phone.
“Who?” She demanded, “WHO KILLED LUNA?”
“We don’t know for certain but we have leads leaning to Don Oxford. His prints were on the molar.” Mahoney murmured, “You can’t tell anyone Alice!”
But Alice wasn’t listening anymore. She turned and threw the phone as hard as she could towards the kitchen wall. This time not only did the back break off and the batteries fly, but the whole phone smashed to bits and rained down onto her kitchen floor.
Alice stormed into her living room and threw open her leather ataman. Reaching in she pulled out a 9 shot revolver her late husband had always kept in case of emergency. This was an emergency. She grabbed her jacket from the couch and pulled it on, jamming the revolver into her pocket. She tied her hair back into a ponytail, slipped her feet into a pair of runners and sped out the front door.
Don Oxford had killed her baby. A planter who looked innocent enough to not even kick a kitten out of his way on a back wood trail. Luckily enough for her, she knew where he lived. In a quaint little shack on the perimeter of her land.
Alice was disgusted with herself. She trusted a murderer! He had snuck into her home with his very own key and snatched her little girl. She had basically murdered her own child and the guilt she felt was over baring.
She had to avenge Luna’s murder. Her little girl deserved it. Luna was harmless in everyway and loved everyone who smiled. She trusted everyone and everyone who crossed Luna’s path was given a chance.
Don had snagged the little girl by the throat the minute he handed her that red rose the first day he arrived. From day one, Alice knew now he only took the job to get to Luna, and Alicewith her kind caring heart was gullible enough to believe his lies.
She marched up his steps and knocked at the door, wrapping her hand around the cool angry metal in her pocket. She slipped back the clip, preparing the gun for fire. She listened closely hearing approaching footsteps. The doorknob twisted and the door opened wide, and out stepped Don Oxford.
Don realized the moment he saw Alice what was about to become of him. Yet he showed no fear, he didn’t make a move to run nor defend himself. He merely straightened up his stance and grinned sinisterly.
“Hello Alice” Don smirked, “I’m the tooth fairy”
“And my daughter’s murderer” Alice snarled.
“That I am” Don said coolly, “I kill the naïve little children who believe in the tooth fairy. I come in their rooms, and while they think I’m simply there for a tooth, I snatch them”
“You’re a sick, sick man” Alice yelled.
Don didn’t get a chance to respond. Alice whipped the gun from her pocket and fired two shots. One between the flesh of his eyes and one to his tender throat. Don’s eyes were wide as he tumbled forward face first, blood spurting from his mouth and both gunshot wounds.
Alice felt no remorse for the crime she had just committed. With tear filled eyes she stepped over the body of Don Oxford. She turned to face the woods, then pulled back the clip again, loading another shot in the gun. She pressed the gun under her chin, holding her finger loosely on the trigger.
“I’m so sorry Luna” She whimpered two moments before she pulled the trigger, painting the side of Don Oxford’s shack with brain fragments and blood.