Free My Fairy Godmonster by Denice Hughes Lewis Page B

course it’s Tingroc steak.”
    I don’t want to know what a Tingroc is.
    She reaches in her pocket and pushes a series
of buttons with one painted claw. The NTMT chip chirps.
    I get dizzy as the room spins. The rest of
Mom’s furniture appears in the jungle along with a refrigerator, a
table, two chairs and two place settings.
    Fairy Godmonster opens her refrigerator. It’s
completely full of red meat. She pulls out two large pieces and
plops them on the plates.
    Lapilla roars and leaps out of the jungle. It
picks up the refrigerator and shakes it.
    Fairy Godmonster growls. Lapilla grunts,
drops the refrigerator and backs away. She pulls out two steaks and
throws them into the jungle. Lapilla leaps after them.
    She sits and says, “Dig in.”
    I stare in shock as she raises the first red
bite to her tiny white fangs.
    “I can’t eat raw meat. Don’t you have an
oven?”
    Her smile sags. “No.”
    I throw myself on the bed, blinded by the
colors in the jungle overhead.
    There’s a knock on the door.
    “Win, you okay?” asks David. “Claire said you
weren’t feeling well.”
    “I’m okay, just tired.”
    “I want to see for myself. Open the door,” he
demands.
    I don’t suppose he’s going to leave, so I
drag myself off the bed and unlock the door. I stick my head
out.
    “Why are you locking your door?”
    “I need a space in this house that is all my
own. I don’t want Daria in here.”
    David puts his hand on my forehead. “No
fever. Don’t you want some dinner? The chili is delicious.”
    “Could you bring me some? I don’t want to
face anyone right now.”
    “What’s going on?” he asks in concern.
    He looks so serious that I don’t have the
heart to tell him about his future mother-in-law.
    “I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to go
with Dad. And hungry.”
    “Dinner coming up.” He hurries down the
stairs.
    “Nice butt,” says Fairy Godmonster.
    “Yuck. Don’t say that,” I moan.
    “Well, it is.”
    “You’re making me a wreck,” I say.
    David returns with a huge bowl of chili
smothered in cheese and onions. Two large slices of baked bread
steam on the plate next to it. I take it from him.
    For some reason, my eyes get watery.
    “Thank you, David.”
    “Sure, Win. Need anything else?”
    “No.”
    “Get some rest. John and I will meet you in
the barn at six.”
    “‘ Night, David.”
    I wait until he leaves to take the food
inside. I set it on the table and dig in.
    “You could slow down and offer me a
taste.”
    “Sorry, Faro. Help yourself.”
    She lifts a spoon and I try not to stare at
her four fingers.
    “Mmm. I might have to try more cooked
food.”
    “Do you kill the things you eat?” I shudder,
not really wanting to think about it, but needing to know.
    “I’m a fairy! We don’t do things like that,”
she sniffs. “All of our supplies come from FIMM Central. Organic
and simulated.”
    I give her a slice of bread and finish the
chili. “I’m going to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
    Fairy Godmonster sighs. “I’m not spending
another day alone.”
    “You weren’t alone.”
    She grins. “I’ll try to get my whip to
work.”
    Cinderella didn’t have these problems. Why do
I?
    The NTMT chirps and the fridge and dinner
things disappear.
    “What else do you have in that thing?” I
ask.
    “Travel necessities. You’ve seen my exercise
equipment. I also carry clothes, food, restraining devices - ”
    “What!”
    “Some of my clients are difficult to handle,”
she replies.
    “Don’t tell me any more.”
    “My, aren’t we grouchy. Get some sleep.”
    I climb into bed and set the alarm for 5:30
a.m. I want to get downstairs and out of the house before I have to
see Weasel.
    Lepilla sticks his head out of the
leaves.
    “EEK!” I leap to the floor. Shake
uncontrollably.
    “Don’t worry, he’s harmless,” Fairy
Godmonster says putting her arm around me. I tingle from her
touch.
    “How do you know?”
    “No teeth. His were rotten and