Fairy Rock

Chapter 32: Sparkle Needs Help

Tevin and Sparkle rest in his apartment.

Sparkle lays on his couch, smelling the odor of cheap whiskey on the pillows, and she rises to her feet, looking at the pizza boxes and the chicken bones on his soft, fluffy, blue rug. "Do you have any clean pillows?"

Tevin puts his hands on his face. "I'm sorry about my place, Sparkle. I know my pillows stink, and I have nothing clean. I'll stop by this little department store around the corner to buy some clean ones."

"Please don't worry about it. I felt so strong earlier, but now I feel weak. Being in the dimension for three years with no food or water is taking its toll on me."

"Are you going to alright?"

"Yes, but I'm fatigued; please allow me some time to rest."

The fairy princess passes out on his sofa.

As Tevin watches her snore loudly, he notices her face is dark red. She coughs up blood and gasps for air. He feels her forehead, and it is sweltering hot. She has a fever. What do I do? I do not know how to heal a sick fairy.

Tevin quickly runs to his bathroom and grabs a towel full of pieces of barbeque potato chip crumbs. He shakes the bits off and rinses them with cold water.

Hopefully, this will cool her temp down.

Sparkle tremors and falls off the couch. Her arms and legs jerk uncontrollably. Her eyes glow a rainbow light, and her hands involuntarily shoot out magical rainbow sand, knocking holes into his apartment's walls.

He runs into his bedroom and takes cover under his bed. The sturdy sand hits the door of his room, knocking it off its hinges. Pieces of wall and ceiling residue drop on his bed as grime and dirt bury his floor.

She's going to kill me. Almighty God, please help me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Sparkle's energy decreases, and she stops moving.

Her body shrinks back down to the size of a fairy.

Tevin remains under his bed with his arms over his head but bravely opens his eyes as the ruined apartment becomes quiet. "Sparkle, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

He gets under his bed and steps over the rubble on his carpet. His blue jean outfit and afro are full of white dust. He goes into the living room and sees Sparkle lying there motionless.

The young fairy's face is pale, and her lips are blue.

My friend is dying. Who can heal a fairy? Who or where can I take her? Pastor Anderson will know what to do.

He hears the commotion in the hallway outside of his room. His landlord, Mr. Franklin, knocks on his door. "What in the Billy Jo heck is going on, Tevin? You better not be having a party. We have rules in this complex."

"No, Mr. Franklin, I was exercising, and the television was loud."

"Well, why are there cracks in your walls?"

Tevin scratches some ceiling paint chips from his filthy hair as he squints and strains his cheek muscles. I must think of something to tell him.

"Um, I was shadowboxing, and I didn't know I was that strong, and I knocked that wall out."

"What! That doesn't make any sense."

Mr. Franklin isn't buying my excuse. I can imagine that steam is probably from his balding, black hair. I must leave before my big landlord knocks the door down. Pastor Anderson is my only friend in this town, and I pray he can help her.

He sneaks Sparkle out through the fire escape and dashes down Amber Avenue. He stumbles, nearly trips over a stone on the sidewalk, and almost drops her out of his hands.

After several minutes of running, he arrives back at the church. He opens the door and sprints through the church's thin hallways, arriving at the minister's room inside the rectory.

"Pastor Anderson, Pastor Anderson, please open your door. It's me, Tevin. I need your help."

The Reverend flings the fiberglass door open, holding a King James Bible. "What's wrong?"

Tevin rushes inside.

Pastor Anderson notices that his prized pupil is fidgety and frantically whispering to himself.

"Reverend, can you promise to keep a secret?"

"What secret? Are you in trouble with the law?"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, tell me what's wrong."

Tevin opens his hands and shows the minister his tiny fairy friend. She has a severe cough, and her face is still dark red.

Pastor Anderson's eyes grow wide, and his mouth opens.

"Is that a real fairy?"

"Her name is Sparkle, and she is sick. Can you help her?"

The pastor watches Tevin attempting to keep his emotions intact as he fights back his tears and sits on the floor.

"Everyone I've ever cared about is not here with me. I can't lose Sparkle as well. Please do something."

That pastor gently touches the fairy's forehead, and he feels that it is hot.

"It looks like she has a fever and is possibly dehydrated. She may need some rest and water."

Tevin closes his eyes and bites his fist. My loving mother and father helped me get through school and manage my mental illness. A best friend that would do anything for me, and I even earned Serenity's love as Rock. It's time I do something for them. I know that I'm scared, but I must save them now. I hope that my fairy friend will be okay.

"Please look over Sparkle. I'm going to The World of The Fairies tonight."

Pastor Anderson rests the fairy on his unmade couch bed near his writing desk. "It looks like you cannot wait any longer. I will stay and nurse her back to health. I believe that God chose you to save those people, and I believe that he will protect you. I met a man earlier today, and he said that he was the former police chief in Fairyville; he may be able to sneak you back into the city so that you can jump off Fairy Rock."