Fairy Rock

Chapter 44: Chief Bailey Helps Tevin

Tevin stands in the doorway of Chief Bailey's living room.

He smells the aroma of burnt biscuits and hears the smoke detector going off.

Chief Bailey hurries toward the smoky room. "Darn, I forgot to turn the oven off one second."

Tevin curiously peaks at the red Persian Rug, the green Porcelain Vase, and the French Empire Crystal Chandelier hanging from the ceiling. How can he afford all this?

Chief Bailey returns to the room with a Lisinopril prescription bottle to treat his high blood pressure. He sits in a chair, straining to get the cap off his medication. "So, you are here to find a way back into town so that you can jump off Fairy Rock? Is that right, Tevin?"

"Yes, sir, I must try to save everyone I can."

Chief Bailey gives up opening the bottle and tosses it against the wall. The overweight Chief drops his head on the Astor Table. "I can no longer live with the guilt of all the money that Mayor Brunson and I stole from Fairyville."

"What?"

"When the fairies attacked the city, me and Mayor Brunson escaped through a tunnel in her mansion that led us to Hattonville. We took over a million dollars, and I used some of it to buy this condo."

"W-w-where is Mayor Brunson?"

"I don't know; she took off after my wife discovered our affair, and my wife called the feds on us before she left me. They are on our trail, but I decide to stay. For the first time, I will make amends for what I have done. I should have been out there fighting the fairies with my men."

Tevin picks up the prescription bottle, twists the cap off, and gives it to Chief Bailey.

"Thank you, my friend. There is an unused tunnel in the sewer canal in Remington Park.

It is a long, straight walk through that disgusting thing, but at the end is a maintenance hole cover; push it up, and you will be inside the mayor's mansion."

"Um, Chief Bailey, sir, can you ride me to the canal?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, sir."

Later that night, Tevin sits in the Chief's black Dodge Challenger, listening to the ticking Hemi engine. He watches the half-moonlight and the many stars in the sky, which he can no longer enjoy.

As the two drive down Duke Street, they witness couples holding hands under the white brick sidewalks' streetlights near the massive skyscrapers.

He closes his eyes tightly, envisioning Serenity in the car with him, resting her head on his shoulder. He imagines whispering in her ear. "I love you, and I'm sorry for what I've done to everyone."

Tevin turns toward the phenomenal muscle car's back seat and pictures Richard, Susan, and his parents. He smiles as they listen to Serenity play a soothing, soft melody on her saxophone, and he tells everyone. "I love all of you."

Chief Baily pops another blood pressure pill and takes a swig of water to swallow it down.

They reach the entrance of the sewer canal, and the Chief parks the car. He squirts windshield wiper fluid on the windshield and turns on the wipers, attempting to get the mosquitos off the glass.

Chief Bailey reaches for his flashlight and steps outside onto the tall, muddy grass along with Tevin.

The duo pushes through the shoulder-length, high aquatic weeds and swats the irritating bugs off their faces.

Tevin turns his head in every direction, trying to figure out where the sounds of the crickets are.

Chief Bailey studies the rusty fence blocking the large sewer canal hole. "Tevin, come over here. Kick that gate in, travel down to the end, climb the ladder, and open the maintenance hole cover."

"Are you coming with me, Chief?"

"No, I'm too sick."

Tevin steps back from the gate, pinching his nose and coughing from the smell of raw sewage. He glances at the cement walls around the sewer canal and the cars driving above the beam bridge. I'm scared to death. I don't want to go through that dark place alone, but I must do this.

Chief Bailey hands Tevin his flashlight and gives him his revolver. "Good luck Buddy."

"Thank you, sir, and please take care of yourself."

Tevin zips up his leather jacket and adjusts his backpack on his shoulders. He hoists onto the sewer canal and kicks open the filthy gate, slowly creeping through the black hole. He feels the dirty, brown water splashing above his ankles.

The shy hero points at an oversized rat with dark red eyes, screeching at him in the right corner of the offscum-covered walls.

"Aargh!" he squeals.

Tevin sprints full speed through the dark and hears the bats as they attempt to escape his way.

He pushes through the darkness. "Serenity, I love you, and I'm coming to save you."

Tevin reaches the end of the tunnel and finds a steel ladder coated in grime. He quickly climbs up it, pushes the maintenance hole cover out of the way and arrives in a dark, cold room full of cobwebs.

While attempting to brush the spider silk from his soaked, dirty afro, he accidentally trips on a broken wooden chair and falls on the floor.

The back of his head is bleeding from cutting himself on a rusty nail on the ground.

As Tevin rises to his feet, he reaches for his gun after hearing a mouse squeak. Where's the light switch?

The bumbling hero slips on a pile of sawdust and stumbles backward into a bookshelf, knocking all the books off it. He accidentally flicks a button on the bookshelf, opening a door. I made it to the mayor's mansion. I can't believe that I'm finally back in Fairyville.