Pixie Magic

Chapter 13: The stag hunt and mysteries unraveled.

Fern and I waited in my apartment for Attorney Lawson's limo to arrive. He said it would take a couple of hours, but that was over three hours ago, and it was getting dark. We had been staring out the window at the parking lot for the past 2 hours, looking for the headlights in the parking lot.

"Where is he?" Fern asked for the twentieth time.

Just then, my phone rang.

"Doctor Monroe? This is Malcom Lawson, are you alright?" the voice on the line asked.

"We're fine here, and please call me Skyler," I answered, "But we haven't seen any sign of the limo you said you were sending."

"That's why I'm calling," Lawson said, "The driver got stopped at the town line. It seems that a police officer named... (the sound of papers rustling) ...Pierce ... stopped the car at the town line and wouldn't let him in. He threatened to arrest him if he tried to cross the town line. Isn't that the same officer that falsely accused you?"

"It is," I answered, "The state police are investigating him on rape complaints."

There was a brief pause on the line.

"I see," Lawson said, slowly, "So he's already neck deep in it and has nothing to lose. You need to stay put and barricade the door. I'll call the Governor's office again and see what I can do. It seems the state senator father of that mayor of yours is causing all sorts of troubles, which is the reason for the problems and delays."

"We figured as much," I said, looking at Fern.

"I'll try to get help out to you as soon as I can," Lawson said, "But whatever you do, please stay put."

"Okay, thank you Mr. Lawson," I said.

"It's Malcom, and I'll be in touch," he replied before hanging up.

***

Wednesday.

It was a little past 5 AM and the sound of rain was outside the window. It only added to the overall feeling of gloom and doom.

There was plenty to feel gloomy about. We heard nothing further from Malcom Lawson during the night, although on the bright side, we also heard nothing from Mason, Randy, or Mayor Knox either. Neither Fern nor I slept well, fearful that they would try something while we were asleep.

"There's still some coffee here, shall I make us a pot?" Fern asked, looking though what was left of my food pantry.

She was barefoot in the kitchen wearing a lacy green nightie that she bought at the Rutland Mall. Her silhouette was clearly seen through the gauzy material of her outfit by what little light there was coming through the window behind her and left nothing to the imagination. I got up and wrapped my arms around her, giving her a hug and placing kisses on her cheek and neck.

"That would be perfect," I said with my arms still wrapped around her.

"What's all this for?" she asked.

"Just for being you," I replied, "And the fact that your naked body can be clearly seen through that nightie when the light is behind you."

Fern smiled and gave me a peck on the lips.

"I don't know if it's the real you or the Pixie King in you, but you've become sexually bolder since the full moon," she said, smiling.

"Is that a complaint?" I asked.

"No," she said, "but maybe I should put on something a little less revealing or we're going to be caught literally with our pants down when Randy and his father show up."

After coffee, we unbarricaded the door and went downstairs to clean up the clinic. It was a way of keeping ourselves busy and taking our mind off of things even though we both felt that we would have to leave Greenwood forever soon. Hopefully, we'd still be alive when that happened.

Fern swept up the glass and cleaned the counters and chairs, while I worked on the files, surveillance cameras, and computers. The latter were all damaged beyond repair, but at least to the untrained eye, they looked operational.

After the two of us did two and a half hours' worth of work, the clinic was functional enough for simple procedures. Of course, the computers, cameras, x-ray equipment and autoclave all needed to be replaced, but at least the clinic didn't look like a disaster zone.

It was nearly 9 AM when we were interrupted by a familiar voice from the doorway.

"Well, I thought I'd find you two here."

There was Vix at human height with her Swallowtail wings on full display standing at the doorway wearing her green frock and a sneer-like smile.

Fern was standing in the middle of the waiting room holding a broom while I was near the front counter, farthest away from Vix.

"Vix!" Fern and I said almost at the same time.

"Surprised to see me here?" she said, "I've been waiting for you for the past two days."

"Vix," Fern began, "I don't know what to—"

"Vix, it's time you and I had a talk," I said, interrupting Fern. I moved rapidly from behind the counter and stood next to Fern. "We need to come to an amicable agreement."

"I agree," Vix said, she then looked at Fern, "As soon as I get my sister out of the way."

She took a couple of steps into the room.

I stood in front of Fern, blocking Vix's way. "That's not going to happen," I said, "if any harm comes to Fern, then all deals are off the table."

"What do you suggest?" Vix asked.

"A cease-fire," I said, "You remain Queen of the pixies and restore Fern's full power as a pixie and I will remove my pixie spell on you."

"Absolutely not!" Vix spat, "I'll never agree to restore her pixie powers."

"Be reasonable, Vix. Fern hasn't done anything to you. If you won't restore her powers for me, then at least do it for the good of the pixie community."

"Never!" Vix retorted.

"You must really enjoy being fucked up the ass, although now that I think about it, it seems kind of fitting," I taunted.

Vix absently reached around and rubbed her butt at the reminder. "Well, at least I can still cum, but Fern will never get her powers back," Vix replied.

Just then, the sound of a truck engine was heard in the parking lot. Randy's large black pick-up pulled into the parking lot.

"Vix, hide quick!" I said.

Vix shrunk herself down to butterfly size and hid herself against one of the shelves in the waiting room, out of sight just as Randy walked through the door with Max and Crusher, his two injured deerhounds. He was wearing his camo raincoat and had his rifle in his hand.

"Well, this place looks a lot cleaner than the last time I saw it," he said, looking around.

"The only way you would know that is if you had something to do with the mess that was here when I was gone," I said, "It was locked up when I left."

"You can't prove that," he said, "The computers and security cameras were broke—"

He stopped in mid-sentence when he looked up and saw the cameras. He had no way of knowing that they weren't working.

"Why are you here, Randy?" I asked.

"My dogs," he said, looking at his two hounds, "I want you to take their stitches out."

"Fine," I said, "Fern and I will take them in the back room and take the stitches out, but because my instruments aren't sterile and my autoclave has been broken, I'm going to have to give you an ointment to put on them for a few days to prevent the chance of an infection. In the meantime, wait here and put down that rifle."

Randy stayed in the waiting area while Fern and I took the hounds back and removed the stitches.

"How are you guys feeling?" Fern asked Max and Crusher.

"We're fine," Crusher said, "But those stitches were starting to get itchy."

"We tried not to scratch them, like you said," Max added.

"You did fine," I reassured them.

"I heard that stag never made it," Crusher said, "The one that gored us."

"Yeah, Artemis told us that he just vanished," Max added.

"That's true," I said, "It was magic."

"That's what Artemis said," Max said.

When we got back to the waiting area, Randy was there with his rifle still in his hands; but a human sized Vix with her wings on full display was there as well. Vix was talking to Randy when we came out.

"They're back," Randy said quickly to Vix when he saw us emerge.

The two dogs started barking and growling at Vix.

"There she is again! I recognize her from the farm. She was that fox that keeps coming around," Crusher barked.

"She's nasty! I want to tear her to pieces," Max growled, baring his teeth.

"But Max, Master won't let us," Crusher growled.

"Damn, why doesn't he see how evil she is?" Max growled back.

"Vix! What are you doing?" Fern asked above the din.

"Now!" Vix said to Randy but pointing at Fern, "I want you to get rid of her now."

"What about him?" Randy asked, raising his rifle, and pointing it at me, "I don't want any witnesses."

"Maybe you're right," Vix said, "I thought I could deal with him once she was out of the way, but now I think you should kill them both."

"Randy, don't listen to her!" I pleaded, "You'll be charged with murder! She doesn't care about you."

"She told me she's the Queen of the Pixies, now that I killed off that doe," Randy said with a sneer, "Between her, my father, and my grandfather, no one can touch me, just like when we raped those women."

"Your father never raised you to be a murderer," I said, trying to buy time, "He'll be here any minute. What do you think he'll say?"

"He's been delayed," Randy said, "He's been on the phone with Montpelier and told me to come here and keep an eye on you two. He'll be here in a little while."

"Don't let him stall you," Vix yelled at Randy, "Kill them both now."

"Outside you two," Randy said, motioning to the door with his rifle, "I don't want to shoot you in front of those cameras."

I placed myself between Fern and Randy as we walked towards the door. Randy had the rifle to my back with the two hounds Max and Crusher by his side and Vix was behind him. Just as we got to the door, my phone went off. Out of instinct, I reached for it.

"Don't touch it, don't answer it!" Randy warned.

I glanced at the phone. It was Ashley Chamber's number. I put the phone back in my pocket.

"That was my lawyer," I said when we got outside, "He'll know something's wrong if I don't answer it."

"Don't listen to him," Vix said, "They'll be dead, and the bodies will be hidden before anybody gets here."

"I-I don't know," Randy said as the reality of what he was about to do was sinking in.

It was raining steadily as we walked across the parking lot towards Randy's truck.

"This should strengthen your resolve," Vix said.

I turned my head in time to see the multi-colored sparkles of pixie dust fall on Randy's head along with the rain. Apparently, rain doesn't affect pixie dust.

"You're right," he said with sudden determination, "Who do you want me to shoot first?"

"Her," Vix said, smiling, "I want him to watch her die."

I was still standing between Fern and Randy.

"Move out of the way Doc," he said, motioning with his rifle.

I turned and faced Randy. "Why? What are you going to do to me if I don't?" I asked, "Shoot me? You're going to do that anyway."

"Yeah, I'll shoot you," he said, pointing the gun at my stomach, "but not to kill. I'll just watch you slowly bleed to death, just like I did to that stag. I'll do the same thing to her, too."

I slowly started moving off to the side to give Randy a clear shot at Fern. If she was going to die, I wanted it to be quick and as painless as possible.

"You shot the stag?" Vix asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the rain.

"Yeah, I shot him," Randy said, turning his head slightly towards Vix, "I thought he'd be dead by the time I got back, but I never found the body. I think the Doc here had something to do with that."

"Oh, you idiot!" Vix screamed at Randy. Then she looked at me, "So that's how you did it. That's how you became the King."

Randy pointed his rifle at Fern's chest. I watched his finger move towards the trigger.

"Hey Randy, look over here!" I shouted loudly, taking a step towards him.

Randy turned to look at me as I was enveloped in a yellow aura going into full pixie mode, wings, hair, ears, and everything. I spread my wings wide for added effect. I closed my eyes briefly and opened my fist.

Randy's eyes when wide and his mouth dropped open as I threw the pixie dust at him.

"Look out!" Vix shouted, but it was already too late.

The rifle clattered to the ground as Randy got taller and browner. Within seconds, he was a large stag with 8-point antlers.

Max and Crusher started barking excitedly.

"Wow!" "Did you see that?" They barked.

"What the fuck happened to me?" Randy bellowed in stag speak. He looked at his legs and back. Then he shook his head and felt the antlers.

"Holy shit!" he bellowed, "I'm a fucking stag! No wonder the dogs are barking. I gotta get outta here."

Randy bound down the road and towards the woods, leaving behind his raincoat and a pile of tattered clothes where he had been standing. Max and Crusher barked wildly and started to chase after him.

"Come back!" they barked, "Where are you going?"

Randy had no way of knowing what the dogs were saying. He only heard them barking as leapt into the woods.

"Max, Crusher, come back!" I called, "You're scaring him away!"

The dogs ran back and stood in front of Vix, growling beneath their breaths.

"What should we do with her?" Fern asked, indicating Vix. In the confusion, Fern grabbed Vix's wrists to prevent her from making pixie dust.

"I'll take her," I said, taking Vix's wrists from Fern, "Reach in my pocket and use my phone to call Ashley Chambers back and tell her we need the state police here as soon as possible."

"So that's how Randy knew that Fern was a pixie and Aine was a doe," I said, looking a Vix, "You told him."

"She's been the fox that has been coming to the farm this past week," Crusher said.

"She terrorizes the chickens and steals their eggs every time she visits, too," Max added.

"I knew the new King was on the way from the Berkshire Pixies," Vix said, "So after Mother broke her leg, it was the perfect opportunity for me to get her out of the way and become Queen and mate with the new King."

"When I overheard the owl tell Fern that Mother was trapped and broke her leg, I visited to that moron and told him he had trapped the pixie queen disguised as a doe. He was more than happy to work with me to kill her," Vix continued.

"Is that why you bit her leg the other day? So that Fern would bring her back to the infirmary?" I asked.

"That was part of my plan," Vix said, sneering, "All that was left to do was to get you out of the way so he could shoot both my mother and Fern."

"At least I was able to stop him from shooting Fern," I noted.

"That stupid idiot screwed everything up," Vix cursed bitterly, "He wanted to rape Fern before he shot her. I liked the idea, but you got back a lot sooner than we expected. Then of course, that dumb ass ruined everything by killing the King."

"The troopers are on their way," Fern said, putting my phone back in my pocket.

"Max, Crusher, I'm going to let go of her wrists," I said to the dogs, "If she closes her hand, I want you two to tear her to pieces."

"What are you going to do?" Fern asked.

"We're going to go after Randy," I said, changing back into my human form.

"Why would you do that, after all he's done?" Fern asked.

"So, I can turn him back for the state troopers to arrest him. I want him to stand trial and pay for his crimes, especially for what he did to you," I replied, "Now let's get everyone in the truck and get out of this rain."

I picked Randy's clothing off the ground and found the keys to the truck in the pockets. I threw the wet clothing in the back seat of the cab.

"Fern, you and the dogs sit in the back," I directed, "I want Vix up front with me where I can keep an eye on her."

"Where are we going?" Fern asked, climbing in, her wet hair clinging to the sides of her face. We were all drenched.

"To the one place Randy is most likely to go," I said, starting the truck.

It was a 20-minute drive to Randy's farm, but when we were 3 minutes away, a stag crossed the road in front of us. I quickly slammed on the brakes and the truck screeched and skidded to a stop, narrowly missing the stag.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to stand still as I watched the windshield wipers move back and forth while Randy bounded away on the other side of the road.

That moment was quickly interrupted by the sound of the dogs barking furiously.

"Get her!" "There she is!" "Quick!" they barked.

A much smaller voice screamed at the same time.

"Eeeeek! Skyler save me!"

A chipmunk ran across my lap and up my chest, trying to get underneath my wet shirt. Chasing her was a red fox.

"Fern? Is that you?" I asked as the fox leapt across my lap. I made a grab for the fox, but her fur was slick from the rain, and she slipped through my hands.

"Eeeek! Help me! She's after me!" the chipmunk screamed, no longer trying to get under the wet shirt that was plastered against my skin. Instead, she climbed on my shoulder and jumped into the back seat.

I punched on the gas pedal and the truck lurched forward. I had to get to the farm to straighten things out.

For the next three minutes, a wild chase scene took place inside the cab of Randy's truck. Fern, as a chipmunk, was running in and out of every small space she could find to avoid Vix. Vix was chasing her frantically while dodging the hounds. The hounds were barking wildly, trying to catch Vix.

We pulled into the farm and when I opened the door to step out, Fern scrambled out ahead of me with Vix not too far behind. The hounds in the truck were barking excitedly, glad to be home and anxious to chase after Vix.

Their barking was joined by the other four hounds at the farm, who were glad to see Max and Crusher and to announce our arrival.

As if on cue, Randy's wife Brenda came out of the house to see what all the commotion was about.

"Where's Randy?" Brenda asked.

"I don't know," I said, "He took off, I think with his father, and I thought I'd bring his truck home."

Max and Crusher jumped out of the cab and were greeted by the other four deerhounds. They all barked and ran after the red fox. Brenda went back into the house.

I looked around for Fern and saw the fox run into the barn. I started to follow when I spotted the stag bounding towards the farmhouse. He paused briefly to shake the water off his fur.

Randy, the stag, saw me at the same time the hounds saw him. They barked excitedly.

"Oh, look at that!" "Let's get him!" "The Master will be so pleased if we catch him!" "Let's go!" The hounds said excitedly.

They stopped chasing Vix and took off for the stag.

Randy saw the dogs running towards him and he turned around and bounded in the other direction.

"Wait! Come back!" I called after the dogs, "Max, Crusher! Don't chase him."

Max and Crusher stopped and turned around while the other four hounds continued to chase after the stag. I turned and started for the barn when a small brown streak shot out of the barn and ran in my direction followed closely by the fox. Fern dove between my legs and ran for the chicken pen, but when she got there, she discovered that the gaps in the chicken wire was too small for even her small body to squeeze through.

She turned around to run, but Vix was right there waiting for her. I ran to rescue Fern, but I was too far away, to get to her in time. Fern made a desperate leap to change direction, but it wasn't enough, and the fox caught Fern in her mouth.

"BAM!"

A loud shot came from behind me. I turned to see Brenda lowering a rifle.

"That fox has been hanging around this farm and stealing eggs for the past week," she said, "I finally got him."

I looked back and the fox wasn't moving.

"Her," I said, "It's female. You shot a vixen."

"Whatever," Brenda said, "I got her."