by Steven Wolff
CHAPTER 6
BOBAHRALLICKA
(Pronounced Bob-ah-ral-lick-ka)
“There’s no such thing as monsters!” Anica replies with certainty in her voice.
“That’s what I keep telling people but no one believes me!” The disembodied voice says. Anica notices the voice is coming from under the bed so she gets down on her knees and peeks under the bed. Anica sees two glowing eyes that seem to float in the darkness.
“Hello!” The voice says in a friendly tone. “I'm Bobahrallicka”
Anica lets forth a loud scream and runs back out of the room, plunging down the stairs in a frenzy.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” R’dell asks as she appears back in the kitchen.
“There’s A MONSTER.... under my bed!” Anica is trying to talk and catch her breath at the same time.
R’dell laughs, amused. “That’s not really a monster, sweetie. That’s our friend, Bobahrallicka. He’s called the monster that lives under the bed or in your closet by many children and parents, but if you take the time to really know him, he’s such a sweetheart.”
“Okay, this must all be one sick joke,” says Anica, unamused.
R'dell reluctantly responds. “Honey, there's something I want to tell you. Some things you need to know.” She pulls the out chair next to her, beckoning the young lady to sit down, and Anica does so out of politeness.
“All I ask is you keep an open mind while I tell you this, okay?” R'dell asks in a sincere tone.
“What’s next? Are you going to tell me that Vampires exist?”
R’dell looked at Lonnie, unsure what to say but her silence pretty much answered her question.
“Oh No… Please tell me Vampires don't sparkle” Anica pleads.
Lonnie nearly falls out of his chair from laughing so hard.
“That's funny... I gotta remember that one.” Lonnie says with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.
“No honey... They don't sparkle, but they do exist!” R'dell replies.
“So do Fairies, Were's, Shape shifters, Elementals and so many other things.”
Anica stands up quickly and pushes in her chair.
“Okay, thanks for everything but I’ve got to go.”
“You don't believe me do you?” Asks R'dell.
“That you’re crazy? Uh, Yeah.”
“Here… Take a look and I'll prove it to you!” R'dell says to Anica, pointing at the cup of creamer on the Lazy Susan. R'dell then waves her fingers over the container, and the milk inside starts to ripple in little waves. Anica watches with a skeptical eye, unimpressed.
“Watch!” R'dell says softly with a confident smile.
Seconds after she says that, little cream-colored hands grab onto the edge of the cup, followed by little arms as a tiny woman pulls herself up onto the edge of the creamer. She has long slender legs and arms; a fully formed woman in miniature. She smiles and speaks in a language that Anica has never heard, but it is very pleasant sounding to the ears. R'dell opens her hand on the table, palm up, and the little woman gets out of the cup and moves to sit in R'dell's hand like they have done this before. She brings her hand up so the tiny creature is at eye-level with her.
“Hello my little friend,” R'dell says with a smile, looking at the little white creature. “I want you to meet Anica.”
Anica's eyes are wide open and her jaw is on the table in disbelief.
R'dell lowers her hand and the little figure steps down and walks to Anica's end of the table, leaving a trail of milky footprints behind her. She speaks to Anica as if introducing herself, making a curtsey. Her body morphs a dress that stretches out as she bends. The creature extends her hand to shake but Anica, still in shock at what she was seeing, doesn't register it. The creature morphs her whole body into the shape of an extended hand, hoping that Anica will shake it. Anica still doesn't comprehend what the creature is trying to do.
Then the creature splits into two smaller versions of herself and shakes hands. After performing this pantomime, both of them look up at Anica, waiting for a response. Anica comes out of her shock, realizing what the creature is doing and feeling dumb as she extends her finger out to shake. The creature’s morphs back into one person, happily shaking Anica's finger.
“Put your hand down on the table, palm side up.” R'dell instructs.
Anica puts her hand down on the table like R'dell did and the creature walks over and sits on it. Anica moves her hand up to her face to get a closer look and, to her surprise, the little creature moves her hand from left to right across her upper lip, leaving a little milk mustache. Suddenly it giggles while pointing at it, talking in her strange language. She can feel the wetness across the top of her lip so she uses her tongue to lick it off, and realizes what she is doing. She then smiles as the little creature signals for Anica to move her face closer, which she does. The little creature gives her a milky kiss on the cheek and then jumps off her hand and back into the creamer cup, returning to a liquid state.
“Wow…”Anica is slack-jawed.
“I will never be able to drink milk again.”
R'dell and Lonnie laugh.
“Now do you believe me?” R'dell asks.
“You've got my attention, but seriously, how did you do that?”
“Magic!” R'dell answers with a warm smile.
“There are all kinds of wondrous and magical things that can't be explained but just are. Some things are incredible while others are also very frightening. But just remember this: in the nature of things, everything is balanced out. When I asked you about what you thought of Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies, it's because they DO exist, and that's only the beginning! There are a whole bunch of equally scary and wondrous creatures as well.”
“As long as they don't sparkle, I'm okay with that,” says Anica jokingly.
The mood in the room has changed dramatically. Anica is still trying to wrap her mind around what she saw.
“I'm sorry for being rude, please forgive me. Tell me; are fairies like the little creatures with wings like in Disney?” Anica asks in fascination.
“Well, most of them have evolved to human-size and, like the Vampires; they have adapted to blend in with society.”
“Human-size... You mean like 5 or 6 feet tall?”
“Oh yes, if you know where to look, they can easily be found in society.”
“Like where?” Anica asks.
“Think about it. They are the local artists, craftsmen, musicians and the like. You can usually find them in little clusters. Ever heard of River Dance?
“Yeah?”
“Fairies!” R'dell exclaims with a smirk on her face.
“No way!” Anica smiles. “So that thing you did with the milk, and magic, does that mean...”
“Yes,” R'dell replies with a smile “Both Lonnie and I are Fairies.”
Anica's jaw drops again in amazement.
“But why can't I see your wings if you're Fairies?” Anica asks. “Are they hidden?”
“Human eyes can't see our wings but trust me, they're there. Sometimes when we make an effort we can make them visible for humans to see, but we've learned its best not to show them, because there's been some tragic results. Humans are irrational and fear what they don't know, sometimes killing what they don't understand. Your history is chock-full of examples, like the Salem Witch Trials.”
“Are Witches real, too?”
“Oh yes, Witches, Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks; All very real! BUT, who do you think taught them their spells and made their wands? Us Fairies!” R'dell says with a proud look on her face.
“Look it up… next time you’re at the library or on the Internet. Over time we've all learned to keep a low profile early on and it's served us well.”
“You must not have kept it low enough because our history is chalked full of sightings of Vampires, Witches and Monsters.”
“Yes! But where is the evidence? There is none!” Lonnie said proudly.
“There are a few people who know
we exist, but whenever they speak up, people think they are crazy. For the most part people like you don't believe we exist and that's good. Do you know what's even better? We hide in plain sight!”
“Really? Give me an example of how you're able to hide in plain sight.”
“Ever heard of the show True Blood?” R'dell asks.
“No WAY… You're telling me they're real vampires?”
“Most of them are. They hire a few humans and slap on some fake teeth to give the impression that it's all special effects and make-up but trust me, they're real.”
“That amazing!!!” Anica says with a big grin of excitement. “I love that show!”
“Like I said, in plain sight. Nowadays people are copying everything they see, dressing up and waiting in lines to go to conventions, movies, gatherings, all dressed as their favorite characters with no clue that we blend in perfectly.”
“Are the cast members of Twilight real Vampires?” Anica asks.
Lonnie bursts into laughter again and falls over in his chair.
“What's so funny?” Anica asks.
Lonnie had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard, trying to speak.
“What you said... That's hilarious!” Lonnie gasps, trying to catch his breath to speak. “First off, Vampire 101. They don’t sparkle in sunlight. Whoever wrote that nonsense was as high as the person who wrote Alice in Wonderland. I DARE YOU to go to the town of Shadows Crossing and ask the residents there if they sparkle. You wouldn’t last one minute!”
“What’s Shadows Crossing?” Anica looks at R’dell to answer.
“It’s a very gothic looking town inhabited by nothing but Vampires.”
“Wow, tell me more please.”
“Well, they go about their everyday routine like you and me, minding their own business. There's always this cloud cover that is so thick, it blocks out the sun, allowing them to walk about the town day or night. It’s kinda like when it’s really foggy outside and visibility is low, except it’s created magically and has been there for hundreds of years. Non-Vampires stay away, unless you have a death wish or an iron-clad proposition for them.”
Lonnie chimes in. “If you do, it better be a good one too, or you can kiss your ass good bye!”
“Sounds creepy.”
“Trust me, it is! It’s got tall gothic structures and pointy roofs lined with statues that you would swear are real and watching you!”
“Do you worry about vampires attacking you guys?”
“You mean do vampires attack fairies? Not any more. They used to though, because our blood is like candy to them. It's very sweet and highly addictive. Once the vampire starts to feed, it becomes extremely difficult to stop, which is usually what kills them.”
“I don't get it, why does it kill them?”
“Because fairy blood is regenerative. It heals dead or damaged tissue.”
“So the blood starts to heal the dead tissue of the vampire?”
“Right, it attacks the vampire's “disease” on a cellular level and cures the body of it. Remember, it's highly addictive and once they start feeding, it's almost impossible to stop.”
“Kinda like when someone is electrocuted, they want to let go of the wire but can't.”
“You can say that,” Lonnie answers.
“So does the person who was bitten come back to life?”
“Unfortunately no. Once the soul leaves the body, after a certain time, it is lost forever. Vampires use the dead body to exist in, come to think of it, so do Screaming Shadows.”
“Huh?” Anica's eyebrow lifts in wonder.
“I'll tell you later.” R'dell says.
“Can you tell me more about the guy who tried to kill me; you mentioned he was a Dark Fairy? I'm interested in learning more,” asks Anica.
“Okay, give me a sec.” Lonnie sits up in his chair and leans forward, resting an arm on the table as he takes a swig from his coffee cup. He wipes his mouth and then begins to explain.
*****
