My thanks to koolkame and Chibi Horsewoman for the reviews!

This story is inspired by The Ring.

WARNING: This story is rated T for a very scary movie and a morbid sense of humor by the author.

Darev and Hallowinx Tales proudly presents…


A Fairy Good Scare

It was late and the Alfea girls were preparing to go to sleep. That is, all but one group of girls. Inside their dorm, Flora, Bloom, Musa, Tecna and Layla were gathered around the TV watching a scary movie.

Flora buried her face in her pillow whenever something scary happened. Bloom squealed, only to laugh out loud a moment later. She used to watch stuff like this all the time back in Gardenia and to be honest the gore was quite tame compared to what she'd seen on Earth. Still, it was fun to be scared, but Flora did not think so.

"Come on, Flora. It's not real."

"That doesn't mean it's not scary." Her voice was muffled behind the pillow.

"I agree. I don't like these kinds of movies, Bloom." Layla hugged her legs as she sat down on the floor before the couch. She would avert her eyes constantly and Bloom could tell she wasn't enjoying herself.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of scary movies, Layla."

"Fine. I won't." Layla looked away.

"Oh come on," Bloom turned to her left. "What do you think, Musa?"

The musical fairy had her arms crossed and was fighting back a yawn. "Sorry, Bloom. This is kind of boring."

"It is? Why?"

"Well for starters it's the same old 'bunch of stupid teenagers get lost somewhere and wind up being chased by some horrible killer/monster/demon' scenario we've seen about a dozen times. I mean look at that bimbo. That's right. Go hide in the basement. He'll never think of looking for you in there."

"Speaking of bimbos," Layla began. "Have you heard from Stella by any chance?"

"She's still on her date with Brandon," Bloom answered. "She said not to wait up."

"Wasn't planning on it."

Tecna's voice rang out. "This feature is completely inaccurate. With the amount of bullets her boyfriend fired into his chest, the killer should have been dead hours ago. The axe the policeman embedded into his neck should have severed his backbone and yet he is still standing. Taking into account his size and broken knee, there is no way he should be able to keep up with the girl while chasing her through the swamp."

Bloom could not help but roll her eyes. "It's a movie, Tecna. It's not supposed to be real."

"Any form of entertainment whether fictionalized or not should base its premise on reality."

She sighed.

"Is it over?" Flora whimpered.

"Yeah, Bloom. This flick sucks." Musa yawned, unable to hold it back any longer.

"Fine." The redhead got off the couch and ejected the disk from the DVD player. With the remote in her hand, Bloom turned to her friends who looked about ready to turn in for the night. "Don't tell me you guys are sleepy?"

"It's getting late. Maybe we should all turn in," Layla suggested.

Musa stretched her tired body. "I'm all for it."

"Seeing as how there is a lack of favorable late-night activities to perform I must concur," Tecna said.

"Ditto."

"Okay stop!"

All fairies stayed where they were.

Hands on hips, Bloom glared at each of them. "This is not how a slumber party is supposed to work. Back on Earth, we would tell stories, gossip, play games and watch movies until the sun came up."

"But Bloom," Musa protested but was stopped when she raised her hand.

"No buts, Musa. I have to teach you guys how to break night."

"Break night?" Tecna asked.

"Staying up right through the morning," Layla explained.

"Ah."

Getting up, Musa reached behind her head, puffing her chest out as she did so. "Well you can break all the night you want, Bloom. But the Sandman's calling and I don't like to keep a guy waiting."

Flora looked sadly at her pillow. "I don't think I'm going to get any sleep. That movie really scared me."

"Just drink one of your naptime potions and you'll be fine, Flo."

"They're not potions. They're tea."

"Whatever."

"Guys!"

"Bloom seriously. Give it up," Layla told her. "There's nothing to do. I say we all get some rest and hang out tomorrow."

"That would be our best course of action. Till the morn, ladies." Tecna followed Musa toward their room.

Flora got off the couch. "Let's go, Bloom," she pleaded.

Bloom seemed ready to resign herself.

But then…

"Wait here."

Before they could say anything, Bloom disappeared into her room. When she returned she was holding a CD in her hands. "I got this in a weird store back when Sky and I had our last date."

Musa was already dismissing it. "Not another horror movie, Bloom."

"Yeah I'm sick of those things. Let's just go to bed," Layla told her.

"It's not a horror movie—that is, not like you think." She knew that change of tone would catch their attention and she let a moment pass to build the suspense before she continued. "The owner said that bad things happen if you watch it. He told me the last girl who saw this CD was found dead. They found her body inside a closet. Her hair was bone-white. Her skin had turned gray. She was so skinny that you could see her bones. Her face was frozen in a mask of terror as if she had seen something so frightening that it killed her." She looked up, pleased at seeing the startled faces of her friends. "Her mouth…" her voice lowered. "Was opened wide like she had been trying to scream. But no one heard her. Even her sister who was in the next room didn't hear anything. Whatever she saw on this CD was so horrifying that she couldn't even scream."

"Stop it." Flora sat back on the couch and hugged the pillow. "That's not funny, Bloom. You're just trying to scare us."

"Oh am I?" She went to Flora and kneeled in close. "Aren't you the least bit curious, Flora? Imagine something so scary that you drop dead at the mere sight of it."

"I don't want to."

"What's your greatest fear, Flora?"

"Stop it!"

"Bloom!" Layla called to her. "Leave her alone. Can't you see you're scaring her?"

"Is it just her?" She grinned at Layla. "Or are you scared too?"

"You wish."

"Then…you wanna watch it?"

"No."

"Are you scared?"

"Hell no!"

"Then…"

"Bloom, stop this childish behavior at once." Tecna scolded her like a parent would a child. "Do you find it amusing trying to frighten your friends?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

Musa grinned. "She's scared to watch it by herself. That's why she wants us to see it with her."

"Is that a challenge, Musa?" Bloom shot back.

"You think I'm scared?"

"I don't know."

"Stop it you two," Flora pleaded.

"Care to watch it then, Musa?" Bloom dangled the CD before her. "That is…unless you're scared."

"Fine."

"Musa!"

"Take it easy, Flo. Someone's gotta take this fairy down a peg." Musa sat herself down on the couch, crossing both her arms and legs. "Well?"

"Yes!" Bloom went over the to DVD player and inserted her CD. Taking the controller, Bloom rushed back to Musa and sat down next to her. Next, she pressed the play button. The screen turned gray. "Ready to be scared out of your mind, Musa?"

"You wish."

"This is pathetic." Tecna turned to leave. "Good night."

"See ya." Layla left.

With just the three of them, the glare of the screen filled the dimly-lit room. The picture was in black and white. It showed an old house in the woods. Then it changed to a woman with long, dark hair sitting in front of a mirror. Her face was hidden but she was brushing her hair with a brush. Next they saw a piece of rotting fish lying on a cutting board. Flies and maggots dotted its surface.

"You scared yet?" Bloom asked Musa.

"Nope."

Flora hugged her pillow even tighter.

A woman gazed out over a cliff at the sea, the sun setting in the distance. The scene changed to show a very old well barely four feet in diameter.

"Spooky." Musa almost laughed.

"Wait for it."

Something came out of the well. It looked like a girl with black hair so long it covered her whole face. As she climbed out, she staggered toward the screen.

"Anything?"

"Nope."

"Alright that's enough!" Flora grabbed the remote from Bloom and shut off the television.

"Hey!"

Flora stood up in front of them. "I'm ashamed of both of you. What are we? Boys? Always testing one another for weakness and preying on our vulnerabilities? This isn't like us. We don't criticize one another. We help each other."

"It's just a dare, Flora."

"Yeah," Musa agreed. "No harm in fooling around."

"I don't care. You two should not be acting like this." She crossed her arms. "Now you both march into your rooms this instant!"

"But…"

"Right now!" She stomped her foot.

Musa and Bloom begrudgingly complied. They each gave each other knowing looks before going their separate ways. Flora waited until they were both gone before she shut off the DVD player and turned off the lights. She then ran into her room and closed the door behind her.


As usual, Stella returned after curfew. She said her goodbyes to Brandon who waited until she was safely upstairs before heading back to Red Fountain.

Inside, Stella found the dorm was quiet. "Looks like everyone turned in already." She quietly closed the door to their dorm and took off her heels. The princess made her way to her room when the television screen came on. "Hm? Did somebody leave this on?"

She took the time to sit down and massage her aching feet. Spending the last few hours on the dance floor really did a number on her bunions. "What's this?" She asked as the movie began to play. "Must be one of Bloom's old home movies. I wonder where…" she stopped when she saw something. All manner of speech escaped her at that moment and Stella's mouth grew wider…and wider…and wider…


The next morning, Flora awoke from a nightmare-free sleep. She stretched out her tired muscles and looked to where Bloom was still sleeping. "Aren't you happy I didn't let you see that scary movie last night?" She smiled knowing she did her and Musa a favor by playing mother hen.

She decided to get an early start and got up to brush her teeth. With her toothbrush and a cup in hand, Flora made her way to the bathroom. She was halfway there when she heard the television set on. "I thought I turned that off." She went into the living room stopped when she saw Stella. She was lying sideways on the couch in a strangely awkward position.

"Stella?"

The brunette walked over to her friend. "You okay, sweetie?" Her hand was about to touch her when she noticed how pale her skin had become. Stella was even whiter than Musa. MUCH whiter! Then there was her hair. Stella's golden mane was now as white as her sparkling teeth. It was also coarse and wrangled as if it had been pulled at continuously.

"S-Stella?" Hand shaking, Flora reached out to touch her friend…

…Stella's head fell backward, hanging upside down as her lifeless eyes gawked at Flora. Her eyes had sunken in, black rings encrusting them. Her mouth hung open in a horrific angle like her chin had somehow been forced to one side. Her tongue lagged out—all black and puffy.

Dropping her cup and brush, Flora screamed. Gasping she turned to the television and realized at last what had killed Stella.

Right there, taunting her dead friend in black and white, was that same girl with the long black hair…………wearing the tackiest outfit she had ever seen.


Halloween Tip: If the television turns on in the middle of the night, for the love of God!—Don't look!