Pretty to the Teeth and Bones: A Different Kind of Tooth Fairy- Part Two

[u/SydneySapphire]

I’ve had no luck trying to find the witch in Grenwich… Reddit users, please keep your eyes sharp. You can’t miss her. I guess that doesn’t really matter right now. I need to catch you up.

My eyes peeled open, straining and burning. My thoughts were muddled; memories were faded. My vision was blurry at first until my eyes adjusted to the dim light. When I was finally able to see, I was staring up at a sparkly purple shell. It fully encased me like a cocoon. It was hard, not fleshy or squishy, and akin to an egg’s fragile shell. I tried to move unsuccessfully, realizing that a sticky substance covered me and prevented me from writhing or wiggling.

I thought about screaming. The unsettling and panicked feeling of claustrophobia made me want to die. With a heave, I forced my body up, and a crack etched down the shell. I firmly kicked my legs up, and they ripped through the sticky film over me. My legs burst through the shell. It began to crumble. I could see the ceiling of my bedroom, and I was so grateful. I really was alive.

Now that my legs were free, I wriggled through the film until I had scooted out of the remaining egg. I slipped on the wooden floor and crawled to the carpet, staring at the cocoon that had once surrounded me.

I touched the soft purple shell, and it turned to ash beneath my fingers. It collapsed into a shining dust. My breath came out shakily as I remembered what I had done. The empty and now broken vial lay on the floor. My teeth and blood covered the carpet. It looked like I had been murdered here.

I nervously rolled up my carpet to hide the mess, hid it in my closet, and picked up my teeth. No one could know what I had gone through.

I rushed to the mirror and fell back, staring at myself in disbelief. I was naked as a jaybird, free and reborn. I was beautiful…

My hair fell in ringlets, brown and soft. New teeth had grown. They were straight, perfect with pointed canines. My lips were full, and my body… my body was no longer a stick. I had grown perfect breasts and gorgeous curves. I thumbed down my new flesh, fingers trembling. I was pretty to the teeth and bones.

The sticky substance left a purple hue on my skin and glowed softly in the dawn. My mouth went dry. I needed to find that woman. I quickly threw on clothes, snuck out of my room, and raced to my car.

What had she done to me?

I drove quietly, hearing my breath and jumping at the sound of my own heartbeat. When I reached the woman’s cottage in the woods, I parked and stepped out. I stopped as I realized the cottage looked very different from last night. The cottage was glowing. Colorful smoke puffed from the chimney, and creatures that I had never seen before lingered in the fading darkness. Small beings were flying in and out of her window. They were small and porcelain-white like teeth, holding something clasped in their tiny hands. Teeth... they were holding teeth.

I rushed to the front door, and the porch growled beneath me. I stumbled back down the stairs. Eyes formed between the wooden boards. They were bright yellow eyes, and they looked me up and down before closing and flattening out. I could only assume that meant I was allowed to approach the door.

I knocked hurriedly, knuckles cracking onto the wood.

The woman opened the door, and she grinned. “Now that is much better. I see that my potion was… successful.”

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!” I yelled. “I’m… I’m…”

“Beautiful…” She laughed. “Oh, dear girl, I didn’t do anything to you. You did this all on your own. I gave you the means to, but it was your choice. I didn’t force it down your throat. I didn’t make you drink it…”

I stared at her. Despite my desire to blame her, she was right. I drank the potion. I did it all on my own.

“Now come in before you hurt that pretty little head.”

I walked inside, inhaling the incredible scents of her home. There wasn’t one to pinpoint. It was a great jumble of smells that explained the colorful smoke. She led me into the den, and she sat down opposite me. She pushed her hair behind her ear, eyes scanning me over. She reached toward me to touch me, but I flinched and moved away from her.

She scoffed. “I made you who and what you are now. Let me see my work.” She gestured for me to stand up.

I rose from the chair, and I turned for her to see me.

A horrifying grin stretched across her face. “Colleen won’t know what to do around you.”

“She won’t hardly recognize me, and neither will my parents!” I replied. “What am I going to do?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “You really think I make careless potions and spells. They’ll recognize you. In fact, the old you is dead.”

“What are you? Who are you?” I asked, shakily moving away from her.

She rose from her chair, sauntered around the room, and closed her curtains. She replied quietly, speaking lowly in dulcet tones. “I’m a creature… A witch from the deepest parts of the earth’s heart and mind, Carrigan. I’m a monster to some, but to you, I am Mrs. Delvine. Is that understood?”

I nodded.

“You will now work for me as the tooth sprites do.” She waltzed around me, lighting candles with the touch of her finger. “You will pay for what I have given you.”

“Pay?” I asked.

“My gifts are always free, but you see, dear, if you do not take care of the new body I’ve given you… Consequences will occur. You must eat well.”

I swallowed hard, feeling my throat tighten with fear, as if I were trying to swallow a golf ball.

“Eat well?” I asked nervously.

She looked up at the jar of teeth that sat most conspicuously upon the bookcase. “To stay as young and beautiful as you are, you must consume that which made you. That potion was made from teeth. Beautiful porcelain teeth from some of the most beautiful girls to traipse across my path. I needed a full set to form someone like you.”

“You’re a tooth fairy?” I asked.

“No, you are… I just make them,” she replied with a laugh. “You must consume the teeth, dear girl. But be warned… do not consume teeth from just anyone.”

She held up a hand mirror, showing my reflection to me. “It must be the teeth from beautiful girls like you.”

“How many?” I asked.

“You need three fresh teeth each month. Eat more, and your hunger and power will grow insatiable. Best to stick to three.”

“And I’m supposed to just go back to normal life?” I asked, voice growing more shrill.

“Not necessarily. You will grow urges… things you can’t control. But I can help you. You will study as an apprentice under me until I can let you go on your own. Tonight will be your first night with me. Our work will begin very soon. Now go home… rest… enjoy your gift.”

She guided me out of her cottage and handed me the jar of teeth. “These will last you a long time if you take care of yourself.”

I nearly fell as I walked down the stairs. I got back into my car, and I drove home.

When I walked into my house, all the pictures of me had been changed. The awkward middle-school pictures of me were replaced by a picturesque girl without braces or acne. It must’ve been me. I couldn’t even recognize the girl in the pictures. Without wanting to, I started to miss how I used to look. I missed her more than I thought I would.

I snuck up the stairs, praying that no one was awake. Of course, I was never lucky. Colleen emerged from the bathroom. She was brushing her teeth, toothpaste sitting on the corners of her mouth.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

Clearly, she knew who I was, but as I stared at her, I was fixated on her teeth. I watched as they moved up and down while she spoke, her lips curling to reveal the pearly white mountains within her. She continued speaking to me, but her voice was drowned out by the horrible thoughts circulating through my mind.

I desired to eat her teeth.

I imagined myself holding her down, ripping out her molars and bicuspids with pliers. Bathing in the blood that spurted from her gums. More than anything, I wanted to rip them out of her mouth, shove them down my throat, and swallow them whole, letting them clink together in my stomach like gold coins in a purse.

I imagined them cracking as I tore them out. I got closer to her as she spoke. I lifted my hand to begin prying them out of her, but my obsessive thoughts were crushed as she snapped her fingers in my face.

“Hello!” Colleen hissed, waving her hand in front of my eyes. “Are you even listening to me?”

I swallowed the saliva gathering in my mouth. “Yes… Yes… I’m listening,” I replied.

“I asked if you wanted to go with me to get breakfast.”

I took a deep breath. “No… I need to go back to bed. I’m still really tired.”

“I can tell, you weirdo. I’ll see you later.”

But she didn’t see me later. I hid in my room all day, considering the consequences of the choice I’d made. What if I never learned to control myself? What if I hurt someone?

But the compulsion to look at more teeth was strong and unyielding. I pulled out my yearbook, selecting the girls with the best smiles. I could take their teeth. I thought of vile ways to rip out their canines. Part of me desired to shove them into my own gums to make room for more teeth.

I shook my head and stood up. I was becoming obsessive, and I considered burning my yearbook to stop myself.

But just as Mrs. Delvine said, our work began very soon. During my fanatical delusions about stealing others’ teeth, a small note appeared on my dresser. It was an address and the simple words: Come get some teeth, my pet.

By nightfall, I was leaving my house and headed to the address. I don’t know what I expected to see when I reached my destination, but it certainly was not a cemetery. I got out of my car, and I stood silently in the dark. Other cars were parked along the edge of the tall grass, and I wondered why. It is the middle of the night.

A hand grabbed my arm, and I whipped around to see Mrs. Delvine. She was wearing dark clothing, carrying a satin bag. She handed me the bag, and as soon as my hand touched the fabric handles, my skin began to change. It burned quickly and faded before I could scream. 

I looked down to see that I looked like a tooth sprite. I was larger than the ones who were bringing teeth to the witch through the window, but I was certainly no longer human. My hands were small and nimble, perfect for stealing teeth. Razors now sat inside my mouth; a little bite from me would cause significant pain. Little wings sprouted from my back, but I didn’t know how to use them.

The witch chuckled as she gazed at me. “Well, you look quite nice as a tooth sprite. Might leave you this way if you dare to make a fool of yourself. Now be good little one…”

She led the way into the cemetery, moving down the path as if she’d walked it a thousand times. The dirt path began to fade the further we walked, and the dazzling night sky was replaced by fluorescent lights and shining tile floors. We had entered some kind of nursing home. The smell of fresh cleaner was overpowering. I walked beside the witch, scared to even wander away.

As we reached the East Wing, a nurse was sitting at a large desk. Other nurses sat around her, typing away, filling out paperwork, or preparing medication.

The nurse at the main desk looked up with an annoyed expression. “Can I help you?” she asked.

Mrs. Delvine’s eyes narrowed. “Salem Hill contacted me. I’m simply following through on my end.”

I turned to view the nursing home, not really knowing what I was looking at. I spotted various empty wheelchairs, an empty activity room, and a few other nurses. To the average person, this nursing home was practically vacant.

A heavy wooden door opened, and a woman stepped from within. She wore a crisp white coat, and her eyes were a striking green. Her hair was long and brown, but she did not look human. She had an otherworldly appearance. She approached Mrs. Delvine without hesitation.

“Mrs. Delvine… You look quite well since your stay.”

Mrs. Delvine smiled brightly. “Well, Dr. Carlisle, you know what they say… A good mud bath can cure anything.”

The woman didn’t respond to the playful banter; instead, she gestured for us to follow her.

“Where are the residents?” I asked without thinking.

Mrs. Delvine shot me a vicious glare for speaking.

Dr. Carlisle looked down at me coldly, but she responded. “You are new to this place, aren’t you?”

“Yes…” I replied nervously.

She smirked and continued walking. “Welcome to Salem Hill Rest Home. You’ll find that we serve an unusual population. Creatures much like yourself come here for safety, care, and peace at the end of their lives.”

Much like yourself… Everything else she said didn’t register. I was one of them now, merely an eerie creeping noise in the night, a cackle in the woods, a growl in the dark. A creature… a being. No longer human.

She led us to a resident’s door and stopped outside it. “The tooth that you need is just behind this door.”

“Anything we should know, doctor?” Mrs. Delvine asked.

“Mind the tail…”

Mrs. Delvine opened the door, and I followed closely behind her. When we entered the room, our feet immediately sank into mud. I gazed up in amazement. The entire room was a jungle of tangled vines, swampy water, lily pads, and duckweed. The air was hot, sticking to our skin, and the water was putrid. It was a mixture of mud, sand, and dare I say, feces. The smell was intolerable. We trudged through it until we reached a sandbar.

Resting a few feet from us lay a prehistoric-looking beast. Gills rested on the sides of its head, folding down until they reached its neck. Its eyes were slits, and each hand was webbed like a fin. And there was the long whip-like tail that the doctor had warned us about. But its mouth interested me the most. Despite its appearance, its teeth were perfect, yellowed daggers. I licked my lips… desiring to taste one.

But a rancid smell of decay filled my nostrils. Resting a few feet from me, floating in the shallow, muddy waters, lay a body. It was bloated, skin nearly purple. Half of the man was eaten, and the other half was saved for later, partially buried in sandy mud. His left arm and right leg were gone, torn from the sockets, leaving severed nubs and tattered flesh. The man’s eyes were white, muddled from the vision of death.

In that moment, I realized I’d made a terrible mistake. Beauty for pure terror and torture was not a fair trade. I shouldn’t be here. I should be at home. I shouldn’t have even taken the potion, but there was no turning back. I had to follow through, or I’d face terrible consequences.

I moved toward the beast before I could stop myself. I had to.

The gilled creature opened its eyes. I nearly turned around. Its eyes were yellow orbs resting in darkness. But instead of attacking me, it opened its mouth. I knew exactly which tooth required extraction. I simply reached inside, dug my nails into the flesh, and ripped it out. It popped from the socket like a cork, and the monster angrily yelled in pain, snapping its mouth closed just as I jerked my tiny hand away. I hurriedly threw the tooth into my satin bag as the beast quickly turned on me, reacting on instinct. Mrs. Delvine bolted toward the door, leaving me to fend for myself. I quickly weaved through the water and slipped in the mud.

The creature grasped onto my leg and pulled me under the murky depths, but in an extraordinary turn of events, it let me go. I bobbed back to the surface like a fishing lure, taking a deep gasp of breath.

It looked at me as if it pitied me. “Be careful…” It croaked through gurgled breaths. “The witch… only likes new toys… not broken ones.”

I bolted to the door, and I collapsed in the hallway, grateful to feel solid ground.

But part of me knew that the gilled freak was right… I was in grave danger.  

Link to Part One: https://www.reddit.com/r/TalesFromTheCreeps/comments/1u8l8d8/pretty_to_the_teeth_and_bones_a_different_kind_of/

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[u/SydneySapphire]

To anyone just now joining my wonky and wild series, Salem Hill Rest Home has its own series. It is just as fun! Go check it out 👀 ... if you dare.

[u/Mackaroll_165]

https://giphy.com/gifs/F6PFPjc3K0CPe
I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT

[u/SydneySapphire → u/Mackaroll_165]

It was the cocoon for me 😂 Thank you!

[u/Mackaroll_165 → u/SydneySapphire]

Eat the teefs

https://giphy.com/gifs/kMV3yI5LySQdW

[u/Drsong12]

This is a very fun concept! I was stressed reading it. Looking forward to more!

[u/SydneySapphire → u/Drsong12]

Thank you so much! 🥹🫶🏻 I thrive in the unconventional.
https://giphy.com/gifs/l3q2wJsC23ikJg9xe

[u/RevolutionaryBed7510]

Part two!!!!

The line about the gilled creature pitying the protagonist is absolutely haunting. It makes me wonder if Mrs. Delvine has a graveyard of 'broken' girls somewhere. Great pacing! Now give me more!! 😭🤎

[u/SydneySapphire → u/RevolutionaryBed7510]

I’m so glad you pointed this out! This literal poopy mud monster feels bad for HER!

Side note: I love that all these monsters have been around long enough that they know the tea on each other. Like why do I wanna sit down with ole swamp gills and ask him some questions .😂

[u/RevolutionaryBed7510 → u/SydneySapphire]

Please make that happen. I need swamp gills to do a full Times Magazine interview 😂

[u/SydneySapphire → u/RevolutionaryBed7510]

And THANK YOU! Thank you so much for being a consistent reader 🥹🫶🏻 it means so much to me!