The Chair That Waits

Dr. Skull slouched behind the front desk of Desert Smiles Tooth Fairy Clinic, Phoenix humming outside the window like a hair dryer. His long black bangs hid one eye. His bright green eye stared at his phone calendar.

Dr. Pinkie swooped in and thumped a glittery flyer on the counter.

“Brave Bite Week,” she said. “Kids get gentle checks. You finally cut your hair.”

Dr. Skull’s mouth barely moved. “My hair is my brand.” His small fangs flashed anyway.

Dr. Hearts floated beside him, smoothing his coat. “Your brand is ‘scared-of-scissors vampire fairy.’”

Dr. Mikey pointed at the open exam room. The blue dental chair sat there, perfectly still, like it was waiting.

At the door, four kids peeked in. Collin clutched his phone. Brooke whispered, “We hate dentists. Our overbites look weird.”

Brandon swallowed. “And the drills.”

Will stared at Dr. Skull’s bat wings. “Are you gonna bite us?”

Dr. Skull rose, hair sliding like a curtain, and didn’t smile

The Chair on Wheels

Dr. Skull stepped past the kids and pointed toward the glass door.

“Outside,” he said. “Phoenix sunlight. No drills. Yet.”

Collin followed, filming on his phone. “If I get eaten, I want likes.”

In the parking lot, a fire hydrant sprayed down the sidewalk. Water rushed into a puddle the size of a kiddie pool.

Brooke hugged her elbows. “Great. Wet shoes and dentists.”

Dr. Pinkie, a tooth-fairy dentist with pink hair and a bubblegum coat, fluttered down and snapped a photo. “Clinic page. ‘Brave Bite Week: puddle edition.’”

Dr. Mikey rolled out the blue dental chair on its wheels. “We can cross.”

Brandon shook his head. “That chair is the scary part.”

Dr. Pinkie sat in it anyway and lifted her hands like she was on a ride.

“Push,” she said.

Water splashed. The chair wobbled. Dr. Skull’s bat wings twitched.

“If you four do the gentle checks,” he said, “I’ll get my hair cut tonight. At Cobb & Clip. The shoemaker lady has scissors.”

Will stared at Dr. Skull’s back-long hair. “On purpose?”