Buzzing Fluorescents

Phoenix heat slapped the sidewalk as Dr. Skull stopped under a sign that read SUNNY SNIPS. A smaller sign squeaked in the wind: TINY CHAIR TODAY.

His long black hair hung to his back. One bright green eye glared out from under heavy bangs and skull hair pins. He bared a little fang at the glass.

Inside, fluorescent lights buzzed. Dr. Pinkie perched on a booster seat, swinging her legs.

“You came,” she said. Her phone screen showed four kids. “Collin, Brandon, Will, Brooke. Overbites. Zero patience for dentists.”

Dr. Hearts folded her arms. “Your ‘scare-to-care’ idea is cute. But you first.”

Dr. Mikey pointed at the tiny chair. “Sit. Then we talk.”

Raul the barber lifted clippers. Bzzzz.

Dr. Skull’s bat wings twitched. He dug his Doc Martens into the floor and said, “Just… trim the ends.”

Raul patted the tiny chair and whispered, “Hop up.”

Buzz and Splash

Raul clicked the tiny chair’s lever.

Dr. Skull sucked in a breath, hopped up, and gripped the armrests with white knuckles. His bat wings shook under his black skull T-shirt.

“See?” Dr. Pinkie said from her booster seat. “It is just a chair.”

The chair dropped with a CLUNK. Dr. Skull’s fangs flashed.

“Small chair, big drama,” Raul said, lifting his phone. The camera made a sharp snap.

Dr. Hearts leaned in. “Did you just post that?”

Raul nodded. “Sunny Snips page. The tiny chair gets likes.”

Dr. Mikey’s phone buzzed. He read, then his eyebrows jumped. “Uh. The kids’ mom follows this page. She is bringing Collin, Brandon, Will, and Brooke in twenty minutes. She says they need to watch you do it first.”

Dr. Skull slid off the chair so fast his Doc Martens squealed.

“Nope.”

He shoved open the door and ran into the wet heat. A storm had left puddles across the sidewalk.

His boot hit a slick spot. He went down hard, hair slapping into muddy water.

A hummingbird hovered at his face, tiny and fierce, and pecked at one of his skull hair pins.

Dr. Skull froze.

“Do not touch my hair,” he hissed as Dr. Hearts grabbed his elbow