"Impressive talent Miss Darling, but please refrain from singing corny warsongs" a voice called and the dim night air shimmered as a series of shadows flew downwards spiralling into the form of the infamous Madame Catstring.
Once, long ago, The Madame had been one of Australia's greatest Tooth Fairies. She had wrestled crocodiles, killed bush rangers and marched through flaming desserts in order to collect every single tooth. Then the Black Friday bushfires roared through the state of Victoria and Agatha Catstring exploded in a ball of nuclear fire her hands still clutching a tooth. Madame Catstring, Phantom Banshee, emerged from the smoke, wailing for the souls of the dead. Of course Banshees still needed to work and she was quietly transferred to the education department.
In the moonlight her tattered gown floated like seaweed and her face looked like cracked fine china.
"Sorry Madame Catstring," Henrietta squeaked and the Banshee cocked her head to one side, studying her with red eyes that glowed like a fresh drop of blood.
"Also avoid fire spells, it's bushfire season after all" Madame Catstring warned her breath stinking of smoke and gasoline.
Then, just as quickly, the Madame seemed to lose interest and floated on, examining all the students.
"Tonight you will be required to retrieve your assigned tooth and return it to the Tooth Fairy archives by four thirty AM," Madame Catstring began.
"Four thirty AM? I thought we had until sunrise!" Katya asked.
"You have until the first ray of the sun crosses the ocean border which is four thirty AM! You would know that if you had read your info packet instead of giving yourself a manicure using stainless steel claws," Madame Catstring screeched back and Katya jumped back shivering.
"That was one time! My nail broke and I have to keep up appearances!" Katya whispered to Henrietta proudly showing her classmate her sharp silvery metal nails.
"You will be able to use your natural talents in order to retrieve the tooth as long as it doesn't lead to a child experiencing night terrors. I'm looking at you Tithi! During your last exam you bit a little girl in Camden," Madame Catstring said and Tithi had the decency to at least hiss with embarrassment.
Madame Catstring raised the edge of her cloak and four emerald green folders appeared, landing in front of the students with a thud. Henrietta stooped down and opened her folder only to groan with frustration. An address in Meadowriver Park stared back at her.
Meadowriver Park was one of the many wasp nest suburbs blooming around the far off edges of Sydney. Bland, grey and identical, they were filled with dozens of shoe box grey and black houses with tiny shrubby trees. Henrietta hated stumbling into such new clinical towns, magic hadn't begun to grow yet and the air was suffocating. Still, toothfairies couldn't control where humans chose to raise children.
"Oof, a manufactured suburb! Rough break! Everytime I drove through one I felt like I'd been swimming in my mother's dumpling stew. I got Mittagong! It is a bit far but the ghosts are always funny," Katya said as Henrietta walked to the nearest street corner and waved her arm.
"I can give you a ride in my chicken house Henrietta, as long as you don't mind the smell of cats and garlic" Katya said.
"That's a lovely offer but I'm allergic to cats" Henrietta replied and then she breathed in deeply.
"I can't afford a carriage, but you'll look sweet, upon the seat, of a bicycle built for two," Henrietta sang cheerfully. Like a dog being called by its master a cotton candy pink bicycle with a white wicker basket suddenly flew down from the night sky it's decorative ribbons flapping in the wind.
The bike had been a birthday gift from Aunt Grian on Henrietta's one hundred and fiftieth birthday.
"You are going to get tired if you ride that all the way to Meadowriver," Phillip pointed out from where he was searching for his car keys in a massive bright green shopping bag. "I'll be fine, worry about your car breaking down Phillip," Henrietta remarked as she pulled up her frothy tutu, swinging her legs over her bike.
The bike shifted and soured upwards it's wheels spinning against nothing. For a moment, the moon seemed to vanish as if she was blinking and Henrietta shivered as the bike rode up and up into the ink blue sky.