The Chronicle of Rumple Dumple - Pt. 3

A short time later, Dad came in, holding the book on rat care.

“Fiona, I’ve been reading about what happens if your pet gets out. Apparently, a lot of rats will find that they can open the door and they get away. The thing to do is to put their cage on the floor, and put some really tasty snacks in a trail back -” Dad stopped talking, seeing Fiona lying crumpled across the bed like a deflated balloon. “Honey, what’s the matter?”

Fiona sat up, took the box from Aerya, and held it out, not saying a word.

“Fiona, what’s going on? Why are you holding the shoe box?” Dad closed the book and tucked it under his arm.

“We found Rumpy, Daddy.” Fiona made her voice gentle and sad.

“What?” Dad looked at the cage, which still had the door open, and was empty.

“Where is he?”

Fiona looked from her dad to the box in her hands.

“Why don’t you put him back - oh. Sweetie, was he dead?”

Fiona nodded, closing her eyes, and letting her head hang down.

“Oh little punkin, I am so sorry.” Dad set the book on Fiona’s night stand and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. Aerya was mercifully silent, following Fiona’s lead and appearing to be sad.

“Is that Rumpy?” asked Dad, pointing to the box.

Fiona turned to face her dad, and nodded silently. She put her head against his chest.

“Where did you find him?”

“He was under the bathroom sink, in the cabinet, stuck in that hole in the wall.” Fiona’s stomach gained another stone as she lied. This was getting really bad, and she promised again that once the shoe was buried, she would not lie. Ever. About anything.

As her stomach punished her, Fiona thought about who started all of this - Aerya, with her plea to free the rat. If it wasn’t for Aerya talking to that rat . . . oh well, it didn’t matter. Fiona was finally out of this, and would make everything up to Dad. Rumpy was free, Aerya was settled, and Dad didn’t know. All in all, this was a happy ending to the situation. Fiona reflected that a stomach filled with rock was a small price to pay for a happy ending.

“He was trying to get into the walls. Poor little guy. Fiona, I’m so sorry.” Dad hugged Fiona and patted her head. Aerya came over and hugged Fiona, too, still keeping her eyes down as if she was sad about Rumpy’s passing.

“We should give Rumpy a funeral, Fiona, to honor him.” said Dad softly, stroking Fiona’s long hair with his hand.

“Yes,” added Aerya, “he should be honored. He went through so much. Rumple Dumple was a truly noble animal.”

Fiona nudged Aerya with her elbow, worried that Aerya would say something that revealed the lies that brought them to this point.

“Thank you, Daddy. That would be nice. Can we do it today? You know, before Rumpy starts to, uhm -”

“Stink?” interrupted Aerya.

“Yes, Fiona, we’ll bury him outside. Let me change my clothes, and we’ll go take care of this. I’m so sorry, baby. This is a really sad thing.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” whispered Fiona. After a while, Dad let go of Fiona, and went off to change his clothes. Fiona closed the bedroom door.

“Aerya, you know, this is all your fault.”

“My fault?” Aerya’s eyes were wide with surprise, and she held her hands wide apart.

“Yes! If you hadn’t licked Rumpy, we wouldn’t know his family was nearby. I wouldn’t have lied to Dad about a pet. And then, if you had just let Rumpy stay in the cage -”

“His heart was breaking! Didn’t you see it in his eyes? He was so sad.”

Fiona squished her lips together, and nodded.

“I know. He was really sad. He wanted to be with his family,” said Fiona softly.

“Fiona, he was so happy when I let him go in the yard. He thanked me over and over again. He wished that he had something to give us as a present. I felt like I set his soul free by granting this wish. I wanted you to be there, except I knew you would get mad at me. I’m sorry.” Aerya sat with her hands together in her lap, looking at her knees.

“I know - I know. It’s just that, I don’t know, everything turned into a big mess. Aerya, I feel terrible about lying to my dad.”

“Why don’t you tell him the truth?”

Fiona shrugged.

“I can’t now. I guess I didn’t think he would believe me. Adults are different from kids. They don’t believe the same stuff. You wanted to help Rumpy, and I wanted to help Rumpy too. It seemed like the best way to do that. I just feel bad right now, and want this to end.”

Aerya stood up, her black hair bouncing on her shoulders. She leaned over and gave Fiona a big hug.

“Thank you, Fiona, for all you did for me, and Rumpy. Are you ready to go to the funeral?”

Fiona stood up and held the taped shoe box with both hands.

“Come on, let’s go bury my shoe.”

At that, both girls smiled, then quickly went back to their sad face before leaving the room.

Dad got the spade and asked Fiona where she wanted to bury Rumpy. She chose a place near the back of the yard, under the big snowball bush. Dad nodded without saying a word. He dug a hole about two feet deep, then leaned the shovel against the trunk of the snowball bush.

“Rumpy, you were a fine example of a rat. You kept your whiskers neat, and we will miss you,” said Dad.

“A noble heart,” added Aerya.

Fiona knelt down and set the box in the hole. It seemed small compared to the earth. While she knew that inside was the right, red patent leather shoe, Fiona’s eyes filled with tears.

“Rumpy, I hope that you are happy now. I learned a lot from you, even if I didn’t know you very long. I will never forget you, never forget how you changed things, and I hope that wherever you are, you remember me. Goodbye, Rumple Dumple. Be happy.”

Dad shoveled the dirt back into the hole, then tamped the small mound with the shovel. He took in the little mound, and the two girls who stood side by side, holding hands as they said goodbye to Fiona’s first pet. Fiona’s sad tears were real, and as she cried, she wished the ache in her stomach would go away.

“Fiona,” said Dad softly, stroking her shoulder, “ you can come out and visit with him whenever you like.”

“Thank you, Daddy.” Fiona reached out, and took Dad’s hand in hers. Together, the three of them held hands - Dad, quiet and caring, Fiona sobbing and sniffling, Aerya just standing - beside the grave where they just buried the right, red patent leather shoe.

Eventually, they all went back inside. Fiona and Aerya went up to their room while Dad went off to do Dad stuff. Fiona closed the door, blew her nose on a tissue, and dropped onto the bed.

“Whew! Thank goodness that is finally over!” said Fiona, her voice trembling with emotion.

Aerya dropped onto the bed, too, and let out a big breath.

“I feel tangled up inside,” said Aerya, her voice a little strained.

“I feel exhausted!” Fiona sniffed, and pushed out a big breath of air with a slight ‘whoosh’. “And I can’t believe - it is finally over! Aerya, I feel like sleeping for a hundred years, and shouting, all at the same time!”

“Yes,” Aerya nodded as she spoke, “that’s what I meant by tangled inside. The story has a happy ending. Rumple Dumple is free, and you are free, too Fiona, of having to crawl behind the stove or into the cabinets.”

“That was really awful. I didn’t know there was so much dust and fuzz around the house.” Fiona wiped her nose with the tissue, then let her hand rest on her chest.

“I wondered if Mr. Dad was going to start taking down the walls to find Rumpy!”

“I know! Have you ever seen anyone search so hard for anything?”

“No, I haven’t,” said Aerya, truthfully.

They lay in silence for a while, then Fiona asked,

“What do you want to do now?”

“Nothing. I just want to lay here, and do nothing.”

Fiona nodded.

“Me too.”

When Dad called them for supper, both girls jumped in surprise. Dad served toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato soup that had elbow macaroni, then sat down to eat with them.

“Fiona, I’ve been thinking.”

“Uh huh,” replied Fiona, chewing on the part of her sandwich that was much darker than the rest. Aerya was using her fork to spear the elbow macaroni in her soup, piling them on her opened sandwich.

“After supper, we’ll go to the craft store. There’s something I want to get, and while I’m in there, you and Aerya can wait in the car. I have an idea on how to help you with your sadness about Rumple Dumple.”

Fiona wanted to say that she felt much, much better since the little funeral. She wanted to say that in fact, she felt relieved enough to laugh and run in circles in the back yard. Instead, she said,

“Thank you, Daddy. I’m sure that will be nice.”

Aerya, thankfully, didn’t say anything. She had put the top back on her sandwich, and was trying to take a bite from the pile of macaroni between the bread.

When they finished eating, they drove in the Master Disaster (the off yellow minivan that Aerya said looked like rotten mustard thrown up by a dragon) to the craft store. Dad went in, locking the doors of the minivan. Aerya and Fiona chattered about what Dad was buying. Fiona was glad Dad was at the craft store rather than the pet store. Who knew what Aerya would learn from a new rat. Dad came out a while later with a big bag. He put it on the floor, and drove them home.

Back at the house, Dad called Fiona over to the dining room table.

“Fiona, when someone we love goes away, it can make our heart feel like it will break. This is called grief.”

That’s what the left red patent leather shoe is feeling, thought Fiona.

“Part of the way we handle our grief is letting some time pass. Another way is what we do to remember the one we loved. Do you remember driving by cemeteries?”

Fiona nodded.

“The cemetary has tombstones, or markers. People put those there to remember the people they lost. After we buried Rumpy -”

Those words were like an arrow in Fiona’s heart. She wanted to just forget the whole, long lie she created to free Rumpy. Still, she kept quiet.

“ - I could tell you were very sad because I didn’t hear anything from your room for a long time. I wondered what I could do to help you feel better -”

Another arrow. This was agony!

“ - and I thought, maybe if we had a tombstone for Rumpy, that would help you with your grief.”

Dad took a box from the bag. It was a kit for making a paving stone. Dad explained that they would mix the stuff up, pour it into the sturdy box as a mold, and then use the included materials to write Rumpy’s name, and decorate it a little. Once it was dry, they would set this in the yard as a little tombstone.

In her mind, Fiona thought, oh, snap! When is this ever going to end? Like I want to muck around with this stuff to make a tombstone for a shoe! I am never, ever, ever going to let Aerya get me into a mess like this again! Okay, just keep going. Sooner or later this has to end, and Rumple Dumple will never be mentioned again. Fiona kept her thoughts to herself, and forced a smile.

“Oh, Daddy, that sounds like a nice way to remember Rumpy.”

“I thought so. I’ll get the water, and a plastic bucket. You put on your apron, and get one for Aerya, too, so she can help.”

“I’m alright, Mr. Dad. I should let Fiona have this for herself.”

Fiona gave Aerya a dirty look. Aerya stuck out her tongue.

“Aerya, that is really sweet of you. However, I know that while Rumpy belonged to Fiona, you were really fond of him. It will be good for you to process your grief with this. Then, I think we can all begin to heal.”

Aerya opened her mouth to argue, then closed it, giving Fiona an annoyed expression. Fiona silently laughed, mocking Aerya. They each put on an apron. Dad set down the bucket, then poured the powder and water inside. Aerya and Fiona took turns stirring the thick, white liquid, and then Dad poured it into the mold. It glopped and slapped out of the bucket, and smelled like spoiled muffins.

Next Dad put the collection of shells, beads, and other pieces included to decorate the stone. Aerya thought they should write ‘Rumple Dumple’, and then Fiona pointed out they didn’t have enough of any item for that. Rumpy could be spelled with either the shells, or the plastic gems. Dad brought out a pad of paper for Aerya and Fiona to write their ideas on. At last they decided to use the colored gems to put Rumpy’s initials - RD - and the pretty pink shells to put the year that he passed away. This allowed them to make the letters and numbers really large.

Dad got dental floss, cut notches in the side of the box, and stretched the floss to make guidelines. Fiona carefully pushed the gems in for the R and the D. Aerya arranged her shells for the year, then pushed each one down into the soft material with a pencil. Fiona wished she used a pencil; the white stuff stained her fingers, and as she washed her hands at the sink, she found that it would not wash away with soap and water.

They finished their work on the tombstone, and Dad said it would have to dry overnight. He kissed Fiona, hugged Aeyra, told them they did a good job, and that it was time for bed. With her fingers still stained white, Fiona brushed her teeth, got into her Bratz pajamas, and was asleep almost as soon as she laid her head on the pillow. Beside her, Aerya slept just as soundly, snoring a little bit. Far away from the house, Rumple Dumple, with 7 brothers and 13 sisters, found a case of chocolate covered cupcakes beside a dumpster, and he rejoiced.

“Wake up, sleepy head.”

It was Dad, gently shaking Fiona’s shoulder.

“Good morning, Daddy.”

“Time to get up. The marker is dry, and we can set it out in the yard. Wake sleeping beauty beside you, and come on down for breakfast”

It was Saturday. Saturday was the prize day for a kid. Saturday was soaked in fun. Carnivals always happened on a Saturday. Saturday was a day with long arms, carrying trips to the zoo, to the museum, ice cream, movie theaters, swimming pools, birthday parties, or some other delightful destination. Saturday was the only day out of 7 that was truly friends with a kid, who understood that kids needed time free of restraint. For this reason, Saturday was always Fiona’s favorite day.

Sometimes they had to get groceries with Dad. This wasn’t so bad. Fiona introduced Aerya to grape soccer in the produce department, lobster visits in seafood, and tortilla frisbee (only if Dad was far enough away.) Dad always got them a fun snack as a thank you, and it was nice to have food to eat at home.

In fact, Saturday was the one day when Dad didn’t wake Fiona up. So, what was up with the wake up call?

“Alright, Daddy. We’ll be down in a minute.”

Dad left, and Fiona got out of bed. She put on the puppy slippers, and found her fluffy blue bathrobe. Fiona poked Aerya.

“Aerya, time to get up.”

“It’s Saturday.” said Aerya.

“I know. Something’s up. Come on, we have to go eat breakfast.”

Aerya rolled to the edge of the bed, and let her legs swing over.

“But it’s Saturday.”

“I know. Come on, we have to go.”

Aerya’s feet found the bunny slippers, and put them on. Apparently her feet were sleepy, too, because they put the left slipper on the right foot, and the right on the left. As she shuffled down the hall, the bunny slippers saw the hallway completely differently. Their eyes shone and sparkled at this new view.

Dad had pancakes cooking. The tombstone stood, free of the cardboard mold, and it looked enormous on the table. Fiona’s eyes grew wide when she saw it. R.D. It was a big reminder of her big lie. While she loved pancakes, suddenly, she had no appetite. Dad set down a big stack.

“These are Fiona’s Fabulous Chocolate Chip pancakes. Eat up!”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Under the white gaze of the tombstone, Fiona chewed the pancakes and swallowed hard to get them down. We’ll get the tombstone set up, and then this will FINALLY be over, thought Fiona to herself. Aerya had a good appetite, and helped Fiona by taking a couple of her pancakes and eating them.

When they were done, Dad sent them back to their room to get dressed.

“When is this ever going to end?” asked Fiona, opening the closet door to get her sneakers.

Hey, everybody, I’m outta here! called the sneakers to the shoes.

Traitor! called the left red, patent leather shoe. How can you go with her? She kidnapped one of us!

Oh, shut up! called the sneakers, sailing through the air as Fiona picked them up.

Yeah, though Fiona to the shoes, shut up.

They all went out to Rumpy’s grave. Dad carried the heavy stone, Fiona had a shovel, and Aerya carried a paint scraper she found in the tool shed. Dad made a shallow hole, and set the tombstone into the trench. Fiona held it while Dad and Aerya put the dirt back. Dad said let go, and the tombstone wobbled, and then fell over.

“Hmmmm, I guess we didn’t set the stone right.” said Dad.

Hmmm, thought Fiona to herself, this is what I get for lying, spending my Saturday messing around with a stupid piece of rock. And why are we doing this? asked Fiona in her sarcastic voice. Because there is a stupid shoe buried here!

It took almost two hours before they finished. The tombstone leaned back a little, resting against a couple of poles that Dad had pounded into the ground. The area around them was littered with tools. It looked like they had taken everything out of the toolshed just to get the stone standing. Now it was upright, and Fiona was really hoping she could have the rest of her Saturday back.

“Fiona, I think that’s a pretty good job. It looks good there.”

“You’re right, Daddy. It does look good.”

“I think it is a little crooked, Mr. Dad.” Fiona could have killed Aerya for saying that. Dad looked, and said that they would probably have to work on it later, after there was some rain. Thank goodness, thought Fiona. hoping that it would be five years before any rain came.

“Daddy, should we start to pick up the tools?” asked Fiona, helpfully.

“Yes, I think we are finished here, for now.”

“Okay, we’ll help.”

Hurrah! Fiona was going to get some Saturday. Fiona needed some time to process everything that had happened, and return to her usual self. She and Aerya made a trip to the toolshed. Aerya stayed in the shed, putting the tools back on their hooks. Fiona went back to where her dad was standing.

“Fiona, next spring, we’ll put up a little fence here.”

Uh oh, thought Fiona, that’s trouble.

“Okay, Daddy,” she said kindly.

“And then I’ll get you some plants you can put into this area. I think it would be nice for you to have some flowers here, to remember how much Rumpy meant to you.”

Ooooh, thought Fiona in her mind, weeding and watering next year. WHEN WILL THIS END? I promise - I make my best promise - that I’ll never lie again! Please please please let this be it!

“That sounds really nice, Daddy. Thank you for thinking so much about this.”

“You’re welcome, honey. I want to do my best to help you with your sadness.”

“I appreciate that a lot.” Fiona paused a moment, then asked, “Should I bring Aerya the rest of the tools?”

“Yes, yes you can. I think we’re done with everything we can do for Rumple Dumple. Now we have to just give it some time.”

THANK YOU! shouted Fiona in her mind. I promise, I promise promise promise, that I will NEVER tell a lie again! Oh thank goodness this is FINALLY over!

“Okay, Daddy.”

Fiona gathered the remaining tools, and took them to the shed. She wanted to run, to shout, to dance, and sing Hallelujah that this was finally over, and somehow, through it all, she made it. Her dad never found the truth - Rumple Dumple was free - Aerya was still her friend - and there was some Saturday left. Nothing could get her down now!

“Fiona?”

Dad stood in the doorway of the tool shed. Aerya took the shovel from Fiona, and stood it in the corner.

“One more thing. I didn’t have a chance to talk to you about this before, however, I’ve given it some thought.”

“What?” Was it going to be a trip somewhere to help Fiona feel better? She hoped that it wasn’t something like that. Dad had already been so nice, Fiona wasn’t sure she could keep this up any longer.

“It was $153 for all of the supplies for Rumpy. I’ve decided that the best way for you to pay that back to me is to deduct it from your allowance. I did the math, and by cutting your allowance in half, you will have it all paid back in just five months. Doesn’t that sound good?”

“Oh, thank you, Daddy,” said Fiona, her heart heavy again.

Inside the house, the shoes in Fiona’s closet let out a long cheer.

--The End--

©2009 All rights reserved.

The Sun Veil - Pt. 1

“Fiona?” It was Aerya, wearing a pair of pink overalls with a long sleeve, light blue knit shirt with butterflies. The overalls were too short for Aeyra, and when she saw them, Fiona always felt a little embarrassed for her friend in wearing them. Why, she asked once, do you want to wear high water pants? Because it is easier to see the bunnies, said Aerya. She was referring to the slippers that she had on her feet. The eyes of the bunnies gleamed as if they were proud of their place in Aerya’s heart. 

“Yes?” asked Fiona, who was sitting on the couch, reading. She had several books with her. The book she was reading at the moment of interruption was a collection of stories from around the world which featured girls as the heroines. 

“When is your birthday?”

“It’s in February.”

“Has it passed?” asked Aerya. She was clueless about calendars. Apparently, a fairy princess didn’t need a calendar. In her world, there was always someone to tell you the day if you needed to know it. 

“Yes, Aerya, several months ago. Why?”

Aerya came over and sat down on the couch. Her black hair, straight and shiny as ever, hung nearly to the middle of her back. It shone as bright as polished coal by a fireplace, or a flashing raven’s wing in the sunshine. Against the pink straps of the overalls, it looked especially dark. Aerya twirled a strand as she talked.

“You are a really good friend, and I want to give you a present. I thought that your birthday would be the right time for that.”

A present? This was something new, in a time when there was so much new! Aerya, the lost fairy princess, continued to live with Fiona, and Fiona found that almost every day was an adventure. It was fun to have Aerya as a sister, even if she knew almost nothing about the human world. At least she learned fast - when she wanted to. Fiona suspected that sometimes, Aerya pretended not to know something because it worked into her plans a little better. Like the incident with the pamcakes. Or the time at the library. A present, now, that could only mean something good!

“We give presents on birthdays, and at Christmas.”

“Are those the only times?”

“Oh no, Aerya, you can give a present any time. Sometimes people give presents at other holidays, like Valentine’s Day, and sometimes we give presents because it is a nice thing to do.”

“I like that. I want to give you a present because it is a nice thing to do.”

“You can if you want to. Do you need my dad to take you shopping?”

“Oh no, Fiona, I am going to make this present! You give hand made presents, don’t you?”

“Uh huh.” Fiona patiently answered the question, ready to answer it again. With Aerya, you sometimes had to answer, re-answer, and keep answering the same question. 3, 4, and once, even 10 times until Aerya was satisfied with the answer. Was it the way Fiona talked, or the way Aerya listened? Fiona was never sure, so she cultivated patience as a way to handle Aerya.

“This will be a special present, one I am sure you have never had before.”

“That sounds cool, Aerya. Do you need my help?”

“No, this will be a surprise. I will do it all by myself.”

“Okay.”

“Actually,” said Aerya, letting go of the strand of hair, “I do need your help.”

“Alright.” Fiona looked at the page number in her book, and closed it.

“Only if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?”

“Totally sure.”

“Because I can wait and ask Mr. Dad if you prefer.”

“No, I am happy to help. What do you want?”

“Well, I would like a pair of sharp scissors.” Aerya smiled. That smile should have worried Fiona. If she wasn’t still thinking about the girl in the story she was reading, it would have worried Fiona. She would have run through her catalog of Aerya smiles, and spotted this smile as trouble. It was the look of early glee that a boy might have when waiting for a teacher to find the rubber spider in a desk drawer. Except Aerya never intended any trouble. It just magically followed in her footsteps.

And today, Fiona was distracted by her story, and didn’t notice the smile. She didn’t compare it in her catalog of Aerya smiles, or think about a rubber spider. Instead, she said,

“Sure, follow me.”

She lead Aerya to the craft box where various scissors were stored. There were the plastic, hardly cuts any paper scissors that adults give to little children. With these scissors, fingers, clothes, and a child’s hair are all safe. Next were the metal scissors with the wide, round ends. These would cut paper, at least when the paper cooperated, though skin was pretty safe. These are the scissors children get when parents are tired of showing that plastic scissors can really cut. Then there were a pair of real scissors. These could cut almost anything with their 4 inch blades. The ends were not sharp, but these were real scissors. Aerya carefully tested the edge of the scissors, and shook her head.

“No, I need sharper scissors,” she said.

“Oh, you want the ‘good scissors’,” said Fiona.

‘Good scissors’, as every kid knows, are the scissors parents reserve for themselves. Long metal blades, often polished a bright silver, with a crisp whishing sound that is efficient and authoritative. Early in life, children are told that these are the ‘good scissors’, and they are never to use them. Sometimes the ‘good scissors’ are kept just for fabric. Sometimes, they are used for craft books or removing articles from newspapers. No matter what the purpose, the ‘good scissors’ have a special purpose. As children get older, the ‘good scissors’ are taken out to help a child with a project, then carefully returned to their special place. Almost all parents have a pair of ‘good scissors’.

At ten years old, Fiona thought she was old enough to know when a project justified the ‘good scissors’. Aerya was fairly reliable, and this was a present for Fiona. Clearly, it was a moment for the ‘good scissors’. She lead Aerya to her dad’s office. In the second drawer, way in the back, covered with an old pad of paper, were the ‘good scissors’.

They had a holster made with fake leather lined with velvet that brushed the surface clean as the scissors left the holster. The scissors were ten inches long, with a mirror polish on the metal. Fiona took them from the drawer, and turned to Aerya.

“You have to be really careful with these.”

“Alright,” said Aerya, reaching for the scissors.

“Wait a minute, there’s more. You can’t use these on cardboard -”

“Card board?”

“That’s the stuff they use to make boxes.”

“Oh, alright.” Again Aerya reached for the scissors, and Fiona pulled back.

“You can only use these on cloth, string, yarn, or thin paper.”

“I understand. I am only going to use them on cloth.”

“Okay, that’s good.” Fiona handed the scissors to Aerya. She took them out, opened them, and carefully touched the edge of the blades.

“These are really sharp!”

“Yes, so be careful. If you hurt yourself, my dad will be mad at me.” Fiona closed the desk drawer. “And when you are done, tell me right away so I can put them back.”

“I will. Now, do you have any needles?” Aerya’s eyes sparkled. 

“Yes, I do, in my sewing kit. Come on, that’s in our room.”

Together they went to the bedroom the girls shared. In no time, Fiona found the sewing needles. Aerya assured her that she didn’t need thread, or the fabric measuring tape which was also in Fiona’s sewing kit.

“Is that it?”

“Yup, that’s all I need. Thank you! Now go back to reading so I can make your present.” 

As Fiona left, Aerya closed the door of the bedroom. Leaving Aerya with the ‘good scissors’ and sewing needles, Fiona went back to the living room and continued reading her book.

-- End Pt. 1 --

The Sun Veil - Pt. 2

It was a little less than an hour later when Fiona finished the last story, and wondered about Aerya. It was awfully quiet. Except when she was asleep, Aerya wasn’t usually this quiet. In fact, she could be a real pest at times. Now she was as quiet as a melting ice cream cone, alone with the ‘good scissors’ and sewing needles. Fiona’s eyes got wide as she said to herself, ‘oh no!’

She dashed down the hall. The door was still closed. She knocked.

“Who is it?” called Aerya.

“It’s me, Fiona.”

“What do you want?”

What did she want? Did she want to say ‘Aerya, I suddenly realized it was really stupid to give you the ‘good scissors’, or any scissors. I am afraid of what you have cut up, or sewn together.’ No, she didn’t want to say that. It was unfair to say that. Besides, Aerya was making a present. What could she make that needed scissors and needles? Probably some kind of fairy bag, as a present. Yes, that was what she was probably doing. Or maybe a fairy scarf. Fiona thought about that, and realized that to make a scarf, Aerya would ask for knitting needles, yarn, and about a month’s worth of lessons on how to knit. No, this was most likely a fairy bag. Or a pillow case.

“I wanted to see how things are coming.”

“Wonderful!”

“Can I come in?” Fiona tried to make herself sound calm.

“For what?”

“Uhm, I want to get something.”

“What do you want?”

“A pillow. To rest my head.”

“I’ll get it for you.”

A moment later, the door opened, and Aerya peeked out. She smiled, and handed Fiona a square throw pillow with the picture of a pony on it.

“Thank you - “ Fiona gasped, and pushed the door open.

“What?” asked Aerya.

“Aerya - what have you done?”

The curtains were off their rod, and what was left of them was arranged on the floor. Where once Fiona had lovely curtains with chiffon and pretty puffy fabric at the top and bottom, now there was a jig saw puzzle of fabric on the floor. A jig saw puzzle with about a million pieces!

“Aerya - what are you doing!”

“I’m working on your present. You have to leave now so I can finish.”

“Dad is going to be really mad.”

“No, not when I’m finished. Come on, I need your help again.”

Fiona was shaking her head as Aerya lead her into the hallway. Fiona held the pillow with both arms, hugging it like a teddy bear. Dad was patient, but cutting up the curtains, this was really too much. And Aerya did it with the ‘good scissors’ - that made it worse.

“Fiona, where are they?”

“Huh?” Fiona was so distracted by the bits of her curtains on the floor she hadn’t heard Aerya.

“Where are the sheets?”

“In the linen closet - the closet in the hall. Oh, no, no way!” Too late, Fiona understood her mistake. “You can’t cut up the sheets along with the curtains!”

Aerya already had the door open, and pulled out a large, ivory colored sheet.

“Don’t worry, Fiona. Everything will be fine - you’ll see! Now go read your book.” With that, Aerya was back in the bedroom, with the door closed. Fiona could almost hear the sharp scissors celebrating.

“At last, we are free to cut - cut - cut! First the curtains, and now the sheets! Ha ha ha - we are free to cut - cut - cut!”

What would be next?

“Take us to the couch to cut the covers!”

Dad would go crazy if that happened.

“Take us to the closets to cut the clothes!”

No wonder the ‘good scissors’ were kept in a separate drawer! They were crazy, and they made children crazy, too! Fiona shuddered as she imagined the sound of those wild scissors slicing the shower curtain, and then leading Aerya out to the car to attack the seats. Nothing in the world was safe once they were released! As she sat down on the couch, Fiona was really, truly, deeply sorry that she ever released the ‘good scissors’. She should have known there was a reason her dad kept them far away. It wasn’t that he was afraid she would hurt the scissors - it was that he worried what the scissors would make her do!

As she opened a book, Fiona secretly hoped that neither Madigan Marbles nor Blubbanol, would become victims of the ‘good scissors’.

The house was so quiet, Fiona was pulled into her story. The shadows outside swept into new positions, stretching longer and longer as the sun started the slow slide that dipped the world in night. The sounds of the day world changed; people came home and talked outside; lawn mowers buzzed over scruffy grass; music played as cars gleamed as they were washed. Fall was just a couple of weeks away. It seemed that the world around knew that once autumn arrived, the warm weather would be packed into summer’s closet until next year. This was the final round of summer tasks, filling the air with sounds, seeds, and suds as the two girls continued on their projects.

“Hey, Fiona!” Aerya shouted from the bedroom.

Fiona snapped her book shut and sat straight up. It took just a moment to adjust herself out of story land and back to the couch.

“What?” shouted Fiona back.

“Come and see what I made for you!”

That reminded Fiona of Aerya’s work with the ‘good scissors’. She shuddered, got off the couch, and walked to the bedroom.

“Ta da!” said Aerya, her arms extended like a product model on a game show.

“What - oh, Aerya - oooh!” From question to shock to delight, in a single sentence!

-- End Pt. 2 --

The Sun Veil - Pt. 3

Aerya had made new curtains for Fiona’s room. The jigsaw puzzle pieces were reconnected in an intricate mosaic. The new curtains were many layered, made from the old curtains, and the sheet. These individual pieces of fabric were different too; Aerya had used the sewing needle to push the threads in the fabric into different patterns. Light came through brighter in some areas, darker in others, making the curtains seem like a view to a different world. Like frost on a window in winter, these curtains had intricate patterns and spilled beauty into the room.

“Aerya, these are gorgeous!”

“Check that out,” said Aerya, pointing at the wall and jumping up and down with excitement, her black hair bouncing on her shoulders.

Fiona turned and saw that the light passing through the curtains made a picture on the wall. In fact, it made two pictures, since Fiona had a corner room with two windows. Side by side on the wall was a picture of Fiona, and Aerya.

“Oh, Aerya, this is awesome!”

The two girls projected on the wall were smiling. Fiona could make out her features in the sun beam picture, right down to the tiny scar between her eyebrows. It was crisp as a photograph, yet unlike any photo Fiona ever saw. Aerya was also exactly portrayed by the light cast on the wall. Yet the pictures were so light, it was as if both girls were ghosts, shimmering and hovering on the wall.

“Aerya, this is amazing!”

“Do you like them?”

“Oh Aerya, this is the most incredible present I ever got! This is magical!” Fiona was standing by the wall, running her hand over the surface, watching her own face appear on her hands.

“It’s called a Sun Veil. My mother taught me how to do it. In the fairy world, we make them for our best friends.”

“How many have you made?” Fiona turned her head to look at Aerya.

Aerya blinked, her eyes liquid soft, then she tilted her head bashfully. She smiled a little.

“This is the first Sun Veil I ever made.”

Fiona swooped over and hugged Aerya, squealing and squeaking in excitement.

“Thank you so much! Oh, Dad is going to love these!”

“Didn’t I say it would be alright?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t I say you would understand?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t I say to wait and see?”

“Oh come on, Aerya - you were right, get over it!” Fiona laughed along with Aerya. 

As the two girls cleaned up the scraps and threads, the air shifted in the room, causing the curtains to wave. When Fiona saw the Sun Veil pictures made by the moving curtains, it looked like the pictures were laughing. They put the ‘good scissors’ away, back in the drawer under the pad of paper, and soon there was no trace of the project.

That evening they were in their bedroom, playing a little before bed. Aerya was trying to teach Madigan Marbles to hold up his furry paw. Fiona was resolving a fight between Blubbanol and Baby Mushroom. Aerya got up and looked out the windows.

“What are you looking for?” asked Fiona.

“I’m waiting until the time is right.”

“For what?”

“To show you the other side of the Sun Veil.”

Putting Baby Mushroom aside, Fiona got up and stood next to Aerya.

“You mean, they do more?”

“Yes. The best comes at night.”

“Like Santa,” said Fiona.

Aerya pulled away from Fiona, and looked at her a little worried.

“You talk about this Sanda Claws like he was someone you want to know. Fiona, he scares me.”

“Aerya, it’s not ‘claws’, like dragon claws. It’s spelled different.”

Aerya rolled her eyes.

“No matter how you spell it, danger is still a danger. I hope that we will be safe from Sanda Claws.”

Fiona made an exasperated sound. She had tried to explain her favorite holiday hero, the loving stranger dressed in red. It went well until she said the name, Santa Claus, and Aerya became alarmed. No matter how she, Maggie, or Aerya’s other friends tried to explain Santa, Aerya always backed away, as if Santa might appear at any moment!

“How long do we have to wait?”

“Just a little longer. Let’s turn the light off and get into bed.”

They did. Fiona waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. 

“Well, now what?”

“Wait,” said Aerya, “just wait.”

Fiona looked at the ceiling, rubbing her toes together. She could hear her dad watching a movie in the living room. When he came by to check that their light was out, he would be pleased that they were already in bed. When the light was off, he never opened the door to check on them, which gave Aerya and Fiona lots of time to talk at night. Sometimes they would smuggle in a flashlight, heap the covers on themselves, and read or draw or play a game. Until Fiona could not stand the hot air, then she would turn off the flashlight and throw off the covers, gasping. Tonight, there was no flash light or hot covers. It was just waiting, until Aerya said,

“Fiona, look at the pictures now.”

Fiona looked where the earlier images of her and Aerya appeared on the wall. They were gone, but lower down, she saw a silver gray patch on the wall.

“Keep watching. The moon is almost perfect.”

The silver grey patch grew clearer. Then, as if a switch was flipped, the image was crisp on the wall.

She saw a scene with rocks, and water streaming down to a pool. Around the pool were enormous flower buds on thin stems. Away to the right was a dragon. It was drawn in silver, accented with gray and black. The scene was so clear, Fiona felt as if she could take a step and feel the water on her toes. 

“Can you see it?” asked Aerya in a whisper.

“This is fantastic! Aerya, where is that place?”

“It is a place in the fairy world that is supposed to exist. No one has seen it, but they say that dragons go there to drink. There is something special in the water. They say that if you are there when the flowers open, you’ll never leave. Hold on, there’s more.”

Aerya stood up in the bed, and raised the window a little. The air made the curtains flutter. Fiona clapped and exclaimed.

“Aerya, the picture is moving!”

As she watched, the water flowed, the flowers opened, and the dragon flapped its wings. Over and over, flowers burst into bloom, the dragon flew, and water rippled on the wall. It was a moving picture, indeed!

“How do you like it now?”

“Aerya, I will never get a better present! Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome.”

The two of them lay on the bed, silent, friends watching the magical pictures made by the Sun Veil until they fell asleep.

-- The End --

©2009 All rights reserved.

Girls & Ghosts Pt. 1

The rain tap danced on the roof, and skittered along the window. It muttered in the gutters on the way to the downspout, where it splashed out, glad to be free. It fell on the grass and was immediately soaked up by the ground, which ended the happy dancing of the rain. Except that more drops fell, and made the house hum like it was tasted by a thousand strawberry-sized woodpeckers.

Supper was over, their homework was finished, and Fiona and Aerya were bored. The books they liked to read seemed dull, with washed out colors on the covers. The games they liked to play were all too boring to consider. Fiona sat on the bed, making a tiny braid over and over in Baby Mushroom’s hair. Aerya was trying to get Madigan Marbles to pose like an acrobat. The rain seemed to press down, making the room smaller.

“What do you want to do?” asked Aerya, giving up on Madigan Marbles and setting him with the other stuffed animals.

“I don’t know, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. Do you want to color?”

“No. I finished that big poster, and I’m kind of tired of coloring right now.”

“Me to. Hey, do you want to make pamcakes?”

“We just had supper, and I’m still really full.”

“Me to. Do you want to - I can’t think of anything.” Aerya flopped over, her arms outstretched on the big, double bed.

“I can’t think of anything either.” Fiona put down Baby Mushroom, and flopped onto the bed, too, with her arms over her head. She noticed a strange crack in the ceiling. It was as if someone had fought a pirate in the attic, and fallen hard on the ceiling. Fiona wished she had brought home Maggie’s note. That would have given some relief to the boredom. Remembering Maggie, Fiona suddenly had an idea.

“I know what we should do!” said Fiona, sitting upright.

“What?”

“Let’s tell scary stories!”

It was Aerya’s turn to sit up.

“Scary stories? What is that?”

“You know, creepy stories.”

“What do you mean, creepy stories?”

“Like the stories that girls tell at a sleepover. Stories that are spooky - stories that make you nervous and giggly. Stories about things that scare us.”

“Like Sanda Claws.”

Fiona didn’t bother to try and correct the fairy princess about Santa. Some things just couldn’t be explained well enough for Aerya.

“No, not that. A scary story would be, hmmmm, okay, it might be a story about a troll who lives in the basement.”

Aerya pulled her knees to her chest.

“You have a troll who lives in the basement?”

“No, Aerya, there is no troll in the basement. But if I made up a story about one, that would be spooky, and scary.”

“Oh, I understand. Spooky story, sure. That sounds like fun!”

“Oh, yeah! It’s a load of fun with candy sprinkles! We should get ready for bed, and I’ll tell the first story.”

They brushed their teeth, Fiona with her electric toothbrush, while Aerya used a Bob the Builder brush on her teeth. Fiona put on her pajamas with the teddy bears, and Aerya got into her nightgown with the kittens. They stopped to say good night to Fiona’s dad.

“Night, Daddy,” said Fiona, giving him a hug and a kiss.

“Good night, Mr. Dad,” said Aerya, giving him just a hug. A fairy princess, apparently, does not kiss goodnight. Of course Fiona’s dad didn’t know that Aerya was a fairy princess. He thought she was an exchange student from somewhere far away, which explained the unusual things she sometimes said and did.

“Going to bed so soon, you two? Are you alright?” Fiona’s dad knew that 10 year old girls rarely went to bed early. Life was just too interesting!

“Yes,” said Fiona, “we’re a little tired and bored from all the rain.”

“We’ll probably be asleep very soon,” said Aerya, and the tip of her nose turned bright red. If Fiona’s dad noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“Well, goodnight. I’ll see you both in the morning!”

Once back in the bedroom, Aerya and Fiona got into the bed, then Fiona got out again.

“What are you doing?” asked Aerya.

“I want to put something over the light, to make it a little more spooky.”

“Why not turn off the light?”

Fiona slowly turned to look at Aerya. She didn’t say anything for a long moment. Aerya sat, looking puzzled.

“Duh, we’re telling scary stories! It’ll be too scary if the lights are off!”

“Oh,” said Aerya as if she understood, though Fiona wasn’t sure that she did. Fiona found a light scarf, which she folded in half, and carefully draped around the light. It bathed the room in blue and red, dim, but not dark. Fiona got into the bed, and without Aerya seeing, she slipped a modified coat hanger under her pillow. She would need that later for her story.

“Are you ready?” asked Fiona, pushing her hair behind her ears.

“Oh yes,” said Aerya, brushing her black hair back, and wrapping a scrunchie around it. She smiled, excited by this new experience. Apparently, in the fairy world, a fairy princess didn’t have sleepovers with s’mores and spooky stories. Like the s'mores and stories at Maggie's house. Fiona smiled, too, remembering how Maggie scared her at a sleepover when Fiona was nine.

“A long, long time ago, there was a really bad guy. He was mean and wicked, and really scary. He did really bad things, and -”

“Like what?”

“Huh?”

“What did he do that was bad?”

“Well, terrible stuff. Like one time, he ran over someone’s dog, on purpose! And another time, he burned someone’s house down.”

“This is terrible!” said Aerya. “Why did he run the dog over?”

“He said it was an accident, but it wasn’t. He wanted to be mean.”

“Did the dog die?”

Fiona nodded slowly. Aerya put her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Fiona nodded again.

“He was a really bad guy, and - ”

“What was his name?”

“I don’t know. We’ll call him Ed.”

“That sounds like a bad man’s name.”

“It was. His name was Ed, and people called him Evil Ed. One day, when he was doing something evil -”

“Like what?”

Fiona became a little upset at the last question.

“Aerya, you have to let me tell the story. You can ask your questions when I’m done. If you keep interrupting, it won’t be scary.”

“Alright. I’m sorry. Can you just tell me what he was going to do that was evil?”

“He was going to cut down someone’s cherry tree. He had a big, sharp axe, and he was going to cut down their favorite tree. That way, the birds wouldn’t have a place to live, and no one would hear the bird songs again.”

“Never?”

“Never.” said Fiona in a low, solemn voice.

“That’s horrible! Evil Ed sucks!”

Fiona nodded.

“I told you he was a really bad man. Anyway, he chopped once.” Fiona thumped her hand on the bed. “He chopped twice.” Fiona thumped her hand on the bed again. “He went to chop a third time, and wham! He cut his own hand off!”

Fiona grabbed her right wrist with her left hand, and made an agonized face, moaning with her eyes wide. Aerya jumped, the demonstration showing exactly what Evil Ed looked like holding his injured right arm.

“Well, I’m glad something bad happened to him. It serves him right. You are right, Fiona, this is a scary story!”

Fiona stopped holding her right arm and making the painful face.

“Aerya, I’m not done yet. This is the, what’s the word . . . this is the prelogue.”

“Prelogue?”

“Yes, the part of the story that explains everything for the rest of the story.”

“You mean there is more?” Aerya smiled and clapped her hands.

“Yes, now just sit still, and let me finish. Where was I?” Fiona tilted her head and tapped her chin.

“Evil Ed cut off his own hand.”

“Exactly!” Fiona pointed in the air with her finger. “He cut off his own hand, and had to drive himself to the hospital. He forgot to bring his hand, so they couldn’t put it back on. Instead -”

“What happened to his hand?”

“Huh?”

“What happened to his hand? How come someone couldn’t go get it?”

“Well, someone did go back from the hospital to look for it. They looked all over, and it was gone, because a dog found the hand and buried it.”

“Near the poor cherry tree?”

“No, this was a dog that was going through the neighborhood and smelled the hand.”

“Oh, okay. Tell me more!”

“Since they didn’t have the hand, they had to put a hook on Evil Ed’s arm instead. It was - “

“A hook?”

“Yes, you know, like Captain Hook.”

“Who is Captain Hook?”

“He was a guy who chased Peter Pan and had a hook on his arm because his hand was eaten by an crocodile.”

“Poor Peter Pan! Was he alright?”

“I’ll tell you about Peter some other time. Like I was saying, they had to put a hook on Evil Ed’s arm -”

“I’m sorry, Fiona - how did they put the hook on? Did it get smooshed into his arm, like a deep splinter?”

Fiona nodded, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes, it was really gross. They had to push it hard, and Evil Ed cried because it hurt so much.”

It was Aerya’s turn to nod.

“Good, I’m glad it hurt. He was a bad person.”

“They put the hook on, and he always had to wear his sleeve tight because it was so disgusting, people would throw up if they saw where his hand used to be.”

“Eew!”

“Exactly! The thing is, cutting off his own hand made Evil Ed even more evil and mean. He was so bad, he stopped running over dogs, and started going after people. He would get them with his hook.”

Aerya’s eyes were wide, and she trembled a little.

“How would he get them?”

“He would tap on the window, and when someone opened the window, he would grab them with the hook.”

Aerya turned and looked carefully at the window. Fiona pulled the sleeve of her pajamas down over her right hand, and slipped her hand under the pillow. She found the coat hanger, bent into a hook shape, and held it in her sleeve covered hand.

“He would tap, tap, tap -” Fiona tapped the coat hanger under the pillow against the wall. Aerya jumped at the sound.

“ - and when they opened the window, he would grab them -”

Aerya turned back from the window to look at Fiona. At that moment, Fiona pulled the coat hanger from under the pillow, held it right in front of Aerya’s face, and said loudly,

“- with his hook!” Fiona waved the hanger hook wildly. Aerya threw up her hands and screamed, rolling onto the bed. The next moment, Aerya sat back up and slapped Fiona’s pajama wrapped hand.

“Fiona, you scared me out of my mind!”

Fiona smiled, pleased with the effect of the hook suddenly appearing. She remembered when Maggie told her the story. She had screamed, too, though it took her longer than Aerya to calm down.

“My bad for scaring you so much,” said Fiona, even though she wasn’t the least bit sorry. It was a good scare she got from Aerya, and she was proud of herself.

“Tell me another one!” pleaded Aerya.

“Actually, now it is your turn.” Fiona got up and put the mangled coat hanger back on the rod in her closet, and jumped into the bed. She was anxious to find out what kind of story Aerya would tell. There must be scary stories in the fairy land, thought Fiona.

-- End of Part 1 --

Girls & Ghosts Pt. 2

Aerya’s eyes looked around the room as she thought. She clicked her front teeth with a finger nail that had lost half of its polish. Fiona waited, watching Aerya.

“Alright, I’m ready.”

“Okay!” Fiona crossed her legs, and scooted a little to face Aerya.

“Everyone has a bed. I mean, that's why we call it a bedroom, right? We usually think that we are safe in the bedroom, and especially safe in the bed. However, there is something we all do. What is it?”

“Brush our teeth?”

“No. Well, yes. What I mean, though, is we all jump into the bed, making sure our toes are never under. Right?”

“Yes.” said Fiona, thinking of the many times she jumped into her bed to keep her toes safe.

“In the day time, we can look under the bed. What do we see?”

“Shoes?”

“Nothing.”

“Sometimes I see shoes,” persisted Fiona.

“Well, when you look past the shoes, what do you see?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s right, because what we fear, it is invisible. It cannot be seen, and we will not say the name!”

“Why?”

“To say the name is too dangerous! That is why we must never speak the word - Globkin!”

“Globkin?” asked Fiona, uncertain that something which sounded like a treat from a donut shop was a name to be avoided.

“Globkin is the name we never speak, because if we do, we will be more afraid. That thing we do not name, it lives under our bed. It is invisible, yet it is there, like - what was the stuff we had for dessert at lunch on Wednesday?”

“Jello?”

“Yes, it is invisible, like Jello. You can look right through it, and think it is not there. Except it is there, wiggling, thick, and cold under the bed. It is almost as big as the bed, and when the moon is red, if you look, you will see the eyes!”

“Eew!” squealed Fiona in a way that Aerya liked.

“It fills the space, with two eyes like boiled eggs, which never blink.”

“Why?”

“Because the eyes are inside the thing we will never name. It can see through itself, because it is invisible.”

“Except when the moon is red.”

“Yes, then you can see it reflect the light, and see the eyes. Under your bed - under my bed - under Mr. Dad’s bed - it waits, hungry and cold and wiggly, it waits. Hoping that some night, someone will forget, and step close to the edge of the bed. If that happens, whap!”

Aerya reached out with her hand so fast, her arm was a blur. She grabbed Fiona’s ankle, and pulled hard. Fiona screamed and covered her mouth, giggling.

“It will grab you, and pull you under the bed, and absorb you! That is why you always have to jump into the bed, and never say the name -”

“Globkin,” chimed in Fiona.

“ - or it will grab you, and pull you under the bed, and you will never be seen again!”

Aerya stopped there, smiling widely, her eyes bright with glee. Fiona raised her eyebrows, and nodded, hoping to encourage more story from her.

“What?” asked Aerya at last. Her eyes were not so bright. In fact, she seemed a little sleepy.

“Is that it?”

Aeyra yawned and stretched her arms. She took the scrunchie out of her hair, and shot it like a rubber band onto the top of the dresser.

“I’m sleepy.”

“Wait, Aerya. That was the prelogue. Is there more to your story?”

“No. That’s all.”

Aerya laid down and snuggled her head against the pillow. Fiona took the scarf off the lamp, turned the light off, and laid down on her side of the bed.

“That wasn’t very scary,” said Fiona softly.

“I made you scream.”

“Only because you grabbed me.” Fiona sighed, wishing that Aerya had told a better story.

“Cry baby,” whispered Aerya.

“Sleepy head.”

“Peanut breath.”

“Dog kisser.”

“Koala pants.”

“Dummy head.”

They swapped a couple more insults, and then both girls fell asleep.

It was deep in the night when Fiona woke up, needing to go to the bathroom. She shuffled down the hallway to the bathroom and sat down, yawning. She got some toilet paper, and something about it struck her as unusual. It looked pink. Fiona blinked, yawned, and noted that the white walls of the bathroom looked pink, too. She pulled back the curtain and looked outside. The moon filled the sky, a rich red, beaming out and turning the white walls pink.

Hmm, thought Fiona, still in the bathroom. Except when the moon is red. That’s what Aerya said, you can’t see the Globkin except when the moon is red. She shook her head, thinking, ‘that was the worst scary story I ever heard. Globkin. No such thing. Alligators, yes, that I can believe are under the bed. Big Jello thing that eats you - that’s just stupid -’

This was going through Fiona’s mind when she stopped at the door to the bedroom, and the hair on the back of her neck prickled. Maybe it was just a book cover that seemed to shine under the bed. She crouched down, and saw a pair of unblinking eyes looking out at her.

The Globkin! It was real!

“Aerya!” said Fiona nervously. “Wake up!”

‘Alright,’ thought Fiona, ‘the Globkin waits and it grabs you when you try to get into bed. You can jump over it, and be safe. Nothing to worry about.’

As if it could read her mind, the Globkin slurped and started sliding out from under the bed. It began piling up, like a soft ice cream, rising higher and higher.

“Aerya!” said Fiona again, more urgently. “Wake up!”

The Globkin was almost as tall as Fiona now, and it began to slush across the floor to her. Those egg sized eyes looked at her, cold, unblinking.

Fiona turned and ran out the door, her long hair streaming behind her. The Globkin made wet sounds like a soaked towel dragged across the floor. She could imagine Blubbanol calling out -

“Run, Fiona, run!”

- and squeaking encouragement. Fiona wished that Blub was big enough for her to ride, though she wasn’t sure that the stuffed mouse would be fast enough to outrun the Globkin. She practically flew down the hall, skidding on the smooth floor of the living room as she slowed to turn into the dining area. The Globkin was rolling down the hall, faintly red, the eyes in the jiggling mass rocking as it moved.

Fiona ran through the dining area, and then through the kitchen. Was the Jello in the cabinet cheering on the Globkin? Was the Globkin some kind of giant cousin of Jello, coming to get even for all the yellow, blue, and orange Jello Fiona had eaten?

“Go, cuz, get that Jello eater! We’re rootin’ for you - now git her!”

Imagining the Jello cheering the Globkin, Fiona wished she never tasted Jello. Maybe then the Globkin would go to Cindy’s house to chase her. Cindy was faster than Fiona, and besides, Fiona didn’t really like her that much. Maybe, thought Fiona as she skid across the kitchen floor and banged into the refrigerator, she was hunted because she didn’t just eat Jello. Fiona would clamp her teeth down, and suck the Jello off her spoon, and squish it around in her mouth, making it almost liquid before swallowing it. Was that mean to Jello?

“Go faster, cuz! She’s headin’ for the bathroom - cut her off by going back down the hall!” This would be from the strawberry banana flavored Jello, which Fiona really enjoyed eating.

Just as the Jello had shouted, Fiona was now headed for the bathroom. The large bathroom joined the hallway that lead to the bedroom. She could get back to the room and close the door with the Globkin on the other side. Behind her in the kitchen, the Globkin moved along, rattling the pans in the cabinet. ‘That thing is huge’, thought Fiona, zipping through the bathroom and into the hallway. Too late, she thought about closing the bathroom doors. ‘Dang!’

Then she ran down the hallway, closed the bedroom door, and stood panting like an exhausted puppy, trying to catch her breath.

“Aer - Aer - Aerya!” she gasped, the room light with pale red moonlight.

Aerya was softly snoring.

“Aery - Aeyra! Wake up!”

The little girl snored again, making a sound like tearing metal.

“Aerya - oh, no!” There was a thump on the door behind her. “Aeyra, wake up, NOW!”

Whether it was the fear in Fiona’s voice, or the Globkin thumping on the door, Aerya suddenly woke up and sat straight up in the bed.

“Fiona? What’s the matter?”

“The Globkin is trying to get me!”

“What?” Aerya leaned over the bed and looked under.

“News flash, sparky - they don’t stay under the bed!”

“Really?” Aerya seemed truly puzzled.

“It chased me through the whole house!”

“You shouldn’t have run - it can’t really hurt you.”

It was as if the Globkin was listening. A small finger squished under the door, and suddenly lashed Fiona’s foot like a whip. She jumped away from the door as the cold tendril tried to grab her ankle.

“Ow!” cried Fiona, hopping on one foot, holding the other. “Aerya, what is this thing?”

“It’s the Globkin.”

“Grrrrrr - I KNOW it’s the Globkin. What I mean is, what is it doing here?”

“It’s always here; you just can’t usually see them.”

“AERYA! Tell me, is the Globkin real?’

“Yes, at least in the fairy world.”

“You mean, when we were telling scary stories, you told me about something real?”

“Yes.”

“That was stupid!” The Globkin squeezed another tendril under the door. Both of them lashed and tossed, trying to catch Fiona. The door creaked as the Globkin pressed against it.

-- End of Part 2 --

Girls & Ghosts Pt. 3

“You mean, Evil Ed isn’t real?”

“No! That’s the point of a scary story - oh, never mind! Aerya, we have to do something about this. Tell me, how do we kill it?”

“That’s not easy -”

“I don’t care! Just tell me, how do we get rid of this thing? Oh man, if Dad finds out, he’s going to kill me!”

“Well, according to what I know, there is just one way to destroy a Globkin.”

“And that would be?” asked Fiona, getting a little angry and frightened. Under the bottom of the door, the Globkin was squeezing through, like Play Doh, slowly squeezing into the room.

“It’s quite easy, except the requirements are rare. I think because they are so rare, the Globkin can flourish in the fairy land. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure anyone ever destroyed a Globkin because even my mother wouldn’t have enough.”

“Thanks for the history lesson. Aerya, we have about one minute before that thing is in here and eats us. What kills a Globkin?”

“I just don’t think you’ll have what we need, and I don't want to get your hopes up - ”

Fiona grabbed Aerya by the shoulders.

“What- kills - a Globkin!”

“It is a white, powder - very rare in the fairy land. We call it - salt.”

Fiona let Aerya go and stepped back, letting out a wild laugh.

“Salt?! Aerya, we have TONS of salt! Oh my goodness! Ha ha!”

“You do?”

“YES! Salt is why you love ketchup so much!”

Fiona yelped and jumped. She had stepped close to the door, and the bulging edge of the Globkin touched her ankle. The creature was cold and damp. There were at least twelve inches of Globkin squeezed in under the door like a disgusting door mat. Fiona knew that the door would not keep the Globkin out much longer..

“I do like ketchup,” said Aerya.

“Aerya, we have lots of salt in the kitchen. Alright, here’s what we do. Get ready to run. I’ll open the door, and the Globkin will swoosh right in. If we are by the bed, I think it will gush in and stand up - “

“Stand up? It stands up?”

“Yeah, duh, it stands up. It doesn’t just stay under the bed, either! Update, Aerya - you were way off in your story! Now listen, I’ll open the door and when it comes in, it’ll probably come right at us. We should be on the bed. When it stands up, we each jump off a different end of the bed, and run out the door for the kitchen.”

“Alright. I am ready.”

“No, not yet. We’ve got to get it to follow us.”

“What do you mean?”

“It chased me the first time. The thing is, it might think that we are leading it into a trap.”

“Why in the world would it think that?”

“Because that is what happens in movies.”

“Is this a movie?” Aerya began looking around the room, as if Hannah Montana might suddenly appear and start singing a cheerful song.

“No, but I’ve seen movies, and - never mind. Here’s what we do. We run down the hall, and make sure that it can see us. Then through the dining room, and into the kitchen. I’ll go first because I know where the salt is kept. You watch, make sure the Globkin follows. We’ll get it into the kitchen, and get rid of this thing. Are you ready?”

The door groaned and made an high screeking sound as the Globkin pushed harder to squeeze through the crack at the bottom.

“I’m ready.” Aerya stood up in the middle of the bed. Fiona stepped around the pool of Globkin, turned the knob on the door, and jumped for the bed. The door swung open and the rest of the Globkin splatted into the room, landing like a big water balloon. It lay still for a moment, those eyes in the middle shifting and turning. Then it saw the girls on the mattress, and the Globkin slurped over to the edge of the bed. The eyes that never blinked stared straight at the girls as the Globkin rose, getting taller. It was as high as the bed, and still growing, when Fiona said,

“Now!”

The Globkin watched, one eye following the motion of each girl. They ran to the head and foot of the bed, and jumped off onto the floor. The eyes turned completely around in that squishy mass, and watched them run out the door. The Globkin started following. With two girls, this time it was sure to get someone! It hurried out the room, and down the hall, never suspecting that this was a trap.

Fiona bounded into the kitchen, turning on the light as she passed the switch, and took out the big, blue box of salt. She ripped the top open as Aerya ran into the kitchen.

“It’s coming. Wow, is that your salt? You have so much!”

“Alright, Aeyra, what do we do?”

Fiona could hear the slogging sound of the Globkin as it moved from the hallway into the dining room.

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

“Well, I have heard that salt will kill it, but even my mother does not have so much salt that it can be wasted killing Globkins.”

“Oh, great!”

The Globkin was in the dining room. It bumped a chair, which knocked against the table.

“Okay, Aerya, this thing seems like a slug, and you can kill a slug by pouring salt on it.”

“Then we should try that.”

“Aerya, the Globkin is way bigger than a slug. Look, let’s do this.”

Fiona pulled open a cabinet door and got two plastic bowls. With shaking hands, she poured salt into the bowls.

“You take one bowl, and I’ll take the other. When the Globkin comes into the kitchen, throw your salt at it. Try to kind of spread it out. Maybe we can get enough on it that it will go away and leave us alone.”

Before Aerya could answer, the Globkin was there, a little taller than the girls, and wider than the dishwasher. The eyes looked at each of them as the Globkin trembled and jiggled. It lurched back, as if it was going to pounce on them.

“Now!” called Fiona, flicking her bowl of salt at the Globkin. The salt spread through the air like a wave, and came down, coating one side of the Globkin. Aerya’s salt fanned out too, and dusted the front of the Globkin. It froze, looking like an ugly cake that was half frosted.

Then the Globkin quivered, as if it had a persistent itch. It jiggled, and where the salt covered it, the Globkin bubbled. The eyes rolled madly inside the body, and the bubbling changed to a smoking, hissing sound. The Globkin began to inflate like a balloon, wiggling and wobbling. It never made a sound, until it popped.

The Globkin popped like a giant, thick soap bubble, with the soft sound of overstretched bubble gum. As it popped, the Globkin’s thick skin broke into a thousand pieces, flying throughout the kitchen. Thick gloppy Globkin slapped Fiona in the face, on her neck, on her teddy bear pajamas, and it stuck to her hair. It got Aerya, too, though as usual, nothing stayed to her straight black hair. It stuck to her face, though, her arms, and all the rest of her. There was Globkin on the stove, on the refrigerator - it was everywhere!

“That was awesome!” cheered Fiona. “Hi-five!”

Aerya held up her hand, and the two slapped in a happy hi-five. Immediately after, Fiona wished they hadn’t done that, because when their hands clapped, some Globkin squirted out and into Fiona’s mouth. It didn’t taste like anything at all. Still, it was gross, and Fiona immediately went to the sink to spit it out and rinse her mouth.

“You are a brave warrior, Fiona. Congratulations on defeating the Globkin!”

“WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

Fiona whipped around from the sink, leaving the water on. It was Dad, standing in the kitchen in his bathrobe, looking at a chunk of Globkin shaking on the light.

“Hello, Mr. Dad,” called Aerya. Her face was speckled with Globkin, and when she smiled, a small piece fell off her cheek and stuck to her shoulder. “Fiona and I fought a great battle, and defeated the Globkin!”

Aerya had a way of helping that was no help at all.

“What?” asked Dad, who just discovered that he was standing on a piece of Globkin. Aerya started to talk, then Fiona jumped in.

“Hi, Daddy! I’m really sorry about this. Remember how you told me that, uhm, that we learn from our mistakes, and we should make mistakes so that we learn important stuff?”

Dad became suspicious at hearing his own words come from Fiona.

“Ye-es . . .” he said slowly.

“Well, Aerya and I were trying to think of a way to make Jello better; you know, more fun for kids. And we got so excited about the idea, we just came down to make some.”

“Ye-es . . .” said Dad again, not willing to commit himself yet to the idea that this mess was like a science experiment.

“And, well, I can tell that my hypothesis had a flaw, and I really learned a lot from this mistake. I learned a whole lot.”

Dad looked at the kitchen, where hunks of Globkin were starting to blip-blop their way down the wall in a sticky roll before ending up at the floor, on the counter, or the stove.

“You were right about how we can learn the most from our mistakes. I love you, Daddy!” Fiona ran across the kitchen and gave her father a big, damp hug. The bits of Globkin on her squished onto his bathrobe.

“Fiona - Aerya -”

“Yes, Mr. Dad?” asked Aerya, smiling.

“I want you two to clean this mess up, and get back to bed. I’m glad that you learned from your experiment, Fiona. In the future, I want you to do your experiments in the day time, alright?”

“Alright. We’ll get it all cleaned up, Daddy.”

“Good night, Mr. Dad.”

“Good night, both of you.”

He brushed some Globkin off onto the floor, shook his head, and went back to his bedroom.

Fiona looked at Aerya, and the two of them began to giggle. Then they got paper towels, window cleaner, the whisk broom, and the dust pan to clean up the mess. But how do you clean up a room coated in Jello? They found that the best way was with a spatula and a plastic bowl, which eventually got all of the Globkin picked up and poured into the sink, where they could wash it down the drain. Next, they wiped the refrigerator, the stove, the dishwasher, the cabinets, the counter, the floor, and everything else they could reach. When they were done, Fiona and Aerya went back to bed, tired, and certain that all the traces of the Globkin were gone.

Which was mostly true. What they didn’t notice was the big piece in the coffee pot. Fiona’s dad found that the next morning.

After the coffee flooded over the counter.

And he really didn’t mind.

Too much.

-- The End --

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