Bedtime Story

Every night mom told me a story.

“The Penguin pranced through the purple forest in search of the snails that paint fingernails.

She slid on her back and then on her tummy. 

She almost rolled into the street, that wasn’t funny.

A deer to the rescue, bounced her into the fog. 

After saving her life, she introduced her to a frog.

He didn’t ribbit, he could only roar.

He said his name was Prince and that the snails were no more. 

Her search ended there when she heard about the salt. 

Last year’s winter brought ice, it was all the humans’ fault. 

They came in big trucks, sprinkling it all around. 

The snails melted, never again to be found. 

Rumor has it that their shells crumbled into a beautiful lavender.

Now the land remains colorful every day of the calendar.”

“Good night my sweet girl.” She whispered as she kissed my forehead.

“No! Don’t go, I’m scared.” I begged her to stay. “Tell me the story again, please!”

     “What are you scared of?” She yelled, pointing at the clock. “It’s way past midnight!”

     “That shadow on the ceiling looks like a forest. What if it comes to life and the animals talk to me? Can daddy come sit with me, then?” I cried. 

“Child, haven’t you ever heard there is nothing to fear but fear itself? The only animal in this house is your father, blasted snake! Maybe he would sit with you if he could come home at a decent hour.”

     “He’s not a snake and I think you’re a snail because your mouth felt icky when you kissed me good night.”

     She pulled my night light from the socket and threw it on the ground. 

“Let’s see how scared of the dark you really are!”

Memory Spot

I could still hear the change jingle in his pockets as his size thirteen brown leather shoes stomped across the floor. Crisp mornings like these brought me to the half-rotten bench he placed under the lonely tree – in the same field where he taught me to drive his old yellow Cub tractor. 

     This was my memory spot. 

     I held a fallen branch, letting my freshly sharpened pocketknife remove layer after layer from the limb, forming a smooth surface. I could make whatever I desired out of it, another lesson from Pa. 

     “Brian.” I recognized his voice faintly calling.

     “Pa.” I whispered back. My subconscious tricked me often when it came to the old man.

     “Listen to me, son and don’t make any sudden moves.” 

     I slowly turned my head and there, standing amid the dried-out garden, hovering in the thick fog, was what appeared to be Pa. 

     “I’ve been sent back to tell you, everything you know about Heaven is true, except there’s one thing….” 

     I got up, took a step towards him; he took two steps back – warning me against seeing him. 

     “Don’t cross over, it’s not your time. Stay where the grass is green, and the trees produce leaves.” His tone quieted. 

     “What do I need to know?” I asked. 

     “The secret to Paradise – you must pay a monthly fee. Every good work done on Earth adds to your account, mine is now empty. Help me, Brian. Throw all the cash in your wallet over the threshold so I can pay my dues.” 

I took a deep breath, ran full speed ahead, and tackled my cousin. “I hate you, Heath! Get off the dope, already! You expected me to believe that grandpa returned from the grave and that I must subscribe to Heaven! Filthy Trickster!”

The metal stool swayed from my heftiness as I took a seat, quite larger than the previous year, our first child due come winter. I stared at my reflection in the centuries old mirror, the one grandmother left in her attic to tarnish. Roger brought it down for me when we took residence here after her passing. I didn’t much like the place, but he insisted with a little work, we were sitting on a gem. “So, you said, Roger. So, you said.” I whispered, unheard but by the empty space in which I secluded myself.

     I ran my sterling comb through the locks of inherited golden curls and batted my eyes while I quirkily smiled, hoping to find Audrey internally lost in the chaos I called self. I tapped the mirror with my finger. “Audrey, Audrey, is anyone home?” It was useless, my emotions had been sucked out of me. A hazy skull corrupted my vision, I supposed it was the only thing that could freely answer my call, confirming my desolation. 

     Roger walked through the door. “Why the monstrous face, my dear?” Could he see what glared back at me. I shook my head quickly and smiled. “You cannot fool your old husband.” He laughed. “Are you not feeling pretty? Sad and lonely, are we? ….. Hungry?”

     I rested my hand on my belly and sighed. 

“Pregnant women are the most beautiful women, especially my wife.” He knew exactly how to arouse a smile. He leaned down and kissed me, brushing his nose slightly against my cheek. His hand joined mine just in time to feel our offspring kick. “The little fella has strength, doesn’t he.”

“Yes, she does.” I laughed. Hormonal self-pity left with Roger’s arrival. I decided to look to the future instead of in the mirror…… for now.

“Our location?” Farley asked. Soaking wet, having shipwrecked, Farley and his co-worker, Rodricus, awakened upon large smooth formations. Farley wasn’t new to this, he trained unsuspecting new hires at least once a week. The job wasn’t easy but it had to be done. A floating mist hovered above their beings.

     “We’re dead, I’m sure of it.” Rodricus surveyed his injuries, realizing he could no longer walk from a sprained ankle. Farley battered and bruised lay staring into space. 

Both moaned as they pulled themselves to a sitting position. Looking out across the scene, a stone skipped over the water….. then another one. Gibberish ensued from behind.

     “What sayest thou?” Farley asked.

“Not the time for jokes, I didn’t speak.” Rodricus turned slowly around. Shocked by his discovery, he fell backwards, his head fatally striking a rock.

Farley’s skin cleared, his abrasions healed, his skin turned a luminescent green. His head expanded, his fingers subtracted – now making only three, his toes did the same. He waddled up the bank, retrieved the other crew members, already transformed, and led them back to Rodricus. They spoke to one another in their native tongue as they wrapped Rodricus’s body into a giant piece of foil.

Farley pointed to the golden horizon. The group grabbed hold to their subject, dragging him close enough to the sun to incite a reflection. The light bounced from Rodricus into the atmosphere and back again, causing the metallic cover to sizzle and pop.

The short creatures jumped up and down a mere two inches while clapping their nubs together. When the gleam disappeared, Farley opened the tin and deeply inhaled the aroma. He pulled Rodricus’s charbroiled arm from his body and took a bite. He nodded with approval and a nutritious meal was had by all.

The following morning, Farley picked up a newspaper from the stand.

CLASSIFIEDS

Now Hiring: Deckhand

He smiled.

“Good evening, Mind Blowing Mushroom, carryout or delivery?”

     “You’re doing this?” Brennan asked.

Sara held the phone against her chest and whispered. “Yes, I don’t believe the hype about this place.” She gave the man their address and ordered one large mushroom pizza.

     “Do you want the special blend of four-twenty-spices?” The man asked. 

     “Indeed.” She replied.

“There in thirty minutes or the next trip’s on us.” He laughed.

     Brennan paced the floors until he heard a knock at the door. He paid the driver and brought the pizza to the table. “I swear he winked at me and…. I could hear it!” Sara giggled at her boyfriend’s silliness. 

     “The first piece is yours.” Brennan waited for her to dig in.

“Dang it, a mushroom fell.” She bent down to find the lost vegetable or fungus, whichever.

     “Get up!” Brennan yelled. Sara, sprawled out on the carpet, began snoring loudly. He rocked her body back and forth trying to arouse her but with no luck. 

     ~Time went by~

     “What the heck!” He took a slice and munched on it. 

     ~More time went by~

     Brennan fell from the sky into a forest filled with the greenest of trees and little mushroom houses, a peaceful haze covered the land. “Where are we?” 

     Sara danced across a wooden bridge woven into the grove. “The sign over there reads WELCOME TO EUPHORIA.” She pointed. “Come on.” The two held hands as they spun around like little children. 

     “You can’t stay here forever.” A voice spoke from the clouds, neither heard it. 

~Even more time went by~

     Back at home, the kitchen spotless, no sign of their dinner. Sara suggested they place another order. 

     “Bad idea!” Brennan said. Sara begged, he agreed and went to get his money.

     “Sara, have you seen my wallet?” 

~Silence~

“Let’s have a baby,” you said. “It’ll be fun,” you said. “We can still practice witchcraft, nothing will change,” you promised.” Martee ran to the sink with her four-year-old son. Craig stared at his wife in disbelief, frozen with no ideas on how to help.

She abruptly turned towards him while little Randy projectile vomited in his direction. “You know what my favorite part of this is?” Psychotically, she laughed. “Last year, you insisted we make him a Easter basket because you wanted him to be like other children. You grabbed the little blue egg candies from the store shelf, tossed them in the cart, exclaimed how you loved them as a kid and what a magnificent treat it would be for our Randy. I see the boy’s confusion! He didn’t know any better. But you! You are a piece of work!” She yelled at her spouse while splashing water into the toddler’s mouth, trying her best to wash out what was left of the shells and their contents.

“I’m pretty sure he swallowed some.” She gagged then gritted her teeth to keep from cursing.

   “Maybe you could call poison control.” Craig slowly rubbed his hand across the top of the kitchen chair, keeping his head down.

   “Oh yes, marvelous idea!” Her hand formed an imaginary phone. “Hello, poison control. My four-year-old son just ate some Robin eggs that I’m using in a little……sorcery. Do you think he’ll be okay?” She tossed the child in her husband’s direction. 

   “They’re eggs, Craig. I would imagine he’ll be fine. Mark my words, I’m going to figure out how to turn you into a frog……You are no prince.” She grabbed her spell book, ran into their bedroom and slammed the door behind her. 

The End…. possibly, of it all. 

She donned a black dress, flowing past the knees. A sweater covered her delicate shoulders, forewarned about the weather before her journey across seas. Her heel caught between two stones on the pathway to her destination. She let out a dainty scream in frustration as she twisted her leg around to free herself.

    A familiar voice spoke from a distance. “Sprichst du Deutsch?” 

   “Nein.” She responded, both fluent, chuckled.

   “How have you been, Chloe? I’m surprised to see you here.” Estranged since high school.

   “I owe this much to Frau Hicks. If it weren’t for her, I would’ve never made it past twelfth grade or at all.” She lowered her head. “Jeremie Faircloth, what brings you here?” She solemnly looked back towards him with a slight smile.

   “She was an excellent German teacher – learned a lot that year.” She knew the ending of his subtle remark was intended for her.

   “I made the best decision by letting Frau adopt our baby. I wasn’t ready to be a mother.” Her eye contact showed no remorse. 

“I deserved a choice in the matter. I knew nothing about your plans until Frau informed me before moving back here.”

“I should’ve told you.” Reaching for his hand, he jerked away.

   “I suppose you’re here to see our daughter.” 

   “And pay my respects to Frau Hicks.” She reiterated.

   “This should come as deserved karma. You will find her obituary reads Frau Faircloth. I married her, we raised Shelby together. I always intended on doing the right thing.”

Chloe placed her hand on her stomach, queasy from the news.

“Shelby’s at the church with her siblings. I suppose that’s where you’re headed. We can walk together.”

   “You had more children?” Chloe asked.

   “That was always your problem, you never realized life existed beyond you, Chloe.”

He slammed his hand on the table, nearly sending all its contents to the floor. 

She didn’t budge from her seat.

“You think you’re going to bring her back with witchcraft?”

She kept her head down.

“Incense, spells, and God only knows what these things are.” He held up the cream-colored bulb for a closer look and then hurled it at the wall.

“You’re good for nothing! You couldn’t keep our daughter safe! My mother told me not to marry you, yet here I am —- full of regret.”

He bent down, his face parallel to hers, spit particles littered the air with his every word. 

She remained silent.

“Why? Why would you turn your back on her, for even a second? A helpless four-year-old, in a park filled with strangers? Cars coming and going…. Why?” His words drawn out, tears gushing from his bloodshot eyes. He balled his fists, pulled his arm back and prepared to take a swing. 

She didn’t flinch, only twirled her wooden spoon around the bowl once more before placing her hands in her lap.

“You’re not worth the pain I want so badly to inflict on you!” He fell to his knees.

“My baby! My baby! You lost my baby!” He screamed out. His forehead now resting on the hardwood beneath him. He sobbed, out of breath, out of patience, out of life, his empty soul perishing from within.

“For three long years, you’ve done nothing but sit in this chair, at this table breathing the air that belongs to me!” He inhaled, moving his lips inch by inch, sucking in, pretending to steal every life saving breath. “I promise to end your life or die trying.” His sorrow transformed him into evil.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

“Daddy.” A small voice called from the foyer.

“No Jeffrey, momma told us not to go into the forest.”

“Jackie, we’re not. This is just a dream.”

Jeffrey and Jackie both lay tossing and turning in their twin beds, separated by a red shag rug. Jeffrey, only minutes older than Jackie, was the dominant brother.

Jeffrey’s nose began to twitch. “Do you smell that?” 

“You know I do.” Jackie eliminated the aroma by using his thumb and pointer finger to pinch off the scent. 

“There it is! The forbidden tree of happiness.” Jeffrey described the large glowing tree with a tiny door allowing entrance to the trunk. “Let’s go in, just this once.” He pleaded with his sibling. 

Jackie slid his feet quickly back and forth on his mattress before raising both legs and letting them fall back onto the bed, causing a thump so loud it could be heard throughout the house.

“Only this once but if we get in trouble, you’re taking the blame.” Jackie gave in – again. 

“Don’t I always?”

“No!” Jackie screamed.

“Ahhhhh…. Just look at this, would ya?” Miniature ovens filled with treats outlined a kitchen designed for the likes of an Elf. Jackie ran to the small, short counter and stuffed his mouth full of Fudge Stripes!

“And you think I’m always out of control.” Jeffrey laughed. “Oh no! It’s mom, I hear her calling.” Jeffrey pulled Jackie by the arm.

Their bedroom door flung open.

“Boys, there are three people out here to see you. Their outfits are hideous, their names even worse, Ernie, Elwood and Fast Eddie! I have no clue where you find your friends!”

The boys gazed strangely at one another.

As their mother left the room, she turned to look at Jackie. “Wipe that chocolate off your mouth – midnight snacks better cease in this house!”

“By appointment only!” The crystal gazer removed her hands from the sphere, her long and purple fingernails reminiscent of the sign out front; READINGS.

Two teens stumbled drunkenly through the door. The tall lanky guy reached his palm out towards her. “How ‘bout you just squeeze me in?” Both boys laughed, one fell into the other. The largest of the two pushed his friend back upright.

“Call to schedule another time.” She stood from her sitting position at a small round table covered by a red silk cloth. Her current customer took to her feet and excused herself past the intruders, leaving Madame Violet alone.

“Okay, fine. What is it that you would like from me?” The psychic kept eye contact with both delinquents.  

The short chubby boy pointed towards her tarot cards. “Tell me my future.” His loudness subsided as his sidekick reversed himself towards the exit. 

“Sit.” She pointed to the now empty chair. 

He maneuvered his backside around until he was comfortable.

She shuffled the cards, placing three in a row. “This is your past.” She flipped the first one over. “Present”; the second one. “Future”; the third.

Suddenly, she grabbed his wrists with a tight squeeze. “Don’t do this!” She begged.

“I wondered if you were legit.” He pulled away from her, reaching towards his leather boot and pulling from it a shiny blade.

“Where’s the money? I know there’s plenty of it around here.” He nervously moved his knife in closer to the woman, visibly shaking.

She pretended to reach for her cash drawer but instead retrieved her revolver. With her life in danger, she had no choice but to pull the trigger. When questioned by the police, she realized. “I could have never seen this coming.” The closed sign went up that night….for good.