Chapter Seven
“It
looks like a haunted house,” Levi shivered. “Who lives here?”
“My
friend Daley the pumpkin,” Claydo answered as she stepped up onto the front
porch. She pulled the dusky old doorknocker and rapped on the door.
The
door was opened by a corn stalk. “Yes, may I help you?” the corn stalk asked
the unicorn and the children.
“I
am Claydo,” the unicorn said. “Daley and I are old friends.”
“Oh
Claydo, I did not even recognize you, it’s so dark out there!” the corn stalk
replied. “Yes, yes, come in and sit down in the parlor. I’ll go get him at
once!” And she disappeared up the stairs.
“Who’s
that?” Levi asked as the seated themselves in the parlor.
“That
is Ravelle, Daley’s housekeeper.” Claydo answered.
At
that moment a nicely dressed pumpkin marched down the stairs and embraced the
unicorn as best as he could. (For pumpkins only have vines for arms and legs.)
“Claydo, Claydo, I
can’t even remember the last time I saw you!” the old pumpkin said with a
smile. He smiled at the children, but continued speaking to Claydo. “You must
stay the night here! I would be delighted to have someone occupy those old
bedrooms upstairs that no one has slept in for years and years! Come up at
once!” He led them up the tall, creaky
staircase to two small rooms in the attic. The first was to be Kara’s and
Claydo’s. There was one bed in it, and Kara got it, because obviously Claydo
couldn’t fit in it. The second room was to be Kyle’s and Levi’s. There were two
beds in it, of course.
“Gosh,
it sure is dusty in here,” Kyle said to his brother as he fluffed the pillows
that night.
“Yeah,
nothing like that castle,” Levi agreed with a yawn.
“Well,
I’ll sleep here anyway,” said a droopy-eyed Kyle. “Good night, Levi.”
Silence.
“Kyle?”
“What?”
“I
just saw a really creepy shadow.”
“Don’t
worry about it, Levi,” Kyle half-said, half-yawned. “Please let’s just get to sleep.”
“But
Kyle, it’s a monster!”
“There’s
no such thing as monsters.”
“There
is in Fairyland,” Levi persisted. “Look under my bed, please and see if you can
find a monster down there.”
“Oh,
alright,” Kyle said, throwing off his blanket. “If it’ll make you feel better.”
He dropped down on his hands and knees and crawled under Levi’s bed. A large
green monster stared back at him. “MONSTER!!!!” Kyle screamed as he jumped back
into his own bed. Levi pulled the covers up over his head and whimpered.
“What is all this noise?” someone asked
as the door swung open. It was Kara.
“There’s
a monster under my bed,” Levi said in a tiny voice.
“A
monster? Let me see,” Kara said as she peeked under Levi’s bed, then she
smiled. “Nothing here but a green sweater.”
Levi
heaved a sigh of relief.
“Good
night, guys,” Kara said.
“Good
night,” the boys said in unison.
The
three children slept later than they had intended to the next day. When they
stumbled sleepily downstairs around noon, Claydo, Daley, and Ravelle were seated
at the kitchen table. The three of them were chatting and sipping on a warm
drink that is something like our coffee.
“Sorry
we slept so late,” Kara apologized.
“It’s
alright,” Claydo said. “You will easily be in Nowhere before sunset.”
“Will
we have to, um, spend the night in Nowhere?” Kyle asked nervously.
“Maybe,
maybe not,” Claydo replied. “But remember, you have loaded water pistols. I
will give them to you when we reach the border of Nowhere.”
“Are
you sure that they will work?” Levi asked.
“Indeed,”
Claydo said. “The water pistols are sure to work because everyone in Nowhere is
allergic to water.”
“Allergic?”
Kyle asked unbelievingly.
“Yes,
allergic,” Claydo echoed. “You should not even have to use all the water in the
tanks to make the dragon sick.”
“How
long will he be sick?” Kara asked.
“About
one quasineba,” Claydo said.
“Quasi-what?”
Levi asked.
“Quasineba.
I believe it is equal to your week,” Daley chimed in.
“It’s
that easy, then?” Kara asked as her heart fluttered. “In that case, let’s go to
Nowhere!”
“Yeah.
Quasbed will stay sick plenty long
enough for us to get home!” Kyle added.
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