Stuck In Bed On Halloween

  May D. C. ComicsTM, MarvelTM  and DisneyTM all take the use of any and all of their characters in the spirit with it was intended, to entertain and comfort sick children.  Not for monetary gain.

  For all of the girls and boys who are stuck in bed on Halloween.

Once upon an autumn dreary, lay a young boy weak and weary.  He had woke that morning not feeling well at all.  He must go to the doctor proclaimed one and all.  The doctor said that seven year old Billy was not well at all.  He must get back to bed immediately.  There was no time to stall.

Billy was not a happy boy.  Not at all.  For his utmost, favorite time of the year was the fall.  He looked at his parents, grandparents, siblings and said.  “You don’t understand.  I can’t stay in bed.  It’s Halloween.  All of my amazing friends are coming here.  We all trick or treat together.  It’s my favorite time of the year.”

“Billy you’re sick,” came all of the responses he heard.

Billy decided that “sick” was the most awful kind of word.  “You don’t understand.  Wonder Woman is coming.  So are Thor and Iron Man.  The Flash is already running.  What about Batman, Superman, and Spidey?   I am the one who makes sure that my favorite pirate knows where that little monkey is hiding.  What about the gargoyles, the jack-o-lanterns, and Frankenstein.  What about Count Dracula?  He loves telling his scary nursery rhymes.  Who will they play with? Who will count their treats? Who will guide them this Halloween down of all of the best streets?”

“We don’t  know.”  Said everyone to whom Billy had spoken.  “All we know is that it won’t be you.”

Billy tried to forget about Halloween.  It was lonely and sad being sick.  It was hard watching the decorations go up throughout the neighborhood.

Billy’s family tried to make things easier.  They wanted him to feel better.  Nothing helped.  Not even video game tournaments with Grandpa helped Grandpa couldn’t play video games.  At All.

  Billy decided that he would try harder to be happy.  He would be good because when he cried it made Mom sad.  It was embarrassing when she got sappy. Girls.

Halloween came and Billy was brave.  He smiled and laughed.  He cheered his family and friends’ costumes and antics.  He encouraged everyone to have fun.  To go outside and play.  At exactly eight p.m. , he was alone in his room with his favorite movie and a soda.  A bowl of Halloween candy sat on the nightstand next to the bed.  He thought that he was alone when a text message popped up on his mother’s forgotten phone.

The message read Who’s ready for Halloween?  This guy. S.

The tap-tap-tap on Billy’s window confirmed his suspicion.  Billy waved Superman into the house.  He was standing in Billy's bedroom doorway in a matter of seconds.

  “Hey Billy.  Why aren’t you ready for trick-or-treating?”  He asked.

 “Can’t go.  I’m sick.”

“Oh.”  Superman said and looked around the room.  “May I sit down?”

 “Yeah.”

Superman found the dining chair that Grandpa forgot to put back into the kitchen when he left and sat down.

“Candy?”  Billy asked holding out the bowl of candy for Superman.

“Thanks.” 

“You can go if you want.  It’s no fun here.” 

“No.  I can’t go without you.  You protect me.”

Billy looked at Superman.

“Don’t you remember the year that we went to the Halloween carnival?  All those children were wearing those glowing green things?  I was so scared.”

“They were just glow necklaces.”

“They looked just like kryptonite.”  Superman said.  “What if there are more of them?”

“They’re still just glow necklaces.” 

“You’re the one who knows that.” 

Billy looked at Superman and shook his head. A shadow appeared in the doorway. Billy watched as the shadow grew larger and took shape.  The pointed ears made a noise and continued to darken the doorway.

“I should have known that you would be here.” Batman said in his deep, gravelly voice.

“Billy is my best friend.”  Superman said.

“He’s my best friend.”  Batman said.

“He was mine first.”

“Why don’t you two boys go outside to settle this?”  Wonder Woman’s voice can be heard coming from behind Batman.  “I feel like visiting.”

The two superheroes grunted at each other and let Wonder Woman enter the room.  “Goodnight gentlemen.”

The visit with Wonder Woman was nice.  Billy kept noticing movement outside of his bedroom window.  “There is a lot going on tonight," she said.

“Show me.”

Wonder Woman picked the boy up and took him to the window.  Sure enough, everyone was lined up outside of the house for a visit.  Gargoyles, werewolves, Frankenstein, and ghouls.  Iron Man and Thor stood next to Count Dracula and Darth Vader.  A group of Stormtroopers were gathered around Yoda. Pirates and ghosts wove their way through the line and cut to the front.  Wonder Woman sighed. She tucked Billy back into his bed, opened the window, and called, “No cutting Jack.”

“Bugger,” was heard coming from the direction of the front porch light.

She closed the window, turned to Billy and said,  “I hope that you took a good nap this afternoon because you are going to have one busy night.”  She kissed him on the forehead, gave the boy a quick smile, and was gone.

Billy was not alone.  Wonder Woman was right.  He had a busy night.  Between playing Thumb Wars with Darth Vader and listening to Count Dracula’s rhymes, he got his tongue wrapped around his fangs four times, Billy was exhausted. So many visitors.  What a night!  Billy’s parents checked on him at midnight.  They asked him if he had a nice Halloween, he nodded, his eyes dropped heavily as he responded.  He whispered something to his father as he hugged him.  His father grinned, guided Billy’s mom out of the room, and closed the door behind him.

His parents stopped on the other side of the closed door.

“What did he say?”  Billy’s mother asked.

“He can’t wait until next year when he can go trick-or-treating again.  Everyone visiting was great but Halloween from bed is exhausting.”

Closet Doors And Wild Rides

“It does sound like Pirate has been through enough.  If I can help put an end to this punishment,  I would like to.”

“Thank you.” 

“Mom?”

Writer Lady and The Lady With The Long Golden Hair both turn and look at the doorway.  A neon pink nose pokes into the room followed by its rainbow colored owner.

“Yes Smudge.”

“You’re leaving?”  The kitten asks, eyes wide.

“It’s okay.  Come here Kitty.”

Smudge enters the room and immediately jumps into Writer Lady’s lap.  She pets the kitten.  He lifts his head for a chin scratch and she complies.  “You know, I think that the color is fading already.”

“The colors began to weaken the moment that you left Faerie.  When a non-magical being leaves Faerie the magic fades quickly.  His nose appears to have the highest concentration of magic on it, so it will fade last.”  The Lady With The Long Golden Hair says.

“That’s good news.”  Once Smudge Mal has relaxed, she says.  “The answer to your question is ‘yes.’  I am returning to Faerie.  As my sister has been explaining to me,  we all have a specific place in this story and mine is not here.”

“Where is it?”  The kitten asks.

“Her place is in Faerie.  Aiding Pirate in his quest.”

“Isn’t that what Tinkletoes and Monitor Man are doing?”  Dobby asks as he enters the room.

“Yes.  But Writer Lady has a way of approaching problems that can be…gentler than Tinkletoes.  She has the power to keep this quest from turning into an unnecessary battle.  There are creatures in Faerie that Tinkletoes could wake who need not be woken.”

“That sounds important.”  Dylan says.  He and Furnatche are standing in the doorway.

“It is.”  The Lady With The Long Golden Hair says.  She turns and looks at the glowing closet door.  She removes an earring and hands it to Writer Lady.  “You will need this.”

Writer Lady recognizes the design and the unique shape of the white stone.  It matches Pirate’s enchanted adornment.  She puts it on.

“The earring holds enough of my magic that it will enhance your own dormant power.  Faerie will see you as one of her own. You will be safe from many unsavory characters.” She says.  “One more thing  my sister, with this boost of your own power, you may find that you can do things that you have never been capable of doing.”

“I’ve never been trained in the use of magic.”  Writer Lady says.

“Which is why you should refrain from using it now."

Writer Lady nods.

“The moonstone has been enchanted with something that is only to be used as a last resort.  When you reach Pirate, tell him.  He can take care of things from there.”

She nods again.

The Lady With The Long Golden Hair looks at the closet door and nods.  The door to Faerie opens.  Furnatche pants and runs around High Command joyfully.   The baby dragon edges towards  the closet, sniffs  the air, whimpers, and backs further into the room, hiding behind Dylan.

Writer Lady takes a last look around the room, “I’m going to miss you all so much.”  Her eyes  tear up for a moment.  She looks at the cats.  “Be good for your auntie.  I’ll be back as soon as Excalibur is in Pirate’s hands.  Say ‘bye’ to Spots Wash for me.  I love you all.”  She lifts Smudge Mal from her lap and hands him to the Lady With The Long Golden Hair.  Rising from her seat, she walks to the open closet.  As Writer Lady enters Faerie,  the door closes behind her.

“Neat trick.”  Smudge Mal says to The Lady With The Long Golden Hair.  “How did you do that?”

“I didn’t.”

“While you’re charming the pants off of Lady Whoeversheis,  I’m goin’ to  distract the ogres.  I’ll keep it behind  their barracks. They’ll run off to the back of the fortress.  Pirate will sneak into The Solar and take the weapon .  We’ll meet you in those woods.”  Tinkletoes says, pointing to a stand of trees  several yards from the road.

“What about Lady Gray’s guards.”  Monitor Man asks.

“Yeah.  What about ‘em?”

“Who’s going to distract them?”

Tinkletoes looks at Pirate.  “No one.”

“How am I supposed to get out of the castle?”  Monitor Man asks.

“Bein’ charming and stuff?” 

Monitor Man shakes his head.

“If you didn’t like the plan then you should have said something.”  Tinkletoes points out.

“I did!”

“I didn’t hear anything.”  Tinkletoes counters.  “You hear anything?”  He asks Pirate.

Pirate grins mischievously then makes a more serious face.  “No Sir.  I did not.”

“There ya go.”

Monitor Man mutters,  “You think that no one is listening to you then they open their mouths and prove it.  This is so wrong.”

“Yeah, well, tell it to someone who’s listening.”  Tinkletoes says.  The self-proclaimed mercenary turns and continues towards Castle Glas.

Monitor Man hears something behind him, he turns and watches as a shape in the distance comes closer.  Within seconds it is nearly upon him.  A magnificent creature with a sharp white horn protruding from its brow.  It’s running straight towards his head.

“Move…move…move your ass!  NOW!”  Writer Lady yells.

Monitor Man jumps out of the way with seconds to spare.  The unicorn passes him and keeps moving,  stopping abruptly at the sight of Pirate’s raised hand.  Writer Lady lays down and strokes the unicorn’s neck then hugs her from behind.  “Thank you.  Thank you for not letting me die.”

“You okay?”  Tinkletoes asks.

Writer Lady takes stock of her person.  “It looks like it.”

“What are you doing here?”  Monitor Man asks as he approaches.

“Yeah.  I sent you home.”  Tinkletoes says.

Writer Lady glares at Tinkletoes.

Pirate watches Writer Lady closely as she moves.  Within seconds he spies  the moonstone earring that matches his own.  “She’s here for me.  The Lady has sent you, hasn’t she?”

The Graylands

“Where are we headed to next?” Tinkletoes asks.

“The Graylands. Castle Glas. The Lady Gray lives there along with her...ogres.” Pirate says. He makes a face when he says the word, “ogre.” It has already been a trying day and ogres can be unpleasant beasts. “This is the last stop before the sword reappears on the Lady of the Lake’s doorstep.”

“Storming a castle, that’s my kind of mission.” Tinkletoes says. “Let’s go.”

Pirate looks at Tinkletoes, “Lady Gray is one of the Lady of the Lake’s oldest and dearest friends. If we storm the castle the alarms will go off, ogres will fill the halls and the grounds. Excalibur will be snatched back into the Lady of the Lake’s waiting hands with great efficiency.”

“So you have to go to the castle, speak to Lady Gray, and hope that she hasn’t heard of you?” Monitor Man asks.

“Aye.”

“Since the two are so close, she’s probably heard of you.” Monitor Man continues.

“Aye.”

“If this sword is so special, she ain’t likely to hand it over to you.” Tinkletoes says. “She ain’t likely to hand it over to anyone.”

Monitor Man nods in agreement.

“You’d be surprised Mates. You’d be surprised who Excalibur has been loaned to over the centuries.” Pirate says. “Although, I do agree that Lady Gray is not likely to hand it over to me.”

“It would take a lot of charm to win her favor after what’s happened.” Monitor Man agrees.

Tinkletoes and Pirate look at each other. The two look at him.

“Could you say that again Mate?”

“It would take a lot of charm to win her favor after what happened?”

“Something you got heaps of.” Tinkletoes says, looking at Monitor Man.

“So does Pirate.” Monitor Man counters.

“Yours is so much better Mate.”

“She’ll see right through it.” The actor counters.

Pirate and Tinkletoes stand up.

“Let’s talk about on this on the way.” Tinkletoes says.

“We are limited for time.” Pirate agrees.

The actor looks at the two and grins, “Okay. I’m sure that I can convince you that I’m right about this.”

Dylan looks at The Lady With The Long Golden Hair and smiles. Furnatche jumps into her arms narrowly missing the plate that Ray is holding out to her. She pets Furnatche for a moment. Dylan reaches up and takes the baby dragon from her so that she can accept the plate. The Lady With The Long Golden Hair steps away from the window, out of sight of Gordon’s curious eye. “Do you gentlemen accept your temporary stations?” She asks. All three nod solemnly. “We will discuss everything in more detail after I have seen Writer Lady back to Faerie.” She turns and guides Writer Lady into High Command closing the door behind them. “There are a few things that I must tell you about Pirate before you leave.”

Monitor Man shakes his head, “I’m human. I have no magic. She’ll see right through this.”He emphasizes during their long trek to the castle from the main road. The last few hours have consisted of Monitor Man pointing out how their plan won’t work and Pirate and Tinkletoes discussing how Castle Glas and it’s grounds are laid out.

Pirate points to a building toward the back wall. “According to the Lady of the Lake’s description, the ogres’ main quarters are there. There should be no trouble avoiding it, ogres are quite fragrant.”

“Some how, I get the feeling that they just aren’t listening.” Monitor Man mutters.

A bright and cheerful TP appears in front of the actor. “Of course they aren’t, Silly Human. They are on a mission.” The faerie sings. “But, someone is coming who will.”

“Who? Who is coming?”

“Wait and see. Keep an eye on the road or great injury waits for thee.” The faerie warns and disappears.

Tinkletoes says, “We lost one.” The self-proclaimed mercenary stops, he turns around to find Monitor Man talking to no one. “We’re planning a mission here. Get your butt up here.”

The actor catches up to the group.

Tinkletoes studies Monitor Man. “You sick?  You’re lookin’ a little peaked soldier.”

Pirate takes a look in assessment and finds nothing. “What do you find wrong?” He asks Tinkletoes.

“He looks gray.”

“As do you.” Pirate says. “We are in the Graylands. Have you not noticed that everything is void of color? Void and desolate?”

“He’s right.” Monitor Man agrees. The actor looks at patch of wildflowers nearby. “Everything is gray, even the buttercups.”

“Aye. That is Lady Gray’s magic and why these are called the Graylands. It is a ruse. Something to make these lands so unattractive that no living creature would think to take it for themselves. Monitor Man, being human, has been absorbed into her spell.”

Tinkletoes studies his own graying skin. “It seems I’m under the spell now too.”

Monitor Man looks at Tinkletoes, “Except for your eyes. Their color has not changed.”

“I wonder why.” Tinkletoes says.

“You are not entirely human sir.” Pirate says.

“What?” The self-proclaimed mercenary asks.

Pirate looks at Monitor Man and grins. He looks back at Tinkletoes. “Your Faerie is showing.”

“What about you? You’re both.”

“I am also under the spell but every part of me that has been touched by magic retains its color."

Pirate’s boots, hands, the scarf he wears around his head, and the moonstone earring all retain their color. The moonstone periodically glows, stimulated by the magic that surrounds it.

“Why is my closet door glowing?” Writer Lady asks.

“It is a door to Faerie. It should take you directly to Pirate, Monitor Man, and Tinkletoes.”

“When did you do that?”

“Just now. It only takes a moment, my sister.”

“Oh.”

“I need you to sit down with me.” The Lady With The Long Golden Hair says as she lowers Writer Lady to a seat on a bench next to her. “There is something that you must know about Pirate before you leave.” She says as she hands Writer Lady her plate. “You should eat something.”

“The first time that I encountered Pirate he was in my front yard cleaning up. He worked all day without a word. He would look at the house, grumble occasionally, and continue working. He did not knock on my door or introduce himself he just worked. When I tried to introduce myself, he told me that he already knew who I was, grumbled his name, and continued working. He returned the next day. I saw to it that meals were prepared for him, that he stayed hydrated, and had ample opportunities for breaks. I wondered what brought him to me, what would cause a pirate to stray so far from the sea...he did not offer any explanation. I started taking my meals with him and tried asking what I might do for him in return. He would grow angry even sullen if I pressed. 

 One night, he came to the door. He started speaking before he had entered the house completely. Pirate shared his most personal stories with me including the story of his affair with the Lady of the Lake. His falling in love with her but being unable to stay. Most importantly, how walking away so abruptly and without explanation had haunted him every moment since. He asked to be put to punishment. I told him that it looked like he had more than adequately punished himself but I would think about it and give him an appropriate punishment the next day. He returned at first light, ready for whatever was coming. As he was a pirate without a ship and I was a lady without a champion I sentenced him to stay here until he had learned his lesson.”

  Writer Lady, having stopped eating a while ago, listens closely.

“I constructed his punishment carefully. I have given him duties but they are specific duties.  I watch and listen. When the sea calls to him, I send him to her. When he is better, I call him back. He has proven himself many times over. Pirate needs to see that he can love and care for someone and still have the freedom and adventure that a pirate craves. He can be with his ship, the sea, all that he loves, without turning his back on those that he holds dear. It is my gift to him. In order for Pirate to have this he must be successful in Faerie. My sister it is time. It is time for Pirate’s punishment to be over. Whether he likes it or not.”