A Scary Tale - Part Two

Time Is Running Out....

Beatrice was Not at all sure she was feeling well, Dear Readers, because when she opened her eyes she saw a small creature dressed in a very nice Green Velvet Coat standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was staring at her so she stared back. Then she remembered her Manners and said, "Hello, my name is Beatrice... Who are you?"

To her surprise, he nodded his furry head and said in clear plain English "My name is Samuel. Samuel Whiskers, that is." And he cleared his throat and tried to look Important. "Is this your House?" asked Beatrice, still not sure she should be conversing in English with a Tiny Creature.... no matter How well dressed he was! " The House belongs to my Aunt and Uncle who have gone to Town for the Season," he explained. "But my Wife Anna Maria and I are looking after it while they are gone..." he added a trifle nervously. There followed a moment of awkward silence. Beatrice finally recollected that She was sitting Uninvited in Their kitchen and started to apologize and was about to squeeze back out the door... when Samuel Whiskers spoke up suddenly to say "Welcome to our Home.... please make yourself comfortable..." And he tried not to notice that her head scraped the ceiling and there was nowhere for her to turn around! Then he added hastily "If you will just excuse us... My Wife and I have something to attend to.....!"  And then he and Anna Maria, who had been hiding in the corner just out of sight, whisked up the stairs and disappeared. Now Beatrice was SURE she wasn't feeling well at all... she just wanted to go Home... so she closed her eyes once more.....

Samuel Whiskers and Anna Maria ran out of their Tree House and dashed across the Countryside until they came to the Cottage where the Old Ladies Resided. They needed to ask for help in removing the Human Child from their Home!

They marched right up and knocked on the door! One of the Old Ladies answered.... she seemed only a little surprised to see such a small guest at her door!

"Begging your Pardon, Ma'am," he began.... 

"There seems to be a problem... and we need your help!" 

"Oh..?" said Hazel.... "And what problem is that?"

"There is a Human Child in our Tree House.....!" said Samuel. 

"This will not do at all! We can't have Human Children knowing about our house like this... 

they will tell tales... we will be found out....!" he stammered, getting quite agitated.

"She seems quite unwell" added Anna Maria....

"She looked feverish to me!"

"Oh, Dear!" said Hazel, a concerned frown on her brow....

"Agatha!" she called loudly.... (Agatha is a little hard of hearing)

"Agatha,  what can we do to help this child...."she hollered. 

"There will need to be a Memory Charm at the very least! 

Do you know how to do a Memory charm, Agatha?"

Agatha, who had been watching the Little Creatures quite intently, just shook her head and said "I was never any good at Memory Charms, Hazel..." Then she nodded her head wisely and said "I think we will need to call for help, Hazel.... we can't have the Children finding out about all this.... that would not be a good thing at all...!" And she shook her head again. "We need Old Meg!"

But Deep under the Foundations of the Castle, In the Crystal Caverns, 

Old Meg had already woken the Wizard!

They would need to make a special potion that the Tiny Creatures could give to the Child....

With Water drawn from the Spring of Dreams.... 

that poured from a Crevice into the Obsidian Basin....

And could Only be Touched by Those Who Dared To Dream.....

Never Knowing whether those Dreams would be Filled with Light.....

Or the Denizens of the Deep..... 

Nor for How Long One Would Sleep....

The Wizard dips his hands in the Water.....

And begins the spell....

Meanwhile, Dark has fallen and the Children have not returned home! This is not the First time this has happened... but nevertheless, Clarence is Uneasy. There is a Storm brewing. He can feel it in his bones! The children must be home before the storm breaks!

Clarence is afraid of neither the Storm nor the Dark! He has spent too many dark nights on the Stormy seas to be afraid of what the Night holds! But he is afraid for the Children... especially Beatrice who is still so young...! His heart quakes at the thought of what She might be fearing in the dark! And Caroline too... for all she is so practical that she never imagines terrors in the dark.... but still... they are so young...! He grabs his lantern and sets off into the Night......

With Snowy bounding quickly by his side......

Together they will find the Children and bring them safely Home...

But they need to hurry....

Because

Time is Running Out......

To Be Continued....

Weather Permitting!