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Queenie stomped down the Endless Stair, enjoying the slapping noise her pink plastic sandals made as they hit each step. The way was dark, but she had walked these steps before. She had been much more careful the first time, though, as it was too dark to see the steps below, and she had been following someone.
This time, she wanted them all to know she was coming. And she wasn’t happy.
Instead of cowering at her arrival, the citizens of Monster Town cheered so loud they rattled the windows on their houses.
“It’s Queenie Lady!”
“Queenie Lady came back!”
“Someone owe Gromble five lint balls.”
“No one took that bet, Gromble.”
Queenie stomped her feet and waved her arms. “No, no, no, you dumb dopey monsters. I’m not a queen. I’m not your queen. I’m just Queenie, and you’re all in big trouble!”
Again, nobody cowered at her anger. If anything, they were impressed.
“Nice form.”
“Great volume.”
“The screeching is a nice touch.”
“No one’s gonna pay up?”
Queenie planted a foot in Gromble’s backside and pushed him over. The other monsters applauded. She glared back at them.
“Where is my Princess Pony night light? I know you guys took it. You’re the only ones who can get into my room without being seen. Give it back, or your’re all in big trouble.”
This time, some of the monsters did cower. None of them would look her in the eye. So they had done it. She had felt bad at first for suspecting them. Before, they only did things they thought were helpful, like eating her homework, or biting Brandon Willis for smearing paint in her hair in art class. But this wasn’t helpful at all. She needed that night light to help her sleep.
A monster named Ponk fell on his face at her feet. “Please don’t be angry, Queenie Lady. We only borrowed the pony light. We needed it.”
“I need it. It’s mine, and you shouldn’t have taken it. Where is it now? Take me there.”
Ponk scrambled to his feet and led the way, his head hanging down around his knees. Together they all marched to the edge of Monster Town, where the dark of the town gave way to something that was even darker. Queenie had seen it before, when the monsters had tried to get her to stay and be their queen. They called it the Bad Dark, and it was so thick it had felt like sticking her hand in cold, black Jell-O. Just thinking about it made Queenie feel sick under her skin.
They came to a stop in front of a giant jack-o-lantern. A familiar pink glow came from inside.
“Hollow Lantern went out on this side of town,” Plonk said. “Bad Dark started coming in. Didn’t know what else to do. Pony Light helped us feel safe again. We’re sorry, Queenie Lady.”
Queenie looked from the Hollow Lantern to the darkness beyond its light and then around at all the monsters gathered there. It was comforting, in a way, to know that even monsters could be scared. But it was also scary, because that meant there was something out there that was even scarier than monsters.
“You know what? Keep it.”
The monsters all perked up at that. “For real and for true? You mean it, Queenie Lady?”
She sighed. “Yeah. You guys need it way more than I do. Just don’t let me catch you trying to thank me by feeding my vegetables to the dog or something. Mom says they’ll make him sick.”
“Don’t worry, Queenie lady. Plonk promises you won’t catch us.”
Queenie decided she was going to nail that trap door shut as soon as she got home.
This time, she wanted them all to know she was coming. And she wasn’t happy.
Instead of cowering at her arrival, the citizens of Monster Town cheered so loud they rattled the windows on their houses.
“It’s Queenie Lady!”
“Queenie Lady came back!”
“Someone owe Gromble five lint balls.”
“No one took that bet, Gromble.”
Queenie stomped her feet and waved her arms. “No, no, no, you dumb dopey monsters. I’m not a queen. I’m not your queen. I’m just Queenie, and you’re all in big trouble!”
Again, nobody cowered at her anger. If anything, they were impressed.
“Nice form.”
“Great volume.”
“The screeching is a nice touch.”
“No one’s gonna pay up?”
Queenie planted a foot in Gromble’s backside and pushed him over. The other monsters applauded. She glared back at them.
“Where is my Princess Pony night light? I know you guys took it. You’re the only ones who can get into my room without being seen. Give it back, or your’re all in big trouble.”
This time, some of the monsters did cower. None of them would look her in the eye. So they had done it. She had felt bad at first for suspecting them. Before, they only did things they thought were helpful, like eating her homework, or biting Brandon Willis for smearing paint in her hair in art class. But this wasn’t helpful at all. She needed that night light to help her sleep.
A monster named Ponk fell on his face at her feet. “Please don’t be angry, Queenie Lady. We only borrowed the pony light. We needed it.”
“I need it. It’s mine, and you shouldn’t have taken it. Where is it now? Take me there.”
Ponk scrambled to his feet and led the way, his head hanging down around his knees. Together they all marched to the edge of Monster Town, where the dark of the town gave way to something that was even darker. Queenie had seen it before, when the monsters had tried to get her to stay and be their queen. They called it the Bad Dark, and it was so thick it had felt like sticking her hand in cold, black Jell-O. Just thinking about it made Queenie feel sick under her skin.
They came to a stop in front of a giant jack-o-lantern. A familiar pink glow came from inside.
“Hollow Lantern went out on this side of town,” Plonk said. “Bad Dark started coming in. Didn’t know what else to do. Pony Light helped us feel safe again. We’re sorry, Queenie Lady.”
Queenie looked from the Hollow Lantern to the darkness beyond its light and then around at all the monsters gathered there. It was comforting, in a way, to know that even monsters could be scared. But it was also scary, because that meant there was something out there that was even scarier than monsters.
“You know what? Keep it.”
The monsters all perked up at that. “For real and for true? You mean it, Queenie Lady?”
She sighed. “Yeah. You guys need it way more than I do. Just don’t let me catch you trying to thank me by feeding my vegetables to the dog or something. Mom says they’ll make him sick.”
“Don’t worry, Queenie lady. Plonk promises you won’t catch us.”
Queenie decided she was going to nail that trap door shut as soon as she got home.
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Written for Flash-Fic-Month's Flash Prompt #1: Childhood
"Element 1: Story must take place in a magical world that is separate from our mundane world." Check.
"Element 2: Your story must revolve around a return trip to this magical location." Also check.
"Element 3: Your story must include some kind of sacrifice." I think sacrificing a security object for the greater good counts here.
Word Count: 627
This story came out of two elements from my ideas stash: "A little girl slowly becomes queen of the monsters" and "Monsters fall in love with a girl. Slowly destroy her life in effort to win her affection and attention and loyalty."
"Element 1: Story must take place in a magical world that is separate from our mundane world." Check.
"Element 2: Your story must revolve around a return trip to this magical location." Also check.
"Element 3: Your story must include some kind of sacrifice." I think sacrificing a security object for the greater good counts here.
Word Count: 627
This story came out of two elements from my ideas stash: "A little girl slowly becomes queen of the monsters" and "Monsters fall in love with a girl. Slowly destroy her life in effort to win her affection and attention and loyalty."
© 2016 - 2024 Tobaeus
Comments5
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This is an adorable story, and I love the concept.