Wake Up Call

by Andrew Chandler

Copyright © 2010

Sandy flung her eyes open then sighed and frowned and listened to the loud banging. Her nine year old brother Tim walked through Sandy’s bedroom door relentlessly banging the backside of a pot with a wooden spoon, a wide smile on his childish face.

“Mom told me to wake...,” Tim began but was cut off when he tripped on a pile of magazines Sandy had neglected to put away. Flinging the wooden spoon and landing head first into the pot, his hand still around the handle. Sandy laughed out loud, rubbing in his failure. 

Tim stood up looking half hurt, half indignant. “It’s not funny,” he exclaimed, he lifted his other hand to the pot to pull it off. He tugged. “Uh-oh!” he said quietly and tugged again, eyes wide. 

Sandy sat up on her bed legs dangled over the side, not knowing what to do or say. 

Tim and Sandy stared at each other, Tim’s hands still grasping the pot which was tightly wedged on top of his head. Sandy then smiled and stared to giggle, and giggled some more. Pretty soon she couldn’t stop. A couple of seconds later she was rolling on the floor, tears of mirth sliding down her face. Tim was in a panic, he turned and tugged and pulled, eyes wide. Tears moistened his cheek. Once Sandy saw his tears she stopped laughing and slowly got up. 

“Please help me get this thing off,” Tim pleaded. 

“Okay, but first I need some breakfast,” she said mischievously.  

Darkness No Longer

By Ken Chandler

Copyright © 2010

I could hear that the figure was very close. I turned, groping in the darkness to find a wall, a couch, anything that might tell me where in the room I was. Thump. A heavy footfall connected with wooden floorboards just behind me, then another. Nearer. My heart hammered in my chest. A bead of sweat stung my eye. I blinked hard. I reached out into the darkness. Thump. Thump. Thump. The smell of damp and foul rotting things assailed my senses. It was so close. Reaching for me. 

The scream in my head jarred me awake. I was wet. My bed was soaked. The smell of damp and rotten things lingered all around me. I lay there for a long moment thinking. I heard the caw of a crow in the distance, and felt water lapping at my cheek. I realized I was dying, and this swamp was my bed. A luminous hand reached down and took mine, and I was in darkness no longer. 

FEAR ITSELF

Ken Chandler

Copyright © 2009

A large cloaked figure loomed ominously in my doorway, a deep rattling breath rumbled in its chest. I could sense its gaze piercing the black of the room, scrutinizing me.
I gathered my courage, and remembered something my father had told me. I said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”
A low guttural laugh echoed through the room, followed again by that hideous rattle. In a voice that sounded like dried leaves being dragged across sand it said, “How right you are. He’s in the next room, I’ll get him.”

DWARVES AND THEIR GOLD

Ydoc, the Gnome, converses with the Dwarves, Eric, Dave and Mike. They are brothers and have spent many years in various countries on Earth.

“Do all Dwarves go to the Human World?”

“Just University students and researchers,” says Dave. “I work in the history department, so I’ve traveled all over collecting information.”

“Do Elves and Gnomes ever go to the Human World?”

“Never,” says Mike. “They don’t even know that Humans exist.”

“It's just research? Do Dwarf children ever go?”

“Nope,” says Eric. “Only adults.”

“Yeah, we don’t want our children to be Human. We want them to be Dwarves with Dwarf values,” says Mike.

“So what do Dwarves value?”

Dave ticks things off on his fingers as he lists, “Axes, wealth, hard work, money, knowledge, gold, fighting skills, silver, hearty meals, jewels, exploration of worlds and technology, money, family, silver, metalwork, gold, beards, jewels, community and did I mention wealth?"

"It's possible."

"Well that's the important thing. Dwarves work hard for their wealth. Thievery is not tolerated, nor is laziness," says Mike.

Ydoc thinks about this. He is unusual, besides being something of a giant among his people, he grew up on Earth. Dwarf values were not too far off the mark for Humans. Well, Humans generally didn't care about axes and beards, but they sure seemed to value their wealth. He shrugs his shoulders, figuring if he pointed out the similarities, they would never forgive him for it. "Sounds reasonable to me."

The Dwarves grin. "It's nice to meet a Gnome with a good head on his shoulders," says Eric.

Elizabeth Williamson Copyright © 2010

TOPIC: FREEBIE

this month write whatever you want.