by J Sevil
After lunch Lauren and Coco went into the back yard and played in the old crooked cubby house. They kept the door closed so that no one could surprise them or see Coco talking.
“No, we can’t trap him in the garden shed and lock him in.” She said.
“Then how do we get the beetroot onto him?” Coco asked then put a paw over his mouth and looked from side to side.
“We could put it in the juicer and spray it on him,” she said.
“But what if he’s fast? He has big muscly legs. We could miss and end up spraying beetroot all over the place,” Coco admitted.
“I bet we could trick him into eating beetroot. You know, like putting it in a sandwich.”
“Do leprechauns eat sandwiches?” Coco asked. Lauren shook her head to say she did not know.
She sighed and looked at Coco. He was panting and looking up at her.
“You’ll think of something, won’t you?” he asked, happily. She nodded. Just then Coco had an idea.
“I’m a good digger. I dig a big hole, he drops in, we throw beetroot at him, he goes back defeated. What do you think?”
Lauren laughed. “That’s the best plan yet.” And giggled some more. “Whatever happens, boy. I’m right beside you.”
“I wish you were in front of me,” Coco whispered. “That’s where Big Boy will be.”
Lauren nodded and hugged him. They stayed in the cubby house talking and waited for Lauren’s Dad to call to come home.
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Lauren and Coco both sat nervously in the back of the car while it headed for home.
“We’re nearly home and we still don’t have a plan.” Lauren said to a worried Coco. Just then Lauren saw something on the side of the road.
“That’s it. It will be risky but it will work.” Lauren leaned over and whispered into Coco’s ear, who sniggered then covered his mouth with his paw and looked from side to side. Dad watched them from the rear view mirror and shook his head.
“What are you two up to now?” he laughed. But Lauren did not answer, she was scouring the sidewalks for something. When they got home Lauren and Coco jumped out of the car. Lauren ran into the house and then back out again quickly and with Coco close behind.
“We’re just off to play in the yard,” she and ran off. “Right. I’ll get the hose.” Lauren grabbed the garden hose and turned on the water. Coco walked behind her, hiding from Big Boy.
“Where are you, Big Boy? Or should I say Wet Boy.” Lauren found the leprechaun hiding behind a bush next to the garden shed. She sprayed him with water making him jump up and ran away from the water.
“That’s cold, now. So stop it!” Shouted Big Boy angrily. Just then Coco ran past him along the path and around the house. Big Boy chased after him as Lauren sprayed him some more with the house, getting Big Boy wet as well as the path.
“Come here doggy!” called our Big Boy menacingly.
Lauren dropped the hose, ran to the side of the house and grabbed the rubbish bin, pulling something out of her pocket at the same time. She dragged it to the wet path then pushed it over. Suddenly Coco appeared and ran past her with Big Boy in hot pursuit.
“Villain! That’s what you are. A Villain!” Big Boy growled. As he ran on the wet path Coco turned sharply, Big boy turned to grab him and slipped over, wetting the seat of his pants. Lauren pushed the rubbish bin toward Big Boy who tried to get out of the way. Because the path was wet and slippery he could not get up. Coco jumped up at him and with his head pushed Big Boy into the bin.
“Arrgh!” yelled Big Boy. “It smells!” Lauren sat the bin upright and closed the lid tight.
“Dad! Can you help me take the garbage out? It’s garbage night to night,” Lauren called out with a wry grin on her face.
“Sure,” said her Dad and came down the steps from the house.
“Have you two been playing with the hose? It’s very wet out here.”
“Just having a little fun,” she giggled.
Then Lauren and her Dad took the garbage bin out onto the street, ready for the truck to come and collect it.
“Thanks, for helping with the garbage, Lauren,” Dad said, wondering why she had a grin on her face. And Coco seemed to be grinning to, he thought, or maybe it was just his imagination. A low mumbling came from the rubbish bin. Lauren coughed and cleared her throat to cover up the sound.
“Coming down with a cold?” he asked. “You had better change out of your wet clothes.”
“I’m fine,” Lauren said.
“OK, well. I want to go inside and watch TV. There is a documentary on worms. It’s fascinating, do you want to come?” He seemed genuinely excited.
Lauren shook her head and said she wanted to play some more with Coco first. He thanked her and went inside leaving Lauren on the foot path.
Later in the afternoon, after getting changed and before dinner, Lauren and Coco sat on her bed in the house watching the garbage bin through her bedroom window and waiting for the garbage truck. It was nearly dinner time when they heard the squeaky brakes of the old garbage truck. It was just up the street and arrived minutes later making a loud noise with its engine and brakes. The garbage bin with Big boy inside was tipped into the garbage truck. “Ahh! My sham rocking shoes! Ahh!”
The engine roared and the garbage truck moved to the next house along the street. Coco and Lauren waited for Big Boy to climb out of the truck but he didn’t. Eventually the truck was out of view and the street was quiet again.
“Why didn’t he use magic to get out?” asked Coco then covering his mouth with a paw.
“Well,” said Lauren casually. “By a strange coincidence, there is a full opened tin of beetroot in that bin.”
“But how did you know it would work?” Coco was not convinced.
“I didn’t,” admitted Lauren. “But it did.” Lauren and Coco laughed.
“He won’t get out now until he reaches the garbage pit,” said Lauren, putting an arm around Coco.
“By then he will need to take the lightning home,” Coco said then covered his mouth. They both laughed.
“He said something when he was inside,” Lauren whispered. “A warning.”
Coco stopped panting and his ears pricked.
“About beetroot?” Lauren shook her head.
“He said ‘the king will send more’”.
“Oh,” said Coco.
“It isn’t over. We have to watch out for each other,” Lauren said and she gave Coco a hug. “Come on,” said Lauren getting off the bed. “Let’s go and make fun of Dad and his worm documentary.”
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