by Terri Bertha
“Slow down!” screamed Nick.
‘Barry’ took a sharp turn and Nick watched in horror as the bike slid out from underneath ‘Barry’, hurling both ‘Barry’ and Mike into the air, and over the hillside.
Slowing down, Nick drove up to where they went over the hill. There was complete silence but then he heard a soft voice. “Help me. Help me, Nick. I’m hurt.”
“Don’t worry. I’m coming down. Hold on.”
Reaching the bottom of the hill, Nick saw ‘Barry’ and Mike lying in a heap. “Help me. I’m hurt.”
Rushing over to where ‘Barry’ was laying, Nick saw ‘Barry’s’ closed eyes, and a huge goose-egg forming on his forehead.
“Help me,” Nick heard again, but it didn’t come from unconscious ‘Barry’.
“Is anyone else down here? Is anyone else hurt?”
“It’s me, Nick. It’s me. Mike. Mike, your bike.”
“Mike? Mike, are you okay?”
“I hurt Nick. My fender is bent, and I think my tires are flat. My headlight doesn’t work either.”
“Okay,” said Nick. “First, I need to get ‘Barry’ some help.”
“Don’t worry about him. He tried to steal me from you. It’s me that’s hurting.”
“I have to call 911. He’s alive and has a pulse. He’s bleeding from his head. Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here and fix you up. You’ll be as good as new.”
Nick called 911 and soon the ambulance, paramedics, and police were on the scene.
“You are a brave boy, Nick,” said the paramedic. If you didn’t call 911 as quick as you did, your friend may not have made it. How did you happen to find him down here?
“Well. He stole my bike and I was chasing him trying to get it back.”
“That was the right thing to do, son, calling for help like that. You could have held a grudge and not called for help.”
A policeman came over and shook Nick’s hand. “Congratulations, son. The local paper decided to do a story on your courageous act. You’re going to be a celebrity. Also, the local fire department has decided to pick up the bill to fix up your bike.”
“Gee, thanks,” said Nick shaking the policeman’s hand.
Nick stooped down and leaned over to Mike and whispered, “You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be fixed up. I love you.”
“I love you too,” whispered Mike.
Chapter Eight
Not Your Normal Saturday
“Hey, Mom,” said Amy. “You don’t mind if I babysit for a while on Saturday, do you?”
“No, of course not, honey. What time do you have to babysit?”
“Well, it will be part of the afternoon and into the evening. It’s for the new couple that just moved in down the street. They have a little boy about five years old, and they need to go to some kind of event. I guess someone recommended me to them, so they called and wanted to know if I would be interested. I’ll probably be there most of the day, so I should make some decent money.”
“That sounds okay. You’ll probably need to make something for dinner, or order a pizza.”
“I can do that. All kids like pizza or a can of Tomato O’s.”
After lunch on Saturday, Amy packed a few books, a spiral notebook and a light sweat jacket in case it got chilly.
“Okay, Mom. I’ll see you later this evening.”
“Have fun. If it’s too late, call us and we’ll come pick you up instead of you walking home.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom. It’s close to home. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Kisses were exchanged and Amy walked in the bright sun to her babysitting job. A short time later, she arrived at her destination. After ringing the doorbell, it wasn’t long before a dark haired, short, thin woman answered. “Hello. You must be Amy. My name’s Bram.”
“Yes, I am.” Amy gently shook hands with the woman. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Koula.” Amy found she had a hard time keeping herself from staring at the pale-skinned woman with no tan or sun freckles.
“Nice to meet you. My husband is getting the car ready. We’re just about ready to leave, so make yourself at home and help yourself to anything in the fridge or pantry. Our son is upstairs in his bedroom playing, so go ahead up and introduce yourself. His bedroom is right at the top of the stairs. We told him you were coming and he shouldn’t be any problem.”
“Drey, we’re leaving now,” yelled Mrs. Koula, turning to the stairs. “Be nice to Amy.” She turned toward Amy. “I have to warn you. Drey has quite a vivid imagination and seems to have many invisible friends for a five year old. Maybe he watches too many movies or stays up at night reading comic books. I hope he isn’t too much to handle.”
“Oh, a lot of little kids have vivid imaginations. It’s part of growing up. I haven’t met a kid yet I wasn’t able to handle. I’m sure he’ll be fine. I hope you guys have a nice time, and don’t worry. I’ve babysat for most of the people in the neighborhood. Well, the ones with small kids that is,” Amy corrected herself.
Amy climbed the stairs and heard the front door close below. She wasn’t paying much attention, but jumped when she reached a black door, with a sign in red ink that said, ‘Drey’s Room—Keep Out!’
Wow! That’s weird for a five year old to have a bedroom door painted black with a sign that looks like dripping blood.
Amy knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She knocked a little louder, but still no answer. Great. I haven’t even gotten to meet the kid, and he probably hurt himself in there. Last time I’ll be asked to babysit.
She opened the door, and was relieved to find that the bedroom looked like any normal five year olds boy’s. A football, baseball cards, toy cars, a train, and books were scattered about the room. A football field mural was painted on the longest wall. T-shirts, pants, sweat jackets and socks were strewn on the floor.
“Drey?” said Amy in a soft voice. “Oh, I get it. You’re playing hide and seek and want me to find you. I bet you’re in the closet.”
Amy tiptoed over to the closet and quickly opened the door.
“Ah..ha…I found…” she started to say, but there were only clothes draped on hangers, and shoes inside. All the T-shirts and pants were either red, purple, dark blue or black. Little black cloaks and capes lined in red satin hung in the closet. Apparently, Drey didn’t like or own any bright yellow, orange, or white clothes. What a strange wardrobe for a little kid. No batman, superman or comic book hero shirts.
Turning away from the closet, she approached the bed and knelt on the floor to look underneath. Suddenly, the cedar chest at the foot of Drey’s bed opened, and out popped a small boy. “Good eeevvveeening!”
Amy tumbled back, eyes wide at the boy sitting up in the chest. His jet black hair was combed to a point on his forehead, and he had the same pale white skin as his mother. Long fangs sat at the corners of his mouth.
“Geez,” said Amy, trying to sound calm. “You scared me. You found a great hiding place.”
“Oh, I wasn’t hiding,” said Drey, smiling, displaying the fangs even more. “I was sleeping.”
“You sleep in there?”
“Yes, every day.”
“You mean every night?”
“No, every day,” he repeated.
“Well, my name’s Amy, and I think you’re playing a game and trying to tease me. Anyway, I’m here to watch you while your parents are out. Do you think you could take those fake fangs out of your mouth now? They’re kind of creepy looking.”
“Sure,” said Drey. “I like to wear them until my real fangs come in.”
Amy peered at the young boy’s mouth as he removed the fake fangs.
“Well, if your teeth look real bad when you get older, the dentist can fix them by giving you braces.”
“No way!” screamed Drey. “They make me who I am.”
What a strange kid.
“Let me ask you something. Why don’t you sleep in your nice bed with the cozy comforter? It looks like it would b
e more comfortable than a chest.”
“I like this box. I can pull the lid down and it’s completely dark inside, and the light doesn’t come in.”
“Okay…hey, let’s go outside and play a while. You look like you could use some color in your face. You look so pale.”
“I don’t want to go outside. Can’t we play inside? I like playing inside better.”
“I think the fresh air will do you some good, and you need to get your vitamin D. We won’t be out that long.”
“Well…okay. But I hope it’s cloudy outside.”
Amy raised her eyebrows at Drey, hoping for a dreary overcast day. Grabbing the football, she thought he would change his mind and enjoy being in the sunshine.
When they got outside, Drey covered his eyes with his hands. “Sun bright! Sun bright!” Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses, and put them on.
“You don’t like the sun?” asked Amy.
“No. I like the night better.”
“Okay, let’s play.”
Failing to catch any balls, Amy decided she was the one who was getting the most exercise. “Let’s go in and have a snack.”
“Okay,” said Drey, now running into the house like he couldn’t stand to be outside for one more minute.
Amy opened the refrigerator door, searching for something to quench her thirst. All she saw were bottles filled with what she assumed was red fruit juice. She picked up one and shook it, watching thick ooze cling to the inside of the glass.
“Don’t you have anything besides red stuff to drink?”
“No. I like this.”
The only other contents on the shelf was a bowl of raw hamburger. She pulled it out thinking she could fry up some burgers. After washing her hands at the sink, she turned and saw Drey digging his fingers into the bowl, and eating it.
“Stop!” said Amy. “You’re going to get sick!”
“No I’m not. My mom always keeps a bowl in there for whenever I want a snack. I eat it all the time. Here, try it.”
“No thanks,” said Amy, gagging. “I like my hamburger cooked. Besides, you can get bugs in your stomach from eating raw stuff. Didn’t your mom ever tell you that?”
“I told you. She leaves the bowl in there for me to munch on when I’m hungry. I’ve never gotten sick.”
Amy lost her appetite watching Drey eat the raw hamburger. “I’m not so hungry anymore. How about if we go up to your room and play a bit?”
“Yeah! I like playing.”
When they got to the second floor, Amy said, “I’m going to use your bathroom to brush my hair, okay? It’s all messed up from being outside.”
“Okay.”
Amy stood in front of the mirror admiring and brushing her hair. She jumped when she heard Drey’s voice out of nowhere. “Hey. Can we get something to eat soon? I’m still hungry.”
“Drey! I didn’t even see you behind me. You scared me!
That’s strange, she thought to herself. I didn’t see him in the mirror. I guess he’s too short.
“How about if I order pizza?”
Amy spotted a magnet on the refrigerator for a local pizza shop. “I’m going to order a small white pizza for me. What do you like?”
“I like plain.”
“Okay. I’ll get plain for you.”
Soon, the pizzas arrived and Amy and Drey sat down at the kitchen table to eat.
“What’s a white pizza?”
“Well, instead of a red sauce, it has olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and pieces of garlic on it. Here. Try a taste.”
Drey picked up a piece of Amy’s pizza and took a bite. “Ow! It burns!” he hissed.
“It’s not that hot.”
“No…these white pieces…they hurt me.”
“That’s just garlic, Drey. Drink some of your ‘juice’ to wash it down and finish your red pizza. Once we’re finished we can go back upstairs and play some more.”
This babysitting job is not turning out as I expected. I’ve never seen such a weird kid. If only I can last an hour or two more, they should be home. He’s starting to wear me down.
Drey was uninterested as they played on the floor with the cars and train. “I want to put on one of my capes.”
Amy wasn’t going to fight with him. “Okay. I don’t care what you wear. Put on one of your capes if you want to.”
Drey’s energy level rose now as the evening progressed. He sprinted to his bedroom closet and pulled out a black cape lined in red satin, and tied it around his neck. He swished the cape up to cover his mouth and held it there for a while. Quickly, he brought the cape down and said, “Good Evening” in a low, sinister voice.
Amy stiffened, fear prickling her skin as Drey’s voice sounded deep and hollow. Her mouth dropped when she realized Drey had no image in the mirror. All she saw was the black cape, moving and floating in the air. Amy watched in shock as the sides of the cape lifted and transformed into a pair of wings. Then the rest of it changed into a small bat that began flying around the room.
Oh my gosh she thought, covering her head with her hands. “Drey! Drey! Where are you?” She hunkered down low, distracted in her search for Drey, when the bat swooped and got tangled in her hair.
Amy screamed, shaking her head and swatting her hands through her hair. She smacked something and saw the bat fall to the floor dazed. Quickly, she picked up a small garbage can and placed it over the bat. Sitting on the upside down can, she breathed heavily and called out. “Drey. Drey. Where are you?” but no answer came.
He must be terrified and hiding somewhere.
Then, hearing the front door open, Amy’s panic intensified. “Hi, Amy. We’re home,” said Mrs. Koula.
Amy thought it would be best to try to stall Drey’s parents to give him a chance to come out of hiding. Slowly descending each step, she tried to appear calm, holding her hands behind her back hiding her trembling fingers. She spoke deliberately and slowly, hoping Drey would appear before them.
“Oh…hello…Mr. and Mrs. Koula. Did…you…have a good time?”
“Yes,” answered Mrs. Koula. “This is my husband, Stoker. How was everything here?”
“Oh, fine,” said Amy, gaze twitching about the room searching for any sign of Drey.
At that moment, Drey came walking down the stairs, holding his blue garbage can.
“Hi, Mom and Dad,” said Drey, beaming with pointed teeth.
“Hi honey. What on earth are you doing with your garbage can?”
“Oh, I got my foot stuck in it and Amy helped me get it out.”
“That crazy kid,” said Drey’s dad, grinning with the same pointed teeth. “Sometimes he gets a little batty.”
“Here’s your money for the night, Amy. Thanks for watching him. Most of the time we get a call from the babysitter shortly after we leave for us to come back home. They sound like they’re scared out of their mind. I’m so glad you two got along. You really seem like someone Drey could sink his teeth into. Do you think you could watch him again next Saturday?”
Chapter Nine
The Magic Tea Kettle
“Come on!” yelled Abby, tugging on her older sister Chloe’s blouse. “Let’s play with my mermaid tea set.”
“I can’t play right now. I have to get ready for my date with Jeremy.”
“What’s a ‘date with Jeremy’?” said Abby, eyes questioning up at her sister.
Chloe laughed as she ran the brush through her hair. “Well, when two people like each other, they go out on a date and spend time together.”
“What do they do on a ‘date’?”
“Well, they may go to a movie, or go out and eat, or take a walk, or just sit and watch TV.”
“I like Jeremy. Can I go on a date with him?”
Picking up her sister, and twirling her around, Chloe said, “No, you’re too young. You need to be older like me.”
“I wish I could be you, so I could go on a date with Jeremy.”
“I think the o
nly way that could happen would be if you found a magic lamp with a genie who would grant you a wish,” Chloe said jokingly. “Go and play by yourself now, and I’m going to finish getting ready for my date. I’ll play with you tomorrow.”
Abby walked back to her room, finger to lip, remembering the story of a magic lamp and genie in the movie she recently saw. I don’t have a magic lamp, she thought, but maybe I can make a pretend magic lamp?
Spying her tea kettle set on the floor, she ran, picking it up with her tiny hands. “Sorry, girls,” she said to the dolls sitting on small pink chairs around a miniature table, “but I need to borrow this for a while.” Holding the tea kettle, Abby pressed a small button underneath the spout. The tea kettle beeped and pink, purple, blue, green, and orange colors glowed from the inside.
Abby ran to her dresser and removed a small picture of Chloe from a frame and put it inside the tea kettle. Picking up a stick that had a star glued to the end of it, she waved the make believe wand over the tea kettle chanting, “Tea kettle, tea kettle, gizzilee goo, make us change places, make me into you!”
‘Abby’ stood and held the tea kettle in hand and thought, I better hurry and finish getting ready for my date. Wait a minute…I’m not on a date. Chloe’s on a date. But I’m Chloe, so I must be on a date. I must be dreaming that I’m four years old. I’m so confused!
‘Abby’ ran to the bathroom and saw ‘Chloe’ standing in front of the mirror.
“Can you help me, please?” said ‘Chloe’. “I can’t get my hair right.”
“Sure,” said ‘Abby’, embracing the dream. “Sit down on the floor and be still. You’re too tall for me.”
“I don’t remember me being bigger than you,” said ‘Chloe’.
“Me neither,” said Abby, still confused about whether she was dreaming or not.
Before ‘Abby’ could say or ask anything else, the doorbell rang, and ‘Chloe’ bolted down the steps. She opened the door and a neatly dressed Jeremy stood in front of her.
“Are you ready to go?” asked Jeremy. “You look lovely.”