Slumber (Part 5 of 10)

It's supposed to be my last day at Ideasmith today, had I not extended my stay for two weeks. At this stage, however, it feels like I'm the one benefiting, not the company. We're working on a killer project now, one I hope to make a final snatch to my portfolio before leaving.

Came across an interesting book weeks ago. It's titled 'The World's Shortest Stories Of Love And Death'. And guess how short? 50 WORDS! Yeah, every story is exactly 50 words long, yet contains some sort of plot twist. Incredible or what? At the risk of getting sued, I'll soon post some favourites for y'all to see.

And...it's storytime, kiddos.

Slumber (Part 5 of 10) (Did I mention that this story IS heading somewhere?)

"It's gone!"

"What?"

"The Bed," Lenny pointed at an odd flat-grassed patch. "It's supposed to be here."

"And it isn't?"

He rolled his eyes at her, annoyed.

"Where could it be, then?"

"Someone moved it," he pressed his nose to the ground. "And they smell suspiciously close."

It was the Twins,
Curse their dismal grins

"Lenny," Jenny tugged fearfully. "Th-the trees! They're whispering!"

"The Twins, eh? Which way did they go?"

North of the bony oaks
Whichever way the stew cooks

"Thank you," he kissed the ground, and turned to Jenny. "Follow me."

She trailed him to a bumpy path lined with elderly-looking trees. As though by magic - if it wasn't in fact that - their knobbly branches pointed the same way.

They went that way
Fine as any breezy day

Suddenly a distant rumbling shook the trees like leaves. As if they weren't quivering badly enough already, the leaves themselves shook like leaves. It was a faint, steady rumble; the sort that made you feel all queasy and calm-before-the-stormish.

Black, Black, trouble at hand
Broken dreams awaiting the sand

Boom! A wolf-like creature pushed through the oaks, howling to announce its arrival. It was a hulking beast, no smaller than Lenny, jet black all over. A blackened trail, not unlike soot, lingered from its path.

Lenny snarled. "Jenny - I'll distract Black here. You go where the trees are pointing. Keep running till you see the Twins with the Bed. Shadow them till I get to you. Leave a trail."

She nodded, and made a dash. At once Black pounced viciously at her. Lenny, however, saw it coming and charged at him mid-air.

Both wrestled to the ground, snapping at each other's throats. Black was the more powerful of the two, but Lenny was quicker and more agile with his wings. Each time Black tried to pin him down, Lenny's wings would flap violently, forcing Black to back off.

Eventually though, Lenny would tire and allow an opening to gash his chest. As usually is the case, injury led to injury - and it didn't take a Wizard of Oz to foretell the battle's outcome.

*****

"My ears decieve me!" Scatter Witch shrieked. "Surely!"

The Night Mare neighed and stomped again.

"Go away."

It burst into lucent flames and bolted out the door, almost catching Bo on the way out.

"Now what?" Bo grunted.

"Apparently," she folded her arms. "The Twins couldn't find the Bed. Someone moved it before they arrived."

"Mystifying."

She glared daggers at him. "And no one else would have the power to do that."

"I could say the same of you."

Her fists clenched white. "So be it, till proven guilty. I shall fly myself to the Trembling Woods, and seek out the Bed. You keep an eye on things."

"Be my guest."

Perfect. Just perfect.