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Knock-knock.
"Now who could that be?" SeaZ0ne wondered aloud.
Her pets, Ramoose_ (a rainbow Tonu) and Puppy_Trix (a baby Gelert), were already
at Neoschool. So who could be coming to call on her?
When SeaZ0ne answered the door she had to fight
back an urge to slam it shut again. Instead, she painted a smile on her face
and managed to say, as cheerily as she could, "Hi, Aunt Tule!"
On the other side of the door stood an elderly
woman, her knobby fingers adorned with gaudy rings and her hair a pile of snow.
She smiled at SeaZ0ne, who noted that it looked more like a grimace. "Well,
aren't you going to invite me in?" Aunt Tule inquired haughtily.
"Yes, yes, of course," SeaZ0ne said, stepping
aside hurriedly and motioning for her aunt to enter. This visit was definitely
unexpected and not in a good way. Had she known her aunt was planning on stopping
by, SeaZ0ne would have given the Neohome a well deserved cleaning. Aunt Tule
was always finicky about such things. Everything had to be just right. Faeries
forbid the pillows on her couch were out of place. Oh no! thought SeaZ0ne,
watching Aunt Tule head for the rainbow sofa in their family room. The pillows!
SeaZ0ne rushed after her. She reached out to fluff the pillows just before Tule
sat down. SeaZ0ne quickly sat down beside her.
"So, what brings you to our Neohome?" she asked
timidly.
"Aren't I allowed to visit my favorite niece?"
Aunt Tule asked, looking down her nose at the room around her.
"Of course," SeaZ0ne said waveringly. Favorite
niece? Since when? "I-I just wasn't expecting you that's all."
"Ah, yes. Well, frankly I wasn't expecting to
come here either-"
Then why did you?!? SeaZ0ne thought anxiously.
"-but then I decided it had just been too long.
Wouldn't you agree?"
"Certainly."
Just then, a Faellie came flying in. "We have
company?" she asked, eyeing Aunt Tule on the couch.
"Yes, Trini, this is Aunt Tule. Aunt Tule, this
is Trini, the Faellie that Ramoose_ and Puppy_Trix gave me for my last birthday."
"A petpet? How… delightful." Trini didn't
like the way Aunt Tule emphasized delightful. She frowned and made a face at
SeaZ0ne.
SeaZ0ne gave a resigned shrug.
"So where are those pets of yours, anyway?"
Aunt Tule asked, disregarding the Faellie.
"They're at Neoschool," SeaZ0ne said.
"Ah, what a shame. I came all this way to give
Ramoose_ his birthday present and now he isn't here."
"His birthday present?" SeaZ0ne asked. "It's
not Ramoose_'s birthday!"
"Oh, I know. But I was just so busy over the
summer that I didn't have a chance to bring it. Believe me, I feel awful. The
Eyrie at the store said he could have it delivered while I was gone, but I said,
'No, no, I want to be there to see the look on Ramoose_'s face,' and now he
isn't here. Oh, what a shame. Well, I suppose I'll have to have them bring it
in then. Honestly, SeaZ0ne, why didn't you tell me Ramoose_ had started school?"
SeaZ0ne chose not to say anything. She had always
been told that if you didn't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say it
at all. In that case, she didn't have anything to say.
Trini on the other hand, snorted. "Why should
she have to tell you? If you cared at all-"
SeaZ0ne caught Trini's eye and gave her a hard
stare. Trini didn't go on.
"Well now, I'll just go tell them bring to it
in," Aunt Tule said, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Them?" SeaZ0ne asked.
"Yes, the deliverers, my dear." With that, Aunt
Tule proceeded to exit the Neohome.
SeaZ0ne waited a moment before rushing to watch
Aunt Tule from the peephole in the door. Trini followed, hovering in the air
as she looked out a small window above the door.
Aunt Tule was talking to a couple of Eyries out
front. They were nodding. They were picking something up. SeaZ0ne jumped when
she saw what it was. It was a big bed -- at least she thought it was a bed.
It was hard to tell from the big clown face that seemed to be eating it. They
were coming closer, closer, the door was opening-
"Watch out," Trini warned.
"Ouch!" SeaZ0ne exclaimed. The door had swung
open, whacking her on the nose.
"Hmp," Aunt Tule gave a satisfactory grunt.
SeaZ0ne frowned and then asked, "Is this what
you got Ramoose, Aunt Tule?"
"Yes, isn't it wonderful?"
"There are no words to describe it," Trini said.
Aunt Tule ignored Trini, but continued on, "It's
called a Deserted Carnival Bed. They're quite rare, you know."
"I wonder why," Trini said, not so quietly.
"It's… it's…"
"Yes, dear?" Aunt Tule asked.
"It's very unique," SeaZ0ne finished.
"Yes, it is, isn't it? Well, where is Ramoose_'s
room?" Aunt Tule asked. "Why don't you show these nice Eyries the way, SeaZ0ne."
"Of course. It's right down here…" SeaZ0ne said,
leading them down another hall and into the bedroom Ramoose_ shared with Puppy_Trix.
The Eyries stopped when they got to the doorway and saw that there were already
two beds in the room, leaving no room for yet a third.
"What's going on?" Aunt Tule asked, squeezing
her way passed the gigantic bed to see into the room. "Oh, dear. I guess we'll
have to take his old bed out first," she remarked.
Trini, who had followed, met SeaZone's eyes.
They both new how much Ramoose_ loved his bed. True, it was nothing special
from appearance, just a wooden bed painted blue, but he cherished it.
"Aunt Tule, Ramoose_ is very fond of his bed,
I don't think he'd want you to get rid of it…" SeaZ0ne said gently.
"Of course, not. We won't get rid of it, we'll
simply put it in storage," Aunt Tule smiled. "I'm sure he'll like this one much
better."
Aunt Tule was not one to be talked out of something
and this case was no exception. The Eyries put Ramoose_'s old bed in the front
yard and put the new Deserted Fairground Bed in its place. Aunt Tule then excused
the Eyries, who returned to the Furniture Shop.
"Will you be staying with us, then?" SeaZ0ne
asked, peering out a window in the family room. Ramoose_ and Puppy_Trix were
do home anytime now. What would Ramoose_ think of Aunt Tule's gift?
"Just for the night," Aunt Tule said, nodding.
"I trust you have room for me?"
"No," Trini said shortly. How could SeaZ0ne
let Aunt Tule push her around like that? Someone had to set down some rules.
"Nonsense, of course we do. You can sleep…"
SeaZ0ne started
"On the couch," suggested Trini.
"You can sleep in my room, and I'll sleep
on the couch," SeaZone said.
"That's very kind of you, dear. But in the future
perhaps you should think about getting a bigger Neohome?"
"SEAZ0NE! WHAT'S MY BED DOING OUT ON THE LAWN?"
Ramoose_ hollered as he entered the house with Puppy_Trix at his side.
They both stopped in their tracks when they saw
Aunt Tule on the sofa.
"Oh… h-hi Aunt Tule," Ramoose_ mumbled.
"Good to see you," said Puppy_Trix, her normally
cheerful voice flat. "Ramoose_, Aunt Tule has a little birthday present for
you," SeaZ0ne said, getting up from her seat and leading the Tonu to his room.
"It's not so little," Trini said, from behind
them.
"But it's not even my birthday…" Ramoose_ said.
Puppy_Trix gave the Faellie a questioning look,
but Trini shook her head. "You'll see."
Aunt Tule had chosen to stay in the family room,
which SeaZ0ne was thankful for, because at the sight of his bedroom, Ramoose_'s
jaw dropped with shock.
Puppy_Trix, who shared the room with him stared
blankly at it and asked, "What is it?"
"A bed," said SeaZ0ne. "But keep an open mind;
this was a very sweet thing for Aunt Tule to do."
"If this is sweet I'd like to see what she normally
does," Trini said.
Ramoose_, who had remained quiet, stuttered "Why-why'd
she get me a new bed?"
"For your birthday," SeaZ0ne said cautiously.
"It's a belated present."
"But-but I liked the bed I had. I don't want
a new one."
"I know, Ramoose_, but why don't you try it
out. Just for tonight?"
"Okay…" Ramoose_ said hesitantly. "I'll try
it…" The clown seemed to glare at him threateningly, it's bright orange hair
spiked into two cones. The actual bed lay inside the clown's mouth, the jaw
stretched to hold it. There were even fangs above the pillows. Ramoose_ shuddered;
the bed gave him the creeps.
"Let's go back out to the family room, Aunt
Tule's going to spend the night," SeaZ0ne explained. "We'd better be on our
best behavior."
SeaZ0ne led the way, followed by Puppy_Trix and
Trini. Ramoose_ lingered behind a moment, his gaze clinging to the monster in
his room.
"So, does he like it?" Aunt Tule asked, clasping
her hands together. Before waiting for an answer she exclaimed, "I just knew
he would!"
*****
Getting ready for bed that night, all Ramoose_ could think about was the bed
Aunt Tule had gotten him for his birthday and how much he disliked it. Every
time he looked into his room it was staring back at him, daring him to enter
the mouth of the clown.
SeaZ0ne was tucking Puppy_Trix in and from the
bathroom Ramoose_ could hear the Gelert whine, "SeaZ0ne, it's staring at me."
"I know, hun, but we have to be polite to Aunt
Tule," SeaZ0ne said. "That's a very expensive present she got Ramoose_."
"I'm glad she never remembers my birthday,"
Puppy_Trix said, rolling over to go to sleep.
SeaZ0ne chuckled, "Ramoose_? You ready?"
"Yeah…" he said as he trudged into the room,
"I guess so… where's Aunt Tule?"
SeaZ0ne rolled her eyes, "She's in bed. Thank
goodness. Now," she tapped the bed, "I know it's scary looking, but it's a bed
just like any other."
Ramoose_ eyed it warily, but pulled the blue
and orange striped covers aside and got in.
"Alright, that's a good boy. Now get some sleep."
SeaZone gave Ramoose_ a quick kiss on the forehead
and then left the room, shutting the lights off behind her.
"Puppy?" Ramoose_ asked.
"Yeah, Ramoose_?" Puppy_Trix asked, rolling
over to look at Ramoose_ who was lying on his back, staring up at the teeth
above him.
"This bed gives me the heebie-jeebies."
"It's not exactly… inviting," Puppy_Trix agreed.
"What do you think the clown had for dinner?"
Ramoose_ asked.
"A rainbow Tonu," Trini shot from her corner
of the room.
"Shhh!" Puppy_Trix said, furrowing her brow
at Trini. Then she whispered, "Don't put ideas into his head." Turning back
to Ramoose_ she said, "Don't worry about it Ramoose_, once you fall asleep you'll
sleep like a rock. You always do."
"You mean I'll sleep like a tombstone?" Ramoose_
asked, his voice shaky.
"No, that's not what I mean," Puppy_Trix said.
"Just go to sleep. You'll be fine."
A dead silence swept over the room. Trini breathed
heavily as she slept and Puppy_Trix soon fell asleep as well. Ramoose_'s eyelids
grew heavy, and despite the terror that nagged at his mind he had trouble keeping
them open. In due time, he too was asleep…
He was at a carnival. The air was sweet. Popcorn
littered the ground and small Neopets ran about excitedly. It was dark. There
was no moon. Just darkness.
He spotted a clown across the park. It was coming
closer, closer. Its hair was orange and spiked into two cones. Its skin was
green. It was coming closer, closer. It was just a few feet away. A few inches.
It was opening its mouth. Fangs, white fangs. Closer, closer.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" yelled Ramoose_
waking from his nightmare with a start. "AAAAAAH!!!"
Trini quickly flew to Ramoose_'s side and next
to him Puppy_Trix scrambled out of bed.
"Ramoose_! Are you okay?" Puppy_Trix asked.
"It must be the bed," Trini remarked.
The pets heard footsteps running down the hall
as SeaZ0ne rushed to their room. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. "What
happened?"
"It's the stupid bed Aunt Tule gave Ramoose_,"
Trini said, "It's giving him nightmares."
"Is that right, Ramoose_?" SeaZ0ne asked.
Ramoose_ nodded. "Carnival… clown… coming to
eat me…"
"That settles it," SeaZ0ne said matter-of-factly.
"First thing tomorrow morning, this bed goes."
"Tomorrow morn-ning?" Ramoose_ gulped.
"Fine, let's take it out tonight," SeaZ0ne said.
"Come on guys, I need your help."
Together the Tonu, Gelert, and girl, along with
some help from the Faellie, lugged the bed out to the front lawn, where they
in turn carried Ramoose_'s old bed back to his room.
"I don't ever want Aunt Tule to give me another
birthday present," Ramoose_ declared, sitting on his bed.
"She didn't even hear you wake up," said Trini,
motioning to SeaZ0ne's bedroom, where Aunt Tule still slept soundly.
"It may have been expensive, but I say we take
it to the dump," Puppy_Trix chimed in.
"I'm just thankful Aunt Tule leaves tomorrow,"
SeaZ0ne said. "I can't wait to have her out of this Neohome."
The Next Morning…
"Oh, SeaZ0ne, dear, you really should think about getting a bigger
Neohome. I could have sworn I heard something shouting last night," Aunt Tule
said. "Maybe the place is haunted."
"Nah, you must have been hearing things," SeaZ0ne
said dismissively.
Trini laughed. She was out on the front lawn
with SeaZ0ne, Puppy_Trix, and Ramoose_ who were saying good bye to Aunt Tule.
"And Ramoose_, I don't see why you don't like
the bed I got you," Aunt Tule said, looking at the large bed now on the lawn.
"If you like it so much why don't you take it
with you?" Trini suggested.
"Oh, no, that disgusting thing? I couldn't,"
Aunt Tule said.
Trini, SeaZ0ne, Puppy_Trix, and Ramoose_ all
rolled their eyes.
"Well, good bye dears!" Aunt Tule called. "I'm
off!"
SeaZ0ne and her pets watched with joy as Aunt
Tule's figure slowly grew smaller and smaller, until they could no longer see
her. Then they celebrated.
THE END
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