Chapter One
He watched as his son slept. His mind traveling off to a far off place, to years ago when he had been charged with a duty that had seemed impossible to him. When the Will had found him, and turned his life upside down.
"Arthur, it's getting late"
"Coming Leaf" Arthur bellowed and returned his gaze to his boy, Artemis. Artemis would start school tomorrow. Monday. It sent shivers down Arthur's spine; he would be starting at the same school Arthur had attended on that day that seemed so long ago. Monday. That was when his troubles began. But now nearly twenty years after defeating the Morrow Days with Dame Primus his Steward for all seven keys. Arthur had lived a separate life from the house, had gone to school, gotten married, and had bought a house, all in his own hometown. But Arthur was restless. He had received a phone call today, not just any phone call but that familiar jangling ring of the phone in the red lacquered phone box. He hadn't answered it, but he knew what it meant. When Arthur had recovered the first key he had requested six to seven years of peace before assuming full and total rule. But more than that had passed since then, without any call from Dame Primus. He doubted the call was for a cup of tea. No, that was his summons back to the House. To reign as Master of the epicenter of the Universe. And he would leave tomorrow. Leaving his family, Leaf, and Artemis forever. He left his son to his slumber and went down the hall to his room. He pulled on his favorite blue flannel and slid under the covers. A moment later the lights in the bathroom went out and Leaf walked in, wearing an overgrown black nightshirt. His. Arthur shut his eyes tight and attempted to feign sleep.
"Arthur, I know you aren't asleep"
Arthur groaned and rolled over squinting into the darkness he reached over and turned on the lamp. "You got me" he sighed. His eyes adjusted and focused on Leaf. "You've taken the scissors to your hair again haven't you" he gestured to her choppy bleached blond locks.
Leaf rolled her eyes. "Yes." She snapped and got into bed.
"If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times to go see a stylist"
"I don't like the idea of putting foreign chemicals in my hair" said the environmentalist.
"There are botanical treatments," Arthur pressed. "Oh! --- Never mind that." Arthur grumbled.
"You have to leave don't you?" Leaf made a lucky guess.
Arthur had silently hoped to just slip out without anyone noticing but his straightforward wife wasn't going to simply allow that. "Yes, I got a call today. I'm leaving tomorrow."
"I'll miss you" Leaf squeaked.
"Me too," Arthur replied patting her head he looked into her eyes and his heart sank. He knew that look. "Oh, come on." He groaned. "I've got a long day tomorrow, an eternity if you will and I need my sleep"
"Please?" Leaf pleaded her eye glittering with excitement. "One last time," she whispered. "Like nature intended"
"Alright"
Outside on a grassy hill
"Can we go inside now?" Arthur asked, rubbing his hands together. The night air was chilly. "I said ' Can we go inside now,'" Arthur repeated, but Leaf wasn't listening to him, she was gazing up at the stars and rattling on about constellations and what not. On any other night Arthur wouldn't have minded, he found the stars rather interesting and on occasion Artemis would sit on the hill with them. But he had to head for the House tomorrow and he was very tired. "It's cold" Arthur said of the early spring air. The snow was still melting.
"You've always been a baby Arthur" Leaf retorted, but not unkindly.
"Wah wah" Arthur imitated. "It's cold and I want to go inside, baby or not"
"Just wait a minute"
Arthur glanced down at his watch, still running backwards cause he kept forgetting to change it. He worked the hours out in his head and realized it was eleven o'clock, well on route to twelve. Twelve on Monday morning. He prayed that Artemis wouldn't encounter the sort of trouble he had that Monday so long ago.
"What do I tell the family," Leaf muttered.
"What we planned to" he said. Long ago Leaf and Arthur had discussed the story that would be told to their families when he had to leave.
"I don't know if the drowning thing will work," Leaf replied.
"I got electrocuted then,"
"No, no, maybe you left me and Artemis"
"No! I don't want my family thinking I'm some sort of dead beat," Arthur protested.
Leaf was silent for a minute and then, "well, okay we were on a picnic at the lake and you fell in and drowned" she concluded.
Arthur nodded his agreement.
"What do I tell Artemis?"
Arthur muttered angrily. "Nothing's ever simple." He pondered for a moment. "Just tell him the story." Arthur concluded. "If he doesn't believe well, but I can't think of anything to tell him. You know he's awfully sharp"
Leaf bobbed her head up and down. "Alright, I suppose we could go inside now"
"Oh no you don't" Arthur said rising and clasping her hand, I have things to take care of"
"Like what?" Leaf inquired.
Arthur smiled. "You. One last time like nature intended" he repeated.
"In nature" Leaf confirmed.
"Alright!" Arthur chuckled, hardly unable to believe what he was agreeing to. "The bush over there or—"
"Couldn't you conjure someplace out of nothing?"
"I could" Arthur beamed. He still had residual power he thought hard and in a flash, the couple gazing at the stars on the hill was gone.