" Hello Robbie".
I slunk up behind him while he was still in his chair.
Robbie grasped onto the armrests mightily in his shock.
" Oh it's you. For a moment I thought you were- oh never mind. Where on earth have you been? Out dancing again?"
" No I haven't gone anywhere. I've been right here the whole time. I've been keeping an eye on you."
"You mean you've been watching me?!" Robbie shrieked, tore off his blankets and squirmed fiercely out of his chair.
" Oh you make it sound as if it's a bad thing. I haven't just been watching you, I've been watching over you. There's a big difference. Besides I've always looked out for you and I always will".
"Well...there's no need to bother. I don't need anybody to look out for me. I certainly don't need anybody's help especially yours".
" Of course you don't. You're far too independent. Besides who said I was helping?"
" Dont try to confuse me.If you've been here the whole time why haven't seen you and why haven't I heard from you?"
" You see me now and you hear me now. What matters is I'm here with you at this very moment.
I'm real, I'm alive and I can be here forever if you wished".
I placed my hands in his.
"No you can't be!
You're nothing but a toy. Oh leave me alone!"
" You can't mean that".
" Oh yes I can. I mean it! Now go away!"
"Where shall I go?"
"Someplace else. Go back to your box. Go to Timbuktu for all I care! Just as long as you leave me alone."
"So I can go wherever I like?" I smiled at this.
"Yes wherever your heart desires now beat it!"
" I wish I had that in writing but I will take you at your word but no Robbie I don't think I'm going to leave just yet. You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you? Besides I think you'd much prefer that I stayed am I right?"
" I'd much prefer to be left alone".
Robbie pulled the blankets over his face and moaned.
" Yes I've noticed you do so much better on your own Robbie. Why when you're alone you are at your strongest. You are at your absolute best when you're alone. You are far stronger and more powerful when you're on your own. Lonliness suits you so well".
"Powerful? I'm powerful?"
Robbie curled the blankets down from his face and gulped slightly on the words.
"Of course Robbie. You're even more powerful than Sportacus".
"I am? Why of course I am. Wait. How can that be? Sportacus is so strong and muscular and I'm kind of on the whimpy side. As far as muscles go they're too puny to be of any use."
" Strength isn't about muscle. Strength is about power. Strength is what's inside of you. You have your mind, you have your magic, and you have your freedom.
You are free from all the things that bound Sportacus in chains. He's a slave to exercise. You are a slave to no one. You have so many other advantages over that blue clown. You are taller, you are far better looking, far better dressed and you have powers far superior his own. You know this. You had the power to bring me to life. Can Sportacus bring things to life?"
" No, you're right he can't. You know me so well. Oh I suppose you can stay but don't make too much noise. Lucy is sleeping."
" Oh I won't. I can be quiet don't you worry. How do you know she's sleeping. She could be wide awake and you would never know. Think about it Robbie, she's in a strange new environment, in strange place she's never been before don't you think she'd have a little trouble getting to sleep?"
"Ughh! Who cares?!"
" You should care. You're the one who wanted her here. Afterall weren't you the one who wanted more than anything to insure her stay here to be as comfortable as possible?"
" Yes alright alright Yes it was I Robbie Rotten. Why do you care? She's not your guest, She's mine and nobody else's. I'm not about to barge into her room just to check and see if she's still sleeping. What if she's actually asleep? What if I wake her up? Honestly I'm not that weird.
"I wasn't suggesting you barge into anywhere especially into her room. So it's her room now is it?"
" Well technically its mine. Yes it is my room and I'm just letting her use it. It's just for a few nights. It's not like it will be forever".
I knew his heart. Forever was a word he used when he was particularly passionate about something. If she chose to stay forever he wouldn't argue. She'd never stay forever anyway. She was the restless type. How did he know she would only a few nights? He had already decided that he was going to let her stay as long as she wanted to. Whatever she wished he would be sure to grant it for her. Why doesn't he stand up to her? This isn't her house, it's his.
" Forever is a long time. I highly doubt she will stay forever. She has a job, she has a life of her own and im sure she has certain responsibilities. She is the sensible type, the type that always does what's right. You must remember and never forget that this is is your house.This is your lair and this lair belongs to you and nobody else. Nobody can take it from you".
" Meaning what exactly?"
" Meaning you're in charge."
" In charge of what?"
" In charge of everything. You've always been your own boss. This is no different. Be that boss. Show her how how well you manage on your own. Show her your strength. Prove to her that your not some sissy that lives in a cave"
" Hey! I'm no sissy and I do not live in a cave. I live in a underground batchelor pad."
" Good. Then you're not afraid of anything are you?"
" I fear nothing!" Robbie roared.
" Excellent. You have a job to do Robbie and that's to make her comfortable. So you go right up to that door ever since quietly and stealthily of course and you check on her. If she's asleep she won't even know you were there. If she's awake you know how handle her. You have history together. She probably be happy to see you anyway. Remember you regret nothing, you fear nothing. You are the strongest villain in your lair. Be the villain of your dreams".
" You're right. I am the strongest and fastest and the greatest villain in all my lair. I'm going. I'll just check up on her real quick, I'll open the door, look in then run back here. Well I won't be running but I'll hurry you know. Finally when I'm all done I can go back to sleep in peace right?"
" Correct. You really are so clever Robbie. I'm sure you'll make best host ever".
I assured him but I didn't really mean it.
" I'm not just the boss I'm the host as well. I am so cool! Yes I am genius. Okay, okay I'm going, I'm going. Don't go away."
I wouldn't be going anywhere at least not yet. I could feel the magic within me grow. Now I could go anywhere I wanted. Silly Robbie,the only reason I told him to go check on that girl was so I could search for the lamp. It is no ordinary lamp as you probably already know. It is a magic lamp with a genie inside. That genie is the key to my mortality. I don't want to be immortal. Even Robbie isn't immortal. He may be invincible but he can't live forever. I want to live as he does. I want to live and breathe, sweat,cry, and bleed like a human does. I want to have a actual heartbeat. O didn't have much time. The magic that brought me to life in the first would soon expire. Though Robbie's magic is powerful, Robbie did not comprehend the magnitude of such power. He didn't know how to properly wield it , so the magic would wear off every night. I had to find that lamp before the magic ran out. If he had the power to grant me life he had the power to grant me mortality if he wished but he didn't have the training. I could persuade him and could appeal to his ego quite well but even if he had all the confidence in the world he still would lack control. I could teach him to use his powers but I lacked the training as well. All these options took too much time. Time was not something that was on my side at the moment. I needed to find that lamp before he returned. Robbie was very easily distracted so maybe I had 15 minutes, maybe 30 is I was lucky. If I was a magic lamp where would I be?
That tactic isn't going to work. If I were Robbie where would I put it?
I'd stuff it in a drawer, throw it in a closet, shove it in a vault. I would put it somewhere I wouldn't trip on it. Someplace out of sight. Sportacus had it at one point. Could he have taken it with him? No,if Sportacus had a magic lamp he would have given it away. He would have given it to one of those meddlesome children. If that was the case then that meant I was wasting my time looking for it in here. Any one of those kids could have taken it with them when they left Lazy Town.
They would have used all the wishes by now. It could be in a pawn shop by now. It could be anywhere by now. Calm Down Rottenella. There is a possibility that the lamp was left behind. I still couldn't find it. I already looked in a few drawers. The blue vault of his was no doubt stuffed to the gills. Anyone of his closest are probably piled high with all his junk. I didn't have time for this. The lamp was most likely on the surface.
How was I supposed to get to the surface? Robbie said I could so I shall. He said I could go anywhere. Maybe the magic would last a little longer.
I was a cunning little creature and I would find a way of sneaking out Meanwhile Robbie was coming.
He would be returning any moment now.
Tomorrow night I would go for a stroll, a night stroll outside. He could come if he liked. However if he follows me I will have to distract him again. Lucy is a excellent distraction. How can use her to my advantage? I'll just tell I heard her calling out to him and then he'll go running to her side for sure. Things maybe looking up afterall. Things maybe finally going my way.