Beginning of a Nightmare
Kanon swore. The rain was apon her, and she was still 10 minuets away from Meria. "Typical," she said to her companion, "I wonder what else can go wrong on this trip."
She began to wonder what the mysterious business Ashley had told her about was. When he contacted her via the communicator all he said was to come to Meria on August 10th by 9:30 AM. Since she hadn't seen Ashley—or any of her friends for that matter—since the memorial 6 years ago, she was more than happy to oblige.
Finally, she reached the town. Since she was a day early—and night had fallen—she rented a room at the Inn. Kanon dried her hair, hung up her clothes, and finally she and her companion went to bed.
The next day, Kanon went to the Bakery and rang the bell. She then heard 2 pairs of little feet running to the door accompanied by childish giggling. When the door was open she saw 2 six year olds—a brown hared blue eyed boy and a blue hared brown eyed girl—watching her. Both were wearing black pants and brown boots. The boy was wearing a red handkerchief on his neck and blue button down shirt, while his sister had a blue handkerchief on her neck and a pink button down shirt.
"Hello, is your daddy home?" asked Kanon.
"D-aad some lady wants to see you!" screamed the boy.
Ashley came downstairs dressed in a tuxedo and tie. "Irving, no yelling in the house," he told his son. To Kanon he said, "Oh good, now everyone's here."
They went upstairs where the other 4 were. Irving and his sister Altaecia followed suit. When they got to the living quarters, Kanon saw the rest of her friends milling about, and Marina in a beautiful party dress.
"I suppose you're all wondering why you're here," said Ashley. "Well, Marina and I were invited to a party at Meria Castle. Unfortunately, it's an adult only party. So we need you to watch the kids for us. We'll be gone from 10 AM to 2 in the morning. You can take turns watching the kids and still have several breaks each."
"Well," said Lilka, "I'm sure Irving and Altaecia will be no trouble at all." When the kids began to frown, she asked, "What did I do?"
Ashley replied, "The kids don't like us using their full names. Marina and I just call them Irv and Alley."
Marivel went up to the kids and said, "Well hello then Irv and Alley, I'm sure we'll have fun together."
"Oh yes, we'll have fun Aunt Marivel," replied Irv.
"Yeah, but I don't think they will," whispered Alley to her brother.
Ashley and Marina turned to leave. "Ciao kids, we'll be home tomorrow," called Marina.
"Be good for Uncles Brad and Tim and Aunts Lilka, Kanon, and Marivel," added Ashley. Then, they left the bakery on their way for the party.
(10:00 AM)
"Alright now has everyone already eaten breakfast," said Kanon who was in no mood to cook. She did have the ability, but making 2 more breakfasts wasn't her idea of fun.
"Yes," said the twins in unison. "Mommy and daddy said we could play after breakfast," said Alley.
Tim asked, "What do you want to play?"
The twins looked at each other. "Tea Party," they said.
Alley went downstairs to prepare the tea. Irv ran right to the storage room for some crumpets. The others sat around and waited.
(10:15 AM)
"It's done," chorused the twins from the dining room. That was the signal for their sitters to come in. Slowly the 5 filed into the room and took their seats. The tea was poured, and the party began.
It was shortly after her first glass that Kanon noticed something wrong. Irv and Alley hadn't so much as touched their tea let alone drink it. They had eaten their crumpets, yes, but why didn't they want their tea.
Her answer came all to quickly. Kanon began to feel faint, like she was gonna throw up. Her eyes got heavy and she fought to keep them open. A quick scan of the table revealed the others looked the same way.
"What was in this tea?" asked Brad.
Alley smirked. "Oh just some salt, pepper, lemon, basil, garlic, a touch of beer to make it look brown, and those tablets mommy uses when she can't get to sleep."
Kanon nearly puked, but she managed to hold it in. It was in that instant that the world went dark, and she fainted across the table.
(11:15 AM)
Kanon awoke to the sound of drums. As she looked around, she realized she—as well as her friends—was tied to a tree. The others were just stirring themselves, and were no less surprised as Kanon.
Before they could ask each other what was going on, Irv and Alley came up to the tree. Everyone had to keep from gasping at their appearances. Both had taken off their shirts, and put on brown pants. Feathered headbands adorned their foreheads.
"Time for pow-wow," said Irv, "with heap big sacrifice to Guardians."
Kanon groaned. They were into ancient Baskar Indian culture. Raftina knows she had read enough of those storybooks recently. As the kids danced around the tree, she began to wonder how to get free.
Tim solved their dilemma. Being from Baskar, he knew the ancient culture well. "Along with sacrifice, you require heap big meal. Let friends and me go, and we'll cook um one."
The twins deliberated this. Finally they said, "Ok," and undid the ropes.
(11:30 AM)
"Finally out," said Brad. "But now we've got to cook."
Lilka sighed, "We'd've had to make lunch anyway, so why not play along with them."
Marivel groaned. "This is too much. I'm gonna take a nap.'
"Desert us," said Kanon, "are you nuts?"
"You'll see," replied Marivel, "you'll see."
Kanon swore. The rain was apon her, and she was still 10 minuets away from Meria. "Typical," she said to her companion, "I wonder what else can go wrong on this trip."
She began to wonder what the mysterious business Ashley had told her about was. When he contacted her via the communicator all he said was to come to Meria on August 10th by 9:30 AM. Since she hadn't seen Ashley—or any of her friends for that matter—since the memorial 6 years ago, she was more than happy to oblige.
Finally, she reached the town. Since she was a day early—and night had fallen—she rented a room at the Inn. Kanon dried her hair, hung up her clothes, and finally she and her companion went to bed.
The next day, Kanon went to the Bakery and rang the bell. She then heard 2 pairs of little feet running to the door accompanied by childish giggling. When the door was open she saw 2 six year olds—a brown hared blue eyed boy and a blue hared brown eyed girl—watching her. Both were wearing black pants and brown boots. The boy was wearing a red handkerchief on his neck and blue button down shirt, while his sister had a blue handkerchief on her neck and a pink button down shirt.
"Hello, is your daddy home?" asked Kanon.
"D-aad some lady wants to see you!" screamed the boy.
Ashley came downstairs dressed in a tuxedo and tie. "Irving, no yelling in the house," he told his son. To Kanon he said, "Oh good, now everyone's here."
They went upstairs where the other 4 were. Irving and his sister Altaecia followed suit. When they got to the living quarters, Kanon saw the rest of her friends milling about, and Marina in a beautiful party dress.
"I suppose you're all wondering why you're here," said Ashley. "Well, Marina and I were invited to a party at Meria Castle. Unfortunately, it's an adult only party. So we need you to watch the kids for us. We'll be gone from 10 AM to 2 in the morning. You can take turns watching the kids and still have several breaks each."
"Well," said Lilka, "I'm sure Irving and Altaecia will be no trouble at all." When the kids began to frown, she asked, "What did I do?"
Ashley replied, "The kids don't like us using their full names. Marina and I just call them Irv and Alley."
Marivel went up to the kids and said, "Well hello then Irv and Alley, I'm sure we'll have fun together."
"Oh yes, we'll have fun Aunt Marivel," replied Irv.
"Yeah, but I don't think they will," whispered Alley to her brother.
Ashley and Marina turned to leave. "Ciao kids, we'll be home tomorrow," called Marina.
"Be good for Uncles Brad and Tim and Aunts Lilka, Kanon, and Marivel," added Ashley. Then, they left the bakery on their way for the party.
(10:00 AM)
"Alright now has everyone already eaten breakfast," said Kanon who was in no mood to cook. She did have the ability, but making 2 more breakfasts wasn't her idea of fun.
"Yes," said the twins in unison. "Mommy and daddy said we could play after breakfast," said Alley.
Tim asked, "What do you want to play?"
The twins looked at each other. "Tea Party," they said.
Alley went downstairs to prepare the tea. Irv ran right to the storage room for some crumpets. The others sat around and waited.
(10:15 AM)
"It's done," chorused the twins from the dining room. That was the signal for their sitters to come in. Slowly the 5 filed into the room and took their seats. The tea was poured, and the party began.
It was shortly after her first glass that Kanon noticed something wrong. Irv and Alley hadn't so much as touched their tea let alone drink it. They had eaten their crumpets, yes, but why didn't they want their tea.
Her answer came all to quickly. Kanon began to feel faint, like she was gonna throw up. Her eyes got heavy and she fought to keep them open. A quick scan of the table revealed the others looked the same way.
"What was in this tea?" asked Brad.
Alley smirked. "Oh just some salt, pepper, lemon, basil, garlic, a touch of beer to make it look brown, and those tablets mommy uses when she can't get to sleep."
Kanon nearly puked, but she managed to hold it in. It was in that instant that the world went dark, and she fainted across the table.
(11:15 AM)
Kanon awoke to the sound of drums. As she looked around, she realized she—as well as her friends—was tied to a tree. The others were just stirring themselves, and were no less surprised as Kanon.
Before they could ask each other what was going on, Irv and Alley came up to the tree. Everyone had to keep from gasping at their appearances. Both had taken off their shirts, and put on brown pants. Feathered headbands adorned their foreheads.
"Time for pow-wow," said Irv, "with heap big sacrifice to Guardians."
Kanon groaned. They were into ancient Baskar Indian culture. Raftina knows she had read enough of those storybooks recently. As the kids danced around the tree, she began to wonder how to get free.
Tim solved their dilemma. Being from Baskar, he knew the ancient culture well. "Along with sacrifice, you require heap big meal. Let friends and me go, and we'll cook um one."
The twins deliberated this. Finally they said, "Ok," and undid the ropes.
(11:30 AM)
"Finally out," said Brad. "But now we've got to cook."
Lilka sighed, "We'd've had to make lunch anyway, so why not play along with them."
Marivel groaned. "This is too much. I'm gonna take a nap.'
"Desert us," said Kanon, "are you nuts?"
"You'll see," replied Marivel, "you'll see."
