Chapter Two
Didymus turned in his bed. He didn't exactly feel very comfortable
sleeping in a room that had a spell put on it, especially one by the same
person who turned other people into goblin things. And since those people
used to be the head of the school he was now going to attend, that made him
cross towards this. sorcerer, magician, wizard, what ever he was. Didymus
didn't like him.
He had wished they could have gone to the school after the whole ordeal in
Floor 23. But by the time Didymus had got in sight of the Watchtower, the
sun had already started to go to sleep. Add in the time it took getting to
the tower, climbing up all the stairs, listening to Watchman's story, and
then going down a few more stairs to get to the bunks, nighttime was well
underway.
Didymus sighed and sat up in the bed. He couldn't sleep. Usually,
Ambrosius would snore when they slept. "That must be it!" Didymus
whispered. He was so used to Ambrosius' snoring, that it acted like a
lullaby! Didymus leaned under the top bunk he was on and prodded
Ambrosius' snout. The sleeping steed started to snore. Didymus lay back
down, snuggling into the covers happily.
He still couldn't sleep.
He had to go to the bathroom.
Didymus sat up once more, and looked around the room for Watchman.
"Gracious," he said to himself. "This room seems to have gotten bigger
since I went down!" Then it shrank, the bunks pulling closer together.
Didymus began to feel queasy again, and stopped thinking about the size of
the room. Now, he thought, Bathroom.. where did Sir Watchman say that it
was? Suddenly it came to him. Floor 6. And he was on 16! They really
must think about renovations. Didymus thought as he slowly climbed off his
bunk, so as not to wake Ambrosius.
The Hero-To-Be started walking to the door, but as he did it began to get farther and farther away. Didymus tried to run, and he banged into the wall perpendicular to his bed. He was facing the totally opposite direction! Didymus turned around, growling. He squared his feet, and locked his eyes on the door. In his vision the door shook slightly, like it was laughing at him.
"I can conquer this tiny obstacle!" Didymus nearly shouted, more to himself than anybody. "All I must do is outsmart this confounded door!"
Didymus leaped!
So did the door!
Dog and door slammed into each other, the wooden warrior knocking Didymus to the ground. When Didymus looked up, the door, still connected to the wall, was spinning around him. The knob slightly passed his ear.
The door picked up speed.
It spun fast.
Faster!
Faster!
WINDOW! WINDOW! ANY WINDOW IN THIS TOWER! Didymus thought with all his might. Suddenly he saw the night sky and ran toward the opening, thrusting his head out side, letting his stomach do the rest. He didn't wait to see it fall, but came back inside and slumped against the wall.
He was outside the bunkroom on the landing or Floor 16. Didymus shot an exhausted, yet triumphantly prideful sneer at the door.
"I.told.thou I would.reign victorious!" He weakly raised a fisted paw and shook it at the door, then tried to remember where he was going before the room decided to play tricks on him. Ah, yes, the bathroom.
*********
Didymus emerged, feeling refreshed.
"Now, I do wonder why Sir Watchman warned me about going out at night?" Didymus cautiously looked up the stairs behind him, then darted down six flights.
*********
The sand of the desert looked purple, a darker shade than the almost black sky. A few stars shined, casting a bluish light on the expanse of the night dome. It was cool, refreshment from the scathing sun of midday. There were no sounds, but a slight breeze blew sporadically. It was peaceful.
And Didymus liked it.
"See?" He again said to no one. "Watchman dost not know of what he speaks." Didymus closed his eyes and breathed, filling his nostrils with the smells of the night desert.
Didymus liked it.
But someone didn't.
"What are you doing?" that someone yelled. Didymus turned to see Watchman, still carrying his spear and sporting his helmet, yet in his pajamas, bolting down the stairs. "I told you not to go out at night!"
"But, Sir!" Didymus protested. "The night is so sweet and fragrant with many smells that hath not yet graced my snout!"
"The night is also full of spiders."
Didymus laughed. "Spiders? Of what speakest thou? Thou believes a tiny arachnid can defeat Didymus, son of Gallantus, grandson of Mykus, nephew to." Watchman cut him short. "Not tiny spiders, but huge ones."
Didymus' ears pricked. "What?"
Watchman took a step closer. "The desert's full of 'em. At night, only. They're ten feet tall, with the head and arms of a crazed woman, and with claws as long as you are tall. They stalk the night, looking for little buggers like you who can't listen to those who know better!"
By now, Watchman was leaning over a cowering Didymus. The son of Gallantus slowly stood up, cleared his throat, and straightened his whiskers.
"Well," he said. "I have had enough of the night smells. Come, let us return to our beds, and conquer the demon called Sleeplessness." Didymus held his head up high as he marched back to Floor 16.
Watchman smiled as he shook his head. He closed the tower door behind him.
The Hero-To-Be started walking to the door, but as he did it began to get farther and farther away. Didymus tried to run, and he banged into the wall perpendicular to his bed. He was facing the totally opposite direction! Didymus turned around, growling. He squared his feet, and locked his eyes on the door. In his vision the door shook slightly, like it was laughing at him.
"I can conquer this tiny obstacle!" Didymus nearly shouted, more to himself than anybody. "All I must do is outsmart this confounded door!"
Didymus leaped!
So did the door!
Dog and door slammed into each other, the wooden warrior knocking Didymus to the ground. When Didymus looked up, the door, still connected to the wall, was spinning around him. The knob slightly passed his ear.
The door picked up speed.
It spun fast.
Faster!
Faster!
WINDOW! WINDOW! ANY WINDOW IN THIS TOWER! Didymus thought with all his might. Suddenly he saw the night sky and ran toward the opening, thrusting his head out side, letting his stomach do the rest. He didn't wait to see it fall, but came back inside and slumped against the wall.
He was outside the bunkroom on the landing or Floor 16. Didymus shot an exhausted, yet triumphantly prideful sneer at the door.
"I.told.thou I would.reign victorious!" He weakly raised a fisted paw and shook it at the door, then tried to remember where he was going before the room decided to play tricks on him. Ah, yes, the bathroom.
*********
Didymus emerged, feeling refreshed.
"Now, I do wonder why Sir Watchman warned me about going out at night?" Didymus cautiously looked up the stairs behind him, then darted down six flights.
*********
The sand of the desert looked purple, a darker shade than the almost black sky. A few stars shined, casting a bluish light on the expanse of the night dome. It was cool, refreshment from the scathing sun of midday. There were no sounds, but a slight breeze blew sporadically. It was peaceful.
And Didymus liked it.
"See?" He again said to no one. "Watchman dost not know of what he speaks." Didymus closed his eyes and breathed, filling his nostrils with the smells of the night desert.
Didymus liked it.
But someone didn't.
"What are you doing?" that someone yelled. Didymus turned to see Watchman, still carrying his spear and sporting his helmet, yet in his pajamas, bolting down the stairs. "I told you not to go out at night!"
"But, Sir!" Didymus protested. "The night is so sweet and fragrant with many smells that hath not yet graced my snout!"
"The night is also full of spiders."
Didymus laughed. "Spiders? Of what speakest thou? Thou believes a tiny arachnid can defeat Didymus, son of Gallantus, grandson of Mykus, nephew to." Watchman cut him short. "Not tiny spiders, but huge ones."
Didymus' ears pricked. "What?"
Watchman took a step closer. "The desert's full of 'em. At night, only. They're ten feet tall, with the head and arms of a crazed woman, and with claws as long as you are tall. They stalk the night, looking for little buggers like you who can't listen to those who know better!"
By now, Watchman was leaning over a cowering Didymus. The son of Gallantus slowly stood up, cleared his throat, and straightened his whiskers.
"Well," he said. "I have had enough of the night smells. Come, let us return to our beds, and conquer the demon called Sleeplessness." Didymus held his head up high as he marched back to Floor 16.
Watchman smiled as he shook his head. He closed the tower door behind him.