room a ceiling fan turned, circulating thick, humid air. Empty
room-service dessert plates, once laiden with whipped cream and
souffle, rested on a silver tray in the corner. Sally sat up,
wide awake in the wrought iron bed. She gazed toward the window.
Such a beautiful place. It was amazing, and beyond romantic.
Before long however, she felt her mind wandering...wandering back
home...the babies.
"Worried mommy?", Jack whispered. Sally lay back into his
arms. She shrugged.
"A bit. Jack? Do you think Harlequinne will remember to
warm up the bottles? They can be very fussy about taking bottles anyway, and
if they're cold..."
"Don't worry about that love. I'm sure the bottles will
be warm. Who would give a baby a cold bottle after all? It
would upset their tummies. No, I'm sure he warmed them. but
not too much, hot would be bad too." Jack's voice trailed off.
He frowned for the first time since their arrival. It had been a
magnificent trip thus far, although they had only arrived several
hours before. Jack kissed his queen. He rose from the bed and
went to the window.
"The sun will be up soon. I had better draw the curtains.
Truly, I had hoped we could walk in the moonlight on the beach
before dawn, but it seems time got away from us." He smiled
back at his queen while sliding the curtains. Sally giggled
despite her anxiety. She knelt, taking Jack by the hand.
"Well, the sun will go down and then we can take a long
walk. I would like to touch the water again.", she said. Jack
returned to the bed.
Sally rolled onto her stomach.
"Do you think our babies wonder where we are Jack?
What if they're scared or think they've been left for good? Our
sons have such personalities already. They are very different.
Little Jack is already growling and lurking. He will be
terrifying Jack, right by your side. Nicholas is so smart, you
can see him thinking things over, working them out. Together,
well...those humans don't know what is in store for them."
Jack laughed. The couple slipped into a wistful silence. Sally
felt a cold, deep, gnawing inside her. Something sharp and
determined.
"I'm feeling something, Darling.", she said, closing her
eyes. "Something sad and lonely...a little scared." Jack said
nothing. He touched her shoulder. Sally had senses he didn't
understand. Some might have dismissed her as being filled with
simple maternal worry, and maybe that was it, but he had
learned long ago that she knew things he couldn't. Still, Sally
fell asleep, her arms crossed over her chest as if she were
holding the twins against her. So many nights interrupted by
their wails had made it second nature. Jack sighed deeply. Yes,
it was a wonderful place and they had wanted to get away, but...
Fishgal stood over the crib staring down at
two irate little
princes. They scowled as hard as their tiny little skulls could,
and Jack Jr. even attempted some threating moans and screeches.
If she left their sight, the cries would rise and echo off the
walls. Nothing could make them sleep. She tried a lullabye,
apparently that was their routine, but they wriggled and kicked
and whimpered as if her singing was causing pain.
"I might not be as good as your mother, but
there's no
reason to be so critical!", she scolded. Now it was a battle
of wills. Zero looked up from the corner of the nursery where
he
had been sleeping. Even he seemed to feel Fishgal was in over
her head. Still, he had a feeling in his spectral canine skull
that all would be well. Fishgal rubbed her eyes. Exhausted.
She crumpled down on the floor next to the crib. Screaming
ensued on cue. Just as she was standing up to try again, she
felt an icy chill blow through the room. She looked toward the
doorway and jumped in shock.
Soon the sun would set in a blaze of red and
gold. Jack
yawned, sitting at the small writing table. The ceiling fan spun
on, threads of ghostly mist winding around the blades. He would
wake Sally soon, then they could have some dinner and walk
peacefully on the beach. Well, he hoped it would be
peaceful, that was hard to tell. The king turned towards the
bed. The
weather was warm compared to back in Halloweentown. Where
usually they slept covered in layers of luxorious satin and down
quilts, here a thin cotton sheet was more than adequate. Jack
gently peeled back the corned of the sheet, his heart full.
There, nestled against his Sally were two content baby
monsters.
