Danny May 2020

Lost

Elves, Cloaks, and Watches

Danny sniffled. He didn't want to cry, he was four now and big boys don't cry. His lip trembled as he looked out from his hiding place under the clothes rack. He couldn't see Mommy or Jazzy anymore. He ducked back under the dresses as lots of big shoes walked by. He had only wanted to pop out and scare Jazzy, but he waited and waited, and she didn't walk by. By the time he checked where she was, he couldn't find her or Mommy! He sniffed again and swiped his arm across his face. He was a big boy, but he was still scared.

"Jazzy?" he whispered, hoping that she would hear him and pop out of one of the other racks. Maybe she was hiding too? "Mommy?" he tried. Mommy wouldn't hide in clothes to scare him. His tummy let out a loud growl, it was lunch time now.

A pair of shoes came to a stop right next to where Danny was hiding. He hugged his knees and tried to be very small. The dresses were parted and a strange grown up was kneeling in front of him. The grownup was really old, he had lots of lines on his face and his hair was all white!

"Are you lost little one?" the old stranger asked.

Danny couldn't speak to the stranger, but he was lost, so he nodded tearfully. The stranger offered his hand to Danny to help him out of the clothes. His hand was long and wrinkly.

Danny forgot the 'Don't talk to strangers' rule just as quickly as he had remembered it when he blurted out, "Wow! You have a lot of watches!"

The old man smiled and asked, "Do you like them?"

Danny scuffed his foot shyly, "They're really cool, but I can't tell time with hands yet."

Now that Danny was out of his hiding place, the stranger stood back up. Even with his back bent, he was still really tall! Danny then noticed the cool cape his rescuer was wearing.

"Whoa! You have a cape!" he said.

The stranger chuckled, "It's more of a cloak, but it is pretty nice."

The man offered Danny his hand and said, "Come little one, let's go find your mother and sister. I'm sure that they are worried about you."

The man led Danny up to the customer service desk and told him, "Go ahead and tell them your name and who you're looking for, they will help you find your family." The man then took off one of his many watches and placed it in Danny's hand. He gently closed Danny's fingers over it and said, "You may keep this so that you know that you aren't alone, even if you are scared or lost." He winked and gave the child a small push towards the help desk, "Go on, I'll be watching."

Danny turned back and gave the man's leg a hug before running up to the desk. The lady didn't see him so he had to speak up, "Excuse me, I lost my Mommy and Jazzy and I can't find them."

The lady at the desk peered over the counter at Danny and smiled, "Don't you worry, we'll call them over the intercom so that they know where to find you. What's your name?"

"Danny and Mommy's name is Maddie, she's wearing a pink shirt."

The attendant then pulled up the phone to call out over the speakers, Danny stood on his tiptoes so that he could watch.

"Would Maddie in the pink shirt and Jazzy please come to the customer service desk, Danny is waiting for you." rang out through the store.

The speaker system popped as she put the phone back on its hook.

"There you go, they should be here for you any minute now." she said with a smile.

Not even a full minute passed before Jazz came running up yelling, "Danny!" She grabbed him up in a hug and spun around with him. They were both laughing they were so happy to see each other again.

His mother came sprinting up next, "Danny! I was so worried when Jazz said you weren't with us anymore!" She lifted both of her children up in a hug.

The help desk attendant said, "He was very grown up! He came up to the desk all by himself and asked for help."

Danny knew that wasn't all the truth, "A nice man helped me! He showed me where to go!"

"What did he look like?" Jazz asked.

"He was reeaaally tall and old. His hair was all white and he had a lot of watches! He had a cool cloak on and his eyes were red and his skin was really light and his ears were pointy! Jazzy do you think he was an elf? He had a scar over his eye, maybe he got it fighting orcs when they fought Sauron!"

"Elves aren't real Danny. Everyone knows that." Jazz stated and crossed her arms. Maddie let her children back down to the floor and her eyes met the attendant's, Orcs and Elves may not be real, but this was Amity Park, and the cults were definitely real. "Alright kids, let's not fight about elves right now, and Danny I'm really proud that you came and got help when you needed it." She took both of their little hands this time thanked the attendant for her help, "Thank you so much for helping us find Danny, we were very worried when we lost him."

"It was my pleasure." she replied.

Maddie began to both Jazz and Danny towards the checkout aisles where she had left her cart of clothes and groceries. "I'm so glad you're alright Danny, please don't run off like that again." Once she had the cart again she added, "And please try not to talk to strangers, I don't want someone to see a cute little boy and take you."

Danny pouted, "I'm not a little boy, I'm a big boy!"

His mother chuckled, glad that he hadn't suffered for his brief adventure, "Alright, you're right. You're a big boy Sweetie."

Danny crossed his arms, he was a big boy! He looked at the watch he was still holding in his hand. Nobody had asked him about it. It had a blue face and little hands pointing to the numbers. He turned it over and on the back were some letters. He recognized these, 'C' and 'W'. He put the watch into his pocket, it made him feel safer and more grown up now that he had it.

He turned back to look at the store as they walked out. A swish of purple caught his eye and he waved at the helpful elf-man that saved him when he was lost. The stranger waved back and when Danny blinked, he was gone. His belly growled again, even louder this time, and his little adventure was already out of mind. He hoped they could stop for lunch on the way home, he didn't like it when the food tried to attack him. Jazzy was good at saving him from scary lunches.