Stories of an Imaginary Werewolf
by LDEJRuff
Story three: Bosque
Time had passed, and finally, time had come for the Creator Reunion Picnic. The Valerosa brothers were getting ready for the big day. Leonardo is now wearing a necklace with black beads, and a skull charm that looked like Eudardo's belt buckle, and a blue arm band with red adornments.
However, they're not the only ones in the bedroom getting ready. A tall, red, imaginary friend with a stubby right arm and a wobbly right eye, with stitched parts of his head and stitches on his stubby limb, as well as a blue number one on his chest, white tennis shoes, and tube socks, was feeling a little worried, and he was sitting on the bottom bunk of the bed.
Both the brothers addressed the tall friend. "Wilt?"
The tall friend, Wilt, got their attention. "Oh. Hey, Leo. Hi, Ed," he said to them.
"¿Qué pasa, Wilt?" Eduardo asked him. "Parece que te está deprimida."
"Sì, si guarda come se fossi depresso," Leonardo replied.
"No, I'm not depressed," Wilt replied back. "Is that okay?"
"Perché me lo chiedo sempre, se va bene?" Leonardo asked.
"Why I always ask if it's okay is of little consequence," Wilt said, sounding irritated, although not angry. "Sorry."
"Oh," both brothers said in unison.
"But don't worry," Wilt said. "It's cool. I'm sure my creator will come."
"We never met your creator," Leonardo said.
"¿Cuál es su creador como?" Eduardo asked.
"He's kind of like me," Wilt answered. "And I hope he does come this time," Wilt though to himself. "Five years ago, he didn't, and hasn't since I came here." "But I am sure that your creator will come." Wilt said, aloud. "I wonder what'd become of Nina?"
"E 'stato tre anni," Leonardo said. "I'm sure she'd appreciate the presenta you gave me since I came."
"I'm sure she would," Wilt replied, "if it's okay with her."
The day of the picnic came. The front yard was full of creators of the imaginary friends that live there, as well as their creations. The only ones whose creators have not arrived yet are Wilt, Leonardo, and Eduardo. And they were still busy giving some refreshments to the other imaginary friends and their creators.
"Aquí tienes, Bradley," Eduardo said, giving a kid with the robotic imaginary friend his drink.
"Thank you," the kid said.
"Ed ecco alcuni succhi di frutta per te," Leonardo said, delivering the imaginary friend his drink.
"Grazie, Leonardo," the imaginary friend replied.
Wilt was giving drinks to the house founder, Madame Foster, and her imaginary friend, Mr. Herriman, who is a giant rabbit wearing an Edwardian-style outfit with a monocle.
"Thank you, Master Wilt," Mr. Herriman said.
"Yes, thanks," Madame Foster said.
"You're both welcome," Wilt replied
As the picnic was going on, a police car was coming in on the gate path. Out of the car came Nina Valerosa, now an eleven-year-old girl, and wearing a junior police outfit. The person who drove the police car was her father, now a police officer.
"Gracias, Papi," Nina said to him.
"De nada, Nina," her father replied. "I'll see you after a fin de semana largo."
"¡Sí!" Nina replied back.
As her father drove away, Nina skipped along the pathway to find her friends. And, at last, she found them.
"Leonardo! Eduardo!" She shouted, getting their attention.
"Nina!" Both brothers replied back.
Soon, all three gathered for a hug.
"Che cosa sei vestito come, Nina?" Leonardo asked, pointing out her junior uniform.
"¿Sí, qué te has puesto, Nina?" Eduardo asked.
"Oh, this?" Nina asked about her uniform. "This is my junior police outfit. I'm currently at police training camp for little police officers. And I'm training to be una oficiala de policía myself. It's because of ustedes dos that I'm training for it."
"Cláro!" Eduardo said. "I'm glad that you're now training to become a police officer."
"Sí," Nina replied. "And what are you wearing, Leonardo?"
"I'm wearing a collana and an arm band that Wilt made for me."
"Well, did you thank Wilt for it?" Nina asked. "If you haven't, I might write a pretend ticket."
"I thanked him for it," Leonardo answered.
"Bueno," Nina said, relieved. "¿Speaking of Wilt, dónde está?"
The imaginary friend in question arrived. "Hey, Nina," he said. "Good to see you again. Do you want any juice?" He asked, offering her a glass.
"I'd write a pretend ticket for coming up behind me like that, Wilt," Nina said, "but I'll have some. Gracias, Wilt."
"You're welcome, Nina," Wilt replied.
"Anyway, where is your creator?" Nina asked.
"Oh, Jordie?" Wilt said, still worried. "He's, uh…He isn't here yet. But I know that he will be." "I hope," Wilt thought, adding to his sentence.
It was still the afternoon. The picnic was over, and the creators and imaginary friends once again parted. However, one creator still hasn't come—Wilt's, and Nina was still at Foster's for an entire weekend. She was comforting Wilt in the bedroom.
"Sorry he didn't come, Wilt," Nina said.
"It's okay," Wilt replied. "I hope he'll come in the next five years."
"I hope so, tambien," Nina replied.
"Master Wilt! Master Wilt!" Mr. Herriman called from the foyer on the megaphone, getting Wilt's attention. "Your presence is requested in the foyer. There are a couple gentlemen, and an imaginary friend they found, who are in need of a tour."
Wilt and Nina weren't the only ones in the bedroom. Leonardo and Eduardo were in the room, too. "Excuse me, guys," Wilt said to them. "I need to give a tour," he continued, walking out of the room.
"So, Nina," Leonardo said, "What do you think of the bedroom Ed and I are staying in?"
"It's good," Nina commented. "The bunk beds are all right, and the window is okay, too."
"Glad to hear it," Eduardo said, delighted.
"Me too," Leonardo added. However, right after he said it, he started to look really strange.
"Leonardo?" Nina said, confused.
"¿Hermano mayor?" Eduardo said, also confused.
"¿Qué pasa?" both asked.
"I hear something," Leonardo answered. "It sounds like someone, or something, is in trouble."
"Who?" Nina and Eduardo asked.
"There's nobody in the house that needs help, except for un amigo imaginario in need of a tour," Nina said.
"Not here in the house, Nina," Leonardo said, disagreeing. "Somewhere else. And I think it's coming from…" Leonardo cupped an ear to hear more of the distress. "Outside!" Leonardo pointed out. "Fratellino, could you open the vetrina, please?"
"Sí, hermano mayor," Eduardo answered, opening the window.
"Leonardo's right!" Nina said, surprised, hearing something in distress outside the house.
"And this is the bedroom where I sleep with two other imaginary friends," Wilt said, coming in with a couple of scientists—one red-head, one black-haired—and an imaginary friend they found—a bird with a red beak, a palm-tree-like head, and an airplane-like body.
"Co!" The imaginary friend said. "Co-coco-co-coco-co-cococo-co-co?" She clucked.
"Oh, the other imaginary friend?" Wilt said. "Well, he's right he—" He stopped short, and noticed that the window was open, and that Nina and one of the brothers—Leonardo—are missing. "Uh, Eduardo? Where are Nina and Leonardo?"
"They went outside, finding out a distress call," Eduardo answered.
The four followed the tracks that lead to part of a forest, one with a stream. There, they found Nina and Leonardo, who are scolding a hawk for attacking a family of rabbits.
"And if you attack these poor conejitos again," Nina said to the bird, "Not only will your release be revoked—Leonardo will kick your tail feathers."
"Sì," Leonardo said. "Quindi lasciare soli questi conigli."
The hawk squawked, ashamed.
Nina and Leonardo set the hawk free, knowing that it will never harm the rabbits again.
Wilt and the others were relieved to find them at last. "Hey, guys," Wilt said.
"Hola, Wilt," Leonardo replied.
The following morning, Wilt and Eduardo awake in their room, and find Nina, Leonardo, and their new friend, Coco, missing. They search all over the house for them, with no trace. However, they could think about the only other place they could have gotten to—the forest.
They went to their destination, and find that they were right—Nina, Leonardo, and Coco were in the forest.
"Uh, Nina? Leo?" Wilt asked. "What are you guys doing?"
"Leonardo has decided to stay in the forest," Nina answered.
"¿Qué?" Eduardo said, surprised.
Leonardo has just placed a baby blue bird chick back in her nest. "If I stay here," Leonardo said, "I'll learn more about protecting these animali. And they need me more than you do."
Wilt and Eduardo understood, knowing that he'd be right.
And when the time had come for the two brothers to go their separate ways, Leonardo gave Eduardo one more hug.
"Foster's won't be the same without you, hermano mayor," Eduardo wept.
"I know, fratellino," Leonardo replied. "But I know we'll see each other again someday. And Nina," he continued, eyeing her, "when you visit Eduardo in the next five years, and the five years after them, make sure that you take care of him."
"I will, my lupino," Nina replied.
And they all went their separate ways and waved goodbye, hoping that they would all see each other again someday.
"Take care of yourself, fratellino," Leonardo thought. "Stay strong…"