HOME | DD

Description
I lay awake in bed, with the warm summer night making my room hot and sticky, I couldn’t sleep. Within the light of the moon, I saw a single mosquito flying lazily along, somewhat indecisive. Like me. Why did mom and Dad have to send me here? At Grandma and Grandpa’s house, there was absolutely nothing to do, except maybe watch TV. I squirmed uncomfortably under the hot, thin bedcovers until finally giving up. I sat up, wondering what to do.
I heard the ticking of an old antique clock somewhere, slowly but surely counting the seconds. So annoying! It was the same with the rest of the stuff that sat around the house but was never used. I sometimes wondered what they were thinking, keeping all that stuff laying around. Oh well, nothing I could do about it. I wondered what time it was, surely it would be fairly late?
I sat by the side of my bed, remembering a tale that Grandma always told me about the antiques that they kept around the house when I was a little kid. She said that they had little creatures living in them, Shades, I think she called them. She said that they were animal representations of the antiques lying around the house, and that was why they refused to sell them. It was a wonder that mom hadn’t looked into retirement homes yet...

It sits there, thinking and talking to itself yet it doesn’t do anything. I glanced with wonder at the creature that the masters referred to as a “boy.” Hiding behind some books on the bookshelf, I’d spyed on this character since it’s arrival at the masters’ domicile. I followed it with interest whenever it moved thoughout the house, and he never ceased to amaze me. No, the others shrugged whenever I talked about it, yet I was utterly fasinated with the abomination.
I scurried along the bookcase, and stealthily slipped down the side. I crawled along a passageway in the wall to a place in the wall right next to the creature’s bed, it sat there mumbling to itself about topics quite unintelligible. I adjusted my long, conical, ears to hear what it was saying. “Why did I have to get stuck here?” It said, “Why? I mean, there’s no one to talk to, nothing to do, it’s driving me crazy! Plus grandma and grandpa don’t do anything” My ears swiveled back into place as an expression of pure pique came over my face. How dare he talk about the masters that way!
I turned around, and was about to head back, when I felt a sense of curiousity come over me, along with a somewhat madcap idea. What if......I could talk to the creature? Find out what makes it tick? It’d be dangerous, yes it would, but........ Hmm...... My ears swiveled in somewhat deep thought. I could just jump out right in front of it, but then I’d be somewhat easy prey if the creature’s displeased.....no, the best way would be to lure him into our territory, easy escape, well secured. Yes. Now, how to get him there? I scampered back to my original position on the bookcase. How? I started pacing. The creature was still sitting on the side of it’s bed, muttering to itself, I need to somehow get it’s attention......... ”WAAAAAAAAHHHHH- oof!” Unfortunately for me, I didn’t mind the edge. I fell off the bookcase. “Huh, who’s there?” Yesssss! I thought as I quickly recovered from the fall. I’ve gotten his attention, all I need to do now, is run.

I sat there, letting my mind wander. Was there really little creatures out there. Of course, the answer would be no, but it was still something to get my mind off of the stifling heat. What would they look like? Would they have any form of sentiance? Stop it, you’re rambling. But still, I realized that I didn’t give it much thought, other than to brush the idea aside as some childish fantasy. Though.... I wondered......when I was a little kid, I used to love that story, and I’d pretend that I had one of the shades, and that they were my friends. I sometimes wish that I could relive that, but then.......
Over the past nights, ever since I came there, I thought that I heard little scratching noises along the bookcases and such. Perhaps......... No, it’s just my imagination, there couldn’t possibly-Suddenly, I heard something. “WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH- oof!” Could it be? “Huh, who’s there?” Moving slowly in the direction that the sound came from, I walked towards the bookcase......ZIP! I saw something run away full tilt out the doorway. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was running towards the living room. I followed in hot pursuit.

Yes, yes, my plan is working out beautifully! I was panting hard, I had never run so hard in my life. The creature was in pursuing me as planned, yes, only a little further. I climbed quickly up the wall. I was on a shelf that was roughly eye level to the creature who was standing there somewhat sullenly. I was about to speak when the great clock caled the time. DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON....................
I gritted my small, pointy, teeth. No...... my plan! Ruined! All the others would come out soon! Sure enough, the glowing eyes of the others appeared one by one. Their shadowy figures came into veiw, some chatting to each other, others stretching after being confined according to the rules of the colony for the duration of the daylight. Then all eyes moved to the creature. The creature’s jaw dropped in shock and disbelief. Suddenly, though, I felt the need for an encore...........

Whatever it was, it headed for the living room. I noticed that it wasn’t that big, maybe a foot tall, I wonder......... I stopped in the middle of the room. There was no sign of the creature I saw. Maybe it was just my imagination, I remembered how I’d sit on grandma’s lap, and she’d tell me about the Shades............. Forlornly the Grandfather clock struck twelve. Witching hour.... The time that Grandma said the shades were most active.....
Abruptly, I was aware of movement coming from the shelves that held assorted antiques. I walked forward cautiously, then I noticed the little shadowy figures, maybe a foot talll, that were on the shelves. I didn’t know where they came from, but they appeared to come from nowhere. I stepped back, wondering what I got into. Suddenly, Dozens of glowing eyes materialized on the shelves, I could pick out individuals standing there. I felt like screaming. I opened my mouth to do so, but then, I felt a small hand close it. Small, but clawed. “Oh no no, you wouldn’t want to do that would you?” I turned my head and...... on my shoulder, there was a amall creature, maybe 10 inches high, with long, conical ears, and tiny wings. It had long arms, little teeth poking out of the sides of it’s mouth, which was set in a large grin, and deeply colored wide eyes......

Description
I lay awake in bed, with the warm summer night making my room hot and sticky, I couldn’t sleep. Within the light of the moon, I saw a single mosquito flying lazily along, somewhat indecisive. Like me. Why did mom and Dad have to send me here? At Grandma and Grandpa’s house, there was absolutely nothing to do, except maybe watch TV. I squirmed uncomfortably under the hot, thin bedcovers until finally giving up. I sat up, wondering what to do.
I heard the ticking of an old antique clock somewhere, slowly but surely counting the seconds. So annoying! It was the same with the rest of the stuff that sat around the house but was never used. I sometimes wondered what they were thinking, keeping all that stuff laying around. Oh well, nothing I could do about it. I wondered what time it was, surely it would be fairly late?
I sat by the side of my bed, remembering a tale that Grandma always told me about the antiques that they kept around the house when I was a little kid. She said that they had little creatures living in them, Shades, I think she called them. She said that they were animal representations of the antiques lying around the house, and that was why they refused to sell them. It was a wonder that mom hadn’t looked into retirement homes yet...

It sits there, thinking and talking to itself yet it doesn’t do anything. I glanced with wonder at the creature that the masters referred to as a “boy.” Hiding behind some books on the bookshelf, I’d spyed on this character since it’s arrival at the masters’ domicile. I followed it with interest whenever it moved thoughout the house, and he never ceased to amaze me. No, the others shrugged whenever I talked about it, yet I was utterly fasinated with the abomination.
I scurried along the bookcase, and stealthily slipped down the side. I crawled along a passageway in the wall to a place in the wall right next to the creature’s bed, it sat there mumbling to itself about topics quite unintelligible. I adjusted my long, conical, ears to hear what it was saying. “Why did I have to get stuck here?” It said, “Why? I mean, there’s no one to talk to, nothing to do, it’s driving me crazy! Plus grandma and grandpa don’t do anything” My ears swiveled back into place as an expression of pure pique came over my face. How dare he talk about the masters that way!
I turned around, and was about to head back, when I felt a sense of curiousity come over me, along with a somewhat madcap idea. What if......I could talk to the creature? Find out what makes it tick? It’d be dangerous, yes it would, but........ Hmm...... My ears swiveled in somewhat deep thought. I could just jump out right in front of it, but then I’d be somewhat easy prey if the creature’s displeased.....no, the best way would be to lure him into our territory, easy escape, well secured. Yes. Now, how to get him there? I scampered back to my original position on the bookcase. How? I started pacing. The creature was still sitting on the side of it’s bed, muttering to itself, I need to somehow get it’s attention......... ”WAAAAAAAAHHHHH- oof!” Unfortunately for me, I didn’t mind the edge. I fell off the bookcase. “Huh, who’s there?” Yesssss! I thought as I quickly recovered from the fall. I’ve gotten his attention, all I need to do now, is run.

I sat there, letting my mind wander. Was there really little creatures out there. Of course, the answer would be no, but it was still something to get my mind off of the stifling heat. What would they look like? Would they have any form of sentiance? Stop it, you’re rambling. But still, I realized that I didn’t give it much thought, other than to brush the idea aside as some childish fantasy. Though.... I wondered......when I was a little kid, I used to love that story, and I’d pretend that I had one of the shades, and that they were my friends. I sometimes wish that I could relive that, but then.......
Over the past nights, ever since I came there, I thought that I heard little scratching noises along the bookcases and such. Perhaps......... No, it’s just my imagination, there couldn’t possibly-Suddenly, I heard something. “WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH- oof!” Could it be? “Huh, who’s there?” Moving slowly in the direction that the sound came from, I walked towards the bookcase......ZIP! I saw something run away full tilt out the doorway. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was running towards the living room. I followed in hot pursuit.

Yes, yes, my plan is working out beautifully! I was panting hard, I had never run so hard in my life. The creature was in pursuing me as planned, yes, only a little further. I climbed quickly up the wall. I was on a shelf that was roughly eye level to the creature who was standing there somewhat sullenly. I was about to speak when the great clock caled the time. DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON, DON....................
I gritted my small, pointy, teeth. No...... my plan! Ruined! All the others would come out soon! Sure enough, the glowing eyes of the others appeared one by one. Their shadowy figures came into veiw, some chatting to each other, others stretching after being confined according to the rules of the colony for the duration of the daylight. Then all eyes moved to the creature. The creature’s jaw dropped in shock and disbelief. Suddenly, though, I felt the need for an encore...........

Whatever it was, it headed for the living room. I noticed that it wasn’t that big, maybe a foot tall, I wonder......... I stopped in the middle of the room. There was no sign of the creature I saw. Maybe it was just my imagination, I remembered how I’d sit on grandma’s lap, and she’d tell me about the Shades............. Forlornly the Grandfather clock struck twelve. Witching hour.... The time that Grandma said the shades were most active.....
Abruptly, I was aware of movement coming from the shelves that held assorted antiques. I walked forward cautiously, then I noticed the little shadowy figures, maybe a foot talll, that were on the shelves. I didn’t know where they came from, but they appeared to come from nowhere. I stepped back, wondering what I got into. Suddenly, Dozens of glowing eyes materialized on the shelves, I could pick out individuals standing there. I felt like screaming. I opened my mouth to do so, but then, I felt a small hand close it. Small, but clawed. “Oh no no, you wouldn’t want to do that would you?” I turned my head and...... on my shoulder, there was a amall creature, maybe 10 inches high, with long, conical ears, and tiny wings. It had long arms, little teeth poking out of the sides of it’s mouth, which was set in a large grin, and deeply colored wide eyes......