BOOGEYMEN, COME TO ORDER

Submitted into Contest #187 in response to: Start your story with a character being led somewhere by a stray cat.... view prompt

30 comments

Adventure Coming of Age Fantasy

Susie found herself lagging behind her parents at the second national park they’d visited in a week. She never slept well in strange beds and her feet were dragging. The endless drone of the tour guide leading the group wasn’t helping. She felt as though all she wanted was to curl up on one of the wooden benches they passed occasionally and sleep the rest of the day.


“Catch up, Susie!” Her mother beckoned her with a firm tone and gesture.


As her mother turned her attention back to the painfully cheerful guide lady, Susie caught a blurry movement out of the corner of her eye.


She allowed the other patrons to walk around her as she tried to focus on what had grabbed her attention.


“Susie!”


“I just have to tie my shoe! I’ll catch up!”


“Do it quickly then!”


Susie’s mother and father were swept along with the others and Susie ran to the side, pretending to tend to her laces. Checking to be sure no one was watching, she snuck behind a large rock and saw what she’d suspected, a black cat’s tail. It swished a bit and then disappeared. Susie followed. This was the most excitement she’d had all day, all week.


She followed the cat, all black from what she could see, through rocks, bushes and eventually to a grove of trees. Susie hesitated before venturing into the thick, shadowy area. Was there a path?


“Meow.”


Susie saw the cat peek its face from around one of the trees further into the grove.


“There you are!”


Susie took a step forward. The cat jumped onto a mossy stump and stared at Susie. This was a young cat with a white diamond on its forehead and beautiful yellow eyes.  


“Meow?”


“Haha! Well, if you insist!”


By the time Susie caught up to the cat, she was so enchanted by the purring feline, she didn’t stop to think she had no idea where she was.


“You may pet me, if you’d like.”


Susie froze.


“Who was that?” Susie whispered, afraid to move.


“Who do you think?”


Susie stared into the cat’s face.


“You? But you’re a cat. Aren’t you?”


“More gifted than the average, perhaps, but yes. And you catch on quicker than most, little girl. I’ve had them scream, run into trees, trip over themselves trying to get away, even throw things at me as though speech translated into some evil intent.”


Susie felt her muscles relax as shock gave way to fascination. She felt powerfully drawn to this magical creature. 


“Well, look at you! You’re beautiful. What’s your name then?”


“Why, how kind of you to say! I am Laertes. And you?”


“My name is Su . . . did you say Laertes? Well, now, that’s what I call a name! And how, if I’m not being too forward, did you learn to talk?”


“Spell. What I mean to say is by a spell put on me by my mistress witch. I have a witch.”


“Oh! Is she a good witch or is she . . .”


“She’s a witch. Period. Come, I’ll introduce you. And I like your name. Is it Sioux as in the Native American? They’ll be so pleased. Medicine People are well revered where I come from, you know.”


“Oh, no, I didn’t.”


Susie decided not to correct her new friend.  Sioux, she thought, was a pretty cool nickname. She thought she might like to keep it.


She followed Laertes as well as she could.  He would stop on occasion and allow her to catch up. He was very patient and accommodating for a cat, thought Susie; surprising that he even cared that she should follow. Good thing, too, considering she’d be lost otherwise.


They came to a small clearing in the woods.


“Wait here, Sioux. I’ll be right back.”


With that, Laertes turned and disappeared behind a wall of bamboo.


Susie took the time to admire her surroundings. There were various seating areas made up of polished stone and bright green stumps topped with exotic flowers sprouting from wooden vases and bowls. The walkways were made up of colorful pebbles lined with white rocks on either side. More green lichen and moss formed a carpet that led to bamboo partitions that separated several huts and ladders that rose to meet tree houses equipped with wooden balconies and walkways.


In the center of the grove was a small pond where Susie could see orange and yellow fish darting about. At the edges, there were dragonflies hovering and toads perched on the rocks, croaking throats bubbling and eyes blinking.  


“Why, Laertes, you didn’t tell me how pretty our visitor is!”


Susie turned to face a striking young woman dressed in long flowing robes colored in cloudy swirls of green, blue, and black silk.


Susie gave a polite curtsy, something she’d never done before and couldn’t be certain she’d done correctly.


“Hello. My name is Sus . . . Sioux.”


“And what charm you possess for one so young! I commend you, my dear. It is obvious to me that you are a soul far beyond your years, and there is great purpose that awaits you.”


Susie almost giggled but held her restraint. Clearing her throat, she asked the exotic creature smiling before her a question.


“May I ask, what is this place? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”


“Oh, you won’t find it with a compass or on any map, I assure you. But please forgive me, where are my manners?  My name is Lamia and this is my retreat.  It’s had many names over the years, but I recently renamed it Hidey-Hole Haven. My home is just over there.”


“It’s lovely. The pond is especially beautiful.”


“Why, thank you, my dear. You are most kind and I, on the other hand, have left my manners somewhat out of reach today. Do forgive me, once again. Would you like some tea, a cool drink perhaps?”


“I’d die for a soda.”


Something in the way Susie answered Lamia’s invitation sparked a subtle shift in the witch’s demeanor. What had initially greeted Susie as an attractive, well-mannered hostess was transformed, for only a moment, into a menacingly grotesque daemon, a hungry one. Before the image could take hold in Susie’s consciousness, it receded deep inside her, and the original Lamia was back.


“Please, come with me. I think I have just the thing.”


* * *


Lamia’s home was a place Susie had only read about in books. It was small but quaint, comfortable. Chairs and sofa had huge cushions that reached out and embraced their occupants. There was a cozy fireplace, windows laced with golden silk curtains and healthy plant life everywhere, both hanging and potted. Susie could smell musky incense and smoky cinnamon spice.


She never wanted to leave.  


“Please, my dear, sit. I believe this will be to your liking.”


On a wooden tray, there was a small pitcher of amber liquid with shining sugar crystals adorning the rim. The frosted glasses had the same treatment and there was a plate of sweets for two.


“This looks wonderful!”


Lamia filled their glasses. “Let’s not stand on ceremony. Please.”


Laertes sat nearby, watching everything.


Lamia began to speak as she observed her young guest take a large sip of her drink and then bend forward to inspect the sweet array before her.


“Laertes, your skills have vastly improved over the centuries. She is perfect for our purposes this evening. It’s never been a simple task to impress the fellowship but I think tonight we’re all in for a treat.”


“How many are coming?”


“So far as I can see, all of them. It’s good we planned for 31 because it appears we’ll have a full house. How many cages have you prepared?”


“One for each, and the 31st is for our latest catch.”


“We’d better get a move on then. They’ll be here soon.”


Susie didn’t hear a word of this. She drank her “soda” to the last drop and, after savoring two buttery finger tarts, found herself in a state of bliss. She allowed herself to be enveloped by the cushiony pillow she leaned back into, and drifted.


* * * 


By the time Susie began to emerge from her sublime stupor, it was dark. She felt suspended and slowly pieced together her predicament. She was being held in a wooden cage affixed to a branch that was part of the row of treehouses she had spied upon her arrival. There were cages everywhere, all strung to branches, empty.


When she looked down, Susie saw a large, long wooden table, set with vials of various colorful liquids, mountains of crystals that twinkled in the candlelight, and beautifully painted pottery that held plants and herbs. At the head of the table was a tabletop podium that held an antique book bound with leather and brass hinges.  


"Are you comfortable in there?"


“Laertes? What is all this?”


“I wanted to talk to you before the sedatives wear off. I wanted to tell you I enjoyed meeting you and to say I’m sorry.”


“Sorry? I’m not. I’d like us to be friends. I’d like to stay here with you.”


 Laertes’ golden eyes blinked.


“You don’t know what you’re saying.”


“You don’t understand. No one understands me. I can’t talk to anyone my age and my parents pretend to tolerate me. You’re the first real friend I’ve ever had.”


“I have to go, Sioux. And it’s really Susie, isn’t it?”


Susie giggled.


“And I’ve been thinking of you as Larry this whole time!”


Laertes’ mouth opened in surprise.


“I have to go.”


“Will I see you again?”


You may not want to, Laertes thought, as he scampered away.


* * *


Lamia was putting the finishing touches on her features. She had removed the mask and beheld the face that reflected her true self. 


She’d been stealing children for centuries to replace the ones taken from her when Hera discovered they were her husband’s offspring. It was Zeus’ vengeful wife that had kept Lamia’s eyes from being able to close, lest sleep lessen the gnawing grief and the void she tried filling with her treasured captives. 


She had managed to put them all to practical use. Over the centuries, children had provided the oil in the lamps, the skins for her drapes, bedspreads and clothing, the nourishment for her table. The evil within her soul had replaced her once captivating beauty with the features of a ghoulish monster.  Her body had become serpentine and tonight she would come as she was.


“This one’s too bright for you, you know.”


“What is that noise? My guests will be here any minute. Don’t disturb me.”


“I’m too bright for you, too, for this.”


“Silence! Do not test me, Feline! I made you what you are and, if you’re not careful, I’ll turn you back into the mangy runt you were when you first came to me. You could be replaced by any number of available feral bitches! Don’t forget that!”


Laertes easily dodged the witch’s brush, and then disappeared.


* * *


“Bright Blessings, Annis!  You never age and, judging by the beautiful skins around your waist, time and children continue to be good to you!”


“Merry Meet! You exaggerate, Lamia, but I like it. You, as always, are pungent perfection!”


“I believe everyone’s here. Look at the cages. All fully occupied!”


“Who’s Master of Ceremonies this year, Annis?”


“The American, Boogeyman. Must be odd having the same label we all bear in one form or another as your given name. Ah, well, he is one of our best. Let’s see what he has to say.”


Lamia’s table was crowded with the world’s finest boogeymen, those timeless monsters of legend parents around the world used and counted upon to keep their children obedient and well-behaved. 


“Come to order! We have things to discuss before we can move on to the yearly ritual we all look forward to.


Bright Blessings to you all! And special thanks to Lamia, who gracefully offered her splendid retreat, Hidey-Haven, is it? Nicely done, as usual.”


There was a round of nods and murmurs aimed toward Lamia, who stood behind the podium. She nodded back, smiling.


“This past year has been a challenging one.” Boogeyman continued. “It has virtually been impossible to instill the kind of fear we once could when children believed in danger lurking under the bed or in the woods. I’d like to have some of you share your experience. Krampus, let’s begin with you.”


“My main activities are at Christmastime, of course, but since they made a movie supposedly based on me, I’ve become practically invisible! Kids don’t believe! Not in me, anyway. I’ve gone Hollywood, which is the equivalent of being a joke.”


“Tell me about it,” La Llorona, the woman who drowned her children for a man, then drowned herself when he spurned her, spoke. “I’ve had more movies interfere with my credibility than I’d ever imagined possible!  Don’t they know what they’re doing to us?”


It was Black Annis’ turn. “None of you have had to compete with a certain wizard the way I have. I take that back. I’m not sure at this point how many translations exist. All I know is I hate that little lightning headed fiction.”


This provoked a round of nods and whispered affirmation.


Boogeyman also nodded. “So, do we have a consensus? Something needs to be done. Ideas? Metminwi?”


“In Haiti, we see the same indifference described here. Children roam the streets at night, too many to deal with. I am but one boogeyman. So, I would suggest we try something different this year.  The cages above are filled with our individual offerings. I suggest we let them return to their families.”


“What?” The Jersey Devil, known for his ghastly scream, grabbed everyone’s attention. “Why?”


Metminwi displayed a gristly grin. “We’ll give them something to take back with them. Proof.”


Morko, the Finlandian blue ghost, bared his giant sharp teeth. “I get it! They spread the word, and our prospects improve once there’s no dispute that we do exist!”  


Boogeyman turned to Metminwi. “What sort of proof did you have in mind?”


Lamia spoke before Metminwi could.


“A sacrifice.”


Metminwi nodded. “Yes, and with thirty witnesses.”


Baubas, the Lithuanian spirit who harassed children that misbehaved by pulling their hair with wrinkly fingers at the end of her spindly arms, smiled, her red eyes glowing. 


“Gerai! Good!”


Boogeyman turned his attention to Lamia.


“I would imagine you have something for us in that great Book of Shadows you stand before?” 


“Indeed I do. I wouldn’t deviate from tradition; I don’t believe it’s necessary. I already have the circle prepared with all that’s required. I have extra daggers in case any of you need one.”


Aobozu scoffed. “We have our swords of the Samurai, Namahage and I, at the ready.”


Boogeyman nodded.  


“Well done, as always.  Now, how do we determine the sacrificial lamb? Who should have the honor?”


Lamia again spoke with authority and a wicked grin. “Oh, I have just the one.”


She pointed, and then gasped.


Susie’s cage was empty, the wooden door swung open.


Boogeyman spoke.  “Are all the children still sedated? Can any tell us what happened?”


“I don’t need them to tell me what happened.” Lamia’s serpentine tongue flicked and her eyes glowed with anger. “Listen to me, all of you.”


* * *


“Why are you helping me, Larry? Won’t you be in danger now?”


“Don’t worry about me, Susie. I have my own methods.”


“Why don’t you come with me?”


“I wouldn’t belong, Susie. But thank you. We may meet again. Now, go!”


The little girl knelt and spread her arms. The cat ran and jumped into them, resting his head on her shoulder. He savored the sweet pleasure of the love of a child.  She released him and he released her.


“Now, go.”


* * *


“Susie, wake up!  Is this where you’ve been the whole time? We were sick with worry!”


“I must have fallen asleep. I must have . . .”  The girl looked around, urgently, as if she’d forgotten something of great importance.


Her father took her into his arms, a surprise.


“When I thought we’d lost you . . .”


Susie felt all the love she’d been craving and began to cry, just a little. The moment reminded her of something she couldn’t remember.


“I’m sorry I worried you, daddy. I won’t do it again.”


Her mother knelt beside her and touched her cheek. “Well, if you don’t mind, I won’t be letting you out of my sight for a while.”


“Fine with me.”


“Who’s this now? Have you made a friend?”


“Was it your snoring that attracted him, you think?”


Susie turned around and saw a black cat with yellow eyes and a white diamond on his forehead peeking from behind a boulder. 


“I know that cat.”


 Susie got up and approached the animal that didn’t take his eyes off her. She knelt before him.


“I know you. I’m not sure how but . . .”


The cat was purring. Susie reached out a hand. The cat came to her.  That was all she needed.


“Does he have a tag, anything?” Her mother asked.


Susie checked.


“No. Can I . . .”


Her father smiled. “Let’s get in the car and we’ll talk about it.” 


Susie gathered the cat in her arms and was delighted when he continued to purr and nestled against her. She looked into his eyes.


“That means yes.”


THE END

March 03, 2023 14:54

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30 comments

Cindy Strube
18:55 Mar 10, 2023

Wow, Susan. I couldn’t decide if it was Wonderland or Oz! Truly fantastical and fascinating. All your references to the various mythical boogeyman character must have taken some research. (I love research! Sometimes it sidetracks my storytelling.) When I was little, I was afraid of (you can laugh!) 🐑 sheep. No idea why! So, if I wasn’t going to sleep, my dad would rap on the wall and say, “Sheep’s knocking!” It worked.

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Susan Catucci
22:55 Mar 10, 2023

That's great! I know where your imagination must come from! I was scared of the tooth fairy, some little flitting thing traipsing around my pillow looking for a way in? No thank you! Money isn't everything. Your opinion carries a ton of weight with me, Cindy, this means a lot. I've said before the research for this story was more fun - maybe - than putting it all to use in this. I have new respect for boogeymen. I'd like to do a sequel because I'd like to know how they end up myself. :)

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Cindy Strube
01:35 Mar 11, 2023

I come by it honestly. My paternal grandpa wrote reams. His was all poetry, neatly typed and put in binders. I have it all… 60 years worth. One of my treasures! Tooth fairy—I actually knew that was my mom; if she forgot, she’d say the tooth fairy was “being dumb”! I am so honored that my opinion means something, and ooh, yes—I hope to see a sequel! ; )

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Susan Catucci
12:41 Mar 11, 2023

My dad was a journalist and wrote all the time, too, and read vociferously! At every New Year's Eve, he'd send us kids his reading list for the prior year - a small novel in itself. I have those, too, and his correspondence with us when he was in the Peace Corp (Micronesia) following retirement. Treasures, absolutely.

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Cindy Strube
16:42 Mar 11, 2023

That’s fantastic! Your court reporting is in context. Wouldn’t it be fabulous (I use that word intentionally!) to know the DNA history of your “story gene”? Because I’m sure there is one. My dad is an oral storyteller, as was his father. His stories are all true, mostly auto/biographical. It’s been said that he’s either had more interesting things happen or a better memory for details than most people—I think it’s both!

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Susan Catucci
20:25 Mar 11, 2023

I think it's a wonderful gift and we are both the lucky ducks in great gene pools. My grandfather was 96 when he passed but used to take a train from Wisconsin to Connecticut, where I lived at the time. He had false teeth and they hurt when he ate so he'd have two brandy manhattans for lunch and two with dinner and the stories would flow! He could recall and recount bathtub gin and Rosie Goodyear (of the Goodyears) swinging from the chandelier! But he couldn't remember what he'd had for breakfast. He was my favorite of a lot of favorites!

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17:59 Mar 09, 2023

Love it! I kept thinking "Don't eat or drink anything, it's a ruse!" A nice way to show how kindness can go a lot way and bring people and animals closer to one another. Great job of setting the scene! The only change might be passive voice issues - not a big deal, but will make your story shine even more brightly! Susie found herself lagging behind her parents at the second national park they’d visited in a week. "Susie's mouth felt dry as the sun blazed against her skin(or whatever) as she lagged behind her parents through the second...

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Susan Catucci
19:07 Mar 09, 2023

Wow, Patricia, thanks for the in depth feedback and kind suggestions. The only reason I might resist giving Susie a practical reason for taking something from a stranger, she's with her new friend Laertes so she's more trusting than she might be otherwise, and she's being introduced to Lamia because she's being less than obedient to her mother urging her to catch up. Feeling a powerful draw to the cat could also account for Susie's easy compliance - unseen forces at play. That's where I was coming from. I appreciate what you're getting...

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19:10 Mar 09, 2023

I've read a lot about fairy lore - and that's how they 'get ya' - so that's why I thought Uh Oh I'm so old we used to bake cupcakes to give out on Halloween. I swear to God the 'scare' of homemade treats was a plot by candy companies - but I'm paranoid. ha

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Nick Baldino
04:04 Mar 09, 2023

What a great concept and told with such imagination. Love the posh dialogue that I imagine all cats speak in- you’re immediately drawn to the cat and child’s connection, which is difficult to do without sacrificing worldbuilding. And the boogeyman conference was creme de la creme… I imagined Hansel and Gretel but at the Marriott conference room :) I’m excited to read more from you as well Susan!

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Susan Catucci
15:49 Mar 09, 2023

Ah, great feedback, Nick. I'm so glad you took the time. The Susie/Larry relationship was crucial to the whole thing so I'm thrilled you pointed that out. And the boogeyman meeting was some of the most fun I've had in I-don't-know-how-long! Your analogy of the Marriott is hilarious, and sometimes it's just a small idea that turns epic on you. Great fun - and thanks again!

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Mary Bendickson
02:34 Mar 09, 2023

What's not to like? Wonderful, wonderful! found another to follow.

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Susan Catucci
15:49 Mar 09, 2023

Well, that's wonderful of you to say, Mary. Very succinct feedback, right to the point, and I like it! Thanks so much. :)

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Zack Powell
02:32 Mar 08, 2023

I'm truly impressed how much you fit into this story, Susan (or should I say Sioux? Just kidding 😂). Fantasy is already a tall order in a 3,000-word count format. Same with most Adventure stories. And yet you managed both here, and in a fun way. Kudos. What I like most about this is how childlike and "innocent" it is. Not in terms of the monsters, but in terms of the narrative itself. It's a little like Alice in Wonderland - young person gets transported to a fantastical realm and has to navigate their way. There's something cozy, something...

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Susan Catucci
13:09 Mar 08, 2023

Awesome feedback, Zack - terrific insights and suggestions. I didn't realize boogeymen were worldwide until I dug a little and what a treasure trove there is. The idea that you've mentioned a second installment is a huge compliment. I think all those decades with Dorothy and her travels to Oz is what helped bring Susie and the Boogeymen to life - and Baum wrote 14 installments, one more dazzling than the next. Dorothy had a talking chicken named Billie and Tik Tok a mechanical friend who needed winding occasionally and she had the ke...

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Kyle Bennett
20:27 Mar 07, 2023

This has a little bit of Neil Gaiman feel to it, with the ancient evils becoming impotent in the modern world.

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Susan Catucci
20:29 Mar 07, 2023

It's a problem, for sure. Interesting that when fear goes away, so do the monsters. Hmm.

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Michał Przywara
21:35 Mar 06, 2023

This was fun, but it's also quite a big adventure for a short story :) I'm always impressed when people write a bigger piece - not just a single scene, for example - and it still manages to read well. Lots of pitfalls to avoid. This reminds me a bit of Alice in Wonderland, and of Roald Dahl's Witches - certainly the meeting at the end. The boogeymen raise a good point though, it's quite a quandary for them. How can they possibly cope with an ever growing population, where additionally technology makes a mockery of them? Even if they gave...

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Susan Catucci
13:26 Mar 07, 2023

Hahaha - that would make for an entertaining sequel, Michal - Boogeymen R Us. And Heaven forbid, what if parents turn to reason and nurture as opposed to scare tactics! What would the world be without the fear factor to rein us in?! (I honestly have a pretty good answer but will save it for another story line.) There's so many influences that went into this piece, it's probably apparent - my love of Oz, attending grade school with seven other Susans and trying to be a little different - I knew a Sioux and my own last name ended with an "...

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Tara Leigh Parks
14:07 Mar 05, 2023

I enjoyed this very much, Susan. It's delightful and charming. Your ability to write well is apparent in this because everything flows smoothly. It can be hard to keep up with this kind of tale (as a writer). But you do. Reading it was like watching a movie which is wonderful. I think the key to writing a specific genre is for people not to realize they're reading one, if that makes sense. For it to work, it's like reading any other story. The fantastic elements should be natural, if when they come as a surprise to the reader in terms of a ...

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Susan Catucci
15:16 Mar 05, 2023

I'm delighted by this feedback, Tara. You've helped me solidify in words elements I tend to notice when writing that often felt right but not that I could necessarily define. I get what you're saying about writing like you're not reading a genre; just being swept up, no matter what it is. We know what's effective but can become distracted and move away from what's most important to a given situation. When to tone down and when to amp up. It's a challenge. I have to say though I've never had so much fun - and I appreciate your input...

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Lily Finch
22:37 Mar 03, 2023

Susan, this story is the cat's meow! Well written with a tight storyline and excellent descriptors that flow so nicely together. The characters' names and the elaborate spa you penned with awesome precision. Such talent! The humorous lines were a great touch = going Hollywood, "don't they understand what they are doing to us?" LF6.

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Susan Catucci
02:32 Mar 04, 2023

So glad you read and fed back, Lily. Wonderful comments that mean a great deal. This one was great fun to bring to life. Especially enjoy your appreciation of the jabs at commercialism. A touch of the ridiculous adds, at least to my thinking. That's life. What would we be without it?

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Lily Finch
04:02 Mar 04, 2023

You got it! LF6.

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Viga Boland
22:32 Mar 03, 2023

I’m speechless. Well nearly! Your imagination and creativity astounds me. I’ve never been into fantasy, even as a child and even less now as an adult. To be able to write it, as you have done here, well, that’s a gift. Is this going to be another “win” for you? Can’t wait to find out. Good luck 👏👏

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Susan Catucci
02:39 Mar 04, 2023

Viga, you leave me speechless in turn! I can tell you, and dispel some of the mystery, I was raised on the Oz books, all of them (nine, I think?). My mother read them to me as a child and I credit her with my love for out-of-bounds worlds and what lays beyond what we think we know. It's freedom and fun. That's what I'm enjoying and thrilled to think others are, too. I thank you so, so much.

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Wendy Kaminski
19:48 Mar 03, 2023

Sis, you are on FIRE these past two weeks! Holy cow, this is such a fantastic story. Everything to the lesson learned, to the beautiful descriptions of the witch's hollow and the feline rescue... this story was terrific! So engaging, and I loved all the fairytale terrors having a shop talk, lol. :) *Chef's kiss!* <3

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Susan Catucci
20:14 Mar 03, 2023

Having a blast, Wendy! Can't claim to know where some of it comes from but it's a joy when you can hold it down long enough to get it on paper. You know what I'm talking about. And it's true what they say about sharing - it just wouldn't be the same without having your favorite peoples around to bounce off of. We're just a couple of pinballs. :)

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Delbert Griffith
15:13 Mar 03, 2023

An incredible and creative modern-day odyssey, Susan. Just a wonderful take on the prompt, and one that is highly entertaining. I especially like the boogeymen's problems. Nicely done, my friend.

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Susan Catucci
19:02 Mar 03, 2023

Thank you, Del! This came together sort of last minute with some wonderfully helpful tweaking from an expert eye. I will say, though, the research was as much fun as the creation. What a rich world out there and how challenging to confine it to words. Great fun, as you know!

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