Knotreel

Short story based in a fantasy world of a TV series I am developing.

Knotreel

 

What are you afraid of…

The dark?

Things that go bump in the night?

Does a monster live in your closet?

Or an alligator under your bed?

 

Ruby like many young children used to be afraid of the dark, she was pretty sure a monster lived under the bed. She hadn’t quite yet decided what it looked like; some nights it was small and furry like a small dog. Other nights it was made of spikes and teeth. Last night it was a large purple snake, it hissed at her, so she had to hide under the covers and put her fingers in her ears.

Her dad would pat her on the head and tell her she was silly, as she was a big girl now and then pretend to steal her nose, which made her laugh. The little light that used to keep the monsters away had been given to her baby brother, Jimmy. Ruby guessed that monsters probably liked to eat little boys more, but then she remembered that little girls were made of sugar and spice? So wasn’t so sure.

‘No,’ she thought, ‘the monsters must think I taste much nicer than Jimmy.’ Her little brother still got to sleep in a crib at the foot of her dad’s bed for most nights anyhow.

 

Ruby watches her dad pulling apart one of the walls in her bedroom, the roof had leaked a week ago during a bad storm and made it all damp and smelly. She holds her father’s cup of tea; she was told this is a very important job, she took this very seriously. Ruby stares into the pale brown liquid and thinks about monsters.

          “Do monsters drink tea?” she whispers.

Her dad ignores her as he takes the cup from her, “Now we just have to replace this plasterboard.” He smiles at her and takes a sip of his now cold tea. “Pass me ten of those nails Ruby, be careful they are sharp.”

Ruby smiles and does as her father asks; then a thought suddenly occurs to her, as she picks out ten of the shiniest nails. She turns to her father and asks, “Aren’t walls meant to be made of bricks?”

          Her dad thinks about this for a second. “Outside walls are sweetheart; these ones are just to separate rooms.”

“Won’t they fall down?” she replies nervously.

“No look,” he answers, moving out of the way so Ruby can see the interior of the partition wall, “these pieces of wood hold them up and the board is nailed to them.”

Ruby peers into the space, it smells funny.

“But there is a gap in the middle?” states Ruby horrified, she knew monsters liked to live in dark holes.

“Yes but it’s only a small one, no monsters can live in there!” replies her dad, who chuckles at her shocked face. “Go outside and play Ruby. I’ll finish up.”

          “But something must live in the hole?”

          “Go play honey drop.” replies her dad as he ruffles her hair.

 

 

*        *        *

 

 

Ruby was sleepy; she’d spent the afternoon chasing butterflies with the neighbour’s cat. Followed by a big dinner of fish and chips from the shop down the road; owned by the weird old lady with no teeth and skin like the old sofa in the garage.

          Her dad had let her sit on the sofa with the greasy chips nestled on her knee, still in the paper. Her mum had never let her do that. Jimmy got to eat a chip too. They had watched cartoons, then the news. Eventually Ruby felt sleepy and nodded off during her dad’s car show.

She had been carried up stairs, her face washed with a warm flannel, she insisted on brushing her own teeth. Ruby liked the minty taste.

 

“Sleep tight honey drop!” teases her dad, who gently tucks her in and kisses her on the forehead.

“Leave the door open a crack!” whispers Ruby.

Her dad smiles at her, flicks the light out, but does leave the door ajar, so a small sliver of light shines down one side. Ruby feels safe, but she knows the monsters are still there.

Ruby lies in bed willing her eyes to get used to the dim light from the hallway. Outside the friendly moon isn’t shinning and no street lights broke the star filled sky of her countryside home.

Her bed had been moved from the middle of the room, up next to the new wall which ran down the left-hand side. There isn’t any wallpaper or paint on the wall. It looms pale and menacing; she slowly raises her hand to touch the dust covered surface, when a floorboard lets out a creek from the hallway.

“Dad!” she whispers, but no answer comes. Then another creek.

‘The gap in the wall!’ she remembers panicked. ‘A monster must be coming to live in the gap in the wall.’

Ruby pulls together all her courage, jumps out of her bed quickly tiptoes across the room and puts the light on. She throws open the bedroom door, nothing is on the landing. ‘Ha’ she thought, ‘I must have scared the monster away!’

“What you doing Ruby?” her dad calmly calls. “Don’t wake Jimmy!”

“Need to pee!” she replies rushing to the bathroom. Ruby plays with the towels what she views as a suitable amount for time, then flushes the toilet. She goes back to her room, feeling smug having vanquished the monster. She climbs into bed and falls asleep.

 

 

*        *        *

 

Ruby wakes up, her room is dark again. Her dad must have crept in and turned the light off, the door was also closed.

Creek, creek, creek…

“Hello?” she whispers to dark.

Nothing replies.

Rustle, rustle…. comes from under the bed.

“Dad?” she whispers and sits up, “Who’s there?”

          Her eyes begin to adjust to the darkness.

More silence follows…

“I don’t know?” replies a small squeaky uncertain voice. “Who am I?”

Ruby hides under the covers and puts her hands over her ears. “You’re not real!” she whispers.

“Knotreel?” answers the voice. “I guess that’s as good a name as any?”

The little girl peaks out from under the covers and stares at the wall. It is still and quiet once more.

“You are just my imagination, dad says…”

“Knotreel is a better name.” replies the wall.

“Are you the new monster that lives in the gap in the wall?” she asks in a quiet whisper. “None of the monsters have talked to me before.”

“Oh, that’s rather rude of them.”

“Are you going to eat me?”

“Why would I do that?” asks Knotreel.

“Monsters eat little girls.”

“But I’m not a monster, I’m a dragon.”

“You can’t be a dragon, they are big and breathe fire and wouldn’t possibly fit in a wall.” Ruby sits up and folds her legs then pulls the covers back over her a little.

“Well I’m a flat dragon and I fit in this wall just fine!” he replies sounding a little upset.

Ruby reaches out with trepidation and touches the wall. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to upset you. It’s just that all the other monsters want to eat me.”

“How do you know, have you asked them?”

“Well no?”

“See, how can you be sure then?” replies Knotreel.

“I just know!” she folds her arms and sulks.

Rustle, rustle…

“See that’s the monster that lives under the bed, he wants to eat me!” continues Ruby.

“Well I can’t see under your bed from here, but I’m pretty sure that anything that lives under there would be too small to eat you?”

“It eats toes!” insists Ruby.

“I guess that makes sense?” replies Knotreel.

“And if you really are a dragon, dragons are big and you live in small gap in my wall!”

He ignores Ruby’s statement, “Well Ruby, have you actually looked under the bed?”

“I have during day and there is nothing there but my old toys and shoes.”

“No monsters?”

“No but monsters only come out at night, they are scared of the light.” she argues. “Everyone knows that.”

“That sounds silly, how can they see under there?”

“It’s true, they can see in the dark like cats!” insists Ruby.

“Do cats eat toes too?” asks Knotreel.

“No cats eat mice stupid.”

Ruby sits in the dark, considering the wall and the monster that lives under the bed. “Dragon’s can’t really live in walls?” she thought. But it confuses her as to why that make any less sense, than spiky things that eat toes.

“Look under the bed.” says the dragon.

“No!”

“How will you know what’s under there unless you look?”

“Only if I can put the light on first?” Ruby replies.

“But you said it wouldn’t be there if the light was on?”

“I don’t want to see it!” Ruby leaps out of bed and puts the light on again and glares at the blank plaster wall. “There you can stop trying to scare me now!”

“You’re the one frightening yourself!”

“You can’t be there now, the light is on!” yells Ruby.

“Told you I wasn’t a monster.” sulks the dragon, “But I have an idea, turn the light out and then quickly back on again, if you are fast you might be able to catch a glimpse of whatever lives under your bed?”

“I guess that might work?” answers Ruby. She feels a little unsure of her actions. “Are you sure you don’t want to eat me?”

“No.”

“Promise!”

“Ok I promise I don’t want to eat you.” intones the Dragon.

Ruby stands on her tiptoes and with a quick flick turns the light off and on again.

“Well?” asks Knotreel.

“Nothing.” replies Ruby.

“But you didn’t look under the bed?”

“Ok, I’ll try again, but if I come back with no toes you’re the one explaining it to my dad!”

“Ok.” agrees the dragon.

Ruby flicks the light off again, this time for a little longer. She creeps towards the bed and tries to peer under it in the dark.

“I can’t see…” whispers Ruby.

Rustle, rustle, rustle… the little girl races back to the light switch. Plink! The light floods the room to reveal a small brown pixie holding a red shoe in its mouth. It looks more surprised than Ruby.

“See a monster!” yells Ruby at the wall.

The pixie still stands frozen, not sure what to do next. It drops the shoe.

“You will never eat my toes foul monster!” announces Ruby as she marches over to the little creature frozen to the spot.

“You talking to me?” squeaks the pixie, as he looks over his shoulder as if unsure.

“Who else would I be talking too?” she a little unsure too.

The pixie looks around. “Nice dragon, rare those are.” states the pixie. “Can Nintkin go now? You can keep shoe” It picks the shoe back up and holds it out towards Ruby as if she would be the one to bite.

“Um…” says Ruby, she looks at the shoe and takes it between two fingers as though it was covered in smelly green goo.

“Turn the light out!” orders the Dragon.

“Oh, I guess?” replies Ruby and flicks the switch again.

Rustle, rustle, rustle… then silence.

“Nintkin?” whispers Ruby.

“He’s back where he belongs.” replies the dragon. “You should get some sleep now.”

“Ok.” Ruby climbs back into bed, lies down and faces the wall. “Are you going to always live in my wall?”

“If you want me too?” replies Knotreel.

“I think I’d like that?” Ruby smiles. “Will Nintkin be ok under the bed?”

“Yes that’s where he lives.”

          “Ok goodnight Knotreel.”

“Goodnight Ruby.”

Ruby starts to fall asleep, she feels safe in the dark. Her eyes flick open as she remembers, “What about the monster in my closet?”

“Tomorrow night Ruby, you can meet her tomorrow.” Knotreel yawns, and makes strange squeak. “Sweet dreams!”

 

*        *        *

 

 

The next day after breakfast Ruby goes outside to play, the neighbour’s cat was there again, but no butterflies. She quickly got bored of playing by herself, so decided to see if Knotreel or Nintkin wanted to play.

 

Ruby runs up the stairs and into her bedroom, her dad stands by Knotreel’s wall, paintbrush in hand.

“What are you doing!” squeals Ruby.

“Painting you a picture?” replies her dad. “Look!” He stands to one side.

On the wall is an outline of a large dragon, it’s smiling.

“You know about the dragon in the wall?” asks Ruby.

Her dad smiles and passes her a paint brush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Gabriel Strange]

This was a great little short story to edit, I hope many people enjoy this.