He smacked his chops as he finished eating the last toddler he caught out of bed past 8 pm. He had thought this particular child had been a little too stringy. It was not to Orange Face's liking, he much preferred fatty tissue to munch on.
Orange Face looked at his list. A new name appeared in black ink.
"Princess Moo" he muttered as he read. He laughed so hard: from his guts - that the thunderous roar made the walls vibrate.
"It will not be long before this one is out of bed and mine to eat" simpering as he said it.
Orange Face waited for the address of the child to appear next to the name on his list. When it appeared he put out his left hand for the notice of rules to fall into. He straddled his wooden broom and clicked his heels together. As he did, the sweeping instrument rose and hoovered; a luminescent shimmer underneath. Orange Face tapped the back with a bony hand. The broom took off, a light trail following as he whisked off airborne to Princess Moo's abode.
KNOCK KNOCK.
Orange Face waited. His excitement was hard to contain as he hopped from one foot to the other as he waited for someone to answer. The door opened and a man in a brown herringbone tank top answered. He looked over his black-rimmed glasses.
"It's not Halloween. What is the meaning of this?" He exclaimed as his bushy eyebrows furrowed. He put his hands on his hips. Orange Face's eyes lit up electric red and with deep menace, he boomed.
"Your notice of rules. Recite them to Princess Moo. From this night on; the game has commenced." Holding out his left hand the notice levitated across to the confused man and dropped at his feet. A loud - POP - filled the air. Orange Face disappeared and all that remained was a plume of smoke.
The man looked at the paper laying at his feet. Scratching his head he picked it up. Peering around before retreating inside.
"Darling, something most peculiar happened." he hollered making his way to the bottom of the stairs.
"Roger, can it wait? Princess Moo is being a trifle difficult in the shower. I won't be able to hear." Her reply bounced back layered with loud giggles from Princess Moo.
"Sure thing Honeybuns." Roger shook his head as he looked at the dirty parchment. He wandered into the sitting room and slouched into the red leather studded chair. He started to read: -
NOTICE OF RULES
1. I am Orange Face, I like eating toddlers. I am only allowed to eat the naughty ones.
2. This serves as your notice. You must now read the rules to your toddler. If you do not the following will occur. Red Face will come and devour the adults and I will eat the specified toddler as default. Any surplus humans; toddlers or otherwise will be eaten by Green Face.
3. The toddler who must play for 28 days bares the name: PRINCESS MOO.
5. The offspring has been selected as it has been observed to be troublesome.
6. The child must be in be at 8 pm sharp and cannot leave their bed until 6 am.
7. If so much as a toe comes out of her covers and touches the floor - my BBQ gets fired up and I am one happy Mr. Orange Face.
SPECIFIC TO TODDLER CLAUSE
8. If Princess Moo squishes any of mummy's plasticine models during any part of the day. This is most wicked and is punishable immediately. The penalty is that I get to have Princess Moo kebabs, which are my absolute favourite. Don't even get me started on the chilli sauce, it is to die for; (literally).
LASTLY
9. The game lasts 28 days and nights.
Yours faithfully
Mr. Orange Face Esq
Roger gulped hard. Beads of sweat had formed at his brown. Using the paper, with a lack of mind, he mopped at the droplets.
"Rachael!" He screamed as he looked over to the mantle noting the time was 7.45 pm.
"Give me 20 Roge"
"We have not got 20 minutes" panicked he bounded up the spiral staircase. He did not even stop for breath on the landing.
Wrapped in a sumptuous pale duck-egg blue towel Princess Moo sat in the middle of the hall. She giggled as her father gesticulated. Roger recounted the evening events to Rachael. The paper clenched in Rogers' hand tickled Princess Moo's nose as he spoke with his hands.
After Roger had concluded his tale the pain of it was visible on Rachael's face. She scooped up Princess moo and hurried to her bedroom. The clock on the wall read 7.55 pm.
"What if we lock all the doors?" She asked.
"I have no idea Pumpkin" he shrugged.
"Pumpkin? At a time like this, you refer to me as Pumpkin?" She shook her head and rushed to get Princess Moo ready for bed.
"Can't we call the police Roge?"
"No Petal. I wouldn't know how to describe the perpetrator. In fact, I am sure the whole - disappearing in a cloud of smoke, would have them sending for the horse's and cart to come get me."
Rachael got Princess Moo's nightdress on and tucked her up in bed. Rachael and Roger looked at one another. Together they nodded and crouched down beside her.
Orange Face appeared at the bedroom door.
"Yes, please tell her" he chuckled, he flicked his wrist and looked at the watch made of sharp teeth on his wrist. His eyes glowed fiercely.
"You!" shouted Rachael. "You can't have her" she looked at the cartoon clock in Princess Moo's room.
"It's 7.59 pm. We have 1 minute!" her eyes widened with sudden realisation. Rachael snatched the parchment from Roger. She read fast and finished reciting before the clock changed to 8 pm.
"That was fun to watch." Orange face grinned. Princess Moo sat up and turned to her mother to get out of bed. She caught sight of Orange Face. The loudest most piercing scream left Princess Moo's body. She dashed under her covers.
Rachael leaned over and cuddled the quivering girl.
"Why are you here?" she looked up from the tearful child.
"I will sit outside her door and wait for her to creep out of bed." A red light flickered within his eyes.
"You don't have my permission to be here!" Rachael exclaimed.
"I don't need it" his grin widened and the vast darkness behind his yellow teeth was terrifying to behold.
"I could kick you out." Rachael challenged. Roger put his hand on her arm to reassure her.
"You could TRY." Orange Face laughed. His bony hands clasped over his non-existent belly. Roger looked at Rachael
"We are not prohibited from sleeping on the floor of Princess Moo's room?" he directed at Orange Face. He stroked an imaginary beard with a skeletal hand.
"No you're not..." he mused "...in fact, it might encourage her to get out of bed all the more. I like this idea. Be my guest!" the skinless muscle contracted over his skull making a pointed, gruesome smile.
Roger shuddered, disliking the glisten of the carrot contorting flesh.
"What do we do?" he whispered to Rachael.
"I've no idea" she mouthed back, still cradling the sobbing Princess Moo over her bed.
Roger got up and walked over to Orange Face. He pulled the door to and stood face to face with the entity.
"What is this all about?" Roger questioned.
"Were you not told of me as a child?" demanded Orange Face
"No... If someone had told me of an Orange Faced child guzzler I am sure I would have remembered!" Roger said straining to keep from shouting.
"I doubt very much the stories of the Night Horses didn't reach your ears as a child. You lie!" His teeth gnashed together and made a tin sound.
"Night horses? Wait you mean The Midnight Dancers?" The realisation crept over Roger's body. Slow dread spread and made his body hair stand on end.
"Some called us that..." Orange Face paused "...not for a very long time though. Those that still tell our story refer to us as Night Horses. Potato, Po-tat-to. You know what we do. Let us skip - this part - of the charade." The black gown hanging from his neck gaped open. Like his mouth, there was a never-ending cavern of nothing beyond it. Roger was afraid. Orange Face moved and sat on what Roger could only believe to be an invisible stool.
"The story my mother told me when I was young was that The Midnight Dancers came when a child was naughty. They would watch the child until they were better behaved. She also said that if a child was not in bed by nine o'clock they ate them. I remember my mother told me that they were horses. You're not a horse!"
Roger leaned against the wall and slumped down. "Why have you given our Princess Moo a bedtime of eight?" he queried.
"Well, here's the thing..." he said crossing his bony arms "...many years ago children had to help with labour. Children don't seem to help as much with anything these days and are forever on phones or tablets. They seem to be staying up later every year. Parents are not having any rest from their offspring. Also, there are more children, thus a call for more of us. So we all get our equal share, we lowered the bed-time. We figure it helps the environment and parents get some time to themselves. Win - win." only now realising his clothes dehisce. Embarrassed, he pulled the garment closed. Standing Orange Face looked down at Roger.
"I will wait on the landing. I can not imagine I will be here very long." He walked off and Roger saw him descend the spiral staircase. Hopping up he ran to the balcony and peered over. Orange Face sat on the second floor on the invisible stool.
With his heart beating fast Roger went into Rachael.
"Has he gone?" she queried.
"I am afraid not." Princess Moo's arms were around her mother's neck. Rachael on all fours hovering over the bed un-hooked her daughter's arms and tugged her down.
"I love you, my angel. You must stay in bed tonight. Not even your toe must leave your bed." She whispered to her blue-eyed child.
"Can I come in your bed Mummy?" Princess Moo asked.
"No our beautiful Moosticks, you must remain in here." Roger stroked his daughter's hair.
"Orange Face is waiting outside. He told me he likes to eat children that get out of bed, he has heard that you like to roam around." Princess Moo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You would let him eat me Daddy?" her mouth hung open with the question.
"I wouldn't let him. He might manage it anyway. You must stay in bed. He will have Mummy and me for lunch too if we don't go to our bed". Tears filled Princess Moo's eyes. She pulled the duvet up tight around her shoulder's.
"Can you tell me a story about butterflies?" she asked desperate not to be alone.
"Sure, Sweet Cheeks." Rachael began telling her daughter about a beautiful glistening butterfly. Roger left, pointing outside the door mouthing to Rachael.
"Orange Face is on the Second Floor" Rachael nodded back and continued her fairy tale. It was not long before the child was asleep.
Rachael crept out of the nursery and looked over the railing. She saw the grim Orange Faced Monster reading a newspaper. She darted into the master bedroom. Roger was laying on the bed propped up with pillows reading a novel.
"Hey Babes. She get off to sleep well?" He asked. Rachael looked at him trying to hide the fury in her face.
"YOU'RE READING?" she questioned a little louder than she wanted.
"Yes? What else am I supposed to do?" he looked up from his novel.
"Go kick that, that, that - THING, out of our house!" her statement made in utter disbelief.
"Can't Hun. He's a Midnight Dancer" he stated matter of factly.
Rachael walked over to the bed and sat down. She didn't know what to say. She had heard the stories as a child of the Horsemen. Her recollection was that they fed off evil children and made sure that they all went to bed early. Her parents had told her the stories often. The purpose of the horsemen being to ensure Earth was only inhabited by good people.
"Princess Moo is good!" she exclaimed. Looking at Roger with tears in her eyes. "I thought the stories were fake. You know, the kind that parents tell their children to make them go to bed. I have never told Princess Moo because I didn't believe them." Rachael covered her eyes and sobbed. Roger put his novel down and scuttled over to her. He put his arm around her and tried to reassure her.
"I didn't believe either. We are both wrong." he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. He pushed back and she clambered up next to him. Putting her head on his chest she asked "What do we do? You know how she is. She will not last too long. She likes to wander." Roger stroked her hair.
"I have an idea. Let us go to sleep. She will not wake now that she is asleep. She is safe tonight. Let us get plenty of rest". Rachael lifted her head and Roger leaned over. The kissed with a soft tenderness.
"Alexa turn off bedroom lights" he whispered.
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