our local heritage.”
“We don’t live in Darlington,” corrected Joy, her eyes flashing angrily at the suggestion. “We’re from Spooking.”
“Really?” gasped Madame Portia. “Forgive me! It’s been a good many years since I was last up the hill to visit my old home, what with no car and this hip, and before that the old town had been long without youngsters. They all grew up and moved on, you see, instead of staying to raise families of their own. Such a pity!” Madame Portia clasped Byron’s chin in her filthy hands. “But now there’s a new generation of Spooking children, you tell me! How wonderful!”
“ Spooziees ,” murmured Byron, his jaw held painfully shut in her grasp.
“Pardon?”
“Spookys,” repeated Joy. “It’s what they call us down at Winsome Elementary. In Darlington, where we go to school.”
“Bah,” said Madame Portia. “I wouldn’t pay any attention to them,” she purred, smoothing Byron’s hair. “Spooking will still be standing up on that hill when Darlington is but a melted pool of plastic. Cities like that are obscenities upon nature, and nature won’t abide such a thing for long.
“But never mind that. I always look forward to reading a book that comes with such a high recommendation.”
Joy handed her back the copy. “I think you will especially like the story ‘The Bawl of the Bog Fiend.’ And I would actually love to talk to you more about it sometime. But we really should be getting home now.”
“What about your milk and cookies?” asked the old woman.
“I’m afraid the rats already helped themselves to them,” replied Joy.
Madame Portia turned and saw the now empty plate and two rats cheerfully lapping up the last of the milk. “You dirty, dirty things!” she shrieked. The rats shot under the sofa, knocking over one of the glasses and shattering it.
The children said good-bye. Joy promised to return again soon. Madame Portia said they were welcome any time.
They began making their way home. It was starting to rain and Byron’s stomach was growling. He asked Joy if she had brought any food on this expedition.
“Nope, sorry. I forgot.”
Byron asked crankily how come Joy always remembered to bring her various weapons, but always forgot to pack some sandwiches.
“Actually, I didn’t bother bringing a weapon this time,” she said. “No point against a bog fiend.” They retraced their steps back to the road, passing through a patch of ghostly-looking birch trees. “It’s so magical, this place,” she sighed. “I can see why someone would want to live here, although I’m not sure I could handle the rats. At least we’re lucky to live close enough to visit whenever we want.”
“I wonder what it will look like after the bulldozers come.”
“Bulldozers?” Joy stopped. It was raining harder now, heavy drops exploding as they stepped out on the paved road. “What do you mean? What bulldozers?” she said over the noise.
“The bulldozers that are coming to clear the bog so they can start major excommunication,” answered Byron, thinking that didn’t sound exactly right. He shrugged. “And the drainage.”
“Byron, what on earth are you talking about?”
“What they were talking about in the boy’s washroom after assembly. The man with the loud voice, and the other one.”
“The mayor?” asked Joy, alarmed. “You heard him say something about the bog?”
“They came in when I was in the toilet. I heard them talking about how they couldn’t start bulldozing until they got something crazy out of the bog.” Byron’s eyes widened. “Do you think they were talking about your monster maybe?”
Joy’s blood went cold. It suddenly all made sense.
“The Misty Mermaid Water Park!” she exclaimed. “Those Darlington maniacs are going to build it over Spooking Bog! Byron, we’ve got to stop them!”
Just then a car whizzed passed them, screeching to a halt as the sky opened up completely.
“Joy! Byron!”
“We don’t live in Darlington,” corrected Joy, her eyes flashing angrily at the suggestion. “We’re from Spooking.”
“Really?” gasped Madame Portia. “Forgive me! It’s been a good many years since I was last up the hill to visit my old home, what with no car and this hip, and before that the old town had been long without youngsters. They all grew up and moved on, you see, instead of staying to raise families of their own. Such a pity!” Madame Portia clasped Byron’s chin in her filthy hands. “But now there’s a new generation of Spooking children, you tell me! How wonderful!”
“ Spooziees ,” murmured Byron, his jaw held painfully shut in her grasp.
“Pardon?”
“Spookys,” repeated Joy. “It’s what they call us down at Winsome Elementary. In Darlington, where we go to school.”
“Bah,” said Madame Portia. “I wouldn’t pay any attention to them,” she purred, smoothing Byron’s hair. “Spooking will still be standing up on that hill when Darlington is but a melted pool of plastic. Cities like that are obscenities upon nature, and nature won’t abide such a thing for long.
“But never mind that. I always look forward to reading a book that comes with such a high recommendation.”
Joy handed her back the copy. “I think you will especially like the story ‘The Bawl of the Bog Fiend.’ And I would actually love to talk to you more about it sometime. But we really should be getting home now.”
“What about your milk and cookies?” asked the old woman.
“I’m afraid the rats already helped themselves to them,” replied Joy.
Madame Portia turned and saw the now empty plate and two rats cheerfully lapping up the last of the milk. “You dirty, dirty things!” she shrieked. The rats shot under the sofa, knocking over one of the glasses and shattering it.
The children said good-bye. Joy promised to return again soon. Madame Portia said they were welcome any time.
They began making their way home. It was starting to rain and Byron’s stomach was growling. He asked Joy if she had brought any food on this expedition.
“Nope, sorry. I forgot.”
Byron asked crankily how come Joy always remembered to bring her various weapons, but always forgot to pack some sandwiches.
“Actually, I didn’t bother bringing a weapon this time,” she said. “No point against a bog fiend.” They retraced their steps back to the road, passing through a patch of ghostly-looking birch trees. “It’s so magical, this place,” she sighed. “I can see why someone would want to live here, although I’m not sure I could handle the rats. At least we’re lucky to live close enough to visit whenever we want.”
“I wonder what it will look like after the bulldozers come.”
“Bulldozers?” Joy stopped. It was raining harder now, heavy drops exploding as they stepped out on the paved road. “What do you mean? What bulldozers?” she said over the noise.
“The bulldozers that are coming to clear the bog so they can start major excommunication,” answered Byron, thinking that didn’t sound exactly right. He shrugged. “And the drainage.”
“Byron, what on earth are you talking about?”
“What they were talking about in the boy’s washroom after assembly. The man with the loud voice, and the other one.”
“The mayor?” asked Joy, alarmed. “You heard him say something about the bog?”
“They came in when I was in the toilet. I heard them talking about how they couldn’t start bulldozing until they got something crazy out of the bog.” Byron’s eyes widened. “Do you think they were talking about your monster maybe?”
Joy’s blood went cold. It suddenly all made sense.
“The Misty Mermaid Water Park!” she exclaimed. “Those Darlington maniacs are going to build it over Spooking Bog! Byron, we’ve got to stop them!”
Just then a car whizzed passed them, screeching to a halt as the sky opened up completely.
“Joy! Byron!”
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