Pickles

Canada giggled, and hopped up into her bed, resplendent in a shiny
pink Barbie nightgown. Her little feet were slippered, and she pulled
those slippers off now, tossing them across the room. She laughed, a
jolly, rolling sound. Her older sister, Cairo, older by 11 years, with
dark gold hair, and green eyes, a contrast to the duskier coloring of
her kid sister, tried as hard as possible, not to smile too much. That
would be encouraging the little bratkins. Canada looked up her sister
with wide, dark eyes. Cairo pulled the blankets up and tucked it around
her, saying sternly,

"Are you going to stay in bed tonight?" Canada nodded her head
enthusiastically, her eyes bright, her smile innocent. Cairo frowned,
knowing better then to believe the child's smile. She was a terror at
night, wild and rambunctious. Right now, though, she was intent on
looking like a baby angel. Cairo said sternly, "You better be good, and
go to sleep tonight, or the monster will come out from under the bed,
and nibble off your toes." Canada's eyes opened wide in mock fear.
Cairo chuckled and kissed the top of Canada's forehead, then went to
the door and flipped off the light. She lingered a moment, watching her
sister, as if in a private debate with herself. She didn't believe for
a second that Canada would stay quiet or sleep. Oh no, four years now
of experience told her that Canada thrived on getting into trouble. She
sighed deeply and the door clicked close.

Canada slipped from her bed, and crept close, dropping to the floor to
peer under the door, until her sister's retreating footsteps were gone.
Then she shot up, and bounced onto her bed, and hung down, poking her
head under her bed, saying,

"Pickles!" There was a scurry, scuffle sound under the bed, and Canada
sat up, waiting excitedly.

A monster crept out from under the bed, and shook himself off. He was
about Canada's size, with shaggy purple fur, and bright emerald green
eyes. Not much else was seen about him, other then that he had long,
gangly limbs. He grinned proudly at the child and said,

"Hello, are you ready to play Canada?" Canada clapped her hands and
squealed and began jumping on her bed. Pickles the monster glanced
hurriedly at the door and then waved at the child to be quiet. Canada
did, and crouched at the edge of her bed, her dark eyes eager. Pickles
lumbered around the room, picking up a doll here, or a toy car there,
all the while humming to himself. Then he turned around and splayed his
arms grandly,

"I have an idea. Let's play Sultan!" Canada nodded and asked,

"How do we do that?" Pickles picked up a blanket and threw it around
his shoulders, then picked up a kid's beaded necklace and placed it on
his head like a jewel crown, and lifted his chin in the air,

"I am the Sultan and you are my Genie! You get to make my wishes come
true!" Canada quickly scampered off the bed again, and wound a blanket
around her head, then sat cross legged on the floor with her arms
folded across her chest. She intoned,

"Hello my lord! What can I do for you?" Pickles flapped a hand about
and then said, in a deep voice,

"Give me a hundred servants for my command!' Canada did the head bob
from I dream of Genie and squeezed her eyes shut, then she went around
the room, and dug out every stuffed animal and doll she could leaving
them at Pickle's feet,

"Your wish is my command!" She said and giggled. Pickles marched around
importantly and stopped to peer down at the ground,

"Genie! I am bored! I think that we need to play tag!" Canada did
another head bob and said,

"Your wish is my command!" Then she darted forward and tagged him,
"Your it!" She darted way and Pickles chased her. She dived under the
bed, crawled under it and out onto the other side. Pickles went flying
over it, and tackled her, tickling her mercilessly. Canada laughed and
squirmed, but to no avail, Pickles wasn't budging.

Then Pickles jerked his head toward the door and dived under the bed.
The door open and a shaft of light bent in, momentarily blinding
Canada. Canada yawned and rubbed her eyes, then looked down,

"I must have fallen off in my sleep!" Cairo was glowering at her from
the doorway, silhouetted by the light. Her arms were folded across her
chest, and she was certainly not amused. Sheepishly, but not repentant,
Canada crawled back into bed, and huddled under her blankets, and
yawned again, purely fro effect,

"I am sooo tired!" She said and closed her eyes,

"Uh huh. Right." Cairo sauntered near and leaned over her sister,
retucking her in, "What did I tell you about the monster?" Canada said
in a know it all tone,

"The monster under the bed is my friend!" Cairo seemed momentarily
taken aback, then said curtly,

"Is he now?" Canada nodded,

"He plays games with me. He's real nice." Cairo chuckled, immediately
regretting it. She briefly tickled her sister into a laughing fit then
told her sternly,

"Well, the monster under the bed may be nice, but he is on vacation,
and the monster in the closet is taking his place. The monster in the
closet will eat ya in one whole bite. Yum, yum." Canada's eyes opened
wide, and she huddled under the blankets, completely covered. Cairo
cackled. She was evil, she knew. But it would keep her sister quiet for
a few nights. She left, closing the door behind her. Canada poked her
head out for a moment and looked toward the closet. The door slid open
a crack, to reveal a giant red eye. Something cackled, a deep rumbling
sound that shook the floor. Canada squeaked and buried herself in the
blankets.