OLD ART

LtoR: Peter Torken, Davy Jay, Mick Dylan, Mike Nes.
The Prairee Chikenz (my Monkees tribute band) all live in the same house together.

STORY-TIME!

Davy and Mick played the last hand of their card game for the night as Mike went around and shut the windows, also making sure the door was locked. Peter was already in his pajamas and had hopped into his bed while the other Chikens got into their pajamas and brushed their teeth. In the midst of all their brushing and fussing with dresser drawers, they heard a loud BANG followed by sudden darkness. The four of them cried out in surprise and froze in place for a moment. Mick felt for the sinks edges so he could wash out his toothpaste-filled mouth, then said, "Hey Mike? Did you forget to pay the electric company again?"
"Of course not, man." Mike echoed from the next room, "That was the only bill I paid."
"If it wasn't that, then what turned it off?" asked Davy, pulling his blue long-sleeve shirt back on.
"Maybe it was the Boogey Man!" shivered Peter, clinging to his stuffed bunny tightly.
"Maybe it's a criminal!" Davy added.
"A criminal? Who'd want a bunch of junk and old, worn out guitars and drums. There's probably a perfectly good explanation for this." said Mike calmly, "That loud pop was probably just a fuse exploding."
"What if it wasn't?" Micky replied.
"Well, we'll just have to go down there and see. Help me find a match. There must be one around here somewhere." said Mike.
Davy thought a moment, then said, "I have a candle from a date I had once! I wonder if I can find it in this darkness."
"From how many dates you have, you should have enough wax candles to light the city of New York." Mick laughed.
"Ha. Haa.." Davy replied in a sarcastic tone, before continuing on, "It was from a date I had with this blonde bird. The restaurant was one of those especially romantic places where they seat you in a dark, private room that is lit by a candle on the table. The date was a wash-out. She threw a glass of water in my face and said she never wanted to see me as long as she lived. So, I stood up, took the candle, and left her in the dark all alone. As far as I know, she may still be there, feeling for an exit."
Micky laughed again and Mike groaned.
"Davy, man, will you hurry up with that candle? I'm starting to feel disoriented." Mike said, pawing the walls to find furnishings he'd recognize.
A flickering burst of light filled the room as Davy lit the candle. He walked over and handed the candle to Mike.
"Mick? ...Peter?" Mike called into the darkness beyond the candlelight.
Mick felt the wall of the bathroom, stepped over the threshold, then rounded the corner to find the flame in his face.
"WHOA! HEY! Watch it with that thing." he exclaimed.
"Where's Peter?" Mike asked.
"I thought he was with YOU!" Mick replied, "The Boogey Man must've got him! PETER! ..PETER!"
A white, draped figure began floating quickly towards them and they all gasped and tried to get out of the way.
"THE BOOGEY MAN! RUN!" Mick screamed.
The covered figure screamed, too, and ran fast towards them, only to crash into the group and fall to the floor. The white sheet lifted to show a face with humongous, frightened eyes.
"WHERE IS HE?! DID HE GET ME?!" Peter cried, poking his head out of the sheet.
"No, man. It was YOU that scared us. Come on." said Mike, helping Peter up from the floor, "Leave the sheet behind, I've been creeped out enough tonight. Let's all give this thing a rest and go to bed."
"I can't sleep, Mike! Not with the Boogey Man out there!" Peter said nervously, "Get him to go away!"
Micks face contorted as he pointed at Peter's hand, "Pete? What's with the shoe?"
"I needed a weapon! I didn't have a weapon.. So I went out and got one!" he replied as he smiled proudly.
Silence passed over all of them for a moment as they stared down at each others naked, furry feet until one of them eventually said what was on all their minds.
"Peter?" Davy piped up, "Where did you find a human's shoe?"
"I found it. Outside the village walls. It was riiiiight THERE!" he said as stood on tiptoe attempting to see beyond the window and shrubs to point to the exact spot.
Their eyes became large as they absorbed what they'd just heard.
"Pete, man, you aren't allowed outside the village walls. The guards'd kill you. You shouldn't have done that." Mike reprimanded. He paused to reset his thoughts.
"Ooh.. We'll deal with that later. Come on.. Let's find Peter's Boogey Man." Mike said rolling his eyes, then beckoned for them to follow.

Mike opened the door slowly and poked the candle out across the threshold. Then Mick pulled out his drumsticks from his back pocket, crept carefully passed Mike's candle and out into the hallway, holding the sticks as if they were two daggers.
"HAH WAAAH HI-YAAAAH! HOOO HAAAAH!" he yelled in a high-pitched tone as he jabbed with his drumsticks and flailed his arms around in the air while performing karate-like jumping and kicking maneuvers. When finished, he posed with his feet apart in a defenseive karate stance and stared out into the darkness, listening for a response but heard only silence. When satisfied, he bounced back up into a casual stance and looked behind him.
"It's safe!" he said nonchalantly.
Mick felt an immediate rush of another body colliding behind him, followed by another. It was Davy and Peter.
"We.. we're behind you one hundred percent!" joked Davy.
Mick took Mike by the shoulders and pulled him out in front of him like a shield. Mike raised the candlelight out over the balcony like a beacon.
"Goin' down?" Mick asked. Mike nodded.
They trudged together like a frightened conga line, making their way across the hall, down the stairs, peering at every corner of the living room.
There was a sudden thunderous POW! that shook the room. Everyone jumped and flailed behind a piece of furniture. Micky cried out "IT'S GOT ME! IT'S GOT ME!"
They all rushed towards his voice, tripping over furniture and knickknacks. They reached him and Mike started to tackle the thing that had Mick in its grip, forcing it down to the ground and repeatedly started to punch it in the head.
Mick's paw blotted at his shirt, then rubbed his digits together. It was wet!
"It must be blood! OH NO! I'm gonna DIE!" he cried.

Suddenly there was a vibrating, electrical sound from outside and then a loud POW!
The lights suddenly switched back on to reveal Mick on the floor holding his chest with soda dripping from his "wound," Davy was hiding behind a chair, Mike gave the criminal a final blow to the head and Peter was shielding his eyes with his bunny toy while he beat the foot of the offender with his Mighty Shoe.
Everyone froze in place for a moment, then looked down at the criminal they had captured.
Mike and Davy lifted up the culprit to look at its face, only to realize it was a large stuffed gorilla.
Peter looked at it disappointed and threw the shoe at it in disgust.
"That's not the Boogey Man.." =(

I have a bad habit of constantly switching my past and present tenses when typing a story.. Sorry about that.

And yes, Peter's peace sign headband does glow in the dark. :)

characters ©me