A Monster is Here

 “Booker-T!” shouted Midge. “Where are you?”

“I'm coming,” said Booker-T as he walked toward the gate of the front yard. “Why are you in a hurry this morning?”

“We need to go warn Jake,” said Midge. “Hurry, hurry.”

“What is going on?” asked Booker-T. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine right now,” said Midge. “Did you see it? Did you see it?”

“See what?” asked Booker-T. “I just came outside when I heard you calling me.”

“You didn't see the monster?” asked Midge. “He walked into the water park over there.”

“He's in the water park?” asked Booker-T. “When did he go in there?”

“Just a few minutes ago,” said Midge as she kept looking over toward the water park. “Do you want to go see?”

“Oh no,” said Booker-T. “I don't like monsters. We better get Jake. He is the brave one.”

“Okay,” agreed Midge. “Lets hurry.”

Midge and Booker-T hurried along the sidewalk as they went to get Jake. They ran around the corner and up the street to Jake's house. Midge quickly went into the yard through the gate.

“Jake!” called Booker-T. “Where are you?”

“Hey,” laughed Jake as he sat up. “I'm right here in the swing. What is going on with you two?”

“Midge saw a monster,” said Booker-T. “You have to come see.”

“Where did you see a monster?” asked Jake. “I don't think we have monsters here in our town.”

“I saw it this morning Jake,” said Midge. “I really saw it. It was green.”

“Where did you see it?” asked Jake.

“He's in the water park,” said Booker-T.

“Why?” asked Jake. “What would a monster want in a water park?”

“Maybe he is thirsty,” suggested Midge. “They have a lot of water in the park.”

“A water drinking monster?” laughed Jake.

“What is so funny?” asked Midge. “It's a monster. A real monster, Jake.”

“What did it look like?” asked Jake.

“He was green,” said Booker-T.

“But what else does he look like?” asked Jake. “Is it big? Is it little? Is it fat or thin?”

“He's big,” said Midge. “Yes, I am pretty sure he is big.”

“You aren't sure?” asked Jake. “I thought you saw it. Did you see it Booker-T?”

“No,” said Booker-T. “I was in the house when Midge came running over and said she saw a monster going into the water park.”

“Did you go look?” asked Jake.

“Oh no,” said Booker-T shaking his head. “I am afraid of monsters. I didn't want it to see me.”

“You are brave Jake,” smiled Midge. “Come on and we can all look together.”

“What did it look like Midge?” asked Jake. “Do you remember?”

“Well, let me think,” said Midge staring at the ground a moment. “It was big and green. It had one horn on the side of its head.”

“It had a horn?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Midge nodding her head. “I am sure it was a horn. But it only had one horn.”

“Okay,” said Jake. “What else can you remember?”

“It had big ugly eyes,” said Midge. “They were square eyes. Not like ours.”

“Square eyes?' asked Booker-T. “That sure sounds like a monster, Jake.”

“What else?” asked Jake wanting to know what it looked like.

“It was shiny,” said Midge.

“A shiny monster?” laughed Jake. “Oh no. the invasion of the shiny monster.”

“He was, Jake,” said Midge. “He really was.”

“What else?” asked Jake.

“Well, let me see,” said Midge. “It had webbed feet like a duck.”

“His feet were like a duck?” asked Jake.

“Was it a big duck?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Midge. “I know what a duck looks like and this sure wasn't a duck. Only its feet looked like a duck.”

“Ducks don't have horns,” said Booker-T. “Do you want to go see the monster?”

“Okay,” hesitated Jake. “I think we can go look. I want to see it.”

“You are so brave Jake,” said Midge as she got up and started to follow Jake out of the gate.

The three walked along the sidewalk and hurried to Midge's house. As they neared the water park, Jake slowed down.

“Why are you walking so slow?” asked Midge.

“I'm not in a hurry to run into the monster,” said Jake. “We can sneak up on it.”

“I don't want to go near it,” said Booker-T. “Let's just peak through the fence and look inside.”

They walked around the fencing and found a hole that they could see through. Jake pushed his head close to the fence and peaked through the hole with one eye. He stood looking around the inside of the fence.

“Over there Jake! Over there!” shouted Booker-T.

“Where?” asked Jake.

“Look behind you,” said Midge as she quickly turned around to find herself face to face with the monster.

“Look out Midge,” said Jake. “He is going to grab you!”

Midge stood frozen to the ground. She tried to move but could make herself walk over to Jake. Suddenly the monster touched the top of her head and gently patted her and then it walked away.

“Midge! Are you okay?” asked Jake.

“I'm fine,” said Midge. “He touched me Jake. He touched me.”

“I know,” said Jake. “Did it hurt?”

“No,” said Midge. “What kind of monster is that?”

“I don't know,” said Jake. “I never saw one like that before.”

“Do you want to follow it?” asked Booker-T.

Jake looked up at the sign on the gate into the park, where the monster came out of the park. “Oh my,” said Jake.

“What is it?” asked Midge.

“That wasn't a monster,” said Jake.

“Yes it was,” said Booker-T. “You saw it.”

“I did,” said Jake. “But now I know it isn't a monster.”

“How do you know?” asked Midge.

“Look at the sign,” said Jake.

Midge looked and saw two monsters on the poster. “That's the monster. Did they invite the monster to come to the park?”

“It's a human dressed in that suit,” said Jake.

“Why?” asked Booker-T.

“It is a scuba diver,” laughed Jake. “They were giving scuba diving lessons today.”

“It is just a human dressed like that?” asked Midge.

“Yes,” laughed Jake. “We are all safe.”

“Oh good,” sighed Midge. “Lets go get something to eat in my house.”

They all agreed and crossed the road to Midge's house.