literature

8: Day Of Giving Carol Part 2

Deviation Actions

uncle-bilbo's avatar
By
Published:
143 Views

Literature Text

Part Two: In Which There Is Much Head-Slapping

Mango found herself standing in a corner of the Rec Room, the place where the Guild members used to gather for special events in the days before the Chez Weewoo. The place was decorated for Advent, and there were tables full of sugar-laden goodies.

Suddenly she was aware of a ghostly form standing beside her, that of beautiful lady with an angelic smile and a curiously large head. A long white quill was in her hand. “I am Snowflake, the Ghost of the Day of Giving Past.”

“Have I somehow gone back in time?” Mango asked.

“What is past is gone from all but memory,” Snowflake explained. “You may look and listen, but these are only the reflections of what was. No one here can see or hear you as you are now.”

“Can I at least eat the sugar-laden goodies?”

Snowflake slapped her head. “No. Just look.”

Mango looked around the gathering and jumped for joy. “Oh look! There’s Tydans! And Springsteen and Frostcrystal, and even old Scriptfox!”

Of all the people here, many of whom she only half-remembered, she suddenly recognized one young girl as her pre-Meepit self. “Crikey! This is my very first Eve of Giving with the Guild.”

Her past self bounded up to Kat and Nimras. “Isn’t this just the neatest place ever! And don’t you think that Unis are just the sweetest things ever? I would just love to take my crayons and scribble a pretty picture on every Uni’s boo-haunchie and they would look just like My Little Pony with horns!”

Mango slapped her head with a tiny Meepit paw. “Was I really such a NOOb?”

Just then she noticed a Dark Faerie sitting alone in a chair in a quiet corner reading the Times, a mug of Everlasting Apple Cider and a Raindorf-shaped cookie on the table beside her. “I had forgotten that Jhudora used to hang around here from time to time even before Uncle Bilbo came along.”

“She is fond of the Times stories herself,” Snowflake said, and added softly. “Especially the stories in which she is secretly a nice person.”

When Mango looked again, her past self was up to something that transcended mischief to plumb the depths of absolute insanity. In short, she was taking advantage to Jhudora’s distraction to scribble on the back of the Dark Faerie’s wings. After a moment she leaped out of her chair and turned on Mango in wrath.

“And just what in the name of everything unholy do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“I thought you would be happier with pretty bright wings like a Light Faerie,” Mango answered as she laughed and danced with delight.

“Ee-ouch!” Jhudora cried out in pain. “You just trod on my foot, you sugar-crazed wretch!”

“Faeries should wear shoes, at least in the middle of winter.”

“It’s the middle of summer in Australia,” Jhudora reminded her.

Mango thought about that for a moment, and a little light came on over her head. “Oh, yeah!”

“Well, I hope you fed your Pets and kissed them all goodbye,” Jhudora declared as she drew out her wand. “I curse you for all time to be a. . .”

“Mango Meepit!” Mango squealed.

“Mango Meepit!” Jhudora proclaimed ominously, then slapped her head. “Wait! I meant to say Mortog!”

But it was too late. There was a flash of light and Mango’s clothes collapsed to the floor. After a moment a mango-colored Meepit crawled out, looked at herself and with a squeak of delight did a backflip of joy.

“I’m a Mango Meepit! That rhymes backwards, because it’s at the front of the words. That’s called alienation!” She looked up Jhudora with puppy-dog eyes of adoration, something never before seen on a Meepit. “Thank you, Auntie Jhudora! This is the bestest Day of Giving Present ever!”

With that she danced and skipped with delight as she went to show the others, singing in a squeaky Meepit voice. “Oh I’m a Man-go Mee-pit, and I ain’t wearin’ nothin’ but my Man-go fur!”

“That was never meant to be a good thing, you know!” Jhudora called after her. Then she sighed in defeat and added quietly, “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

(To Be Continued)
The Day of Giving Carol continues. This installment is full of deliberate anachronisms. Mango sees some people in the Past who were not together in the Guild at the same time. For that matter, the whole story is an anachronism, because Mango had yet to spend even one Day of Giving at the Guild. I knew it at the time.
© 2009 - 2024 uncle-bilbo
Comments0
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In