The Light switch

Chapter Three

Jane and Tilly had been dragged by scratching, biting, clawed hands into the largest tent that stood outside the walls of Blanket Town. Just before Tilly and Jane were shoved into the tent, they saw to their worry that the huge wooden gates of the town had been broken through and now lay smashed to splinters on the road.

In the centre of the tent was a huge campfire that blazed and cast shadows that danced on the walls and ceiling of the tent, the smoke rising up and out through a little hole at the top. Behind the fire, sat on a throne carved of wood into the shape of hundreds of nasty snarling goblin faces sat a huge monster. Its skin was a grey green and leathery, it had two large tusks that grew out of its mouth that caused it to constantly dribble and drool, and it had two tiny wicked yellow eyes that now stared at Jane and Tilly.

"So you are the Blanketsnatchers that let all my lovely whales escape?" It slobbered. "Well, one of you is at least. You though," it said pointing a dirty sausage like finger towards Jane, "you don't smell like a Blanketsnatcher. I haven't smelt someone like you for over a hundred years, not since the humans started using those nasty electric lights." Said the monster shivering with disgust, and maybe a little bit of fear.

"So exactly why would a Blanketsnatcher bring a little human girl to Blanket Town I wonder? Such a thing as never happened before, and I am sure it's something that the Queen would frown upon. At least if she lives long enough to find out about it that is."

He stood up from his throne and put his face only inches from Janes, the wet of his breath fogging her glasses and the stench of his breath making her screw up her nose.

"Well, no matter. A puzzle for a later time. Thanks to you I have some whales to catch as well as some gnomes to bag up before we burn your home to the ground, but don't worry I won't leave my honoured guests without company."

With a snap of his clawed fingers three smaller goblins were at his side immediately.

"Grogfoot, Spleenbow, Wartface, make sure our guests don't get lonely while I am gone, have the Terror Troll watch over them while I am away."

"Yes, Lord Tuskmouth." They all said as one and followed the far larger goblin out the tent. They soon returned carrying a tiny, small purple animal between them that was covered in fuzzy fur and was snoring loudly. They placed the animal on the floor in front of Jane and Tilly and then left, closing the tent flap behind them.

Jane could not see what the big deal was, but Tilly was clearly terrified.

"Tilly, what is a Terror Troll? Surely it can't be that tiny little thing? How is that supposed to keep us here when it's not only so small but also asleep? Come on let's get out of here." Said Jane beginning to hover up from the ground with her butterfly clips and jumper.

She had not however got more than a few inches off the ground when she spotted the real monster in the corner. It had been years since she had stayed up late and watched the scary film she had been warned not to watch by her mum and dad. She had to sleep with the light on for weeks after as she was sure the monster with its long tentacles was hiding in the dark, and now that very same monster was standing in front of her blocking her only escape.

"No, you're not real!" Cried Jane, backing away from the monster and toward the throne, tripping over a terrified Tilly who had her hands over her eyes.

"I know you can't possibly be here; you can't be this far out of the ocean and if you're not real you can't hurt me!"

The monster was a type of gigantic octopus, with long powerful tentacles covered in suction caps, and a nasty sharp snapping beak at the centre of the body. It screeched and began to crawl its way towards Jane with a slurping sound, one tentacle reaching out after the other with a flip flop.

"Jane! Jane! You must fight your fear, it's not real! A Terror Troll tricks you into seeing what you are most afraid of, but you must remember it's not real! If only I had a torch with me!" Cried Tilly as she bravely threw herself at the tentacled monster trying to stop it from reaching the terrified Jane.

"A light? How would that help against an octopus?" Cried Jane, but Tilly was not able to answer as tentacles reached out for her.

Soon Tilly was being lifted into the air by one of the powerful tentacles, another had wrapped itself around her mouth so she could not speak to Jane. The tentacle was bringing her closer and closer to its snapping beak, which now slobbered with spit as it hungered for its next meal. It was then as Jane looked up at Tilly through the flames of the bonfire, she had put between herself and the monster, she saw that the only shadow on the wall was that of Tilly. There was no sign of the monster or its tentacles at all.

If there was no shadow then it couldn't really be there, Jane had only finished that week learning about how shadows are created when light is blocked by a solid and real object. This monster wasn't any more real than the monster in the film that had scared her. Now slightly less afraid Jane could think clearly. She remembered her phone that was still in her pocket, and on her phone was of course a flashlight. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her phone and shone the light on the arms wrapping around Tilly on the brightest setting the phone had.

The moment the light touched the monster the tentacles vanished with a sizzle, and the beak began squawking in shock and anger. It tried to reach out and grab Jane and her phone, but she buzzed through the air shining the torch and fighting the monster back until with a pop it was gone, and Tilly hit the floor unharmed.

Behind Jane she heard a small little yawn like that you would imagine a rabbit would make and turned to see the Terror Troll stretching and its eyes blinking awake.

"Come on Jane!" Cried Tilly "Let's get out of here before it falls asleep again!"