Parents Vs Ninjas

Lights Out

We were surrounded by a kaleidoscope of ninjas! The train behind us was already leaving, and there was nowhere to run! If only I wasn't so tired! I might have fought my way out, but there had to be over two dozen ninjas wearing at least half a dozen different colored belts!

Wait...

White belts on the train ninjas, blue belts on the "security guards", yellow belts on the shrubbery ninjas, purple belts on the kite riders, and green belts on the other group that had attacked the ninja fortress. The robes we'd stolen from the first group had black belts.

Did the different belts mean different ninja clans?

"I surrender," I said, "But first I have to ask, which clan gets to claim and train my son?"

A ninja with a purple belt stepped forward. They were from the group that attacked the fortress with kites. "The Poison Past clan will claim him, of course."

A ninja with a red belt spoke up. "Actually, clan Blood Mist will claim the boy. We got here first."

"No!" A ninja with a black belt leaped between us and the other ninjas, facing them. "The Black Smoke clan did the work to capture him initially. It was our fortress that got attacked by you deceitful tricksters. We claimed The Silent But Deadly, and we shall keep him!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" shouted a ninja with a yellow belt, and his group moved to attack the Black Smoke ninja. The other black belts counter-attacked, but were attacked in turn by green-belt ninjas. In no time at all, a full-scale war was taking place just a meter in front of us. Fighters were leaping, flipping, slashing, stabbing, and throwing weapons with abandon. One pair of warriors leaped twenty feet into the air, grabbed each other, and then wrestled to see who would land on who. They both landed on a third ninja who managed to hit himself and them with his nunchucks. Aren't nunchucks wonderful?

This time I didn't give Peter a look. Instead I leaned over and whispered, "Let's sneak out of here."

Ever so slowly, using every bit of skill I'd gained from having to enter or exit rooms with sleeping children in them, I began to lead my family in a very slow, quiet, and gradual shuffle around the train-station platform.

We'd traveled just a few meters when David asked, "Mommy, what are we doing?"

Up until that moment, I hadn't noticed how quiet all the fighting was, the only sounds being the clang of weapons or the smack of wood on skin. All eyes turned towards us, but luckily a couple of ninjas in the crowd had just thrown smoke bombs which limited everyone's view.

"Run!" I shouted, and we raced out of there. As we left the platform I heard a couple more Wilhem screams, probably from ninjas who'd accidentally run off the platform into open air in their efforts to catch us in the smoke bomb fog. Unfortunately, the rest of them were on our tail, though from the intermittent clang of weapons, they were still fighting each other even as they chased us. How could we lose two dozen ninjas, and when would I get some sleep?

"I'm afraid for the calendar," Peter called over his shoulder, still carrying Hazel on his back and David in his arms. "Its days are numbered."

Ninjas groaned and covered their ears, falling back a little. Just enough of an opening.

I spun, hurling a diaper grenade at the nearest ninjas before continuing to run. I didn't see what happened, but the sounds of pursuit decreased even as the sounds of retching increased, so at least I'd slowed them down. That had been one good thing about the train ride. At least I'd gotten a chance to restock on diaper grenades. I was also so very grateful that I didn't have to clean up the mess we were making.

I ran another block before the insight of that thought struck me. If I could buy a little more time, I could trip the ninjas with a classic mop trap! Just then, Beth began to cry.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

Good enough. The ninjas pulled further away to protect themselves against this new sonic attack, and we kept running to buy a bit of distance. I started scanning each doorway for the thing I needed. There! A janitor with his cart at the entrance to a hotel.

I raced in, grabbed a mop and some water from the cart and began furiously mopping the smooth wooden floor. The janitor turned and said "Wait! You can't do that!"

Peter said "I'm sorry! We've been on vacation for so long, she's worried about getting out of practice! You don't mind, do you?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see the janitor scratching his head with a confused look from me to the crying baby and back to me. Then the janitor tried to set up a "wet floor" sign, but Peter had already hidden it behind his back.

I kept mopping a growing section of the smooth wood floor, keeping the wet spot between me and the door. I'd just calmed Beth and put the mop back in the cart when the ninjas raced up to the hotel doors.

I sprinted further into the hotel and the ninjas took the bait. They followed me and all slipped and fell on the smooth wet floor. While they fruitlessly attempted to regain their feet in the slippery mop trap, I circled around and led my family out the entrance.

Time to disappear...or at least get some sleep. We raced into the hotel next door and paid for a room with cash. We went to the room and locked the door. It was a pretty standard hotel room with two beds next to each other on some side of the room facing a TV on the other side of the room, which was in turn sandwiched between a small dresser and a table. Odd to find a hotel room with a ceiling fan. I turned to ask the kids if they wanted to sleep in the bed further from the door only to find them already fast asleep on the first bed, where Peter had just put them.

"Honey, I was going to have us sleep in that bed just in case the ninjas manage to get through the locked door."

"Sorry," he said.

For the millionth time I regretted that telepathy was not a thing.

"Okay, we need to have someone keep watch," I said. "Do you want to get the first nap and I'll wake you in an hour or so?"

"Thank you! I love you," he said and he was out like a light next to the kids. I'd been trying to be generous, but had really hoped that he would graciously decline and in turn offer me the rest. You know, like a gentleman?

Stupid telepathy.

I set a one-hour alarm, took the sleeping Beth out of the wrap and laid her on the bed to give myself greater freedom of movement, and settled in to keep watch.

I had to keep vigilant.

I had...to...keep...vigil...ant............

........

Then a ninja burst through the window in a hail of shattered glass!

TO BE CONTINUED!