Monster

Chapter 8

Captain Stephen was a tall, old man. His thin face was wrinkleless, yet he walked with a swaggering limp. The Captain was ancient in a timeless way. Malcolm and the Captain seemed to think it was funny for Malcolm to go limping after him.

The old captain was the leader of all eight commanders. The younger men looked to him for their assignments.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he said the next day at lunch, his voice booming with help from a microphone.

"And Elisa!" the little girl shouted.

"Yes, and Elisa." The Captain beamed, happily. "Today is a very special one: my 80th birthday!"

"He looks good," whispered Catherine.

"Yeah, he does." Mable plopped down beside Catherine, with Leslie on her other side.

"Stop doing up like that!" Catherine said.

"We're gonna party!" Elisa jumped onto a table. she held her frilly pink dress by the hem and kicked her legs as high as she could.

Her mother swept her off the table, scolding her. Captain Stephen limped off the stage, looking amused.

"Oh! A party!" Imogene clapped her hands.

Caleb laughed and leaned back in his chair and said, "I hope I look that good when I'm eighty."

Malcolm snickered. "I don't know. I think I see a little wrinkle in your brows." He turned to Imogene. "Don't you think?"

"Is that a gray hair?"

"Very funny you two." Caleb laughed a fake laugh.

"Yes. Very." Mable said, struggling to stifle a laugh.

Leslie cackled loudly, making the group laugh too. Soon, they were all gasping for air, still laughing.

"Eh? What's goin' on 'ere?" Pixie approached, speaking in her usual drawl.

"Caleb's getting old." Catherine explained between bursts of laughter.

"Ah, I do see a gray 'air." She exclaimed. Pixie plucked it and held the strand up to the light. Sure enough, it shimmered silver.

"God! We've got to pick out our outfits!" Catherine shrieked.

Catherine grabbed Mable and Imogene's wrists in one hand. In the other, she managed to grab Pixie's as well.

*****

Catherine brought them to a room lined with racks of fancy dresses. Every size, shape, and color was gathered in the room. Immediately, she pulled a black and purple dress off a rack and tossed it to Pixie. Catherine ushered the fuchsia-haired  girl into a dressing room and closed the door behind her.

Catherine turned to Mable, looked her up and down, then turned to a different rack. The dresses hung there were pale blues and violets. She grabbed a blue-violet dressed, shoved it to Mable, and turned to Imogene.

"Now you," she said. "hmm, something  bright would go great with your dark hair."

She spotted a lovely gold dress with cap sleeves and a sash. "Perfect!" She exclaimed, passing it carefully to Imogene.

"Now me."

Imogene then decided to help Catherine find a dress. They decided on a strapless red one with a sweetheart neckline. Just as they picked it up, Pixie and Mable emerged from the dressing rooms in their dresses. Pixie looked uncomfortable. Mable just stood there, daintily, in her dress.

"You both look fabulous!" Catherine said. Imogene nodded in agreement.

"Don't know about fabulous...but it's okay." Pixie looked at herself in the mirror. She smoothed out the skirt of her dress.

Mable gently rubbed her dress' shimmering fabric between her fingers. "I quite like it. Try yours on Imogene."

Imogene was the roughly hurried into a dressing room by Catherine. Imogene locked the door behind her then proceeded to slip on the dress and tied the sash.

She looked beautiful, she thought to herself, as she looked into the floor length mirror. No, Imogene thought, correcting herself. It's the dress that made her looked nice.

Stepping out of the dressing room, Imogene looked down at her feet. The dress was knee-length and the skirt flaired out at her waist.

Pixie raised her eyebrows. "Wow. You look mighty fine, 'Mogene."

Mable smiled. "You really are amazing Catherine."

She stuck out her chin. "I am aren't I?"

Imogene playfully punched Catherine's arm. "Don't let a big head, big head."

Catherine rolled her eyes and went into a dressing room. She came out a few minutes later, looking stunning in the red dress.