Robert and the Goblin Tree

Edgar Bailey

Father tried to stand, but the creature had bashed him in the head pretty hard. The world still spun when he did more than sit, so he patted Robert on the arm and told him to wait, they'd head back shortly—if Mom didn't come and find them first.

So they sat in the quiet of the approaching morning, Robert unusually quiet, the whole event far exceeding his ability to track it to any movie or obscure Bugs Bunny episode. But over the bird song and the rustle of the leaves in the gentle morning breeze, Father detected a sound. He motioned to Robert to hush, completely unnecessary for once, and turned his head, tracking for the sound.

"Over there!" Father pointed, into the area by the base of the tree where the tree had "erupted." A low groaning sound was coming from that direction. Father rolled and staggered, half crawling toward the sound. Robert jumped up and rushed over ahead of Father.

Half covered by dirt and dead leaves, a figure was sprawled across the forest floor like it had been forced out of the tree (it had). Someone was lying face down, feet toward the destroyed tree and arms spread above his head. Robert crouched down and gently touched the figure's shoulder.

"You okay?" By this point, Father had caught up. The world was settling into a slower spin, and Father managed to roll the figure over, although not as gently was he would have liked.

It was man, thin and dressed in black suit, but one more suited to 1820s than to the 2020s. His hair and his beard where long and ragged, black with just traces of gray. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Obvious confusion filled his face as he focused his eyes on Father and Robert.

"Where? What?" he muttered, pulling himself up on his elbows and the running one hand across his eyes and then through his hair.

"What's your name?" Robert asked bluntly.

"Robert," Father began, but the stranger answered just as bluntly: "I am Edgar Bailey. And you are?" His voice was soft and ragged, like his clothes, but he seemed to be gaining strength with every passing moment.

"I'm Robert and this is Father."

"Nice to meet you Robert, and Father," and Edgar Bailey held out his hand to shake. Before Father could introduce himself properly, Edgar noticed the tree. "By golly! You did it! You killed the tree!"

"The tree was bad." Robert explained. "I stabbed it with the sword."

"YOU did it?!" Edgar looked from Robert to Father, who nodded in confirmation. "How?"

"I think we both have many many questions to ask and answer," Father interrupted, getting to his feet and then offering a hand to Edgar. "We should get back to the house and talk over a nice warm cup of coffee, or err tea," Father corrected himself, nodding at the gentleman. "I realized that my wife will never be able to find us out here. And with her sense of direction, if we take take too long and she goes out looking, we'll have to send a search party out for her."

Robert nodded, "Mom gets lost."

"Yes, yes she does," Father agreed.

The trip home took a good deal longer than the rushed flight to the tree. Father was still a bit woozy from the blow to his head, and Edgar didn't seem to have much strength in his legs. Ultimately, Father was able to stagger along under his own power, and Robert wrapped one of Edgar's arms around his shoulders and helped him along, the tall lanky teen being slightly taller than the English gentleman.

Once home, they found Mother frantically pacing in the garden, trying to decide whether to risk the woods to find them or to possible call the local constable.

"But I was afraid if I tried to explain to the policy about little people and fairies and goblins attacking the house and you being carried off by a huge wooden monster that they'd just lock me up and I'd never find you!" she explained.