The Little Match Boy

The Little Match Boy

Dylan shivered in the frigid wind, snow blowing all around him. He felt lucky that he still had his coat and shoes. The man who robbed him last night attempted to take those as well. Dylan woke up in time to run away, but he lost his backpack and everything in it. Three nights on his own and now he owned only the clothes on his back, three dollars and thirty-seven cents, a stick of gum, and a matchbook with three remaining matches. Pathetic. The wind and snow drove him to get up and get moving again. The cops moved him along if he stayed in one place too long anyway. He got up, brushed the snow off his clothes and walked off into the night, destination unknown.

Dylan considered the last three days of his life, while he searched for a place to crash for the night. He turned fourteen three days ago. The day began awesomely. His fourteenth birthday, a week before Christmas, everything seemed perfect to him. He thought that telling his parent would make things even better. He thought they would understand. He thought they loved him no matter what. So, with a broad grin on his face, Dylan walked into the family room and told his parents that he was gay. Their reaction shocked him. His mother burst into tears and ran out of the room. His father demanded that he stop lying and admit that he was straight. Dylan almost did just that, but he decided that he had come this far, he had to be honest with them and with himself.

Dylan’s mother returned to the room and dropped his backpack on the floor at his feet. This confused him at first, and he looked from his mother to his backpack and back again. She didn’t even look him in the eye, she just told him to leave. She didn’t want him and his sinful ways infecting his little brother. Dylan burst into tears, picked up the backpack and left the only home he had ever known.

A cry for help brought Dylan out of his memories and back into the cold reality of his new life. The sound came from an alley of to his right. He ran to the opening and looked towards the sounds. A man stood over a young boy. The boy, sprawled on the wet pavement, noticed Dylan and yelled louder. “Help! He’s stealing all my stuff! Help!”

That’s when Dylan noticed his own backpack slung over the man’s shoulder. “Hey!” Dylan yelled, running towards the man. “Give that stuff back!” The man glanced back at Dylan and then took off running. “Crap,” Dylan said. “that guy has my stuff, too.” Dylan extended his hand to the other boy to help him up. “I’m Dylan. What’s your name?”

The other boy stood up and brushed as much of the snow and dirt off himself as he could. “Thanks a lot, bro. My name is Jason, but please call me Jay.” Jay looked down at his feet. “I can’t believe he stole my shoes and my socks. I hate to think of what else may have happened if you hadn’t come. Thanks again, Dylan.” Jay wrapped his arms around himself, shaking with cold.

“Jay? Where do you live? Can I walk you back there?” Dylan asked with trepidation. Afraid that this boy, like him, may not have a home to go back to.

Jay frowned. “I ran away. My parents died in a car crash last year. I’ve been living with my aunt, but things haven’t been great. My uncle gets drunk and mean almost every night.” Jay scowled and didn’t meet Dylan’s eyes.

“Hey, I understand. No sweat, bro. No judgments from me. Do you have any other clothes, or did he get everything?” Dylan asked.

“He stole everything I had. Even my shoes and socks. I might have to try a shelter tonight, even though most are almost as dangerous as the streets.” Jay’s eyes glistened with tears, but he held firm and did not cry. “Don’t worry about me, Dylan. You look like you have as many problems as I do.”

Dylan sighed. “I guess. My parents kicked me out because I’m gay. My perfect little life blew up three days ago, on my fourteenth birthday no less. I totally misjudged my parents. My mom told me she didn’t want my sinful, disgusting ways to infect my little brother. Being gay isn’t a disease!” Dylan kicked a rock across the alley and clenched his fists. “I just don’t understand how they could do that to me. I’m their son. Aren’t they supposed to love and support me no matter what?”

“Gee, bro, I’m sorry. Yeah, that really sucks. People get so stupid about that stuff. Who you love shouldn’t matter to anyone but you. I’m only twelve, and I understand that. What’s the matter with parents?” Jay put his hand on Dylan’s shoulder to try and comfort him.

Dylan shrugged his shoulders. “Thanks, Jay. I appreciate it. I have some things I want to give you. I can’t just leave you like this. That dick took your shoes and socks for crying out loud. And it’s snowing!” Dylan sat on a nearby fire escape and took off his shoes and socks. He handed the socks to Jay and put his shoes back on. Before the boy had a chance to thank him, Dylan took off his jacket and his hoodie. He tossed the hoodie to Jay and put his coat back on. Next, he emptied his pockets and looked at his remaining belongings. He handed Jay the stick of bubblegum and one matchstick, leaving himself with three dollars and thirty-seven cents and two matches. “I hope that helps. Jay. It’s the best I can do. Kids like us got to stick together. Take care of yourself, bro.”

Jay couldn’t believe it. “Dylan, this is too much. I can’t take all this.” He lost his battle to not cry as tears streamed down his face. “This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me since my parents died. What am I supposed to do with the match though?” Through his tears, Jay smiled as he asked about the match.

Dylan just smiled. “Keep it. All of it. I don’t need it. Maybe you can start a fire somewhere with the match and warm yourself up. Take care of yourself, Jay. See you around.” Dylan turned and left the alley, taking one last look back and waving to Jay as he turned the corner.

Dylan fought his way through the wind and snow as he made his way through town. The snow pelted his face, coming down harder than ever. He walked closer to the buildings, trying to avoid the worst of the wind. He bent his head forward and attempted to walk faster. He needed to find a safe place to sleep soon, exhaustion was overtaking his body. He heard a noise and stopped. He looked all around and then noticed someone huddled in the doorway of the building he just walked past. Dylan turned and walked back to the doorway and peered in. An old man shivered, wrapping his arms around his knees, trying to stay warm. The man wore no coat, no hat, no gloves. Dylan bent down next to the man.

“Sir, are you ok? Is there somewhere you can go? It’s snowing pretty hard.” Dylan shook the man’s shoulder.

The man slowly looked up. “The shelters filled up before I got there. I’ll shelter here tonight. I’ve survived worse.” The old man tried to smile reassuringly. “What about you, son. Why are you out on such a snowy night?”

“My parents kicked me out. Then a man robbed me, so I left that place, too. I’m looking for a new place to crash. Right now, I’m more worried about you, sir.” Dylan said.

“Don’t worry about an old man like me. I’ve survived two wars and three divorces; a little snow won’t kill me.” He tried to laugh but ended up coughing.

Dylan frowned and stood up. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around the man’s shoulders, then he handed the old man his gloves. “Take these. Don’t even try to say no. You need them more than I do.” He reached into his pocket and took out the matchbook. He ripped one of the two remaining matches out of the book and handed it to the old man. “Here, sir. Take this, too. Maybe when it stops snowing, you can light a fire.” Dylan shrugged and gave the man a half-smile.

“Thank you, son.” The man said with tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “You don’t even know how many people walked right past me tonight and none stopped except you. You may be just a boy, but you have a bigger heart than any grown man I have ever known. Take care of yourself. I will never forget you.” Holding back tears of his own, Dylan said goodnight to the old man, turned and continued with his search for a place to sleep.

Dylan barely walked two blocks before he heard another noise that stopped him in his tracks. He heard loud banging and what sounded like a baby crying from behind the supermarket. Curious and concerned, he, once again, abandoned his own quest and investigated possible trouble. Dylan turned the corner and couldn’t believe his eyes. A baby sat in a beat-up stroller, alone, beside a big green dumpster. Dylan ran up to check the condition of the baby. He barely had any clothes of his own left, he had no idea how he would keep a baby warm if no one came back for it. Just before he reached the stroller, a girl’s head appeared from inside the dumpster and shouted at him.

“Hey! You! Help! I’m stuck in here. I reached in to see if I could find any food for Olivia and me, but I slipped and fell, and now I can’t get out.” The girl said while waving over at Dylan. “Please!”

Dylan walked over to the dumpster. He stepped up on a wooden crate and reached his arm over the side of the dumpster. When he felt the girl grab on, he pulled her out. They both fell off the crate, the girl landing on top of him. She smiled down at him. “Thanks a million, doll.” She kissed his forehead and got up.

Dylan blushed and looked more closely at her. She didn’t look much older than him. Sixteen, maybe seventeen, if he had to guess. “You’re welcome. I’m Dylan. Glad I could help. Why are you out here with your baby? I’m frozen. Your baby must be even colder.”

The girl turned towards Dylan. “I’m Natalie, and this is my son, Alexander. There’s nowhere for us to go. My mom kicked me out when I got pregnant, and Alex’s father won’t even admit he’s his son. The ignorant bastard.” Natalie’s voice held a mixture and anger, sadness and despair.

“I’m so sorry, Natalie. I’ve only been out here on the streets for three days, and I’ve already heard such horrible stories of what people do to each other. It’s overwhelming.” Dylan said.

“What’s your own sad story, Dylan? Why are you out here?” Natalie asked, placing her hand on Dylan’s arm.

“My parents kicked me out because I’m gay. They kicked me out on my fourteenth birthday no less! I… I thought my parents would love me no matter what.” He gave her a sympathetic look. “I thought they’d be cool with it, but they kicked me out with just a backpack full of stuff. And the backpack was stolen just two days later!” He shrugged. “Other people have it worse than me. I can see that already. It’s rougher out here than you can ever imagine when you’re safe at home. I never thought about the people, the kids, out here on the streets. It really sucks.”

Natalie nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it does suck. We’ll find a way to make it, though. I’m sure you will, too. You seem very smart and strong. And the sweetest guy I’ve met in a long time.” She smirked and winked at him, causing him to blush. “Anyway, this dumpster was a bust. We’re going to look for another one. You want to join us?”

Dylan shook his head. “Nah, I’m going to keep looking for a new place to crash. Good luck with your search.” Dylan dug into his pants pocket and pulled out the contents. “Here, I know it’s just three dollars and thirty-seven cents, but I don’t know, maybe you can get baby food or something. I don’t even know how expensive that stuff is” He shrugged. “And take this match and my beanie. Find somewhere out of the snow and light a fire to get warm. Alex looks really cold.”

Natalie hugged him and kissed his cheek, eliciting yet another episode of blushing. “Thank you so much, Dylan. We’ll never forget you. Good luck with finding a place to sleep.”

Dylan turned and left. Now with empty pockets, no hat, no jacket, no hoodie, no socks, and no gloves, he walked off and continued his quest for a warm place to sleep.

Dylan’s could barely feel his face, his hands, or his feet by the time he heard the bells. The church! The church bells always sounded at midnight on Christmas Eve. Shivering uncontrollably, Dylan headed in the direction of the bells. He hoped the pastor left the church unlocked. A warm building, any warm building, filled his thoughts. Dylan saw the lights of the church at the end of the street. Just a few more yards. Then the world spun, and everything went black. Dylan collapsed into the snow.

Dylan heard a voice and felt warm hands rubbing his arms and face. “My dear boy, wake up. I need to get you into the church where it’s warm, but I’m not sure I can carry you there by myself.” The voice said. Dylan blinked his eyes, trying to open them. They felt frozen shut. Ice crusted on his eyelashes. He finally opened his eyes and stared up at the person trying to lift him out of the snow. It was a lady, maybe a little older than his mom. Her small frame struggled just to keep his upper body out of the snow while she tried to rub warmth into his arms and hands.

Dylan groaned. “Where am I? What’s happening?” Weak and disoriented, he tried to sit up. “Who are you?”

“I’ll answer all of your questions as soon as we’re inside, young man. Let’s get you out of this snow.” The lady helped him to his feet, and they walked into the church and sat in the back pew. “I am Amelia. I came here to pray, and when I left, I found you in the snow. I should be asking you the questions, but first let me get you a blanket or an old coat from the church’s donation bin.” Amelia left him sitting on the bench, lost in his thoughts. She returned a few minutes later with both a big puffy jacket and a blanket. Dylan quickly put on the coat and wrapped the blanket around himself as tightly as he could.

“Thank you so much, Amelia. I… I think you might have saved my life. My name is Dylan. I’ll tell you anything you want to know… as soon as my teeth stop chattering.” Dylan gave Amelia a half-smile and pulled the blanket even tighter around himself.

Amelia thought about taking Dylan to her house, but she didn’t want to chance taking him back out in the cold yet. She gave him the time he needed to warm up before asking him any more questions. When he felt a bit warmer, Dylan looked at Amelia and began his story. He told her everything. From his parents kicking him out to the man stealing his backpack and everything that happened to him tonight. When he finished, they both had tears streaming down their faces.

Dylan pulled back from her a little and spoke. “You seem like a church lady, just like my parents. If you want to kick me out of this church now that you know I’m gay I understand.” He sobbed. The tears now freely flowing down his cheeks.

Amelia started crying even harder. “Oh no, Dylan. Never. No one should kick anyone out of church. And you… you’re the sweetest angel I have ever met.” She reached over and wiped away his tears. “The bible I read teaches love not hate. Your parents were wrong to kick you out. You’re only fourteen! The things you’ve done amazing things tonight and I believe that God led me here to save your life as you may have saved three other lives tonight. I woke out of a sound sleep with a burning desire to come here to this church and pray. I can’t explain why. I’ll just call it a Christmas miracle. Right after the bells rang to signal Christmas, I left the church and found you face down in the snow! God doesn’t care that you’re gay. He cares that you have more love in your heart than any other person I’ve ever met. He brought me here to save you. I truly believe that. Dylan. I’m bringing you home with me tonight if that’s ok with you. We’ll talk about plans beyond that after I feed a nice big breakfast tomorrow morning. No one should ever make plans on an empty stomach.” She looked at him with questioning eyes.

“I think I’d like that, Amelia,” Dylan said, a genuine smile forming on his face for the first time in days. “Oh yeah, Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, Dylan.” Amelia took his hand in hers, and they walked out of the church. The snow finally stopped falling, and the light of the full moon lit their way home.

CinderEli

Elijah finished cleaning the fireplace and went to wash up. He didn’t even get to the washbasin before he heard one of his stepbrothers yell for him.

“Eli, get back in here! You’re not done. This fireplace is a mess.” Robert yelled.

Elijah went back into the front room. “Robert, I’ve told you guys a million times, my name is Elijah, not Eli. And I cleaned that fireplace already. You jerks must have spread more ashes all over it.” Elijah yelped in pain and surprise as his other stepbrother hit him in the back of the head.

“You will not talk back to us, little brother. And your name is what we say it is. Look at you all covered in ash and soot. Your name isn’t Elijah or even Eli. Your name is CinderEli.” Edward said.

Elijah rubbed the back of his head and scowled at his stepbrothers. He didn’t bother saying anything else. He knew it was pointless. Their mother had his father wrapped around her little finger. Elijah felt like a servant and not even part of the family. He knelt and started cleaning the fireplace all over again. He nearly finished cleaning it for the second time when his stepmother rushed into the house.

“Boys! Edward! Robert! Come here at once!” She yelled. Elijah stopped what he was doing and turned around to see what was so important. His two stepbrothers returned to the room and said, almost in unison, “What is it, mother?”

“You’ve both been invited to a Royal Ball at the castle. A notice went up in the village requiring all boys of royal blood who are at least fifteen years of age to attend the Princess’s eighteenth birthday ball. It is tomorrow night. We’ll have to spend all day tomorrow getting you both ready. People say she’s looking for a suitor. She has to pick one of you!” Their mother said.

Elijah spoke up. “I’m fifteen. Will I be going to the Ball, too?”

All three laughed at him. His stepmother said, “Of course not, boy. Look at you. You’d be an embarrassment. Now be quiet and go back to your cleaning.”

Elijah was furious. He considered going to his father but knew that would do no good. He returned to work and tried to put the Ball out of his mind.

The next day, the house was a constant hive of activity. Rebecca ordered her two sons around, preparing them for the Ball that evening. Rebecca sent Elijah on numerous errands to pick up things his two stepbrothers needed. Each time she forced him to help, he got madder and madder.

The evening arrived, and Elijah watched as his father, stepmother, and two stepbrothers got in the carriage and left for the Ball. He finally allowed the tears of anger and sadness to fall from his eyes. Elijah left the house and headed straight for the clearing in the woods behind the house. At the far edge of the clearing, he found his mother’s grave. He dropped to his knees in front of her headstone and cried. “Mother, everything is horrible without you. Father has remarried, and she’s a mean and wicked lady. She has two sons, and I’m cast aside and treated as a servant. Papa won’t even help me. He does whatever she tells him to do.”

Through his tears, Elijah noticed a little blue light flickering back and forth over the headstone. It was a weird little light. It distracted him momentarily, but he continued with what he needed to tell his mother. “They are all at the Princess’s Birthday Ball, Mama. They made me stay home. I have more right to go than Robert or Edward! My whole life now is just cleaning up after them and putting up with them bullying me. I wish… well, I wish many things, but right now, I wish I could go to the Ball.”

His tears were flowing heavier now. When he first saw it, he thought it was his imagination, but the little blue light grew. Before Elijah’s astonished eyes, the blue light grew into a brightly dressed man with glowing blue wings. Elijah blinked, wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked again. The winged man was still there. “Uh… hi… who… what are you?” Elijah asked.

The man huffed. “I’m a who, not a what, Elijah. I’m your fairy godfather, and I’m here to grant your wish.”

A broad smile crossed Elijah’s face, but a suspicious frown quickly replaced it. “If you’re my fairy godfather, why wait until now? I’ve made a million wishes since my mom died. My stepbrothers have bullied and tormented me for months. Why haven’t you helped me before now?”

The fairy sighed and looked at Elijah. “I’m not allowed to guide every event in your life, but I’ve watched for a key moment to intervene. This is that key moment.” He waved his wand over Elijah.

Elijah looked down at himself and smiled at the fancy, crisply pressed black and white tuxedo. Then his suspicious frown returned when he noticed the “Hello. My name is Elijah” sticker under his left lapel. “Hey! What’s with the nametag?”

“You will be working with the caterers, serving drinks to the guests at the Ball. I’ve arranged it so they won’t notice that you aren’t their employee.” The fairy said.

Elijah’s eyes welled up with fresh tears. “Great. Some fairy godfather you are. You grant my wish to go to the Ball, but instead of sending me to dance with the Princess, you send me as a servant.”

“Elijah, you know as well as I do that a princess is not what you seek.” The fairy smiled and patted Elijah’s shoulder.

Elijah looked up at the fairy, eyes wide. Then he looked down and blushed. “That may be true, but why should I go to the ball?”

“Trust in me that I know what is best for you. It is my job, after all. More than princesses are at the Ball.” The fairy grinned.

Elijah looked up at him, the suspicion fading from his eyes. “Ok. I’m used to people looking at me as a servant anyway. I may as well be a servant at the Royal Ball, too.”

The fairy smiled. “Trust in me, Elijah. And leave the Ball before the last stroke of midnight. That’s when the enchantment will wear off.” The fairy waved his magic wand again, and Elijah disappeared.

Elijah blinked his eyes in surprise. One second, he stood in front of his mother’s grave, and the next, he was in the most massive kitchen he had ever seen. The kitchen was more extensive than his entire house! Before he had much of a chance to look around, an older man stormed up to him. The man glanced down at his nametag and then said, “You. Elijah, grab that tray of drinks and get out front. The guests are thirsty. You’re not here to gawk around at the kitchen like some dumb country farm boy. Move it!” Elijah picked up the drink tray and walked through the door and into the main ballroom.

After an hour of walking the floor handing out drinks, Elijah found himself at a stationary bar along the back wall. In between serving drinks, he watched as everyone else danced. He knew the fairy was right and didn’t want to marry a princess, but he still longed to dance at the Royal Ball.

He ducked down behind the bar every time he saw his stepbrothers. Not that they would notice him anyway. With his perfectly pressed black and white tuxedo and clean blonde hair combed back off his face, they’d never even recognize him. From off to his left, he heard someone clear their throat and a boy’s voice said, “Excuse me, Elijah, can I get a glass of ice water, please?”

Elijah turned and nearly dropped the glass he was holding. His breath caught in his chest, and his heart skipped a beat. The boy sitting at the bar smiling up at him was the most gorgeous boy that Elijah had ever seen. He had light brown hair, cut short in the back, but the bangs were long. He combed his hair to the right, and the bangs partially covered his right eye, and that was a shame because he had stunning bright blue eyes. They were a bright blue to make a cloudless summer sky jealous. Elijah set the glass he was holding down on the bar and tried to steady his nerves. “Sure thing, sir. One ice water coming up.” Elijah gave the boy a nervous smile and prepared the drink.

“Here you go, sir. Enjoy your water and enjoy the Ball.” Elijah said.

The boy shot Elijah a killer smile. The ruby-red lips and perfect dimples nearly left Elijah in a melted puddle on the floor. The boy leaned forward. “I’m only just now enjoying the Ball. It was boring me until I spotted you over here. You’re not one of the usual servants. I’d have noticed. My name is Will, by the way.” Will stuck his hand out to Elijah.

Elijah shook Will’s hand and blushed. “Pleased to meet you, Will. As you noticed from my nametag, I’m Elijah. And you’re right. This is my first time here at the Royal Castle.”

“Welcome to the castle. What do you think of it?” Will asked.

“I’ve only seen the kitchen and the ballroom, but it’s stunning,” Elijah replied.

“I’ll have to give you a private tour sometime,” Will said, winking at Elijah.

Elijah blushed a deep, bright red. “Are you the Royal Tour Guide, Will? If so, sign me up for that tour.” Elijah grinned.

Will reached over and took one of Elijah’s hands in his. “What’s with these gloves anyway? I want to feel your hand, not these stupid gloves.”

Elijah shrugged. “The Royal Family doesn’t want us, lowly servants, to touch the things that they serve to them and their guests. I was told to wear gloves all night.”

Will rolled his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. Wait…” Will squinted, looking at Elijah with intense concentration. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

Elijah scowled. “No. Should I?”

Will gently took Elijah’s face in his hands, leaned in, and kissed him. Elijah’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock, but he soon recovered and kissed the younger boy back. After several minutes, Will pulled back from the short make-out session, smiling broadly. “Sorry to be so forward, but I wanted to see if you wanted that before you found out who I am. I could probably have any boy in the kingdom, but I want one who wants me, not my title or family.” Will said, looking a little sad.

“Any boy in the kingdom?” Elijah scoffed. “Just who are you? The crown prince?”

Will sighed. “I am who I said I am. I’m Will. Most people insist on calling me William, though.”

Elijah looked confused, and then his jaw dropped. “No way. You ARE the crown prince?! Oh my god. No way! But… you’re here. Talking to me. You freaking kissed me! Why aren’t you up there with your parents and sister?”

“I was. Then I saw you. Now I’m here.” Will smirked.

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Elijah blushed and looked down.

“Say you’ll take off those stupid gloves and dance with me,” Will said with a grin.

“I’m not allowed to take my gloves off by order of the Royal family, though.” Elijah laughed.

Will stood up straight and puffed out his chest. He spoke as profoundly as his fourteen-year-old vocal cords could muster. “I hereby order, by Royal Decree, that you, Elijah the Beautiful, must remove your gloves so I can feel your hand in mine.” Will burst out into a fit of giggles. “Just give me the damn gloves, cutie.”

Elijah blushed a deep red, but he smiled and took off the gloves. “Here you go, your Royal Highness.”

Will rolled his eyes and stuffed the gloves into his pocket. He took Elijah’s hand and led him out onto the dancefloor.

Elijah didn’t know how to dance, so he let Will guide his movements and soon caught on. An hour later, they were still out there, attracting more stares than any couple, except for the Princess and her chosen companion. The music slowed, and Will pulled Elijah close. Though a year younger, Will was about three inches taller than Elijah.

“You have the brightest and most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen. Brighter even than the emerald in my father’s treasury.” Will said, looking down at Elijah.

Elijah couldn’t seem to stop blushing around this boy. “Hey now, don’t even talk about pretty eyes with those beautiful baby blues of yours.” Elijah reached up and pushed the hair out of Will’s eyes. “And your hair is perfect, too.” He smiled.

“Listen, blondie, don’t get me started on perfect hair,” Will smirked.

Elijah couldn’t help but smile. “You’re gonna have like a million princesses come calling when it’s time for your Royal Ball. You’re as sweet as you are gorgeous. She’ll be a lucky girl, whoever you pick.”

Will pulled Elijah even closer and bent down close to his ear. “What makes you think I’ll pick a girl?”

Elijah looked up at him, confused. “Won’t your father make you? Royal heirs and all that?”

Will leaned in and kissed the side of Elijah’s neck. “You’re so cute but so thick-headed. We’ve been dancing in front of my parents for over an hour. They know I’ll never marry a girl. We’ve already talked about it. As the first-born son, I will be King. But I’ve already said that I will designate my sister’s children as the heirs to the throne. That’s why they’re so formal and careful with who she chooses to marry.”

Elijah’s eyes widened. “Over an hour? What time is it?”

“Time doesn’t matter when I’m with you. You fit perfectly within my arms, Elijah. I think I want to keep you around.” Will leaned in, about to kiss Elijah. Then, the clock struck the first stroke of midnight.

Elijah pulled back from Will’s embrace. “Will, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I really, really like you, but I need to go. Right now.”

Will’s face showed surprise and disappointment. “Elijah, if it’s the job, don’t worry. You’re with me. You’ll never be a servant in this castle again. Stay with me.”

Tears stung Elijah’s eyes. “It’s not that. I can’t explain right now. I need to go. I’m so sorry.” With that, Elijah turned and ran out of the castle as fast as he could.

Elijah’s sudden departure stunned Will. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but he was confident Elijah didn’t want to leave. He felt something was wrong and was determined to find out what. He took off at top speed after the other boy without even calling for his Royal Bodyguards.

Will couldn’t catch up to Elijah, but he kept him in sight as they passed out of the Royal Compound and into the town. Will lost count of the number of streets they passed and side streets they turned down. He nearly lost sight of Elijah but turned the last corner just in time to see him dart off the road and into a backyard. Will couldn’t find Elijah anywhere. He searched the nearby woods and other yards but couldn’t find him. Finally, Will gave up and headed home. He vowed inwardly to order the Palace Guards to perform a more thorough search of the town. He would see Elijah again if it was the last thing he did.

Elijah was even more depressed than usual. He had the absolute best night of his life last night and was now cleaning the fireplace again. He had to put Will out of his mind. He, of course, would never see the Crown Prince ever again. It was an incredible night, but that’s all it was, just one night. Just then, his stepbrothers interrupted his daydreams of Will.

“There’s a palace carriage stopping out front. Get out of here, little CinderEli. We can’t have your filth embarrassing us. Go clean the kitchen.” Robert said.

“Yeah,” Edward added. “No one wants to see dirty old CinderEli.” Both boys laughed as Elijah left the room in silence.

A loud knock on the door echoed through the house. Robert and Edward raced to the door and pulled it open. The palace guardsman looked them both up and down and asked, “Is the Lord or Mistress of the Manor at home?”

“Our stepfather is out of town on business. I’ll go get our mother at once, sir.” Edward responded, turned, and ran into the house. He returned not a minute later with his mother.

Edward stated to the guardsman. “Sir Guardsman, may I present Duchess Wainwright, Lady Rebecca.”

The guardsman entered the house, followed by a figure wrapped in a hooded cloak. The hood completely shadowed the second person’s face. The guardsman bowed to Lady Rebecca. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

“How may we be of service to the Royal Guard?” Rebecca asked.

The guard took a small item from his pocket. “I have been sent out searching for a boy who left this glove behind at the Royal Ball last night. We are ordered to find the boy whose hand fits this glove.”

Robert and Edward elbowed each other to get up close to the guard. They looked expectantly back and forth between the guard and their mother. Rebecca nodded to them.

First, Robert and then Edward tried on the glove. Neither boy could even fit all their fingers into the glove. They growled in frustration and handed the glove back to the guard.

Rebecca looked sympathetically at the guard. “Sorry to waste your time. Good luck with your search.”

“Thank you, Lady Rebecca.” The guard started to turn away, but his cloaked companion grabbed his arm and whispered, “This is the manor I followed him to. Make sure there is no one else here. I have to find him!”

The guard turned back to Rebecca. “I’m sorry to bother you, my lady. Are there any other young boys in residence here? A servant? A distant relative? I have to check everyone.”

Rebecca frowned. “Well, my step-son Cin… Eli lives with us, but he did not go to the Ball. You can’t possibly be looking for him.” She scoffed.

The guard said. “Call him here at once. We’ll be on our way if the glove doesn’t fit.”

Rebecca turned and stormed off into the kitchen and returned moments later with a dirty, disheveled Elijah, covered from head to toe with cinders and soot. Elijah brushed himself off and started to walk towards the guard.

The cloaked figure stared intently at Elijah as he walked forward. Robert reached out and roughly grabbed Elijah’s arm. He asked the guard, “Are you sure you want this little soot-covered CinderEli to dirty the glove? There’s no chance that they belong to him.”

The cloaked figure leaped forward, the butt of his staff striking Robert squarely in the abdomen. Robert doubled over in pain. The cloaked figure grabbed him by the hair and bent close to Robert’s ear. “If you touch him again, you will lose the hand you touched him with.”

Edward jumped to his brother’s side. “The King will hear about this! Just who do you think you are?”

The cloaked figure reached up and lowered his hood. “Go ahead and tell my father what happened here today. While you’re at it, tell my mother that your mother ignored her order that ALL boys fifteen or over of royal blood attend the Ball.” He pointed at Elijah. “He is fifteen and the Duke’s blood heir. Yet she did not allow him to attend. Though I will say that it worked out for me that he got there independently without the need to dance with my sister.” Will smirked at Elijah as he took the glove from the guard and took the other one out of his own pocket. “Make it official. Put those stupid gloves back on. I know it’s you, though. The ash can’t hide those pretty green eyes.”

Rebecca inhaled sharply and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince. “Your Majesty, Prince William, I and my sons beg your forgiveness.” She glared at her sons, and they also bowed to the prince.

Hands shaking, Elijah put on the gloves. They fit perfectly. His stepmother and two stepbrothers were in shock.

Will smiled at Elijah. He reached up and brushed some of the soot and ash out of his hair. “Elijah, I knew from the moment I saw you that I wanted you in my life. I don’t want you staying here with these cold-hearted bullies. Come live at the castle.”

Elijah took both of Will’s hands in his. “But what would my role be there? Servant? Friend? Why would your father allow it?”

Now, Will was the one who looked nervous, with unsteady hands. He got down on one knee in front of Elijah. “I know we just met last night. I know I’m just fourteen, and you’re fifteen. I know you have absolutely no reason to say yes. Still, I am hereby officially asking you to be my betrothed. We can get married after my eighteenth birthday. What do you say?”

“Oh, Will!” Elijah gushed. He pulled William to his feet and kissed him. “Oh, yes, Will, yes! A thousand times, yes!”

The boys kissed again. Will looked over at Rebecca. “Give anything belonging to Elijah to the guard. We’ll be leaving immediately. His father is welcome to come to the castle upon his return home. You and your sons would be best served to stay at home.” He slipped an arm around Elijah’s waist and guided him to the Royal Carriage.

The guardsman exited the manor with all of Elijah’s possessions. Then, the carriage rode off into the distance towards the castle and, more importantly, towards a bright new future for Elijah and William.

Our Love (A Haiku)

Whether you are near

Or if you are far away,

Our love brings us close.

New Justyce – Episode 1

Episode 1: The Meteors

Logan Kastala’s eyes widened in fear, and he lifted his arms to try and shield his face. The car hit Logan before he had time to try to get out of the way. Everything went black, and Logan felt himself lifted off the ground. Logan’s world started to spin, and he stopped just as quickly. Logan was in total darkness. He tried to move his arms, but a soft barrier wrapped entirely around him like a blanket of feathers. Logan felt another person in the darkness with him as he struggled to move.

“Hey! What’s going on? Who’s there? What happened?” Logan asked.

The soft barrier parted, letting in the light. Logan blinked and saw a face, his friend, Obadiah. “Obie? Did you push me out of the way of that car? You have always been helping me out of tough spots lately. I can’t believe you saved me again!” Logan laughed but cut his laugh short when he got a better look at his friend. “Obie?” Logan said, backing up slowly. “What’s going on? Why do you have wings? Am I dead? Are you an angel?” Tears welled up in Logan’s eyes.

Obadiah grasped Logan’s arms. “Don’t be scared, Logan. You’re not dead. I do have wings, but I’m still the same guy you’ve come to know over the last few weeks.” He tried to give Logan a reassuring smile. “I’m still your friend.”

“Are you an angel? An alien? Something else?” Logan didn’t pull away from Obadiah, but he was visibly shaking.

“You would call me an angel. We call ourselves Seraphim. We are not religious spirits from a place called Heaven. We come from an alternate plane of existence. The doorway from our world to yours opens in what you call outer space. A long time ago, a human saw one of us coming to Earth. They saw him “descend from the Heavens,” and the myth of angels sprang up from that sighting.” Obie guided Logan into the park while they talked. They finally settled at a picnic table off by themselves.

“Why me? Why would you befriend and help me? Do other people know about you?” Logan peered around behind him, looking for Obadiah’s wings. “I can’t see your wings anymore. Where do they go?”

“The wings are always there, but you can’t always see them. As far as helping you and befriending you? I genuinely like you. I sense great and special things in your future, Logan. You will do amazing things. I’m sure of it.” Obie said.

Logan blushed. “I’m nothing special.”

“Oh, but you are. I know it.” Obadiah’s smiling face turned suddenly serious. “I may face serious consequences for revealing myself to you. You may never see me again. My father sits on the Council of Judgement, though I doubt even his influence can save me. There is something I want you to have, just in case.” Obie’s wings reappeared, and he plucked one bright silvery feather, and then the wings vanished again. Obadiah handed the feather to Logan, saying, “Keep this close. You will feel my presence when I am on Earth, and I can sense if you are in danger.”

Logan clutched the feather close to his chest. “I’m trying to wrap my head around everything. I was almost run over by a car, and then an angel saved my life. An angel who happens to be my friend. I thought you were becoming my best friend, and then you gave me a magic feather plucked from your wing and told me it’s also a danger beacon. Could things get any weirder?” Logan huffed out a laugh. “All of this is overwhelming, but I mean it when I say thank you, Obie. I need a minute to process all of this.”

Obadiah reached across the table and took one of Logan’s hands. “Everything will be ok. I promise. I sensed remarkable things for you from the first time we met.” Obie leaned across the table, staring intently into Logan’s eyes. “You are special. Special to me, but also to the entire world.”

Logan blushed. “I appreciate hearing that, but I’m not. I barely know what I’m doing from one day to the next. How am I supposed to have an important destiny? You must have me confused with someone else.” Logan huffed out a laugh.

“I could never confuse you for anyone else,” Obadiah smirked. “I can’t see your future, Logan. I can only sense that you have an important destiny. You will have to overcome many difficult challenges soon, but you will not be alone. Others will gather around you. It is important that you lead them. Remember that as the events unfold.”

“Well, that’s frightening. I am not a leader. Won’t you be around to help guide me through whatever happens?”

“If I can be here, I will be. I fear that if my actions today are known to the Council, they will call me home to face judgment.” Obie frowned, his eyes downcast.

Logan reached over and lifted Obie’s face. “Your actions today were heroic. You saved my life. You didn’t do anything wrong. They must see that.”

“We are forbidden from interacting with humans. My intentions will not matter.”

“Let me talk to them. I’ll make them understand.” Logan reached across the table and took Obadiah’s hands in his own.

“That would only make things worse. I hope I am wrong, but I may never see you again after today. Please know that it wasn’t my choice to abandon you.”

“I hope you’re wrong! I care about you, Obie. So, if I might never see you again, I better do this now.” He closed the remaining distance between them and kissed Obadiah.

A bright flash of light caused both boys to quickly pull back from the kiss. Logan grinned and said, “Wow. That kiss made the sun brighter.” But then his smile faded. Three angels stood behind Obadiah. Two of them wore shining silver armor. They grabbed Obadiah’s arms and pulled him to his feet. The third angel wore a golden suit and black tie and was obviously in charge. Logan could see their wings. The two armored angels had silver wings like Obadiah’s. The third angel had golden wings.

The angel in the suit spoke first. “Obadiah, son of Samael, I hereby place you under arrest by order of the Council of Judgement. You are to accompany me to the Council Chambers for your trial.”

Logan sprang up from his seat. “No! He didn’t do anything wrong! He saved my life! How can that be a crime?”

Abathar glared at Logan. “Your words have no bearing on the business of the Seraphim. Obadiah knows our laws. He chose to break not one but three. Forget you ever saw us. Especially forget you ever saw him.” Abathar pointed at Obadiah.

“I’ll never forget him. We’ll find a way to be together again. You can’t stop us.” Logan scowled, then looked at Obie, and his smile returned. “I’ll wait for you, Obie. No matter how long it takes.”

Abathar scoffed. “Let us be gone.” He motioned toward the other two Seraphim.

Obadiah reached out toward Logan but looked at Abathar. “Wait! I….”

He started to say more, but Logan never heard what Obadiah would say. All four angels disappeared in a flash of light. Logan waited for a while but finally gave up and went home. He hoped that Obie was telling the truth about the feather. He clutched it tight and prayed it would someday lead him to Obie.

—————————————————————————————————

The two Seraphim Law Keepers dragged Obadiah through the Council chambers and pushed him into the Judgement Seat. The Law Keepers fastened the restraints and left the room. Obie’s face contorted in rage as he turned to look at the third Seraphim. “You could have let me say goodbye to him, at least. Two more minutes would not have mattered to you, Abathar.”

“If you want mercy, speak to Zadkiel. I seek only to see you judged for your crimes against our society. Crimes which you added to just before our arrival.” A look of disappointment and disgust crossed Abathar’s face. “With these new crimes, even your father won’t be able to help you, Obadiah. You held such promise.”

Obadiah sat straight up in his chair and stared directly into Abathar’s golden yellow eyes. “I did what my heart commanded of me. If the Council considers that a crime, then so be it! I have no regrets!”

The doors at the end of the Great Hall opened, and six Seraphim entered, all with golden-hued wings. Abathar joined the other Council members. Three sat on each side of the table. The last, the High Judge, stood opposite the Judgement Seat. The High Judge, Azrael, spoke to the accused. “Obadiah, your father pleaded with the Council to show you mercy. We were inclined to accept his wishes until news of your added crimes reached us. Your crimes have tied our hands, and our decision is final.”

Obie glared at each member of the Council. His father wouldn’t even meet his gaze. He clenched his teeth and looked directly at Azrael. “I did nothing wrong. There is not one thing I did that hurt anyone here or on Earth. I saved Logan’s life and fell in love with him. He has an important destiny. I’m sure of it. Earth benefits from what I did. I committed no crimes!”

Azrael shook his head. “You know that interfering in a human’s life is not allowed. You also know that engaging in sex with a human is a crime. And just for your crime of same-sex activity, the punishment is banishment. All three of these crimes individually are serious offenses. You committed all three. We cannot ignore that.”

Obie blushed in embarrassment and anger. “I did not have sex with Logan! And besides, none of those things should be crimes. Love is not a crime. Humans are a lot like us. If we interact with them more, we can help them. They can even help us in some ways! Your views are ancient and bigoted.”

“My views are that of our people. They are the law. You kissed that human boy. If we allowed it to continue, you would have gone further. Obadiah, you know why we passed these laws. The last time a Seraphim became involved with a human, he impregnated her. The humans called it a miracle birth. They still have wars over it over two thousand years later! The Council cannot excuse your actions.” Azrael walked over to Obadiah. “Obadiah, son of Samael, you are forever banished from our kingdom. If you return, your sentence will be death.” Azrael pushed a button, signaling the Law Keepers to return. Azrael and the other six members of the Judgement Council left the room. Samael never once glanced back at his son.

Obadiah’s screams echoed throughout the Great Hall as the Law Keepers cut away his wings and dragged him to the Plains of Judgement. Obie saw his father in the crowd, “Father! They took my wings! Father! Help me!” Samael merely turned his back and walked away.

The Law Keepers opened a rift to the blackness of space above the Earth. They forced Obadiah to stand and then pushed him through the breach.

As Obadiah fell through space, his Seraphim power leaked out of the wounds on his back, mixed with his blood. The power attracted space dust and rocks that gathered around the young Seraphim like a meteor shower. Obie entered the Earth’s atmosphere as part of the most massive meteorological event ever recorded. So many rocks surrounded Obadiah that no telescope caught sight of his body at the storm’s center. The meteors, glowing with a bluish light, streaked through the warm August night sky on a collision course with a small town on the east coast of the United States. Newville, Virginia, would never be the same. The entire world was about to change forever.

————————————————————————————————–

Carl Chambers pounded his enormous fist on the table. “Full house? How do you have another hand like that, Myers?” Carl threw his cards into the air.

Rick Myers shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “Lucky night, I guess.”

“No one is that lucky,” Carl grumbled.

“I don’t know why we play. You two argue every week.” Lisa Jenson complained.

“We’re here for more than playing poker. You know that, Lisa. Now that Rick has all our money, we can get down to business. We need to tighten control of our territory. I’m sick of these wanna-be street thugs thinking they can come to my docks and rob people. If anyone is getting robbed, it’ll be by us!”

Carl jumped to his feet as his speech became more impassioned. “First, we put a stranglehold on the docks. Every business must pay! Then, we take over the rest of the city, working out street by street, block by block.” Carl nearly yelled.

“Yeah! Let’s do this! First Newville, then the world!” Rick cheered.

Carl smirked as he looked around the table at his friends. He had them all convinced of his plans. Carl was ambitious. He intended to run more than Newville Heights and the docks. Carl wanted it all. He started to speak again but was interrupted as a massive meteor smashed through the union hall roof, ending the meeting with a loud, literal bang that would change their lives forever.

——————————————————————————————————–

The central meteor hit the high school baseball field. The force of the impact left an extensive crater and rattled the windows of nearby houses. A shockwave traveled deep into the earth, awakening an ancient supernatural force. The shadow peeled itself away from the wall, sensing great power directly above. More importantly, it could smell a world full of delicious evil. Evil that the shadow was eager to devour.

The shadow drifted upwards, sliding through the cracks and crevices in the earth. The world had aged over a thousand years since the shadow was last free to roam the land. The scent of evil was nearly intoxicating. The shadow began to search for a host. The being that had awoken it would not be suitable. The shadow had waited for a long time. It could wait a little longer.

———————————————————————————————

Logan Kastala woke up screaming from the worst nightmare he ever had. In the dream, Logan felt like he had been falling for hours. Even now that he was awake, his back was in tremendous pain! The pain slowly subsided, but he still felt it. “That’s weird,” Logan thought. He could never remember a physical reaction to a dream before. Logan started drifting back to sleep until a glowing blue light caught his eye. He leaned toward his nightstand and saw that the feather that Obadiah gave him was glowing! Logan picked up the feather and felt Obie’s presence nearby. His friend was back on Earth. Logan desperately hoped Obie had not gotten into trouble with the Seraphim. He clutched the feather close and finally drifted back to sleep. Tomorrow, Logan would begin his search for Obadiah. If he had looked out the window, Logan would have seen the blue lights streaking across the night sky right over his house.

————————————————————————————————————

The boy groaned as he tried lifting his face from the mud. He was confused and disoriented by the unbearable pain in his back. It felt as if someone was ripping his muscles right off the bone. The boy could not remember feeling such pain before. As that thought crossed his mind, it occurred to him that he could not remember anything. The boy had no idea where he was, how he got there, or even who he was.

Attempting to clear his mind, the boy sat up. The pain in his back made concentration nearly impossible. He opened his eyes and wiped the wet, muddy hair out of his eyes. The cold rain that pelted his face and body helped ease the burning pain in his back just a little and helped him clear his thoughts. He was cold and wet. His clothes were torn, dirty, and smelled of smoke. The smell of smoke was thick in the air. The entire field was empty except for the fires that still smoked. The driving rain helped to put out some of the small fires.

The boy got up and stumbled off toward the one light he saw. He hoped to find help. Maybe someone might know who he was or how he got here. All the boy knew was that he needed to leave this field and escape the rain.

———————————————————————————————-

Everyone in the union hall jumped up and backed away from the glowing blue rock. Part of the ceiling collapsed, and the wall caught fire. Carl felt waves of power emanating from the stone and leaped into action. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and yelled to his friends. “Don’t just stand there! Grab the rest of the extinguishers or buckets of water. We have to put this fire out and cool this rock down. I feel like it’s important!”

“Carl is right!” Yelled Rick. “Cool that rock down and put out the fires immediately. Do not call the fire department! We have to handle this ourselves.”

As they sprayed water and chemicals on the glowing and pulsing meteor rock, the chemicals began to bubble and boil. The meteor exploded. Steam and dust completely enveloped the twelve people in the room. They started coughing as they breathed in the mist. Carl collapsed onto the floor. He looked through blurry eyes and saw his friends spread out on the floor around him.

——————————————————————————————————–

The boy stumbled away from the crater toward the light in the distance. Words and images kept flashing through his foggy mind. Tree. Road. House. Logan! He knew that Logan was important, but he did not know why. The boy crossed the street, walked through an empty parking lot, and into a dimly lit building. The doors would not open, but the boy saw a reflection of himself in the glass.

“Obadiah? Is that who I am?” He touched the face of the reflection, then drew his hand back and felt his own face. “Logan would know if that’s my name. I must find Logan.”

Obadiah turned and once more headed toward the light in the distance. The glow belonged to a house. Obadiah walked past a metal box with writing that said, “C. Justyce.” He continued past the mailbox and stood in front of the blue wooden door. Obadiah raised his hand and knocked.

A woman opened the door, and her eyes went wide with shock. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Obadiah started to speak, but dizziness overcame him, and he collapsed. Obadiah looked up at the woman with pleading eyes just before passing out. “Help me. I need to find Logan.”

When he woke, Obadiah was lying on a wooden floor near an ornate fireplace. He was still disoriented and couldn’t remember where he was. Then, the events of the night before played out in his mind. Obie had stumbled away from the muddy field and walked towards the only light in the distance, this house. He didn’t know what else to do, so Obie knocked on the door. A lady answered, and then Obadiah couldn’t remember anything after that. He must have passed out, but he couldn’t remember. When Obadiah tried to recall anything from the previous night, all that came to him was the feeling of falling from a great distance. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He also remembered that his name was Obadiah, and he recalled another name, Logan. Logan was important. Obie needed to find him, but right now, all Obie could do was lay his head down and fall back to sleep.

————————————————————————————————-

Carl struggled to roll over and push himself to a kneeling position. He felt weird. Strong, but weird. It was challenging to understand all the feelings that coursed through his body. Intense pain nearly caused him to blackout again. He noticed tan hair sprouting out on his arms and hands. His hands were growing and changing, nails turning into claws. He looked around for his friends, but the blue mist hung over the room. He tried to call out for help, but his voice sounded like a growl. Carl heard other growls answering his own, and just before he blacked out, he heard the distinctive clip-clop of hooves on the wooden floor.

Coming Soon – Episode 2: The Zodiac Club

Love: My Definition

Love is butterflies in your stomach.

Love is your quickened heartbeat every time you see him.

Love is knowing you want him, always.

The King

Screams of terror filled the air,

chaos reigned at the county fair.

Dragon fire burned each place,

even many a helpless face.

The dragon rampaged through the town,

knocking every building down.

The people tried their best to flee,

but many never ever got free.

Then one boy stood to fight,

he did not fear the dragon’s might.

The boy looked, and he finally found,

a bow and arrows upon the ground.

He picked up the bow, dropped to one knee,

pulled back an arrow and let it fly free.

The arrow flew just like a dart,

and struck the dragon in the heart.

The dragon fell right to the ground,

never making another sound.

The townspeople could now return,

and try to save what did not burn.

The town, once small, now grew and grew,

becoming a town that everyone knew.

Though the boy did not seek fame,

a king is what he soon became.

Missing Monday

Aaron lay in bed staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t decide whether to go back to sleep or get ready for school. What day is it? He wasn’t sure. Aaron knew it wasn’t Sunday, but it wasn’t Tuesday either. Something felt different. Something felt wrong. Maybe his mom would know. Aaron begrudgingly got out of bed, shivering when his bare feet hit the cold floor. “Mom!” He yelled, walking into the kitchen. “Hey, mom! Is today a school day? I… I’m not sure.”

Aaron’s mother wandered into the kitchen, still in her pajamas. “I’m not sure either. I can’t remember what day it is. It feels like I should go to work, but I know it’s not Tuesday. I don’t know what to do.” She sat down at the table and stared off into space.

Aaron felt like he was walking through fog. Maybe if he concentrated enough, he could figure it out. Aaron stepped outside and looked around. All over the neighborhood, people wandered around like they didn’t know where they were or what was happening. He called over to his neighbor. “Mike! Mike! What is everyone doing? What’s happening? What day is it today?”

The other boy burst into tears and fell to his knees. “Aaron, I don’t know. Look at me. I’m half in my school uniform and half in weekend clothes. My parents are sitting in their car but haven’t left yet. They don’t know if they have work today or not.”

Aaron returned to his house and thought about everything he’d seen. The fog in his brain began to thin. Aaron went to his room and sat at his desk. Aaron opened his laptop and searched Google for “How many days are there in a week?” He found “7.” Aaron searched for the names of the days of the week. He came up with “Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,” but that was only six. Aaron knew yesterday was Sunday. He searched for “What day comes after Sunday?” and got an error message saying that Google could not find that internet page. He researched several variations on that same question, and suddenly, his laptop screen cracked, and his laptop caught fire. Aaron ran to the kitchen for the fire extinguisher. Now, he knew something was wrong.

Aaron walked back into the kitchen. “Mom, I think there was a day between Sunday and Tuesday, but I can’t remember what it’s called. Does that sound familiar to you?”

“No! There’s nothing between… nothing… between…. nothing…nothing…” Aaron’s mother slid out of her chair onto the floor, drool dripping out of her mouth. Before he could help his mother, Aaron found himself somewhere else entirely. He wasn’t in his kitchen anymore. Aaron was in a long room, completely white, with no window or door. In front of him stood two tall, grey-skinned creatures. They looked just like pictures of aliens. Tall, slender bodies, silver almond-shaped eyes, and long fingers. Aaron stood there staring at them, unsure of what to do. One of the aliens spoke.

“Why are all you humans so displeased. We have studied you for centuries, and the most common complaint we have heard is about this day called “Monday.” We, Overlords, decided to remove Monday to see if overall human happiness improved. Your entire species fell into chaos and confusion within hours. You seem to grasp what we have done. Have you an explanation for our results?”

“Wait… what? Monday? Oh yeah! Monday! That’s it!” Aaron remembered everything now and looked up at the Overlords. “You removed Monday? I can’t even begin to understand how that’s possible or how you are possible! But if this is real and not some crazy dream, I think I may have an answer for you. You removed an entire day of the week but didn’t replace it with anything. You didn’t even move Tuesday up to fill the gap, so we all woke up, and it felt like something was missing… something was wrong. We didn’t understand. There was no Monday, but there was nothing in its place. We felt empty. We didn’t know what to do.” He spread his hands and looked at them. “You left us in an empty void of nothing.”

The Overlords considered this for a moment. “You are correct. Would it be better to move Tuesday into its place and banish Monday from your brains?”

Aaron shook his head. “No. It’s not exactly Monday that we hate; it’s just the end of the weekend. The end of fun. If Tuesday were there, we’d begin to hate Tuesday the same as we hated Monday. Just put Monday back where it belongs.”

The Overlords conferred with each other and then spoke to Aaron. “You are correct. We never considered this possibility. You are a complex species that requires much more study. The Overlord’s silver eyes flashed, and Aaron returned to his kitchen.

His mom sat at the table eating breakfast. “There you are, Aaron. Go get ready for school. I don’t know about you. Every Monday, you almost miss the bus. Hurry up. It’s an early workday for me, and I won’t be able to drive you to school. I hate Monday, too, but I have to go to work, and you have to go to school.”

Aaron smiled to himself. Everything was back to normal. His mother didn’t remember anything weird. Aaron wondered if he was the only one who would have memories of this crazy morning. “Ok, mom. I’m going. Mondays do suck, but you’re right. They’re a necessary evil.” Aaron laughed and got ready for school.