SIX

Pinky crept gingerly to the middle of a thin branch and made sure her tail was curled tightly about it before lowering herself. From this comfortable vantage-point she could look right into Elodie’s bedroom window. With the assistance of an unusually bright moon Pinky could see the little girl tossing and turning fitfully in her bed. Pinky knew what it was like to have trouble sleeping. Although the other opossums were kind to her she missed her mama very much and sometimes got quite sad. She wondered what sort of advice her mother would have given her tonight. She sighed and knew she would have insisted that Pinky confess to the others right away. Pinky was beginning to climb back onto the branch and do just that when something caught her eye.

It was winking and twinkling as brightly as any star overhead, and it was sitting right there on the window ledge. The turnip necklace! She nearly lost her grip in her excitement.

“Sam!” she hissed. “I think I see it!”

Suddenly Elodie’s eyes shot open and she looked directly at Pinky. At first she felt confusion, thinking that a pear or small wasp’s nest had sprouted from the tree. Then she noticed the tiny eyes, glinting fiercely like dark rubies. Elodie blinked several times and rubbed her eyes. When she looked again the vision was gone, but she was so frightened she cried out in terror, “Mama! Mama!”

After a few moments Mrs. Verlaine walked into the room and turned on the light. “What’s the matter now?” she asked in agitation.

“I saw something – out there!” Elodie squealed, pointing to the window. “It was a horrible alien with glowing red eyes!”

Mrs. Verlaine looked out the window and sighed. “Okay, Elodie. Enough with the aliens, and all of the other monsters in your imagination. Every night it’s something else and it’s got to stop. There’s nothing out the window, there’s nothing under your bed and there’s nothing in your closet. It’s all up here,” she tapped her skull. “And if you don’t go back to sleep I’ll really give you something to cry about.”

“But Mom,” cried Elodie desperately. “I SAW it! Its eyes were big and red and coming right out of its feet!”

“Elodie,” said Mrs. Verlaine is exasperation. “Go to sleep, and that’s the last time I intend to say it tonight.”

“Can I sleep with you and Daddy? I’m scared!” Elodie pleaded, eyes brimming with tears.

Mrs. Verlaine took Elodie into her arms and hugged her. “You’re a big girl now, and big girls sleep in their own beds. There’s absolutely nothing to be frightened of. You were just dreaming.”

“But –”

“Sh-sh-sh,” Mrs. Verlaine soothed, hugging her tighter. “If it makes you feel better I’ll leave your door open tonight, but I expect you to go to sleep. No more outbursts. It’s very late and we all need our rest.”

She turned out the light, leaving the door ajar. Elodie threw the covers over her head and trembled until she finally fell asleep.