And Life Turns Yucky...

It was a cool spring night when Twick's life became yucky. A few days before, some strange people had broken into the house and made a mess. They had dark skin--Twick had seen them from his hiding place in the woods. But his parents didn't say much about them, and Rach, his older sister... well, he never listened to anything SHE said, because she was an icky girl...

But tonight... things had changed tonight. He had almost died! A bunch of people had come to the farm. They called themselves elfs, and they had funny-looking pointy ears, and all of them carried weapons. They came to talk with ma and pa, but what they said was boring grown-up talk. And then Twick walked behind Rachael to see the funny-looking people and she poked him and he poked back and she called for Ma and then one of the elfs shot at him!

Being as swift as he was, Twick deftly dodged the arrow (so he thought) and escaped to the safety of the bedroom. He listened at the bedroom door for several minutes, making sure these elfs weren't attacking them like the dark ones might have, but only normal conversation continued.

After the elfs left, and everyone went to bed, Twick crept out of bed. He couldn't sleep after being shot at! Outside, he noticed, was the old ferryman, Rob. Twick didn't know what to think of Rob, who, unlike most others, didn't mind being called by his first name. Rob was known as the Dread Ferryman. Twick didn't know why he was dread-like. Dread was usually bad and mean, but Rob didn't seem like a bad and mean person.

Twick slipped out the door and waved to Rob.

"What's goin on around here?" Rob asked.

Twick started relating the whole story of how the dark people had come with a prisoner and then elfs had come and almost killed him. When he got to that part, he discovered he wasn't scared any more.

"... Pa later said to the elfs that the one elf shouldn't have shot at us." Twick continued. "But then the elfs start talkin and pa backed down!"

"Well, with a house full of thugs what can he do?" Rob reasoned. "He's gotta worry about you kids. It seems obvious they was threatening you to get something out of him."

Twick didn't like that idea. Pa was always a hero, fighting off all the dangerous animals that might come to the farm.

Rob, noticing Twick's expression, spoke, "Ah, don't pout. Takes a brave man to know when to back down."

"I wish they had never came..."

"Aye... well... It's a big world out there, and we're just a little part of it."

Perhaps Twick would later look back at this point in his life, and see the change. But at the moment, he just blurted out, "I wanna see it and be big like the world so I don't have to be scared."

"Best way ta do that is join the Royal Navy," Rob responded.

After Rob explained what the Navy was and said his goodbyes, Twick decided he was going to join the Navy. He would get on those ships and sail to places to keep the kingdom safe! And then he wouldn't have to back down to those mean elfs and dark-people and his family would be safe!

But right then, Twick was getting sleepy and decided to creep back into bed.

(Twick)

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> It was a cool spring night when Twick's life became yucky. A few days before, some strange people had broken into the house and made a mess. They had dark skin--Twick had seen them from his hiding place in the woods. But his parents didn't say much about them, and Rach, his older sister... well, he never listened to anything SHE said, because she was an icky girl... > But tonight... things had changed tonight. He had almost died! A bunch of people had come to the farm. They called themselves elfs, and they had funny-looking pointy ears, and all of them carried weapons. They came to talk with ma and pa, but what they said was boring grown-up talk. And then Twick walked behind Rachael to see the funny-looking people and she poked him and he poked back and she called for Ma and then one of the elfs shot at him! > Being as swift as he was, Twick deftly dodged the arrow (so he thought) and escaped to the safety of the bedroom. He listened at the bedroom door for several minutes, making sure these elfs weren't attacking them like the dark ones might have, but only normal conversation continued. > After the elfs left, and everyone went to bed, Twick crept out of bed. He couldn't sleep after being shot at! Outside, he noticed, was the old ferryman, Rob. Twick didn't know what to think of Rob, who, unlike most others, didn't mind being called by his first name. Rob was known as the Dread Ferryman. Twick didn't know why he was dread-like. Dread was usually bad and mean, but Rob didn't seem like a bad and mean person. > Twick slipped out the door and waved to Rob. > "What's goin on around here?" Rob asked. > Twick started relating the whole story of how the dark people had come with a prisoner and then elfs had come and almost killed him. When he got to that part, he discovered he wasn't scared any more. > "... Pa later said to the elfs that the one elf shouldn't have shot at us." Twick continued. "But then the elfs start talkin and pa backed down!" > "Well, with a house full of thugs what can he do?" Rob reasoned. "He's gotta worry about you kids. It seems obvious they was threatening you to get something out of him." > Twick didn't like that idea. Pa was always a hero, fighting off all the dangerous animals that might come to the farm. > Rob, noticing Twick's expression, spoke, "Ah, don't pout. Takes a brave man to know when to back down." > "I wish they had never came..." > "Aye... well... It's a big world out there, and we're just a little part of it." > Perhaps Twick would later look back at this point in his life, and see the change. But at the moment, he just blurted out, "I wanna see it and be big like the world so I don't have to be scared." > "Best way ta do that is join the Royal Navy," Rob responded. > After Rob explained what the Navy was and said his goodbyes, Twick decided he was going to join the Navy. He would get on those ships and sail to places to keep the kingdom safe! And then he wouldn't have to back down to those mean elfs and dark-people and his family would be safe! > But right then, Twick was getting sleepy and decided to creep back into bed. > (Twick)
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