The eastern sky glowed with color as the sun started peeking over the horizon. Morning had come. They made it through the night, through the nightmare, and now the day felt new and fresh and inviting. There were more adventures to be had, but before they went on any more adventures, they needed some breakfast and a long nap.
They started down the path to where the Perch beckoned them with an invitation of hammocks and mangoes. The path was now obvious in the morning light, and they all agreed on which way to go. They talked as they walked.
“You were incredible!” said Woggy to Rob.
“Me? You were the one that finished them. They just collapsed in the light. The Night Mare vanished. Your smile was so bright!”
“I didn’t know you could just give a glowing smile any time you wanted,” said Sara. “Why didn’t you do that earlier?”
“I can’t do it just any time I want,” said Woggy.
“Then how did you do that?” asked Finn.
“I don’t know,” said Woggy slowly. “I guess when Spark lit the skies I felt brave, and then when I felt you three beside me, it just made me happy. I knew I wasn’t alone. I was so happy that we were together and that I have friends that will stay with me through anything, and I forgot to be scared. So… I just smiled.”
“Well, I thought it was marvelous!” Sara added. “I wish we could all just stay together always.”
“Can’t we?” asked Finn.
“I don’t know,” Sara replied. “Once we leave here we will all go to our separate homes, and we will be far away from each other again.”
Their adventures had made them all forget about home, but when Sara mentioned it, all four felt a longing well up inside of them. A longing for home. A-Dream was an incredible place, but it was not home. They missed their families.
“Surely we will be able to talk to each other, and visit each other. Maybe we can even meet back here,” said Woggy hopefully.
“The real question is: how do we even get home?” said Rob.
No one had the answer. That was going to be another adventure. They were going to have to figure out how to get home. Maybe it was through the Unknown Forest that lay past the castle, or maybe it was back across the Sleep Sound. Maybe there was even a portal or something inside the castle.
“I wish Mr. King didn’t take the treasure,” said Rob. “What happened to him anyways?”
“Well, let’s just say he is with all the treasure he could ever want,” said Woggy. “Oh yeah, by the way, I have something for you.”
Woggy swung his backpack off his shoulder, unzipped it, and pulled out a pouch of coins –a pouch of exactly nine coins. He tossed it to Rob, who looked at it in wonder.
“How did you get it back?”
“Mr. King left it in the dining room on the mantel, so I picked it up before we rescued you and Finn.”
“Thank you Woggy!”
Rob hugged Woggy.
“You’re welcome, Rob,” said Woggy, smiling.
“By the way, my name is really Robin not Robber... You can all call me Robin. I never liked my name before, but for some reason it feels like it fits now.”
“Robin it is!” said Woggy.
Robin smiled and could not help flying in the air. She soared over the heads of her friends. With her smile and feathery red hair, she really did look much more like a Robin than a Robber.
They kept walking. Everything seemed right. Spark zipped around them happily. The day was getting brighter with every moment. They walked through the field of flowers and the glowing blue puddles.
“Wait, do you hear that?” asked Finn. “It sounds like something is bubbling.”
They all looked down at the blue puddle beside them. It gurgled. It bubbled. Suddenly, something splashed out of it.
It was a hand.
Soon the body attached to the hand broke the surface, and there in front of them was a dripping wet Mr. King. The four of children took a step back as he crawled out of the puddle.
Mr. King glared at the children. “You think you are so clever, burying all of my treasure and me underwater!” he said.
“What happened to you?” asked Finn. “Are you a Seaple?”
“A what?” asked Mr. King, and then he saw the pouch that Robin was holding. “I want my money!” he exclaimed pointing a finger at Robin.
Woggy stepped in front of Robin. “You can’t have it,” he said, and then once again he felt his three friends by his side. Actually, his four friends, because Spark was there, too. They were a united force, strong together.
But Robin remembered that this was the very reason they had wanted the treasure. They had gone through so many scary things, and wonderful adventures just so she could help her family by giving Mr. King his money.
“Here,” she said tossing the bag of coins at his feet. “Take your money, and leave my family and friends alone,”
Mr. King dripped water. He looked much less intimidating in the dawning light of day, but he still loomed tall over the children. He seemed weaker without the shadows and the knights to hide behind. His clothes were sopping wet, and he was still trying to catch his breath from bobbing in the underground waters for so long.
A greedy smile curled his lips. He down looked at the coins and then back up at the children. “There is just one more thing I want,” said Mr. King. “Revenge.”
He pulled out the sword from his hip and pointed it at Woggy and his friends. Now he looked scary once again. Anger flashed in his eyes and reddened his tomato cheeks. The four kids stood together, facing the glowering Mr. King. The tension was rising. Mr. King took a step toward them. He was reckless and angry. His face was turning redder by the second. He started walking faster and swinging his sword.
Rob braced for the fight. Finn stood beside her, ready to block the coming blows and protect his friends. Then Finn got distracted. There was something on Mr. King’s shirt. It was crawling toward Mr. King’s hand. Finn looked at it curiously. It seemed so familiar. Then he recognized his pink shelled friend, Pinky!
Pinky moved down to the exposed skin on Mr. King’s hand, and that is when Mr. King suddenly became distracted from his rage. As soon as he realized that there was a little creature crawling on him, he angrily shook his hand to rid himself of the nuisance. But Pinky gripped even harder.
Mr. King vigorously shook his hand.
Pinky held on tightly.
Apparently Pinky did not like being shaken, because the little creature used its claws to give Mr. King a sharp pinch right on his pinky finger.
Suddenly, strangely, Mr. King vanished!
Pinky the shell landed on the ground, calmly walked back to the puddle, and jumped in with a tiny splash.
The four children looked at each other in amazement.
“What just happened?” asked Woggy.
“I don’t know,” said Rob, “but I’m not complaining.”
“It was Pinky!” said Finn. “Pinky pinched Mr. King and he disappeared!”
Just then a memory popped into Woggy’s mind. He remembered the phrase that his dad had said: “Pinch me, I must be dreaming.”
“I think I know how to get home,” said Woggy.
Woggy explained what his dad had said.
“That must be what happened,” said Finn. “So, if we find Pinky and make it pinch us, we can get home, too.”
“Or…we could just pinch each other,” suggested Sara.
“It’s worth a try,” said Woggy, “but we’ll have to all do it at the same time so one of us doesn’t get stuck here alone.”
They all looked at each other. A mixture of emotions filled them. They were happy to be able to go home, but they did not know when they would all see each other again. They all forced smiles and gave each other hugs, and said “goodbye” and “see you soon.” Then the four children faced each other, and each grabbed another’s arm.
None of them wanted to leave each other, and yet they all wanted to go home. Life is that way sometimes. When you want two things with all of your heart, but can only have one, and must choose.
They stood there for a moment, looking at each other, feeling the weight of their decision. They had reunited not long ago, and now they were to be separated again. But this time they knew they would all be safe, and that they would all be home.
“On the count of three,” said Woggy.
Then together they all said: “One… two… three.”