Marsha Ingrao – Always Write

Cover Girlette model, Princess Chloe, wondered which way to run!  “What was that?  A MONSTER!!!!!!  Was it moving her way?” She was poised ready to escape, but it seemed that monsters surrounded her.

Wait, Wait!  The MONSTER stretched out.  Princess Chloe bravely bent down and touched the monster as it floated by her.  She lifted the water monster high above her head.

But what was this, lying under the long outstretched sea creature.  Could it be a baby MONSTER lying face down in the sand?

Princess Chloe bent down to pick up the rubbery infant.

She lovingly gazed down at the baby MONSTER.

“You need food, little monster? I’ll get you some right away. You stay there. I’ll be right back.”

“EEWWWW,” the baby monster cried.   Little did Princess Chloe know that trouble awaited.

“Ya ha ha. Little does she know what I have planned. I’m going to snatch the baby monster while she’s gone.”  Prince Edward laughed his evil laugh.  The wind blew his laugh away.

The OCEAN RULERS do not want any of their monsters disturbed. Suddenly, the sun quit shining. A mist settled over the earth enveloping the baby in its protective cover.

As the winds picked up, and the fog rolled in, Monster Baby dug into the sand to protect its gentle eyes from the wind.

MONSTER BABY!!!  MONSTER BABY!” she shouted, but the wind snatched her words and threw them out to sea.

Suddenly out of the fog appeared a big man wearing a camouflage head covering. The Princess didn’t look up.

“Bubbles, maybe this is where Monster Baby is hiding.” Princess said to no one in  particular.  “Monster Baby, come back!  I’ll find you food.  I find friends for you.  Just come BAAAAAAACK!!   BAAAABY  BABY!”

The princess started to cry.   Monster Baby stayed safely under the sand.  Nothing was disturbing Monster Baby.

“Maybe I can help you,” the big man said, tapping her shoulder.

The Princess screamed!  Who are you?  Do you know where Monster Baby is?  I’ve got to find him.  I know he’s scared.  I know he’s hungry.

“I might be able to help,” the big man said kindly

Princess Chloe’s mind was racing, but she felt strangely comforted by the big man.  His soft kind voice soothed her fears.  Maybe he sold food.  If only she could find her precious baby monster.

Where could it be?  Her mind wouldn’t stop pounding.

I’m a searcher.  I also work for an insurance company.  It’s my business to find stuff and protect it.  I’ll find your Monster Baby.  I happen to know there’s someone else looking for him, too, and if Prince Edward finds him, your Monster Baby may not survive.  Prince Edward sells Monster Babies to Algae Man.

See that girl over there?  That’s Berna.  She’s my daughter, and she has a special gift of smell and hearing.  She’s been smelling and hearing stuff since she was less than two.  Now mostly she finds trouble.  This will be a pleasant assignment.

So Chloe, Berna and the big man with a funny scarf around his head began to look for Baby Monster.

Baby Monster did not want to be found.  He was well hidden.  Even the evil Prince Edward would never find him.  Baby Monster had stretched himself out to his full length, and had floated out to sea on top of the foam.  Meanwhile Princess Chloe and her new friend, Berna started building a sand castle while they were digging for Baby Monster.  The castle got bigger and bigger.  The bigger the castle grew, the bigger Berna’s smile.

Soon the Evil Prince Edward saw the castle from his perch on the top of the san dune.  He heard all the laughter.  As he started over to join the two girls, he noticed the Hat People.

They had sticks, and they weren’t looking where they were picking up sand dollars,  and waving their sticks like machetes looking for sand dollars to spend at the beach market.  Within seconds the girl’s castle would be lying in crumbles if Edward didn’t get to the Hat people before they reached the castle.

Edward has never run so fast in his life.  Did he make it to the castle in time?  Or did the hat people destroy the happy castle?