| Fantasy Fiction posted March 14, 2020 | Chapters: |
...5 6 -7- 8... 
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Sir Archibald knows how to keep order in his shed...
A chapter in the book The Gardens at Weatherbury
C7 -Those Pesky Imps
by Y. M. Roger
| Background After accepting the position as Groundskeeper (**See End Notes), Nicholas is discovering more and more about the fantastical Gardens. We've made it inside the cabinet... almost. |
The other three imps started buzzing aggressively around Constantine’s head. While he made a valiant effort to fend them off, he had to release the blueberry-covered one to grab his hat away from the two that had lifted it off his head. A blueberry splattered in the middle of his forehead while another burst across his nose.
“Arrrchieee!” Constantine shouted as I stood to try to help him shoo them away. I was trying to be gentle, but those bites or whatever they were hurt!
In addition to their high-pitched buzzing sounds, the little menaces were hollering all sorts of things I couldn’t understand. I waved my hands as another blueberry found its mark near my eye.
“How do we make ‘em stop, Const–”
Constantine interrupted me with an even louder bellow. “Arrrrrchieee–”
Suddenly, some sweet-smelling mist floated upward from beside me. No, it wasn’t actually floating because I could hear an aerosol spray can.
“Fear not, Groundskeeper!” That was Sir Archie’s voice, but where...
I tried to get a better look at the source of the mist. Then, one of the imps flew into the big cloud and dropped out of the air like a struggling leaf falls from a tree. He screeched like an un-oiled hinge all the way down.
“Be grounded, ye pestilence!” Archie’s determined voice drew my attention.
I looked down just in time to see him scuttle to a different position and aim a small spray can at another of the flying imps. A small, thick cloud rose from the can and enveloped the contentious little thing. The imp let out a cross between a prolonged growl and very annoyed whine as he augured in to join his brethren on the ground.
“Ay! Been too long since ye been released!” Archie loudly proclaimed as he turned the can on another that was headed directly toward my face. “Ye fergot yer manners, ye doaty lil’ beg-“
“Sir Archie, no! Not my fa–”
But it was too late. I felt the tiny little droplets coat my cheek even as the third imp tumbled noisily out of the air.
The remaining airborne imp halted and hovered. He faced Archie and spread his upper two pairs of arms in a show of surrender. Glad the madness seemed to be over, I raised my hand to my cheek. It smelled quite sweet and was really sticky…
Before I had time to even contemplate that, the exercised Constantine raised his hat in in his hand, taking aim at the hovering gnome.
“You tormenting lit–” But I stayed his arm.
“Constantine! He gave up! You can’t jus–”
Psssssssssssst!
Archie drenched the little guy, and it dropped straight to the ground.
“Sir Archibald!”
But Archie, quite unruffled, turned toward me and bowed in another of his regal flourishes. Then he stood and began licking the spray can.
“They shall show proper respect from now on, Groundskeeper,” Archie chided between licks. Curiously, his voice was raised as if speaking to someone other than myself. He licked the spray can one more time and replaced the lid. He then reached inside his armor behind him, pulled out some blueberries, and leaned toward the ground. “Won’t ye, imps?”
To be continued…
**The Gardens at Weatherbury is a collection of approximately 500-word chapters about young Nicholas' continuing adventures as Groundskeeper to the unique gardens at the fantastical Weatherbury Estate. The chapters are short to maintain the attention of a pre-teen audience for whom it is written.
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Nicholas (narrator) - young boy (current age 17), telling of adventures since accepting Weatherbury's Groundskeeper job at age 14.
Constantine – garden gnome and self-appointed on-site manager of the Gardens
Rosalind – (aka Rosa) sentient climbing rosebush whose job it is to guard the Garden Shed
Sir Archibald – (aka Archie or Sir Archie) eccentric pink armadillo tasked with organization and upkeep of the Garden Shed
Imps – (names to follow) an imp is a small mischievous sprite
Sir Phillipe - owner of Weatherbury Estate
George Thrasher – (aka G-Trash according to Constantine) former Groundskeeper, employment terminated by Sir Phillipe in Prologue
“Arrrchieee!” Constantine shouted as I stood to try to help him shoo them away. I was trying to be gentle, but those bites or whatever they were hurt!
In addition to their high-pitched buzzing sounds, the little menaces were hollering all sorts of things I couldn’t understand. I waved my hands as another blueberry found its mark near my eye.
“How do we make ‘em stop, Const–”
Constantine interrupted me with an even louder bellow. “Arrrrrchieee–”
Suddenly, some sweet-smelling mist floated upward from beside me. No, it wasn’t actually floating because I could hear an aerosol spray can.
“Fear not, Groundskeeper!” That was Sir Archie’s voice, but where...
I tried to get a better look at the source of the mist. Then, one of the imps flew into the big cloud and dropped out of the air like a struggling leaf falls from a tree. He screeched like an un-oiled hinge all the way down.
“Be grounded, ye pestilence!” Archie’s determined voice drew my attention.
I looked down just in time to see him scuttle to a different position and aim a small spray can at another of the flying imps. A small, thick cloud rose from the can and enveloped the contentious little thing. The imp let out a cross between a prolonged growl and very annoyed whine as he augured in to join his brethren on the ground.
“Ay! Been too long since ye been released!” Archie loudly proclaimed as he turned the can on another that was headed directly toward my face. “Ye fergot yer manners, ye doaty lil’ beg-“
“Sir Archie, no! Not my fa–”
But it was too late. I felt the tiny little droplets coat my cheek even as the third imp tumbled noisily out of the air.
The remaining airborne imp halted and hovered. He faced Archie and spread his upper two pairs of arms in a show of surrender. Glad the madness seemed to be over, I raised my hand to my cheek. It smelled quite sweet and was really sticky…
Before I had time to even contemplate that, the exercised Constantine raised his hat in in his hand, taking aim at the hovering gnome.
“You tormenting lit–” But I stayed his arm.
“Constantine! He gave up! You can’t jus–”
Psssssssssssst!
Archie drenched the little guy, and it dropped straight to the ground.
“Sir Archibald!”
But Archie, quite unruffled, turned toward me and bowed in another of his regal flourishes. Then he stood and began licking the spray can.
“They shall show proper respect from now on, Groundskeeper,” Archie chided between licks. Curiously, his voice was raised as if speaking to someone other than myself. He licked the spray can one more time and replaced the lid. He then reached inside his armor behind him, pulled out some blueberries, and leaned toward the ground. “Won’t ye, imps?”
To be continued…
**The Gardens at Weatherbury is a collection of approximately 500-word chapters about young Nicholas' continuing adventures as Groundskeeper to the unique gardens at the fantastical Weatherbury Estate. The chapters are short to maintain the attention of a pre-teen audience for whom it is written.
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Nicholas (narrator) - young boy (current age 17), telling of adventures since accepting Weatherbury's Groundskeeper job at age 14.
Constantine – garden gnome and self-appointed on-site manager of the Gardens
Rosalind – (aka Rosa) sentient climbing rosebush whose job it is to guard the Garden Shed
Sir Archibald – (aka Archie or Sir Archie) eccentric pink armadillo tasked with organization and upkeep of the Garden Shed
Imps – (names to follow) an imp is a small mischievous sprite
Sir Phillipe - owner of Weatherbury Estate
George Thrasher – (aka G-Trash according to Constantine) former Groundskeeper, employment terminated by Sir Phillipe in Prologue
 Recognized |
#183 2020 |
Thank you, as always, for reading me! ;-)
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