The Witching Hour

One night, during the fated witching hour, I couldn't sleep. My mind was filled with the horror stories my friends had told at school that day. I tried not to listen to them, but their words haunted me now. Tired of tossing and turning in bed, I opened my eyes and glanced at the book on my nightstand. It was a boring book for my fourth grade English class, the perfect thing to put me to sleep. I reached for it, but stopped, seeing movement out of the corner of my eye.

I glanced over at the figurines in the bookcase. I watched them for several moments, but nothing moved. It must have been my imagination. For a brief moment, I thought about playing with them. Then I remembered that I was too old to play with such toys. Closing my eyes again, I started counting sheep. Tricking my mind into numbness was my only option.

All was quiet for a while until a sudden gust of wind blew in through the window. Getting up to shut it, I noticed something outside. Looking closer, I saw a white horse with large golden wings. A horn of gold emerged from a mane of silver hair. Mesmerized by it, I gazed into its glowing silver eyes, which turned to red as it flew straight towards me.

Frightened, I leapt back into bed and hid under the blankets. I shivered in the darkness. Not hearing anything more, I tugged down the corner of the blanket and saw the horned pegasus staring at my collection of figurines - miniature unicorns, pegasi and people. Leaning its horn down, it touched a unicorn. The figurine started to glow and then the glow spread over the shelves. When the light faded away, all of them were alive and moving!

As I gaped at them, I saw my favorite princess jump on the back of a unicorn whose horn I had accidentally broken off last year at my tenth birthday party. My little army of knights lined up behind her as other ladies climbed onto the other pegasi and unicorns. The goofy jester climbed backwards up the tail of the green dragon. To my surprise, the dragon wasn’t bothered by him and waited patiently for the jester to get in place. He finally did and the dragon lumbered into position behind everyone else.

Trotting the few steps to the side of my bed, the horned pegasus bent one knee in invitation. I stared at it for a moment before my love of pegasi overcame my fear of the unknown. Grinning, I jumped onto its back. With a loud neigh, it flew out the window with me gripping frantically to its silky mane.

Through the night’s sky we rode. The stars sparkled like diamonds and the full moon glowed like a pearl. It was the most amazing night of my life. As the excitement ebbed, I felt myself getting sleepy. I laid my head against the horned pegasus’ mane and fell asleep.

It seemed like only a few minutes had passed when I awoke in a strange room on a strange bed. Getting up and looking out the window, I saw enormous unicorns, pegasi and people. I leaned out the window, my jaw dropped in amazement. In the middle of them all was the pegasus with the golden horn.

It saw me and sauntered over. A voice entered my mind. Do not neglect what you once loved. All of the large beings turned to me. As I looked at each of them, I realized they were my toys from my bookcase. The princess, knights, ladies, the unicorns and pegasi, even the jester and dragon were there. All of them looked very unhappy. Some even looked angry. All of which was directed at me.

Tears started streaming down my face as I realized I was in my dollhouse; the one I had just asked my mommy to get rid of. My voice cracked as I said, "I promise I won’t. If you let me go home, I promise I’ll keep every one of you and treasure you always!"

Then we will always protect you. The voice in my head faded away as the scene in front of me blurred and I felt the room rumble.

Thrashing against an unseen force shaking me, I cried, “No! I promise I won’t forget you!”

“That’s good, sweetie. I hope you wouldn’t forget your mom.” A soft female voice broke through the dream.

I opened my eyes and saw my mommy leaning over me, one hand on my shoulder which had been gently shaking me awake. I threw myself into her arms. “I had a horrible dream!”

“Shhh. It’s okay.” She stroked my hair. “You’re safe now. You’re in your room with all your things.” She pointed to the bookcase.

My eyes widened and I pulled away from her. “Mommy! Did you throw it away?”

Puzzlement crossed her face, and then she smiled, “No, honey. I kept your dollhouse.”

“Oh, thank you!” I breathed a sigh of relief as a grin spread across my face. “I’m not ready to grow up yet.”

“Me neither.” She laughed and ruffled my hair. “Now c’mon. It’s time to get ready for school.”

“Yes, mommy.” I bounded out of bed to the bookcase. I used to take one of them to school every day, but I stopped doing that last year. As I looked across the shelves, I noticed a figure that had never been there before - a pegasus with a golden horn. I started to turn towards my mommy when I heard a voice in my head.

As I am your protector, so you are mine.

A chill ran up my spine, but when I picked up the figure, a warm comforting feeling flowed through my body. I didn’t understand it, but I knew I was safe. Holding the figure close to my chest, I followed my mommy towards a brand new day.


(997 words)


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Original version written when I was 10 years old - please do not review this. This is included as a side note.
         One night, during the witching hour, I couldn't sleep. I stayed awake, lying on my bed. Then suddenly a gust of wind blew in through the window. I got up to shut the window, but before I shut the window I saw something. It looked like a horse with wings and a gold horn. It seemed to be coming towards me. I got scared, I don't know why but I jumped into my bed and hid under the blankets. I moved the corner of the blanket and saw the pegasus, that's what it looked like, was staring at my collection of unicorns, pegasuses and little people. Then all of them suddenly came to life. The pegasus with the gold horn let me ride her. Then we flew out the window. A few minutes later I felt sleepy and I went to sleep. Then I found myself in a strange room, on a strange bed. I got up and looked outside. I saw horses, pegasuses, unicorns and people. Some of the things looked like my statues. I opened the door and saw the pegasus that had a gold horn. It started to say, "How are you? Did you have a nice na . . .??"
         I interrupted her and said, "How long do I have to stay here? I want to go home!"
         She said, "I'm sorry, I don't know how you can get back, but I do know that you have to find a door."
         "Where?" I asked.
         "I don't know." she replied.
         Then I felt myself being shaken, and it was morning, in my own bed, in my own house.