Bedtime Stories
Horses! Princes! Bandits? Oh my!
"Once upon a time, there was a prince," Charlie began, and Lizzie frowned.
"I thought you said this was going to be original?" she asked, and he glared.
"It is original!" Charlie exclaimed indignantly.
"Yeah, a fairy tale about a prince--never heard that one before!"
"Would you just listen?" Charlie huffed, and Lizzie fell silent as he struggled to think of a story. Despite all of his confident bravado about already having conjured up the most incredible bedtime story known to mankind, Charlie had absolutely no idea how to spin an original tale.
"This prince— Prince Christopher, as he was known to his subjects –was rudely awakened one sunny morning by his sister, Princess Elena. The princess was incredibly enthusiastic and cheerful about everything, and had decided that she and her brother would take a ride through the gorgeous forests that their kingdom was famous for."
"Oh, I quite like her!" Lizzie whispered quietly to herself, and Charlie smiled, glad his sister was enjoying the story he was literally coming up with as he went along.
"So Prince Christopher, being the kind and generous soul that he was, agreed to accompany his sister even though he'd only had three hours of sleep the night before." Charlie paused, quickly trying to think up some sort of exciting event that could occur during a trail ride. "So the two royal siblings set off into the trees, gallivanting around doing whatever it is people do on rides. They were having a grand old time when suddenly, out of nowhere, Elena’s horse reared up and tossed her from its back.”
“Oh no!” Lizzie cried, blue eyes going wide as she clenched her blanket tightly. “Is she ok?” she wondered aloud, her tone hushed and hesitant as if she feared Charlie’s answer.
Ignoring her question only because he didn’t even know the answer himself, Charlie continued to ramble on. “Before Prince Christopher could rush to his sister’s aid like the noble and gallant young man he was, he realized that he and his sister were surrounded by a gang of thieves.” Lizzie gasped, covering her mouth with both hands and letting out a squeal of terror.
“Oh, Prince Christopher, you have to do something! You can’t let them hurt poor Elena! She needs you!” Charlie allowed himself a small smile, glad his sister was getting so into the story.
“As the bandits quickly closed around them, Prince Christopher knew there was only one chance for escape: if he wanted to survive, he would have to abandon his sister.”
Lizzie frowned at that, sending Charlie the most disapproving glare she could muster. It was clear that suddenly, the young girl didn’t find his story quite so enjoyable.
“So,” Charlie continued, “Prince Christopher dismounted his horse and pulled his sister to her feet before lifting his hands in surrender to the bandits.”
“Oh, good for you, Prince Christopher! I knew you’d do the right thing,” Lizzie beamed, and Charlie couldn’t help but laugh.
“Alright, I think that’s enough for tonight,” he said after a pause, cringing when Lizzie let out an indignant shout.
“What? No way! Charlie you can’t end a story like that!”
“It isn’t over,” he replied with an exhausted, devilish grin. “You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow night to hear what happens next.”
“You’re terrible,” she grumbled, scrunching up her face as she allowed him to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight.
“I love you to,” he told her with a grin, before flipping off the lights and closing the door to her bedroom firmly behind him.
"I thought you said this was going to be original?" she asked, and he glared.
"It is original!" Charlie exclaimed indignantly.
"Yeah, a fairy tale about a prince--never heard that one before!"
"Would you just listen?" Charlie huffed, and Lizzie fell silent as he struggled to think of a story. Despite all of his confident bravado about already having conjured up the most incredible bedtime story known to mankind, Charlie had absolutely no idea how to spin an original tale.
"This prince— Prince Christopher, as he was known to his subjects –was rudely awakened one sunny morning by his sister, Princess Elena. The princess was incredibly enthusiastic and cheerful about everything, and had decided that she and her brother would take a ride through the gorgeous forests that their kingdom was famous for."
"Oh, I quite like her!" Lizzie whispered quietly to herself, and Charlie smiled, glad his sister was enjoying the story he was literally coming up with as he went along.
"So Prince Christopher, being the kind and generous soul that he was, agreed to accompany his sister even though he'd only had three hours of sleep the night before." Charlie paused, quickly trying to think up some sort of exciting event that could occur during a trail ride. "So the two royal siblings set off into the trees, gallivanting around doing whatever it is people do on rides. They were having a grand old time when suddenly, out of nowhere, Elena’s horse reared up and tossed her from its back.”
“Oh no!” Lizzie cried, blue eyes going wide as she clenched her blanket tightly. “Is she ok?” she wondered aloud, her tone hushed and hesitant as if she feared Charlie’s answer.
Ignoring her question only because he didn’t even know the answer himself, Charlie continued to ramble on. “Before Prince Christopher could rush to his sister’s aid like the noble and gallant young man he was, he realized that he and his sister were surrounded by a gang of thieves.” Lizzie gasped, covering her mouth with both hands and letting out a squeal of terror.
“Oh, Prince Christopher, you have to do something! You can’t let them hurt poor Elena! She needs you!” Charlie allowed himself a small smile, glad his sister was getting so into the story.
“As the bandits quickly closed around them, Prince Christopher knew there was only one chance for escape: if he wanted to survive, he would have to abandon his sister.”
Lizzie frowned at that, sending Charlie the most disapproving glare she could muster. It was clear that suddenly, the young girl didn’t find his story quite so enjoyable.
“So,” Charlie continued, “Prince Christopher dismounted his horse and pulled his sister to her feet before lifting his hands in surrender to the bandits.”
“Oh, good for you, Prince Christopher! I knew you’d do the right thing,” Lizzie beamed, and Charlie couldn’t help but laugh.
“Alright, I think that’s enough for tonight,” he said after a pause, cringing when Lizzie let out an indignant shout.
“What? No way! Charlie you can’t end a story like that!”
“It isn’t over,” he replied with an exhausted, devilish grin. “You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow night to hear what happens next.”
“You’re terrible,” she grumbled, scrunching up her face as she allowed him to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight.
“I love you to,” he told her with a grin, before flipping off the lights and closing the door to her bedroom firmly behind him.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sooo I got tired of trying to memorize all of the elements, and decided to take a break and write this. I just couldn't stand only having the first chapter up for so long. But someone else PLEASE write the next chapter!! PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU!!! This won't be any fun if no one else ever adds onto the story!!!