text: [Themes: fantasy, horror]
  
  You felt a tug in your tummy, then bones came from under the ground and around you to make a new friend. You decided this person would be a big friend since your head only went to its hips. Instead of normal teeth, it also had two big tusks like a piggy coming from its mouth. It must have a hard time brushing its teeth like that.
  
  As he yawned and stretched, you waved your hands and called up, "Are you a boy or a girl?" Slitsrobber squealed like a little girl and hid behind you.
  
  It slowly knelt down, careful not to squish you, and answered, "Summoner, I am a troll."
  
  Slitsrobber whispered in your ear, "Trolls are part of the fungus family, like mushrooms. They aren't boys or girls."
  
  You crossed your arms, "Well, poo. I still don't know my answer." Without waiting for a reply, you picked up a tiny bone that looked kinda woody and drew the same flower circle on it. As more bones formed a new person, you heard the troll and skeleton talking.
  
  "Is she a tiny Lich Lord?" asked the troll.
  
  "No bloody clue, mate. My professors would have an aneurysm. This much dark power in a child? Maybe she's a half breed with a dark god."
  
  Unlike the past two skeletons, this person only went up to your knees and had barky skin over her bones. You also leapt for joy. This skeleton had breasts. Skeletons could be boys or girls too! You picked up the tiny girl like a doll and gave her a big hug. It gasped. "I'm so happy you're a girl!" you shouted. "I was afraid you'd be another mushroom."
  
  "Merci, et iz wonderful to be alive, but why are you 'appy?"
  
  "Slitsrobber doesn't want a gender and the troll is a mushroom."
  
  The tiny creature glared at the troll. "And 'ow did the retarded wendigo 'ill you?"
  
  The troll laughed uncomfortably. "I'm a pacifist."
  
  "Putain de merde!" You felt like those were naughty words. "And 'ow will we save our petite cherie 'ith a pacifist, a simple skeleton, and a nymph? He has her thralled!"
  
  You gasped, fearful that they might yell at your friend the monster man. You didn't like it when people argued, especially friends. One time, a grumpy man yelled at Mum and made her cry, so you don't want any fighting. At the same time, Mum was afraid when a bandit made a thrall, so maybe your newest friends should yell at the monster man for doing something naughty.
  
  > do Nothing
  You didn't say anything. Instead, you curled up in a ball and waited for the yelling to stop. The nymph shouted at the troll. Her words were hard to understand, so you thought she knew more than one language. She did say "squish" many times, however. The troll should his head again and again and said "no". The skeleton just stood there and did nothing. You liked the skeleton, even if you couldn't call him a boy or a girl.
  
  After several long minutes, the monster man came back. You winced, because he dropped his big pot and all the water spilled. Did he not like your new friends?
  
  You screamed. The monster man galloped on his arms and legs towards the troll, and he ripped bones off him. Why was he hurting your friend? The troll didn't fight back. He instead whimpered. It reminded you of a kitty a mean boy once found. He hit the kitty with a stick until the kitty fell asleep forever.
  
  The nymph kicked you in the shin, and it hurt so much. You whimpered, confused why your friend would hurt you. Friends gave hugs. "Petite cherie," she said, even though you had no way to know what that meant, "The monster iz 'illing your friend, again." She pointed at the one-sided fight. The troll cried as the monster man chewed through his ribs. "Once dead a 'econd time, 'e'll never come back." You gasped at what she said. "I'm little, so I need your 'elp too... stop the fight."
  
  Slitsrobber stood between you and the fighting but nothing else.
  
  "How?" you whispered. The troll no longer had half his body. The monster man chewed through his spine.
  
  "We make a Contract." Her last word made your hair tingle, and you shivered. "Make me your familiar, and I'll 'ave the power to stop the 'ight and find your mama."
  
  The monster man ripped the troll's head off and crushed it with his hands. You trembled when he looked at you. His black eyes seemed darker than coal. He charged at you, or maybe the nymph. Slitsrobber jumped in front of the monster, but he crashed through him, making all his bones fall apart. Another friend just died.
  
  "I agree!" You felt hot, like your entire body fell into a fire. Screaming, you saw through your darkening vision tree branches going everywhere. Some grabbed the monster man and squeezed until red came out, like Mum did to wring out water from a wet towel.
  
  Your mind cleared, and you cried even more. The monster man was never your friend. He made you think he was nice when he was the meanest person ever. You were going to let him eat you!
  
  "Mum," you whispered. You wanted nothing more than to feel her hug you.
  
  "D'accord."
  
  You fell asleep.
  
  > The Happy Ending
  You woke up and rubbed your eyes. You felt your familiar sheets and sighed in relief. The scary night was over, or maybe it was just a dream.
  
  Without warning, tears fell onto your chest. Too much happened too fast. Monsters, skeletons, magic. You made real friends and a fake friend, but only one didn't die.
  
  "Mum?" You looked around for any sign of her. It was nighttime, so you couldn't see much, but you saw her outline next to your bed. Her head shot up.
  
  "My baby!" she cried and leapt from her chair. At last, you felt her wonderful Mum hug. You felt safe and happy. "You're safe now," she whispered. "It's alright now, Moonbeam. You're here. You're safe."
  
  You wanted to say words, but the words didn't come out. Instead, your voice wailed why your eyes sobbed, though it made no sense. If you were happy, then why were you crying? You wanted to tell Mum how much you loved her and apologize for hiding in the woods. You wanted to tell her you had magic and made a friend with a nymph. You wanted to tell her how much you wanted to take a bath. The monster licked you. You wanted to wash yourself forever and ever to feel clean again.
  
  "I'm sorry for not protecting you. I'm sorry you were taken, Moonbeam. I'm so sorry."
  
  You pressed your head into Mum's shoulder, afraid that she'd disappear if she got too far away. Your breathing came back under control, and your tears stopped. You felt so tired.
  
  "I love you, Mum," you whispered.
  
  You felt something tingle in your tummy leading to the floor, so you looked. From the wood, the nymph rose as if she jumped out of a pond. She smiled at you and grew a flower in the shape of a heart out of her hand.
  
  Without turning around, Mum said, "Thank you again for saving my daughter, Fleur."
  
  You smiled back at your new and best friend. Fleur nodded and sunk back into the floor. Even though you felt super sleepy, there was one more thing for you to do. You gave Mum a hug.
  
  And Death still watched over his daughter.
  
  Roses are red
  Violets are blue
  You found your mum
  The scary night's through