When last we saw Tabitha, she had found herself in the land of the Grenigots - a group of bright-haired little people who had made a home in a clearing in the woods behind her house. She has met Marticus, Bornoden and his daughter, Kishinae, and learned about how the Grenigots came to the area. Now, there is some unknown danger approaching that threatens to destroy the village. Can Tabitha save it?
All of a sudden, an even littler little person with peacock blue hair dashed by, arms flailing wildly in panic. “They’re coming! They’re coming! Save yourself! Find shelter now!” he screamed.
“What’s coming?” Tabitha asked. “The cats, I mean, the squibbers?”
Bornoden looked towards the western sky, worried.
“No. Worse. The nados. They show up when the weather gets hot. We have lost so many of our people because of them, my dear wife, Kishinae’s mother included. She was swept up and never heard from again.” He held his daughter close to him but didn’t want to make her anymore afraid than she already was.
“That would be awful to lose your mother.” Tabitha thought. She didn’t even want to think of what that would be like. She could see white, black and red funnel clouds, about ten of them, appearing out of the trees, blowing into the clearing and heading towards the village. They were spinning with tremendous speed and, while they didn’t reach any higher than Tabitha’s waist, she could see how dangerous they would be for the tiny Grenigots.
“We get things like that where I’m from but not a whole bunch at a time.” she remarked.
Marticus gasped and leaped straight up in the air without any warning. “Merrylynn! I have to reach Merrylynn!”
He turned to run but Bornoden grabbed his arm. “It’s too far and too dangerous to go all the way across the village. The nados are already here. We have to find a safe place and hope for the best for our families.”
Tabitha thought for a moment, then realized she was wearing the perfect hiding spot. “I’m big enough so the nados can’t hurt me. You can hide in my pockets. You should be safe there.”
Tabitha picked up Marticus, Bornoden and Kishinae and placed them in the front pocket of her green dress. The two men poked their heads out just above the fabric so they could still tell what was happening.
Tabitha could see little people of the village being sucked up into the nados and their little cries for help terrified her. She picked up a few more people close by her and she wished there were more she could save. But she couldn’t fit the entire village in her dress pocket and moving any further into the clearing could be just as dangerous.
“This is terrible.” Tabitha said. “I feel just awful. Now I wish I was still at Caitlyn’s birthday party.”
Kishinae poked her head of out of Tabitha’s pocket and looked up at her with a curious expression. “What’s a birthday?”
“It’s the time when you celebrate the day you were born. My birthday is March 7th.”
Marticus searched his brain for a moment while he scratched his head but he didn’t understand. “Hmmm… March. Never heard of it. I don’t think any of us remember when we were born. We don’t really keep track of the days here. So, is that what you were doing all your thinking about? Is that what got you all flustered and made you step on Shamabus’s house?”
Kishinae gasped. “Gosh and golly! You stepped on Uncle Shamabus’s house?” She looked down at the ground and noticed bits of broken twigs and crumpled leaves peaking out from under Tabitha’s feet. “I thought something was missing.”
Bornoden loved a good party. “Why wouldn’t you want to be at a party?”
Tabitha lowered her head a little. “My little sister wanted me to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her.” she answered shyly, embarrassed to admit her petty little problem while such terror was befalling the Grenigot people.
Bornoden still couldn’t make sense of it. “But we sing here all the time.”
“Singing is my favourite thing!” Kishinae exclaimed.
“Yeah, what’s the problem with this ‘Happy Birthday’ song?” Marticus asked. “Does it conjure up some nasty monsters or something? How does it go?”
‘Well, you know.” and Tabitha started to sing. “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear - ”
She stopped suddenly and put her hand in front of her mouth when she heard the sound of her voice, remembering that she had not wanted to sing.
Marticus gazed up at the sky and shouted at Tabitha, “No, don’t stop! Do that again!”
Tabitha shook her head in resistance. “No. I’m not singing.”
“Just do it again and watch the sky.”
Tabitha’s head was swimming again. Should she remain silent? She did promise herself she wouldn’t sing anymore. But she was curious as to what Marticus was talking about. What was he seeing in the sky?
“Well, do it!” Marticus commanded again impatiently, stomping his foot. “Hurry, before more people die!”
“What?” Tabitha thought. “I can’t be responsible for people dying. What is going on?” As much as Tabitha wanted to keep her mouth shut, her compassion and curiosity got the better of her and she started the song again.
Marticus, Bornoden, Kishinae and the other villagers in Tabitha’s pocket stood there with their mouths gaping open. Tabitha was dumbfounded, too. After the second ‘Happy birthday to you’, the nados had already stopped spinning and started moving further towards the trees, away from the village. Tabitha kept singing while the distance between them and the nados got bigger and bigger until they disappeared.
Marticus pointed a finger up at Tabitha. “Your singing. It chased them away.”
She had seen it but she didn’t believe it. “No, it didn’t. How is that possible?”
“I don’t know but your voice is like magic.”
For the longest time, Tabitha had thought her voice was awful and here was Marticus telling her it was somehow magical. How could that be?
“Gosh and golly! You must stay with us forever and protect us from the nados.” Bornoden declared, as though that were a perfectly reasonable solution to their problem.
Now that the threat was gone, Tabitha took the Grenigots out of her pocket and placed them back on the ground.
“But I can’t stay here.” she explained, feeling bad that she had to let them down. “I have my own home outside of the woods.” She pointed in the direction she thought her house would be in, though she wasn’t quite sure anymore. “I should really be getting back there now, as a matter of fact.”
Just then, Marticus picked a leaf off the ground and shaped it into a cone. He faced the large end towards the village and spoke into the small end.
“Attention, villagers!” he called. The sound echoed throughout the clearing, “This girl here has saved us from the nados but now she wants to abandon us. We must make sure she can not leave Grenotia.”
“What?” cried Tabitha, who was starting to get scared. “You have to let me go back.”
The villagers of Grenotia started to come out of their houses, carrying ropes and sticks and whatever they could find. As they moved closer, Tabitha didn’t know what she could do without hurting anyone.
Marticus gave Tabitha a little smile. “We cannot let you go. Our people have been dying for as long as we can remember and, if you can stop it, we will do whatever it takes to keep you here. You’ll have to keep singing so the nados don’t come back.”
The villagers were gathering around. “Alright people,” Marticus ordered, “Tie her up.”
Keep posted for Part 4 and don't forget to download your copy of Tabitha at www.tiffanyprochera.com
Keep posted for Part 4 and don't forget to download your copy of Tabitha at www.tiffanyprochera.com
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