“I’m gonna get you!” the tickle monster cried.
I squealed and dove behind a bookshelf.
“I’m gonna get you!” the monster cried again.
“Oh no! Not the tickle monster!” I giggled. “Help! HELP!”
“I’m gonna get you!” was the only response.
I jumped from behind the furniture and started running again.
“I’m gonna get you!” the tickle monster cried again.
“NEVER!” I yelled, laughing. I ran out to the garden.
“I’m gonna get you!”
Mythical Monsters and Other Crazy Creatures… no, that said there is no such thing as tickle monsters… maybe Silly Stories and Magical Myths… no, that said there is no such thing as a tickle monster…
“I’m gonna get you,” a voice breathed into my ear. I screamed.
But there’s one right behind me! I ran as fast as I could.
“HELP! THE TICKLE MONSTER WANTS TO EAT ME!!!” I yelled.
“You mean tickle you,” Shining Armor said.
“Okay, Shining! HELP! THE TICKLE MONSTER WANTS TO TICKLE ME!!!”
The tickle monster returned and kept following me. I dove into my room, and shut and locked the door.
“LET ME IN!” the tickle monster cried. “LET ME IN!”
“Not today!” I cried. I grabbed as many books as I could and started to build.
“LET ME IN!”
“Nope!” I stacked the last book.
“LET ME IN!”
“You could always just telepo-” I covered my mouth. That was almost as dumb as the tickle monster was being!
I summoned a notebook, so I could take notes on the tickle monster.
Tickle monsters aren’t so bri-
A flash of light! The monster had found me! I grabbed Professor Smarty Pants and we started throwing our paper cannon balls.
The tickle monster dove out of the way! Professor Smarty Pants kept throwing as I recorded my findings. Tickle monsters are fast.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A cannon ball hit him! He crumbled to the ground.
“NOO! YOU’VE HIT ME!!!” he cried. “NO MORE TICKLING FOR ME!!!” He reached into our fort. I jumped out of the way.
“Not so fast, Mr. Tickle Monster!”
The tickle monster stood up and started to unleash his mightiest weapon- the tickle.
He started tickling the fort! But books aren’t ticklish. Nothing happened.
“I’m gonna get you!” the tickle monster called. I threw a paper cannon ball.
“Nope, you’re not gonna get me!” I giggled.
The monster dove and tried to tickle me! I had some emergency weapons, but I didn’t want them to get destroyed.
“HELP!!! HELP ME!!!” I screamed. The monster stood there, looking confused, and I took the chance to throw… a book.
“Ow! Owowowowowowowo! OW!” The monster cried, holding his chest where I’d hit him. “TWILY!”
“You’re not getting my today, tickle monster!” I called.
“Twilight? Shining? What’s the matter?” I heard a voice from the hallway. I stared at the tickle monster. Uh oh.
“Nothing’s wrong, Mommy!” I cried quickly. “Shining’s totally not a tickle monster out to get me, and I totally didn’t just hit him with a book!”
Shining slapped his head.
Daddy peeked his head through the doorway. “Tickle monsters, eh?” he asked. “Never fear, Superdaddy’s here!” He looked at my fort. “Nice book-fort, Twily. Just remember to help me clean up when we’re done.”
“Okay, Daddy!” I cried gleefully.
Meanwhile, Mommy raced over to Shining Armor. “Shining dear, are you okay?” She checked the bruise from the book hitting him.
“I’m fine, Mom,” he told her. “Or I will be once I get my revenge on the PRINCESS OF BOOKS!” I giggled as Daddy and I dove into the fort. Mommy and the tickle monster charged.
Then Mommy stood there for a second. A grin crept up her face. “Pillow fight!” Everyone raised a pillow.
“CHARGE!!!” I charged at the tickle monster. Daddy charged at Mommy. We all threw our pillows!
Mommy and Daddy’s pillows collided, causing them to push them onto the floor. Mine and the tickle monster’s went past each other… and past us! We circled each other. I picked up all four pillows carefully and jumped back into the fort. Daddy got up and followed me.
“Okay, here’s the plan,” he whispered. “We lure them into our fort, and then we block the entrance, and hit them with pillows!”
“Great idea!” I smiled. “Uh! Uh!” I tried to levitate the pillows. Oh well, at least I could do one.
“We’re in here!” Daddy called, pillows at the ready. I jumped out from behind Mommy and the tickle monster, and started chasing them with my (one) pillow.
“I’ve got you now!” I called as I trapped them in the fort. “FIRE!!!” The pillows hit them straight in the face. BOOM BOOM BOOM.
“Twily!” the tickle monster laughed.
“Sorry Mr. Tickle Monster, you won’t be tickling me today!” Daddy and I hoof-bumped. “You’re trapped!”
Mommy sighed. “At least we’re trapped someplace where there’s something to do!” She picked up a book. But the grin never left her face.
“Bye.” She teleported away.
“No fair!” I whined. “I can’t teleport!”
Daddy looked at me sympathetically. By that time the tickle monster was gone, too.
“But at least we’ve got one thing they don’t!” he whispered. “Pillows!” We grinned at each other and started to search the house.
“Mr. Tickle Monster,” I called softly. “Mr. Tickle Monster!”
I heard a laugh from behind a bookshelf. I glared at the shelf.
“Naughty bookshelf!” I cried. “Don’t hide the tickle monster from me!” I tried to levitate it, but it didn’t work. “Too big,” I sighed. “Oh well.”
I snuck behind the shelf to meet the tickle monster, armed with pillows.
“Come on out and I won’t hurt you!” I cried. “He’s here, Daddy!”
Daddy came running, dragging Mommy with his magic.
“Come on,” she moaned. “Please let me go?”
“No,” he said. I laughed.
The tickle monster wiggled free from behind the bookcase. I threw pillows at him.
“We win!” I cried.
The tickle monster grinned. “Not quite,” he said.
He started tickling.
“No!” I giggled. “Stop! STOP! Please!” I couldn’t stop laughing.
He tickled some more.
“No!” I cried again. “No!”
Shining finally stopped. His hoof slipped into mine, handing me something.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Twily,” he said.
I looked at what he had handed me. It was a photo of us together.
“Thank you!” I exclaimed. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Shining Armor!” Shining Armor, Daddy, Mommy, and I all sat together for a little while. Tickle monster or no tickle monster, it was the best Hearth’s Warming ever.