Sophia sat up, instantly alert. She didn't know exactly what time it was, but it was definitely past her bedtime.
She had come to realise that there was never enough time in the day to play with all her toys. So, at night, she had come to gather all her toys and a torch, and played under the covers.
The extremely handsome knight was just about to beat Spike The Dragon, and save the Princess, when she heard the knock at the door.
“Quick! Hide!” Sophia whispered urgently as if the toys had a choice.
She swept all the toys off her bed and onto the floor beside her before watching the heroes plummet to their doom. Oh well, she was sure they'd win next time.
Sophia threw the covers back over her and rolled onto her side whilst closing her eyes. She was very good at faking sleep: Mummy never suspected a thing.
But Mummy never came.
A few minutes passed before Sophia again opened her eyes. The door was still shut; the room was still pitch-black.
Still, Sophia wondered who had knocked on her door and not opened it. Maybe she had imagined it? Maybe it was Big Brother? He was always playing tricks on her. Like that time when he threw her dragon in the...
Sophia stopped herself and shuddered. That was definitely not something she wanted to relive.
She turned back over and shut her eyes again. The Princess could wait until the morning.
*knock knock*
Sophia sat up again, this time sure of the knock on her door. She looked towards the door of her room and expected it to open.
“Come in,” Sophia tempted. She could just say that the first knock woke her up, as an excuse for being awake.
The door moved slightly but Sophia didn't notice at first: she was looking at the wrong one.
But out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the door of her closet had opened a bit.
Sophia was puzzled: It wasn't windy today, and even so, the windows were shut. So why had the door opened?
“Are you in there Tom? Mum won't be pleased if you are,” she called.
The closet answered only with a slight creak as the door swung open a little off its hinge.
Sophia stared straight ahead and, through the small gap, she saw... nothing. The closet was as black as can be.
“Is anyone in there?” she asked again. She was feeling a little uneasy now.
A tiny breeze delicately drifted from the door, catching Sophia's skin and making her shiver. She shook it off and kept her eyes fixed on the closet.
A small hissing sounded and Sophia raised the duvet over her so only her eyes could see. She even positioned her long, brown hair over her face so she could just peek through – a cunning and deceptive hiding technique.
A little smoke seeped from the opening and she saw something move in the dark. In a flash, the door flung open and Sophia's gaze was met by faint, glowing, green eyes.
She recoiled as the eyes moved from the closet towards her, pushing herself back against the wall, trying to make the distance between them as big as possible.
Some parts of the creature were also slightly visible in the dark, and Sophia could make out bug-like wings and a twisted thing protruding from the head of whatever it was.
As it bore down on her, she opened her mouth, ready to scream and summon her mother, when it stopped at the edge of her bed. It slowly turned around in disbelief, and stared back the way it came.
It then paused, and weighed up its options.
I leave the Hive for one minute, and this happens?
Finally, with a sigh of annoyance, it traipsed back to the open door of the closet.
Sophia caught glimpse of the swaying tail in the dark as the creature disappeared from sight to confront whatever was back there. The door slowly shut itself behind the dark figure.
Sophia paused. She waited for a moment or so. Then she screamed.
With the paralysing terror gone, she dashed from her bed and yanked open the door to her room. She had no idea what that had been, but she knew someone who would be able to help.
“Mum!” Sophia yelled as she raced down the hall to her mother's room.
She burst in and started poking her mum awake, urging her to come back with her.
Sophia led her dreary-eyed mother back to her room and positioned her right in front of the seemingly innocent closest.
“Mum! There's a big thing in my closet!”
Mum looked a bit bored but tried her best to appear interested. “Are you sure, darling? What did it look like?”
“I'm not sure. It was big, and black, but mostly big. It was too dark too see properly, but it looked like a big bug,” Sophia said.
Mum, wanting to return to her sleep, flung open the door, much to Sophia's dismay: “Don't go in there! It'll eat you!”
Mum ignored her and scoured the almost-empty insides. There were a few clothes but, looking further around, not much else.
“Ah,” Mum said, reaching for something, “found it.” She brought out a small, spindly spider and presented it in the palm of her hand to Sophia.
Sophia was not amused. “That's not it Mum.”
But her mother didn't hear her, being half-asleep. She closed the door, took the spider with her, and left the bedroom. Sophia heard her footsteps getting gradually quieter as she made her way back to her room.
Sophia knew there was no point in arguing with Mum when she was tired. She walked back over to her bed and sat down, neglecting the light that was still on. She didn't feel that safe in the dark anymore.
Maybe it was just a dream? Maybe, but it was a dream that she did not want repeated.
Eventually deciding to switch off the light, Sophia got back into her bed, and cuddled up safely with her toys.
They'd keep her safe for sure.
With her favourite friends by her side, she again closed her eyes.
*knock knock*
She bolted upright again and started quivering, scared to the bone.
Sophia watched again, terrified, as the door gradually opened.
The same green eyes reappeared and Sophia shrunk in fear as they advanced on her. Her nightmares were nothing like this.
It was then that she became aware that her hand was rested on her toy dragon, Spike. She clutched him tightly and spoke out of the corner of her mouth:
“Please Mister Spike, I know we've had our differences, but I really need your help.”
The creature stopped again, noticing the words slip out of the girl's mouth.
It laughed with a wicked cackle.
But Sophia didn't laugh. She heard Spike's words loud and clear in her head.
It's okay, Sophia. I kind of like the amount of power you give me in playtime, considering I'm actually a bit on the small side.
“Help,” Sophia again whispered.
Don't let her scare you. Don't let her boss you around. You be the one who takes control!
With Spike's words strong in her head, she reached for the torch on her bedside. He's right. This meanie just busted some good old playtime and now thinks she can further boss me around? No way!
The monster laughed again. It was enjoying the moment and knew that soon it would be enjoying the taste of her love.
“Hey, you!”
The monster stopped laughing and stared, perplexed, at the outburst.
“Yeah you, Mister Bug! Who do you think you are?” yelled the girl, switching on the torch and directing it at the creature's face.
It flinched, stunned by both the intensity of the light, and the intensity of the shouting.
Now fully exposed in the light, it looked a little bit silly with its long, flowing, blue hair. It looked a bit like a bug-unicorn with wings – what a silly combination! The colours were blocky, bright and rather childish; certainly not the stuff of nightmares. Now in the glare of the torch, it seemed just like any old helpless insect caught in a net.
“I'm not male,” the creature hissed, visibly angered. “And I'm no common bug!” It bared its fangs and snarled.
But Sophia was now in no mood to be intimidated by the stupid talking insect. With her fearsome dragon by her side, and torch in her hand, she felt confident.
“But you look silly! You look like something I would find in my garden at night!” Sophia waved the torch at parts of the creature with contempt.
“Then that is no common garden. I am a Changeling! The greatest thing you've ever seen!”
But the girl wasn't impressed. Neither was Spike.
Has she seen my fire breath?
“If she had seen it, then she wouldn't be here anymore.” Sophia grinned. She then turned back to this 'changeling'.
“Are you kidding? You're not even in my top hundred!” Sophia laughed, albeit still with a hint of nervousness. “You're probably just ahead of snails. And that's generous.”
Things weren't going according to plan for the changeling. She was a Queen! She had expected to come in here, gain a few screams for good measure, then harvest all that love.
Well then, it was time for things to get nasty.
“A snail? I am the changeling Queen, Chrysalis! Your snail doesn't even get a look in. Can it change to whatever form it pleases? Because I most certainly can!”
In accordance with that, Chrysalis lowered her head, ready to begin a transformation.
Sophia's confidence began to quickly dissipate as green flames started to surge over the creature's skin. However, they then died down as quickly as they had come.
“Sophia is that you again?” a voice called.
Chrysalis again weighed up her options. She didn't want to bring others into this – she didn't know to what extent how powerful these creatures were. Especially in numbers.
“This isn't over. I'll be back next night and you'll see how powerful a changeling really is!” Chrysalis began to cackle again as she retreated back to the closet.
Sophia just stuck out her tongue. “Spike and I don't want you,” she taunted in a hushed voice when the door finally shut.
The other door opened and a hand reached for the light.
“Who were you talking to?” asked Mum.
“Umm,” Sophia struggled for a response. “Spike The Dragon of course!” she brandished her dragon in front of her.
Spike looked at Mum blankly (as he always did) but Mum knew that Spike was serious business.
“Okay, darling. Just get some sleep now, okay?”
“Sure thing, Mum!” Sophia called as Mum left, turning off the light again.
“Well Mum did some good for once. Although, I'm pretty sure we had things covered. Thanks for sticking up for me, Spike.”
It's okay. It's the least I could do.
“But I make the other toys beat you every night!”
I get free accommodation though so it's cool. Now if you'll excuse me, I need some shut-eye. I'm pretty tired.
Sophia had only learnt that word “accommodation” yesterday – Spike loved to show off his vocabulary.
“But Spike, how can you be tired? You've never moved in your life you lazy dragon!”
But Spike was already asleep. He was such a good sleeper and, surprisingly for a dragon, didn't snore.
“Goodnight, Spike.” Sophia kissed his light purple felt and placed him on the pillow. She was sure he'd protect her that night if that changeling-thingy returned.
Rest assured, if it returned again next night and ruined playtime, she and Spike would take serious action.
And if Mum decided to ruin playtime like she so often did?
She'd face Spike's wrath too. Sophia was definitely not going to miss out on another night.
“Good to know, princess,” Dad said from behind his newspaper. Big Brother snorted into his cereal, causing the milk to splash up onto his face.
“It's not funny. I bet you don't even know what a changeling is.”
Big Brother Tom paused for a moment. He searched the inside of his head but found, surprisingly, very little. He looked back down at the cereal, hoping for an answer or inspiration of some sort.
“Of course I do,” he lied. “I bet you don't though!”
“Well, it's a thingy that does things. Things that change. Or it changes things. Yeah, that's it,” Sophia explained the best she could.
Big Brother hadn't thought of that. He made a quick mental note but it was likely that it would soon be forgotten.
“Do you know what a changeling is, Mum?” Mum had kept very quiet, still tired from last night. The lazy levels around this house were quite staggering Sophia had noticed.
“Hmm? Oh, I'm not sure I do, darling.”
“Well how would you suggest fighting a huge bug-thing? Or any bugs really.”
“Guns. Lots of guns.” Tom popped up from his breakfast again. “Plasma rifles, rocket launchers and a lightsaber if you have one of those lying around.” He then leaned in and whispered: “I do.”
Sophia ignored him as she so often did.
“Well, there's some stuff in the shed but I wouldn't suggest using them on your toys,” Mum said.
Toys? Oh come on, Mum.
“Oh it's okay, I'm sure they won't mind. I'll fix them up if things go wrong,” Sophia reassured, still in disbelief at Mum's comment.
Really? Was a huge bug in her closet that hard a thing to believe?
***
“Night, princess. No playing with your toys now; go get some rest.”
Mum closed the door.
Right then.
Sophia leaned over and looked at the things she'd stashed under the bed. She hadn't gone too excessive just yet. She didn't want to kill the poor thing – just keep it away from playtime!
So the chainsaw and lawnmower had been left safely back in the shed.
The insecticide, however? That was most certainly on the menu tonight. She held the dastardly can in her hand and rotated it slowly, looking at the labels.
Oh yes. Oh yes indeed.
Sophia wasn't too sure how well it held up against changelings (or whatever that thing was), but it did just fine on those pesky ants.
It didn't matter: whatever happened, Spike would be there to protect her. Oh and screaming for Mum as a last resort. There was just no way that this queen bug was gonna win!
She was holding all the cards! Well, at least she was when she played card games with Spike. His claws were so weak that she had to hold his cards too, as well as her own.
Sophia brought out another can of the stuff and gave one to Spike to double their fire-power.
“Okay, Spike. I want you to fire on sight. Show her no sympathy. Got that?”
This is Comrade Spike and I hear you loud and clear.
“Good thinking, Spike,” Sophia said, reaching for some sunglasses for him to wear as well as a cap. “Now you look the part, too.”
*knock knock*
“She's pretty polite now I think about it,” Sophia whispered to Spike. “Knocking and all.” She then raised her can and aimed at the door.
A low-pitched laugh emanated from the closet's insides. It grew progressively louder, and less muffled, until it was a harsh, ear-piercing, cackle.
“Well now child, it's time to face your fears!” Chrysalis screeched.
She emerged fully from the closet, still in her changeling form, before stopping, and surveying her surroundings. The bedside lamp was on, allowing her to the see the child in plain sight.
She was holding something and was perched happily at the furthest end of the bed.
“Is this the best swarm you could assemble? I had expected something a little more–” she paused, having trouble finding the appropriate words “– well a little more, in fact. You do realise I was the one who breached Canterlot of all places. Your defences are nothing!”
But Sophia wasn't fazed. She sprung upwards from the bed, landing on her two feet and holding the can outstretched in front of her.
“Spike, FIRE!” she yelled. Pulling the trigger, she waved the can around wildly, directing the spray at the insect-thing's face.
Queen Chrysalis watched on as the compressed gas didn't even make it to her. The particles fizzled out well before they could even reach her; she found herself laughing again, almost completely hidden by the spray. She even faked a few screeches of pain and jerking movements for fun.
Sophia's own battle cries drowned out the laughter and she was ignorant to the fact that the insecticide hadn't made an impact.
When the can was completely empty, she waited for the air to become clear again, and admired her work.
Nothing.
Oh.
Well that didn't work, Spike chipped in from beside her.
“I guess I should have got the extreme version,” Sophia said as she saw the spray disappear some way off from the still-laughing bug-monster.
“My turn.”
Chrysalis reared her head and aimed the black, twisted horn in Sophia's direction. It began to glow green as it drew energy from the changeling.
“Quick, Spike. Think of something!” Sophia looked desperately at her trusted dragon who was still lazily reclining on the pillow, can in claw.
Yeah, this is too heavy for me to lift.
“Oh Spike, you're a genius!” Sophia exclaimed as she thought up a plan.
She reached for the can and in one swift motion, hurled it at the changeling's head.
Sophia had only intended to stun it, or even give it a bruise at the most. But the can struck the creature directly on the lowered horn and was impaled on it.
With the can punctured, the high-pressurised gas inside was instantly released. Energised by the magic built up on the gangly horn, it exploded violently.
The contents sprayed in the shocked queen's face and she reeled back as the toxic substance came into contact with her skins and eyes. The metal casing had vanished too: disintegrated completely via the energy from the magic horn.
Sophia thought she'd throw the empty can at her too for good measure. It hit her square in the jaw and she yowled in pain, struggling to cope with all this damage at once in numerous places.
It felt like acid on her skin, and her eyes started to go red and puffy.
Sophia looked on at the mass destruction, now safely from the covers of her comfy bed.
“You little brat! Insolent creature!” Chrysalis yelled between splutters as some of it got into her mouth.
“Ssh, you'll wake up Mum!” Sophia shouted in disgust. She then put a hand by her mouth and whispered: “She has loads more of that stuff.”
That did it for Chrysalis.
Staggering back to the door, she gave more empty threats and curses to the little girl. She decided that when she returned to the hive, she'd probably kill off a few changelings to vent her rage. Then perhaps weaponise whatever had exploded in her face to use on hapless ponies.
“I'll admit, you won this round. Saviour this victory, for it will be your last.” Chrysalis gave one last laugh before she shut the door, it trailing off into more splutters.
“Yes! Playtime's back!” Sophia gave Spike a tight hug and began dancing up and down along on the bed in glee.
Spike was perhaps a little more restrained in his victory dance. But Sophia knew that behind his stoic expression he was near-exploding with excitement.
“Oh no you don't Spike, I'm still rescuing that princess from you!”
She grabbed her torch and toys and went under the covers.
“Right, now where were we? Ah, yes. Take this you foul be-”
The covers were suddenly torn off and Sophia and Spike looked upwards in shock.
“Enough is enough – some of us are trying to sleep! Give me the toys now. Oh and open the window! What did you spray in here?”
Sophia scowled.
Of all the nights she had to pick this one. Of all the nights!
“Sophia, what were you doing last night?” Mum asked, looking across the table.
“I was sleeping, Mum,” Sophia replied, giving the sweetest grin.
“You know that's not what I meant,” Mum said, folding her arms.
“Okay... I was talking to Spike about... politics.”
“Oh, really? Please tell me how that involves spraying insecticide all over your room.” Mum's arms were still folded firmly.
“There was another spider in my room and Spike suggested spraying it instead of waking you up again,” Sophia said, trying on the cute face.
Mum shrugged the cute face off, refusing to believe the tale. “So you're telling me that you used one whole can, on one little spider?”
“Two cans actually.”
Mum shot Sophia a severe look. “Okay, it was that changeling-thing-a-ling again in my closet!”
“Oh, enough of this changeling talk! I looked up the creature yesterday out of curiosity, and such a thing can't possibly exist! I'm afraid you've imagined it, dear,” Mum said, giving her definitive opinion.
“I didn't imagine it! I sprayed it with that stuff and made it go away back into the closet; I know it will be back though!”
“I'm telling you, use a gun next time.” Tom made his daily unwanted appearance in Sophia's life.
“Be quiet, Tom,” Mum said before turning back to her daughter. “Sophia, darling, it's not real. You must have been sleep-walking or something and sprayed what you thought was that silly creature.”
“But ask Spike. He saw it too–”
“I don't want to hear anymore of this. You get some sleep tonight and don't mess around with those dangerous substances again.”
“But–”
“Sophia, I'm trying to read here,” Dad chimed in, looking up from his newspaper for a second, before burying himself back between the pages.
Big Brother Tom stuck out his tongue. Unfortunately, he still had some cereal in his mouth, and milk-covered cheerios spilled out of it and all over the table.
While Mum was scolding Tom, and telling him to go get a cloth, Sophia sat back in her chair. She was not happy and made no attempt to hide it.
Surely Spike was the most credible witness of all? They had some nerve rejecting him like that...
***
“Goodnight again, Sophia. Don't let me catching you playing with your toys again or spraying imaginary creatures. I'm trusting you...”
The door shut slowly, concluding eventually with a click.
No, Mum. Just no.
Sophia jumped out of bed and looked through the armoury again beneath her.
She brought out an old slingshot she had found collecting dust in the shed.
Now you're playing with power! But what about ammo? Spike was very much excited by the weapon.
“Ammo?” Sophia asked incredulously.
A big bag of marbles was brought up and placed on the table beside her.
But there's only one slingshot. And you know I can't hold marbles well.
“You can't hold anything well, Spike. I'm afraid you'll just have to be here for support.”
Yeah, frankly I'm just happy to be here today. Thanks for saving me from Mum by the way.
“Don't worry about it! Where would I be without my number one toy?”
*knock knock*
Show time.
“Spike pass me the slingshot,” Sophia whispered with her eyes fixed on the closet. She blinked a few times before turning to Spike, who was reclining on the pillow. Whilst mumbling something about laziness, Sophia reached for the slingshot herself. She grabbed a marble and loaded the pouch before aiming the weapon at the door.
This time there's no holding back. No stupid talking with the bad guy like they seem to do in every silly movie Dad makes me watch.
The door gently opened with a creak and green light surged from the closet.
“Now prepare to meet your end! After what you did to me, I won't bother to feed off your love. Vengeance will be mine!” Chrysalis screeched, still hiding in the closet. Laughing wildly, she finally let her head around the corner of the door.
“This is the part where I kill you,” Chrysalis said gently. “Muhahahah–”
She stopped abruptly as something small and hard hit her on the nose. “What is this?”
Sophia answered the queen by grabbing a handful of marbles and firing them all at once. The volley of balls flew across the room and again found their target: Chrysalis' face.
“What are you doing?! Stop!” Chrysalis cried between face-fulls of marbles.
But Sophia didn't stop. She felt bad but knew that such drastic actions were necessary to rescue playtime. She started to grow mad with power, laughing hysterically as the changeling queen suffered at the hand of marbles. It didn't help that Spike was egging her on from behind:
Oh! Hit the horn! Hit the horn!
Chrysalis writhed in discomfort more than pain. She was unable to cry out, as such a thing might mean a marble flying in her mouth. However, the occasional marble did hit her in the eye, and she found herself shutting them tightly, willing it stop as she retreated back into the closet.
Thankfully, the bag of marbles was almost depleted. But that didn't matter when the bedroom door suddenly flew open.
Sophia stopped firing and gave her marble-collecting arm a rest – it had been moving in such a rhythm that she had to grasp it with her other hand to hold it still.
“Young girl! What do you thing you are doing?!”
“Mum! Mum! Look!” Sophia pointed at the closet door.
“Yes, I can see! Marbles everywhere! Explain yourself!”
“She was there again! The changeling! She's still in the closet; you can go take a look if you don't believe me.”
Mum glanced a look at the open door of the closet only to see nothing there.
“She's inside, Mum.”
Mum walked over to the door and looked inside – but only to put these silly claims to bed once and for all.
“You see? Nothing here! Come over if you don't believe me.”
Sophia walked over and peered inside, half-expecting to see the changeling huddled up in a corner. She checked the front of the closet; she checked the back of the closest. She even checked the top to see if it was hanging upside down.
Nothing.
“Umm, I'm sure she was there,” Sophia muttered.
“You know what I'm sure of? I'm sure you're hallucinating because you don't get enough sleep, and perhaps things get a bit out of hand when you're playing with your toys.”
“I'm sure that's not it, Mum.”
“I know it is, darling. Just hand them over, and everything else you brought up here, like this slingshot.” Mum picked up the thing from the bed and turned it over in her hands.
Sophia knew that Mum wasn't kidding around so she fetched all her toys and handed them over. She then gestured at under her bed, indicating where she had stored everything else.
Mum rummaged through the things and it took several trips between rooms before everything had been taken and put safely away.
“Why is there a knife here?” Mum asked, brandishing the object in question.
“I thought it might help,” Sophia mumbled, looking down at the floor.
“This thing is very dangerous. Don't take it from the kitchen again and go get some proper sleep now. I know you want to play but this is for your own good. You can play in the morning.”
Mum left the room before her daughter had time to argue any further.
Sophia plodded back to her bed and lay down in disgust. She reached for her dragon–ready to moan about how mean Mum could be–but instead found empty space. She scowled some more.
*knock knock*
“You didn't think those petty objects would destroy me, did you?” a familiar voice hissed with a hint of menace.
Sophia shivered with fear and looked up nervously at the closet.
No! No! No! How could she still be here?
Sophia had nothing to defend herself with. No Spike, no torch, and certainly no knife.
In those terrified seconds, Sophia conjured up her courage, and made a decision.
She got out of bed and tiptoed over to the closet, careful not to wake her mum up. She knelt down by the door, holding it gently shut with one hand, and whispered between the gap:
“Hi, Chrysalis.”
There was a pause.
“Queen Chrysalis. And you pronounced it wrong.”
“Can you leave me alone for this night?” Sophia asked in the cutest possible fashion.
“No.” The response was blunt.
“But my mum took everything I had!” Sophia wailed.
“Not my problem.”
“It will be when I scream and she comes and uses them all on you.”
“Now that would be a cowardly thing to do. Accept defeat. Play fair.”
“I always play fair! Ask Spike! You're not playing fair!” Sophia babbled, unsettled by the absurdity of the accusation. “Let me make things fair.”
“And how would you do that?” Chrysalis inquired.
“Just give me five minutes to do... something.”
“To do what, exactly?”
“I don't know! Something!”
There was a pause.
“Chrysalis?”
“Four forty-nine, four forty-eight, four forty-seven...”
Sophia moved away from the closet and looked desperately around.
What do I do? There's nothing here! If I go outside then Mum will catch me and send me back to bed!
Sophia charged around the room, overturning everything in search for something. Anything.
After a fruitless search through the mountain of dirty clothes she couldn't be bothered to wash, Sophia sat down in a heap.
She simply had nothing to use against the creature in closet. Well, there was the pillow but it was brand new, and she didn't want to add it to the wash pile that would never be attended to.
If she couldn't defend herself in this room, then she'd just have to look elsewhere. Forget “playing fair” – Mum most certainly wasn't.
Sophia creeped towards the door, glancing back at the closet as she moved. She opened it slowly and went outside into the hall, before letting her eyes become accustomed to the light as she looked around for a solution.
There were a few options. Sophia crossed off the creaky staircase, as it would wake Mum up, and Mum's room itself. Getting caught by Mum after what had already happened would not be good.
Sophia briefly pondered who she would rather be caught by – Mum or Chrysalis. The answer was not fully clear.
There was another door in her sights; a door that she swore she would never open and venture inside. But these were desperate times and she would still rather face off the changeling than be a coward.
Sophia tiptoed over to her brother's room, cautiously noting that the light was on, and went inside.
Yuck.
Clothes. Clothes everywhere.
Where as Sophia's slightly-used wears had formed a structured pile, these filthy garments were plastered all over the floor. An inch of free space was practically a godsend and the walls were no different.
The pink wallpaper that Tom had thrown a fit about had been hastily covered up with various posters – mostly depicting video games or violence; sometimes both at the same time. Worst of all was the incessant snoring that her brother seemed intent on doing. He also slept with the light on making it difficult for her as she had to tread lightly in case of waking him up.
It was almost as if her big brother's sole purpose in life was to annoy/prohibit her.
Sophia pondered whether to turn back empty-handed; she also considered hiding in this room as it would do well to protect her. However, something had caught her eye; something embedded in a particular pile of clothes and barely visible: a water gun.
Yes.
Sophia held her nose before plunging into the thick of the mess. She soon learnt that keeping your balance, whilst using a hand to pinch your nose, is very, very hard. A few times she toppled and had to use a hand to prevent herself from being completely assimilated by the abyss. She would definitely be washing her hands thoroughly after the night was over.
At last, she reached the pile of clothes in which the gun was buried. Like King Arthur, she tightly gripped the handle with a hand and pulled sharply, extracting the weapon from the debris. She felt the weight shift and heard a small slosh – indicating that there was already water inside.
However, a few things had toppled down as Sophia had removed the gun, causing Big Brother Tom to stir; Sophia froze perfectly still, and looked over at him.
A globule of slobber began to form at the edge of his mouth, gradually growing in size. Sophia didn't wait to see what happened.
As quickly as she could manage, she manoeuvred back through the sea of rubbish and left the room. Tom gave a particularly loud snort as she left, causing her body to shiver in disgust. Sophia dashed down the hall and back into her room, hoping that her time wasn't up.
“Err...Chrysalis? Are you in there?” Sophia asked nervously, pointing the gun unsteadily at the closet door.
Silence.
“Umm...” Sophia said uneasily.
“Sorry about that. Had some unwarranted business to attend to back in the Hive. Just a bit of torture that was overdue. Is your time up?” a voice spoke calmly.
“Umm...” Sophia said, now slightly creeped out.
“Five minutes or not, here I come!” Chrysalis returned to her usual self, cackling sharply.
Sophia looked at the clock. “Umm... it's actually been six minutes.”
“Oh.” She paused. “I guess your torture is overdue too.”
The door suddenly flung open with the familiar green glow emanating from between the cracks. The changeling queen came out in full force and reared her ugly head but Sophia was ready for her.
With the fiercest battle cry she pulled the trigger and let forth the full wrath of Poseidon.
The jet of water struck Chrysalis right in the eye and she cursed in discomfort. She clamped her eyelids tightly shut but Sophia did not let up on the assault, and pumped the gun, increasing the pressure inside.
With her eyes closed, and therefore her vision blinded, Sophia seized the opportunity to move in closer for the kill, and poked the nozzle directly up the nostril of the changeling.
She fired, causing Chrysalis to cough and splutter as as struggled to breathe. Using all she could muster from her energy reserves, the changeling powered up the magic horn. But Sophia saw the green glow coating it and proceeded to dowse it in more water, causing the light to flicker out like a flame being extinguished.
The queen realised that this was another battle lost and retreated back into the closet, still bracing herself as the water did not let up. She would certainly plan ahead for the next skirmish, and she would definitely not lose.
Concocting a truly evil plan in her mind, Chrysalis disappeared back into the bowels of the closet, causing the door to slam shut.
Sophia looked at the damage.
There was water everywhere and the clothes pile was no exception. Sophia knew that she would receive quite a telling off from her mother but it was worth it. She checked the gun and saw with great relief that the water supply had almost been depleted. She was very lucky that Chrysalis had no idea that a water gun's ammo was limited. To think what would have happened if she had stayed a few seconds longer...
But Sophia did not want to dwell on that. She hid the gun away and tried her best to settle down in bed with her damp pyjamas. Guess they would be added to ever-growing clothes pile after all.
This was becoming a bit ridiculous now. That changeling just wouldn't leave her alone and she had lost count of the nights she had been told off by Mum, and that playtime hadn't occurred.
Enough was enough.
If Chrysalis wasn't going to take the hint that nobody likes/wants/needs her, then Sophia was going to show her the hard away.
With a devilish grin, she planned out the things she would need the next day.
