Aja walked down the polished floors of the Riverview Clinic, heading to the children's ward. Peeking in, she saw them all gathered, playing with toys or talking to each other about whatever it was that small children thought of as interesting. She heard the slight squeak of shoes on the floor and glanced over her shoulder at Mary Logan, one of the nurses she'd seen a few times already.
"Coming to tell the children another story?" "I was thinking they've probably settled down from the last time I was here." Aja gave her usual loopy grin making Mary laugh a little. "It took a while. But they've settled." Mary chuckled. "Good. Then it did as meant to. Lifted the wee ones spirits some." "That it did." Mary watched Aja peeking into the room, then look over her shoulder with a broad grin.
"Show time." Aja opened the door wide and held her arms out. "Hey Kids!" she called brightly causing them to look at her and smile. "Aja!" they called making her laugh loudly. "Munchkins!" Aja hurried to the middle of the room, hugging the kids, mindful of the ones that she needed to be careful with. "I've missed ya all so much." "Did you just get back from another adventure?" one asked. "Did you see the pirate again?" another voice asked. "Yes!" She smiled broadly and stood up. "I have come with more adventures ta tell you about." She smiled looking around at the excited faces of the children. "Alright everyone settle in. Grab yer blankies and I shall tell you another tale about the Dread Pirate, Twinkie The Kid" the children gasped and scrambled to their places making a horseshoe on the floor in front of her. Aja tried her best to stifle the smile and become very serious as she started her story.
"It was gray afternoon on the high seas. When out of nowhere came a ship...a great ship..flying the flags of the Dread Pirate Captain Twinkie The Kid." Aja grinned as the children oohed and ahhed as the story began, a twinkle of mischief is seen in her eyes as she continued on with the tale in the most serious of tones. "Twinkie The Kid was a vicious pirate. Ruthless and merciless...He had overtaken a ship run by Captain Cupcake, and killed most of the crew. Keeping Captain Cupcake as a hostage along with his first mate, Zinger Lad." Aja smiled softly at the kids faces, full of wonder and smiles. She knew they didn't have much to be happy about, most of them sick with some ailment or another that kept them here rather than out with the other children running and playing.
Suddenly, she jumped on a chair making them start slightly. She had to fight back the chuckle hard so she could continue on. "I yelled to my men, "Man the guns!" and they scattered! Each man preparing ta do battle with the Dread Pirate Kid's ship." Aja grinned a bit before getting serious again. "The Dread Pirates ship pulled up alongside of us, I yelled "Fire" ...The sounds of cannons filled the air..We were firing snowballs at the Twinkies!" as she got to that part of the story, she pulled the Snowballs she brought for the kids out of her bag and tossed them gently at each of the kids. Cause a story without snacks was just wrong in her mind. The kids started laughing, the sound of the wrappers being opened filled the room for a bit, Aja looked at the kids with a grin then as soon as they were settled down again, she continued on.
"So there we were, firing snowballs at the Twinkie Ship. Bits of pink coconut were flying everywhere, the water between the ships was covered with coconut, as the sky was streaked with pink blurs then." Aja looked around the room, looking at the kids faces seeing them totally enraptured with the story so far. "The Twinkies pulled out the big guns." The kids oohed again she had to fight not to laugh. "That's right kids, the apple pie." The children gasped and she couldn't help it, the grin widened and a chuckled escaped. Aja quickly got serious again and continued.
"Oooh yes. The apple is the most feared weapon...one of my men got nailed with one and was knocked almost overboard. By the grace of Poseidon and a clumsy boson mate saved him. The Boson mate had tripped on his shoelaces, thus fallin in the path of the pied man. Knocking them both to the deck." She paused and smiled. "Which is why you should always make sure your shoes are tied." She gave them a sage nod making them giggle, then she returned to her story.
"Snowballs still flying, the Twinkies made their next move. They boarded our ship. The deck was filled with the evil Twinkie crew.....Yes....the dreaded yellow and white." Aja gave them a visible shudder. "To this day, I shake just a bit when I see that flag." She gave the kids a wink then continued her silly story in the most serious of story voices. "So there I was...in the middle of my ship, the decks full of angry Twinkies, and they were closing in. And the sea below was filled with man.....or actually, in my case, woman hungry sharks!" the kids ooohed at that, making Aja grin just a bit.
"Surrounded as I was....I started to panic. What was I to do' So sword drawn, I cut down two Twinkies to the left, then I jump up on the ship rail...I'm looking around like mad as the Twinkie's close in. Frantically, I search around for a way to get out of this mess, I see a rope hanging there, so I quickly grab the rope and pull a Tarzan over to the stairs up to the stern of the ship." The kids laughed as she pantomimed the Tarzan move for them, she laughed with them, realizing that she must have looked awful silly.
"Now the Twinkies are coming at me from both sides I can see I'm clearly going to be outnumbered. Frantically. I look behind me and see the rope to pull the boom around." She smiled at the kids. "Ah, yes the gods were smiling upon me that day, truly. So I pull it as hard as I can and it knocks all the Twinkies into the water!" the kids cheered and Aja continued with the story.
"Victory!" she raised her arms in the air and did a little dance. "I yelled as the splashing of Twinkies is heard." She paused with grin. "And I took a moment to lick my sword. Twinkie cream is very tasty as you know, but it can raise heck on a good blade." She paused again and looked at them all very seriously. "Incidentally, you can cut your tongue doing that." She waggled a finger at them. "Do not try that ever." The kids laughed at her and she finished up the story.
"Now, all the Twinkies were overboard as my men had gained the upper hand, you see, and the water become a mass of cream, cake and swirling water. Thrashin and screamin. It was anarchy." Aja put a hand to her chest dramatically, looking at the kids. "Seriously heinous man, have you ever seen a Twinkie cry' It's not pretty." The kids laughed at that.
"I couldn't watch all the carnage. It would've been considered gloating." She sniffed a bit haughty and looked at the kids. "And I am not one to be that rude. With the Twinkie's taken care of. I boarded the Twinkie vessel, and ran down to the hold to let out Captain Cupcake and Zinger Lad." She stepped off the chair and smiled at the kids. "And that is how I came to be Knighted as it were by Queen FiFi Cupcake and her husband King Dirk."
She gave a small bow as the story ended, the kids were laughing and applauding. Aja sat down on the chair and looked at the kids. "Now you all be very good and do what the nice nurses tell ya, and I'll come back with another adventure from the high seas. Ok?" "Ok!" the kids yelled, Aja saw the signs of sugar rush setting in and grinned. Now was her time to make the escape. "Till later, my mateys!" "Bye Aja!" "Bye Kids!" she gave a merry wave as she slipped out into the hallway with a bright grin to Mary who was standing there giving her a stern look. "Did you get them all wound up?" "Absolutely!" Aja nodded and chuckled. "See ya next time, Mary!" she called as she walked out of the clinic with a broad smile and headed to the inn.
"Coming to tell the children another story?" "I was thinking they've probably settled down from the last time I was here." Aja gave her usual loopy grin making Mary laugh a little. "It took a while. But they've settled." Mary chuckled. "Good. Then it did as meant to. Lifted the wee ones spirits some." "That it did." Mary watched Aja peeking into the room, then look over her shoulder with a broad grin.
"Show time." Aja opened the door wide and held her arms out. "Hey Kids!" she called brightly causing them to look at her and smile. "Aja!" they called making her laugh loudly. "Munchkins!" Aja hurried to the middle of the room, hugging the kids, mindful of the ones that she needed to be careful with. "I've missed ya all so much." "Did you just get back from another adventure?" one asked. "Did you see the pirate again?" another voice asked. "Yes!" She smiled broadly and stood up. "I have come with more adventures ta tell you about." She smiled looking around at the excited faces of the children. "Alright everyone settle in. Grab yer blankies and I shall tell you another tale about the Dread Pirate, Twinkie The Kid" the children gasped and scrambled to their places making a horseshoe on the floor in front of her. Aja tried her best to stifle the smile and become very serious as she started her story.
"It was gray afternoon on the high seas. When out of nowhere came a ship...a great ship..flying the flags of the Dread Pirate Captain Twinkie The Kid." Aja grinned as the children oohed and ahhed as the story began, a twinkle of mischief is seen in her eyes as she continued on with the tale in the most serious of tones. "Twinkie The Kid was a vicious pirate. Ruthless and merciless...He had overtaken a ship run by Captain Cupcake, and killed most of the crew. Keeping Captain Cupcake as a hostage along with his first mate, Zinger Lad." Aja smiled softly at the kids faces, full of wonder and smiles. She knew they didn't have much to be happy about, most of them sick with some ailment or another that kept them here rather than out with the other children running and playing.
Suddenly, she jumped on a chair making them start slightly. She had to fight back the chuckle hard so she could continue on. "I yelled to my men, "Man the guns!" and they scattered! Each man preparing ta do battle with the Dread Pirate Kid's ship." Aja grinned a bit before getting serious again. "The Dread Pirates ship pulled up alongside of us, I yelled "Fire" ...The sounds of cannons filled the air..We were firing snowballs at the Twinkies!" as she got to that part of the story, she pulled the Snowballs she brought for the kids out of her bag and tossed them gently at each of the kids. Cause a story without snacks was just wrong in her mind. The kids started laughing, the sound of the wrappers being opened filled the room for a bit, Aja looked at the kids with a grin then as soon as they were settled down again, she continued on.
"So there we were, firing snowballs at the Twinkie Ship. Bits of pink coconut were flying everywhere, the water between the ships was covered with coconut, as the sky was streaked with pink blurs then." Aja looked around the room, looking at the kids faces seeing them totally enraptured with the story so far. "The Twinkies pulled out the big guns." The kids oohed again she had to fight not to laugh. "That's right kids, the apple pie." The children gasped and she couldn't help it, the grin widened and a chuckled escaped. Aja quickly got serious again and continued.
"Oooh yes. The apple is the most feared weapon...one of my men got nailed with one and was knocked almost overboard. By the grace of Poseidon and a clumsy boson mate saved him. The Boson mate had tripped on his shoelaces, thus fallin in the path of the pied man. Knocking them both to the deck." She paused and smiled. "Which is why you should always make sure your shoes are tied." She gave them a sage nod making them giggle, then she returned to her story.
"Snowballs still flying, the Twinkies made their next move. They boarded our ship. The deck was filled with the evil Twinkie crew.....Yes....the dreaded yellow and white." Aja gave them a visible shudder. "To this day, I shake just a bit when I see that flag." She gave the kids a wink then continued her silly story in the most serious of story voices. "So there I was...in the middle of my ship, the decks full of angry Twinkies, and they were closing in. And the sea below was filled with man.....or actually, in my case, woman hungry sharks!" the kids ooohed at that, making Aja grin just a bit.
"Surrounded as I was....I started to panic. What was I to do' So sword drawn, I cut down two Twinkies to the left, then I jump up on the ship rail...I'm looking around like mad as the Twinkie's close in. Frantically, I search around for a way to get out of this mess, I see a rope hanging there, so I quickly grab the rope and pull a Tarzan over to the stairs up to the stern of the ship." The kids laughed as she pantomimed the Tarzan move for them, she laughed with them, realizing that she must have looked awful silly.
"Now the Twinkies are coming at me from both sides I can see I'm clearly going to be outnumbered. Frantically. I look behind me and see the rope to pull the boom around." She smiled at the kids. "Ah, yes the gods were smiling upon me that day, truly. So I pull it as hard as I can and it knocks all the Twinkies into the water!" the kids cheered and Aja continued with the story.
"Victory!" she raised her arms in the air and did a little dance. "I yelled as the splashing of Twinkies is heard." She paused with grin. "And I took a moment to lick my sword. Twinkie cream is very tasty as you know, but it can raise heck on a good blade." She paused again and looked at them all very seriously. "Incidentally, you can cut your tongue doing that." She waggled a finger at them. "Do not try that ever." The kids laughed at her and she finished up the story.
"Now, all the Twinkies were overboard as my men had gained the upper hand, you see, and the water become a mass of cream, cake and swirling water. Thrashin and screamin. It was anarchy." Aja put a hand to her chest dramatically, looking at the kids. "Seriously heinous man, have you ever seen a Twinkie cry' It's not pretty." The kids laughed at that.
"I couldn't watch all the carnage. It would've been considered gloating." She sniffed a bit haughty and looked at the kids. "And I am not one to be that rude. With the Twinkie's taken care of. I boarded the Twinkie vessel, and ran down to the hold to let out Captain Cupcake and Zinger Lad." She stepped off the chair and smiled at the kids. "And that is how I came to be Knighted as it were by Queen FiFi Cupcake and her husband King Dirk."
She gave a small bow as the story ended, the kids were laughing and applauding. Aja sat down on the chair and looked at the kids. "Now you all be very good and do what the nice nurses tell ya, and I'll come back with another adventure from the high seas. Ok?" "Ok!" the kids yelled, Aja saw the signs of sugar rush setting in and grinned. Now was her time to make the escape. "Till later, my mateys!" "Bye Aja!" "Bye Kids!" she gave a merry wave as she slipped out into the hallway with a bright grin to Mary who was standing there giving her a stern look. "Did you get them all wound up?" "Absolutely!" Aja nodded and chuckled. "See ya next time, Mary!" she called as she walked out of the clinic with a broad smile and headed to the inn.