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- Herausgeber: Books on Demand
- Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
- Sprache: Englisch
How is a child supposed to get the attention of his parents if they only spend their time with digital media? Little Lily-Rose has exactly this problem. On top of that, a monster has taken up residence in her wardrobe. And no one believes her. In her desperate situation, the girl gets unusual help. The three dogs of the house make a great sacrifice to support Lily-Rose. Because they also have a big secret, which they can only share with the little girl.
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Seitenzahl: 129
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Lily-Rose
the monster in the wardrobe
Novelle
Holger Effnert
Erstausgabe im Juni 2023
als Orange Cursor-eBook
Alle Rechte bei Verlag/Verleger
Copyright © 2023
Holger Effnert
33330 Gütersloh
Eibenweg / 14
Inhalt
Lily-Rose
Foreword
Intro
I am also important
Who is watching me?
The dog secret
The first night
The day after
The monster is loose in the kindergarten
Help from the dogs
I don't want to go to bed yet
Dad, why don't you listen to me?
The second night
Call in Germany
In search of the monster
And what happens now
Lily-Rose
Foreword
The little Lily Rose really exists. A bright girl who has as many facets as a rose leaves.
The three bulldogs, Faye, Taz and Beau also really exist and were Lily-Rose’s companions for a long time.
The parents in this story and their behavior are fictional. Of course, Lily-Rose has parents who, of course, also own a smartphone and a laptop. But unlike the story, Lily’s parents love to play with their daughter on the beach and spend a lot of time with her.
And does a wardrobe monster really exist? I can’t answer that question for you.
Intro
In a small town on the west coast of northern England, Ann and Mark Graham lived with their five-year-old daughter Lily-Rose. The little girl was the sunshine of the family. You were more likely to see a smile on her face than serious and thoughtful thoughts darkening her pretty face. The family idyll was rounded off by three dogs.
Faye, a snow-white eight years old French bulldog, who was the oldest and also the cleverest of the trio of dogs. Her trademark was a large black spot on her hip.
Taz was one year younger. The dark brindle male was also a French bulldog, but in contrast to Faye, he was more conspicuous for his big mouth and his even greater fear of all strangers.
And then there was the English bulldog Beau, she was synonymous with courage and strength. Secretly she was Lily-Rose’s favourite. Perhaps because Beau came into the family after Lily’s birth and both had grown up together from babyhood, so to speak.
Two years ago, the family left Germany and bought a terraced house near the beach. Actually, this was a dream for anyone who loved nice weather and a wide beach. However, there was a difference between visiting a resort and living directly there. Although the sea was only a five-minute walk from the house, Lily-Rose usually stayed in the garden or near the house and played with the neighbour’s children.
I am also important
When the weather was nice, Lily-Rose rode her bike along the pavement. She picked-up to speed quickly, but to stop she needed a lot of space or else a passer-by who stopped her at the last second, or possibly unintentionally served as a brake block. A painful collision usually for the pedestrian. But who could be angry with this sweet face when a lowered gaze was followed by a timid »I’m so sorry«.
But then there were also those rainy days. During these times, Lily-Rose had to stay in the house, which wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t already known her toys inside out. The three dogs were only a short-term pastime. Besides, the trio could mimic the activity of a sloth when listless. That left only the parents to occupy themselves.
Lily-Rose was balancing two boxes of games and a puzzle in her arms as she came down the stairs. Between the boxes she still had a few loose pieces of paper. She had already lost the crayons that went with them on the way. On the living room table, she laid her presents next to each other and first asked her father whether he would rather play or draw. But he was engrossed in an exciting film. Lily repeated her question. Since she couldn’t do anything with his answer, a curt »yes«, she now asked her mother. She decided to play a game, but without taking her eyes off the smartphone. »Very good decision, mum. I’ll set up then.« »Very nice princess.« Lily-Rose decided on the game »Looping Loui«. After she had set-up the game and no one responding, she pressed the TV remote and turned it off. Mark was annoyed at first, but then looked into his daughter’s eyes and swallowed his words. »Just a few moments princess. Let me just finish watching the film. It won’t be long now.« Lily-Rose frowned and now addressed her mother. »Yes, right away darling. Just a little while longer. I’m writing with Kelly’s mum right now.« Lily-Rose now started the engine which sent the little plane flying in circles with Loui. She watched the plane circle and in between she looked at her parents in turn. Her father was watching the television and her mother was writing something on phone.
From the dog basket, Faye observed the situation. She did not take her eyes off Lily-Rose and tried to interpret her facial expression. The little girl was clearly sad. The white bulldog stood up and went to the girl. Faye lightly nudged Lily-Rose, hoping for some petting, which she got immediately. On the table, Loui was still doing his lonely rounds. Taz, afraid of missing out on something, also joined them. He had no objections to being stroked, but he was even more interested in this gyrating aeroplane. The first two attempts to stop the plane failed. Each time he was a moment too late with his paw. On the third attempt, he abandoned caution and immediately cleared the whole game from the table. The sudden clatter and crash created a real atmosphere at the table. Faye barked at the top of her lungs, Lily scolded Taz and she herself had to listen to a lot from both parents. Only Taz was satisfied. At least he had caught the plane.
The next day, Lily-Rose tried to get her parents‹ attention without any clattering games, but only with crayons. She knelt down in front of the living room table and sorted the crayons lengthwise. Her father had the smartphone in his hand this time and her mother had a laptop on her lap. »Would you like to draw something with me?« No answer. »Do you want me to draw you a picture?« No response. »Fire!« Both parents looked startled at their daughter. Lily smiled. »Do you want me to draw a fire?« While Mark turned back to his smartphone and would totally love it if she drew a fire, Ann flipped the laptop shut and looked sternly at Lily-Rose. »You don’t joke with that.« »What do you mean?« Lily acted clueless, but knew exactly what her mother meant. Not so long ago, her mother had first explained that in a dangerous situation, one should shout »Fire!« loudly because then the other people would react. In any case, her mother had been right. Ann repeated again what she had said then. »Only in an emergency situation.« Lily-Rose shook her head. »That was an emergency situation. You’re ignoring me.« The parents looked at each other, unaware of any guilt. Mark put his smartphone aside and went to sit next to his daughter on the floor. But she was already packing up her painting things again. »It’s all right. I don’t want to steal your time.« A little annoyed but also with a bit of a guilty conscience, Ann tried to make her daughter understand that she had important things to do for work on the laptop. »My darling, as soon as I’m done here, we’ll do something really great together, but this writing is really very important now.« Lily-Rose was already on the first step of the stairs when she spoke quietly to herself. So softly that her parents couldn’t hear. »I’m important too.«
Who is watching me?
Lily-Rose realised that she almost had to flood the upper floor with water to get a reaction. But it was even quicker, and she had already found this out as a toddler, when she was very quiet. Strangely enough, a short time later, mum or dad came to check on her. However, not a minute passed until she was sitting alone again in her room.
Today was another one of those days. The three bulldogs lay in their basket and went about their favourite activity, sleeping. Lily-Rose sat on her bed and had a serious conversation with her ragdoll Clara. This went on until Lily-Rose felt she was being watched. The little girl slid to the foot of her bed and looked at the wardrobe, which was not quite closed. As she did so, she held her doll tightly in her hand. »Did you hear that too?« She looked earnestly into Clara’s face and, with the help of her finger, made the doll’s head nod in agreement. Again, there was a creak on the wardrobe as its door opened a little further. Lily-Rose tilted her head slightly and tried to look into the wardrobe from her seat through the crack in the door. Several minutes passed during which the girl stared at the Wardrobe. A time of silence that was enough to worry the parents. Her father came up the stairs, already imagining what his daughter had done. He opened the door of the room so far that his head could fit through. At knee height, Taz also stuck his head through the gap. He knew that in such a situation Lily-Rose usually did something interesting. This time the girl merely sat at the foot of her bed and looked at the wardrobe. Taz followed the gaze, but quickly lost interest and made his way back down to where he was sleeping. Mark also realised that his daughter was concentrating on the wardrobe. »Is everything okay, darling?« Lily-Rose nodded. »Everything’s fine.« Thinking for a moment, she added, »Only one monster is hiding in my wardrobe.«
The father’s head had already disappeared from the crack of the door when Lily-Rose looked towards the door of the room after her remark. »Great!« She jumped off the bed and was at the wardrobe in one leap to push the door shut. Her hand held the little ragdoll just a few inches from the door. Ready to push shut at a moment’s notice if it opened again with a creak. But nothing happened.
The dog secret
Lily-Rose hopped down the narrow staircase step by step. When she reached the bottom, she stopped. She leaned on the wall with both hands and tried to keep her feet in the air. As she did so, she alternately looked at her parents, who had made themselves comfortable on the sofas in the living room. Lily’s father was watching a film and her mother was fiddling with her smartphone.
The girl had actually assumed that her stair hopping was loud enough to attract the attention of her parents, but somehow, they did not notice her. Two more times she hopped on the spot and tried to make as much noise as possible to attracted the attention of her parents, which it did. »What is it, Princess?« Lily’s mother asked her without taking her eyes off her phone. »There’s a monster in my wardrobe.« The little girl looked alternately at her father and mother. To see who would be the first to react? From one side came an »aha« and from the other Lily-Rose perceived a suppressed snort. It came from her father. He tried to tone down his inappropriate behaviour. After all, his daughter seemed to have serious concerns. »Honey, there are no monsters!« Just at that moment, a house-sized spider appeared on the screen, hunting a group of teenagers.
Lily-Rose looked at the screen and repeated her mother’s comment. »Aha!« She turned on her heel and skipped back up the stairs. Her mother continued to look at the smartphone and her father watched the film intently.
After the nursery door on the top floor slammed shut, Faye got up from her basket to follow Lily-Rose. Taz glanced after the dog lady. »What are you up to?« The question had a very suspicious undertone. Instead of answering him, Faye scurried up the stairs.
While Taz also hurried up the stairs, Faye was already standing in front of Lily-Rose’s room door, scratching at it to be let in. Lily-Rose sat on her bed and stared at the wardrobe. At the scratching sounds, she thought at first that it was coming from the monster in the wardrobe. But now that she also heard Taz barking in the stairwell, she knew who these noises were coming from. She jumped off her bed, opened the door a crack and hurried back. There she sat down again at the foot of the bed and continued to stare at the wardrobe.
Faye pushed open the door and came trotting into the room with Taz in tow. A good metre from the bed, the two dogs stopped and watched Lily. Taz followed the girl’s gaze but only saw the closed wardrobe. The girl now looked at her visitors and had to smile. »At least you two understand me.« Before the white bulldog could say anything back, Taz nudged her. »Don’t do that! Don’t give away the dog’s secret!« Faye gave her fellow dog a confident look and turned back to Lily-Rose. »Yes, we are.«
The girl looked at the dog lady in disbelief. A moment later she jumped off the bed and went to the door. »Did someone call me?« Taz dropped to the carpet and put his paws over his muzzle. He couldn’t believe Faye had just given away the dog’s secret. The took a few steps towards Lily-Rose and nudged the girl’s legs. »Um! That was me.«
Lily-Rose sat back down on the bed and let her legs dangle while she looked questioningly at the dog lady. »You can speak? Like a human?« Faye answered in the affirmative with a nod. »And Taz? Can he talk too?« The male looked under his paws at Lily. His answer came somewhat defiantly. »Yes, he can. And this whole thing is a dream of yours, and when you wake up again, we’ll bark like we always do.« Faye jumped up to Lily-Rose on the bed and bit her arm very gently. »Did you feel that?« The girl nodded and pulled her arm away. »See. This is not a dream. However, you should keep this to yourself. Spare your parents your new discovery!«
With her mouth open, Lily-Rose sat next to Faye and eyed the white bulldog carefully. There is no such thing. Dogs can’t talk. That’s impossible. Just as impossible as monsters in wardrobes. Startled, Lily-Rose turned to her real problem. The wardrobe and its unwelcome occupant. In one leap, the girl jumped off the bed and ran to the door. Once there, she leaned down to Taz. »Hello?« The male dog, however, did not look up at her at all. »Hello too.« He realised that Lily-Rose would run to her parents to tell them about her latest discovery.
