Free Monster in My Closet by R.L. Naquin

I was out of my mind. I ran through my morning, beginning with the surprising brownie family and ending with the unbelievable dragon. To his credit, he didn’t laugh at all. In fact, he was all business.
    “I’ll pack up some supplies and we’ll be right there. Find out what you can about dragons and we’ll see what we’ve got. Milo’s been pining for you ever since you left the store.”
    I thanked him profusely and gave him directions. I had a strong suspicion a psychic herbalist on retainer was going to make my life a lot easier in the future.
    * * *
    As it turned out, brownies know a whole lot about dragons.
    While I waited for Andrew and Milo, I helped Maurice clean up the Barbie furniture and move it into the closet. I padded the beds with fabric samples and washcloths, set up a table and chairs, and ran an extension cord into the closet to give them a light. The setup was pink, and it was mostly plastic, but it worked. Molly put Abby down for a nap and came to the edge of the shelf to talk to me.
    “You are too kind to us,” she said.
    “I’m sorry it’s not more.” I looked at the cut on her head and her swollen eye. “I have a friend coming who can help with that. You can trust him. If you don’t mind, I’d like him to look at Fred’s arm, too.”
    Poor Molly’s good eye filmed over with tears. “Again, thank you.”
    We spoke in low voices so Abby could sleep. When I told Molly about the dragon in the garage, her face scrunched up with worry.
    “No, they are not supposed to be hot on the outside,” she said. “You must cool him off. His furnace must be broken inside. You do not want him to blow up.”

Chapter Six
    Halfway up my driveway, Andrew’s battered Pontiac sputtered and died. From my vantage point on the porch, I could hear the starter click-click as he turned the key in the ignition several times. Nothing. He smiled and waved at me from behind the wheel, then reached for the door handle to get out. Again, nothing. He shoved his shoulder against the door a few times, then reached across and tried to open the passenger door. His cheery smile was beginning to fade, and his face had turned an interesting berry shade. From the backseat, Milo’s head popped in and out of sight, his excited barking a faint squeal from within the sealed car.
    “Maurice!” I yelled into the house.
    The monster came flying down the front steps in a rush. “Sorry, sorry!”
    He disappeared around the corner of the house, muttering under his breath. A moment later, both of Andrew’s doors flew open, and he spilled onto the gravel. Milo exploded through the open door, bounced off Andrew’s prone figure, and darted toward me like he’d been shot from a blowgun. The fluffy blur came so fast I didn’t have time to do more than hold my arms out before it launched into the air and plowed into my chest, knocking me back a step. My face was promptly covered in foxy kisses. I laughed and let him do his worst.
    Andrew pulled himself together and made his way up the steps.
    “I am so sorry,” I said. “Fairy Homeland Security didn’t get your clearance.”
    “No worries,” he said, brushing himself off. “But one of these days maybe I’ll be able to say hello to you before doing a supernatural cha-cha first.” He gave me a quick hug over a happily squirming Milo. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?”
    “I’m good, actually. Maybe shock will set in soon, but I think enough weirdness has happened that I’m getting used to it. You don’t seem shaken at all.”
    “I’m unshakeable, doll. Besides, I get to go home afterwards. You’re the one living in Storybook Land.”
    Maurice came around the corner, saw Andrew and ducked his head. He tried to get past us without drawing attention, but he was a little hard to miss.
    “Hey, wait,” I said. I waved my hand back and forth between them. “Andrew, Maurice. Maurice, Andrew.”
    Maurice lifted his head for a second, then ducked down again, mumbling.