Creatures In The Night Garden

Bang! Click.

It is not Ray Moon shooting at them with a gun. It is Ray Moon slamming the kitchen door and locking it.

He goes to the fridge. Opens it. Sees his golden chocolate bunny has been stolen.

He collapses on the kitchen floor and weeps.

It may be some time before we discover why.

.............

Sweezus and Arthur are in Ray Moon's back garden. Possums are breathing loudly. Nocturnal mice are scuffling under leaves. The moon shines down on Arthur's lime green shower cap.

Take it off, says Sweezus. It's shining like a beacon. And anyway the half hour is up.

Arthur takes off the lime green shower cap, revealing corkscrew tangles.

It feels better already, says Arthur. What happens now?

We're supposed to rinse it off, says Sweezus.

There's a hose, says Arthur, pointing to a hose curled up beneath the garden tap.

Sweezus goes over to the hose.

Ssss! The hose rears up and hisses, then slithers off into a pile of leaves.

Freak me out! says Sweezus. I hate the country. Come here Arthur. Stick your head under the tap.

......

The shampoo is rinsed off but Arthur's hair needs combing.

Don't suppose you've got a comb, says Sweezus.

Arthur feels inside his pockets. No.

But you've got one, says Arthur.

Yeah but my stuff is in the house, says Sweezus. And I'm not going back in.

Maybe it doesn't need combing, says Arthur.

It does, says Sweezus. You have to comb out all the eggs.

.......

The night is going on and on. Sweezus and Arthur are sitting on Ray's favourite garden seat under a tree. There is a smell of drying hair, and evaporating KP24.

Moon's nearly full, says Arthur, looking at the moon.

Somehow this reminds Sweezus of the looted chocolate bunny. He takes it out of his shorts pocket, and breaks off a piece to share with Arthur.

We have to think about going home, says Sweezus.

What? says Arthur. What home?

Adelaide, says Sweezus. Belle et Bonne and Marie will be back in time for Easter. I promised Belle I'd bring you home. There'll be presents, from Paris. One for you, and one for me.

They lean back on the garden seat and dream of presents.

.........

Suddenly a powerful torch light floods the garden, accompanied by the sound of heavy booted feet.