The Luffertain

A Short Story

By

Repus Vas

In the world of stars and moons just around the corner but only across the way from the planet earth lived a young girl called Jancey. She and her two best friends sister and brother Janop and Danzig were not like children that you and I know. For they had bright orange hair with skins so purple that it shone in the light of the sun yet glistened in the light of the moon. On each hand they had three fingers with the same on each foot. The children left that day with their parents for a day out none of the children nor their parents were ready for what was to come that day.

Jancey  ran along the forest path squealing with delight. Her outstretched arm trying to keep her ba-bayou high in the air. She tugged and pulled on the piece of stromp, followed closely behind by her friends Danzig and Janop who were trying to capture the floating prize. The three children called with excited laughter.

Jancey ducked her head as she ran under the large overhanging branch of a nearby canerva tree. Its leaves released the sweet perfumed scent of coolia as the children brushed passed them. Jancey ran through a gap in the marberry hedge, and her friends followed. They passed through into a hidden clearing, Danzig and Janop stopped and watched Jancey as she ran around and around in a circle then back towards them. There was no other way in or out except for the little passage they had come through. Jancey stopped beside her friends. All three stood to catch their breath. The air was now thick with coolia scent and the children stood for a moment their big eyes tightly closed, each began to move their little twitching noses through the air taking in the sweet perfume.

 The three friends fell to the ground laughing.

“I wish this day would never end,” said Janop.

“And I,” said Danzig, “I love the new bloom time.”

The noise of the three friends having so much fun woke a small creature that had until that moment been sleeping in the hedge.

A tiny trilling growl broke their moment of heavenly joy jumping quickly they rose moving away for the hedge.

“What was that?” Danzig called out.

The girls gathered to his side, all three children stood frozen to the spot. Again the trilling growl was heard only this time the hedge began rustling.

“Oh Danzig something is in there,” Jancey called out moving closer to hold Danzig tighter.

Although no hero; Danzig’s little ears began to twitch following the noise as it moved along the hedge. He knew something was running along inside of it something that he now wanted to see.

“Stay behind me girls,” he said holding out his arms.

The children’s heads followed the noise as it moved quickly; the girls peered around Danzig as they all turned slowly following the sound.

“What can it be?” asked Janop holding on to Danzig’s arm.

The clearing fell silent. Not one of them had an answer.

Danzig was the first to step forward his sister still clung to his arm. Taking small steps forward with him, she then pulled him back afraid. But Danzig stood his ground; Jancey reached out pulling on his other arm.

“Please Danzig go no further, you don’t know what is there. It could be a cronsha beast, and it will eat you without mercy.”

“Danzig laughed, ‘a cronsha beast’ here? Do you not realise how tall the beast is? It would never fit inside the hedge it’s also far too fat,” he began to laugh.

Danzig pulled his arms free from the girls then moved towards the noise now coming from further along the hedge. The growling continued and grew louder with each step he took.

The girls called out, “Danzig, come back.”

“Brother please, I beg you do as we ask.”

But the growling noise attracted Danzig even closer; he reached the hedge, the last place the noise stopped. He reached out his hands to slowly separate the leaves, then leaning forward he placed his head in the hole he had created.

“Janop, Jancey! Come quickly. You must come quickly.”

The girls screamed out and held each other tightly thinking Danzig had been captured and was about to be eaten.

Danzig pulled his head out of the hedge and began to laugh.

“No, no you must come and see. It is wonderful.”

Both girls stood their ground and did not move Danzig called to them once more.

“It’s alright come see it’s beautiful, I have never seen anything like this in my life.”

The girls stepped forward a small step at a time yet still holding each other, Danzig waved his hand beckoning them on.

“Quickly you two you must see.”

By the time the girls reluctantly reached the hedge Danzig had already put his head back in and was now calling to whatever it was.

“Come I shall not harm you.”

Now curious Jancey stood beside Danzig and tried to peek into the hedge. Still not able to see, the thing inside growled louder and she jumped back.

“Come Jancey it will not harm you,” Danzig tried to reassure her.

But Jancey was unsure and looked to Janop hoping she would tell her what she should do. Janop just shrugged her shoulders shaking her head.  Danzig now got to his knees and started to crawl into the bushes.

“No Danzig Stop! Don’t!” Janop called out.

Jancey quickly turned around to face the hedge just in time to see Danzig’s feet disappear under it.

“No! Danzig please,” Jancey called.

The cries of the children alerted their parents sat upon the blue trippen grass they ran towards the children. Danzigs father was first to arrive. He found the girls holding each other pointing in the direction of the hedge.

“Girls what’s wrong? Where is Danzig?”  

The girls both continued pointing towards the hedge Jancey’s father ran forward to the part of the hedge the girls pointed at to be joined by Danzigs father; they both pulled the hedge open and looked in for Danzig.

“Come here son,” Danzig’s father called.

“One moment father please I nearly have it.”

“Have what son?”

“I don’t know father but I have it now.”  

Danzig’s father reached in and took hold of his boy’s legs as did Janceys’ the two men pulled hard and out popped Danzig upside down. His hands held tightly on to the little yellow ball with blue stripes upon its side. Now very angry it growled and snapped in Danzig’s hands.

The men put the boy onto the ground by now their mothers had arrived and stood further back holding Jancey and Janop tightly next to them.

“Ouch!” Danzig cried out, “It just bit me.”

His father stepped forward and held out his hands, “Give it to me son quickly.” Danzig did as he had been asked.

“My word upon the heavens and two moons!” his father exclaimed, “I have only ever seen one of these before as a drawing in a book; and through stories my father told me as his father had told him.”

“Tell me father what is it?”

Everyone took a few steps closer as Danzig’s father began to smile.

“Please tell me father what is it?”

“I'm not positive but I think it’s …. It’s…. a Luffertain!”

Everyone stood not believing what was before them. Danzig’s father held it out on the palm of his hand for all to see. The girls looked up to their mothers and saw them smiling. They both ran forward with excitement. They had never heard any stories of the Luffertain, nor could they believe there could be such a creature. And it was living in the hedge. Danzig’s father lowered his hand so the children could see it more closely.

“Shh children you will frighten it.”

The girls reached out to touch it.

“Oh father how soft and warm it feels,” said Janop.

As both girls stroked it, the Luffertain was soothed by their gentle touch and began to sing.

It was a song that made all in the secret clearing smile. As it trilled another rolled from under the hedge at the far end of the clearing joining the first in song. It surprised the children and their parents so much so they did not see the third

 rolling up to the feet of Danzig’s father.  The children and their parents stood in total silence as the three Luffertains sang their song Danzigs father placed the one he held back onto the ground and the other two rolled towards it. As they met the two larger ones began to squeak and chirp to the little one that the children had found. Jancey, Janop and Danzig rushed forward to the little group of fluffy balls.

“They are a family mummy,” Jancey called.

Her mother smiled, “I think your right my dear.”

But as they came closer to them the little family of fluffy balls rolled off back under the hedge and disappeared. The children now so happy began to hum the tune the Luffertains had sang and to their surprise the Luffertain’s answered from the hedge. The parents gathered the now happy children and headed back to the spot on the trippen grass they had chosen to picnic.