Sleep Traveler

Book 1 Ning, Dog, and Boss

Chapter 13 Daddy to the Rescue, Chapter 14 Time to Wake up, and Chapter 15 Goodbye Ning, Dog, and Boss

Hello, friends! Today I would like to share the last three chapters of my book Sleep Traveler with you.

This book was featured at the LA Times Book Festival on the campus of UCLA. On April 22-23. I plan to post one chapter daily of this book and, when finished, a chapter a day of the sequel called Sleep Travelers Book 2, The Amusement Park.

A child’s imagination is a wonderful thing and must be encouraged. They vividly imagine being the Captain of their Pirate ship, the hero of their adventure, handsome, beautiful, brilliant, and strong. They conquer the world and do anything and everything. The lucky ones keep that childhood wonder! It is so sad many adults lose it on the long bumpy road to adulthood. This is the story of a young girl named Dawnie, who will never lose that childhood wonder. 

Okay, onward and upward! I apologize for the delay in posting chapters; we have been moving into our new house.

Shirl laughed and said, “Not to worry.  Remember you are sleep travelers and can “think” whatever you need, so think yourselves and the kitchen “clean.”  In the blink of an eye, suddenly, they and the kitchen were all clean.  Shirl carefully put everything away until the Food Shack was the same way they found it; no one would know a food fight had been held in the middle of the night, with a Bear, Tiger, Panther, and an Elephant as guests of honor.  The friends were still talking about eating the food and how much fun they had together. 

“We have to do this again sometime.” Tigger and Beauty said. 

“The good thing is now that you know how to “think travel” you can visit each other and won’t be lonely anymore.”  A happy Dawnie said.

“Thank you so much, Miss Dawnie, for helping us to have fun. You and your friends must come back to visit us soon.”

Beauty looked at Tigger with her beautiful Yellow eyes and said, “Tigger, please don’t forget me.” 

“Not a chance, I will be visiting you so much you will get tired of me.”

This made her smile as she said,  “Goodbye, everyone, I had a great time, and thanks again, Mr. Shirl, for the French Fries!”  Beauty closed her eyes and poofed out.

Tigger said, “Guess I will run along now, too.  Thanks for everything, and come visit again.” He said as he poofed out too.

Ella, now back to her original size, yawned a little and said, “I had the time of my life and can’t wait to go to sleep again tonight so I can go visiting again.  It will make me happier during the day, knowing I will be having fun at night. Thanks again for everything.”  She said as she poofed out.

Blackie yawned and said, “Thanks for everything but I guess I will wander home now, see you later.”

This left Ning, Dog, Boss, Dawnie, and Mr. Shirl sitting around a table. 

“Dawnie, this was certainly one of the most interesting adventures we have ever had.”  Ning said, looking at Boss, continued, “Don’t you think, Boss?”

“It was sure fun riding on Orchid’s children around the pool.  It was really nice of them to do that, I sure was sorry we couldn’t talk Princess into going down deep too.  Weren’t you Ning?”

“Oh yes, Cats love to get their fur wet.” Was her snarky reply.  

This brought smiles to all the faces, even Ning’s.

Dawnie said with a little yawn, “I had a marvelous time meeting everyone including you Ning and Boss.  I hope we get a chance to go on more adventures together.  That is if you are staying with Dog for a while.”

“I have invited you both for the night, but I have room for you to stay as long as you like. I would enjoy the company, and we can go on more adventures with my Dawnie when she is ready. How about it?”

“Let us talk it over, and we will let you know tomorrow morning,” Ning said looking at Boss for his approval.

“We are going to head back to your digs, Dog if you don’t mind, and we will see you tomorrow.  Dawnie we will see you on our next adventure.”  They both poofed out at the same time.

Chapter 14 Time to wake up

Dawnie was sitting between Mr. Shirl and Dog as her friends “poofed” out and she was looking a little sad that her adventure was over. 

She looked up at Mr. Shirl and was thinking how much he looked like her Daddy.  Then he spoke to her. “Dawnie, this will be our little secret, your Mother would worry if she knew about your real adventures. Of course, you know that your Mother and I will always show up when you need us, you only have to ask.  Actually, if you think you need us, we will come.”

“You look like my Daddy; you sound like him too! Is it really you, Daddy?  But you can’t be here, you are home asleep.” Dawnie said trying to understand. 

Mr. Shirl hugged Dawnie and said, “I have to go now, and I think you and Dog are ready to go too!”

“Yes we are ready to go home, but if you are really here, can Mother come with me sometime?” 

Dawnie didn’t get her answer that night, as she and Dog poofed back to his digs.

Chapter 15 Goodbye Ning, Dog, and Boss

Arriving at Dog’s digs, they poofed in without waking up Ning and Boss. 

Dog and Dawnie whispered their good nights, but before Dawn poofed back to her bed, she just had to find out what Dog knew about Mr. Shirl and how he appeared. 

“Dog, please tell me how my Daddy was able to sleep travel and be on my adventure?”

“Dawnie, you needed help, someone to cook for you, that is what parents do for their children, they take care of them.  Your parents will always try to be there for you now and when you are all grown up.”

“Will Ning and Boss stay with you and come on more adventures with us?” A sleepy Dawnie asked.

“Only time will tell, but I think they had a good time.  I hope they will stay and the four of us have many more adventures.”

With a big sleepy yawn, Dawnie “poofed” back to her comfy bed hugging her big stuffed dog once again. She was smiling in her sleep when her Daddy, Shirl, kissed her forehead and tucked her in.