the Chipmunk, was attacked while still wearing his costume by what he described as a lizard man.
“He had scales and a lizard head,” said Joseph Johnson from his hospital bed. “I always park away from the party and walk to my car in costume so the kids don’t see me take it off. I was almost to my car when this thing grabbed me and started hitting me. He ripped my costume’s head off.”
Shouts from a passing group of young men scared the assailant off and Johnson was transported to the hospital.
Police have no leads and anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Tip hotline.
Darakin put the paper down and stared at Nora in confusion. “Why would a grown man put on a chipmunk costume?”
“Probably some kid’s birthday party or something.”
“What?”
“Hmm, I’m guessing that there are no mascots or anything where you come from.” She waited for Darakin to shake his head. “Well, see, here they use adults in costumes to entertain and educate children. There’s a television show called Charlie, the Chipmunk, and this guy makes money by pretending to be that Charlie at children’s parties. Does that make sense?”
“I guess so,” although it was apparent from his expression that it didn’t.
“What doesn’t make sense is the lizard man stuff.”
“Why does the chipmunk man make sense but not the lizard man?” Darakin was confused.
“Because they’re not saying that it was someone dressed up as a lizard man, but an actual lizard man. That’s just silly. There’s no such thing.”
“There is in my realm.”
“Of course there is. I should have known. There are lizard men there?”
“Well, they’re not men. They’re demons who just bear a resemblance to what a man crossed with a lizard would look like. They have slimy scales and a reptilian head.”
Nora put her head in her hands. Don’t laugh, she thought. He’s being serious.
“So, are you trying to tell me that not only did you come here from your realm, but you think one of these lizard men, I mean demons did, too?”
Darakin looked startled at her words. “Well, I do now. What if he did? What if those idiots that summoned me actually summoned a demon? After all, they did think that I was a demon.”
“I don’t know.”
“What should I do?”
Nora thought about this latest development. “Is it really your problem?”
“Well, does anyone in this realm have any experience with a krekdapop? Oh, never mind.”
“Never mind what? What was that word you said?”
“It’s the word for those lizard-men demons in my language, but I realize it doesn’t mean anything to you. I wondered if anyone here knows anything about them.”
“Well, since we don’t even have a word for them, I doubt anyone knows about them.”
“Then isn’t it my responsibility to do something?”
“I don’t see why. You didn’t bring him here. Is he dangerous? I mean, other than to people dressed in animal costumes?”
“Nora, I’m sure it would have killed that man if those people hadn’t come along. It is a demon, after all.”
“But why would he attack some guy dressed as Charlie the Chipmunk? That just seems … pardon the pun, kind of nuts.” She chuckled a little.
“A long time ago, a krekdapop went on a rampage in a forest. He killed an old, sacred tree. The dryad that lived in the tree was so angry that, as she died, she put a curse on all the krekdapop so they would be forever terrified at the sight of the small, woodland creatures whose home he had destroyed.”
“Like chipmunks?” Nora laughed again.
“Yes. And squirrels and raccoons and the like. And it’s not funny, Nora.”
“Oh, come on. It kind of is! I mean some tree fairy –”
“Dryad.”
“Right. Some dryad does a spell and now Larry, the lizard man, is here attacking Charlie, the Chipmunk? Sounds kind of
“He had scales and a lizard head,” said Joseph Johnson from his hospital bed. “I always park away from the party and walk to my car in costume so the kids don’t see me take it off. I was almost to my car when this thing grabbed me and started hitting me. He ripped my costume’s head off.”
Shouts from a passing group of young men scared the assailant off and Johnson was transported to the hospital.
Police have no leads and anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Tip hotline.
Darakin put the paper down and stared at Nora in confusion. “Why would a grown man put on a chipmunk costume?”
“Probably some kid’s birthday party or something.”
“What?”
“Hmm, I’m guessing that there are no mascots or anything where you come from.” She waited for Darakin to shake his head. “Well, see, here they use adults in costumes to entertain and educate children. There’s a television show called Charlie, the Chipmunk, and this guy makes money by pretending to be that Charlie at children’s parties. Does that make sense?”
“I guess so,” although it was apparent from his expression that it didn’t.
“What doesn’t make sense is the lizard man stuff.”
“Why does the chipmunk man make sense but not the lizard man?” Darakin was confused.
“Because they’re not saying that it was someone dressed up as a lizard man, but an actual lizard man. That’s just silly. There’s no such thing.”
“There is in my realm.”
“Of course there is. I should have known. There are lizard men there?”
“Well, they’re not men. They’re demons who just bear a resemblance to what a man crossed with a lizard would look like. They have slimy scales and a reptilian head.”
Nora put her head in her hands. Don’t laugh, she thought. He’s being serious.
“So, are you trying to tell me that not only did you come here from your realm, but you think one of these lizard men, I mean demons did, too?”
Darakin looked startled at her words. “Well, I do now. What if he did? What if those idiots that summoned me actually summoned a demon? After all, they did think that I was a demon.”
“I don’t know.”
“What should I do?”
Nora thought about this latest development. “Is it really your problem?”
“Well, does anyone in this realm have any experience with a krekdapop? Oh, never mind.”
“Never mind what? What was that word you said?”
“It’s the word for those lizard-men demons in my language, but I realize it doesn’t mean anything to you. I wondered if anyone here knows anything about them.”
“Well, since we don’t even have a word for them, I doubt anyone knows about them.”
“Then isn’t it my responsibility to do something?”
“I don’t see why. You didn’t bring him here. Is he dangerous? I mean, other than to people dressed in animal costumes?”
“Nora, I’m sure it would have killed that man if those people hadn’t come along. It is a demon, after all.”
“But why would he attack some guy dressed as Charlie the Chipmunk? That just seems … pardon the pun, kind of nuts.” She chuckled a little.
“A long time ago, a krekdapop went on a rampage in a forest. He killed an old, sacred tree. The dryad that lived in the tree was so angry that, as she died, she put a curse on all the krekdapop so they would be forever terrified at the sight of the small, woodland creatures whose home he had destroyed.”
“Like chipmunks?” Nora laughed again.
“Yes. And squirrels and raccoons and the like. And it’s not funny, Nora.”
“Oh, come on. It kind of is! I mean some tree fairy –”
“Dryad.”
“Right. Some dryad does a spell and now Larry, the lizard man, is here attacking Charlie, the Chipmunk? Sounds kind of
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