I was about to slip into bed when I heard a knock on the door.
"Yeah? Come in," I grumbled grumpily.
Stacy entered my bedroom, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
"Oh... Here you are. I thought you could do with a good drink. It's decaff."
I felt a pang of guilt at being so snappy a little before. So I took the cup, smiling and feeling grateful. It WAS quite nice on the part of Stacy. She smiled, saying it was nothing, and that I should have a good rest. She left and I sipped the coffee. It wasn't great but it did get me relaxed enough to sleep. More than you had expected.
I rise up groggily and feeling incredibly tired. As if I had not rested at all. I heard voices and tried to open very heavy eyes. There were shadows and dim shapes in front of my eyes.
"He's out. Well, mostly," said Jim.
"He's good," said Stacy.
"You sure he's the right age?" grunted a very gravelly voice.
"He's four," said Stay.
"Does he need diapers still is what I want to know," growled the unknown voice.
"No," said Jim in an exasperated voice. "Just pay us already and take him."
I was extremely confused. What? What were they talking about? It just made no sense... But then huge hands grabbed me and I was placed in a big child's car seat and strapped in securely. I was sure I was having a complete nightmare! There was a green monster, a gigantic one, holding the car seat and Stacy and Jim were also strangely much bigger. In fact, everything seemed out of proportion. I wondered what the hell was in that coffee.
"Here you go," said the monster looking like a troll.
He handed a fat purse to the couple, who looked within with great greedy grins. The sound of metal were issuing from it.
"I'll leave now," said the monster, taking me with him through a strange glittery portal. "Need to deliver him at the auction of the Goblin Market."
"He'll be adopted by fairies?" asked Stacy.
"How should I know? Could be bought by any fay wanting a child," muttered roughly the monster, taking me through the magical door.
After a burst of blinding light, I arrived at a place that was a whirl of noises, colors, smells and sights - blurry sights, though.
"You got it?" squeaked a smaller gray creature.
"Yes. I'll go sell him to the auction-holding goblin. All profit for me."
"Ha!" guffawed the gray creature. "Ya think they'll soon see the gold coins and gems turn back to sheep manure?"
"Very soon now."
The two monsters laughed and I felt somewhat better at knowing that my so-called friends were about to have a nasty surprise regarding their payment. But then I saw a series of tents and people in chains and cages and I started to recall, though incredibly tired as I was, that I was about to get sold to some strange fairy creatures as a form of twisted adoption.