They met after supper behind the apartment house.

Their team consisted of Abby, Laura, Cee, Midge, Katrina, Tomo, and Demitri.

They were very surprised when Cee came trotting up with a dog.  Demitri was quickly recruited to translate.

Cee explained that Midge had lost her boy and wanted to find him.  She had a better nose and would be able to track the boogeyman over greater distances. And she had a score to settle.

A plan was needed to trap the boogeyman.  combining their resources they come up with these assumptions:

It was corporeal.

It was able to teleport to another dimention.

If Nicholas was alive, he would be in that dimention.

It was afraid of bright light, but could stand it for short peroids.

It attacked children.

In could appear in closets and under the bed.

Laura had done some reasearch on the Internet and found a summoning chant.  The child had to stand in front of a mirror and say

"I believe in the Boogeyman" 3 times.

They decided that they couldn't do this without Katrina's permission.  They would be using Demitri and Tomo as bait.  No one else would be in the room.  She was not happy, but her belief in things supernatural had taken a jump recently.

They bought ropes of light from the local electronics store.  They strung them along the walls and accross the ceiling.  When the light were lit there would be no shadows for the boogeyman to disappear into.  Laura set up a dean man's switch for Demitri to hold on to.  When he saw the boogeyman, all he had to do was let go.  There was also a panic button outside the room in case Demitri froze.

Midge and Cee thought these preperations were silly.  They planned their attack.  Midge would go in low and take hold of the boogeyman.  Cee would go in over top Midge and claw out its eyes. It was simple and it would work.

The room was wired and everyone was set. Katrina was on door duty. Laura was on electrics.  Abby had her sabre ready.  Midge and Cee had taken up positions oposite the door.

Katrina gave Demitri a confidence hug.  Demitri gave a big sigh and entered the room.  He sat on the bed and held the light switch.  Tomo jumped up beside him and sat at the ready.

Demitri nodded and Katrina closed the door.

For a moment all that could be heard was everyone's heart beat.

"I BELIEVE IN THE BOOGEYMAN!"

It felt like a gust of wind blew through the apartment.

"I BELIEVE IN THE BOOGEYMAN!"

Everyone outside the door tensed for action.

"I BELIEVE IN THE BOOGEYMAN!"

Nothing. Stillness. Time stop.

Suddenly there was an elertric arc or light and the strange smell of ozone.  The apartment was cast into darkness.

"That would be the breaker -- I'm on it!" Laura cried, stretching her power to trace electricity.

Katrina threw the door open.

Moonlight illuminated the scene. Demitri was still on the bed, his quilt wrapped around him indian style.  Tomo was inside the quit with his head sticking out and hissing for all he was worth.

The creature in the center of the room looked like a man made out of black cellophane.  It was three feet tall and humanoid.  The little light there was bounced off his skin at crazy angles.  He turned angrily towards the door.

Midge and Cee lept into action. Midge dove for the lags and Cee lept for the head.

The Boogeyman truend to shadow slid along the floor towards Demitri. Demitri screamed and hid in his quilt.Tomo followed.

Then the lights came on.

Every inch of the room shone with bright white light. The Boogeyman was forced to become solid.  He tried to make a grab for Demitri, but Tomo stuck his head out and managed to scratch the Boogeyman on the arm.

The Boogeyman lept back as if stung.  Abby used the opening to slice the Boogeyman in half. But it was like trying to cut smoke.  Her blade went right through.

Cee and Midge made a second run, but the Boogeyman remained intact.

The Boogeyman recovered himself and ignored the room full of attackers. Abby put herself between him and Demitri.  She could feel the waves of fear and the unknown coming off him.  She used it to sharpen her senses.  The Boogeyman took a swipe at Demitri.  His arm passed right through Abby and made a small tear in the quilt.

Laura reappeared, out of breath from her run to the breaker panel. She assessed the situation.

Midge was barking at full voice.  Her fangs glowing white under the bright lights.  She kept snapping at the boogeyman's heels, but he paid her no mind.

Cee was poised on the dresser. He was puffed out to twice his nomal size.  He trashed his tail from side to side, but bided his time for now.

Abby was keeping herself between Demitri and the Boogeyman.  It looked like he was reluctant to walk right through her. Abby found that she could move him by walking into him, but he would roll to the side like water and get another swipe at Demitri.

"Abby, the boogeyman is only real to Demitri and Tomo.  It's their fear that is giving him energy.  He can't affect us and we can't affect him. Demitri and Tomo are the key!"

Cee sprung into action.  With a mighty leap he went from dresser to bed.

* Tomo! Demitri! listen up!  it's time for you to act. *

"I'm scared"

*so am i -- but you can be scared and still act -- that's what courage is.*

Tomo remembered what Liz said. He pictured himself burying his fears. Then he flew out of the quilt like a tribble on fire. His little kitten body latched itself to one of the Boogeyman's arms.  The Boogeyman tried to shake him off. His cellophane skin was coming off in streamers.

Demitri looked at the damage the quilt had taken for him and shuddered.  He looked as his best friend taking on the monster by himself.  He knew what he had to do.  He threw off the blanket and stood up.

"Boogeyman, I'm not afraid of you!"

The cellophane skin burst like a confetti popper. on the inside was an oily black slug like creature. It made a swift motion and created a rip in reality and slid through it.

Midge was off like a shot and through the rip before anyone could move.  She had her boy to save.

The rip sealed itself.

It felt like all the energy had left the room.  The room stood still.

Katrina was the first to move.  She went over to give her son a hug.  Demitri sat back down on the bed and looked sadly at the quilt that had protected him.  Katrina picked it up and examined it.  But it was beyond her skills to repair it. She started to cry.  She knew it was silly to cry over a quilt, but the situation had been so tense that she needed a release.

Laura gathered the light ropes into neat circular bundles.  Tomo and Cee joined Demitri on the bed and curled up beside him. Abby found a broom and tidied the room.

Nobody talked about Midge.  That would break them.

They all went to sleep.  Things would look better in the morning.

Demitri remembered to leave a bowl of milk out for the brownies.