Knights of Dreamland

By Michael Smith

The Knights of Dreamland is a story for children in the age group 7+. It is a story about overcoming fear, using compassion, and forgiveness without any religious or moralistic opinions.

One evening Angelina Thomas is in her bedroom. The shadows in her room seem very real and cause her to be afraid. Her mother tries to comfort her, but Angelina is still afraid. Suddenly, she hears a strange noise and a through her wall emerges a white unicorn and on its back, a Knight. The Knight is Sir Roderick, he is a clumsy rather comic character but he is noble and courageous, a sort of old fashioned knight. Cornucopia the unicorn is a magical character that can talk; she is intelligent and protective of Sir Roderick.

Cornucopia explains that Sir Roderick is a Knight of Dreamland and that his job is to protect children from the KNIGHTMARES that try to frighten them in their dreams. The Knightmares are former Knights of Dreamland and their unicorns who have been captured by THE BLACK KNIGHT and placed under his dark spell. The Knightmares frighten children in their dreams, and The Black Knight rules the world of Knightmares.

Sir Roderick, Cornucopia, and Angelina set out on an adventure to try to release their friends who have been captured by the Black Knight. Their adventures take them on a magical journey where they encounter strange beasts and magical beings.

Angelina finds out that only courage and compassion can protect her from the Knightmares. She also learns that by using fear against her enemies the spell can be broken and the Knightmares turn back into their former selves.

This particular story ends with a battle between Sir Roderick and the Black Knight. Their friends are released from the evil spell, and the Black Knight is temporarily incapacitated.

This story is the first in a series of adventures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Smith
• Release date: Jul 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466115897

Michael Smith

Michael Smith is an award-winning British journalist and author, having previously served in British military intelligence. He has written for the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Times, and is the author of fifteen books on spies and special operations, including the No 1 bestseller Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park. He lives in Henley-on-Thames.

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CHAPTER 1

Angelina Thomas lay perfectly still. Her little hands clutched tightly at the sheets of her bed as she pulled them up over her mouth and nose. Only her wide eyes showed above the covers. Even though it was a warm summer evening her bedroom, normally a bright and cheerful place during the daytime, felt distinctly chilled. Darkness shrouded the room as shadows lurked in gloomy corners. Eerie tendrils of blackness seemed to reach out and crawl across the floor towards Angelina's bed.

‘Are you still awake Angelina?’ It was a familiar voice that called from the bottom of the stairs.

‘Yes mummy, I can't sleep,’ came the reply, ‘I'm really scared!’

Angelina sat up in bed still grasping the covers tightly around her face. Warily she reached out beyond the security of her bedclothes and turned on the small lamp beside her bed hoping to dispel the shadows that lurked in the dark corners of the room, but it didn't seem to be much help. Angelina heard her mother’s footsteps on the stairs and she began to feel a little better as the hall light cast a comforting glow around her bedroom.

The door opened and Angelina's mother came into the room.

‘Do you know how late it is Angelina Thomas?’ It was a question that did not require an answer, and even if Angelina had wanted to reply she was not given the chance to do so.

‘I read you a nice long story and you've had your milk,’ Mrs. Thomas tucked in the bed-sheets tightly and puffed up Angelina's pillow as she continued talking,

‘Now why don't you snuggle down under the blanket and go to sleep?’ she said in a comforting voice.

‘I'm sure there are monsters in here,’ whispered Angelina as her mother sat on the bed, ‘I saw a creepy shadow and it was moving about in the corner of my room.’ She pointed to the floor where she saw the creeping shadow. ‘It was quite scary and that's why I can't sleep.’ Angelina sighed deeply.

‘Well I can assure you Angelina, there are no monsters in this house,’ her mother said firmly, ‘and shadows can't possibly hurt you can they now? I want you to settle down and go to sleep.’ Mrs. Thomas kissed Angelina on the forehead and rose from the bed, ‘I’m not going to come up here again. You can leave your night light on if you like,’ she started walking towards the door blowing her daughter a kiss on the way out, ‘night, night and sweet dreams.’ Mrs. Thomas left the room.

Angelina heard her mother’s footsteps tread softly as she went back down the stairs. There was a sharp click followed by a dull clunk as the hall light was turned off and the living room door downstairs closed. The dark shadows once more returned to the corners of Angelina's room. The small bedside light gave some small glow of comfort to the otherwise gloomy atmosphere, but still the shadows lurked menacingly.

Angelina lay snuggled under the warm bedclothes with her eyes barely peeking over the top of the blanket. She could still see the dark and strange shapes cast by her night light from where she lay. They seemed to have a life of their own, murky tendrils eerily caressed the walls sending creepy fingers of blackness dancing across the ceiling.

‘I must not be scared,’ Angelina said to herself, ‘mummy said that shadows can't hurt me and mummy's are always right, aren't they?’

Angelina tried hard to convince herself. ‘And anyway there are no monsters, not really, not real scary monsters that live in dark places and eat children and breath fire and only come out at night when mummy's and daddy's have gone to bed and, WHAT'S THAT NOISE!!’ Angelina sat up with a start and glanced nervously around the room.

‘I'm sure I heard a noise.’ She said hoisting the blanket up to her face. ‘I hope it wasn't a monster, oh dear, I wish it was morning, I wish mummy would sit with me, I wish these shadows would go away.’

Angelina was now feeling really quite frightened. From her position in the bed she looked as hard as she could to see if there was anything there, but saw nothing that should scare her. Only the shadows lurking in the dark corners of the room.

Suddenly there was a movement. Angelina went stiff with fear, her mouth went dry and her skin felt clammy. In the darkest corner of the room just by her bookcase, an especially nasty looking shadow was creeping along the skirting board. It seemed to be stretching out long pointy fingers as it crawled across the carpet towards her bed. A scream started to build in her throat, but nothing