Here, There, & Everywhere

By Hollis Doherty and Melissa Diaz

Long before Everywhere met Here, Here met There. But this is the story of how Here met Everywhere, which is the same story as the goblin who was made nice by lemon chiffon pie...

 

"Here, There, and Everywhere" is the story of an elfin girl named Here, an elfin boy named There, and a fairy mermaid

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hollis Doherty
• Release date: Sep 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781684191819

Hollis Doherty

http://www.hollisdoherty.com

Book preview

Here

There &

Everywhere

Written By

Hollis Doherty

Illustrated by

Melissa Diaz

Copyright © 2016 by Hollis Doherty (1-3779246291)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at [e-mail].

Hollis Doherty

For more details see www.hollisdoherty.com

Illustrated by Melissa Diaz

Cover Design by Shoghi Castel De Oro

Book Design by Camilet Cooray

ISBN: 978-168419181-9

Published in the United States of America.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my mom, Kathy Doherty, for copyediting,

cheering me on, and always being my first and best audience.

I'd like to thank my illustrator Melissa Diaz for her amazing images,

and for all of the hard work she put into this project.

Dedicated with Love to Rowan

who I didn't know I was writing it for, until now

June 2016

Table of Contents

Map of the Semi-Half Dimensional World

Goblin Nice-Making Magic

Everywhere Meets the Wood Mouse

Bumby, Charlie, and Birdy on the Porch of The Gnome's Tavern

Laughter Smells the Orchid in the Cave

Here and Laughter Wake Up in the Other World

The Village Under the Mushrooms

Here Returns Home to her Family

The Black Crow Traps Everywhere on a Rock Ledge

There Surprises Here with a Frog and a Plastic Tarantula

There Leads the Cloud Tour.

Madam Metafiso's Crystal Ball is Missing!

A Visit to the Wise Ladybug

There Introduces Himself to Sir Gallant Dragonfly

Harry the Tarantula Reaches his Half-Life

An Elasmosaurus Surprises Monkey-But and There

Everywhere Pokes Out The Black Crow's Right Eyeball

Ribbit and Harry Ride on a School of Fish

Plesia and Elasmo Were Made for Each Other

General Jacket Debriefs the Swarm as Private Jacket Has Crucial Information

Text Box: Map of the Semi-Half Dimensional World

Map of the Semi-Half Dimensional World

Here,

There,

& Everywhere

Long before Everywhere met Here, Here met There. But this is the story of how Here met Everywhere, which is the same story as the goblin who was made nice by lemon chiffon pie.

The Goblin Who Was Made Nice by Lemon Chiffon Pie

First of all, Here is an elfin girl. There is an elfin boy. And Everywhere is a fairy mermaid.

Here and There have been friends since they were elfin children growing up in The Village Under the Mushrooms. Here and There didn’t always know Everywhere, the fairy mermaid. Now you may be asking, fairy or mermaid? Pick one, right? But it’s true, she’s a fairy mermaid, and you’ll hear more about her later.

Here and Laughter

Here had a short pixie haircut and her hair was blonde. She had pointy ears like all elves do. She dressed like your usual elf. She wore tattered but cute green or yellow tops, brown boots and brown knickers, and sometimes a hat.

When Here was ready to leave her home in The Village Under the Mushrooms and go out into the world to spread flowers (which was her true calling), she had a meeting with the elfin president. Here’s grandfather had been an elfin king, but those days were over and there was a president now. His name was Hop-to-it. And Hop-to-it said to Here:

While I know you love your family and want to be near them, Here, I find you to be one of our best and brightest talents in the field of flowers. I’d like to send you high on a desert cliff where there is little water and lots of sand. I’ll bet you can make the alpine flowers and cacti flourish there. OK, off you go! He almost told her to hop to it.

Then Hop-to-it gave her a pet butterfly as a going-away present so she would have a safe flight out and a good way to return. That’s how big elves are, small enough to ride butterflies.

She named her butterfly Laughter.  He was a Tiger Swallowtail, yellow and black. Now they were friends, Here and Laughter, and Laughter could fly off whenever he wanted to. But Laughter rather liked Here and loved the adventures she took him on, so they remained together. Whenever Here needed to get somewhere quickly she just hopped onto Laughter and told him where to go, and they were off and fluttering.

Occasionally, on Here’s desert cliff high in the mountains, violent thunderstorms blew through. One night, a major storm was brewing. Here looked up to the sky and saw the moon. It peeked through the clouds that were bringing the thunder and lightning. Here knew torrential rain was coming and she wanted to find shelter. Her family still lived in The Village Under the Mushrooms of the elfin kingdom, but that was two days’ journey away. There was no way she could get home in time to avoid the storm.

The clouds were moving fast and the thunder was rumbling. Laughter was getting antsy. Here knew she had to find a place to hide from the rain before it started. Laughter couldn’t fly well in the rain.

Laughter thought, ‘Let’s sleep on the cliff and get wet, or go now. But I don’t want to fly in the rain.’

Here understood Laughter because she communicated with him telepathically. That’s a special thing between an elf and a butterfly. As they become good friends, they’re able to read one another’s minds. It’s like talking with your mouth closed.

The thunder rumbled again. Where could Here go? To ask for advice, Here called her mother on a long-distance telepathic call, which is only possible between elfin mothers and their elfin children.

Here’s mom said, Why don’t you call your cousin Glob? He lives near you.  He has a big cave. I know he’s a goblin but I don’t think he’ll mind sharing his space with you. After all, he is your cousin.

Glob the Goblin

Glob was Here’s distant cousin. Glob was a skinny old mean goblin, as though there are any other sorts of goblins. How Glob was related to a sweet elfin girl like Here is a long story. Here’s mother’s father was an elfin king, whose sister decided to marry a troll, who had a brother that had three wives, one of which was an owl who had a son who was a flying troll, who married a lizard queen who was part goblin, and her cousin was Glob. So maybe Glob wasn’t really Here’s cousin. You do the math.

Here thought about Glob. He was always mean. He wouldn’t deliberately hurt you but he wouldn’t be nice either. For example, he would chase a squirrel out of his yard with a blowtorch and scream with delight whenever he stepped on an anthill. Glob was known to be obsessed with riches, but as he had nowhere to spend them, he often found himself satisfied with strips of mica and copper pennies for his fortune, which, yes, he did hoard.

As Here considered her mother’s suggestion she looked up at the clouds again, swiftly moving across the full moon. She didn’t want to go over to Glob’s tonight. But it was going to be a really bad storm and Glob would have a fire. 

And then she remembered something! One time, many moons ago, Here visited The Wise Ladybug. The Wise Ladybug was the keeper of secrets and the knower of knowledge. She lived on the top of Granddaddy, the highest mountain in the Grandfather mountain range. Creatures traveled near and far to ask her questions when they needed answers. They also traveled near and far to tell The Wise Ladybug their secrets, so she could keep them. Some creatures told her secrets so they wouldn’t be the only one who knew them. Other creatures told her to keep their secrets just in case they forgot. It was common practice to visit The Wise Ladybug at crucial moments in life.

When Here last visited The Wise Ladybug, she told her everything. At the end of the visit she complained about her cousin Glob. It went like this...

The only creature I know that lives close to my cliff is that awful goblin Glob that my mother insists is my cousin! Here complained.

Why don’t you make him nice, Here? answered The Wise Ladybug.

How on earth does one make a goblin nice? she asked.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort. It has to happen on the day after a full moon. You must offer the Goblin a gift on this day, for no reason other than for the pleasure of giving…

Really?! exclaimed Here. That’s so fantastic, Wise Ladybug! Thanks for telling me! Here jumped on Laughter and flew off of the Granddaddy mountaintop in her excitement, eager to go make Glob nice.

Here is impulsive and excitable, she often takes off before creatures finish what they are saying.

The Wise Ladybug smiled, because she knew Here’s nature. Then, she told the rest of the goblin nice-making magic instructions out loud, to no one.

This gift has to be given to the goblin by two new friends. It has to be a friendship that is going to last forever. These new friends don’t like each other when they first meet, but they grow to like each other as the day goes on. Then they make something together intended for themselves but spontaneously decide to give this creation to the goblin. That decision has to be made together at the same time and the offering always creates laughter in the giving parties. It is this laughter that seals the friendship forever and at the same time makes the goblin nice forever. Too nice, in fact. And that, my dear, is the full disclosure of goblin nice-making magic. Not a simple task to accomplish. But you wouldn’t know that now would you, Here? Because you didn’t stay long enough to hear me! The Wise Ladybug chuckled to herself.

Glob’s Cave

Here looked at the full moon and remembered The Wise Ladybug. Perhaps I could make Glob nice. It is, after all, the full moon. According to The Wise Ladybug, if I give him a present tomorrow, he’ll be made nice!

So Here made a decision. She jumped on Laughter and said, OK, we’re going to Glob’s! Happily, Laughter took off.

Meanwhile, Glob sat in the mouth of his cave, grumpy and angry. Anticipating the storm, he thought to himself, If that darn elf thinks she can come over here again just because there’s a storm brewing, she’s got another think coming. She always does this when the weather gets bad. I’m not having it! The nerve! Assuming that she can invite herself. No manners at all. If only my cousin the lizard queen hadn’t married that flying troll…

Glob looked around. I know what I’ll do! I’ll put out this drat-forsaken fire and wait to see if she comes. No fire for stinkin’ elf relatives with no manners!  

When Here and Laughter arrived at Glob’s cave it was pitch black dark. They were greeted with, Aha!

This startled Here. She looked around. She didn’t see Glob but she recognized his gravelly voice.

Assuming you could stay here again, freeloader? Glob grumbled.

It was about to rain on us, and I didn’t want Laughter’s wings to get soaked, Glob. Just as Here said this, the rain came down in sheets. Will you let us in?

As she approached the cave she saw Glob’s gleaming eyes inside. She quickened her pace to get out of the rain and Glob remained silent. Here’s foot fell knee-deep into a hole at the mouth of the cave.

 AHHHH! she yelped as her ankle twisted. "What is this hole, Glob? It wasn’t here the last time. I’ve hurt my ankle! I can’t see Glob, why don’t you have a fire?"

Glob advanced so she could see him in the darkness and driving rain. Why should I have a fire? I didn’t invite anyone over, did I?

Will you help me out of this hole, Glob? Here said. She was getting drenched.

Glob reluctantly reached out a slimy green fist for her to grab onto and hoist herself out of the hole. Laughter flew into the cave and watched, closing his wings for the night.

Why have you dug this dangerous hole at the mouth of your cave? And now that I’m soaked, you don’t have a fire for me to dry off with? Glob?

I didn’t know you were coming! he started screaming at the top of his lungs. It’s not my fault that you hurt your foot!

What is this dangerous hole doing here anyway?

I dug it to ward off thieves

Glob, you don’t have anything worth stealing!

Now Glob was furious. You elf! You come uninvited to my home, blame me for your problems, and insult my treasure. Never in my life… as he stormed into the depths of the cave.

BUT THIS IS THE WORST STORM, of the season… Here’s voiced trailed off as she realized he was deeper into the cave and could no longer hear her. I guess no fire for us tonight, Laughter. Here was more than a bit sad as she contemplated the way Glob treated her. She knew it was to be expected. Only under the worst circumstances do she and Laughter visit.

Laughter comforted her by snuggling up to her and thinking, ‘At least we have each other, Here.’

You’re right Laughter, we do. Here started to close her eyes but then she looked at the incredible storm outside. It was raging. But they were out of the rain now. And for an instant, Here remembered the full moon, peeking through the clouds and dreamed, ‘maybe I could make a goblin nice.’

Here didn’t know all the rules about making a new friend that were included in the goblin nice-making magic. If she did, she might never have dreamed it was possible. But a great twist of fate was coming her way.

Morning at Glob’s

The next morning, Here woke up with a start. Glob was chipping away at the walls of his cave with a pick-ax, right over Here’s head. Ping. Ping. Ping. Chips of rock were falling onto her face.

What are you doing, Glob? Here mumbled as she wiped her eyes.

I’m searching for a vein of silver. I think there might be one in my cave. Now will you get out of my way, missy?

Laughter scampered to the mouth of the cave and took off to go find his early morning breakfast of nectar from the first blossoms of dawn. Here wished she could fly away too.

Here scrambled to her feet, disoriented, and the pick-ax started again. Ping. Ping. Ping.

‘Why is he mean to me?’ Here thought. ‘There’s no silver in this cave and he knows it. He just wants to make a horrible noise to wake me up.’

Glob, I’m going to find some breakfast, do you want anything? Here said as she walked out of the cave into the