Sweet Dreamland

First story in the Fantastic Dreams collection.

Buck Wilmington put down the storybook he had been reading to his son and kissed JD's forehead before turning out the bedroom's main light. He replaced the book in the bookcase he had hand-crafted for JD and left the room, glad that his son had finally fallen asleep.

Something hard hit the little dark-haired boy, and he woke up, startled. He opened his eyes and noticed that he was lying on a patch of grass on a small hill. He stood up; surprised that he wasn't in his bed where he'd gone to sleep only minutes ago. The sky was blue with fluffy white clouds and the sun was shining brightly.

A small man, who was only three feet tall, approached him. The man wore a pointed green hat and long blonde hair flowed out of it. The man had green eyes just like Uncle Ezra's. He wore a brown leather jacket and faded denim jeans.

"Hey-lo; Who are you?" he asked in a squeaky voice and JD stifled a giggle.

"I'm JD," replied the boy nervously. He wasn't supposed to talk to strangers.

"I'm Oron. Do you want some candy?" asked the man.

"I'm not allowed to take candy from strangers," replied the boy sensibly.

The man suddenly changed into a very familiar woman and JD gasped in surprise.

"Is this better?" asked the woman smiling at the boy.

"Mom?"

"Yes, son."

"Am I in heaven?" asked JD.

"You are wherever you wish to be dear. I have candy for you darling; follow me," answered JD's mother.

JD followed the woman along a pathway over gentle hills until they reached a garden. JD looked at the flowers growing there, surprised by what he saw. Instead of flower heads, he saw candy. There was every type of candy he knew and lots he had never seen before.

"Help yourself, darling," said his mother kindly.

JD started picking candy. When he had picked a lot, he found a large patch of grass near the garden, where he sat and started eating the candy he had picked.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked an angry voice. JD looked up and was surprised to see Chris Larabee standing above him glaring angrily, dressed in black from head to toe.

"My mom said I could eat this candy," explained JD.

"If you eat any candy you'll have to visit the dentist. Then he'll have to drill all your teeth out."

"NO!" shouted JD. He picked up as much candy as he could and ran away from Chris.

"If you run away you won't be able to see your dad again," warned Chris.

JD ran faster; Chris couldn't take his dad away from him.

The little boy saw Buck ahead, but couldn't stop in time and ran right into his dad.

"What's wrong?" asked Buck concerned, after he'd recovered from the little whirlwind's collision with him.

"Chris said if I keep eating candy the dentist will drill all my teeth out and if I run away from him I won't be able to see you anymore," said JD, starting to cry.

Buck carefully lifted JD up and hugged him tightly. "I won't let anyone take you away from me; you know that. Have you seen Vin anywhere?"

JD shook his head.

"We'd best go and look for him then. I'm sure he'd like lots of candy as well."

"He can't have mine," said JD, hugging the candy possessively.

"He can have his own candy."

Buck carried JD while they walked around the strange, cheerfully colored land, looking for Vin. The two called his name continuously.

A little elf came running up to them; "I know where Vin is, come with me." The man and child followed the elf.

They found Vin asleep on a patch of grass hugging Cat tightly. JD shook the boy to wake him up.

"What? Who's there?" asked Vin, tiredly.

"It's JD and Buck," answered JD.

"Go away. I don't want to play with you anymore," came the angry reply.

"Would you like some candy?" asked JD.

"No JD, I already had plenty," answered Vin. "Where's dad?" asked the boy curiously.

"I left him near the candy garden," answered Vin's younger cousin.

"Candy garden?" asked Vin, sounding very puzzled; his dad had given him the candy earlier but not said where it came from.

"Yeah, it has all sorts of candy: candies, licorice, marshmallows..."

Vin quickly interrupted before JD could go into a long list of candy, "You were eating them without me?" asked Vin upset that JD had been eating candy without him, despite that he'd already had some without JD.

"I didn't know you was here as well," whined JD, his bottom lip quivering.

Just then, Ezra Standish approached the two boys and Buck from out of nowhere. "Gentlemen may I enquire as to why you are here and not slumbering?"

"I don't know how I gots here, Uncle Ezra. I don't even know how to get home," said JD starting to cry.

Ezra got closer to the boy and picked him up, wrapping his arms tightly around him. "Please don't cry - I shall ensure you are returned to your abode."

JD looked at Ezra puzzled.

"I'll get you home, JD," explained the Southerner, looking JD in the eye to show he meant it.

"Vin - me and Buck came to take you to the candy garden, but your dad was there when I was and he was mean," said JD.

"Master Dunne, If you desire to return home, you will have to abstain from ingesting any more candy," said Ezra slightly stern.

JD looked at him with a perplexed expression.

Ezra tried again, reverting to basic English which he often had to use when undercover or when talking to Buck Wilmington, "To get home, you'll have to stop eating candy."

"Can't I take some home?" asked JD.

Before Ezra could answer, a small white horse galloped up to them. Ezra put JD down carefully.

JD and Vin stood staring at the horse. They stepped backwards in shock when it spoke, "If you want to get home, climb aboard my back and I will take you there."

JD and Vin didn't want to argue with the horse, so they mounted the little steed. No sooner had they sat down, then it started moving away, picking up speed as it went.

"JD, wake up or you're gonna be late for school," said Chris Larabee, shaking the boy.

JD opened his eyes and saw Chris. "I'm sorry Chris. I didn't mean to eat lots of candy," said the boy apologetically.

"What are you talking about, JD?" asked Chris in bewilderment.

"You told me if I eat too much I'll have to get all my teeth drilled out," said JD, tears appearing in his eyes - he didn't want to lose all of his teeth.

"You were dreaming, JD; no-one's going to take all your teeth out," said Chris, who lifted JD out of the bed and hugged him tightly.

"I didn't get lots of candy then?"

"How about we get you some candy after school?" asked Chris. As JD opened his mouth to say something, Chris quickly added, "Providing you get up now and get ready for school."

"Okay dad," agreed JD as Chris put him down on his bed.

Vin came into the room eating a candy bar, which received an instant Larabee glare.

"Buck said I could have it," said Vin.

"BUCK WILMINGTON," hollered Chris angrily.

Buck ran up the stairs and into the room. "What?"

"No candy bars for breakfast!"

"Junior, that was for later," said Buck, pretending he hadn't given in to Vin and given him the bar for a breakfast treat.

"If Vin gets one I get one as well," said JD angrily.

"JD, get ready for school. Vin wasn't supposed to have that now," said Chris, frowning at Buck.

"NO, I don't gets ready 'til I gets candy," complained JD obstinately.

Vin handed the rest of his candy bar to JD. JD happily accepted it and started eating.

"Vin, you know you shouldn't share food like that, it's how germs are passed on," said Chris.

"I just wanted him to be happy," explained Vin.

"Okay, when you've finished that you'd better get ready for school, JD, or you'll be late," said Chris.

JD nodded and continued to eat the candy bar happily.

The End
Next story: Cowboys