For Ruby, Claire, Lisa, and Giuseppe

Hey my wonderful friends! I miss you more than words can tell. It’s been two years, and I wish so much that I could see you again. I have dreams sometimes about you and your mother. In my dreams, we are playing, and I drink tea with your mother, and she hears me, and we understand each other.

If you ever come across this again–if you ever want to find me–I am at a special YouTube channel called Youtube.com/c/RealDoctorAdventuresASMR. You can also find me at youtube.com/c/becomingareallifesuperhero. I dearly hope to find you again. You matter so much, and it has been so long.

STORY TIME

Ethan came to our house when our elf disappeared.

We had an elf in our house, you see, because we are Danish. He would play tricks on our horses. Or throw poo at our windows. Or write silly jokes on our laundry. He wasn’t mean. He was just a Nisse–a tricksy Danish house elf. If anything went silly, it was the Nisse’s fault.

My name is Ruby-Claire, and I know all about silly.

That’s because my middle name is silly: I’m Ruby-Claire Lisa-Giuseppe Wimmer. I’m named after all my Mom’s best friends. My Mor–that’s Danish for Mom–could not make up her mind when I was born. One of my names is even a boy’s name!

Mor says to blame the epidural, whatever that means.

And my Far–Danish for Dad–just shakes his head and says nothing.

The night before Ethan came, my Far put me on his back and climbed the ladder to the attic. It was dark, and smelled like old wood, and leather shoes. The scary shadows watched me. I held tight to Far’s scratchy neck.

“This will stop the Nisse from playing tricks,” Far said. He winked at me and rubbed his cheek on mine.

“Stop it! That’s itchy,” I said.

Far laughed, and put a hot bowl of riesenglul on the attic floor. Rice pudding–the Nisse loves rice pudding!

Then he carried me downstairs to help my mother, my Mor, hide pictures of the Nisse for me. I loved to see the Nisse’s silly smile, his turned up nose, and his funny yellow hair. On Christmas Day, I would run all around with my brother and sister, to find all the Nisse-pictures first!

But that Christmas, when we woke up, all the pictures were gone.

And when we looked out the window, our goat had my pants on!

And then the door bell rang…

…and there stood a boy, about my age, with a silly smile, a turned up nose, and funny yellow hair.

Next time, find out who Ethan is…and why the Nisse disappeared when he showed up!