Boo Woods
1951
The air raid siren's wails echoed hauntingly throughout the woods' barren expanse. Businesses, tourist attractions and other centers of commerce were eerily quiet and still. Boos were hunkered down in shelters, reminding themselves to breathe. Boocien gathered with his fifteen friends, giving them reassuring looks from time to time, while Booigi soothed a few other Boos by holding them close.
Several weeks had passed since Boo Woods had received the news which had turned their world upside down. Their sense of invincibility had crumbled. For the first time in their unlives, the Boos were wary, dreading the imminent arrival of that red vacuum cleaner which would condemn them to a fate worse than death. Since seeing those photographs and the film reel, life in Boo Woods was nearly similar to life in the United States at the time, with frequent drills being held, special shelters being constructed, and Boos drafting survival plans. The King had also signed a decree which created an emergency alert system modeled off of the old CONELRAD, which would be tested monthly over all of the Boos' radio waves. One way or another, the Boos would be ready for this Poltergust and whoever dared to wield it against them.
After several long minutes, the air raid sirens quieted, and the all clear was given. Cautiously, the Boos emerged from their shelters, many of them clustered together in small groups.
"This is ridiculous," huffed Boocien. "We're Boos, for God's sake! We shouldn't be running and hiding!"
"He's right," Booigi chimed in. "We're the most powerful ghosts in the world! A God—m housecleaning device shouldn't send us cowering!"
"Well, what else can we do?" asked one Boo.
"We can fight!" Boocien replied. "We have the power to literally give people nightmares. For centuries, millennia even, our name has been spoken in hushed, fearful whispers, and those Boos who sent the most chills down peoples' spines became legend. The time has come for us to unite against this new threat and use our powers to oppose it, rather than huddle helplessly in bunkers!"
The Boos exchanged glances, whispering among themselves. Boocien made a good point.
"What's the best way to fight someone with a Poltergust?" asked another Boo.
"Have you heard the saying 'strength in numbers'?" asked AlBoo.
"Yeah!" ElizaBoo chimed in. "The more of us present, the more powerful we'll be. So, if someone tries to capture us, then we'll attack in groups. We'll overwhelm the fiend in no time."
A few giggles sprang up among the Boos. Maybe the threat of being sucked into a vacuum cleaner didn't sound so foreboding after all.
"You're right," murmured Boosephine. In a louder tone, she repeated, "They're right. This Poltergust is imposing but beatable!"
The giggles grew louder.
"And since I know Professor Gadd personally, we'll have an advantage," Boocien went on. "Like I said at that meeting—keep our friends close, and our enemies closer. If Gadd ever decides to show up in these woods with his housecleaning device, I'll keep an eye on him for you. I'll discourage him from even entertaining the idea of pulling a fast one on us. And if he decides to discard my warnings, then I'll see to it that we'll be ready for him."
"Of course!" laughed Booigi. "Why didn't we think of this earlier?" He, too, began to giggle.
And Boocien giggled along with his brethren, his giggling slowly morphing into cackling.
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The King sat with his advisors, listening as Boocien outlined his plan.
"Boocien—that's—brilliant!" he giggled. "We'll start practicing first thing tomorrow. That vacuum isn't gonna send us into the shadows anytime soon!"
"Indeed," said Boocien. "We can't let this Poltergust bring Boo society to a screeching halt. I asked myself while holed up in that shelter, 'What are we doing?' Boos don't hide—Boo make people hide! We don't fear anything—we are the fear! In the middle of the night, when a child's imagined monsters come out to play, we're among those monsters! And will a stupid vacuum cleaner send us running for the hills? No! We are the ones who knock!"
The King laughed heartily. "I like you, Boocien," he said. "You've earned your place among my court. Perhaps—you'll be my top advisor one day."
Boocien blinked. "Really?"
"Really, really."
Boocien bowed his head—er, body. "I'm honored," he said humbly.
"You might not know this, but you may have saved us all," said the King. "Our fighting spirit was about to die, but you brought it back. Thank you."
"No thanks is necessary, Your Grace," said Boocien, "but—you're welcome."
He bowed and floated out of the castle, on cloud nine.
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Beginning the next day, Boo Woods came back to life.
The Boos reclaimed their businesses. School, sports and other activities resumed. And for at least an hour each day, the entire Boo populace gathered in a large, sprawling area to perfect a battle strategy against a potential aggressor.
It was straightforward, really. All of the Boos would surround a generic, human-shaped cutout, which they would then dive-bomb. Each strike was precise, quick and harsh, aimed at key areas on the cutout. The "limbs" were a good target, as a good blow (or two) could force the attacker to drop the Poltergust's nozzle. Another prime target was the center of mass, doubling over the attacker, disorienting them or both. Either way, the Boos wasted no time ganging up on the cutout and ramming it full-force. By the end of each practice session, the cutout would be torn to shreds, which would lead to future cutouts being constructed from sturdier materials.
Leading the fray in these practice sessions was Boocien, his companions by his side. They'd encourage their fellow Boos to swarm the cutout like a swarm of angry bees, and weren't they angry—angry that their way of life had come under assault? If any fool with a vacuum dared mess with them, then they were disturbing a beehive, and these bees knew exactly how to sting! Sinister cackles rang out as the Boos mercilessly tore into the cutout, with Boocien and his friends landing the hardest strikes.
These practice sessions led to competitions where the Boos were divided into several teams. Whichever team inflicted the most destruction on their cutout would win, and the other teams would receive consolation prizes. As the weeks passed and the annual JuBoolee neared, the Boos' confidence came roaring back. As Boocien had told the King, they were the meaning of the word "fear". They were the ones who brought the fear.
"You've all done well," said the King when he visited one of the practice sessions. "These beautiful woods are facing a crisis, but I know we'll get through it together. And if anyone hopes to intrude my dominion with malicious intent, I have only one thing to say—let them try."
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The Crown, Book 1
Fanfiction"Do you want to be King?" "No. I want to be *the* King." ... Ambition. Power. Determination. Drive. These were the four things Boocien had i...
