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Description
Naptime has come yet again in this chapter. And I got show a different angle of the quiet corner in this picture.

You can read the written portion here:

Working at the Superstar Daycare CH 18 Chapter 18: The Monster “I'm sorry, Nae,” Miss Cassandra shook her head, “I have to take David to an appointment. I can't stay late today.” She took her boy's hand. Who was puffing out his lower lip while giving his mom the stink eye. Therese and Mikey were the last two in the bathroom. The other children were watching Sun do tricks in front of the quiet corner. Cassandra whispered, “I have to go before they notice. You'll be fine.” “Okay...” My expression fell while watching my last hope walk out the door. Mia had already left saying she had homework she really had to finish before her class tonight and Mr. Nico wasn't supposed to be here until after this nap time. I hadn't even bothered getting my bag. I knew I wouldn't have time for it today... Well, there weren't any fits yet thanks to Mr. Sun's distractions. Maybe the crash will just make everyone fall asleep faster today- “Ma? MA!?” Mikey frantically looked around once he exited the bathroom. His sister wasn't far behind him. Shepherding him around like sisters tend to do. “Where's Mama?” Therese asked. She was holding her brother's hand. Quickly transitioned to using both hands once Mikey attempted to dart for the door. “She had to take David to the doctor. She'll be back after nap,” I said calmly. Mikey got more and more panicked as time went on. His sister started holding him by his waist. I mentally prepared for what would inevitably come next... “MAAA!! MAAA!!” Mikey screamed in hopes of his mother coming back to get him. There it is... The first tantrum. Here we go... I put my hands on his shoulders so his sister didn't have to use as much force with him. Therese said something I couldn't understand to him, but it didn't help. Mikey was too emotional to listen right then. I wished I knew more sign language to help him. “I got him, hun,” I scooped up the screeching boy. Putting firm pressure on him with open palms. Mikey struggled and pushed to get away from me and run for the door. I shushed him and rubbed his back. Therese continued to speak to him, but talking wasn't going to help him now. He needed to calm down. I took exaggerated breaths for him to follow once he was ready. “She'll be back, don't worry... Mom always comes back,” I said in a low and calm voice. Not really for him to understand, but mainly to show my support. Sun had long since taken notice of the commotion and was observing us. He continued the transition song with his hands and voice box while his face was turned to me and the two children. His eyes were blank, thinking, head turned at an odd angle. Mikey was full-on sobbing at this point but had moved on to simply hugging me instead of running. I carried him over to the others. Therese was patting her brother's foot that dangled low enough for her to reach. She continued to say comforting words I couldn't understand. “Are you sure you don't want the” Sun moved his hand over his mouth to hide the lip movements he didn't have, “D-R-O-P-S?” “No...” As tempting as it was, more sugar wasn't healthy for the children. Plus I wasn't going to make a habit of using them every day. Once in a while maybe. But they just had one yesterday. I wasn't comfortable handing out another dose so soon. “I think they are tired enough already.” I saw a couple of other children sniffle and say things about wanting to go home at the sight of Mikey's distress. The faster we got into the quiet corner the better. Sun's eyes were still blank. His body slouched a bit, “I really think you should...” He used his hands to sign something to the crying child in my arms while still facing me. It helped the little boy calm down a bit. Sun had a hint of caution in his voice, “The lights will be off soon...” “It's okay,” I shuffled through the crowd of children to open the curtains, “Mr. Moon can help if he wants to-” “NO!” “No Moon!” “I don't want Mr. Moon!!” The children interrupted me. Some pulled at my clothes, others curled into a ball and still others were just crying at the thought. Okay then... I would usually say something about fits not working on me and continue anyway. But I knew this situation was different. Something I might be able to use to my advantage... “Well, that's not very nice to say,” I shook my head dramatically, “But if you don't want Mr. Moon to come then you have to fall asleep by yourself. He will come in to help if you need it.” Their response was a flurry of desperate nodding and agreement. Some of them between sniffles. Mr. Sun was quiet, blank-faced. The rays retreated behind his face plate ever so slightly. His fingers danced between each other. A nervous habit I thought only humans had. Sun's body language screamed, 'I don't know about this...' But instead of saying that he moved on, “Now be nice to Miss Nae-nae, superstars. Have a good rest, okay?” “We will, won't we?” I hushed while herding the children down the ramp with my free hand. The children who weren't too busy sucking in their tears waved goodbye to Sun on their way down. He returned their waves in small timid motions. Subtly stepping back bit by bit. I saw something move behind him before I closed the curtain behind us. I heard a sharp whirring sound as soon as I did. The kids dove under the covers like it was a tornado drill. Curled up into little balls on their cots. The ones without bedding were climbing up the shelves to get some as soon as possible. Wow... the threat of Mr. Moon coming in was pretty effective. I didn't know if I felt sad or impressed by it. I readjusted Mikey's position in my arm to help pass out sheets and blankets. If they were able to make their own bed that would be ideal. The little one in my grasp was still in need of attention. There were also a few of the younger ones who were still crying despite their efforts. I had some of the older children work with the ones who needed help making beds while I focused on the ones who were crying. Therese followed her brother around trying to comfort him until I instructed her to lie down. It was a very touching show of love, but her hovering was only distracting everyone. No one spoke a word. And anyone who made a noise got a glare thrown at them from the others. Which only worked for so long. A couple of them started breaking under the pressure. Sniffling and whining in their efforts not to sob when they messed up. Was that little threat too far? These kids were acting so frightened. I was beginning to regret saying that Moon might come in. The quicker we get to sleep the better. I scooped my phone out of my apron and connected it to the speakers. Chose the first nap time playlist I saw and set the volume. Just loud enough to muffle quiet sounds but not loud enough to be distracting. I used gestures to instruct the children to lie down and close their eyes. My attempts to lay Mikey down only resulted in more screaming so he stayed on my lap while I sat down next to another child who was struggling to calm down. The little one's sheet was covered in tears and snot by this point. Poor girl... She looked up at me. Her eyebrows turned up and her lip quivered in genuine sorrow. I settled Mikey to lay down against me and smiled at the girl. Her eyes lowered to look at the entrance of the room and her brows furrowed further. She started sobbing. Shaky and soft. I shifted my legs to block her view of the room and covered her ear with my palm. My thumb put gentle pressure on her temple and moved up and down. She looked up at me and I smiled again. The little girl just stared at me until her eyes slowly fluttered closed. I heard another cry across the room and made my way over to them. I attempted to place Mikey in his bed again on the way. But he wasn't as asleep as I thought he was. He screamed at a pitch that made my ears twitch back- Hold on... That was more than one scream... I swiveled on my heel to face the commotion. Mr. Moon was here., He peeked one eye around the corner into the room. Slender fingers curled around the wall's edge. I could see a glimpse of his legs curled at an odd angle to remain as close to the ground as possible. All of the children who were still awake shrieked and any that were asleep soon weren't. The room reverberated with the children's screams and sobs of terror. Moon shrunk away at the sound. Pointed his gaze to the ground and covered his face. He gripped his face plate. Hard. Oh no... All the children were acting so scared. Like I was yesterday but even worse. If one of those automatic routines starts right now it would be bad. What do I do? Uh... “Shhhhh... Shhhh.....” I shushed the little ones and made a move closer to the robot. Moon was still looking away, but his body gained height each moment the children were crying. His hands were trembling in his attempts to pull himself back down. I had to get in between him and the children. Both to keep the children safe if needed and to possibly show them that everything is okay. I continued shushing and motioning my hands for the children to lie down as I approached. Once Mikey realized where I was going he scrambled up and over my shoulder. I set him down to run wherever he needed to. Which was his mountain of blankets and pillows. My heart was pounding and my fingers shook. I wasn't sure what to do. But my instincts were pulling me forward. I had to protect the children. From whatever this was. What I did know was that Moon would stop if the children stopped screaming and crying. But that would be hard while they were actively being frightened. I- No I didn't even have a plan. I just kept moving closer to the trembling animatronic. One step. I prompted the children again to quiet down. To lay down. The screaming had transitioned to horrified stares and muffled crying under blankets. Two steps. Red lights flashed through the gaps between Moon's fingers. The light would consume the room for only a moment before Moon pulled his face away again. Three steps. I swallowed my fear down again only to feel sick. My legs shook. The tips of my fingers tingled. I just had to get into the hallway. Block the robot's only entry. Four steps. I froze in the entrance way. Hands at my chest and legs ready to run. I was only a couple of steps away from the jester now. He looked just as scared as the children. Moon pulled himself away only to step forward again. I was close enough to hear something rumbling in his chest. A deep almost guttural sound. Moon was speaking. Growling, to be more accurate. “Ch-chILL...dren-” The 'voice' was strained and low pitch, barely audible save for a syllable or two that would break through. “Pl-EAS-e... l-laY downnn...” Each word had to fight and struggle to break free of his voice box. My fear was now mixed with concern. Mr. Moon was clearly struggling to control himself. His efforts were nearly putting dents into his shell. Why did I say he could come in here? Why was I being so stubborn about those candies? If I just listened to Sun this wouldn't be happening... I wanted to say something. To maybe fix this or make him focus on something else. But my throat was so dry I wouldn't even be able to scream. My hands shook so much that it made it difficult to place them on the wall to walk up the ramp. Wait! I'm getting closer?! What am I doing?! Oh no... Oh no... OH- THUD Moon stopped moving. A hand gripped the wall. Flakes of glow-in-the-dark paint dusted the floor. More and more fell as the metal trembled against the surface. He towered above me, his head nearly touched the ceiling above the ramp. His eyes were completely blank. No lights no movement. His gaze barreled through me, freezing me in place. I heard the rumbling again. But I couldn't make out any words. Just a low growling that dimmed and increased like heavy breathing. STAY BACK The text in his eyes surprised me. It wasn't routine words, but an actual warning. Was this progress? Or was this desperation? I didn't move... Just don't push it anymore. If things stayed quiet maybe he could fix himself. My ears strained to listen past the soft music of the speakers. Listened for anything that might trigger him further. Nothing. The children were silent. But I could feel their stares behind me. Waiting. Dreading that something could snap at any moment. I remained firm. Pushed down my trembling and put on a relaxed stance. I had to show the little ones that I wasn't afraid. It was the only thing I could do. The only thing I thought might be helpful. Everyone just had to stay quiet. Calm... HUMAN SAFETY IS M- A child sniffled. Then sobbed. “mmmmY- tooOP prior-ITY!” Moon slammed his face with an uncomfortable crunching sound. His shoulders shook. The bells at his wrists played chaotically. The low voice rumbled in a painful display of restraint. The robot shuffled backward. Lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. He shook there for a few moments before jerking back up. Hands down and head at an inhuman angle. His joints clicked and snapped. Whenever his head twitched into a different position the sun rays would poke out near the base of his face. My mix of emotions was now taken over by concern. Moon was nearly at the curtains. Almost out of the room. I had followed the machine up the ramp without realizing it. I couldn't read his body language. It was too sporadic. But the way his face kept turning from the cots to the exit, I read it as fear. Of something happening. Something moving or making a noise. This whole time he was forcing himself away from the children. Away from me. Probably thinking the same things I was. Why did I do this? Why didn't I listen? With one last push, Moon scrambled behind the curtains. His limbs scrapped against the floor and walls on his way. I heard fabric rip and tangle in his frantic flailing. I watched as he slipped through the sparkling curtains. The bell on his shoe was the last thing to go. There was a sharp and powerful whirring sound soon after he disappeared. Then everything was quiet. The soft music below me was barely audible over my pounding heart ringing in my ears. I emptied my lungs and took a big gulp of fresh air to calm myself. Okay... I can now truly understand why Mr. Moon wasn't in charge of nap time anymore. If hearing children cry made him do that? Yeah... And that was with Moon trying his best not to do anything. I didn't want to imagine what that could have been if he didn't stop himself. I stayed still, listening. Nothing. My hands still shook but I managed to peek through the curtain. Nothing. The coast was clear. Was it really over? I heaved a sigh... What was I doing again? My stomach twisted. The kids! Were they okay? I spun around and almost fell over in my hurry down the ramp. Only to freeze again. A huddle of children crammed themselves near the ramp's base. Several pairs of eyes reflected the glowing stars surrounding us. Their eyes were wide. With fear, I assumed at first. But after another moment of analysis, I also saw... wonder? Admiration? ...What? That can't be right. Not after all of that. There's no way they would be looking like that- “You scared Mr. Moon away...” A braver child in front whispered. The rest of the crowd nodded and mumbled statements of awe and relief. What were they talking about? I didn't do anything. Moon was the one who put in all the effort to get out of here. But I supposed from their perspective it must have looked like Moon was running away from me. In reality, I made the dumb decision to follow him. To them, there was no difference. I was the hero in this fairy tale they just witnessed. The monster being driven off by the knight to save the little princes and princesses. I didn't know what to say. Do I go along with it? uh... “Quiet now,” I put a finger to my lips, “It's still nap time. Back to bed.” A smile quivered on my face. The children covered their mouths. I thought I even heard a couple of giggles. But, thankfully, they followed my instruction and went back into their cots. I sat down next to two younger children and placed my hands on their backs to regain some semblance of normalcy. I stared blankly ahead of me. My head was reeling. Replaying what just happened over and over again. As long as the children were quiet I didn't care if they slept or not. I had lost all hope that they would after all of that. But there was still plenty of time before the lights would turn on again. So maybe. Just maybe some would take a nap. No matter what, I had to deal with it by myself now. Man, Tuesdays really do suck...

Description
Naptime has come yet again in this chapter. And I got show a different angle of the quiet corner in this picture.

You can read the written portion here:

Working at the Superstar Daycare CH 18 Chapter 18: The Monster “I'm sorry, Nae,” Miss Cassandra shook her head, “I have to take David to an appointment. I can't stay late today.” She took her boy's hand. Who was puffing out his lower lip while giving his mom the stink eye. Therese and Mikey were the last two in the bathroom. The other children were watching Sun do tricks in front of the quiet corner. Cassandra whispered, “I have to go before they notice. You'll be fine.” “Okay...” My expression fell while watching my last hope walk out the door. Mia had already left saying she had homework she really had to finish before her class tonight and Mr. Nico wasn't supposed to be here until after this nap time. I hadn't even bothered getting my bag. I knew I wouldn't have time for it today... Well, there weren't any fits yet thanks to Mr. Sun's distractions. Maybe the crash will just make everyone fall asleep faster today- “Ma? MA!?” Mikey frantically looked around once he exited the bathroom. His sister wasn't far behind him. Shepherding him around like sisters tend to do. “Where's Mama?” Therese asked. She was holding her brother's hand. Quickly transitioned to using both hands once Mikey attempted to dart for the door. “She had to take David to the doctor. She'll be back after nap,” I said calmly. Mikey got more and more panicked as time went on. His sister started holding him by his waist. I mentally prepared for what would inevitably come next... “MAAA!! MAAA!!” Mikey screamed in hopes of his mother coming back to get him. There it is... The first tantrum. Here we go... I put my hands on his shoulders so his sister didn't have to use as much force with him. Therese said something I couldn't understand to him, but it didn't help. Mikey was too emotional to listen right then. I wished I knew more sign language to help him. “I got him, hun,” I scooped up the screeching boy. Putting firm pressure on him with open palms. Mikey struggled and pushed to get away from me and run for the door. I shushed him and rubbed his back. Therese continued to speak to him, but talking wasn't going to help him now. He needed to calm down. I took exaggerated breaths for him to follow once he was ready. “She'll be back, don't worry... Mom always comes back,” I said in a low and calm voice. Not really for him to understand, but mainly to show my support. Sun had long since taken notice of the commotion and was observing us. He continued the transition song with his hands and voice box while his face was turned to me and the two children. His eyes were blank, thinking, head turned at an odd angle. Mikey was full-on sobbing at this point but had moved on to simply hugging me instead of running. I carried him over to the others. Therese was patting her brother's foot that dangled low enough for her to reach. She continued to say comforting words I couldn't understand. “Are you sure you don't want the” Sun moved his hand over his mouth to hide the lip movements he didn't have, “D-R-O-P-S?” “No...” As tempting as it was, more sugar wasn't healthy for the children. Plus I wasn't going to make a habit of using them every day. Once in a while maybe. But they just had one yesterday. I wasn't comfortable handing out another dose so soon. “I think they are tired enough already.” I saw a couple of other children sniffle and say things about wanting to go home at the sight of Mikey's distress. The faster we got into the quiet corner the better. Sun's eyes were still blank. His body slouched a bit, “I really think you should...” He used his hands to sign something to the crying child in my arms while still facing me. It helped the little boy calm down a bit. Sun had a hint of caution in his voice, “The lights will be off soon...” “It's okay,” I shuffled through the crowd of children to open the curtains, “Mr. Moon can help if he wants to-” “NO!” “No Moon!” “I don't want Mr. Moon!!” The children interrupted me. Some pulled at my clothes, others curled into a ball and still others were just crying at the thought. Okay then... I would usually say something about fits not working on me and continue anyway. But I knew this situation was different. Something I might be able to use to my advantage... “Well, that's not very nice to say,” I shook my head dramatically, “But if you don't want Mr. Moon to come then you have to fall asleep by yourself. He will come in to help if you need it.” Their response was a flurry of desperate nodding and agreement. Some of them between sniffles. Mr. Sun was quiet, blank-faced. The rays retreated behind his face plate ever so slightly. His fingers danced between each other. A nervous habit I thought only humans had. Sun's body language screamed, 'I don't know about this...' But instead of saying that he moved on, “Now be nice to Miss Nae-nae, superstars. Have a good rest, okay?” “We will, won't we?” I hushed while herding the children down the ramp with my free hand. The children who weren't too busy sucking in their tears waved goodbye to Sun on their way down. He returned their waves in small timid motions. Subtly stepping back bit by bit. I saw something move behind him before I closed the curtain behind us. I heard a sharp whirring sound as soon as I did. The kids dove under the covers like it was a tornado drill. Curled up into little balls on their cots. The ones without bedding were climbing up the shelves to get some as soon as possible. Wow... the threat of Mr. Moon coming in was pretty effective. I didn't know if I felt sad or impressed by it. I readjusted Mikey's position in my arm to help pass out sheets and blankets. If they were able to make their own bed that would be ideal. The little one in my grasp was still in need of attention. There were also a few of the younger ones who were still crying despite their efforts. I had some of the older children work with the ones who needed help making beds while I focused on the ones who were crying. Therese followed her brother around trying to comfort him until I instructed her to lie down. It was a very touching show of love, but her hovering was only distracting everyone. No one spoke a word. And anyone who made a noise got a glare thrown at them from the others. Which only worked for so long. A couple of them started breaking under the pressure. Sniffling and whining in their efforts not to sob when they messed up. Was that little threat too far? These kids were acting so frightened. I was beginning to regret saying that Moon might come in. The quicker we get to sleep the better. I scooped my phone out of my apron and connected it to the speakers. Chose the first nap time playlist I saw and set the volume. Just loud enough to muffle quiet sounds but not loud enough to be distracting. I used gestures to instruct the children to lie down and close their eyes. My attempts to lay Mikey down only resulted in more screaming so he stayed on my lap while I sat down next to another child who was struggling to calm down. The little one's sheet was covered in tears and snot by this point. Poor girl... She looked up at me. Her eyebrows turned up and her lip quivered in genuine sorrow. I settled Mikey to lay down against me and smiled at the girl. Her eyes lowered to look at the entrance of the room and her brows furrowed further. She started sobbing. Shaky and soft. I shifted my legs to block her view of the room and covered her ear with my palm. My thumb put gentle pressure on her temple and moved up and down. She looked up at me and I smiled again. The little girl just stared at me until her eyes slowly fluttered closed. I heard another cry across the room and made my way over to them. I attempted to place Mikey in his bed again on the way. But he wasn't as asleep as I thought he was. He screamed at a pitch that made my ears twitch back- Hold on... That was more than one scream... I swiveled on my heel to face the commotion. Mr. Moon was here., He peeked one eye around the corner into the room. Slender fingers curled around the wall's edge. I could see a glimpse of his legs curled at an odd angle to remain as close to the ground as possible. All of the children who were still awake shrieked and any that were asleep soon weren't. The room reverberated with the children's screams and sobs of terror. Moon shrunk away at the sound. Pointed his gaze to the ground and covered his face. He gripped his face plate. Hard. Oh no... All the children were acting so scared. Like I was yesterday but even worse. If one of those automatic routines starts right now it would be bad. What do I do? Uh... “Shhhhh... Shhhh.....” I shushed the little ones and made a move closer to the robot. Moon was still looking away, but his body gained height each moment the children were crying. His hands were trembling in his attempts to pull himself back down. I had to get in between him and the children. Both to keep the children safe if needed and to possibly show them that everything is okay. I continued shushing and motioning my hands for the children to lie down as I approached. Once Mikey realized where I was going he scrambled up and over my shoulder. I set him down to run wherever he needed to. Which was his mountain of blankets and pillows. My heart was pounding and my fingers shook. I wasn't sure what to do. But my instincts were pulling me forward. I had to protect the children. From whatever this was. What I did know was that Moon would stop if the children stopped screaming and crying. But that would be hard while they were actively being frightened. I- No I didn't even have a plan. I just kept moving closer to the trembling animatronic. One step. I prompted the children again to quiet down. To lay down. The screaming had transitioned to horrified stares and muffled crying under blankets. Two steps. Red lights flashed through the gaps between Moon's fingers. The light would consume the room for only a moment before Moon pulled his face away again. Three steps. I swallowed my fear down again only to feel sick. My legs shook. The tips of my fingers tingled. I just had to get into the hallway. Block the robot's only entry. Four steps. I froze in the entrance way. Hands at my chest and legs ready to run. I was only a couple of steps away from the jester now. He looked just as scared as the children. Moon pulled himself away only to step forward again. I was close enough to hear something rumbling in his chest. A deep almost guttural sound. Moon was speaking. Growling, to be more accurate. “Ch-chILL...dren-” The 'voice' was strained and low pitch, barely audible save for a syllable or two that would break through. “Pl-EAS-e... l-laY downnn...” Each word had to fight and struggle to break free of his voice box. My fear was now mixed with concern. Mr. Moon was clearly struggling to control himself. His efforts were nearly putting dents into his shell. Why did I say he could come in here? Why was I being so stubborn about those candies? If I just listened to Sun this wouldn't be happening... I wanted to say something. To maybe fix this or make him focus on something else. But my throat was so dry I wouldn't even be able to scream. My hands shook so much that it made it difficult to place them on the wall to walk up the ramp. Wait! I'm getting closer?! What am I doing?! Oh no... Oh no... OH- THUD Moon stopped moving. A hand gripped the wall. Flakes of glow-in-the-dark paint dusted the floor. More and more fell as the metal trembled against the surface. He towered above me, his head nearly touched the ceiling above the ramp. His eyes were completely blank. No lights no movement. His gaze barreled through me, freezing me in place. I heard the rumbling again. But I couldn't make out any words. Just a low growling that dimmed and increased like heavy breathing. STAY BACK The text in his eyes surprised me. It wasn't routine words, but an actual warning. Was this progress? Or was this desperation? I didn't move... Just don't push it anymore. If things stayed quiet maybe he could fix himself. My ears strained to listen past the soft music of the speakers. Listened for anything that might trigger him further. Nothing. The children were silent. But I could feel their stares behind me. Waiting. Dreading that something could snap at any moment. I remained firm. Pushed down my trembling and put on a relaxed stance. I had to show the little ones that I wasn't afraid. It was the only thing I could do. The only thing I thought might be helpful. Everyone just had to stay quiet. Calm... HUMAN SAFETY IS M- A child sniffled. Then sobbed. “mmmmY- tooOP prior-ITY!” Moon slammed his face with an uncomfortable crunching sound. His shoulders shook. The bells at his wrists played chaotically. The low voice rumbled in a painful display of restraint. The robot shuffled backward. Lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. He shook there for a few moments before jerking back up. Hands down and head at an inhuman angle. His joints clicked and snapped. Whenever his head twitched into a different position the sun rays would poke out near the base of his face. My mix of emotions was now taken over by concern. Moon was nearly at the curtains. Almost out of the room. I had followed the machine up the ramp without realizing it. I couldn't read his body language. It was too sporadic. But the way his face kept turning from the cots to the exit, I read it as fear. Of something happening. Something moving or making a noise. This whole time he was forcing himself away from the children. Away from me. Probably thinking the same things I was. Why did I do this? Why didn't I listen? With one last push, Moon scrambled behind the curtains. His limbs scrapped against the floor and walls on his way. I heard fabric rip and tangle in his frantic flailing. I watched as he slipped through the sparkling curtains. The bell on his shoe was the last thing to go. There was a sharp and powerful whirring sound soon after he disappeared. Then everything was quiet. The soft music below me was barely audible over my pounding heart ringing in my ears. I emptied my lungs and took a big gulp of fresh air to calm myself. Okay... I can now truly understand why Mr. Moon wasn't in charge of nap time anymore. If hearing children cry made him do that? Yeah... And that was with Moon trying his best not to do anything. I didn't want to imagine what that could have been if he didn't stop himself. I stayed still, listening. Nothing. My hands still shook but I managed to peek through the curtain. Nothing. The coast was clear. Was it really over? I heaved a sigh... What was I doing again? My stomach twisted. The kids! Were they okay? I spun around and almost fell over in my hurry down the ramp. Only to freeze again. A huddle of children crammed themselves near the ramp's base. Several pairs of eyes reflected the glowing stars surrounding us. Their eyes were wide. With fear, I assumed at first. But after another moment of analysis, I also saw... wonder? Admiration? ...What? That can't be right. Not after all of that. There's no way they would be looking like that- “You scared Mr. Moon away...” A braver child in front whispered. The rest of the crowd nodded and mumbled statements of awe and relief. What were they talking about? I didn't do anything. Moon was the one who put in all the effort to get out of here. But I supposed from their perspective it must have looked like Moon was running away from me. In reality, I made the dumb decision to follow him. To them, there was no difference. I was the hero in this fairy tale they just witnessed. The monster being driven off by the knight to save the little princes and princesses. I didn't know what to say. Do I go along with it? uh... “Quiet now,” I put a finger to my lips, “It's still nap time. Back to bed.” A smile quivered on my face. The children covered their mouths. I thought I even heard a couple of giggles. But, thankfully, they followed my instruction and went back into their cots. I sat down next to two younger children and placed my hands on their backs to regain some semblance of normalcy. I stared blankly ahead of me. My head was reeling. Replaying what just happened over and over again. As long as the children were quiet I didn't care if they slept or not. I had lost all hope that they would after all of that. But there was still plenty of time before the lights would turn on again. So maybe. Just maybe some would take a nap. No matter what, I had to deal with it by myself now. Man, Tuesdays really do suck...