Moonlight Dwelling

So what are you going to do while I'm hunting?"

"Catch up on laundry."

"Oh that sounds exciting. You aren't going to go see that dog are you?"

"His name is Jacob."

"Sorry."

"I'll forgive you this time but you really have to watch out for Virgos."

Edward smiled that perfect crooked smile that turned Bella's knees to jello. He kissed Bella goodbye and she breathed in the sweetness of his scent as if she could keep a little piece of him with her while he was gone.

"Have fun hunting."

"Try not to fall into the washing machine."

"I don't think even I could pull that off."

Edward left so Bella went upstairs to get the laundry and stripped the beds. She brought the clothes down and went to turn the machine on but when she opened the lid she saw something at the bottom of the machine.

"What is that?"

Bella leaned down to get a closer look and found herself falling. It didn't make sense because she was too big to even fit in the machine but she was falling. It was like she shrank. For all she knew the washing machine grew to fit her.

"Hello Bella."

Bella turned to find a little green man standing there smiling at her. He reminded her of a blade of grass. he had pointy ears and was wearing what looked like a sock.

"Who are you?"

"You shouldn't be here Bella."

Bella wondered if she fell and hit her head because there was no way she could have fallen into the washing machine where she was greeted by a little green man wearing a sock.

"Is that one of Charlie's socks?"

"You need to leave now."

Bella felt herself rising like she was falling in reverse. She found herself standing over the washing machine.

"Bells are you okay?"

Bella jumped at the sound of her Dad's voice and tripped over the laundry. She fell into the pile of laundry.

"At least I don't have to go to the ER this time."

"That's the answer to your clumsiness Bells. We'll just leave piles of laundry around for you."

"Ha ha. I saw the strangest thing in the washing machine."

Charlie looked into the machine and reached in to grab something.

"What are you doing Dad?"

"There's something in here."

Bella didn't breathe  until Charlie pulled his arm out holding something in his hand.

"I can't believe it. I've been looking for my badge everywhere."

Bella didn't say a word thinking that the little green man in the washing machine had something to do with it.

"Bells why don't you go upstairs and take a nap. I'll finish up here."

Bella just nodded and went upstairs while Charlie turned to the pile of laundry. He turned the washing machine on and poured in a cup of soap. He tossed in the clothes and closed the lid. While the load was washing Charlie watched the game. Bella ended up falling asleep dreaming about the little man in the washing machine.

"That's strange."

Bella came downstairs to make dinner. Charlie was on the couch looking through the laundry.

"I'm going to start dinner Dad."

"Hey Bells did you have a nice nap?"

Bella nodded and wondered what Charlie was doing. He looked like he was searching for something.

"Did you lose your badge again?"

"No but I'm missing some socks."

"I guess the sock monster took them."

"Maybe. I've never understood how socks go missing like this but it always seem to happen."

"I'll pick some up for you tomorrow when I go shopping with Alice."

"Thanks Bells."

In the washing machine the little green man carried the socks back to his dimension. When he appeared he found himself surrounded.

"What are we going to do about the human?"

"She won't be a problem."

"How do you know that?"

"This will be written off as a crazy dream. I swear I've never seen someone so clumsy as this girl. She tripped over the laundry. There's no reason to be worried about this. No one would ever believe that Bella feel into the washing machine where she met a little green man. She'd have to be insane because she'd wind up in a loony bin. So don't worry about this."

Pointing to the pile of socks at his feet he said, "There's enough for each of us to have a new outfit."

Bella never told anyone about the little green man she met but she did wash her socks in the sink after that strange day. She never looked too closely when she did a wash. Every so often a sock of Charlie's would go missing but they never talked about it. She did wonder if there was a little green man in every washing machine but decided to let it go because her life was strange enough with vampires and werewolves without little green men in washing machines that stole socks.

By Barbara Desmond