𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒌𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 "𝑾𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓!"

      A skullship is flying through space. Inside, three skeletons are walking along the corridors. More precisely, one is walking, the second is sitting in a wheelchair with a cast, and the third is dragging the second. Scorchar was sitting in a wheelchair, Zorphen was dragging him, and Skully was walking next to him. Skully and Zorphen looked at Scorchar a little sternly and scolded him in turns: — I hope you enjoyed your vacation in the hospital, Scorchar? — Ha-ha-ha! Not funny! — And you shouldn't have spied on your neighbors! Now you see what your pampering leads to? — Skully reminded. — Yes. First, you suspected that old queen in the palace of something. And you called the police on her. — Zorphen added. — She made children repair her palace. Using child slave labor is a crime. — Scorchar said. — They live in this palace. They are the queen's children. And they decided to help their mother fix the palace on their own free will while the butlers were on vacation, — Zorphen explained. — But you didn't learn your lesson, — Skully said. — Then you started pestering Lime and Lemon. — But they were suspicious, — said Scorchar. — How was I supposed to know they were just planning a birthday surprise for their mother? — Yes, yes. You never learned your lesson, — Zorphen said indignantly. - And then you climbed up on the roof of the skullship to look at something. — I told you then that I saw something. I even began to think that we were approaching a black hole. — But in fact, it turned out to be an ordinary and wandering dark planet wanderer, — Skully explained. — Then why did it look dark and suck in some waves? — Ow! — Skully hit his forehead with his palm. — It's like talking to a stone wall. They dragged him to the bedroom door. On the way, Scorchar saw that Wander had settled in the next bedroom, and some patrols had helped him settle in. — Ow! Who's that, not Uncle Wander? — Well, yeah, now you suspect him too! — Zorphen rolled his eyes. — Not at all, I'm curious, has he settled in the next bedroom for a long time? Is he our neighbor now? — Scorchar explained and saw how the patrol accidentally dropped a suitcase with sharp objects from axes to knives. The weirdo got scared, clenched his teeth and quickly collected everything while no one was looking. Then Scorchar began to look at him suspiciously. - Now I definitely saw something. But before he could examine it and explain, Skully and Zorphen dragged him into the bedroom and locked him inside. — We've had enough of your spy nonsense. You'll sit here like you're in prison and don't you dare bother the neighbors! Behave yourself. — Zorphen said sternly. — Yes. — Skully agreed and left with Zorphen. When they left, Scorchar decided to take the vase of flowers out of curiosity. He poured out the water, put the flowers on the shelf, and put the vase against the wall and began to eavesdrop on the neighbor's conversations behind the wall. However, he then began to struggle with himself and removed the vase. — No. I must behave myself. I'm a very good skeleton. — he said to himself. However, curiosity got the better of him and he continued to eavesdrop. He heard the voice of Wander behind the wall. — Yes, Syl, I've checked in with them... No, the room they gave me is big, but the views are magnificent... Yes, I know that since I was infected, I now constantly want to eat meat and bones... I myself really want no one to know about this... I don't know how much longer I can hold out, but when the skullship leaves this planet and we find ourselves in space, as if at night, I will transform again... That's it, I don't have time to talk anymore, I need to hide all the evidence... — Hm... What is he talking about?... I'll stand here and eavesdrop all day and all night until I find out anything. — Scorchar said sternly to himself. He continued to listen. So far he heard nothing but groans, cries and screams of rage. For Wander it was even strange, but very interesting and curious.

***

      Scorchar went to the toilet for a minute and came back to eavesdrop further. Suddenly he heard something like a wolf howl. Then he began to hear some growls and screams. As if the neighbor had a wolf or a dog. — Does the neighbor also have a wolf in his room?... Or a dog that acts like a wolf? — he asked himself and continued eavesdropping. Then he heard sounds, as if something or someone, somewhere was scratching something. — Oh my Grod! What is that? — Scorchar was scared. Judging by the sound, it was scratching through the very wall through which he stood and eavesdropped. Out of fear, he removed the vase and slowly moved backwards in his wheelchair. — Hey, brother! — he heard the voices of Skully and Zorphen behind him. Scorchar got scared and turned around abruptly, screaming, which only scared them. — Scorchar, are you crazy, scaring us like that? Scorchar sighed with relief. — Sorry, I just thought I heard something behind that wall, like someone was scratching the wall on the other side and wanted to break in here to me. — he explained. — Give me a vase! — asked Skully, and Scorchar gave him the vase. Skully leaned it against the wall and listened, but there were no suspicious sounds. Only someone's crying. Skully felt sad from what he heard. Apparently, it was his neighbor grieving about something. He even felt sorry for him. At the same time, he looked sternly at Scorchar. — I see. You're crazy! — Nothing of the sort! I definitely heard a scratch-scratch there. - Scorchar took the vase away and listened again. He heard scratching and a loud roar again, and he jumped up in his wheelchair. — There-there! There!... A monster! — Where? — Zorphen took the vase and listened too. But all he heard was his neighbor crying. — What are you making up? Only the neighbor is crying. You have no conscience at all. — But how? I heard it for sure. I'm not crazy at all. — He took the vase again and listened. He heard scratching and a wolf howl again. — A-A-A!!! A Werenderer! There's a Werenderer! Skully's cheeks turned red and he screamed at Scorchar. — ENOUGH!!! Scorchar, we're tired of your stupid fantasies and fears. The three of us will go there to the neighbor and prove to you that you're imagining things and that nothing is happening there. — Yes. Let's go! — said Zorphen and, taking the wheelchair, dragged Scorchar along with him, who resisted and tried to stay in the room. — No-no-no! Don't! Don't go there! There's a monster there! He'll eat us all! — Stop making things up! — said Zorphen. — I'm not making things up, honestly! I'm not lying! There really is a monster! — Why are you such a stubborn inventor? — Skully, with clenched teeth, pulled Scorchar towards himself, and Zorphen pushed him away. They dragged their brother along with them. They came to the door of Towards' bedroom and knocked on it. — Neighbor, are you there? — Skully asked. The door was suddenly opened by Towards himself, who was all sad. — Hello. What have you come to see me about? — Sorry to bother you. We overheard you crying and thought something was wrong. Are you feeling unwell? - Skully asked. — No, no, everything is fine. I'm just very sad because... It's better for you not to know about this. Trust me! - the weirdo explained. Scorchar leaned slightly to the right at this time and saw large scratches on the wall. — What's this? — he asked. — Where? — Wander didn't understand. — This!... On the wall! — Scorchar pointed his finger at the wall. — Scorchar! — the brothers looked at him sternly. — Forgive our stupid brother. He is so curious and suspicious. He always treats everyone with suspicion and suspected you of something. — Skully explained. — Yes?... Then I think it would be better for you to move to another bedroom and leave me alone. — he asked and was about to close the door. — No way! — Skorchar said sternly and deliberately drove forward, putting his sore leg in a cast between the doors. The doors clamped it and Skorchar's eyes bulged and he screamed shrilly in pain. — WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU??? — the brothers shouted at him and pulled his wheelchair towards themselves. The doors opened again. — Excuse me! My fault! Does it hurt too much? — Wander asked. — No, but I won't leave until I figure out what's going on! What are you hiding from us? — Skorchar began to interrogate him. Skully got angry again and screamed. — THA-A-AT'S IT!!! ENO-O-OUGH!!! ARE YOU DECIDING TO DISGRACE US WITH YOUR STUPID SUSPICIONS AND DISGUSTING FANTASIES??? KNOW, SCORCHAR, YOU'RE ALREADY STARTING TO INCUR US!!! SOMETIMES ZORPHEN AND I JUST WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BORN AND NEVER EXISTED IN OUR LIVES!!! YOU'RE ALWAYS MAKING UP EVERYTHING AND TRYING TO SUGGEST IT TO US!!! — While Skully was shouting all this, Scorchar leaned slightly towards Wander suspiciously, but Skully grabbed him by the skull and turned his gaze towards himself. — DON'T TURN AWAY AND LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!!! STOP STARING AT OUR NEIGHBORS WITH STUPID SUSPICIONS!!! I SWEAR THAT IF YOU DARE TO SUSPECT ANYTHING AGAIN, I WILL PERSONALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT YOU TO DADDY THE VILLAIN AND WE WILL LOCK YOU IN ONE OF THE CELLS NEXT TO LILITH, WHERE YOU WILL SIT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE UNTIL YOU FINALLY LEARN YOUR LESSON!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME??? — Forgive him, please! — Zorphen apologized to Wander. — It's all right! I understand that this is your family squabble. It would be better if you went to sleep not in the room next to mine, but in another one. Just in case, I advise you. — he asked them politely. — Okay, Uncle Wander. Good night! — he told him, Wander nodded and closed the door. — I'M ASKING YOU, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME??? — Skully shouted at Scorchar once more and he couldn't stand it any longer and shouted back too. — YE-E-ES!!! Scully calmed down and slowly caught his breath. — Let's move to another bedroom for a while, like the neighbor advised us to do. — Zorphen suggested. — Yes, Zorphen, let's do it. — Skully agreed and dragged Scorchar in a wheelchair after them. They went not to their bedroom, but to another. Scorchar was sad and angry at this time because his brothers didn't believe him.

***

      They settled into another bedroom and went to bed. Scorchar slept in a wheelchair. When Skully and Zorphen truly fell asleep, only Scorchar didn't want to sleep and decided to figure it out himself, since his brothers didn't believe him and didn't want to help. While they were sleeping, he quietly opened the door, left the new bedroom and rode on wheels to the very bedroom where Wander spent the night. He rode on the big wheels of the wheelchair to the door and, opening it only slightly, began to look at his neighbor with his right eye. He saw how the orangeman himself slept in the bed, using his hat as a sleeping bag. He also saw those scratches on the wall and was sure that he was not crazy at all. Slightly opening the door, Scorchar rode inside the bedroom and closed the doors behind him. He looked around. There was some slime on the floor, as well as other scratches. But in addition to the scratches, there were also cracks and marks from huge fists. As if someone big was here and punched the walls and floor with their fists. Suddenly he heard Wander start to moan and scream in pain. — A-A-AH!!!... NO!!!... AGAIN!!!... A-A-A-A-A-A... — he screamed in his sleep. Scorchar turned around and saw Wander twitching. It was as if he was having a nightmare. However, he suddenly opened his eyes. His black pupils turned red, and the whites of his eyes turned yellow. Suddenly, even the voice of the weirdo began to change and became more evil and menacing. The human teeth in his mouth became like wolf fangs. Then the transformed Wander began to break out of the hat, he barely freed himself with his shoulders, which had become large. He barely got out of his hat, which almost tore it from the inside. He no longer looked like a skinny dwarf. Now he was a healthy, three-meter-tall muscleman with muscles, muscles, and biceps. Sharp claws appeared on his fingers and toes. He had no shoes and was barefoot. Scorchar's eyes bulged and he was scared, but at the same time he was glad that he was right. — I knew it! — he said to himself, smiling. The monster heard his voice and turned around. It saw a skeleton in a wheelchair. — Oh! Here comes a delicious dinner itself to me! — the monster said to itself and ran its tongue between its lips. He walked out of bed and slowly, like a threatening predator, approached Scorchar. The latter stood in shock with bulging eyes and could not move. Suddenly the monster began to twitch in convulsions and began to change again. He shrank and became the same Wander with white eyes and black pupils. The weirdo looks at Scorchar with surprise and blinking a couple of times he asked: — You... I suppose... saw everything? — he asked him, to which Scorchar nodded. — My Grod! I knew someone would guess. Listen, kid, you better go away and don’t come near me. Believe me, I’m very dangerous! — SCORCHAR!!! — he and Wander jumped up in fright and turned to the exit. They saw Skully and Zorphen in their pajamas. Both of them were angry. — WHY ARE YOU HERE AGAIN??? ARE YOU DOING THIS ON PURPOSE??? — Skully, Zorphen, please! You have to believe me, I... — he didn't have time to finish, as Zorphen this time screamed: — NO!!! YOU'RE TIRED OF US WITH YOUR DELIRIUM!!! — Guys, you better get out of here before... — he started convulsing again and again took the form of a huge monster. He finished in a scary and threatening voice. — ... I didn't eat you! Skully, Zorphen and Scorchar all three saw this monster, their eyes bulging and their lips pursed. Then the three of them screamed like little girls and started running. They ran all over the skullship, and the monster ran after them on all fours. They ran and ran, not seeing where they were running, that they accidentally opened the hatch of the skullship and fell on some dwarf planet that revolved around one star so that on one side there was day and on the other night. The monster fell after them. They began to run around this planet and around them day and night began to change very quickly in the literal sense. The Werenderer continued to pursue them. Even when he stepped on the day side of the planet and turned into the former Wander, for some reason he continued to pursue them, although he could have stopped or run in the other direction to give them a chance to escape from him. — I TOLD YOU SO!!! I TOLD YOU SO!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME??? — Scorchar shouted. — NOT NOW, SCORCHA!!! — Skully and Zorphen shouted, running ahead. All this time, Wander himself was running behind them. From time to time, they ran around the small planet, running sometimes during the day, sometimes at night. Because of Wander, he changed several times. During the day, he became the same, and at night, he again became a huge monster with a scary voice. — Come back! — he said in a threatening, scary voice, and finding himself on the day side of the planet, he became the same. — I'm very sorry... — he said in a normal voice with sadness, and finding himself on the night side of the planet, he again became a monster, who again began to get angry and speak in a scary voice. — ...that you didn't stay with me for dinner! — WAIT, BROTHERS!!! — Scorchar was still trying to catch up with his people on the wheels of his wheelchair. — CATCH UP, SCORCHA!!! — shouted Zorphen. — I'm really... — the monster said in a terrible voice and turned into the old Wander. — ...so sorry! — he became a monster again. — Come back! — he became his old self again. — Run away! — he became a monster again. — Come here! — he became his old self again.. — No-no! Run! So they ran around the small planet with different time zones of day and night, until they got tired of running and fell to the ground on their faces.

***

      Suddenly Wander abruptly wakes up from behind his hat, lying on Sylvia's back on the surface of one planet and nervously catches his breath. — Oh, my Grod! It was just a dream! — he said to himself and lay down on Sylvia's back again, continuing to sleep. Below, next to Sylvia, who was sleeping curled up in a ball, lay three dead human skulls, which belonged to some teenagers. Maybe it was a dream, or maybe not? The voice of the ghost of Scorchar was even heard off-screen: — I TOLD YOU!!!... — SCORCHAR SHUT UP!!!... — the scream of the ghost of Zorphen was heard. — WE ARE BAD WITHOUT YOU!!!... — the scream of the ghost of Skully was heard.

***

      Scorchar suddenly wakes up and jumps out of bed, starting to breathe nervously. Skully and Zorphen were lying nearby, sleeping at that time. Scorchar sighs with relief and realizes that it was just a dream within another's dream. He sighed with relief and went back to bed and continued to sleep. He didn't even suspect that, judging by the shadow, while they were sleeping, some huge monster with claws and wearing a hat like Wander was approaching them.