by Manny Xavier
when Billy had moved away. It was like stepping back in time, and Max hated to admit it, a little unsettling to see at first.
Billy was un-phased by it. It seemed to make him feel at home. Max guessed it had to be somewhat reassuring for him and did his best to hide any discomfort it caused him.
Billy jumped into the yellow beanbag that sat in the corner. He pointed to the bed saying, “You take the bed, Max. Just like old times.”
“O.K. Billy,” Max replied, hiding his anxiousness.
Billy paused for a bit. He was looking at the ceiling as if to gather his thoughts. Then all at once, he began to speak. He had an awful lot to say and there was not much time to say it. The Doctor would be here soon. Billy wanted Max to understand everything that was about to happen.
Billy began by explaining how he had met Dr. Porter. After lots of doctors and lots of tests, someone, Billy was not sure who, had recommended a renowned child psychologist, one Dr. Peter Porter. Billy had seen so many doctors already that he, and his parents, were skeptical. But they were looking to solve the problem. They would turn to anyone that might offer some help.
Dr. Porter was unusual from the start. He did not ask Billy the type of questions the other doctors did. He did not treat Billy as if he were sick at all. And he did something that no one had ever done before. He believed Billy. Dr. Porter believed in the Thabberwucky!
He did not perform endless tests. He simply asked Billy when the Thabberwucky appeared. And for the first time, Billy began to realize that the Thabberwucky was not there all the time, or even in every place. It had a pattern. Dr. Porter and Billy would discuss how to avoid the Thabberwucky on a daily basis. And with some practice, Billy found that he could live a “normal” day, even by Thabberwucky standards.
Dr. Porter also agreed with Billy that no one else could see the Thabberwucky. There was no condescending attitude about it. It was understood that parents and other family members simply could not see it. And Dr. Porter worked with Billy to help him use this to his advantage, for times when the Thabberwucky was near.
One such technique involved Billy keeping his family close when a room was dark. Even though the Thabberwucky was very near, its' eyes lurking in the darkness nearby, the presence of the family members kept it at bay. It was as if their disbelief in the creature served the same purpose as garlic did for a vampire. It kept the beast at bay.
All of this led to Billy having normal days again. This led to his parents being much happier. It also led to the moment that was to come. Dr, Porter had devised a master plan with Billy in the third week of Billy's therapy. A plan to capture and kill the Thabberwucky. Billy said Dr. Porter had called it the “light trap.”
“Light trap?” Max asked curiously. “What does that mean?”
“We have to flush it out into the open, Max” Billy said with excitement in his voice. He sprung up to a seated position with his hands clasped in excitement. “Cut it off from the shadows. Draw it out into the open and then light up the area all around it, so it is trapped in the little shadow that is left. It will be trapped by the light!”
“But, Billy” asked Max, “How do we draw it out into the open? Does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yeah, about that” Billy responded. “That was the part I forgot to mention. We need bait – live bait. Kind of like a fish on hook. Someone to give us a way to draw it into the light so we can trap it.”
“You mean we have to let it grab one of US?!!” Max asked astonished. “ You're joking, right?”
“No, Max,” Billy said solemnly. “The Thabberwucky won’t come into the light without a good reason. It will have to have something worth chasing out into it. Someone worth chasing into it. And that someone has got to be us.”
Max took a deep breath. He was afraid to even think about what it would be like to have those hairy-clawed hands anywhere near him. And even worse, what might happen if the plan failed.
But then Max remembered all Billy had been through. Max remembered everything the Thabberwucky had put him through. It was settled. Dangerous or not, if it could rid them of the Thabberwucky, the risk was worth it. “OK, I’m in! So tell me how do we do this exactly?” Billy asked with anticipation.
Billy explained the plan to Max in detail. They would arrange a sleepover at his grandmother's home. Dr. Porter would be there too. Dr. Porter would set up the trap and a lot of equipment to record the event as well. Dr. Porter had a set of lights on switches that would enable them to isolate the Thabberwucky once it appeared. With a little help from a human volunteer the Thabberwucky would be lured into the center of the room. They could then trap it with light on all sides.
Once captured, the creature could be documented. Then, if Dr. Porter’s conclusions were correct the creature could be destroyed by being exposed to the bright light. All the evidence indicated that the Thabberwucky could not come into the light. It was Dr. Porter’s conclusion that the creature, if exposed to light fully, would perish. He had managed to sell Billy on the idea. Max was unsure, but would do anything to help Billy, and even more to rid both of them of the Thabberwucky.
“Now, all we need to do is wait for Dr. Porter!” Billy exclaimed. “He will be the one to help convince your parents that you should be allowed to be stay here tonight.”
“I hope your right, pal” Max stated skeptically. “ My parents are going to need a lot of convincing to let me stay over here again.”
“Don’t worry, Max” Billy assured him. “Once you meet Dr. Porter, you will be as confident as I am in his ability to convince your parents the moon is made of green cheese.”
Max and Billy spent the next hour in anticipation Dr. Porter's arrival. Max was unsure what to expect. Billy had told him how cool Dr. Porter was and his excitement was clear to Max. The Thabberwucky was no laughing matter though. Max wondered how any adult, cool or not, could really believe in the Thabberwucky.
At 2:55 p.m. the doorbell rang. Billy rushed to the door in a mad sprint shouting all the way “He’s here Gran-gran! He’s here!”
“Don’t rush William!” Gran-gran sternly warned him. “Give the man a chance to catch his breath first.”
Billy swung the door open to reveal Dr. Peter Porter. To Max’s surprise he looked very young. He could not have been much older than most of Max’s school teachers. All of them were in their early thirties. He had no beard. It didn’t even look like he had to shave yet . How could someone so young be a doctor?
“Hello, Dr. Porter!” Billy exclaimed. “Please come in! Can I get you something to eat or drink? My Gran-gran made some great potpies earlier. I could see if she has some left. Anything at all, you just say the word and I will get it for you.”
“William, how about we start with an introduction to your young friend here first,” responded Dr. Porter. “After all, it only seems polite to introduce us. I mean neither of us having met formally. Isn’t that right, Maxwell?”
“You know my name?” Max asked.
“Because,” answered Dr. Porter, “Your all Billy talks about my boy. Who else would he have over for company on this unusual visit back home? Now, Billy, how about’ that introduction?”
“Of course, Dr. Porter,” Billy said enthusiastically. “This is Max. Maxwell Davis. He is my…”
“Best friend in all the world” finished Dr. Porter. “I know as you have told me so many times. Max it is a pleasure to meet you. I assume you know quite a bit about me. That is if I know anything about Billy.”
“Yes, sir, or Doctor” Max responded. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well. You don’t look like a...”
“Doctor?” Dr. Porter finished the sentence for Max. “No, I don’t suppose I do. However, I am definitely a Doctor. I have the PhD to prove it.”
“PhD?” Max queried.
“It’s a degree, an educational degree” Dr. Porter replied. “A piece of paper really, but one that certifies
that I know what I am talking about. At least when I'm talking about something important that is.”
“Dr. Porter, so good to see you again” stated Gran-gran entering the room. “Now boys give the man some room to get settled. Wait in the living room while I get Dr. Porter a cup of coffee to warm him from the cold. Now go on. Scoot!”
“Yes, ma’am” they both responded and made off to the living room. It was close enough to the kitchen that they would be able to overhear the conversation if they listened through the floor grate. Both boys were excited to hear what Dr. Porter had to say, even if it was a conversation with Gran-gran.
“They are no bother, I assure you madam” Dr. Porter offered in the boys defense. “I really do not mind at all”
“Nevertheless you need a moment to catch your breath” Gran-gran stated affirmatively. “And a nice cup of coffee will give you a chance to do just that. Now, no excuses. Take off that heavy coat and head right in to my kitchen so I can get you that cup of coffee.”
Dr. Porter was not a coffee drinker. He never really liked the taste. But one look into Gran-gran’s eyes and he knew that mo amount of protest would serve his cause. “Yes ma’am,” Dr. Porter replied admitting defeat. “Lead and I shall follow.”
Max and Billy found their way into the living room and quickly set the end table on the left of the couch out of the way. It blocked
