Episode Fourteen: Hugs and Handbooks
This had been without a doubt the best week of Timothy Jorgensen's life. He had three new friends, four actually if you counted Filbert, which Timothy did, and he was confident that Codex would soon make five. Five new friends. Timothy had gone through most of his life with far fewer. Only Hushglow, really, truth be told.
Percival:Timothy found it difficult making friends. He noted that the other children tended to befriend others who were like themselves. That meant that Timothy often found himself on the outside looking in. He hadn't encountered any other children who were like him. He wasn't even sure if there were any.
Percival:Was he the only Timothy in the entire world? But now, finally, after twelve long years of feeling excluded and overlooked, Timothy had found his place. Timothy had become an Archiver. And as he had established earlier with his new friend, Zorah, his task was now to convince other children, one by one if need be, that their dreams were real and that they were far more important than they had ever imagined. Because, as they said, that's what The Archivers do.
Percival:And right now, that meant convincing Constance and Garren. But as Timothy was about to learn, they were dealing with problems and issues of their own. And sometimes our dreams are not all fun and whimsy. Sometimes our daily problems and trials follow us there, unrelenting, refusing to allow us rest.
Percival:Episode 14: Hugs and Handbooks.
Timmy:The soft squishiness of my pillow faded into a familiar cool breeze. I heard the calm tune of Mr. Whimwillow's leaves whistling before I saw him. All around me, the world pulsed with soothing colors. The colors of calm, the colors of happiness, the colors of comfort. The colors breathed softly in and out, not with lungs, but with music.
Timmy:That's how the Meadow says hello to me in my dreams. The Meadow looked the same, except maybe a little more awake than normal. Mr. Whimwillow's branches hung extra low all the way down to the ground. Since he was The Tree That Listens, he must have heard something important and didn't want to miss any of it. It didn't take long for me to figure out what he was listening to.
Timmy:A quiet clicking sound came from the other side of Mr. Whimwillow. I knew right away that it wasn't a sound that came from the Meadow. Hushglow must have known I was scared because he started to glow light purple like one of mom's lavender candles. That always made me feel safe.
Timmy:Hushglow always knew how to make me feel better, no matter what. He floated over to me, grabbed my hand, and we walked gently around Mr. Whimwillow to see what was on the other side. Standing there, facing a big wooden desk with fancy names written on it in golden letters, was Constance. The clicking sound came from a metal owl perched on the desk. That must be Codex.
Timmy:He was saying something to Constance about feelings. I smiled. I got to meet another one of my friend's best dream friends. Hello, Constance. Hello, Codex.
Timmy:Constance slowly turned.
Constance:Timmy, is that you? I mean, is it really you?
Timmy:Yes, Constance. It's me, the real me. Constance had tears in her eyes. I wasn't sure what kind of sad she was. Whatever it was, Hushglow would be able to help.
Timmy:She stared at Hushglow. Her mouth dropped open and stayed that way, like words were supposed to come out but didn't. Constance, this is Hushglow. He is my very best friend. I told you all about him in class, remember?
Constance:Yeah, right. The, flying rainbow jellyfish?
Timmy:Hushglow isn't a jellyfish, I explained. He just looks like one. I wasn't sure why everyone kept getting that wrong. Constance lifted her hand up halfway in the air and waved. Hushglow gently pulsed a soft peach color, like the color of mom's voice when she tells me, 'Good morning.' That color means, 'Hello,' I told her.
Timmy:Constance wiped her eyes and walked up to Hushglow slowly, like she was afraid she would scare him away. But it was okay. I understood what she wanted to do right away. She raised her arm high above her head toward him. Hushglow stretched out one of his long arms and placed his special Hushglow hand on hers.
Timmy:Constance giggled and smiled.
Constance:It's so warm.
Timmy:Hushglow's hand pulsed a deep orange color. I smiled back at Constance. Hushglow likes you. I can tell. Now you can be dream friends too. Constance let go of Hushglow and looked back at the wooden desk.
Constance:Oh no, Timmy, I almost forgot. Something happened to Codex. I'm not sure what's wrong. He's been clicking and looping. He kept saying the word feel over and over again.
Constance:I think he's malfunctioning.
Timmy:The metal owl's feathers twitched and his head snapped back and forth. His glass eyes blinked in a way that didn't really feel like blinking. Not blinking-blinking, more like he was trying to get a bad memory out of his head, but it was stuck. Hushglow's arms were already glowing a little lavender, so I knew he was worried too. Not scared, just ready to help.
Timmy:I gestured for Constance to follow me to the desk. She nodded her head. That meant it was okay. Codex's pedestal and the cube attached at the bottom pulsed a harsh bright red with violet swirls. That meant something was very wrong.
Timmy:Hushglow only mixed red with violet when something bad happened, like when the mean storm cloud called him stupid, or when the meadow became too noisy and I had to cover my ears. I cupped my hand around the back of Codex's head. This was a time when I needed to be brave. I remembered that he had just been talking with Constance about feelings, and sometimes feelings can be confusing. I understood that.
Timmy:It's okay, Codex, I told him. You don't have to say anything if you aren't ready to. Sometimes it's okay for us to just feel first. The pedestal's glow began to change. First, the red faded away, leaving only violet.
Timmy:After a few slow pulses, the violet shifted into lavender. It's okay to be afraid, I continued, gazing into Codex's mirror eyes. Constance is here. She is safe. Hushglow and I would like to be your friends, too, if that's okay.
Timmy:The pedestal shifted again, from lavender to gentle green. The bright red metal cube clicked and fell out of the base. Constance caught it and tucked it into the black briefcase sitting on the desk, then closed it. Now the pedestal shined a steady green. That meant everything was going to be okay.
Timmy:That meant Codex could stop remembering the bad memories. Codex's head made one final twitch, and his eyes returned to normal. He rotated his head in a complete circle, ticking as he moved. He scanned the meadow slowly, eyes flashing like he was trying to remember whether he'd seen this place before. Then he spoke.
Codex:Miss Lawson, this is highly irregular,
Timmy:he said to Constance.
Codex:I was not under the impression that we had filed the appropriate paperwork to authorize a field trip outside Bureau Grounds.
Constance:Codex!
Codex:Constance cried out. She threw herself across the desk and wrapped Codex in a big warm hug.
Timmy:The pedestal glowed brighter.
Constance:I was so worried. Are you sure you're alright?
Timmy:Constance asked. Codex shook and his feathers puffed out. He brushed them all back into place with his wing. So that is how owls comb their hair, I thought.
Codex:Yes, yes, I am quite alright,
Timmy:Codex said.
Codex:I will remind you that paragraph three subsection six in the Bureau of Subconscious Affairs and Me, an employee handbook, expressly forbids unsanctioned hugging. I will have to file a report on this infraction. You understand?
Constance:Yes, of course, Codex. File your report if you must, but don't you see what's happening?
Timmy:Codex looked down at the empty spot where the glowing metal cube had been.
Codex:I see that we have cut short our daily memory archival procedure. How am I, the head archivist, meant to properly archive your memories if we simply ignore them,
Timmy:His head tilted sideways.
Constance:I know, and I'm sorry, Codex. I promise we'll get back to my memories, okay? But right now, just look.
Timmy:She spread her arms wide, like she was trying to give the whole meadow a hug. I tried that once. It didn't work. I had to hug it in smaller pieces instead. Her face had a huge smile. That made sense to me. The meadow always made me feel like a happy hug too. Codex made a soft clicking noise.
Codex:Yes. It seems your earlier data anomaly may contain more truth than I initially suspected.
Codex:The bureau has very strict guidelines on the topic of shared dreams. But alas...
Timmy:He made a noise that almost sounded like a disappointed teapot.
Codex:It appears we are simply throwing the rules out of the window entirely tonight.
Timmy:Constance shrugged. I shrugged back. Codex flapped his wings and lifted off his perch, hovering right in front of Hushglow.
Codex:Greetings, my bioluminescent friend. I am Codex, head archivist of the Bureau of Subconscious Affairs, and to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?
Timmy:Hushglow shimmered in all the colors of the rainbow, plus a few special only Hushglow colors.
Timmy:This is Hushglow, I told Codex. He doesn't talk, but this is how he says his name.
Codex:Ah,
Timmy:Codex replied.
Codex:Charmed to be sure. I offer you my most sincere thanks, sir Hushglow, for assisting with miss Lawson during what I now recognize as an unscheduled emotional systems anomaly. I must admit, I am rather embarrassed by the whole affair.
Timmy:He turned his head to me.
Codex:And who is this fine gentleman who so expertly assisted me in my time of need?
Constance:Codex, this is Timmy, Constance said. We spoke about him earlier, remember? He's one of the Archivers.
Timmy:Codex's mirror eyes flashed several times.
Codex:Ah, of course, Mr. Jorgensen, I might have known,
Timmy:he said, looking at me curiously. I waved at him.
Codex:Well, I humbly offer you my thanks as well, Mr. Jorgensen.
Codex:Miss Lawson is fortunate indeed to have such a perceptive collaborator for her group project. I sense much...
Timmy:A sharp crackle split the sky. Codex flinched. Hushglow pulled me in tight as I looked up.
Timmy:High above, even higher than Mr. Whimwillow's tallest branches, a streak of light shot across the sky like a shooting star. It sparkled like a firework as it sliced through the air. Then it turned and headed straight toward us. Bright sparks shot through the sky in every direction like a million fizzle ferns all saying hello at the same time. Constance screamed and dove behind her wooden desk.
Codex:Alert, Alert.
Timmy:Codex shouted as he flew in front of Constance, wings spread wide. Hushglow began humming louder and louder until the big crackling noise didn't feel so scary anymore. As the shooting star raced closer, it didn't look much like a shooting star at all. It looked like a rainbow if rainbows were made of glitter, and something was riding on top of it.
Timmy:Not something, someone. Not someone, two someones. The someones were getting closer now, fast. The glitter rainbow dipped lower and lower until I could see them. One person clung to the side of the rainbow with one hand, the other raised high on the air like they were cheering.
Timmy:The other person wasn't a person at all. It was Filbert. Instead of his silly half glasses, he wore red shiny Dream Flight goggles. Around his neck flapped a bright red scarf trailing behind him like a comet made of carnival magic. For just a moment, the meadow paused like every single plant and creature stopped to watch at the same time.
Filbert:Woooooooo!
Timmy:Filbert shouted. The other person screamed too, but they did not sound like they were having as much fun. The rainbow crash landed into the ground in a giant spray of glitter. There was so much of it, it made Mr. Whimwillow's leaves sparkle even more than they already do. I didn't think that was even possible.
Filbert:Ta da!
Timmy:Filbert shouted from the middle of the glitter cloud. Nobody moved. Nobody made a sound until Constance sneezed behind the desk. After a few long breaths, the cloud of glitter settled to the ground.
Timmy:There, in the middle of the glitter explosion, stood Zorah. Filbert appeared beside her, brushing sparkles out of his scarf.
Zorah:Hiya, everyone,
Timmy:Zorah said brightly. She spat a few little showers of glitter gently onto the ground.
Zorah:So that's what you call a smooth landing, Filbert?
Timmy:It didn't sound like a question at all. Hushglow pulsed bubblegum pink. He was right. It was pretty funny. Zorah?
Timmy:Constance coughed out.
Timmy:Zorah grinned when she noticed Constance crouched behind the desk.
Zorah:Constance, you made it! Isn't this just amazing?
Timmy:She spun in a slow circle, arms wide, just like Constance had done earlier.
Zorah:Timmy, is this where Hushglow lives?
Timmy:Zorah asked as she walked toward us. Yes, this is the meadow. I'm glad you like it.
Zorah:It's beautiful. It feels so calm. I'm sorry if we startled you all.
Timmy:Zorah looked at Constance, then Codex, then Hushglow, then me again.
Zorah:Filbert told me we were going to sail in gently on a nice little rainbow, not crash land in the middle of the peaceful meadow riding a glitter tsunami.
Timmy:Filbert hopped high into the air as a big red ball appeared underneath him with a loud hoof. He landed on the ball with a little boink and began balancing on one foot.
Filbert:Oh, I assure you, that little display was nowhere near glitter tsunami level.
Timmy:Filbert declared, waving his arms for dramatic effect.
Filbert:However, I may have made some tiny errors in my flight plan calculations. My apologies.
Codex:May have made some tiny errors in your flight plan calculations?
Timmy:Codex squawked, still trying to shake glitter out of his gears.
Codex:You nearly decapitated Miss Lawson, you... you kooky kangaroo.
Timmy:Filbert scowled.
Filbert:I am Filbert, the Splendiferous Wallaby. I'll have you know, you overgrown pocket watch.
Codex:Overgrown pocket... Hmphhh!
Timmy:Codex and Filbert kept arguing, saying some mean things to each other that I couldn't really hear in loud voices.
Timmy:I don't like it when people get angry and yell. I looked down toward the ground where things were calm. Hushglow wrapped his arms around me and hummed my favorite upset song. That always makes me feel better when I don't like the way things make me feel. Constance stomped in between Codex and Filbert.
Constance:That is quite enough, the both of you,
Timmy:she said, sounding very grown up.
Constance:Codex, I'll remind you of paragraph seven, subsection 13 from the Bureau of Subconscious Affairs and Me, an Employee Handbook. You recall it, I'm sure.
Codex:Well, yes, Miss Lawson. I do indeed.
Timmy:Codex's feathers looked a little less ruffled.
Constance:Go on then. Share it with the rest of us, please.
Codex:Well, I mean...
Constance:Codex?
Codex:Paragraph seven, subsection 13. Insults and innuendo are strictly forbidden. Bureau personnel are to conduct themselves with professionalism and courtesy at all times.
Constance:Quite right. The rules are there for a reason, Codex. Now, is this settled?
Timmy:She made a little pointing motion between Codex and Filbert.
Codex:Yes. Yes, Miss Lawson. I apologize for my lack of decorum.
Timmy:Codex looked at the ground like I do when I feel ashamed.
Filbert:Well, he started it,
Timmy:Filbert muttered. Zorah kicked Filbert's red ball.
Filbert:Woah!
Timmy:He wobbled, nearly fell, and barely caught his balance. He got a very grumpy look on his face.
Timmy:Then it changed. He looked like he felt bad too.
Filbert:Yes, it's settled. I'm sorry,
Timmy:Filbert said quietly. I felt much better now that everyone was friends again. I smiled at Constance and she nodded back. I think it was a thank you nod or maybe a sorry nod. To me, it felt most like an I see you nod. I looked around at everyone, me, Zorah, Constance, Codex, Filbert, and of course, Hushglow. We were all here together in the meadow.
Constance:So this is real?
Timmy:Constance asked.
Constance:Like actually real? I'm not imagining the two of you? We're all dreaming the same thing right now?
Zorah:Yes,
Timmy:Zorah said.
Zorah:I know it sounds crazy, but it's totally real.
Constance:I don't know. This all seems so...
Codex:So entirely improper.
Timmy:Codex interrupted, ruffling his feathers.
Zorah:It's no coincidence that the three of us put the feather pieces on our pillows and then just so happened to all be together in this dream,
Timmy:Zorah said. Codex continued on as if Zorah hadn't said anything.
Codex:I haven't stopped counting all the violations we've been accruing during this unsanctioned detour, miss Lawson. I fear that my report to headquarters will take me weeks to finish at this rate.
Constance:I know, Codex. I know.
Timmy:Constance sighed.
Constance:I just wish I could make sense of this.
Timmy:Suddenly, Hushglow began humming a song I had never heard before, and it didn't feel like a song meant for me. I always understood Hushglow songs when they were meant for me, but this one wasn't. Everyone in the Meadow stopped as he floated over to Constance and Codex, still standing beside their big wooden desk. As he kept humming, Hushglow raised two of his arms, one resting gently on Constance's shoulder and one on Codex's wing. He began to glow pale green, a green I had never seen him glow before.
Timmy:It was beautiful, like a color that used to be confused but finally understood what it was. The new song and the understanding color worked perfectly together. They made the most beautiful symphony of color and music I had ever seen, and I've seen a lot of Hushglow symphonies. This one told an important story, and right now, it was a story that Constance and Codex needed to hear. Constance started breathing hard.
Timmy:A single tear slowly slid down her cheek. It looked like a kind of tear I hadn't seen before. A tear that meant, I understand now. Codex blinked and pictures flickered past his mirrored eyes like a slideshow on a computer screen. I saw Constance sitting at a table eating dinner.
Timmy:She looked lonely. Then Then she was walking up some stairs, then hiding behind a wall, listening to something. Her eyes changed from curious to sad. Not happy sad, not middle sad, not even sad sad. I thought about times when I was sad.
Timmy:It happened a lot, but this was different than all of my sads too. I decided that I had to make up a whole new type of sad to describe it, so I called it the only thing that made sense, Constance-sad. Hushglow kept humming his beautiful colors of understanding. That made me think of Grandma. As I thought of her, I knew what I had to do.
Timmy:I slowly approached Constance. The understanding-tears were still falling, mixed with lots of sad tears too. She looked at me. Her eyes were still confused, trying to decide how to feel. I smiled the kind of smile that meant, I understand.
Timmy:Then I decided to be brave, and I gave her the very best and biggest Grandma-hug that I could. That always made me feel better when I was confused and scared. Maybe they would help Constance too. A moment later, something hard touched my shoulder. Codex.
Timmy:His wings were spread wide, making our Grandma-hug even bigger, even better. Hushglow's understanding song pulsed deep in my heart. He added a little part of a melody that I recognized. That meant he was proud of me for helping my friend.
Timmy:I wished that Mom and Dad could see me.
Timmy:I let Constance and Codex stay in the Grandma-hug as long as they needed. When we finally pulled apart, Hushglow's song faded and the Meadow stopped holding its breath. Now it could go back to glowing its own songs again, to breathing in color. Codex's owl body clipped and a handkerchief appeared between the tips of his feathers.
Codex:Perhaps, Miss Lawson,
Timmy:he said softly.
Codex:Not every breach of protocol requires a report.
Timmy:He gently patted away the different kinds of tears on her cheek.
Constance:Codex, I think it's time that we modify the protocols,
Timmy:Constance said, pulling out a pen and a tiny pad of paper out of her jacket pocket. She wrote something down. She tore the paper out of the pad and handed it to Codex, who grabbed it between two feathers, almost like people hands, and read it out loud.
Codex:By the authority of the chief subconscious officer, it is now bureau policy that shared dreams are allowed and in fact encouraged. Respectfully yours, Constance Lawson.
Timmy:Codex hesitated like he was making up his owl mind.
Codex:Yes, Miss Lawson.
Timmy:He decided.
Codex:It appears that everything is in order. I shall have the printing department issue new handbooks at once.
Timmy:Zorah stepped in.
Zorah:Wait, hold on. We have handbooks?
Timmy:Codex spun around.
Codex:Well, of course we do, Miss Shepard. What sort of amateur outfit do you think we're running? I'll have new copies collated for yourself and Mr. Jorgensen with utmost haste.
Timmy:Constance frowned.
Constance:But we're still one archiver short.
Timmy:She noted.
Constance:Has anyone seen Garren?
Zorah:I haven't seen him anywhere.
Timmy:Zorah said.
Zorah:But I do remember him saying that he might be getting to bed later than usual because of his baseball tryouts.
Filbert:Baseball? Have fun.
Timmy:Filbert bounced off his red ball into the air. With a spin, he landed on the ground holding a bright yellow baseball bat and a white baseball. His red scarf had turned into a baseball hat.
Timmy:He threw the baseball Good. High into the air. As it fell back to the ground, Filbert swung the bat as hard as he could. The ball exploded into a giant firework of sparkles. The colorful sparkles rained down then fizzled out.
Timmy:Underneath the sparkles, something was on the ground. No, not a something, a someone. Curled into a tight ball, knees pulled to his chest, arms wrapped around him, head tucked down like he was trying to disappear into himself. I understood that feeling. It was Garren.
Timmy:Filbert looked at Garren, then at his baseball bat, then back at Garren. He hopped next to Zorah as he shrugged his shoulders.
Filbert:I didn't mean to do that,
Timmy:he whispered to her. A few steps away, Hushglow changed colors. The soft glow of his understanding song faded until it couldn't remember what it had been.
Timmy:Pale green darkened and kept darkening until it forgot how to be green at all. In its place was a deep, cloudy gray. Hushglow's glows usually felt alive, full of wonder, full of light, but this one, this one felt like light wearing a shadow costume. Out in the distance, a group of dewdeer ran through the meadow. Their watery hooves made little splashes where they touched the ground.
Timmy:One dewdeer paused and looked toward us under Mr. Whimwillow's branches. The others ran on. This one stayed. It looked different. Constance and Zorah shared a look.
Timmy:A worried look? That made sense. Hushglow's not-glow color was starting to make me worry too. Constance shook her head, and Zorah shrugged her shoulders as a reply. Garren didn't move, didn't say a word.
Percival:Timothy couldn't wait to tell Grandma all about his dream adventures with the Archivers. He knew that she would be most proud of him for being extra brave and giving Constance a hug when she needed it the most. You are a bright light in a world full of shadow, she would always tell him. Timothy never understood quite what she meant by that, but he thought he was starting to little by little. There was something in Constance's life that was casting a shadow on her dreams.
Percival:And from the look of it, Garren had shadows of his own that were creeping into his. Timothy thought about what grandma would want him to do. He quickly determined that she would want him to shine his bright light at the shadow. And so he resolved to do just that because that's what The Archivers do.
Announcer:Thank you for listening.
Announcer:If you'd like to support the show and help bring the story to life, please consider joining us on Patreon at patreon.com/epicbedheadsaga. Patrons receive episodes one week early and exclusive behind the scenes content. You can also find us at epicbedheadsaga.com and on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. And if you're enjoying the show, please follow us on your podcast app of choice. It helps more than you know.
Announcer:The Epic Bedhead Saga is written, produced, and directed by Tyler Michael Jonsson. Episode 14 features Tyler Michael Jonsson as Percival, Timmy, Hushglow, Codex, and Filbert. Tiffany Ward as Zorah, and Erin Culpepper as Constance. This episode was made possible with the support of our Dreamtender tier patrons, Nancy and Grant Jonsson. We'll see you next time.
Announcer:Until then, keep dreaming.
