Morgan Berry’s mother had always wanted a daughter and when she gives birth to a son, she simply dresses him as a girl and treats him as she would a daughter. When he’s picked on and teased at kindergarten, she homeschools him herself. Morgan is eight when his mother brings home a new beau, a no-nonsense man called Dennis O’Rourke. He compliments his new ‘daughter’ on how pretty she is and when his mother doesn’t correct the man, Morgan flees the room in embarrassment. Naturally, Dennis eventually discovers Morgan isn’t a girl. From that moment on, he barely acknowledges Morgan’s existence and is, in fact, openly hostile to his cross-dressing step-son. On the eve of Morgan’s eighteenth birthday, Dennis, now an alcoholic, bashes his stepson until Morgan loses consciousness. Morgan wakes up outside. He has no idea how he came to be under a tree on top of a small hill beneath a starry sky. He’s trying to work it out when he meets Reginald Batt, of the Big River Batts. Morgan and Reginald become inseparable and together they experience worlds of wonder and awe. Morgan is shown sights he could never have imagined and in the process he learns many things about the world, and about himself -- the most important of which is a revelation indeed.

Stranger Things

“It is, Mr Batt, although I’m also here for the Council of the Night. I don’t suppose you’re on the council?”


Reginald waved a hand in front of him. “No, I’m not fortunate enough to serve on the council.”


My curiosity was now piqued to the extent I was moved to finally make a contribution to the conversation.


“What’s the Council of the Night?” My eyes darted between Reginald and Naal.


Reginald patted me on the thigh, though directed his comment to Naal. “He’s a new spirit,” he explained. “There’s a lot for him to learn.” Then he added, “Though he certainly knew more about you than I did, so credit where credit is indeed due.”


“The Council of the Night,” Naal began, shifting on his tree stump, “is a council of elders that meet every year after Nocturne to hear grievances and judgement appeals.”


Chapter 18