Festival of Shadows (2 page)

“Uh oh,” Theo breathed.

~ Theo rolled out of the way.

~ He dove between the ogre’s legs.
 

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POW!
The ogre hit Theo in mid-roll, launching him across the room. He bounced off the bed, off the dresser, off the window, and finally crashed to the floor.
 

The toys in the room yelled in fear.
 

“Oh my!”

“Yipes!”

“Get up, buddy!”

Theo clutched his forehead and used the bedpost to pull himself up. He opened and closed his right fist—it was empty. His sword lay at the head of the bed, and he was all the way at the foot.

The ogre ran at him again.
 

~ He shot under the bed.
 

~ He climbed the bedpost.
 

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The ogre grabbed his foot and flung him into the closet door. Now Theo’s sword was even farther away. The ogre stomped toward him as if annoyed that this was taking so long.
 

“I won’t give up,” Theo said.

The ogre raised the club and brought it down; Theo rolled out of the way and the club hit the toy box, denting the lid. The toys inside screamed.
 

But the ogre was quick. He grabbed Theo by the neck and stomped over to the portal.

“Stratus . . . eat . . . your crushed body . . .”

“Let go of me!” Theo tried to pry himself from the ogre’s grip, but it was impossible.

A voice came from the dresser. It was James, who held a smiling boomerang. “Hey, ogre guy!”

The ogre looked over just in time to see the boomerang hit him in the eye. He cried out and dropped Theo into the portal.
 

“No!” Theo screamed as the darkness swallowed him.
 

I couldn’t protect the rest of the toys. They won’t be able to fight off the ogre. I failed them, too.
 

He felt as if he were sinking into molasses as he thought about the fate of the other toys.
 

~ Continue.

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The ogre slammed the bedpost, but Theo jumped off at the last moment, ran between the ogre’s legs, dashed under the bed, and grabbed his sword.
 

The ogre blew nasty breath under the bed; it smelled so foul that Theo crawled out coughing. The ogre ran toward him again, but Theo caught his breath and climbed to the top of the nightstand, where there was a lamp that looked like a pencil.

~ He unplugged the lamp and used the cord as a rope.

~ He pushed the lamp off the nightstand.
 

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He swung the cord like a lasso and knocked the ogre on the head with the plug. The ogre staggered backward, and Theo swung again, wrapping the cord around the ogre’s waist.
 

“I need help!” Theo cried.
 

James clambered from the toy box and pulled the rope tight around the ogre until he dropped the club, then he bound the ogre’s hands.

“Can you take care of him?” Theo asked.

James nodded.

“I’m going to jump in the portal. Wait a few minutes, and then throw him in. He shouldn’t be able to cause any more trouble.”

 
“Well done, Theo,” Topperson said, spinning out from the shadows. “But that ogre is just a hint of what you will encounter in the Stratusphere.”

“I’m ready,” Theo said. “Stratus will never forget this day—the day that he is defeated by me, an Ursabrand!”

He jumped into the portal.
 

~ Continue.

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The lamp shattered against the ogre’s head, and he cried out. He took the cord and flung it at Theo, knocking him off the nightstand. He picked Theo up, roared, and threw him into the portal out of rage.
 

Theo screamed as the darkness swallowed him.
 

I couldn’t protect the rest of the toys. They won’t be able to fight off the ogre. I failed them, too.
 

He felt as if he were sinking into molasses as he thought about the fate of the other toys.
 

~ Continue.

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The club smashed the floor, shaking the room. The quake took the ogre by surprise, and he wobbled on one foot.

Theo looked around; there was a toy airplane hiding under a sock in the middle of the room. He was painted like a green fighter jet, with a three-wing propeller on his nose. When they made eye contact, Planeby whispered “Sssh.”

~ Theo taunted the ogre instead.

~ He decided to commandeer the airplane.
 

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“Over here!”

The ogre regained his balance and stomped toward Theo. He raised his club and was just about to strike—when there was a knock at the door.

“Grant?” Mom asked. “Are you okay?”

The room went silent. The ogre looked at Theo, speechless.
 

“You’re awfully loud,” Mom said. The doorknob turned, and all the toys became nervous.

If she sees us, who knows what will happen?
 

Theo ran to Nora the Boombox, and he pressed a special button (for emergencies like this) and Grant’s voice came out. “Okay, Mom. Sorry!”

The doorknob stopped turning, and Mom’s footsteps trailed down the stairs.
 

The ogre sighed; his back was turned to Theo.
 

~ Theo jumped into the air with his sword ready.

~ He threw Nora at the ogre’s head.

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The ogre spun around and saw Theo. He snatched him out of the air by the legs, slammed him to the floor three times, then hurled him in the portal.
 

Theo heard the ogre’s laughter as darkness swallowed him. Every part of his body ached.

I couldn’t protect the rest of the toys. They won’t be able to fight off the ogre. I failed them, too.
 

He felt as if he were sinking into molasses as he thought about the fate of the other toys.
 

~ Continue.

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The ogre turned around just as Nora hit him in the face with her microphone; he staggered backward and fell into the portal.
 

The toys cheered.

“Stratus is next,” Theo said.

“Theo, wait!” Topperson cried.

But Theo ignored him and leaped into the portal.
 

~ Continue.

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Theo lifted the sock, and Planeby shushed him louder. “You’re going to get me killed.”

“You should be offering your services for Grant’s sake,” Theo said. He jumped inside the airplane and turned on the engine.
 

“Please, no—”

“Be quiet!”

~ Theo took off.

~ He stuffed the sock in the plane’s mouth.
 

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Planeby screamed as Theo eased into the air. “I’m gonna die!”

“You will if you keep talking like that,” Theo said, fanning to the left.
 

The ogre saw them and roared.
 

Come on. Throw your club at me. Do it!

The ogre raised the club as if to throw it. Theo rolled to the right, and Planeby started crying.

Come on.
 

The ogre grabbed a nearby ball and threw it at the plane.

~ Theo fired a rubber missile at the ball.
 

~ He rolled out of the way.
 

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The missile collided with the ball, sending it to the floor.

“Phew,” Theo said. He circled the room, and the ogre turned to keep facing them. Theo waited until the ogre’s back was to the portal, then he steered the plane down.

“Noooo,” Planeby said. “We’re going to hit him!”

SMASH! The impact knocked the ogre into the portal. The force broke off Planeby’s propeller, and he and Theo fell to the ground and rolled across the floor.
 

“I’m broken,” Planeby said. “It’s your fault, Theo!”

Theo pulled himself up. “You should be honored. Grant will appreciate your sacrifice.”

“Have you no compassion?” Planeby asked. “I’m a collector’s item! They’ll never be able to find a replacement propeller.” Several toys gathered and tried to console him, patting his wings as he sniffled.

“Hmph,” Theo said, facing the portal.
 

Topperson spun from the shadows. “Well done, Theo. But that ogre is just a hint of what you will encounter in the Stratusphere.”

“I’m ready,” Theo said. “Stratus will never forget this day—the day he is defeated by me, an Ursabrand!”

He jumped into the portal.
 

~ Continue.

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CRACK! The ball hit the plane in mid-roll, sending Planeby and Theo into a tailspin.
 

“Dear God,” Planeby said, “I swear, if I survive this, I’ll never get mad when Grant wants to play airplane again. Please, please, please, oh pretty please—”

“Quit complaining,” Theo said, aiming for the portal.
 

“No, I don’t want to go!”

“I don’t care what you want. I’ve got to save Grant.”

Planeby hollered as they approached the portal, and Theo suddenly changed his mind. He steered away from the portal, and then jumped out. Planeby crashed to pieces on the floor, and Theo landed in the portal.

I’m sorry he had to get hurt, but saving Grant is more important. The rest of the toys will have to learn how to be brave and defend the house while I’m gone.
 

Darkness swallowed him, and he felt as if he were swimming through molasses as he thought about saving Grant.
 

~ Continue.

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Planeby couldn’t talk with the sock in his mouth.
 

“Much better,” Theo said, easing the plane into the air. “Now, I’m going to tell you to do something. Do it, and we’ll get rid of this ogre forever.”

Planeby nodded as Theo climbed higher. The ogre didn’t see them yet. Theo pushed up on the nose, and they dove toward the ogre’s head. The plane screamed, but the sock absorbed the sound.

“Spit the sock at him,” Theo said. “Now!”

Planeby spit out the sock, and it went over the ogre’s head; the beast roared and dropped his club, clutching at his head. He tripped over the club and fell into the portal, groaning.
 

The toys cheered.
 

“Wow,” Planeby said. “We did it! We beat that nasty guy!”

“Grant will be proud of your bravery,” Theo said.
 

Planeby whistled as they did a victory lap around the bedroom and landed on the rug near the portal.
 

Then Theo jumped out of the plane and into the portal, not looking back.
 

~ Continue.

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Theo leaned against the toy box to regroup as the ogre stomped toward him. A slingshot jumped down and insinuated itself against his thigh.
 

“David and Goliath, eh?” Theo said. He grabbed the slingshot, slung an agate marble, and aimed. The marble hit one of the ogre’s eyes, and he dropped the club.

Tompkins the Tow Truck sped out of the closet and grabbed the club with his tow hooks.

~ Theo jumped on Tompkins and they drove the club into the ogre’s stomach.
 

~ He aimed the slingshot at the ogre again.
 

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The ogre stumbled back, winded; just as he was about to fall into the portal, he sprang forward and belly flopped onto the floor. He tried to pull himself up again, but he was still out of breath.

Tompkins did a three-sixty. “What’ll it be, Theo?”

~ “Ram him again.”

~ “Let down your tow hooks again.”

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They rammed the ogre again and he slid into the portal, gasping for air.
 

The toys cheered.

“We showed him!” Tompkins said.
 

“Well done, Theo,” Topperson said. “But that ogre is just a hint of what you will encounter in the Stratusphere.”

“I’m ready,” Theo said. “Stratus will never forget this day—the day he is defeated by me, an Ursabrand!”