Festival of Shadows Read online

  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!”

  He jumped into the portal.

  ~ Continue.

  SORRY!

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  Tompkins let go of the club. He skirted around the ogre and attached a tow hook to both of his feet.

  “Accelerate,” Theo said. “Let’s drag him into the portal.”

  Tompkins drove forward, but the ogre resisted.

  “He’s pulling back,” Tompkins said, looking back nervously.

  ~ “Change direction, Tompkins!”

  ~ He called to the other toys to add weight to Tompkins.

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  Tompkins screeched his tires, but the ogre pulled harder. “It’s not working!”

  ~ Theo unhooked one of the ogre’s legs.

  ~ “Reverse!”

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  “What are you doing?” Tompkins yelled.

  “Trust me,” Theo said, swinging one of the tow hooks by its chain. He hit the ogre on the head, knocking him unconscious.

  Tompkins accelerated and they dragged the ogre into the portal.

  “That was crazy,” Tompkins said. He screeched to a stop and Theo hopped down.

  The toys cheered.

  “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 is he is defeated by me, an Ursabrand!”

  He jumped into the portal.

  ~ Continue.

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  Tompkins reversed as fast as he could, and he drove over the ogre’s feet. But then Tompkins got caught in his chains.

  The ogre laughed, grabbed the chains, and threw Tompkins across the room. Theo fell out and landed on the floor.

  The ogre ripped the tow hooks off his feet and ran toward Theo, but Theo ran under his legs and jumped into the portal before the giant could grab him.

  I’m sorry it has to be this way, but I’ve got to protect Grant.

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

  ~ Continue.

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  Several toys climbed on top of Tompkins. The ogre couldn’t resist them, and the portal swallowed him.

  The toys cheered.

  “Nice job everyone,” Theo said. “Now it’s time to rescue Grant.”

  Topperson spun out of the shadows. “Theo, wait—”

  Theo ignored him and jumped into the portal.

  ~ Continue.

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  The ogre dodged the second shot and grabbed Theo, slammed him several times against the floor, and then threw him against the wall.

  “Ugh,” Theo said. He staggered up, and the ogre charged him.

  He still had the slingshot. And another marble.

  ~ He took a final shot.

  ~ He slashed the ogre.

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  The marble hit the ogre on the stomach, and the beast stopped, groaning. The shot ricocheted off his belly and hit a rocket set in the corner of the room. The rocket hustled and bustled, ready to take off.

  ~ Theo dashed across the room and grabbed hold of the rocket.

  ~ He ran for cover.

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  The rocket shot into the air, and Theo guided it toward the ogre and let go just before impact.

  BOOM! The explosion knocked the ogre into the portal.

  The toys cheered.

  Theo didn’t wait, and he jumped into the portal, too. Darkness swallowed him, and he felt as if he were swimming through molasses.

  ~ Continue.

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  The rocket took off and crashed into a pencil lamp on the nightstand, shattering it. The explosion distracted the ogre.

  There was a knock at the door, and the room went silent.

  “Grant? What was that?” It was Mom.

  The doorknob turned.

  Oh no. She’s coming in.

  ~ Theo lay down and went stiff.

  ~ He charged the ogre in a last effort attempt.

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  Mom entered and saw the battlefield of toys.

  “Goodness. It’s a mess in here.”

  The ogre roared at her.

  “What kind of toy is this?” Mom asked. She picked the ogre up and frowned. “Dad must have bought this nasty thing.”

  The ogre swung at her, and the club scratched her wrist.

  “It’s robotic, too,” she said. “Time to go to the trash.”

  She shut the door behind her, and the ogre roared all the way to the dumpster outside.

  The toys cheered.

  “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 an Ursabrand!”

  He jumped into the portal.

  ~ Continue.

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  The ogre stared at the door in shock.

  Theo smacked the ogre with his sword, but the sword bounced off.

  “Leave,” Theo said. “Go back to where you came from, or you’re going to be found by a human.”

  Theo kept smacking the ogre, and the door came ajar. The ogre growled and hopped into the portal, but before it swallowed him, he grabbed Theo and dragged him in, too.

  “No,” Theo said. The ogre dissolved into the darkness along with his laughter. Theo felt as if he were swimming through molasses as darkness swirled around him.

  At least the other toys are safe. But now Mom’ll know Grant is missing. I’ve got to save him before it’s too late.

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo’s sword bounced off the ogre’s leg, knocking him backward. The ogre grabbed him and slammed him against the floor. The impact was so powerful that Theo lay gasping.

  The ogre was raising his club to finish Theo when a bouncy ball hit him on the head.

  It was James; he was standing on the nightstand, waving. “C’mon, Theo!” he cried.

  The ogre charged the nightstand. Theo noticed that the ogre was running on a rug.

  ~ Theo threw the bouncy ball at the ogre.

  ~ He pulled the rug with all his might.

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  The ball bounced off the ogre’s head, but he kept charging the nightstand. James yelled nervously.

  Theo knew that James was strong enough to defeat the ogre somehow, so he jumped into the portal.