Festival of Shadows Read online

  ~ He tried to bounce over the wall of trees.

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  He landed behind Cutter; the dinosaur kept charging ahead and accidentally sawed the wall of trees in half.

  “You’re in my way,” Theo said, turning the Whatsamadoozle into a giant mallet. He smacked Cutter on the head fifteen times until the dinosaur collapsed.

  “Ay-yi-yi . . .”

  Theo jumped over Cutter’s body and took off running. As he did, the forest reversed itself.

  A nearby tree grabbed Theo by the waist and launched him into the air; he broke through the canopy and saw the moon in the sky, and the forest exit nearby.

  When he crashed through the trees and landed on the ground, the forest reversed itself again. The tree that had grabbed him laughed and disappeared among the other shuffling trees.

  “I’m not the one cutting down your relatives,” Theo said.

  Cutter was still lying senseless on the ground.

  ~ North

  ~ South

  ~ East

  ~ West

  ~ Northeast

  ~ Northwest

  ~ Southeast

  ~ Southwest

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  The trees settled down again as Theo ran, and he saw a burst of blue through the branches—the exit.

  I’m almost there.

  He heard rumble in the forest again, and Cutter was on his tail.

  “That hurt,” he said. “But you’re still going to die. I’m going to cut this entire forest down to get you.”

  The exit grew closer and closer, and Theo thought only of Grant as he ran.

  Cutter reached him and just as he was about to saw him in half, an angry tree grabbed the dinosaur and launched him into the air.

  Theo broke out of the forest and looked back. The trees juggled Cutter, and they threw him all over the forest until he disappeared, groaning.

  Theo fell to his knees, panting. “That was too close.”

  He stared up the hill where the caravan was—it would be a short walk. The Whatsamadoozle turned into a golden ball in his palm, and he started up the path.

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo ran and ran, and after a long time, he finally saw an exit. He broke through and looked back at the forest.

  “I need to get out of here before he comes looking for me.”

  He looked at the area around him, but it didn’t look familiar.

  “I exited the wrong way. It’s going to be a long walk back to the caravan.”

  ~ Continue.

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  An angry tree grabbed Theo in midair and slammed him to the ground. He jumped up and saw Cutter approaching. He took off through the forest again in a different direction because he had no choice.

  He ran with Cutter on his tail for a long time until he saw moonlight through the trees.

  The exit. I’m almost there.

  He turned the Whatsamadoozle into an ink gun and sprayed black ink in Cutter’s eyes.

  “I can’t see! You’ve blinded me!”

  I should have done that sooner.

  Theo burst out of the forest and didn’t look back; he hoped the ink stayed in Cutter’s eyes for a long time.

  He looked around, but the area wasn’t familiar.

  “I took the wrong way out,” he said. “It’s going to be a long walk back to the caravan.”

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo cut through the trees, and one of them landed on Cutter, knocking him down.

  That should buy me some time.

  Cutter sawed through the tree and took off after Theo faster than before.

  Maybe not. I’ve got to slow him down.

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a:

  ~ Flamethrower.

  ~ Oil Gun.

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  Theo shot flames at Cutter and the dinosaur screamed. When the flames subsided, Theo saw Cutter with his wings over his face trying to protect himself, but his wings were glowing—the flames had strengthened them.

  “Ha. Ha.” Cutter slashed the ground and set it on fire, creating a ring of fire around them. His wings spun and their fiery grind was deafening.

  “Time for bear cutlets.”

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into:

  ~ A giant jackhammer.

  ~ An ice scepter.

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  He waved the scepter and sprayed a torrent of ice and snow at Cutter, freezing him in a block of ice. The blast was so strong that it also froze all the nearby trees in a thick sheet of ice.

  The area grew quiet, and the ice settled and cracked as it hardened.

  Theo ran as fast as he could until he exited the forest. He looked back, but all was still quiet.

  I’d better get away before he thaws. Over the hill, the lights of the caravan blinked, and he made his way up the dirt path.

  ~ Continue.

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  The earth shook as Theo hammered it, and Cutter lost his balance. His wings were still glowing with fire.

  Suddenly, the forest reversed itself.

  He ran with Cutter on his tail for a long time until he saw moonlight through the trees.

  I’m almost there.

  He turned around and turned the Whatsamadoozle into an ink gun and sprayed black ink in Cutter’s eyes. The dinosaur roared and fell on the ground.

  “I can’t see! You’ve blinded me!”

  I should have done that sooner.

  Theo burst out of the forest and didn’t look back; he hoped the ink stayed in Cutter’s eyes for a long time.

  He looked around, but the area wasn’t familiar.

  “I took the wrong way out,” he said. “It’s going to be a long walk back to the caravan.”

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo sprayed a thick stream of oil on the ground, and Cutter slipped and did a flip before landing. He tried to stand, but he kept falling down.

  Theo ran until he exited the forest, and he fell to his knees, panting.

  That was too close.

  He stared up the hill where the caravan was—it would be a short walk. The Whatsamadoozle turned into a golden ball in his palm, and he started up the path.

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo clutched the fins of the rocket and flew through the forest with Cutter close behind.

  “Not even a rocket can stop me from getting you,” Cutter said.

  Theo guided the rocket higher, flying through the canopy and into the sky above the trees. He saw the edge of the forest, so he turned the Whatsamadoozle into a parachute and started drifting toward it.

  Below, Theo could see trees collapsing as Cutter continued to look for him. Suddenly, two blue energy slicers flew up from the forest and honed in on him.

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a:

  ~ Sword.

  ~ 100-pound weight.

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&
nbsp; Theo slashed at the slicers, and each strike knocked the slicers away and kept him airborne for a moment longer. When the last slicer fell away, he turned the Whatsamadoozle back into a rocket and shot toward the forest’s edge just before he fell through the canopy.

  Suddenly, something grabbed him, pulled him into the darkness and slammed him to the ground.

  Dazed, Theo looked into Cutter’s snarling face. The dinosaur raised his wing to strike.

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a:

  ~ Giant Feather.

  ~ Giant Fan.

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  The fan blew Cutter deep into the forest, and his voice trailed away.

  “Blast you—”

  Now I just need to get out of here.

  ~ North

  ~ Northwest

  ~ Southwest

  ~ East

  ~ Northeast

  ~ Southeast

  ~ West

  ~ South

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  Theo ran until he saw the exit. He burst through the trees and fell over, panting.

  That was too close.

  He stared up the hill where the caravan was—it would be a short walk. The Whatsamadoozle turned into a golden ball in his palm, and he started up the path.

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo ran, and he saw a purple opening through the forest and dove out. He figured he would be safe from Cutter for a while.

  That was close. I better keep going before he comes out.

  He looked around, but the area wasn’t familiar.

  “I took the wrong way out,” he said. “It’s going to be a long walk back to the caravan.”

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo tickled Cutter.

  “Ha ha ha ha! Oh, please, stop! Hee hee!”

  Theo kept tickling Cutter until he was on the ground laughing himself to tears. Then he turned the Whatsamadoozle into a giant hammer and smacked him on the head fifteen times until he stars danced over the dinosaur’s head.

  Now it’s time to get out of here.

  ~ Southwest

  ~ South

  ~ East

  ~ Southeast

  ~ Northeast

  ~ Northwest

  ~ West

  ~ North

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  Theo ran until he saw the exit. He burst through the trees and fell over, panting.

  That was too close.

  He stared up the hill where the caravan was—it would be a short walk. The Whatsamadoozle turned into a golden ball in his palm, and he started up the path.

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo ran for a long time, and when he broke through the exit of the forest, he didn’t recognize the area.

  “It’s going to be a long walk back to the caravan,” he said. He kept running and hoped that he had seen the last of Cutter.

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo held the handles of the weight as it plummeted.

  POW! Cutter lay beneath him, and stars were dancing around his head.

  Theo turned the weight into a mallet and smacked Cutter, sending him deep into the forest.

  That was easy. Now I’ve got to get out of here.

  He kept running and broke out of the forest.

  The Whatsamadoozle turned into a golden ball on his palm, and he tossed it up and then caught it. “I’m one quest closer to finding Grant.” He glanced at Stratus’s castle; its spires were shrouded in fog. “Hold on, pal. I’m coming.”

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo thought of a stone wall, and one sprang up behind him. Cutter crashed into the wall but he couldn’t break through it.

  “Arrgh,” the dinosaur said. He started to saw through the wall.

  I’ve bought myself some time. Now which way did I come in?

  ~ North

  ~ South

  ~ Southwest

  ~ West

  ~ Northeast

  ~ Northwest

  ~ Southeast

  ~ East

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  Theo took off as Cutter burst through the wall.

  “You can’t stop me,” Cutter yelled. He grabbed a nearby tree and hurled it at Theo.

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a:

  ~ Giant Sword.

  ~ Giant Claw.

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  Theo hacked the tree in half with the giant sword and kept running.

  “Arrgh,” Cutter growled.

  Theo finally saw light through the trees—an exit.

  Cutter roared and said, “I’ll cut down every tree in this forest if that means catching you!”

  The trees reacted and started to shuffle.

  Theo kept his bearing and dove through two trees just before Cutter swiped him. He landed in the grass and looked back. Cutter broke out of the forest and was about to swipe at him again when one of the trees extended a vine, grabbed Cutter by the leg, and pulled him back into the forest. The trees took turns juggling the dinosaur and it seemed like they would keep doing it forever.

  “Nooooo!!!”

  Cutter disappeared under the canopy, and was gone.

  That was too close.

  The Whatsamadoozle turned into a golden ball on his palm, and he tossed it up and then caught it. “I’m one quest closer to finding Grant.” He glanced at Stratus’s castle; its spires were shrouded in fog. “Hold on, pal. I’m coming.”

  ~ Continue.

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  Theo caught the tree with the claw, and with equal force, flung it back at Cutter. It slammed into him, knocking him deep into the forest and out of sight.

  “That bought me some time.”

  He was almost to the exit when he heard Cutter approaching.

  “You can’t get rid of me.”

  Theo dove through the final two trees and Cutter lunged for him; the trees began to shift again and Cutter lost his bearing.

  “Where are you?” he cried. His voice disappeared into the forest; he must have lost his way.

  That was close.

  He looked around, but he didn’t recognize the area.

  “It’s going to be a long walk back to the caravan,” he said. He kept running and hoped that he had seen the last of Cutter.

  ~ Continue.

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