Festival of Shadows Read online

  ~ 100-pound weight.

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  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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  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.

  ~ North

  ~ South

  ~ East

  ~ West

  ~ Northeast

  ~ Northwest

  ~ Southeast

  ~ Southwest

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

  “Blast you—”

  Now I just need to get out of here.

  ~ East

  ~ Northwest

  ~ Southwest

  ~ North

  ~ Northeast

  ~ West

  ~ Southeast

  ~ 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 too close. I should leave before he comes out.

  He ran away as the forest began to shift again. The area was unfamiliar, and it would be a long walk back to the caravan.

  ~ 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.

  “Ay yi yi…”

  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?

  ~ West

  ~ South

  ~ East

  ~ North

  ~ Northeast

  ~ Northwest

  ~ Southeast

  ~ Southwest

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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.

  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.”

  He made his way up the dirt path leading toward the caravan grounds.

  ~ Continue.

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  The forest zipped by as Theo ran, but he felt that he was going in the wrong direction. Then the forest reversed itself again.

  I need to get around Cutter.

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a:

  ~ Jave
lin.

  ~ Compass.

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  Theo staked the javelin in the ground, launched himself over Cutter, landed, and took off running.

  ~ Southeast

  ~ North

  ~ Southwest

  ~ East

  ~ South

  ~ West

  ~ Northwest

  ~ Northeast

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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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  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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  The compass pointed north, and he got his bearings.

  POW! A tree branch smacked him and knocked him to the ground.

  I won’t lose my bearings. Now I’ve just got to deal with Cutter.

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a:

  ~ Giant light bulb.

  ~ Taser.

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  The light blinded Cutter so badly that he couldn’t see where he was going.

  Theo couldn’t see either, but he kept running what he thought was west. Soon, he couldn’t hear Cutter behind him anymore.

  He broke through the woods and shut the light bulb off.

  That was close. I need to get out of here before he comes out.

  His eyes adjusted to the night; the area around him looked unfamiliar. “I took the wrong way. But at least I got out of there.”

  He started running the long way back to the caravan.

  ~ Continue.

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  The volt of electricity shocked Cutter, and he dropped to the ground, sparking furiously.

  “Ohhhh . . .”

  Theo broke out of the forest and fell to his knees, panting.

  That was close. I better get out of here before he comes out.

  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 strolled back to the camp, and he turned the Whatsamadoozle into a yo-yo. He swung it with every step, and it sent off glowing golden rays that danced around the clearing, brightening everything.

  The toys, who were building platforms and pitching tents, clapped when they saw the light.

  “Oh mein gott!” Heinrich cried, putting his hands on his head.

  Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a golden ball and handed it to Heinrich. The strongman jumped up and down and squealed.

  “There,” Theo said. He looked at Lucinda as he spoke. “If anyone here had any reservations before, I dare you to doubt me now.”

  Heinrich quickly turned the Whatsamadoozle into a giant mallet and rested it on his shoulder. “I never doubted you for one moment. You’re a brave bear. Now I can fulfill my duty as the strongman, and I can smack the bell. Ya!”

  Theo jumped on a platform and threw his hands in the air. “Who else could benefit from my services? You’re in the protection of a real Ursabrand now.”

  The toys gathered at the base of the platform and cheered.

  “Now it’s your turn to help me, Lucinda,” Theo said.

  “We still need your help,” Lucinda said.

  Theo jumped down from the platform and glared at her. “What? I did what you asked me to.” He pointed at the moon. “I’m running out of time!”

  Suddenly, Bethany screamed and pointed in the direction of the forest. A purple streak was quickly approaching. As it neared, there was the sound of grinding saws and maniacal laughter. —Cutter.

  “Not again,” Theo said, drawing his broken sword.

  “You won’t get away,” the dinosaur cried. He was covered with vines and twigs. “What have we here? A festival? Oooooh! I’m going to dash you all to plush and laugh when Stratus tortures you!”

  Heinrich ran to the front of the festival grounds and pointed the mallet at Cutter. “Stand down, you Jurassic ruffian, or I will give you the biggest ouchy of your life.”

  Cutter grinned and kept approaching.

  Heinrich spun around rapidly until he and the mallet began to glow. When Cutter neared—POW!—Heinrich smacked him so hard that he arced into the sky and disappeared over the horizon.

  “And stay away!” Heinrich said.

  Theo sighed. “He won’t give up.”

  Heinrich scanned the horizon and shook his head. “Perhaps. It appears that you have more journeying ahead of you. I hate to give up my Whatsamadoozle again after such a joyful reunion, but I think you may need it more than I do.”

  “This will come in handy,” Theo said, turning the Whatsamadoozle into a golden sword.

  As Theo admired the sword, the wind blew, carrying distant screams. Soft at first, they grew louder until they filled the air. They were goose bump-making screams, so loud that Theo felt them in his bones. They were children.

  “What is that?” Theo asked.

  Heinrich shook his head. “Don’t ask, my little cub.”

  Shaggy trotted to Theo’s side. “Stratus is infusing the children with nightmares. It happens several times each night. Try to think happy thoughts. You’ll get used to it, Theo.”

  He knew that Grant’s scream was mixed in with the other children’s. Theo scowled at the castle and said, “I don’t know how you could ever get used to this.”

  The bell tower chimed, and the screams stopped and faded into the night. Though they were gone, Theo could still hear them in his mind, and he didn’t want to imagine what horrible things Stratus was doing. But he had to know.