Read The Forbidden Window (Hiding from Seagulls Book 2) Page 5

  ***

  “Then you went through the door and met us?” Simon asked

  Madeline nodded. The others had listened to her story in near silence.

  “Great,” Simon replied.

  “So we have all heard a nice story about Madeline's soap opera home life and Rob being late for a detention. I still don't see that we are any closer to leaving this room. Actually I don't see how any of this has helped at all.” Simon added impatiently.

  “I thought if we knew how we got here we could work out how to get back,” Madeline replied.

  “Yes, well I don't think your melodrama is going to help us at all.”

  “Enough,” Rob interrupted.

  “I think we were all brought here. This is a waiting room,” Tommy summarized.

  “It is,” said a man with a big beard and mustard coloured skin. He stood by an open doorway that simply hadn't been there before.

  “Of course, we have,” Simon sighed, “Here we go again.”

   

   

   

   

   

  The Reboot Shore

   

   

  The door appeared seemingly from nowhere. Now a crooked figure slumped in front of them. He had skin the colour of mustard. It was a figure that Tommy was sure he had seen before, but couldn't place where. The man smiled warmly at the children.

  “So it was you children that beat the Duchess,” The odd little man offered spreading his arms out in front of him as though presenting the group to someone unseen.

  “I have a feeling I am going to wish we hadn't,” Simon responded.

  “Oh where, just where are my manners?” The bearded man asked himself before doing what looked like a little curtsy.

  “I am Yallery Brown, manager of the restore shore.”

  “What is the restore shore?” Rob asked puzzled.

  “I am so glad you asked,” Yallery said still grinning. “Please do come in.”

  Tommy wondered if they should go through the door. The last time around, he had led the group. Before he had thought too much about it Madeline walked through the door accepting the odd man's invitation. They followed Yallery into the restore shore and as they did, Yallery told them the reason they were there.

  “The world we live in children is shaped by its leader. The Duchess made everything what it was. When you beat the Duchess she stopped ruling and you guys didn't stick around to replace her.”

  As they walked, and Yallery talked casually, Tommy looked around trying to understand the strange place. It felt like those moments when you get off a plane and step into a different country, well that and a whole ton of weird. As Yallery took them wherever he wanted to take them, Tommy saw a wonderful waterfall where the water ran up into the air. There were people collecting the water in buckets but they did not look like real people. Most did not have faces. They were a little like dolls or mannequins. The sky was filled with circling seagulls.

  Yallery must have seen Tommy looking up in wonder.

  “Don't worry about the seagulls Tommy my friend. They don't belong to the Duchess any more. Without a leader they are just birds in the sky.”

  “He says that like it's an odd thing,” Simon said. Tommy was surprised Simon had followed them through the room with no doors.

  “What is with the freaky doll people?” Madeline asked.

  “Not fully written yet friend, right now they work to keep the recovery shore going. They are very helpful, a word of caution on the water. I don't think your kind can drink it.”

  Tommy saw that the area they were in was quite big. But much like school there was a big metal fence.

  “What is outside?” Tommy asked.

  “Nothing friend,” Yallery replied.

  “How can there be nothing?” Simon interrupted.

  “There is never just nothing. I mean if there is only darkness out there isn't darkness something?”

  “No friend, it is like I told you out there does not exist yet. There is nothing. To the south, there is a beach. However, we are completely enclosed by the sea. There is no land in any direction out there”

  “So what you are saying,” Madeline began slowly, “is there is no way out of here.”

  “None at all friends,” Yallery replied sounding quite satisfied.

  “Great. So I am stuck here,” Simon added.

  “That is always the task isn't it; to return home. Back to Kansas, through the wardrobe, or to crawl back out of the rabbit hole,” Madeline said thoughtfully.

  “You know I forgot how utterly weird you really are,” Simon replied. For once Tommy saw no reason to argue with him. Madeline was a little different. But in their own way he guessed they all were.

  A little bearded man with mustard coloured skin deeper was leading them into the mystical reboot shore. Not many children can say that and sound normal.

  Everything around them was bright in colour. Buildings were painted with lilac, yellows and reds. There were coloured tubes everywhere with creepy mannequins stood by them. Some of the mannequins were building new tubes but nothing went out of the grounds.

  Tommy saw a carousel stood alone by one of the fences. As odd as it was to see a carousel it did not look out-of-place with the surrounding colours.

  It all looked so weird. But weird or not they were to be stuck here for some time.

  “What is in the tower over there?” Tommy asked looking at the building with the least colour. It looked like an office block.

  “Oh nothing friend,” Yallery assured,” “absolutely nothing worth your time.”

  Tommy thought that Yallery had sounded a little agitated in his reply.

  “As you can see it is quite a big area. To get from one place to another just jump down one of the brightly coloured tubes. They are coloured for the area you want to go to. You may feel a moments' distortion as you use them. We call it taking the tube. Come on follow me.”

  Taking the tube was something Tommy had done before. But it hadn't been anything like this.  He was the first to follow Yallery down a brightly coloured tube. It felt like a fast slide except it was not quite going down. It could move in all directions and it did not take long for Tommy to feel sick. He could hear the others following on.

  “That seemed a bit air tight and claustrophobic. Couldn't we have just taken the bus like last time?” Simon asked as he came out of the tube.

  “Over to your left children you can see the area where we make announcements.

  Tommy saw a stage set up with microphones.

  “By defeating the Duchess you children became a part of the reboot process. In fact any one of you has claim to be the new ruler.”

  “You want one of us to be like the king or queen?” Madeline asked.

  “We use the term ruler and it would be your right friend. Off course, first you would have to defeat the next chosen leader count Douglass in a duel.”

  “Stop there,” Madeline demanded. “We won't be taking part in any form of duel.”

  “She is right,” Simon interrupted. “We don't do violence.”

  “Well friends. I feel if that is the case, you may be here for some time. Until the reboot happens, you will be unable to leave. None of us will be able to.”

  “This is simple,” Tommy offered.

  “We meet Count Douglass, talk it through and after that we go home.”

  Yallery seemed to ponder the suggestion for a moment and offered them that warm and somewhat sinister looking grin.

  “Yes that does not sound like such a bad idea friends.”

  Yallery suddenly stopped walking. The children stopped in a huddle around him. He stroked his beard and spoke once again.

  “The reboot shore is around two hundred acres. While you are here children, you must not try to leave the area. If you do try, you will find that there is in fact no way of leaving. The darkness goes nowhere and the sea goes nowhere. Both are dangerous.”

  Yallery spoke slowly and
deliberately making his point and ensuring the children were listening.

  “Sounds a lot like we are prisoners,” Rob replied.

  “You are all very important to my reboot process. I can't risk losing you and if you are to leave here you would lose yourselves,” Yallery scanned the children’s faces.

  “There won't be any waking up in your own houses safe and happy. I must reiterate rules must be obeyed.”

  Tommy felt more uneasy about the words and the tone of the odd, bearded, mustard coloured man- more uneasy than he had ever felt before.

  “You may of course enjoy the beach. I will see to it you have food and water. Shall we get to your accommodation?”

  “We have accommodation?” Tommy asked.  

  “Is it a cell?” an unconvinced Rob asked.

  Yallery chuckled- “Why, of course not. My intent is only for your delight.”

   

   

   

   

  No Longer Alone

   

  Sam woke up. It must have been daytime because the light seeped in through the gap in the van doors. She poured some bottled water on her toothbrush feeling it important to keep up appearances. Even if she was hiding out in the back of her parents van, she could be rescued any day now.

  They had set out into an unknown area on an adventurous camping trip. Thankfully, Sam now used the camping supplies while she waited. There was food and her sleeping bag as well as many of her favorite games. It just was not as fun though without having anyone to play with. When they had first gotten lost, her mother had repeatedly told her not to worry. It was a “glitch” in their holiday plan. That is what she had kept saying.

  “Don't worry Sam we will find the way out. This is just a glitch,”

  She thought it was a glitch on the vans navigational system as it wasn't on the map then she kept calling it glitch with the direction they turned. There certainly seemed to be many glitches going around. 

  She opened one of the vans doors and let the light into her living area. There was no food left this morning. The owl that had been leaving it had not been today. She had watched him but never came out and spoken. She did not trust the animals. Today would be spent the same as yesterday and the day before. Sneaking looks out of the window to see if there was anyone to speak to, well not anyone exactly. She saw the bearded yellow man some days. But her instinct told her to stay away.

  She had always had that instinct about people- to know within a few moments if they were good or bad. With the creepy, yellow-skinned man, she had known instantly, before he had even spoken.

  He had been the first person her parents had met. He had been full of friendly words but his eyes were unkind. That is how she could tell in most people. It was all in the eyes. Her parents had gone off with him and told her to wait in the van for them to return.

  They would know what to do. But they had not returned. They left the van to find help but Sam could not remember when. It could have been a few days ago or weeks. Sometimes the feeling of loss would hit her for a few minutes. She would feel as though they had just gone. A few minutes later, she could barely remember. She couldn't understand the time. Because it didn't seem to pass normally here. Her watch had said half six one minute and three o'clock the next.

  She did wonder sometimes if she existed between those times. Perhaps she faded away between six in the morning and three in the evening. Maybe the time passed along without her. She kept wondering about her mother’s term glitch. She should have gone with the bearded man. Her fate should have been the same as her parents. So in effect still being here was wrong. Was she the glitch her mother had talked about?

  She must have been scared though, because she had chosen to stay out of sight in the back of the van. The man with the beard could come back at any moment.

  During the first few days, he had come back. Looking around the area the van was parked. Once or twice, he had tried the door. She had made certain they were locked all the time. The man had checked through the windows and satisfied himself that the van was empty. That is what she wanted him to think. What he needed to think at least until her parents returned.

  The odd time passing made it hard to know when to sleep. So she just went with the sunlight. When it was dark, she slept and when it was light, she spent her time wondering around making sure she wasn't seen.

  It wasn't too hard to stay hidden. Most of the time the mannequin people worked hard, they did not take a good look around. Sometimes she used the tube slides just for fun. But she was never really having fun. Always she watched for the bearded man. Each night she locked the van doors and slept lightly just in case he should decide to check the area again.

  Sometimes she thought of approaching him, asking for his help. But she couldn't ask him the question she wanted to.  What have you done with my parents? They would not have abandoned her and she could not abandon them. The only way she was leaving was with them. So she searched the area and drew a map of all that was around her.

  Sometimes she reflected on how independent she had become since being left here. Everything in her daily routine she had taken care of herself. Eating, washing, even mundane tasks like cleaning her teeth were all down to her. Finding her parents was also her responsibility. It was proving a difficult task.

  Even with the time blended in on itself, and not knowing how much time had passed she had begun to slowly lose hope. As the time had moved on, she searched less and less and hid more in the back of the plain white van.  That had been until that morning.

  It was after she had brushed her teeth and let the daylight into the van. She had began running a brush through her short hair when suddenly she knew two things.

  It is impossible to say how she knew these things. One minute they were not in her head and the next they were. Just popped in there. The first thing she knew was that her parents were still alive. That had been something she had always wanted to believed, then she had started to doubt and now she knew.

  She did not know how they were alive. Or where they were. Or why they had not found their way back to her. Just that they were alive and that they would be reunited with her soon enough.

  The second thing she knew was that she was no longer alone.

   

   

   

  The Forbidden Window

   

   

  From the outside, the building looked like a brightly painted storage container that was stacked up against more brightly coloured storage containers. Tommy was reminded of the Lego blocks he used to play with when he was younger.  Arch backed Yallery Brown walked them to the door and jangled his keys around. His claw like fingernails separated the correct key from the others and he smiled.

  “As your place is red you should use the red key,” he said as though colour organizing his keys was an act of genius.  He fought with the lock for a while.

  Then the door finally burst open and Tommy was happy to see that the appearance on the outside had been deceptive. Inside the rooms were spacious. They had a joint living area and kitchen. The place was small but passable. The bedrooms themselves looked like those found in budget motorway hotels: Nice white sheets, pillows and very tidy. Somebody had taken a lot of care in preparing for their arrival.

  It was nice to sit down, but something bugged Tommy. The rooms seemed totally alienated from their surroundings.

  “I did my research,” Yallery said looking quite pleased with himself.

  “I knew this is the sort of place you would like. I want you to rest somewhere comfortable. After all you are the ones who defeated the Duchess.”

  “ Didn't that cause the destruction of most of the place you live in?” Rob interrupted looking puzzled.

  “Let's just say I was prepared for that. For me the defeat of the Duchess was not such a bad thing.” replied Yallery.

  He looked around the children's blank yet clearly mesmerized faces and gave his odd half smile.

 
“I will leave you some seeds. I'm sure you will need food and I think the shop here does have some food you can eat.”

  “What good will these seeds do?” Asked Rob

  “Credit of course,” replied Yallery as though people buy their food with seeds all the time.

  “That makes sense. We buy food with those seeds. Who needs money,” Simon said rolling his eyes.

  Tommy thought Simon would have carried on had it not have been for Madeline storming back into the room. 

  “There are only two beds here,” she said sounding a little alarmed.

  “Ah but that is not the case. This room is not entirely how it seems,” Yallery took Madeline's hand and offered a little curtsy. While still bowed he tapped a cupboard door with his foot and the door opened revealing steps.

  “For you I saved the best room,” Yallery insisted beckoning Madeline to follow him up the stairs.

  They all made their way up. Tommy glanced at Rob and saw he was grinning from ear to ear. 

  “You see that Simon. We get the single beds whereas Madeline gets the best room and old Yellow's fancy little curtsy,”

  Rob's meaning seemed lost on Simon.

  “I think I should have had the larger room. You know seen as I am most responsible. I am the prefect, “Simon moaned.

  “We are not at school now,” Rob replied sharply.

  Yallery presented the room to Madeline. It had a much bigger bed and an end-suite bathroom.  The room was pink, scented with air fresheners and over all Tommy thought, a little tacky.

  Madeline smiled.

  “I think you may have gotten me a little wrong,” she said with a chuckle.

  Yallery looked offended.

  “You are a child and a girl, and you don't like pink?”

  Madeline gave what looked like a forced smile “It's lovely Yallery,”

  Yallery squeaked and marched back down the stairs.

  “Did he just squeak,” Rob asked

  “He did, he actually squeaked,” Tommy replied smiling.

  Once they were back downstairs, Tommy thought it would be nice to let some air in. He made his way to the window in the living area and took hold of the curtain. Suddenly, Yallery rushed across the room almost knocking Tommy over.

  “No,” he squealed.

  Tommy stopped instantly worrying what the problem was.

  “I was going to get to that. It is the one condition of you staying here. You must never go near this window. That curtain has to remain over this window all the time.”

  “Why?” Rob asked.

  “I cannot tell you. All I can say is that I cannot guarantee your safety if you go near that window. You just have to keep away.”

  Seeing the children's grim expressions, Yallery's face lightened.

  “All the other windows in the property are yours. You may do as you wish with them. The larger window in here has a great view of the sea. You children like the sea. You like the sea too girl child?”

  “I like the sea just fine,” Madeline replied.

  “There, that's settled,” Yallery responded grinning through that long wiry beard.

  Tommy noticed the way Yallery looked at Madeline. It was the look a collector would give to a rare coin or antique. It was not entirely kind.

  “We look forward to seeing you this evening for our meeting. Count Douglass will be arriving.”

  “Yeah I will look forward to that,” Simon responded.

  “It's been on my calendar for ages. Didn't I say to you Tommy the other day I can't wait for a meeting with Count Douglass.”

  Tommy looked a bit confused,

  “You knew you were coming here?” He asked Simon

  “No I was,” he waved off the attempt. “It doesn't matter.”

  “mm,” Yallery replied sounding deep in thought. The half grin re-appeared.

  “You made a funny,” he explained.

  “Should you need anything please find me. I am usually around and the mannequins can fetch me,” Yallery continued as he made his exit.

  “He got it,” Simon said pointing at the door.

  “The pixie, creature, thing got that I was being sarcastic before you lot.”

  He slumped on the sofa.

  “The darn pixie,” he said again solemnly.

  “Did you see him though Simon,” Rob responded, “that little dance he did all the way up the stairs.”

  “I think old beardie wierdy has a crush on you Maddie,” Tommy added gleefully.

  “You like the sea girl child?” Simon mimicked they all chuckled.

  “Girl likes pink,” Rob added.

  “Do not open my curtain,” Tommy said, but despite his best attempt at Yallery's whiny voice the others responded with only polite laughter. Their attention had been diverted to that small window at the side of the room.

  Tommy saw everyone else's eyes glued to the window and for a while, no one spoke.

  “Well, I'm not afraid of whatever old beardie wierdy has behind that curtain. I am going to take a peek,” Rob said.

  “No, I wouldn't,” Simon replied. Rob needed little persuading to come away from the curtain.

  “We are guests here,” Simon offered as way of explanation.

  Tommy thought for a little while. He wondered what could be behind that curtain and why the odd little man was so keen they did not see.

  “Schrödinger's cat,” Madeline said.

  “What?” Rob asked.

  “There could be something good or bad behind the curtain. We don't know which and we have been asked not to look. Right now both good and bad could be behind the curtain.”

  “Well I am going to look,” Rob said heading towards the curtain again. Simon stopped him.

  “We are guests here,” Simon repeated.

  “Here we go again,” Rob sighed. Simon continued regardless.

  “Yallery, whatever his intentions, has offered us a place to stay. He has asked us not to look behind that one curtain. I for one plan to respect his wish.”

  “I thought you would,” Rob added.

  That was the last of the talk about the curtained off window for that day. Instead, talk turned to the subject of Yallery.

  “Do you trust him?” Madeline asked the boys.

  “I think I do,” Rob answered, “but the last time I thought that a man in a bear suit stole money from me.”

  Simon shuck his head, and looked puzzled.

  “I don't think I do,” he said, “but I don't think that’s important. What choice do we have?”

  Tommy mulled over Simon's question. Everyone else they had seen was one of those mannequin people and as far as he knew, mannequins did not talk much. However, Yallery had mentioned a shopkeeper and the arriving Count Douglass. He assumed neither of those were mannequins and planned to meet the shopkeeper himself in the morning.

  “He seems genuine,” Tommy responded.

  “That’s good,” Simon said sounding a little sarcastic and a little angry.

  “We are brought here and held captive but it's okay because the yellow little pixie man seems genuine.”

  “I was just saying that...” Tommy began. He had raised his voice a notch.

  “Calm down,” Madeline demanded.

  They all looked to Tommy. Tommy had lead the group once before but it had been pointed out to him that he had gotten them into a few tight spots. Yet they were not sure what to do and it seemed for now at least he was the one making decisions once again.

  “Shall we get some rest now? Tomorrow we go see this shopkeeper?” he offered.

  “Don't forget the meeting with Count Douglass tomorrow night,” Simon reminded.

  “Yes,” Tommy said, “I don't like the sound of this battle to crown a new ruler.”

  “Agreed, we did not fight the Duchess, in fact we did not have to fight anyone and I don't think we should now.” Madeline replied

  It had been such an odd day and Tommy was trying to get his bearings. He had a feeling they were playing a small pa
rt in something much bigger. He couldn't tell if Yallery was truly genuine or if they were all being set up. He wished he could ask Geoff's opinion, but Geoff seemed so far away now.

  “That is settled,” Madeline summed up.

  “We go meet this shopkeeper then we go see what Count Douglass is like.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement. With tomorrow all worked out it was time for some much-needed sleep.

  As he settled into the strange bed, Tommy wondered if he would wake in this odd place in the morning. Or if he would be returned to Geoff's house watching the old computer load an ancient tape. He went over these questions a few times. Finally, in an unknown bed and in an unknown place he fell asleep listening to the sounds of the circling seagulls outside.  

   

   

   

   

  I’m an Evil Magic Potion

   

  Yallery Brown hobbled to the top floor of the office block. Two of the mannequin people waited for him. One pulled out the chair at his desk and the hunchbacked, bearded man sat down. He grunted as he checked the papers on his desk for Count Douglass's arrival time.

  Being the next in line to rule Douglass would have been immune to the darkness consuming the world they were in. His arrival would be earlier than Yallery had thought. Count Douglass and his mother were due to be arriving in the tube system by midday tomorrow.

  The children had been exactly what he had expected.

  As the night pulled in and the light dwindled away, Yallery sat alone at his desk and plotted. The children would be fast asleep now. Unsuspecting that their host had his own agenda in mind.

  “Yes,” he muttered to one of the mannequin people, knowing that the mannequin person would not reply. Most of them were set to be silent. The one's serving him always were. If there was one thing he could not stand it was other people's opinions.

  “It is all under control,” he said to himself. His tone was both cold and sinister.

  “Show me entrant scroll for the battle,” Yallery demanded.

  One of the mannequins opened the scroll in front of him. Count Douglass name was on there, ready to be signed. There was a blank line where he needed one of the children to agree to fight. Yallery took a pen from his desk and signed his own name. He took a few seconds to look at it.

  Yes, it was sneaky. Nobody else knew of his desire to rule. But he had put in all the hard work and now he felt he deserved to be the new ruler. Carefully he rolled the scroll back up and one of the mannequin’s took it back to file away.

  The only flaw in his plan so far had been where he had chosen to house the children. He was frustrated that he had put them so close to the window. He had told them not to look. Yallery worried though that he was a little too used to working with the mannequins who obeyed all the time.

  For a moment, he looked upon his mannequin creations. They were cogs in his well built system and he was proud of what he had created. These had once been strays. Various bear people or owl that he had collected, reprogrammed and remodeled.  Now they had a purpose, they would be part of the reboot process. The brains of all the remodeled mannequins were his personnel super computer. They were his children and to him they were all beautiful. That is why he must go into battle. The whole world could be filled with his mannequin people. How efficient could such a world be?

  As soon as he had seen the children, Yallery felt an itching for a new collectible. He had given the female child special treatment just as he had the last time people had come. It had been a family. He had collected the mother and father successfully but somehow the girl had gotten away.

  Any collector knows that a set is only valuable if it is complete.

  Yallery wished the girl had not run the last time. He was not stripping the people he chose of their freedom he was helping them. He wanted to see young Madeline prosper, she had a future in his new world. He had a good eye for brains and she was a clever one too.

  The problem was that his formula had been tested on all kinds of people from this world. bear people, owl's even seagulls could be turned into mannequin. Only once before had he had an opportunity to try it out on a child from afar and it had been his only failure. Last time the prize had been lost and as he set himself ready to try again there was no way he could be sure it would work this time.

  “Show me the research on using the mannequin formula on a human child,” Yallery ordered one of the mannequins as the other brought him a loaf of bread. He teared off a large piece of the bread and chewed it with his mouth open. Crumbs spewed out onto his huge white beard as he inspected each page.

  “Maybe,” he muttered to himself.

  He had concerns. The children saw him as an ally. Trying to mannequin the girl to complete his set was an unnecessary risk. They had brought down the great Duchess and her failure, as he understood it had been to underestimate them.

  To be sure, to convert a human child into a mannequin he would require a stronger and more potent mixture then the one used before.  If it did work, it could take several days.

  First, the mixture gives the skin a plastic look, not noticeable at first glance but more obvious after a day or so. It would work its way from the fingers and toes to begin with. Finally, the mixture would seep into the brain and would allow Yallery to put his commands directly into her brain. So much more efficient than thinking, he could free Madeline of that old fashioned, human way of doing things while at the same time completing his human family set of mannequins.

  A machine sounding a little like a microwave pinged.

  Yallery took out a bottle. Inside was a mixture of the colour of flesh. It looked horrible and waxy. It bubbled away looking pretty darn dangerous and smelt like raw eggs. It needed to cool so he put it to one side for now.

  “Looks like you two are going to be getting a daughter,” Yallery told his mannequins.

  Yallery turned his attention from collecting to his main problem. The children seemed to be a very solid team. He began to understand that, it had been the team that had defeated the Duchess not any of them individually.

  “Together they are strong,” Yallery said to himself stroking his breadcrumb-filled beard.

  “But could they be divided?”

  A smile came to his lips.

  He wondered over the ways he could separate them.

  Yallery called on the minds of the mannequin people to aid his thought. Tommy was a great leader but he lacked the confidence he needed to act alone.

  “Suppose he got separated,” Yallery grinned again as the thought came into his head.

  Then he made a high-pitched noise of excitement as the plan formulated in his mind.

  He was reminded of the thought he had the night the last seagull entered.

  “One will fall,” he said with excitement.

  “In order for me to become the new ruler, one of them must fall.”

  Yallery looked at the elixir beginning to cool on his desk.

  The problem with the elixir was that it rather screamed I’m an evil magic potion.

  You couldn't pass it off as tea, or any other after dinner beverage because it bubbled away even when cold. Before he could say I’m an evil yellow pixie, the children would have rumbled him, and they could not do that until he was ready. That just wouldn't be sporting.

  He got an idea, the ceremony with Count Douglass and the signing of the battle contract tomorrow. There would be a big celebration. There would be music, lights, and fireworks all just to impress his little guests of honor. Who is worried about an evil magic potion when you're having a good time?

  He poured the bubbling, smelly, clearly evil elixir into a dainty wine glass.

  “The drinks are on me,” Yallery said grinning into the bubbling glass.  He made another high-pitched squeak of excitement.

  “Care for a glass of bubbly?” Yallery asked no one in particular as he sidestepped round the room as though dancing. The mannequins watched on through haunted sad eyes with pained on s
miles. 

  That's where he would divide them. Tomorrow night- that is when he must strike the blow that will destroy the merry little band of meddlers forever.

  But planning, There had to be more planning before that could happen.

  This all began to fall into place and Yallery grinned, taking his seat again.

  “Tomorrow night, one of them will fall. Gone forever,” he told one of the mannequins.

  “The group will be broken. Then I will run this place just as I do the shore. Doesn’t that sound great?” He asked a lifeless Mannequin.

  He chuckled away to himself as he went through the plans repeatedly. It was late into the night before Yallery fell to sleep at the desk. He slept smiling with saliva falling down his chin.

   

   

   

   

   

  A Cucumber and a Lemon

  “According to the instructions Yallery left, we are down the yellow tube slide,” Tommy said looking at the entrances to the gravity free tunnels.

  “Do you mean down or up, or indeed sideways.” Simon asked watching mannequins leap into some of the tubes and being spat out of others.

  “How do we know which way is in and which is out?” Rob asked

  Tommy thought for a moment.

  “We are going to put our lives in the hands of this network of drinking straws to get anywhere. We may as well take the yellow one,” he suggested.

  “Watch which way the mannequins climb into them,” Madeline suggested.

  One if the mannequins walked to the yellow tube, sat on the end as though he was simply sitting up in bed and was whisked away by the forces in the tube.

  “Well I’m not afraid. I volunteer to go first,” said Rob. He looked a little more worried when no one volunteered to go with him.

  “Right,” he said going to the edge of the yellow tube.

  “Here I go,” and with that Rob was gone.

  Madeline went next, Tommy and Simon followed behind,

  Tommy thought going through the tube system was not that much different to going on a slide at the fair. When he looked around, he could see the mannequin people all on different routes and all being delivered to wherever in Yallery's shore they were needed. He was slightly more worried when he came to a grinding halt. He looked up and saw Madeline's foot almost on his head. She looked down and shrugged. Below him, he could hear Simon moaning.

  “Oh come on Tommy let's get out of here,” he shouted.

  “They are backed up above me,” Tommy shouted back.

  There was the sound of a bell then Yallery’s voice came through.

  “User's of the yellow tube there has been a slight hold up. We will have you moving along soon.”

  “That's always the way it is for me,” Simon shouted.

  “The tube in London, the bus, and now a giant drinking straw. Can't one thing run to time?”

  “Stop moaning Si,” Rob shouted, “It’s not like we need to hurry anyway.”

  “Some of us Rob, wish to get this silly battle thing out the way and go home. You’re just saying that because you’re late for everything,” Simon snapped back.

  “You made me late for that exam,” Rob shouted.

  “Guys,” Tommy intervened. “Calm down.”

  Tommy got no chance to complete his sentence as he was hurtled upwards and then diagonal. He almost lost the contents of his stomach, which luckily was not much. They had yet to eat and he was ready for whatever food this shopkeeper had to offer.

  A moment later, the gigantic drinking straw spat them out right outside a shop.

  “I have the seeds Yallery left us,” Madeline said handing some round to each of them.  They all entered the shop. It smelt of seeds and the place looked more like a garden center than a grocery store.

  “Can I help you,” said the shopkeeper.

  The shopkeeper was an owl with his hair spiked up in a spiky haircut. Tommy couldn't help but snicker. Simon on the other hand came right out with what he was thinking.

  “What on earth are you?”

  “I am Robbie. You maybe know me as I am famous?”

  None of them responded.

  “I am the lead singer of the midnight hunters,”

  He put his claw in some of the hair gel and began spiking more of his feathers upwards.

  “Erm no,” Madeline said apologetically.

  “But we were friends with a couple of owl's Stewart and Jane do you know them?

  The owl looked at her and replied as sarcastically as an owl could.

  “Because all owl’s no one another right?”

  Then he went back to his hair.

  “We have some of these sunflower seeds,” Tommy began.  He seemed to have Robbie's attention at the mention of seeds.

  “You wanted to trade for food?” The owl asked.

  “Yes please sir. Yallery provided us with most things but he didn't have any food.”

  “You have come to the right place,” Robbie replied putting one wing in the air. He bathed his claws then flew away. A moment later, he brought back a cucumber.

  “This should feed you and I'm only charging forty seeds.”

  “Forty,” Rob cried, “We only have one hundred to feed us all.

  “Have you got anything sugary? Like chocolate or something?” Simon asked.

  Robbie went somewhere and flew back with a lemon.

  “Sour and only fifty seeds.”

  Rob made such a noise that it sounded like a wasp had stung him.

  “Fifty seeds,” he repeated. His objection was lost on the owl that had once again gone back to his little pot of gel to spike up his incredibly spiky owl hairdo.

  “Hmm I will bargain. I wanted forty for the cucumber and fifty for the lemon. You can take both for ninety.”

  “That's the same price,” Rob replied

  “So it is,” the owl responded. “But I own the only shop here. There is no other source of food. So where else could you go?”

  They were all silent for a moment.

  “We will take the lemon and the cucumber please,” Madeline replied.

  Robbie seemed happy with himself as he handed them over.

  “That's robbery that is,” Rob said to the owl

  “That is supply and demand,” the owl corrected.

  “We wanted to ask you about Yallery,” Tommy replied.

  “Yellow fellow with the beard,” Robbie asked.

  “That's him,” Simon confirmed.

  “He comes across as the ringmaster. Says he is here to compare the battle for the next ruler. Personally, I do not trust him. But he does allow me this shop. The mannequins don't need to eat though. In fact you are my first customers” Robbie the owl replied with his beak facing the floor.

  “We have trust issues with old beardie weardie as well,” Rob confirmed.

  “What about this Count Douglass the brave?” Tommy asked.

  “Count Douglass!” The owl repeated Tommy's words sounding like an excited child.

  “Is he here yet?”

  “This afternoon is what I heard,” Tommy replied.

  Robbie calmed down and went back to his hair gel. When he spoke, again, the excited child voice was gone and he was once again the cool lead singer of the Midnight Hunters.

  “Count Douglass is an explorer and adventurer. You children wouldn't understand just how cool he is.”

  “You think he is the rightful new ruler?” Tommy asked.

  “I haven't a doubt,” the owl responded.

  “I thought about putting my name down as new ruler you know. The Midnight Hunters and I have been in some scrapes. I think I would be quite handy in a battle.”

  Once again, the owl went back to grooming himself. He seemed besotted with his own reflection.

  “Thanks for the information Robbie,” Madeline offered.

  “Yeah thanks for taking all our seeds for a lemon and a lousy cucumber,” Rob said. But the owl was so busy grooming himself he did not
seem to hear.

  Once outside the shop they divided the lemon and the cucumber between them. Although not a huge meal, it was enough to keep them going. Strangely, all of a sudden, none of them were that hungry.

  “I can't believe we just took advice off a talking owl who thinks he is in a band and spikes his hair,” Simon said between pieces of cucumber.

  “He seemed okay,” Madeline defended.

  “He seems to think this Count Douglass guy is okay too. We should just let Yallery know again that we don't want to compete in any battle and ask him to return us home,” Tommy suggested.

  The others looked on and there were a few nods of agreement.

  “I think we have to be here for when they crown a new ruler but I guess we don't have to compete,” Madeline summarized.

  “That's settled,” Tommy said. “We won't be involved in the battle. When Yallery asks tonight we just tell him we are not competing.”

  “We did not need violence with the Duchess. I don't see any reason for it now,” Madeline told them all.

  They were just finishing their last mouth fulls of cucumber and lemon when the intercom system went off again.

  “Could everyone head down the red tube please,” came, Yallery’s voice.

  “Count Douglass has arrived and the ceremony is about to begin.”

  The announcement was followed with the kind of organ music you would hear at a fairground. It seemed a little over the top for a meeting.

  Tommy was reminded of the old carousel he saw earlier. He wondered how much Yallery was enjoying putting on this show for them. The fair music made him anxious but he was not sure why. Perhaps it was because organ music was only used at fairgrounds and funerals. He never thought either were much fun.

  The mannequins all began to scurry for the red tube. Each of them was quickly shot through it heading to the main stage for the ceremony.

  Tommy looked at the group and they returned his looks with nods. It was time for them to go to the ceremony too.

  Tommy was happy that they were all working together. He could not have seen what was to happen in just a few short hours.

  The announcement went off again.

  “Well here goes,” Rob shrugged as they joined the line for the red tube behind the mannequins.

  It was time to meet Count Douglass and time to let Yallery know they would have no part in his battle.

  One by one, they went into the red tube, a few red flashes, and a stomach churn later. Yallery Brown greeted them warmly. Yallery had changed and now wore a golden robe and a big top hat. He smiled at them looking on top of the world.

   

   

   

   

  Count Douglass the brave... and his mother

   

  The main hall was full with mannequin people.  Yallery excitedly called the children over to a quieter area at the back of the room.

  “This is what we have been waiting for,” Yallery shouted over the excited chatter of the mannequins.  Tommy saw that he was walking around quite well and in his suit he looked to be a cross between a circus ringmaster and Igor from Frankenstein. They took seats at the back and Yallery leaned over Tommy's shoulder.

  “Have you decided which one of you will be entering the battle,” he asked.

  “None of us,” Madeline answered him decisively.

  For a moment, Yallery looked crushed.

  “Is that so,” he said softly, and continued to set more chairs for more mannequin people.

  There was a little commotion as one of the doors further down the hall was opened, and a wheelchair was rolled in. Sat in the chair was an old lady with large gray beehive hair.  She looked as though she was being inconvenienced by everything and was more interested in her knitting then what was going on around her.

  “That is Count Douglass the brave mother,” Yallery whispered in Tommy's ear.

  “Where ever he goes, she goes with him,” Yallery shook his head.

  “What a guy.”

  Tommy looked down at Count Douglass's mother who seemed oblivious to most of what was happening in the room. She continued with her knitting occasionally looking up to the stage as though it was television background noise. It was as though the site in front of her was a  usual sight. On the few occasions she did look up she did so with a chuckle and a knowing smile.

  “During the reign of the Duchess many people would have much preferred Count Douglass to rule,” Yallery said

  “Why didn't he?” Rob asked.

  But Yallery was again busy welcoming more mannequins and sitting them down.

  Yallery turned his attention back to them

  “Can I get you all anything to drink?” Yallery asked, with it has to be said the eyes of a mad man.

  “Not just now thank you,” Tommy replied. The rest of the group followed his lead. Yallery passed them all some snacks.

  “I did my research these are peanuts and popcorn, nice snacks, salty, should make you very thirsty.”

  “Thanks Yallery,” Tommy replied grabbing a handful of peanuts.

  There was an atmosphere of excitement in the room. It felt like they had gone to see a big new release at the cinema. Although their facial expressions did not change, the mannequins seemed happy. The lights by the stage went down. Yallery stood behind the seats looking quite content with the show he was putting on.

  Some of the mannequin people came out with trumpets and played a small tune. It sounded like they were signaling a royal arrival. The tune was followed by silence in the hall.

  “I have been waiting for this day for a long time,” Yallery whispered before asking again “Drinks?”

  Tommy again refused as he watched the stage. This battle was all that stood between them and getting home. He wanted to tell Count Douglass he did not intend to fight anybody, and then they could leave.  He was however quite impressed with Yallery's show.

  A man with a mountain of stubble and comb-over hair appeared on the stage. He wore thick glasses that were pushed to the end of his nose. His shirt was tucked into his high waisted trousers; he had a belt with a scabbard to house his sword. The mannequin people erupted with applause. Count Douglass seemed to enjoy this for a moment or two. Then  he put his hand out and the applause quietened.

  “Silence,” he demanded. “As your new ruler I am about to speak.”

  As though programmed the mannequin people fell fully silent.

  The hall was so quite you could hear Douglass's mothers knitting needles going round.

  “I hear you need a new ruler. Someone to lead us all after this reboot into a brand new world. Now I know that in the end I wasn't the person to defeat the Duchess. However, I ask you what these children have done.”

  The mannequin heads turned to the children at the back.

  Tommy was about to agree with Douglass and call the battle off but Simon spoke.

  “Well what have you done that is so great?”

  There were a few gasps from the mannequin crowd. They seemed stunned that anyone could question Douglass.

  “What have I done,” Douglass grinned. “My dear boy I have fought armies”

  “We got into the north pole,” Rob responded

  “I discovered new worlds,” Douglass spat back.

  “We beat the snot out of some bloodsucking worms,” Rob answered

  “I beat the invading Martians,” Douglass shouted back.

  “Of course he did,” Simon mumbled.

  Tommy heard a groan in the crowd, and thought it had come from Count Douglass's mother.

  “We defeated the Duchess,” Rob shrugged.

  “I have slain a dragon!” Count Douglass shouted back.

  There was another groan. It was definitely Count Douglass's mother.

  “Oh do give over Douglass you never slain a dragon.”

  She leaned over to the mannequin at the side of her.

  “He never slain no dragon,” she repeated.

  “Not too sure about all
that other stuffs either.”

  “Mother,” Douglass said through gritted teeth.

  Douglass's mother looked down and gestured for him to continue. Douglass let out a sigh, then resumed his hero stance and spoke again.

  “I think, and I'm sure these people will agree,” Douglass said with his hand on his heart and sounding more convincing than any politician Tommy had seen.

  “That the new ruler should be experienced in battle, experienced in adventure and not just a child from another place that got lucky.”

  Douglass's mother applauded.

  “Oh, well said Douglass,” she cried.

  Douglass looked more embarrassed and Tommy wondered if Douglass's mother meant what she said. Either way Tommy felt it was time he stood up to address the mannequins and Count Douglass.

  “We have no interest in fighting you Douglass,” Tommy said.

  Douglass seemed very pleased with the news. Too pleased Tommy thought for a man who had supposedly beaten invading Martians.

  “Well, Ha! Wise chap,” Douglass said.

  “Let's get this thing signed then we can enjoy tonight’s festivities and Yallery can get you back on your way.”

  “Music to my ears,” Madeline replied.

  “Before we sign anything, does anyone want a drink?” Yallery asked

  “NO!” They all responded together. Yallery slouched away.

  Slowly one of the mannequins came up with the battle contract scroll. He passed it to Tommy first who quite happily signed to forfeit. It did not feel like signing a forfeit more signing to go back home. He passed the contract down the table to the others.

  “Well this is something,” Yallery said sounding a little unconvinced.

  “A new ruler without any bloodshed,”

  Douglass's mother had made her way up to Yallery, she nudged him in the chest.

  “If there was bloodshed I would wager it would be the first my Douglass had ever seen,”

  “You wouldn't know Mother,” Douglass responded through gritted teeth.

  Yallery interrupted them by moving the contract further down the table for Count Douglass to sign. Douglass looked a little apprehensive as he scribbled his signature.

  “You're actually going through with this are you Douglass,” Douglass's mother asked.

  “Indeed he is,” Yallery replied for Douglass seemingly taking back his role of compare.

  “I shall announce in one moment how many will be in the battle but before we do I think we should all have a drink to celebrate.”

  He had brought a little tray of drinks out with him and it seemed rude to decline. They each took a glass.

  “What is it?” Simon asked.

  “Drink up,” Yallery said. Not answering the question but taking a sip off his.

  “Apple juice,” Rob said quite pleased.

  “Fudge brownie milkshake not bad,” Simon nodded.

  Madeline took a sip from hers and turned an odd green colour.

  “I'm sorry, I need to be excused,” she announced leaving the table.

  “What was all that about?”  Simon asked.

  Tommy looked at the drink Madeline had tried.

  “Yallery this appears to be an evil magic potion,” he said.

  Rob looked as well.

  “I've never seen an evil magic potion but I am pretty sure that is what one looks like.”

  Yallery met the accusing stares with a shrug that seemed to protest his innocence.

  “I tailored the drinks to be whatever you wanted them to be.”

  Count Douglass examined the bubbling flesh coloured elixir.

  “That does look a lot like an evil magic potion Yallery,” he offered peering above his little round spectacles.

  “Still, you have to be pretty dumb to not check your drink for evil magic potions. I am somewhat of an expert on spotting one a mile away.”

  “It's not actually that much of a problem where we come from,” Simon interrupted.

  “Give over Douglass you can't spot an evil magic potion if one was under your nose. You never checked yours, did you? Just drunk it straight down,” Douglass's mother announced.

  “Mother will you please stop doing that!” Douglass replied. His eyes shot the old lady a look that said he was not pleased.  She just tutted and went back to her knitting.

  “In any event,” Yallery said making his way to the stage with the contract in his hand.

  The plastic eyes of the mannequin people were all on him as were the children.

  “I can now announce how many people will be entering the battle. Their names will be announced tomorrow at dawn.”

  Yallery held the contract in the air as though he was a rock star holding a microphone.

  “He is really enjoying this isn't he?” Simon said.

  “Three contenders will enter the battle.”

  “What! And Who!” Tommy shouted.

  Yallery gave the group a menacing stare.

  “It seems you children won't be going home as early as you thought because one of you just signed to be in the battle.”

  Tommy looked at Simon and Simon looked at Rob. Each looks quizzical. Which one of them had signed? Tommy was particularly worried given the message he received,  the knowledge that one of them would fall. A battle seemed a bad omen for that particular prophesies.

  “That's the battle contract signing over. Next, we have this evening’s entertainment. I will see you tomorrow at dawn when we read out the names of those that will be entering the battle.”

  Yallery did not elaborate and walked quickly out the side double door that Count Douglass's mother had come in from a moment earlier, and went right across to his big office building.

  “Which one of us signed it,” Tommy asked.

  His question was met with a wall of silence. Whoever did was not telling.

  “Honestly I told you the old game system said that one of us will fall. This is definitely not good.”

  “I understand that one of you signed it, and I signed it. But Yallery said that three people would enter the battle,” Douglass said sounding confused.

  “Who is the third man?” Tommy asked allowed.

  Rob stood up.

  “I am going to go and check on Madeline. Let her know what just happened. She did just drink an evil magic potion too you know.”

  Rob began to walk out but was stopped in his tracks by loud music and a familiar figure dancing around on the stage.

  “Is that who I think it is?” Tommy asked squinting.

  “It is,” Rob replied. 

  Tommy saw what was on the stage. Then he saw the look on Rob's face, Rob's face was quite the picture.

   

  The Man bear Returns

   

  It was the oddest pop group Tommy had ever seen.

  Rob stood with his mouth half open.

  The lead singer was Robbie the owl from the shop but dancing away at the back was a familiar figure. It was the man bear. 

  “The man bear is part of the band Robbie and the Midnight Hunters?” Simon asked.

  “Robbie goes under the name Robbie Jay when he is on stage. I haven't seen the man bear fellow before,” Douglass offered.

  “Yeah, well I have. He stole my money,” Rob said as though he had just remembered.

  “It was a long time ago, “Tommy said as he wondered exactly what the man bear was doing here. 

  The man bear was up on the stage with a couple of other bear suited dancers. But there was no doubt it was their man bear. It was certainly Edward the man bear he had the same top hat and the walking cane. Robbie Jay sang a slow song where he repeated the line I'm going to eat your baby over and over.

  Tommy had not spoken to Rob or Simon nor them to Tommy they had sat in silence. Tommy was shocked to see the man bear and more shocked by news that the bear was part of the Midnight Hunters.

  Robbie Jay continued his song.

  “Try to run play the game,

  It's more fun but ends t
he same

  I'm going to eat your baby.”

  “It sounds like he is in love with his food,” Rob snickered.

  “More like he respects his pray,” said Simon sounding quite thoughtful. Thoughtful despite the fact they were trapped in Yallery's multicoloured playpen and one of them had entered a battle. Tommy wondered if Simon was sounding too calm.

  The music became a little more upbeat. It reminded Tommy of the sort of music his mother had listened too.

  “Ha he is singing owl Shack. I quite like this one,” Count Douglass said, he was resting his chin on his fist and wore a grin from ear to ear as he tapped his foot to the beat.

  “Give over Douglass. That's not music, it’s just noise that!” Count Douglass's mother interrupted.

  This time Douglass just scowled at his mother.

  The man bear took the microphone.

  “I am not the sort of bear that mucks around with honey,

  So hurry up and give me all your money.”

  He started wondering into the mannequin people who began to hand him seeds.

  “He is robbing them,” Rob protested.

  “They don't seem to mind,” Simon said looking at what was going on at the front of the hall.

  Tommy remembered how the man bear had a pool of money below his mansion. He had every kind of currency imaginable in there. Not the sort of place that seeds would grow. The seeds would probably look out-of-place with the rest of his collection. Robbie Jay, as he wanted to be known on stage, kept on singing while the man bear continued to fleece the mannequin people below.

  “Should we let him know we are here?” Tommy asked about to draw the man bears attention.

  “No,” Rob responded. “I would like to know what he is doing here first.”

  For a few minutes, they sat and watched the owl sing as the two woman bear and the man bear danced. Every so often, the man bear would delve into the audience and come back with a lot more seeds.

  “Bet he can afford more than a lemon,” Simon said dryly.

  Count Douglass was still mesmerized by the little song and dance. The mannequins were showing something close to emotion, as they seemed to be enjoying it as well. Some not knowing that they were being robbed at the same time.

  “I am going to call him over,” Tommy told the other two at the same time waving across.

  “Edward,” he called.

  A few of the mannequin people turned to face them at the back of the hall.

  “Careful Tommy you are drawing attention to us,” Rob muttered under his breath.

  Undeterred Tommy called again. He wanted the man bears advice. The odd character had led them home last time and he hoped that if they could get his attention he would help them again.

  Acknowledging the mannequins change of focus the man bear glanced towards the top of the hall.

  “Tommy?” He called out sounding a little older and more confused than he had the last time they had met. As soon as he said Tommy's name the back doors of the hall opened and two mannequins dressed as security entered. The man bear was unable to get away as fast as he wanted and before long, the big security mannequins had taken hold of an arm each.

  “Tommy, Rob, Simon,” the man bear called as he was being dragged towards the door.

  “Things aren't what they appear. You are all in a lot of danger.”

  As he spoke, the mannequins put more pressure on his arms and the man bear looked as physically in pain as a guy in a bear suit could look.

  “Get off me you over sized dolls,” the man bear shouted while trying to get an arm free.

  “What danger?” Tommy asked.

  “It's Yallery Tommy. Don't trust Yallery. Don't enter his battle”

  But the man bear was unable to say any more. They heard him cursing the mannequins as they dragged him from the hall and out of the building.

  “Well that answers are questions on old beardie wierdy,” Simon said.

  “Does it?” Rob asked. Seeing the confused faces of the other two, he continued.

  “The man bear stole my money. Yes he did lead us home last time but if you remember rightly he was pretty happy to get away from the Duchess too.”

  They sat silent for a moment. Count Douglass got up and took hold of his mother’s wheel chair.

  “Well I had better get mother off to bed. I guess I will see you all at dawn when they announce who I do battle with.”

  “Oh I thought we were never going Douglass. I have been ready for bed for over an hour. But you kept chattering and watching that god awful band didn't you. Don't you think of your poor old mother,” Douglass's mother moaned as she was wheeled out the hall.

  The mannequin people were leaving too. A few stayed behind sweeping the floors or taking away the stage equipment but soon the hall was quite empty.

  “What do we do next?” Rob asked looking to Tommy.

  Simon responded to him.

  “Guess there is nothing we can do,” he said with a shrug. “We go back to the accommodation. Tomorrow we find out who signed on for the battle,”

  “No, there is something we can do and I intend to do it,” Rob responded.

  “Firstly I am going to check on Madeline and let her know about this. Then I am going to see if I can find out more on this Yallery character. I don't trust him.”

  “Rob,” Simon began. But Rob cut him off.

  “Then I am going back to the accommodation and I plan to find out exactly what is behind that stupid window we are not allowed to uncover.”

  For some reason the mention of the window again brought silence to the entire group. It seemed the matter was settled for Rob, as he spent no more time talking. He began heading towards the exit.

  “Rob,” Tommy called after him. Rob stopped for a moment but then walked faster.

  The words of that warning he had received played on his mind, the message that one of them would fall. It was too late to follow Rob out. Rob was out there alone. Madeline did not look well after drinking whatever it was she drank. It was seemingly not a question of one of them falling, more a question of which one, when, and how.

  “Be careful,” Tommy offered weakly but Rob was not around to hear his words.

  “Lets us get back to the accommodation Tommy. Rob will probably be back before us, “Simon offered.

  As true as Simon's words were, Tommy felt unsettled.

  He had once described Rob as being like Scrappy Doo from the Scooby Doo cartoons. Rob was loud and feisty. Much like Scrappy in that cartoon, his mouth could get him into trouble. How much trouble depended on if he had signed that stupid battle contract?

  Rob was out there poking his nose into what was going on. But Tommy, their leader, went home.

   

   

   

   

   

  What time is it Mr. Wolf?

   

  Rob liked the feel of the sea breeze on his face when he stepped outside. The sun was setting and compared to the squashed hall everything seemed quite calm. There was no sign of Madeline, he guessed she must have headed back to the accommodation. He was about to head back there himself when his eye caught sight of an open door swinging back and forth just across the street. It was the door to Yallery's colourless office block.

  He thought about ignoring the open door and heading back on the tube for the stomach-churning ride. But he did wonder what the evenings compare, beardy wierdy Yallery had hidden in there. Curiosity began to get the better of him. He checked quickly that there was none of the freaky mannequin people around. He felt a bit like a secret agent as he skipped across the road and through the door that Yallery had left open.

  The place was dark and it took a while for his eyes to adjust. The floor of the place looked dusty, gray and industrial. There were cogs, conveyor belts and the plastic limbs of the mannequin people scattered all over the place. Some were stored in some kind of order others looked as though they were rejects. A light turned on in an upstairs office an
d Rob darted behind the door frame and peeped round its side.

  Yallery was stooped in his office chair stroking his bearded chin. One of the mannequins served him a grubby looking pastry with lots of gravy as the other stood by his side. If Yallery had looked out of the offices, big glass window onto the factory floor below Rob was sure he would be seen. He may be hidden enough to get away with a passing glance. But anything other than a glance and he was caught red handed snooping.

  Rob felt conflicted. Yallery had done them no wrong. He had been their host and provided them with food and a place to stay but something just didn't feel right. He decided to try to get a closer look at exactly what Yallery did up there in his office. The stairs weren't far away. He just had to make sure that neither the mannequins nor Yallery saw him. It was a little scary but also very exciting. Now he felt like a real secret agent. Like one of those you see in the films. Moreover, he really wanted to be the one that went back to the others with answers. They all looked to Tommy for that mostly and it would be great if he could surprise them. Silently he stooped to the floor and began to make his way to the stairs of Yallery's office.

  He kept his eyes focused on Yallery as he moved. Every time he thought, Yallery was looking the bearded man turned away to focus on a computer screen and whatever other gadget he had up there.  It looked like a liquid but he couldn't see exactly. He could guess it was the evil magic potion. Yallery turned to face the window a little sharp and Rob stooped. He was a little too far from the stairs to hide there and way too far from the door.

  So he ducked quickly hitting his side on one of the conveyor belts. There was no movement from Yallery's office. Rob was reminded of the playground game

  “What time is it Mr. Wolf?” He muttered.

  When he looked upwards, he saw that Yallerys attention was diverted, however, when he had ducked fast one of the conveyor belts had turned on.

  Lucky for Rob the conveyor worked with no squeaks and there was no real noise to alert Yallery. Not as good, there were items on the belt that would no doubt raise the alarm when they eventually reached the end and crashed to the floor. Acting quickly Rob made his way to the end of the conveyor belt just as a mannequins arm was tilting about to fall loudly. Silently he took the plastic arm and placed it on the floor. To his horror there was another one coming through. He sighed and waited for it then put it on the floor. Then he saw more. Lots more. There were mannequins’ hands, legs, and eyes- then all other kind of weird mannequin parts.

  Rob grabbed the arms and put them on the floor but more stuff was coming from the conveyor. He did not have time to look for an off leaver so stuck where he was he took the items and put them silently on the floor. The more pieces he put on the floor the faster the conveyor belt went. Soon the pile of waste parts was waist height, and looking like it may fall and crash at any moment. So he began another pile on the floor to his right while trying to hold the pile to his left upright. But the pile to his right started getting bigger and bigger.

  He wondered if he held that pile with his foot and his arm if he could usher the other parts onto a new pile with his chin and use his other hand scraping them into yet another pile while still trying to balance the other two piles...

  Rob didn't feel like a secret agent any more. It was more as if he was at the self-service checkout at the supermarket. The one where you have to put your groceries on one end, and scan and bag at the other, just like that but with the conveyor belt not stopping automatically. He wished he had just headed back now and not poked his nose into Yallery's business.

  The pile by his feet was growing now too. He tried to trample it down as more and more came off the conveyor belt. The other two piles weren't looking very steady either. They were wobbling at the top. Then piles and piles of mannequin trash toppled onto the floor. It was such a loud crash everyone on the reboot shore must have heard it. If they didn't it was closely followed by two more crashes as the piles of mechanical mess scattered across the floor. Just in case that wasn't enough to alert everybody’s attention there was the steady crash, crash, crash of more mannequin parts dropping off the conveyor belt.  That was until a mannequin pulled the leaver back. Rob looked up to the glass window of Yallery's office to see the bearded figure. Yallery stood with his hands on his hips shaking his head.

  A moment later, he was heading down the stairs. The mannequin that had stopped the conveyor took hold of Rob by the coat but Yallery now close to them signaled for the mannequin to release its hold.

  “Rob I told you not to come in here,” Yallery said with quite a fatherly smile.

  “Imagine if you had hurt yourself on my machinery here. That would not be right now would it?”

  Rob shook his head.

  “I am sorry Yallery sir.”

  “Well,” Yallery said with another shake of his head. “I can't say I am not disappointed in you. But I guess children will be children. Are you satisfied now that I am just doing my work?”

  Rob nodded humbly.

  “ Mr Yallery,” Rob asked.

  “Yes,”

  “What was that liquid you had in your hand?”

  “It was a cup of soup Rob. Why do you ask?”

  “It looked a lot like an evil magic potion to me,”

  Yallery laughed.

  “No, no, no friend we can't have you thinking that.”

  Rob didn't like the look he saw in Yallery's eyes.

  “No I’m sure it wasn't. Trick of the light or something. I didn't see much from down here anyway. Not much of anything.” Rob backtracked. As he talked he walked backwards towards the still open door.

  “I have to be going Mr. Yallery,” Rob said and by this point, he had managed to get back outside. 

  Yallery did not follow and once outside Rob headed for the yellow tunnel. He was zapped up into it and before he had time to think was back at the brightly painted storage container that they were living in. He decided he would not tell the others about his stop at Yallery's office. Not until he was sure of what was going on. Everything Yallery had said checked out. The factory floor was a little dangerous. Maybe he really did only have their safety on his mind. But something about those cold eyes and the creases on that yellow skinned forehead had warned Rob that Yallery was not what he seemed.

  As he went inside Rob took a long glance at the one curtained window.

   

   

   

   

   

  Damsels in Distress

  Madeline had not gone back to their storage container home right away. She had walked out to the beach to get some fresh air. The vile drink Yallery had given her had left her feeling shaky and sick. The sea air was beginning to make her feel a little better but she knew that was only going to last a while.

  She needed to know what to do next, needed a plan. But right now she needed to watch the night sky spread against the darkening sea. For a while, she listened to the waves.  She heard movement and found that she was not alone.

  “Oh err, I am sorry I shall find somewhere else,” Count Douglass's voice spoke seemingly from the night itself.

  “No, you are welcome,” Madeline answered.

  Douglass wheeled his mother to Madeline's side halting the breaks on the chair so his mother was looking out to sea. She looked to be almost asleep.

  “Mother wanted to be by the sea,” Douglass offered.

  He proceeded to dust an area of the sand with his hand for quite a while before deciding to sit down.  They all sat in a line for a moment listening to the sound of the waves hitting rocks.

  “I think I've gotten myself in some trouble Douglass,” Madeline offered.

  Douglass looked at her over his glasses, put his nose in the air and said nothing.

  “In fact I know I’m in trouble, I can feel it.”

  “Mmm,” the noise came from Douglass's throat. Madeline couldn't tell if he wanted her to continue or not. Then he spoke.

  “You traveled here with three fellow
s. You know the rules to tales such as these. Surely one of those would save you,”

  Madeline rolled her eyes.

  “I don't want them to save me Douglass. I want to sort this out by myself.”

  Douglass snorted and Madeline shot him an evil stare.

  “I am just saying that you know historically,”

  “Historically what?” Madeline asked

  “Well usually it's the man who saves the woman. Have you not heard of Cinderella? Snow White? It seemed to work out just fine for those ladies.”

  “I read a lot of fairy tales I just don't want to be a Cinderella or a Snow White or anything like that. They are good stories but I don't want Tommy, Simon, or Rob to sort this for me.”

  Douglass let a laugh out of his nose, placed his fist under his chin and continued to watch the sea silently.

  “I think I am perfectly capable of saving myself,” Madeline continued

  “I am sure you are. I’m just saying you have traveled here with three young fellows more than adept at sorting this out for you,” Douglass answered.

  “I am not playing the damsel in distress.”

  There was a little more listening to the waves.

  “You are known to be a great adventurer, is that true Douglass?” Madeline asked.

  “Beat the Martians.” Douglass responded. Madeline didn't comment.

  “Slain a dragon,” he added. Again, Madeline did not comment.

  “Will you teach me Douglass?” She asked finally.

  Douglass looked a little shocked by her question.

  “You want me to teach you how to look death in the eye and laugh, how to be a brilliant swordsman, how to defeat your opponent by being physically and intellectually superior?”

  Madeline looked confused.

  “I want to find out if Yallery made that evil magic potion and to destroy it; the potion that is.”

  “Yes, yes, yes. I think I could probably train you. Perhaps I have trained many others too you know. All the best adventurers went through my strict training.”

  Douglass's mother stirred.

  “Oh give over Douglass. You never trained anyone in your life,” she mumbled.

  Looking quite embarrassed Douglass quickly responded.

  “That's not true. She just wasn't there.  I can hardly train you then have you fight against me. Which one of you has entered the battle anyway?” Douglass asked.

  Madeline gave the matter a little thought. Tommy was a great leader but she didn't see him as power hungry. He had no reason to want to be the ruler of a place he planned to leave the first chance he had. Simon was power hungry, very power hungry but he also seemed more focused on getting home. Then there was Rob. Rob did have a history of being reckless. But she didn't think he wanted to stay any longer than any of them did.

  “No,” came, Madeline's response.

  “If I teach you how to do battle you won't be teaching one of them to go against me?” Douglass asked.

  “Not at all. For much as I care, you should be the new ruler.”

  Douglass smiled.

  “In that case young Madeline I shall train you. You will find out who gave you this potion and reverse its effects.”  

  “You know, I was a damsel in distress,” Douglass's mother said sounding weary.

  Both Madeline and Douglass looked at her with raised eyebrows. Madeline let out a small chuckle.

  “Your father Douglass, god rest his soul, saved me, swept me off my feet.”

  Douglass's mother grinned for a couple of minutes then her head dropped.

  “I have had enough sea air Douglass wheel me back inside,” she asked.

  “There you are,” Douglass said taking hold of the wheel chair.

  “My father saved a damsel in distress and look what he got. earache for the rest of his days, “Douglass’s mother smiled.

  “You made a funny Douglass. Don't make a habit out of it.”

  The Count and his mother chatted away. Madeline could hear the odd word as he wheeled her back inside and they faded into the night. She thought that maybe Count Douglass was not as bad as they thought. She did have her doubts over his stories though. The sun was setting and she was sure that when the sun rose the next day she would know a little more. She would know which of them had decided to stay to enter the battle and the effects of the potion whirling around inside her.

  There were the other questions. Things were so much the same and yet so different to the last time something like this happened to her. Were they here? And where is here? She knew they were in the reboot shore of Yallery Brown. But where was that located exactly?

  Could it be that her mother was right and she was just a little too old to play Alice lost forever in wonderland?

  Looking up at the stars, she imagined them to be different worlds. On one of those stars, she was on a bus journey to defeat a Duchess. On another maybe, she was hiding from seagulls.

  On the one she longed for the most, she was at home. Warm, safe and dreaming all this. If that was the case, she wanted to wake up now because the dream was not going too well. She decided to pinch her hand to try to wake up but stopped when she caught sight of her hand.

  Madeline had never bothered painting her nails. She never saw a reason to. Sure enough, her nails were bright red and her fingers were pale.  Exactly how much trouble she was in hit her like a knife in the gut. She was almost sick. She had a dolls right hand. A hand that belonged to a mannequin person.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  One Shall Fall

   

  Dawn came very quickly the next day. Tommy woke early to find the others had woken even earlier. They had washed, dressed and almost silently made their way outside their storage container like home to the grass. They waited for Yallery. He wondered which of them had agreed to go into battle and what reasons they could give for deciding to.

  Simon was known to be hungry for power. Tommy wondered if the temptation of being in charge had proven too much for the snitch. Then there was Rob. Rob could have agreed to a battle just to prove that he was not afraid of going into battle. He had been behaving a little more reckless than usual too. There was Madeline. Normally Tommy would have thought her wanting to fight impossible but with her phase and whatever the evil magic potion did, he couldn't be sure. Worse still, they were not talking to each other much. The silence was making the feelings of distrust and tension between them all stronger.

  The sun was only just beginning to rise and the horizon was a shade of blood red. Tommy let out a single chuckle as he wondered if this was how cowboys in the Wild West felt waiting for sunrise to draw their guns. In the distance he saw Yallery Brown, accompanied by Count Douglass and of course Douglass's mother.

  Yallery was back into playing the compare role and skipped along with obvious delight.  He had brought a block like podium no doubt for an added dramatic effect. For a few awkward moments, he put the podium in place. Pushed himself up from third place to first, so he stood above them all. He unrolled his little scroll.

  “Well, the moment you have all been waiting for has arrived.” Yallery gestured his arms out towards the children and grinned so much it was unnerving.

  “Contestant number one comes from outside the shore. He is the slayer of dragons, the savior of the people. ..”

  “Don't forget the Martians,” Douglass interrupted.

  “Yes, yes I was getting to that, the victor in the war against the Martians.”

  Douglass gave a big full teeth smile during his introduction. His mother sighed and shook her head but she did not call out this time, perhaps because it all seemed so much more serious and real this morning.

  “One of you decided to take your rightful place in this battle just as I knew you would,” he scanned the children's faces each in turn.

  “Oh, you don't know yourselves do you?” he said sounding quite happy.  Then he opened the scrol
l again.

  “May I introduce to you the contestant who would have been the Duchess's choice. I am starting to see what she saw in him too. Simon,”

  Simon met the others glances with a stern look.

  “What is he saying Simon?” Rob questioned.

  “What happened to respecting the rules of the place you are visiting?” Madeline asked

  “Why? You really want to know why?” Simon said suddenly exploding with rage for some unknown reason.

  “We are trapped on this supposed reboot shore for who knows how long? You think I did the wrong thing just because I didn't follow Tommy's lead like you all do?” He looked over their faces for reaction and received none.

  “If I am to believe in mannequin men and sliding tubes as a valid method transport then I want all of you to believe in me too. I will make you believe if these people want to accept me as their leader than I will be a strong leader.”

  “This is not like being a prefect Simon,” Tommy protested.

  “Do you know how sick of you all I have become? All this interfere talk.  I was the one that decided not to interfere in the first place remember? Well I have changed my mind. I plan to make the most out of what I have here. I plan to be a success.”

  As he spoke, Simon made his way to the podium to address everyone. Tommy couldn't help but wonder how much of this Yallery had been involved with. Beardie Weirdie seemed to be enjoying Simon's pre-battle speech more than anyone.

  “Think about it Tommy. We beat the Duchess; this place is ours by right. The Duchess offered me it anyway- me, not Tommy, the supposed great leader. I plan to take it all. If I have to put up with dragon slayers, talking seagulls and freaky mannequin I shall just make sure that I rise to the top.”

  Illustrating his point Simon had climbed to the top of the podium.

  “My name is Simon,” he announced to the small crowd of mannequins building around the podium.

  “I believe in impossible things and now it’s time that I made you believe too.”

  Things got weirder. As he spoke the blood red, sky became crowded with Seagulls. All of them were rushing past Simon as though he was one of their flocks.

  “Yes, the Seagull's have accepted the new contender.” Yallery said clenching his fists together in excitement. Simon stood on the podium and let the bird’s breeze past him. He looked at ease with them flying all around, scarier than at ease, he looked happy.

  “I won't follow you anymore,” Simon said spitting the words as though he was spitting out poison. 

  “You will all follow me for a change.”

  As he spoke, the Seagulls pecked a huge hat onto Simon's head. It was almost as tall as Simon was and pointy like a witches hat.

  “Your time is up Tommy. I don't believe in you anymore and I'm pretty sure the others don't either.”

  Tommy knew this was not just Yallery's influence. The way Simon spoke revealed a much more personal grudge. Yet he had never mentioned it to Tommy or to Tommy's knowledge to any of the others. As well as feeling, hurt Tommy felt betrayed. He kept asking himself, why? Simon had spoken only with hate. True Simon had never been as adaptable as the others to their strange surroundings had. Now he seemed to have gone dangerously over the edge. 

  “Look,” Rob shouted.

  “He is a bad guy now and he even has a silly big evil guy hat to prove it!”

  Simon had a frown that told Rob wordlessly that he was not amused and he wasn't playing anymore. He walked down from the podium and was met with admiration from the mannequin people.  Count Douglass looked less than impressed with Simon as one of his opponents.

  Tommy knew Simon had no experience at all of being in battle. He suspected this was something Simon had overlooked in his power hungry rage.

  “Congratulations Simon,” Yallery announced.

  “Seems one of you do have a backbone. We will find you new living quarters right away.”

  Tommy felt weird. Simon's sudden turn had come as a complete shock.  Simon's whole body seemed to have changed. It wasn't just the hat it was the attitude and the look on Simon's face. They had never seen him like that before. He was so full of anger and rage. 

  All this time Tommy had assumed that the video games chilling message one shall fall had meant one of them would fall literally. He thought it was a warning that one of them would be lost in battle. Now he understood. They had lost Simon and therefore the group was broken. The warning message on the television screen had just come true. Perhaps through short sightedness Tommy felt he had allowed this to happen. 

  The Seagulls dispersed across the blood red sky. Their bodies were producing black silhouettes against the rising sun. Feeling utterly defeated Tommy realized he had sat down.

  “Tommy, are you okay?” Madeline said putting an ill, pale, plastic looking hand on his shoulder.  Rob took the other shoulder.

  “Yeah you don't look so good. Take it easy mate.”

  “I didn't know he was that angry,” Tommy offered, his voice was little more than a whimper.

  He looked at Yallery's smiling bearded face.

  “Don't lose faith, poor Tommy.” Yallery said sounding a little as though he was mocking.

  Tommy could hear Douglass complaining to Yallery.

  “If Simon is the second one, then who is the third?”

  Yallery was walking away, not bothering to answer Douglass's question.

  “Who is the third man Yallery? You tell me now.” Douglass demanded.

  The noise began to drift away and Tommy's vision blurred.

  Then they were gone.

   

   

   

  -

  End of Part One

  -

   

   

   

  Tommy's Intermission

   

  Tommy woke in Mr. Huntington's spare room. Both Geoff and Mrs. Huntington were stood over him.

  “I didn't want to wake you dear but it's getting late,” Mrs. Huntington said softly.

  “But, Simon was so angry and I shouldn't be here. I need to get back,” Tommy replied.

  “Whoa there. Someone has been having a heck of a dream,” Geoff said.

  Geoff had begun putting the old computer back in the box.

  “I will pack this away. You get yourself home. Your mother will be wondering where you are.”

  Tommy rubbed his eyes and tried to wake up a little.

  On the way back, over the two zebra crossings Tommy wondered if this had really all just been another odd dream. But he could not help thinking he had been separated from the others intentionally. He felt he should be dismissing the dream. But like before it seemed so real that the fact it had been a dream was unimportant. Tommy questioned whether they were just dreams. He needed to find a way back. Simon had joined the wrong side, Madeline was not her usual absent-minded self, and Rob was still just Rob. There was Tommy himself, stuck here when he was supposed to be their leader. Yet he was separated from them.  Right now, his group of friends was broken and he had an awful feeling that this had all been intentional.

   

   

   

   

   

  Why was the bear man dancing?

   

  That night Tommy finished writing notes in his journal and turned off the bedside light. He partly hoped he would find himself right back at the reboot shore with his friends but somehow doubted that was going to happen. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and he lay still for a while feeling too hot and still very much awake. He forced his eyes to close hoping that sleep would find him.

  When he closed his eyes he did not see the blackness, instead he saw spots of different colour erupting like fireworks.  Then he got colourful wavy lines and it felt a little like he was wondering around in the dark trying to find the reboot shore. It was a lost television station just slightly out of reach. Or a game sat on his computer that would not quite work properly.  The colours continu
ed and he heard music that sounded both very relaxing and familiar. Occasionally, he could make out the face or an outline. It was the outline of Robbie Jay the singing owl of the Midnight Hunters.

  “Separate one will break the pack

  Tommy boy's gone and there is no bus back”

  The next scene of his dream saw Count Douglass and Madeline sword fighting. But they weren't really fighting. They kept stopping and it was clear from their outlines that Douglass was giving her instruction. Tommy wondered if she was the third person that had signed to go into battle. That did not strike him as something Madeline would do. What was going on?  The image faded away to more dancing colours.

  “Come back Tommy make them whole

  They're down the stars in the ocean or down a rabbit hole.”

  There was the singing owl again.

  The colours became more intense and the focus of the dream changed again. He could see Simon and it looked as though Simon was sat in a different storage container by himself.

  He was still wearing that huge evil hat. Tommy couldn't tell if Simon was unhappy being alone or if he was simply deep in thought. But there Simon sat, perfectly still with an unreadable expression. Tommy wondered if Simon was reflecting on what he had done, what he had said, and perhaps what he had signed up to do.

  The man bears outline came out of the dotted colours. Both the colours and the man bear were dancing.

  “Big fishie, Little fishie, cardboard box.”

  Why was the bear dancing?

  “Big fishes, little fishes, cardboard box.”

  What was going on? He needed to get back. To unite his friends and to bring them back home. But they could have all been dreaming much like he had. If that was the case they could be in their own homes safe and asleep. Before he could think about that, too much the singing owl had returned.

  “Tommy boy you were walking tall,

  But you were warned that one shall fall,

  Come back Tommy make them whole,

  Down the stairs in the ocean or down a rabbit hole”

  Through the firework of colours came the figure of Yallery. He was at the top of the industrial building being served tea by two mannequin people. He did not look the friendly compare that Tommy had met earlier. He sat looking at files. His long unkempt hair combed straight back and from this angle, Tommy could see that his hairline was receding. Yallery took a sip of his tea then stared through the blackness of Tommy's dream as though he was staring into a television set. His frown turned into a half smile and for a moment, Tommy was sure that Yallery was with him. That he was somehow watching.

  The colours were almost blinding.

  The owl was singing again.

  “Separate one will break the pack

  Tommy boy's gone and there is no bus back”

  Through the colours, Tommy thought he could see an unfamiliar figure. It was a girl, younger than Madeline. She looked to be squashed, sat uncomfortably in a small space. Perhaps, he thought hiding.  It was definitely not a member of their group and Tommy desperately wanted to get a better look at the frightened looking girl. But he could only see an outline through those colours.

  Suddenly the colours went and Tommy could see Yallery quite clearly. Yallery waived his hand to one side as though brushing a fly out of his way and instantly Tommy's eyes adjusted back to the darkness of his bedroom.

  As much as he wanted to go back and find his friends sleep would not come until a little later that night. Before heading back to sleep, he jotted down a little about the odd dream into his journal. When sleep did come, it was not filled with singing owls and dancing bears. He just went to sleep and remembered nothing like most people do.

  It was already light when he awoke and he suspected it had been for quite a few hours. He had that feeling you get when you know you must have overslept. It was not a school day so he was in no hurry to get up just yet. He wondered what he should do with the day and he still felt anxious for his friends. In the morning light, however he could not remember quite why he felt anxious for them so he took the journal from the side of his bed.

  Reading about last night’s dream brought back the urgency to get back to his friends. The memory of what had happened came flooding back to him in pieces. After a few minutes of careful thought, he had pieced back the broken dream.  In this instance, however, knowledge was no help. It wasn't like he could plan a journey back to find the others.

  “Tommy.”It was his mother’s voice.

  “Tommy, are you ready for breakfast?”

  “Yeah I'm out of bed. I will be right down,” Tommy lied.

  It was almost ten thirty. He did not want his Mother to know he had overslept.

  Tommy tried to puzzle it out. One moment he had been there with his friends as Simon had announced to everyone that he would be in the battle. Well it hadn't been an announcement more of an argument. Then he had discovered the meaning off the one should fall message from the tape. It was almost as soon as he had worked that out that he had woken up at Geoff's. There was certainly more to Yallery then he had first thought.

  Did Yallery rule up until the battle? Why did there have to be a new ruler? What were the mannequin people?

  Tommy had all these questions but no way of getting answers. At the moment, he was so intent on getting back he had not thought about what he would do when or if he got there. How could he fix everything even if he could get back?

  “Are you getting up for breakfast?”

  “Yeah mum, be right there.”

  For now, he knew what he needed to do. To think of a way he could get back then he needed to plan what to do if he got there. Perhaps it was one of those mind tricks. Like when someone asks you not to think of a pink elephant and the first thing that pops into your head is, of course a bright pink dancing elephant man. So maybe the more he thought about getting back the less likely it was to happen.

  “Tommy, breakfast is ready. You are not even out of bed yet are you?”

  So much for his mother not thinking he overslept.

  He quickly got up. He needed someone else's opinion. Needed to talk through what was happening even though it was all making no sense. He needed to know why Simon had done what he had done and if Yallery was involved. Also he wondered what had changed Madeline so much that she was learning to fight.

  But more than those, right now he wanted to know why he had scribbled the words

  Big fish, small fish, cardboard box into his journal.

  The last piece of the fragmented dream slotted into place. 

  “I'm going to head to Geoff's after breakfast,” Tommy announced as he finally made his way to the bathroom.

   

   

   

   

   

  Am I a Monster?

   

  Yallery practically skipped up the staircase to the top of the office block. Once up the stairs he headed straight for his chair and folded his body into it. He slumped for a moment while chuckling to himself and enjoying the comfort. He spoke into the microphone on his desk.

  “Report on Madeline?”  He asked.

  “Potion is working so far,” came the response.

  Yallery chuckled very pleased with what he was hearing.

  “Report on Simon?”

  “Isolated from the group due to his difference in values,”

  Yallery chuckled again.

  “Are you listening to this?” He asked one of the mannequin people. He knew they wouldn't respond but he spoke to them often anyways.

  “Report on the group’s brave leader Tommy,”

  “Tommy not found anywhere within the grounds.”

  Yallery laughed so hard he almost wet himself. These were the children that had beaten the Duchess. Why had he not defeated her himself? She could not have been too difficult if these children could do it.

  There was one of the group left. Yallery had understood that Rob was a coward. Now he doubted what he had heard. It took guts
to trespass onto the factory floor and Rob had done just that. He waived the thought away. Even if Rob had worked out what was going on it would be too late. The group was shattered. Yallery felt quite smug.

  He stood almost straight. It was playtime.

  He clicked his fingers at one of the mannequins and they brought him a grand, royal looking robe.

  “Thank you friend,” he muttered as they draped the robe over his shoulders. Then with the largest smile on his face, he began to strut around his office.

  He imagined himself ruler of the rebooted world, walking out amongst his subjects who all adored him. Why were these children being given the opportunity anyway? He could be just as good a ruler as them or that mother’s boy Count Douglass. Yet he was just the technical guy, the fall back plan they put here just in case the Duchess ever fell. They never thought he would actually get to fill the duty.

  He had signed the battle sheet knowing there would be a problem. He was quite weak and had a crooked back. If it came to fighting, he would not do too great. Again, he waved the thought away. He already had a plan in place for that. He was the master technician. It was such a good plan it would make how fast he dealt with the children look like the warm up act.

  So he thought he would carry on walking round the room practicing his royal wave dressed like a king which was perfectly normal he thought. Don't you?

  An old thought came back into his head. Not a nice one either and it refused to waiver away. The thought was so strong he found himself speaking it aloud.

  “Am I the bad guy?” He asked not receiving or expecting a reply.

  He remembered the word, Monster.

  He had taken away the children's leader, isolated one and planned to keep another with him as a mannequin. Was that really so villainous?

  He felt conflicted. Could he be evil? Even if he was, is evil such a bad thing? Things had to be explained so much these days. A fellow couldn't be evil for no reason other than being evil. Even wicked witches now needed their origins explained in detail.

  When he stopped to think about it, he supposed he was the bad guy. However surely villainous acts could be excused if the ends justified the means. He had no doubt that he would be the best ruler. His genius built the whole reboot shore anyway. Surely, he deserved to rule more than they did- the children or Count Douglass.

  That silly Count, he suspected was not as brave as the stories say. While watching Douglass's speech and his mothers reaction It had occurred to Yallery that the Count was quite possibly... Fibbing!

  Even if Douglass was not such a threat, there were still the children.

  He reminded himself that these children were not the first. He had tried to bring people in and collect human once before. That was the last time he was accused of being a villain. The exact word used had been monster. He resented being called that when all he wanted to do was make them happy, to allow them to join him.  Monsters were ugly green things with big teeth. Monsters were mean, vicious and nasty and he was none of those. It was all so unfair.

  Suddenly Yallery felt quite silly in his robe. He clicked his fingers again and the mannequin took the robe away. He slumped back into his chair. He did not feel good about sending Tommy home. But this was going to be a battle and there had to be casualties. As for Madeline, he was offering her a place in his new world. Surely, if anything that made him generous rather than villainous.

  There was the other little matter. The unwanted man bear. He knew of Edward. Everybody knew of Edward. It was said that Edward had lived for many hundreds of years. Supposedly, the bear’s lifespan was infinite, which would explain how he had not been wiped ready for the reboot.

  He appeared at different times in history. Usually his appearance was followed with a sensational story that usually involved money going missing. The latest he had heard was that the man bear had been around when the Duchess had fallen. It was never said that he had interfered just that he was there, and now he was here. Yallery never believed any of these stories until the bear had shown up. With almost everything in their world wiped out the bear man had lived. Much like with Madeline Yallery was itching to collect the man bear. He would give anything to know who or what was inside the bear costume.

  “Am I the bad guy? Who am I?” Yallery pondered aloud.

  Was he just a great technician doing his job? 

  He looked at the scroll of battle contenders. His name scribbled on the page stared back at him. He assured himself it would not end like the last time because he was more experienced now.

  He took a few moments looking at the scroll and rerunning the plan through his own mind. The details of the plan made him feel good about himself again. It was a work of genius, foolproof, practically flawless in every way. That was as long as those children continued to stay away from the curtained window.

  Yallery felt content. Yes, he had done villainous things but the winning side always wrote history. Once he had won the battle everyone would remember things the way that he wanted them to.

  “I'm the bad guy,” he told the mannequin.

  “But it's okay because I am fine with that.”

  He chuckled a little again and clicked his fingers for the robe to be brought back to him. As he did, he noticed something and his facial expression turned from a smile to a dirty frown.

  “Computer, scan for unknown people,” Yallery spoke into the microphone sounding thoughtful.

  “Scan Complete. One unknown entity outside the reboot shore,” came, the reply.

  Yallery looked like he was sniffing a fart and sucking on a lemon at the same time.

  “That darn meddling man bear. Why is he on his way back here?” he muttered slouching back into his chair. It did not matter. Outside of the reboot shore there was nothing, so there was no way the man bear could make his way back in.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Tea with Mr. Huntington

   

   

  Tommy sipped the hot sugary tea. Mr. Huntington, or Geoff as Tommy knew him peered above his paper waiting for Tommy to speak. But Tommy did not speak.

  “So,” Geoff said as he turned the pages of the newspaper.

  “What’s new?”

  There was a moment of silence, not an awkward silence but time for Tommy to prepare his words.

  “It happened again, “Tommy replied. He had no need to say what exactly had happened because somehow Geoff didn't have to ask. Tommy knew that Geoff knew.

  “Splendid, I will go get us some biscuits,” came, the reply, not from Geoff but from Geoff's wife Mrs. Huntington. Mrs. Huntington did not believe the stories that Tommy told. She never told him as such and spent most her time knitting and drinking a lot of tea. Tommy wondered how her bladder managed all this tea drinking. She went to the toilet frequently enough but still Tommy wondered if you could over use your bladder.

  “This about the other night?” Geoff asked.

  Tommy nodded.

  Geoff put the paper down and looked puzzled. It was that look again, the one that wordlessly said I can't decide if you are crazy but carry on.

  So Tommy carried on. He told Geoff the whole story from walking into the room with no doors and meeting the singing shopkeeper, Yallery and Count Douglass. All the way through to what Simon had said.

  “Do you trust this Yallery guy?” Geoff asked.

  “Rob doesn't,” Tommy replied.

  “I did not ask if Rob did.”

  Tommy thought about the question for a moment. Yallery had given them all food and shelter. But his motives were not clear. He had been insistent that at least one of them enter the leadership battle and oddly keen that they take his food and drink.

  “He has been kind to us. Provided us with a place to stay and food.”

  Geoff nodded and sipped his tea.

  “Have you heard the phrase about the gift horse?”Geoff asked

  “Never to look the
m in the mouth.”

  “That's right and if the horse is free don't inspect the teeth.”

  Tommy was confused. This was usually the sort off riddle that Madeline would come out with. Geoff saw Tommy's puzzled expression and smiled.

  “He sounds creepy though.”

  “He is,” Tommy confirmed quickly.

  “I think he has given you a window into his true nature. Offered you that window but told you not to look.”

  “Do I look?” Tommy asked.

  “Do you Tommy? That is up to you.”

  The thought of having to make such a decision made Tommy shudder.

  “I was not a great leader to them the last time. But I was better than this,” he explained to Geoff. Geoff shook his head and waggled his index finger to indicate he was about to speak.

  “Different altogether, last time you were going on a journey. From what you tell me you have not been out of this reboot area thing.”

  “The reboot shore,” Tommy offered.

  “Sounds like you were all trapped in there. It's a small space and you’re on top of one another so you’re bound to not stick together quite as well.”

  “What's this all about,” Mrs. Huntington said looking up from her knitting. She had been listening to some of their conversation.

  “Simon had a bit of an argument with Tommy,” Geoff offered as way of quick explanation.

  Tommy noted that Geoff had neglected to mention that this argument had occurred while they were trapped inside a reboot shore with a yellow bearded man, a cowardly Count and a bunch of freaky mannequin people.

  “Oh that Simon is such a good boy,” Mrs. Huntington replied. Sadly, she had met the snitch while he was on a charm offensive. Simon was always charming to those older, or with more power than him. In fact, it was a wonder that there was not boot polish on Simon's nose all the time. Like most adults, Mrs. Huntington would hear none of it. All Simon had to say was a good morning or a lovely weather and suddenly he was branded a nice boy forever. Geoff and Tommy knew otherwise.

  “How is about the man bear?” Geoff asked.

  “I am not sure about him. I don't know why he came back.”

  Tommy had long since given up trying to work out the man bears motives.

  “How did you feel when you saw him?”  Geoff asked.

  “Sort off relieved.”

  Tommy surprised himself with his words.

  “I think this time he genuinely did come to try to warn us about Yallery. But Yallery had him taken away,” Tommy added feeling he needed to explain.

  Geoff put his cup down on the coffee table and sat silently for a moment.

  “I'm not sure I would trust Yallery,” he concluded.

  “I'm not sure I do. Or that I ever truly did,” Tommy agreed.

  “Geoff dear. Let Tommy trust the yellow bearded pixie fellow if he wants to,” Mrs. Huntington added. Tommy was not entirely sure she wasn't joking but it did show that she had listened.

  “I need a way back,” Tommy said.

  Geoff smiled.

  “Have you tried retracing your steps,” he offered.

  Tommy knew he could not retrace his steps because he could not get to where he had been.

  He had tried to reload the tape earlier that day but every time he did, the tape refused to load.  It gave the same error. Error load failed please reboot.

  After a moment of silence, Geoff spoke again.

  “What did you say came up on that television when you loaded the tape.”

  “It said one shall fall,” Tommy repeated.

  Geoff murmured a little repeating Tommy's words.

  “Have you thought about what that could have meant?”  Geoff asked.

  “I think it was about Simon. How he went in there the same as us, part of our group but then turned into something else. Something I don't even recognize.”

  “Yes fall could have been about his fall from the group. A good leader Tommy tries not to allow anyone to fall, even those who are different to us.”

  Tommy nodded. He liked how Geoff always seemed to have the answers.

  “So how do I get back?” Tommy asked looking for more words of advice. Maybe even a clue. Something to make sense of everything.

  “I haven't a clue,” came, Geoff's reply as he took his last sip of tea.

  Sure enough, Geoff was finished being the wise one and back to being Tommy's tea drinking friend.

  Tommy stood up and was about to take his cup to the kitchen but Mrs. Huntington took it from him.

  “You know my son used to play those old computer tapes for hours. He used to say they were big games because when you finished one part you could turn the tape over and play the other.”

  Tommy sat back down right away.

  “There's too sides to the tape?” He asked.

  Geoff looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yes the tapes have a side A and a side B.”

  Tommy had retried the old system a few times and nothing had happened. But he had not known that the game had a second side.

  “Geoff, do you mind if I go upstairs and try that old computer again?” Tommy asked.

  “Of course you can. But call your mother and let her know where you are. I'm going to stay down here,” Geoff said gesturing to Mrs. Huntington who was washing the teacups.

  “Okay Geoff I will,” Tommy promised. He rushed upstairs. Stairs that were now ordinary carpeted everyday stairs. Went into the spare bedroom and grabbed at the old keyboard.  He quickly plugged in the tape player and found the tape he was looking for.

  He turned it over to find there was writing on the second side.

  Side B The Battle

  Tommy slid the tape into the player. Remembering his earlier mistake he made sure it was fully rewound. Then he took the keyboard and kit the key for Load""

  Loading ...

  Game found The Reboot Battle

  Nothing changed in the room this time but the colours reappeared on the TV screen just as they had before. The machine made a screeching sound. More coloured lines both horizontal and vertical filled the screen. Still the world around him was solid. There were no man bears singing about fishes.

  Suddenly writing flashed on the screen

  Welcome back to the reboot shore Tommy

  Tommy was amazed. He blinked and reopened his eyes to see the writing was still there.  He blinked again and when he reopened his eyes, his exile was over.

  He was in what looked like the back of a van. He heard a female voice speaking in an American accent. She sounded startled.

  “Who are you? How did you get in here?”