hadn’t
actually said anything. Somehow, his seer powers and Devon’s created some
psychic… future link.
“Sylvester needs a box. Devon doesn’t know what it
does or what it’s for, but Sylvester was very mad that it was gone. Apparently,
he thought someone stole it.”
“You talked to Devon?” Ron asked.
“No. I don’t think so. It’s confusing. The box looks
like a very small gift box. We need to find it. Either that will help us save
the kids, or we can use it to blackmail Sylvester.”
“A very small gift box? Like the one on your desk at
home?”
* * *
Lisa lifted the lid of her large present just enough
to peek inside. A clown doll? That’s what grandma got me ? She wasn’t
afraid of clowns or dolls, but it was really creepy. Oh, well. It would go in
the closet like all the other weird toys her grandma got her. It wasn’t very
Christmas-y, either.
Her mother entered the room. “Time for bed.”
Lisa groaned and whined, like any ten-year-old would,
before relenting. She knew that the faster she went to sleep, the faster
Christmas would come. Unfortunately, she was too excited to sleep.
After almost an hour, she finally started to nod off,
only to jerk awake when she heard the door creak open. Light spilled across her
bed and she closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. She didn’t want her mother to
know she was still awake. But the door didn’t close, and when she opened her
eyes, it wasn’t her mother watching her.
“You’re the doll from my present,” Lisa said to the
clown in her doorway. The clown was six feet tall and it was frowning, not
smiling, so Lisa was confused. Lethargy clouded her mind and all she wanted to
do was go to sleep, but the clown reached out its hand. Lisa didn’t know why
she sat up and took its hand. She didn’t know why she let the clown lead her
into the living room.
Chapter 5
By the time they made it back
to their apartment, it was snowing. Ron grabbed the box as soon as they
entered, took it into the kitchen, set it down on the table, and started
getting leftovers out of the fridge. Everyone else gathered around the table.
“Do we open it?” Hail asked.
“Toys have been coming alive and attacking kids,”
Mordon said. “I think we should find out what it does first.”
“It can’t be a very big monster,” Ron said,
considering the tiny box as he set a plate of spaghetti in front of Hail.
“Maybe we should step on it.”
Hail shook his head. “It could be the only way we get
everyone back alive.”
“Alive? You don’t think they’re already dead?”
“No, I think they’re stuck somewhere alone in the
dark and they’re going to be eaten.”
“You had a vision?” Dylan asked. Hail nodded. “Do you
know when they’re going to die?”
“Christmas.”
Dylan checked the clock over the door. “That’s in
three hours. I’m going to flash to Devon. Where’s my sword?”
“No, you can’t,” Hail said.
“Why are we leaving him there to die? I thought we
generally tried to save people,” Dylan said, looking at Mordon. “Isn’t that
what we do?”
“We’re too late to save him. We have to find the
kids. Please trust me.”
“I always trust you, honey, but you’re not being very
clear.”
“I know… It’s not a vision. I just feel like
we can’t save him. It’s like a vision but I don’t know why.”
“Can’t you just flash to the kids? If they’re alive
like you said, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Without answering, Dylan focused on Drake. Of all of
Ron and Hail’s friends, Drake was the one he knew the most. Bright light filled
the room and when it cleared, he was in utter darkness. He easily created a
sphere of energy in his hand, something akin to a white flame but more
volatile.
He was alone in a large room with no doors or
windows.
* * *
“Your friends were just here,” Sylvester said, taking
the rag out of
actually said anything. Somehow, his seer powers and Devon’s created some
psychic… future link.
“Sylvester needs a box. Devon doesn’t know what it
does or what it’s for, but Sylvester was very mad that it was gone. Apparently,
he thought someone stole it.”
“You talked to Devon?” Ron asked.
“No. I don’t think so. It’s confusing. The box looks
like a very small gift box. We need to find it. Either that will help us save
the kids, or we can use it to blackmail Sylvester.”
“A very small gift box? Like the one on your desk at
home?”
* * *
Lisa lifted the lid of her large present just enough
to peek inside. A clown doll? That’s what grandma got me ? She wasn’t
afraid of clowns or dolls, but it was really creepy. Oh, well. It would go in
the closet like all the other weird toys her grandma got her. It wasn’t very
Christmas-y, either.
Her mother entered the room. “Time for bed.”
Lisa groaned and whined, like any ten-year-old would,
before relenting. She knew that the faster she went to sleep, the faster
Christmas would come. Unfortunately, she was too excited to sleep.
After almost an hour, she finally started to nod off,
only to jerk awake when she heard the door creak open. Light spilled across her
bed and she closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. She didn’t want her mother to
know she was still awake. But the door didn’t close, and when she opened her
eyes, it wasn’t her mother watching her.
“You’re the doll from my present,” Lisa said to the
clown in her doorway. The clown was six feet tall and it was frowning, not
smiling, so Lisa was confused. Lethargy clouded her mind and all she wanted to
do was go to sleep, but the clown reached out its hand. Lisa didn’t know why
she sat up and took its hand. She didn’t know why she let the clown lead her
into the living room.
Chapter 5
By the time they made it back
to their apartment, it was snowing. Ron grabbed the box as soon as they
entered, took it into the kitchen, set it down on the table, and started
getting leftovers out of the fridge. Everyone else gathered around the table.
“Do we open it?” Hail asked.
“Toys have been coming alive and attacking kids,”
Mordon said. “I think we should find out what it does first.”
“It can’t be a very big monster,” Ron said,
considering the tiny box as he set a plate of spaghetti in front of Hail.
“Maybe we should step on it.”
Hail shook his head. “It could be the only way we get
everyone back alive.”
“Alive? You don’t think they’re already dead?”
“No, I think they’re stuck somewhere alone in the
dark and they’re going to be eaten.”
“You had a vision?” Dylan asked. Hail nodded. “Do you
know when they’re going to die?”
“Christmas.”
Dylan checked the clock over the door. “That’s in
three hours. I’m going to flash to Devon. Where’s my sword?”
“No, you can’t,” Hail said.
“Why are we leaving him there to die? I thought we
generally tried to save people,” Dylan said, looking at Mordon. “Isn’t that
what we do?”
“We’re too late to save him. We have to find the
kids. Please trust me.”
“I always trust you, honey, but you’re not being very
clear.”
“I know… It’s not a vision. I just feel like
we can’t save him. It’s like a vision but I don’t know why.”
“Can’t you just flash to the kids? If they’re alive
like you said, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Without answering, Dylan focused on Drake. Of all of
Ron and Hail’s friends, Drake was the one he knew the most. Bright light filled
the room and when it cleared, he was in utter darkness. He easily created a
sphere of energy in his hand, something akin to a white flame but more
volatile.
He was alone in a large room with no doors or
windows.
* * *
“Your friends were just here,” Sylvester said, taking
the rag out of
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