 
The Forbidden Window

(Hiding From Seagulls Book Two)

Copyright 2014 By John Wallis

Smashwords Edition

#  Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my small group of test readers. Without their invaluable support and honest advice this book would not have reached you.

They are Adrian Finney, Andrew Bunker, and Margaret Mumby (Nana)
**Table of Contents**

Prologue: A world rebooted

The Room with No Doors

Try Harder Rob

To put away Childish thing

The Reboot Shore

No Longer Alone

The Forbidden Window

I'm an Evil Magic Potion

A Cucumber and a Lemon

Count Douglass the brave... and his mother

The Man bear Returns

What time is it Mr. Wolf?

Damsels in Distress

One Shall Fall

End of Part One

Tommy's Intermission

Why was the bear man dancing?

Am I a Monster?

Tea with Mr. Huntington

Part Two – The Reboot

The bear Man's Boat

You're lost then we're lost

The Third Man

Reunited

Carousel

We Got you Again

The Compare becomes the Fighter

The Battle

A World Repaired

Back Home

The Last Year of School

#  **Prologue: A world rebooted**

Yallery Brown watched a solitary seagull fly across the blackest sky his world had ever known. It navigated with ease across the sky using the noise of the night as its only guide. The seagull flew into a colorful area just off the shore. A high razor wire fence closed off the area. Inside were a few tall buildings. The place looked like a maximum-security prison, or perhaps an asylum. Although despite its intimidating structure, it was used for neither. Once over the huge security gate the seagull made straight for an intentionally open window knowing exactly where to go and who to look for.

The seagull was the last of the seagull army. A solitary survivor performing, Yallery suspected a final duty. The bird looked as sad as a seagull could look as he prepared to carry out the Duchess's final order. Slowly, he came to land on a windowsill on the top floor of the crumbling office block. The black paint around the window frame peeling away bit by bit, much like the world they were placed in. The floor was covered with an old carpet that had been soaked in dirt time and time again, and the room was deserted except for a single office desk and Yallery the lone figure sat at that desk. It was rare for a member of the seagull army to venture this far from the Duchess's sand castle. The emergency button must have truly been hit. This could mean what Yallery hoped it meant. If it did, then the sky turning black signaled that the seagull army was already on borrowed time. This was the end of an era and perhaps the beginning of a new one.

"Yallery Brown sir, I must speak with you on a matter of some urgency," the seagull squawked a little too fast.

At the opposite end of the long room, Yallery's hunched figure sat silently by the desk. He was a short man with skin of the colour of mustard. His scraggly white beard was badly unkempt and he wore a suit two sizes too big for his body. His eyes looked glazed and his expression was vague. Oddly, he was focussing more on the corner of the room. Yallery's eyes then moved to watch the seagull fly through the window but he did not react.

"I know," Yallery replied softly.

"I saw the black sky rolling in. The duchess has fallen, has she not?"

"She has," the seagull replied.

"Defeated at her own game and then left her castle and her post. Just abdicated, ran off with some bus driver. She always had the hots for him."

Yallery tilted his head and half smiled.

"You see, he was a very miserable man and she was a very miserable woman. So together they make a very miserable couple," the seagull explained.

Despite the seagull's sorrowed tone, Yallery could not hold back his excitement. A full smile emerged on his unwashed face, and he let out an excited squeak. Now he knew for sure what this meant. If the duchess was gone, the land, he and the seagull lived in was vanishing. Everything he knew would be gone in a matter of hours. Despite the danger of non-existence, all he could feel was excitement. He knew, that, now was his only chance to play the role he had always wanted to play. The compare to the crowning of a new ruler, the host to a new era- an era where Yallery would be transported from the bottom of the chain to an important figure right at the very top. It's the way it always worked. Once a ruler was gone, their land was wiped clean. The dark sky was the disinfectant and Yallery alone had the tools to rewrite the land. All his planning and research had led to today and the news he had just received this very moment. It was time to put all the theory into practice.

So, for the first time, in many years, the usually hunchbacked Yallery stood up straight with so much force that the chair behind him smashed against the wall. The seagull flapped back making sure to be well out of chair shot range. Yallery walked to the other side of the room and back again and for a while, the sound of the heavy rain outside and the sound of his footsteps provided the only noise.

"How much has gone?" Yallery demanded.

"There is only blackness south of the owl hotel," the seagull replied.

Yallery found himself smiling again. He paced around his desk finding the microphone.

"Could you all engage the firewall please, and start the reboot process. I assure you this is not a drill." Yallery gave the order cheerfully before turning his attention back to the Seagull.

"I had better get more information out of you then hadn't I? Tell me, who defeated the Duchess? If I am to reboot this place under a new ruler this information is important to me."

"A group of children Yallery," The seagull answered shaking his head and looking more sorrowful than before.

"Outsiders, you will likely never see them again."

"Oh but I will, I must," Yallery responded quickly.

He meant his words too. To be successful those children were needed. They were like an ingredient in a well-balanced recipe, vital to not only his success but also his survival.

Yallery began jumping up and down on the spot. It was something he did to aid this thought when he was too excited to think properly. As he had been seated for much of the past few years, it felt good. He suddenly felt so much energy running through his body. The thought of it, children defeated the Duchess. This was going to be easier than he could have ever imagined. He now lived in a land without a ruler. There were no rules, no order, just chaos. It could not stay that way. A new ruler would be crowned and if everything worked right, Yallery planned to cement his place in history.

"What of the new ruler?" Yallery asked.

"Count Douglass is on his way to meet us right now. As the designated new ruler he will wait here behind your firewall until such a time as the reboot is successful."

By the rules set by the Duchess brave Count Douglass would do battle with whoever defeated the old ruler. That would be the children the seagull spoke off. Because the children were outsiders, Douglass would feel he should be the new ruler automatically. The reboot wouldn't work that way, and besides Yallery had other plans. Plans he chose to keep to himself for now.

Yallery stroked his bearded chin. "The reboot yes," he mumbled.

"How do you plan on making it happen?" The seagull asked.

Yallery stopped jumping and once again began pacing the room; he was so excited he was unable to keep still.

There was a loud rumble of thunder from outside. Yallery waited for it to pass before he spoke.

"You know, I detect a little skepticism in your voice. You don't believe I can reboot everything to how it was?"

The seagull got no chance to argue.

"You won't be around long enough to see it but you have my assurances, my guarantee in fact it will happen. All I need to start with is an effective connection and that is happening right now. We, my feathered friend are being beamed into the head of those responsible for defeating the Duchess."

Then Yallery got close to the Seagull, He exhaled twice and his breath made the Seagulls feathers move. The seagull waddled backwards.

"I never did like seagulls. Never saw the Duchess's reason in choosing you," Yallery told the bird.

"Now Yallery," the seagull scolded.

Then the seagull looked vacant. The bird stopped talking, in fact, as Yallery had expected the seagull would not talk ever again.

"Why will you never talk again?" Yallery asked aloud, and then answered his own question despite was no one around to hear him.

"Because seagulls don't talk." He said gleefully.

The seagulls purpose was to serve the ruler. With no ruler and no more orders to follow, the seagull was back to being a regular, normal, everyday seagull.

"To reboot I need the children that defeated the Duchess. It is after all a natural succession. The new ruler or at least contender to be the new ruler is the person that defeated the last ruler."

Yallery picked the seagull up and walked across to the window, then he let go and watched the bird fly away into the night sky. The seagull would have more adventures all right but none would involve the Duchess.

Yallery put his chair back into place and sat back into it enjoying the comfort. He shuffled a few papers about then looked towards a corner of the room with a vacant stare. He began talking to a seemingly invisible figure in the corner of the room.

"I know you are there. You have been listening to all of that haven't you?"

The black whiskers twitched around Yallery's nose and his slightly twisted smile returned as his eyes focused more intently on the corner of the room.

The speakers of the microphone he had given orders on earlier buzzed into life.

An alternated voice spoke "Connection has been established."

"You were supposed to hear my chat with that seagull. That was my design. I know you can hear me Tommy. My name is Yallery Brown and I will be your host, your guide and your compare."

He sat by the almost clear desk with his hands folded under his chin and his head tilted to the right, squinting as though trying to make something out in the distance.

"We will meet soon enough Tommy. But for now the connection is closing. That means it is time to wake up. Wake up Tommy. Did you hear me? It's time to wake up."

"Wake up Tommy," it was Tommy's mothers voice, always a sign he had slept over the alarm.

"I am up mum," Tommy lied quickly picking up the notepad from his bedside table. By the time he had the pen in his hand, the dream had fragmented into a million broken pieces. Tommy vaguely remembered a man with a scraggly white beard, twitchy black whiskers and mustard yellow skin.

"You told me to wake you up a bit earlier because you are helping Mr. Huntington with his loft today remember?"

Tommy hadn't remembered but was heading to Geoff's anyway today so going earlier would not make the world of difference.

He was about to get up when he looked at the notebook. He had written one word.

Reboot

Now why would he have written that?

#

#  **The Room with No Doors**

Tommy had walked around the shops with Mr. Huntington, Geoff, as he knew him half in a daze trying to remember that morning's weird dream. He felt like his brain was being held back by something he could barely remember.

Tommy liked how Geoff was just Geoff. Older people usually stuck to formality. All the teachers at school, and most of his aunties and uncles were Mr this or Mrs that. Geoff was old, and not just fifty. Yet he was one of Tommy's best friends. He was the guy Tommy could say anything to. Today they had been shopping and now Geoff was rummaging through a box they had found in the attic. It was filled with stuff that had belonged to his son. Then Geoff asked a familiar question.

"So Tommy what is new then?"

It was time for Geoff's weekly update on Tommy's life.

Most people including Geoff called him Tommy. His name was Thomas and he couldn't really understand why people shortened it because Tommy isn't that much shorter.

Tommy believed in impossible things, and had since a bus ride he took last year. He thought that the bus journey had been a dream but it had seemed very real. So by saying he believes in impossible things and talking about them with Geoff he had been branded with an over active imagination. His parents worried sometimes about this overactive imagination.

Tommy's old friend Geoff was still searching through the cardboard box from the attic. Tommy felt the box was important. And it was, because it all began again right then with that question of Geoff's.

"So what is new?" Geoff repeated.

Tommy thought a little about school before replying.

"School seems fine, Dave is not too happy though. That snitch Simon got him a detention the other day."

Dave was Tommy's best friend. Well the best friend he had of his own age anyway. Sadly, he had not taken that bus journey, if indeed that bus journey had even happened.

"Well dear, if you boys did not break the rules, Simon wouldn't be able to get you into trouble," came, the reply- not from Geoff, but from Mrs. Huntington Geoff's wife. She was also Tommy's friend in her own way. She spent a lot of her time sewing and making cups of tea. She liked hearing about his school life as well. Sadly, she had met Simon the snitch and was under the illusion that he was as she put it, such a nice boy.

Geoff was with Tommy, he could see that the guy would sell his own grandmother for that smug little feeling of superiority and power. Simon was now not just a prefect he was form captain, year captain, school counsel, voluntary litter picker and they always asked him to hand the textbooks out. He had progressed to his own desk with a little nametag at the front. A nametag he has had to replace eight times already because his supporters keep chaining it to read... well, Tommy couldn't repeat what it read with Mrs. Huntington around. In the band that was, school boot licking Simon played lead guitar, was head singer and wrote the theme music.

Now the bus journey had been a dream Tommy was sure of that. But he and Geoff often spoke as though it had all been real. A few days after the dream, Tommy had attempted to approach Simon. He had wanted to ask him about the bus journey, as it had felt so real. He wondered if it could have been somehow shared. So he drew a Seagull on Simon's exercise book.

Simon the snitch had exploded into a tirade demanding to know who had drawn it. So much so, the snitch himself almost got his first detention.

"Simon can't remember the bus," Tommy told Geoff.

"No son," Geoff answered still rummaging through the box. He had put a few old cables to one side and now lifted out an old cassette tape player. Tommy looked puzzled. Geoff saw his quizzical look and explained as best as he could.

"It's like your music thing."

Tommy didn't correct him, and Geoff carried on looking through the box for whatever it was he wanted Tommy to see.

"I was thinking that often when I wake up I can't remember what was in my dream," Tommy continued.

"I don't think many of us do," Geoff said from deep inside the box.

"So what if somehow we did both have the same dream but I can remember my side of it. Maybe Simon slept a little longer so the dream faded for him."

"Could be he doesn't want to remember. Don't you think that was a pretty big reaction you got there just for drawing a seagull," Geoff replied.

Tommy had not thought of it that way. Geoff was not like Tommy's parents in that he said Tommy's imagination was healthy. According to Geoff, it is something that a lot of young ones have and not something to worry about too much.

One person that had remembered though was Rob. Rob is full of energy. In fact, he is over energized and enthusiastic all the time. He happened to have been there when the snitch saw the Seagull drawn on the book and he pushed Tommy's shoulder to get his attention and said he had never liked seagulls. Tommy told Rob the whole story and Rob had nodded, as though he remembered it all but he never recalled any of the details himself. It was always Tommy talking while Rob nodded enthusiastically.

The other member of the group Madeline was going through a phase whatever a phase was. A phase meant nothing to Tommy but seemed to explain everything in the adult world. It even worked with the teachers. Madeline had been withdrawn in class today, missed a lesson or only wears black now and it was always down to her phase. The phase was adult code not to ask any awkward questions. Whenever it was mentioned, it was met with exaggerated nods of acceptance among the school mother crowd. Because of this phase, she seemed a tiny bit unapproachable. So Tommy did what all guys of his age do and didn't approach her. He did not know whether she remembered the bus ride or not.

"I found it," Geoff cried cutting off Tommy's chain of thought.

"This was my son's computer."

Geoff knew Tommy liked video games and he had wanted to show him the computer his son had spent hours on as a boy. Tommy also saw that Geoff wanted him to sort the leads out and tune it into the television.

"All the leads are there. Now he used to type load, or press the J key or something like that."

"Why would the J key load the game?" Tommy asked.

"Well it would take forever to type the word load wouldn't it?"

Tommy liked that Geoff got the name of the music player wrong and the thing in front of him was supposed to be a computer yet Tommy was the unenlightened one in this conversation for not knowing that pressing J could load a tape.

"Let's leave Tommy to it," Mrs Huntington offered.

"I am going to put the kettle on and you are going to help me bring the tea up Geoff,"

Geoff looked like he had just been told he wasn't allowed to play as he made his way to the stairs.

"I will be back up in a few minutes Tommy, she isn't very good up and down the stairs."

It didn't take long to get the computer hooked up to the television and the tape player leads slipped into the back of the odd looking computer. Tommy tried what Geoff had suggested and pressed J on the dusty old keys. Nothing, so he typed the word _run_ and pressed enter.

Please insert cassette tape and type load ""

Came the computers reply. He sighed heavily and searched through the cardboard box for a tape. Right at the bottom was a cassette tape. The case was entirely white apart from some writing in blue ink directing Tommy to _use with the computer_. The tape itself read

The Forbidden Window side A.

Then there was a subtitle

One shall fall.

The forbidden window sounded as good as any game. Tommy wondered if the tape was an old bootleg or perhaps a game Geoff's son had made and recorded in his spare time. Either way it would pass the time looking at it. So he hit the keys.

Load ""

Please rewind the tape

He worked out how. Turns out cassettes are a bit like film disks only they actually take time to rewind. Quite a lot of time as it happened. So the tape rewound and he tried again.

Load""

Loading...

He waited, and by this point Tommy had to hand it to Geoff, he was interested to see what this old machine was going to give him.

Game found The Forbidden Window

The sides of the screen burst into stripes and colours as the tape wheels spun. There were more dots on the screen and he began to wonder if after all of this the old machine was broken anyway.

One Shall Fall

Showed again on the screen. Tommy assumed it had a few glitches but again and again, it repeated the same line of text. Then it did something unexpected.

The text read

"Where are you going?"

What an odd question for a computer game to ask. This was followed by something even more unexpected. The text read.

One shall fall... Tommy.

There it was, his name right there on the screen. Suddenly, the sides of his eyes seemed to continue with the coloured lines on the television screen. Turning away from the screen did not stop them. The tape made a horrendous ringing, screeching sound. Tommy couldn't stop the noise or the colours dancing in his eyes and worried he maybe ill so began heading for the top of the stairs to call for Geoff or Mrs. Huntington.

But the ground under his feet was not carpeted anymore. It was more like the coloured blocks you see in a video game and as he walked down the stairs each stair changed colour. They went from the dark blue of Geoff's carpet to a bright yellow.

Once at the bottom of the stairs he tried the door and found he was not in Geoff's house anymore. He was in a big cold stone room with no doors and what 's more, he was not alone. Rob, Madeline, and Simon were there.

"No," Simon cried out.

"Not again, this can NOT be happening."

"We only just got here too," Madeline said as though being wherever here was could be a perfectly normal occurrence.

"This is not right, it's not happening. Now if you don't mind I want to go home," Simon demanded.

"Well your are here and we are here. Doesn't look like you're going anywhere since this room has no doors. You're stuck with us for a little while snitch," Rob replied.

He was right. The stairs Tommy had just walked down were not there now.

"I am no snitch I just follow the rules. I tell you this is not happening I am asleep and I know I am. Why am I even talking to you anyway?" Simon said already beginning to lose his patience.

"Well let's just calm down and think about this," Madeline said calmly stepping between the two.

"We all got in this room somehow. So let's think back and recall how we got here and when."

"Who has been here longest?" Tommy asked

"That would be Simon and I. We have been here since school yesterday." Rob said.

"Great," Madeline responded, "how did you get here?"

#  **Try Harder Rob**

"I ended up here after detention. We both did," Rob declared.

"I was supervising," the snitch added. Unless any of us would dare think, he actually put a foot wrong and got himself a detention.

Rob felt the hatred rise inside him again as he told the others how he and Simon got there.

Yesterday seemed a long time ago. It had been a day filled with pressure.

Rob knew he was not the greatest at school. He knew this despite his parents' best efforts at disguising the fact. Every time he brought a grade home, it was met with-

"Not bad for you eh lad," from his father.

His mother would request he knuckle down whatever that meant. It was easy enough to skip lessons when his father would not punish him. Missing school as Rob's father put it was down to Rob being a "typical lad."

Rob enjoyed playing this role, but with exams coming up, he was trying to do more of that knuckling down that his mother talked about so much. So far, that day however, the knuckle down plan was all going wrong. He had been late up, very late up. That had followed by being late into the bathroom, late for breakfast and almost late to school. If it had not been for sprinting the last part of the journey, he would have not made it. As it was, he approached the exam room with only two minutes to spare. His heart sank when he saw the snitch manning the door.

"Hold it there," Simon demanded, holding his hand out in a symbolic stop gesture. Rob wondered if Simon thought he didn't understand the spoken word or something?

Perhaps it was just a gesture so as others could see that he had stopped someone.

"You may only take a pen and pencil into the exam. Do you have them?"

Rob quickly took out the pen and pencil from his backpack and shoved the back pack to the corner of the cloak room and quickly went to the door but Simon again put his hand out in that annoying self important stop motion.

"They need to be in a clear plastic bag. Do you have a clear plastic bag?"

"Look I only have a pen and pencil on me," Rob argued knowing that his words would fall on snitches deaf ears.

"Exam rules state no pencil cases, just clear plastic bags."

"Well I am only taking these in and I don't have a clear bag for them," Rob said showing him the pen and pencil.

Simon smiled. A smile from Simon was both unusual and unnerving. He pulled a role of clear bags that looked like they belonged on the vegetable isle of a supermarket and handed one to Rob. Rob was a little taken back by this kindness shown from the snitch. He put the pen and pencil in the bag and walked towards the door. Again he was stopped by Simon's hand.

"You may want to..." Simon gestured towards Rob's shirt. It had come loose while he had been sprinting to school. He tucked the shirt in quickly and again made for the exam room.

Again, the snitches hand giving the annoying stop motion met him.

"Can I help you Rob?" Simon asked

"Yes," Rob cried more than a little frustrated, "I want to get in the exam room please."

"I can't let you do that I am afraid you're late."

"Late," Rob shouted moving his arms around like an aggravated penguin. Simon put his finger over his lips as though he was gesturing to a small child as he pointed to a sign on the door. _No admittance once the exam is in progress_

"You're not going to let me in now no matter what I say, are you?"

Simon shook his head.

"Thought not," Rob replied. At that moment, it is fair to say he didn't care too much. He would miss the exam. His mother would tell him he had to knuckle down and his father would say he was a typical lad.

Rob wouldn't admit this to anyone but he had actually been late up because he had revised until midnight the night before for the exam. Alas! The Snitch had stood in his way and Miss Arthur the deputy head known as thunder thighs was on her way over to greet them both. From experience, Rob knew this always worked out better for Simon than for him.

"Late again Rob?" She asked rhetorically.

"I was here on time just not ready. The exam only started thirty seconds ago...," before Rob got a chance to complete his appeal Simon butted in.

"Thirty seconds Rob is thirty seconds. The exam was scheduled for eight thirty sharp. It has always been eight thirty and in the letter, you got about midterm exams it clearly said eight thirty. In fact if my memory serves me well, it said to arrive early. Would Armstrong have made it to the moon if he had been thirty seconds late to the launch? Time is time whether you're thirty seconds over, five minutes or indeed an hour."

Rob thought this was another prime example of Simon abusing what little power he had. He missed some of what Simon was saying through, well not missed more chose not to listen but he picked up the conversation as Simon continued.

"Don't you agree Miss Arthur?"

A slightly puzzled thunder thigh gave Simon a gentle nod.

"Look, you have missed this one Rob. The rules say I have to keep you in detention,"

Rob nodded.

"Perfectly reasonable I would say," the snitch added gleefully.

"Sadly I am busy right after school so I am going to make this an exception."

"I'm not busy after school," Simon offered quickly.

"Would you mind Simon? You are not supervising the detention. You only need to wait with Rob for five minutes or so then I will be back," Miss Arthur said offering Simon a smile.

"I do not mind at all, Miss Arthur. Can I also say how great your class was?"

The snitch carried on but Rob didn't care too much for the rest of the conversation. He was staying after school now so guessed he may as well get his money's worth. While the snitch was talking, he waggled his tongue about in what he thought was a boot licking motion. Miss Arthur's face was toward Simon so only the snitch could see, exactly what Rob wanted. If Rob didn't know any better he would think that the snitch had a little crush on thunder thighs. Sadly, while he was thinking this, Rob had not adjusted his face for the moment that thunder thighs turned around.

He expected to be sent to the head teacher. Instead, Miss Arthur let out a sigh and offered Rob a smile too.

"You're better than this Rob. I know you're trying, but try harder."

Her words were hard to take because they were true. Rob hadn't felt this frustrated in quite some time.

"Looks like it's you and me back here at the end of the day," Simon said with a smirk.

"Can't wait. It's good here isn't it?" Rob said sarcastically and headed off for some food before Simon could reply.

***

"He was late and that is all there is to it," Simon protested as the others stared disapprovingly.

"That still has not explained how you got here," Tommy replied

"Oh yeah," Rob continued, "I was getting to that."

***

The room was silent except for the pages of Simon's book turning. He sat up at the teacher's desk, all smug and happy with himself. Despite Miss Arthur assuring him, he wasn't supervising Simon acted as though he was. Supervising a five-minute detention for one person because he was the snitch and he supervised.

"Bet you are happy with yourself there Simon. Keeping me out the exam room until I was too late," Rob had not felt this angry in a long time. He had missed a shot at an exam he had studied quite hard for and it was all down to the Snitch.

"Do you want to end up on report?"

"Oh I don't care Simon; I'm always on report anyway."

"That's it," Simon waved his pen in the air "I am reporting this to Miss Arthur."

Now Rob was overcome with rage.

"Will you Simon. Oh please don't report me to Miss Arthur," he said and began sarcastically blowing kisses.

"That's it. I am reporting you now."

"You have always been the same Simon. Even the Duchess saw that."

Rob put his hand over his mouth and felt a sudden sense of shock.

Then there was an unnerving silence

"Shall we head home"? Simon offered breaking the silence in the room with a quivering voice.

Rob had just mentioned the Duchess from Tommy's story and something was somehow unlocked. He did not just remember it as a story, he remembered the bus journey and so, he suspected did Simon.

"Yeah," Rob offered, Yeah that would probably be the best."

As they walked out to the cloakroom, the walls had changed. The cloakroom had walls of stone. They found themselves in the room without doors. Simon seemed to understand what had happened right away.

"No," he cried "not this again!"

***

"Sometime passed. Like about an hour, and Madeline arrived."

"So Madeline got here second," Tommy said, taking the lead as he had done before.

"I am starting to think we have all been brought into this room by design, how about you, Madeline?"

It was Madeline's turn to speak. The others all sat on the floor listening to how she had ended up in the room with no doors.

#  **To put away Childish things**

With the others all waiting to hear how she had gotten into the room with no doors Madeline found herself wondering for a moment where to start. She knew she should really start right at the beginning and tell them all about yesterday but there was a phrase about airing dirty laundry in public that sprung to mind.

"Okay," she began.

But paused instantly looking around at the puzzled faces in front of her.

Well, she thought to herself, may as well start at the beginning. It was not as if they had anything spoiling as they were stuck in the stone room with no doors.

***

Yesterday had been an awful day. a day when tensions and emotions had over ruled common sense.

It had been a little over a year since her father moved away. At first, it had been for a few weeks while the divorce went through, later it had become more permanent. Madeline was a self-confessed daddy's girl. So it felt odd that her father had left her at home. A home that was unrecognizable to what it had been before. Her mother Wendy ran a tight ship. There was no nonsense allowed which was unfair because Madeline liked nonsense. It was the best kind of sense. She wondered how anyone could not like a little nonsense now and again?

Chloe for once hated nonsense. Chloe was Madeline's younger sister. The reason Madeline never mentioned her much was that she has not actually much of a sister more a clone of their mother. Madeline's mother and sister did so much together that they practically ran the woman's institute and the local church. The many coffee mornings and committee meetings left Madeline home alone for the majority the time. So being immature and insensible she began doing things to purposely annoy the do-good duo as much and as often as she possibly could. However, her mother and Chloe simply labeled these rebellious acts a phase. Chloe was a twelve year old who would happily tell her friends that her sister was going through a phase, as odd as that sounds.

Looking at her life from the room with no doors Madeline knew that she was just upset. But yesterday there had been a lot of upsets.

She had come home from school and headed straight for her room. But the usual safe area did not save her this particular evening. Chloe appeared right away to greet her.

"Mother is not very happy with you," there was a degree of almost snitch worthy happiness in Chloe's voice.

Madeline decided she did not want to deal with whatever it was her mother wanted today and shut the door without reply. Turned out her moody door slamming show was that one-step too far.

"Maddie open this door. Open it this instance," came her mother's voice.

The door flung open and her mother stood in the doorway. Not such an intimidating figure, she was wearing more makeup than Bozo the clown and her hair had done so many rounds with the curling tongs that it looked like a judge's wig.

"You did not make those jam tarts, remember? They were for this evening."

Madeline shrugged. She had not forgotten the jam tarts; she had just never agreed to make them to begin with. She had been volunteered to make them. Making that point would be pointless, as her mother would hear nothing off it.

"Well," the war painted eyebrows moved up and froze waiting for a response.

"What am I going to tell Jean when I turn up with no tarts?"

Madeline could have suggested a number of things her mother tells Jean. None of which she could bring herself to say aloud. So she did what most girls did at her age, shrugged and made out she wasn't all that bothered. Which wasn't hard because she really did not care about Jean's tarts.

Then the argument truly started.

"Look at Chloe. You see how much she helps us all? And she is younger than you. Really, there is no excuse Madeline, I won't have this laziness any longer."

"Good for Chloe," Madeline responded quickly and out of anger and she had to admit a little jealousy.

"You need to grow up Madeline. You waste far too much of your time with your head up in the clouds. Keep chasing dreams, Madeline and you will end up just like him. Going from one thing to another and never really sticking to anything."

"NEVER speak about my father like that," Madeline said sternly as she stormed across to her bed almost knocking her mother into the corner. Madeline's mother looked broken and for a moment, Madeline felt a little concerned despite herself.

"It doesn't have to be like this all the time," came, her mother's low voice.

"I liked that you and your father had your storybooks, it was nice. Because the lord above knows I was never able to get through to you."

Madeline allowed her mother to take her hand.

"You just have to get used to the facts now. Your father has gone and I am not the wicked witch you make me out to be."

Madeline allowed herself a smile.

"You realize we just fell out over jam tarts right? That is kind of like one of my storybooks."

Her mother let out an exhausted sigh.

"I am sure it is," she said sounding weary.

"Madeline, I am worried about you. You don't have enough of a grip on what is important. Your sister just won a beauty contest. She goes out with friends, and has a life beyond books."

Madeline shot her mother an evil look making it clear she was not happy with the comparisons her mother constantly made- another nugget of friction between them.

Finally, her mother left the room leaving Madeline alone.

Happy for the peace she lay on the bed and for a while enjoyed the silence. She got to thinking. Her mother was not a bad person. They just had very little in common with each other. Neither of them was truly at fault for that but it did mean their personalities clashed regularly.

She reached for one of her books but not having the energy put it back down again. On the side was a magazine her sister had left. The glossy kind you often see free with the newspaper. A quote popped in her head.

When I became an adult, I put away childish things

She put the book of fairy tales under her bed, took the magazine and flicked through the pages wondering how people read this. The fashion models all looked scarily unreal, like they were mannequins. The rest were horror-scopes and supposed real life stories. There was more making believe in the pages of the glossy magazine than in any of her fairy tales.

Suddenly, she noticed from the corner of her eye a cake and a cup of tea left on the bedside table. While she had been looking at the magazine, her mother must have come back with a piece offering. Odd as her mother did not usually approve of too many sweets or cakes. Madeline hoped for a moment that her mother was feeling nice and guilty. There was a familiar note with the cake. It read _eat me_.

Could her mother have read Alice's _adventures in wonderland_ after all?

Perhaps this was her mother's way of making it up with her?

Both assumptions could be very wishful thinking. But she was hungry so she took a bite of the cake- Raspberry sponge. Everything tasted normal. Apart from a big old wooden door appeared in the corner. Madeline decided against calling for her mother or sister. Explaining that she thought there was a big wooden door in her room could make her mother a little more worried about her. Besides, she felt oddly relieved to see the door.

***

"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 part 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 smiles.

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 the 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 and 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 fellows. 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 scroll 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 continued 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 them 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?"

#  **Part Two – The Reboot**

# 

#  **The Bear Man's Boat**

"I don't understand," Rob said for about the tenth time that day.

"If you are not taking part in the battle why is he teaching you how to fight?"

Madeline sighed.

"I want to be able to look after myself," she said quite firmly, that was the only information she wanted him to have for the moment.

It was the second day she and Count Douglass had trained on the beach and the third day that Rob had objected to it.

Count Douglass had stopped training for the moment to allow for Rob's intrusion. He must have still been listening though as his throat made an odd noise of agreement.

"Hem," Douglass grunted

"Seems a bit odd to me," Rob replied.

"Look at Simon. All right, I never liked him that much. Now he is running around dressed like a pantomime baddie and talking to seagulls. Shouldn't we be looking to leave rather than learning to fight?"

"Hem," came, Count Douglass's contribution once more.

Madeline thought over Rob's suggestion. Of course, they should be looking for a way back. But taking it to Yallery had become her top priority. She wondered for a moment if she was angry, foolish, or perhaps both.

"I think you're playing into his hands, we all are," Rob argued.

Count Douglass's eyes widened.

"Hem," came, the sound again this time sounding somehow more thoughtful for a throat clearing noise.

"It's possible," Madeline conceded.

She saw Rob's confused stare but had no answers for him yet. She had not told him of Yallery's potion or its effect because despite acting like Scrappy Doo after a few energy drinks Rob got worried very easily.

"Are you alright?" Rob finally asked, "You look very pale."

"I am fine," Madeline assured him.

"Hem," came, that noise from Douglass. This time the noise lasted a little longer and Madeline was worried Rob would guess something was wrong. The noise was also a way for the Count to interrupt.

"You see unlike you both I was chosen to be the successor to the Duchess. It is in fact an honour I won through acts of tremendous bravery."

Madeline wondered if this would lead to another long story that would end with Douglass somehow saving the world. No doubt, it would have done if Rob had not diverted everyone's attention.

"What is that over there," he shouted.

For a moment, they all looked out towards the sea and neither Douglass nor Madeline saw anything.

"There is nothing out there. You see Rob when the Duchess fell everything was wiped. All there is now is this place of Yallery's and the sea," Douglass explained as though he was speaking to a very young child.

"Nothing apart from that boat," Rob said pointing out on the horizon.

This time Madeline saw the boat. It was a small motorboat; and stood at the helm was a familiar figure. The silhouette against the horizon was clearly that of a man dressed in a bear suit. The suit was completed with a top hat and a walking cane.

Not knowing exactly why, Madeline felt happy to see the familiar figure and ran towards the sea waving her hands in the air. The boat began to turn and move in their direction. The man bear it seemed was back. Rob joined her waving. He seemed quite happy to see Edward the man bear as well. Both Madeline and Rob had to take a quick step backwards. The bear man's boat was coming in far too fast that it shunted a lot of heavy wet sand right over Rob's face as it smashed onto the beach.

The man bear was back. But already Madeline thought he was somehow a little different from the last time they had met.

"Oh, dear me, one moment," the man bear shouted fumbling for the keys to turn off the motor. His hat had fallen onto the floor of the boat.

"Ted, I thought they had chucked you out of here," Madeline said.

"They tried," the man bear replied in quick response. With the boat now not moving and everything, seemingly safe the man bear put the top hat back on his head and walked onto the beach with purpose.

"What's been happening Madeline?" The man bear asked.

"Everything is okay really," Madeline began but was stopped by the man bear's knowing gaze.

"Has Simon turned against you all yet?" He asked.

Madeline was stunned by the bears question but Rob answered right away.

"Yes, Loony Tunes evil," he replied.

"Did you drink the potion Yallery gave you?"

Madeline did not reply but her face must have told the man bear all there was to tell.

"Really Madeline? It may as well have had a sign on it saying evil magic potion. What were you thinking?"

Madeline did not get a chance to reply.

"Tommy boy I am assuming has gone missing? Well do not worry, that will be down to our old friend Yallery as well. You see he is a nature spirit, an evil fairy. You can't trust them."

"You mean he is evil?" Madeline asked.

"Madeline, where is the girl who navigated underground caves, hid from seagulls and defeated an evil Duchess. Yes, of course he is evil. Wake up will you. His skin is the colour of dark mustard and he has that big old beard. Doesn't that shout evil villain to you?"

"I was always told not to judge on appearances," Madeline argued.

"Very wise. However, in this case he looks like what he is. A monster and I mean a true monster. How could you trust a nature spirit?"

"Oh I don't know it's not too much of a leap from trusting a talking owl or say a guy in a full on bear suit," Rob said staring a hole through the man bear.

The man bear was walking up the beach at a fast pace. He seemed manic for a man in a bear suit, more driven than before.

"Follow me," he said. Madeline and Rob did as they were asked. Count Douglass muttered some excuse about attending to his mother and was gone.

"I do love the tube," the man bear shouted back to them as he approached one of the huge straws like structures.

"Come on keep up," he shouted. Although the voice sounded elderly, the bear could walk fast.

A moment later, they were at Yallery's office block.

"Let's see what our friend has been up to shall we?" the man bear asked

"I have been in there. It's just a load of old machinery," Rob offered.

"You have been in there. That is great. Do you remember which side his office was on?"

Rob seemed to be thinking.

"The left I think," he replied.

Madeline was not convinced that Rob was sure. It was like following directions given to you by someone who was lost.

"Hold on," Rob said.

"Yallery told me he could not guarantee our safety if we went in there,"

"Yeah," the man bear responded.

"So before we make any quick decisions can you guarantee our safety?" Rob asked.

"Nope," the man bear replied calmly. Rob seemed to be waiting for more but the man bear offered no more words of explanation or reassurance.

The man bear walked around the building talking to himself, and looking for a way in. He called to the children to walk with him to the other side of the building.

"Jackpot," the man bear said quietly. He pointed up showing Madeline and Rob that one of the windows had been left open.

The window left open was accessible from the back of the factory. Madeline wondered if the man bear had done this sort of thing before. The grass in the back yard was overgrown. It came almost to her waist. Parked in the middle of the yard was an old, deserted, white van.

The van stood out when compared to the colourful surroundings, so much so that Madeline found her attention drawn to it. She wasn't the only one because before she could point the van out to the others the man bear had opened the back of the van with his stick.

"Hey, get off me," came, a new voice.

The man bear had his stick against a very human looking young girl.

"Who are you?" the man bear demanded.

"It's okay she is like us," came a familiar voice. It was Tommy. The others took a step back and they all looked surprised. Even the man bear looked as surprised as a guy in a man bear suit could look. But he did not let go of his grip on the stick just yet.

#  **You're lost then we're lost**

"Who am I, you ask? First, do tell me what are you? Get that stick away from me will you," came the girl's response.

"It's okay," Tommy repeated and was relieved when finally the man bear took the stick off the girl. Sam looked younger than they did. She had quite a short haircut and at a glance, you would be forgiven for mistaking her for a boy.

"Oh I see. We worry that Tommy has gone and all the time he is hanging around in this white van with his girlfriend," Rob said grinning.

"That is most certainly not the case," the girl fired back still angry. Despite how young she was, she seemed quite capable.

"Can we start by at least asking your name and how you got here?" Madeline wanted to know.

"I don't know. One moment we were in our van and the next we were here."

"We?" Tommy repeated.

"Yeah we, myself and my parents."

"That's great," Madeline replied "Your parents are here too."

The girl faced the floor.

"No, not now anyway. My name is Sam."

Madeline offered her hand "Pleased to meet you Samantha,"

"Please, it's just Sam," the girl replied.

Tommy got out off a makeshift seat at the back of the van and rejoined the others.

"I just got back and I ended up here," none of them seemed to listen as Sam had all their attention. Tommy was interested too. So far, the only people that he had traveled with were his school friends.

"If Samantha is here and lost, then we are not the only ones lost. If someone else can get lost, we are lost in an actual place," Madeline said sounding like she was trying to work out some kind of math's calculation.

"I have no idea what you just said," Rob declared.

"And it's Sam," Sam replied.

"Tommy somehow got home and came back so there is a way home," Madeline continued. Tommy guessed she was talking more to herself then to the others.

"I know I live in the back of a van, and I'm in no place to judge but why do you guy's hang around with a guy dressed as a bear?"

"It's not a bear suit. I am a bear," the man bear replied.

"Honestly, I don't know the answer to that one," came Rob's response.

"The man bear is called Edward and he came to find us Samantha," came Madeline's answer.

"It's just Sam, so his name is Edward?" Sam asked.

"I think he just uses it because he can shorten it to Ted. We got on the same bus as him once and he's kind of found us since then," Rob summarized.

Tommy wondered how crazy all this sounded to the American girl. But he quickly remembered that they were all stuck in a place filled with singing owl's and mannequin people.

"So, I am thinking that we should probably try to find Sam's parents?" Tommy suggested.

"Have you any idea where they could have gone?" Madeline asked.

Sam shrugged.

"For someone who can't find her parents you certainly seem calm about it. How long ago did you lose them Samantha?" Madeline asked.

"I am not sure. Time doesn't seem to be the same. It sometimes feels like a long time and sometimes just a few minutes,"

"Yes we found that too," Madeline told the girl.

While the group was figuring out their next move, the man bear had gone to the side of the office block and was tampering with a wooden platform that was attached to some chains. It looked to be an unsafe looking elevator, Tommy guessed the man bears next move and he didn't like it much.

"Tommy, Madeline" The man bear called waving them across to the elevator. Tommy had seen those television shows before. The ones that showed home videos of people falling over while doing something really stupid. Most of the time he wondered why they got themselves in that position in the first place.

Why play swing ball next to a paddling pool?

Why climb on the children's slide when you are forty years old?

And why was he getting on an uneven wooden platform with a guy in a full bear suit.

Quickly the man bear pulled the chain and the platform jerked upwards. They reached the first window of the office building and Tommy felt like he had left his stomach on the floor.

"What do you see?" The man bear asked.

Both Tommy and Madeline peered into the window. It looked like a factory. There were pieces of mannequin on the floor all stacked into different piles. It was a silent workshop of disused doll parts. Messy but not really shocking. Yallery had told them that the mannequins help run the reboot shore and were like robot workers.

"Yallery builds the mannequins. We know that already," Tommy offered.

Madeline was looking at the parts on the floor and her skin was now almost white.

"Madeline gets it," the man bear said before moving the chain somehow sideways along the building. The platform they were on moved uneasily with them.

"What do you see now?" He asked.

Again, both Tommy and Madeline peered in.

There were empty bear suits hung up on the walls, bags with unattended belongings.

"I don't get it," Tommy said. He felt puzzled and a little unsettled by seeing all these belongings and no people.

"He made them into his mannequins," Madeline whimpered.

"He is a mad man," Tommy said.

"Or a genius, I hear there is not much difference between the two," the man bear added.

"How does he do it?" Tommy asked.

"He uses poison. A potion that spreads around the body," Madeline replied and both Tommy and the man bear looked at her.

Tommy wondered right away about Sam's parents. The reboot shore didn't seem too big. Yallery must have collected them.

"How do you stop it," Madeline asked.

The man bear began rocking the elevator again taking it to the top of the building and seemingly somehow higher. Tommy felt like he was on a theme park ride. One he would usually take a glance at and decided they were not for him. Finally, the man bear knotted the chain and the wooden platform stopped still. Steady or not Tommy did not like that their whole platform was held by a knot.

"Look in there. If you took the potion he will be waiting for that machine to work," the man bear said pointing a claw through the window at something that looked more like a slab of stone then a machine.

"That will help me, but what about all the others?" Madeline asked.

"I haven't found out yet. But I want them back to normal. Because once everything is back to normal my mansion will be restored," the man bear told them.

"Without the mansion there is no big pit of money," Tommy added.

"There is that," the man bear said sounding more than a little sly even for a guy in a bear suit.

"We have a problem," Tommy alerted them.

Yallery Brown had arrived at the top of his office block. If they didn't move soon, they would be spotted.

"Right we are not ready to take him just yet, what we need is to make a plan," the man bear said gesturing for them to come closer.

"I am not waiting any longer," replied an angry sounding Madeline. She did something Tommy thought was either very brave or very stupid. She pushed the window open and stepped inside, in full sight of a very puzzled looking Yallery.

# 

#  **The Third Man**

Madeline did not think about the consequences of confronting Yallery. She did not even think about what she would say when she got into the room. Which is why now she found herself at a loss for words. Not a position she was used to. Usually she was the curious girl who had answers to everything. She glanced back at the window and saw Tommy looking so shocked that his mouth was wide open as he watched. The man bear looked interested. He stood with his chin resting on his stick. The top hat somehow still on his head despite the fast movement of the wooden makeshift elevator a moment earlier.

Madeline had only felt this way, once before. The day when she took a bus with her friends and they had decided not to run. It was time to confront Yallery.

Yallery looked so surprised to see her that he had almost fallen off his chair. Madeline guessed it wasn't the traditional way of making an entrance.

"Madeline, well hello friend," he began.

"Save it," Madeline said quickly taking the stone tablet from his desk and throwing it against the floor.

As the tablet hit the floor, she fell too. The poison leaving her body made her feel like her skin was on fire. Despite the pain, she was determined that Yallery not see that she was hurt. Her skin instantly turned back to its slightly rosier colour and despite the pain she felt very much more herself.

She turned her attention to the bearded mustard coloured man sat at the desk.

"Madeline I am sorry, I'm a collector you see."

"A collector of people? Yallery explain yourself," Madeline demanded.

"Well, sort of.. I can't," Yallery said with a sigh.

"You were trying to poison me, to turn me into one of your little Mannequin worker things."

"I wasn't trying to poison you my friend. I chose you. You could have ruled over this land with me. I already lined up a family for you. Wouldn't that be great? I could give you a new, happy family. "

"You are not the first Yallery. We once came up against a Duchess who tried to mold people into what she wanted them to be. She was a coward just like you. This time it is different. Because I am giving you fair warning."

Yallery steadied his chair and growled a little. His lip at one side raised and he seemed to shrug as though to ask what they were going to do.

"The Duchess didn't fear us either. But I'm hearing things Yallery. Things I don't like. There is a young girl out there who can't find her parents."

"Tragic I'm sure. But surely you're not suggesting.." Yallery began

"If I find out it was you then we will come for you. You know that name is Madeline, my friends are Tommy, Rob and Edward. He's a man dressed as a bear. You did not break our group. We made the Duchess's kingdom fall around her and we will do the same to yours!"

Yallery finally stood and began walking away from Madeline slowly.

"Oh I know who you are, and I know your friends. I am delighted to see that Tommy made it back but aren't you still one down?" Yallery asked.

"Did you turn Simon against us too?" she demanded.

"No friend, you did that all by yourselves. He was always just the moaning one to you all wasn't he? The nagging voice reminding you that everything you see is not real. Well it could have been real for you Madeline. That is what I was offering"

Madeline didn't reply right away and perhaps sensing that he may be getting through Yallery continued.

"You truly believe in impossible things. Simon does not. I did not put that conflict there. I am just the compare."

She brought her fist down on Yallery's table and the odd little man nearly jumped out of his mustard yellow skin.

"You are a monster," she cried.

"I want you to set all the mannequins free, every last one."

By now Tommy and the man bear had entered through the open window and together with Madeline they had forced Yallery into the corner of his office. He looked like a trapped rat.

"You heard the girl," the man bear ordered. He thrust his walking stick towards Yallery but at that moment in a cloud of smoke Yallery vanished.

"How did he do that?" Tommy asked.

"Darn nature spirit," the man bear said as though it was the obvious explanation.

For a few moments, they were silent.

"We should probably take a look around. Maybe we can find a way to free those mannequins ourselves," Tommy suggested.

"Isn't this the sign up scroll for the battle?" Madeline asked.

"Yes, but we saw that already," Tommy said seemingly dismissing the paper.

It wasn't the scroll that had caught her eye but the words written on it.

"I know who the third man is going to be in the battle," she said. Instantly she felt the man bear and Tommy lean over her shoulder.

"It makes no sense," she told them.

The paper had the names of Count Douglass, Simon the Snitch and Yallery Brown.

"Yallery can't stand up straight," she explained.

"Certainly didn't have him down as a fighter," the man bear added.

Yallery was short, weak, and he couldn't walk upright, most of the time he sat down.

"We should get back and tell the others," Tommy decided.

"What about Simon?" Madeline asked. Her question went unanswered. She had decided that she was going to free the mannequin people before going home no matter what it took. It was only after that thought she realized that she was shaking. The outburst at Yallery had been completely out of character for her. While the man bear and Tommy searched the room, some more she slumped to the floor feeling exhausted.

"What I said to Yallery," she said finally.

"Was exactly what he needed to hear," the man bear said finishing the sentence.

Madeline wondered if it was perhaps what they all had needed. The group had been segregated, almost destroyed by Yallery. Now it felt like they were coming together again. Rebuilding the bridges and gaining strength. But the battle was tomorrow night and it still felt like they were getting stronger just a little too late.

"Nothing in here," the man bear said looking over the last of the papers on Yallery's desk.

Madeline remembered something else.

"There's a window in our accommodation that he told us to never look through. He said no matter what."

"Did he now," the man bear said sounding very interested.

"Let's get the others and have a look," Tommy decided. Madeline felt more comfortable when Tommy made the decisions. He was a good leader he just lacked a little in confidence.

Although Tommy announced the plan, the man bear was already standing back on the unstable wooden platform waiting for them to join him.

"We soon need to go back to Robbie Jay's shop," Madeline replied. The man bear and Tommy looked at her puzzled.

"I didn't get to go home for a snack like you did," she said to Tommy.

"Rob and Sam must be hungry too," the man bear said. Madeline wondered how he ate in that bear suit. She also wondered why they were talking about food on the stomach-churning elevator.

Yallery was long gone by now, they could have just walked down the stairs and out the door.

Once they were back on the ground safely, the man bear went to the white van and explained to Rob and Sam where they were going.

"I said that when we first got here," Rob said rubbing his hands together.

"We should have taken a look in there right away,"

"Does anyone remember the right coloured tube back?" The man bear asked.

They all looked at the huge straw-like tubes.

"I think the blue, or maybe the red," Rob said.

The tube was always stuffy and confusing.

"The Yellow," Tommy remembered.

It was time to find out what Yallery didn't want them to see. At least they thought it was.

#  **Reunited**

Tommy met the others just as they were about to enter the shop. He had run all the way from that brightly coloured painted storage container that they slept in. The others waited anxiously as he caught his breath.

"We can't go back," he said between gasps.

The others had to wait for him to catch his breath again so he could explain.

"The doors have gone," he said.

"How have the doors gone?" Rob questioned.

The man bear nodded as though the news did not surprise him and Madeline looked thoughtful in that absent-minded way she did.

"I mean there are no doors where there used to be doors."

"The home was not ours to keep. The one that gives can also take away. He knows we are stuck here. How cruel" Madeline replied quite calmly.

Not getting the panic, he expected Tommy shrugged his shoulders.

"There is always my van. Though there is not a lot of room there," Sam offered.

"I would guess that this is because Madeline stood up to him. We must take a look behind that curtain and see what is beyond his precious window," the man bear said.

"What would we find?" Rob asked the man bear sounding a little stern.

"I haven't a clue," the man bear replied dismissively.

"I don't believe you," Rob said.

"Shall we get something to eat?" Sam asked changing the subject.

They entered the odd smelling owl's shop. Not the usual place Tommy would choose to buy food from. As the owl was the only way to get food, they didn't have a choice. They were running out of seeds too.

The owl flew down to the counter and before speaking, he began predictably combing his hair.

"What can I do for you?" Robbie Jay began.

"Did you sing in my dream?" Tommy asked the others looked at him as though he had gone mad.

"We don't have many seeds left but we need to eat," Rob said handing over the remaining seeds. He did not attempt at bargaining this time and Robbie Jay clawed the seeds toward him and counted them out. He then flew up to a shelf and pecked off a multi-bag of crisps, some sandwiches, cake and orange juice.

"Hey, how come we get all this. Last time we got a lemon and a cucumber."

Robbie Jay played with his hair for a few more seconds before responding by wordlessly pushing the seeds into a bin.

"The seeds are not worth anything. Yallery told me to feed you, and besides I kind of like you all now. Any friend of Edwards is my friend too."

Tommy was not sure how to feel about the owl with the hair obsession considering himself a friend but although he was the least hungry he was quite happy to tuck into a bag of crisps.

"So how is the battle preparation going?" The owl asked.

"We are not fighting. But Simon decided to," Madeline replied.

"He's gone all evil. He got up on a big podium with a bad guy hat." Rob added.

The owl gave a gentle nod and continued playing around with his hair. He did not seem surprised by the news.

"When it comes down to this battle, you are sure that none of you want to fight?"

Madeline replied to the owl.

"We have been here before; stuck in a place like this. We battled a Duchess and brought down a regime without a single drop of blood being shed."

She spoke decisively and with a confidence that Tommy admired. Robbie Jay finished with his hair and fluttered off to attend to some other junk in the shop. Still talking while he flew around.

"That's all very well but I heard you were moving around before. Spent most of your time making the long journey. Yallery owns the reboot shore. There are many of us that when cornered would rather flee then fight. But." the owl's voice was a little higher and he coughed before continuing.

"When you are trapped like you are here. Only then do you really know if you will fight or not," he finished.

"I know I won't be fighting," she replied and the others all told the owl the same.

"I am happy to hear it," Robbie Jay responded, "I do wonder however if you will feel the same when you have looked behind Yallery's curtain."

Tommy pushed Robbie Jay for more information but the owl would not budge. Either he did not know exactly what Yallery had hidden or he was sworn to secrecy by something he feared much more than any of them. So Tommy decided to make his way to the back of the group and to the shop door. The others turned to leave too as they said their goodbyes to Robbie Jay. When he wearily left the shop, Tommy felt he had been hit with everything. He had arrived here, Simon had turned on him, he found his host was a villain, and he had just been talking with an owl. Tommy saw who had waited outside the shop. Things just kept getting weirder.

"Simon," Tommy said in what came out as a surprised greeting.

"Who is he?" Sam asked sounding startled.

Simon was still wearing the ridiculously hat. It looked a lot like a witch's cone but it was taller, stupidly taller. It almost doubled Simon's height.

"What do you want?" Rob demanded.

"I wanted to speak to you guys," Simon answered shifting his weight awkwardly from foot to foot.

"I know we are not friends right now. But can I hang out with you guy's until the battle."

Tommy paused for thought long enough for Rob to jump in.

"Are you joking? Which power mad baddie are you spying for today?"

Rob looked at Tommy and then at Simon and his face filled with disappointment.

"Tommy I can't believe you are seriously thinking about this."

"I am not your friend and I wouldn't want to be your friend. I just want you to respect my decisions and maybe we can hang out. I will spare your lives once I am ruler?"

"Oh that's okay then isn't it Tommy? If he spares us," Rob answered.

"I wanted to talk about the battle actually," Simon, responded.

"It's coming close and I am a little worried."

Rob brought himself to Tommy's left now Simon was on his right. Both were making their arguments.

"Can't you remember all that stuff he was saying? About how you always lead us wrong and how we held him back?" Rob pleaded.

"Yes and I still think I am a better leader than you Tommy," Simon replied.

"He is even dressed like a pantomime villain!" Rob shouted.

"Stop both of you," Tommy said unusually raising his voice. The others stopped quarreling right away.

"We need somewhere we can talk properly."

Rob sighed and kicked the side of the shop wall.

"There is the carousel just round the hop doorway wanting to know more.

Tommy caught the tail end of their conversation.

"The true measure of a strong leader," the owl muttered.

"Forgiveness," the man bear replied. corner," Simon offered. One by one, they walked round to the beautifully painted carousel and clambered onto one of the horses each. All but the man bear who spent a moment with Robbie the owl. Robbie had heard the commotion and had appeared in the shop doorway wanting to know more.

Tommy caught the tail end of their conversation.

"The true measure of a strong leader," the owl muttered.

"Forgiveness," the man bear replied.

#  **Carousel**

It was almost dark. The children and the man bear sat on the old, hand painted carousel horses.

The carousel itself was such an odd site on the reboot shore. It was supposed to be a sight that brings joy. Carousels were so cheerful with their painted horses and buggies. Well Tommy did not like them much during the daytime and he cared for them even less in the dying light.

"This battle," Simon began. "At first I felt like I was ready. But I have never used a sword Tommy. It just seemed like here I could do anything I wanted to do."

"Dressing like a pantomime villain was on the list of things you wanted to do?" Rob said. He was leaning backwards on his horse and seemed to be enjoying having the moral high ground on Simon for a change.

"Pride comes before the fall," Madeline replied.

"Now that you managed to stop that magic potion you seem to think you know it all again. Well I heard about you losing it with Yallery and threatening him," Rob replied.

"It was what Yallery needed," Tommy interrupted decisively.

"For the girl who didn't believe in violence I hear you sounded pretty threatening. Then you got Douglass to train you."

"Yallery threatened my freedom. I think that is a better reason to fight him then to rule over a place that you are not even fond of anyway," she replied. She did not sound abrupt or upset by Simon's words and spoke in that same calm voice she usually did.

"My problem was with all of you following Tommy like lost sheep," Simon said. Tommy thought he sounded a little bitter.

"I did not see you offering any suggestions," Tommy replied. The atmosphere between them was tense and although Tommy suspected neither of them truly hated each other they had not been the best of friends to begin with.

"When I first came here I was just like you guys, "Sam said.

All talk of leadership and the battle the next day stopped. The group knew so little about their newest and youngest member.

"Sometimes I miss them, my parents. Sometimes I can't remember them. As silly as it sounds I don't know how long I have been here or how long I have been on my own. Yallery wants you to disagree and to fall out. It's how he gets to win without fighting."

Sam stopped talking for a moment and met the eyes of the silent group.

"I am not saying I know how everything works, or that I have a plan. But I know this. Yallery will have fixed the battle somehow. My parents met him and now they are gone."

"I went back home and I came back. I am sure your parents are waiting for you at home," Tommy said trying to reassure Sam.

"I know my parents are not there, if they were they would have found a way of getting back to me by now."

Madeline moved from her horse and hugged the younger girl.

"We are going to find your parents," she assured.

Sam returned Madeline's embrace and once her face was turned away, Simon shook his head telling the others silently that he disagreed. That he felt they were giving false hope. Tommy nodded despite himself and despite not speaking, Simon and Tommy finally agreed on something. They could not guarantee they would find Sam's parents just as they could not guarantee that they would find their way back home. But for Sam, Tommy supposed, false hope was better than no hope at all. Perhaps it was on that matter that he and Simon disagreed so much.

"I miss my parents," Sam said.

"I miss school," Simon added, Rob frowned at him.

"I miss my dad," Madeline said.

Tommy did not say what he missed aloud. He missed his parents that was true. But more than anything he really wanted to talk to Geoff. Somehow, he was sure that Geoff would know what to do.

"I miss my money," The man bear groaned. The others laughed a little despite the somber mood.

"I get anxious when I am parted from my money. So shall we see if we can find Sam's parents and then find a way to get everything back the way it was?" The man bear asked.

No one answered; instead, they sat in silence on the still carousel, each on their own horse except Madeline who had taken the back seat of Sam's. They all knew the plan. To stop Yallery, find Sam's parents and then go home. The tasks were set but none of them really knew where to start. The man bear spoke again.

"You know I thought these were," he mumbled under his breath as he began stroking his horse's belly.

"What is he doing?" Rob asked shaking his head.

"These horses," the man bear replied. "I think they can move."

Simon sighed.

"They move round in a circle with the ride."

"I know what they do," the man bear snapped. "But these I think can go where you want them to go."

"Of course they do," Simon, answered.

"I suppose," he continued, "I just tickle the horses belly and say magic me home and.."

He stopped mid sentence as the carousel sprung into life.

Firstly, the lights and music came on and Tommy could feel his horse moving in the usual up and down motion he expected of a carousel horse. He saw that the man bears horse had somehow broken free and moved along with its pole in a straight direction. The others joined on as though they were all still joined together.

"Where are they going?" Tommy shouted to the man bear.

"Are we going home?" Sam asked.

"Why are we asking the guy in a bear suit?" Simon added.

But there were no answers and no further questions though Tommy could think of many. He wondered why the horses still moved in the motion of a carousel when they were no longer attached. How could the music be following them as they moved on the horses? And what was a carousel even doing on the reboot shore anyway? Most of all he wondered where in the world this horse was taking him. As it turned out the last question was the only one he would ever find the answer to.

The horses all stopped as though the ride had been shut down. They were right by the storage container building they had been living in.

"We're here," the man bear said holding his top hat and stepping off the horse.

"How do you mean we are here? This is not home, this is right back where Yallery put us," Simon told the bear.

"The horses won't take you home," the man bear replied.

"They take you where you need to go," Madeline said finishing the man bears sentence.

Rob seemed excited. He had quickly understood why the horses had brought them back here.

"The window Yallery told us to never go near," he said leaping from his own horse.

"But we can't get in. Tommy said the doors have gone, remember?" Simon told everyone.

The man bear was already off his horse and for a moment, he moved his claw up and down the place the door had been. There was a click and the door was back.

They all crammed inside and were faced with the window. The curtains as drawn as they had been before, the way they had looked the whole time. Rob had been full of energy and bounce. He had been so enthusiastic to look behind the curtain. Now he took a step cautiously backwards.

"Well here we are," Simon said. His hands were in his pockets and he seemed to have no intention of pulling the curtain back himself. Simon offered Tommy a nod, Happy for Tommy to be the leader at this moment in time.

Tommy hesitated.

"After you Tommy," Simon insisted.

"I guess we should ask ourselves first, if we really want to see what is behind the curtain. Are we really ready to see?" Madeline wondered aloud.

"The battle is tomorrow. We have no time to wonder," the man bear answered her question.

"But we wonder anyway. Is that not the human condition?" Madeline said.

It was the youngest of the group Sam who walked forward to the curtain.

"My parents could be locked away in there," she said but was held back by the sturdy paw of the man bear.

"And they may not be Sam. We cannot be sure."

Rob took the curtain and finding his courage finally pulled back.

The window was not a window at all but a small doorway.

"What are you hiding down here Yallery," Tommy wondered aloud.

Sometimes Tommy had felt sure they were all in a dream. Danger here would not be danger when they awoke. But this felt like danger. Somehow, he knew that they all felt the same. Whatever was behind that door had been hidden from them for a reason.

Rob pushed the door aside revealing no clues to what lay within. There was just darkness.

So one by one, they went in.

#  **We Got you Again**

It took a while for Tommy's eyes to adjust. The hidden room was not in complete darkness but it was far from well lit. The light from the door shone in a single beam into the room. Rob had found a light switch and flicked it on. A dazzled moment later Tommy wished, they were still in darkness.

At first glance, the room was full of junk, much like other rooms around the place. Then Tommy took a few steps towards the piles of junk.

It seems impossible to describe a machine as bad looking. It's not like Tommy's computer at home was waiting to win the best looking computer of the month competition. He did not think much about how ugly the toaster was. Though come to think about it his toaster was pretty ugly. No, machines were machines. The things staring back at him however brought back some nasty memories.

"What the hell is that thing?" Rob asked looking to one of the more intact glass cabinets.

Clearly, whatever Yallery had been doing down here was a work in process. There were screws and oil scattered around everywhere. The thing sat in the cabinet gave Tommy the creeps.

He had seen it before on a visit to the seaside, always waiting there in the cabinet. Wanting to be fed a few coins to laugh. He had seen one working once when he was much younger. That time the laughing machine had been met with his shrieks as he had run out of the arcade crying his little eyes out. It was the same mechanical laughing clown. He thought the clown was the unfunniest thing he had ever laid eyes on. Even now, part of him wanted to get out of the room.

The clown wore striped trousers, a washed out pink shirt with a frilly collar and a big multi coloured top hat. Its painted eyes kept watch over the children.

"It looks broken," Madeline said to the others.

"I hope that it is," Tommy replied.

Rob had pulled a dust cover off another monstrous machine.

"Ello, ello, ello what do we have here?" Rob said.

Tommy did not have to look to know that Rob had found an equally ugly laughing police officer.

"You don't think they can talk? Or move, do you?" Tommy asked trying not to sound as frightened as he felt. His voice gave him away more than he would have liked.

"We speak to owl's. Plus one of us is dressed as a bear. I don't think we can rule that one out you know," came Simon's predictably snarly reply.

Another cabinet saw a pretty ugly looking fortune teller machine. The mannequin fortune tellers paint had peeled away. Her face stayed in the same faintly painted expression but her hand moved between a red light and a green light.

"They have power," Tommy said.

He didn't suspect the others cared much but he was a little relieved to see that the parts that were moving were doing so for a reason.

"Curious, there was the Carousel outside too. I wonder what Yallery is doing with all these old machines," Madeline wondered aloud. She was looking round each unit and stepping on whatever electrical evils were on the floor as she went along. She seemed much braver than Tommy right now.

There was more. Behind the other machines was a row of clown faces, each of them with a hideous open-mouthed grin. It looked as though they had once been used as part of a fairground game. Now much like the other ugly exhibits the paint was very faded and peeling away. One of the clown faces was missing an eye. However, none of them had real looking eyes. On most, they were painted crosses. A few had half a painted nose. Much like the clown in the cabinet, the evil smiles made them creepier. Tommy could think of no reason anybody would want to keep these. The room was almost silent while the group looked around. The only sound was the mechanism of the fortune tellers hand moving backwards and forwards, then again creaking backwards and forwards.

Tommy just wanted one of them to talk. Rob, Sam, Madeline, any of them. But there was just the clowns and those smiles. They watched him and judged him. The clown seemed to be silently asking Tommy if he remembered them. How could he ever forget? The noise of that mechanized hand continued, never different, always the same piercing creaking.

"He could be using parts of these on the mannequins?" The man bear suggested finally breaking the silence.

"Possibly, but the mannequins are made from transformed people and animals. These are certainly just machines," the man bear replied.

Rob clicked his fingers alerting the others.

"When I went into Yallery's factory there were mannequin pieces so it's possible he is just using these as spare parts," Rob said.

"But then he had a full factory of spare parts," he corrected himself quickly looking more confused than ever.

"Whatever they are I don't like them much," Sam told them.

The man bear was looking round the machines. He inspected each one in turn. He took his top hat off and scratched his head.

"You have seen these before?" He asked Tommy.

A very ill looking Tommy nodded.

"When I was younger, I visited an amusement park."

"So these come from the same place as you do," the man bear replied.

Tommy nodded weakly as he slumped to the floor.

"Tommy," Madeline said rushing to his side. The others all rushed over to him too.

"I will be fine," Tommy reassured them.

"I am fine. I am okay," he repeated. His voice betrayed him telling the others that he was not. That darn sound of the fortune tellers arm.

He remembered these machines all right. When he was six Geoff and Mrs. Huntington had been babysitting. They had decided to take him to the seaside. It was a rainy day and they had ended up in a rundown arcade in South end on Sea. Tommy remembered the paint peeling from the walls and the carpet being littered with pressed in sweets and crisps. Different coloured bulbs were placed around the sides of the arcade but at least one in every three had been smashed or was broken.

That is when he had come face to face with the monsters.

Geoff had fed the clown some coins. Its evil laugh had filled the small, almost empty arcade.

Tommy ran out of the arcade as fast as his six-year-old legs would take him. There had been tears down his cheeks and snot all over his face. Geoff had followed him out, wiped his nose and then they had said no more about it. Tommy's fear of mechanical clowns had been an unspoken secret until now.

When he came around, he was comforted to see the familiar faces of Madeline, Simon, Rob and Sam. He was even happier that the guy in the bear suit and top hat was with them. But for a moment he couldn't remember where he was.

"What happened?" Tommy asked.

"You kinda freaked out a bit there mate," Rob replied.

"Well a lot actually," Simon said.

The man bear offered Tommy his paw. Tommy grabbed it and with the help of the man bear and Sam, he steadily made it to his feet. The silent clowns seemed to mock him more. As if they were saying, "we got you again."

"Can we get out of here please?" Tommy asked.

"I found these," Sam said waving some papers at the others.

The man bear cleared one of the nearby desks of its horrific mannequin clown parts and placed the papers on the desk. Tommy turned to face only the desk and tried to forget that the clowns were behind him. The clowns and that darn fortune teller.

The plans were very detailed. They showed the truth about the workshop. Yallery was clever. He had been looking at the way the arcade mannequins were built and was building something for himself. From the designs, it looked like it was going to be huge,

a robot like thing that would tower above any of them. Built to be controlled by a man from inside the robot suit.

The robot would be better than any predator. It had small metal legs but could outrun them easily. If the notes were correct, it looked as if it would keep up with most vehicles. The eyes looked as though they were to be two blue light bulbs but they offered the person in the machine a full circle of vision. The head could turn at unnatural angles. There was no mistake. Yallery Brown had been building a warrior and they all knew why.

"I guess we know for sure that Yallery plans on fighting now," Tommy said.

"Yallery plans on fighting?" Sam asked confused.

"The battle tomorrow is to decide who the new ruler will be. We knew Count Douglass was involved, we knew Simon put his name in there but Yallery said there would be three remember?"

"Then when he announced who was involved. Simon went off on his huge tantrum before Yallery gave the third name," Rob reminded everyone.

"When I confronted Yallery we saw that he had signed up for the battle but knew he couldn't fight on account of his back." Madeline added.

"He did it on purpose," the man bear responded. The others turned their attention to him.

"What is happening bear man?" Sam asked, "I am very confused now."

"Yallery plans to rule and he couldn't have done it without all of you. He needed one of you to enter the battle to make it legitimate. So he played on your love of power Simon."

Simon looked as though he was about to protest but seemingly decided better off it.

"He turned me and Simon onto one another to provide a distraction and he somehow sent me back home," Tommy said.

"He knew the group was much stronger with you leading," the man bear explained.

"He poisoned me with the mannequin potion to try to eliminate me too," Madeline replied.

"That's right all this time he has been telling you that he is just a compare for the battle while all the time he was trying to eliminate the competition. He could not fight himself because of being hunchbacked. It all provided the perfect cover while he built this." The man bear put a fisted claw on the plans.

"In short children, we have been played."

"Well Simon, you wanted to be in this battle," Rob said raising an eyebrow.

"That Robot looks like a pretty fierce opponent to me,"

It was Simon's turn to change colour now.

"But you will all be helping me right?"

Tommy wondered if the others enjoyed leaving Simon to worry quite as much as he did.

"We need to find a way to defeat this thing and we need to find it before tomorrow," Madeline told them sounding a little panicked.

Rob had leaned against the wall. His eyebrows were a little raised and he was grinning.

"It can out run most vehicles," he reminded Simon with obvious delight.

"Alright enough son," The man bear interrupted. "I know Simon has been a bit difficult but we must not joke about his impending death."

"Impending death," Rob repeated still grinning.

"Tommy, help me!" Simon cried without any hesitation.

"We have less than six hours before this battle is due to start," the man bear said as he rolled Yallerys Robot plans into a neat scroll.

"So we had better get working on it."

The man bear led the way out.

The children and the man bear went to the back of the room with him. The mannequin hand of the fortune teller continued to move its arm back and forward. Back and forward as an unwelcome reminder of the time passing away.

When Tommy thought about it the odds were not in their favour. The battle would come and the man bear could not just lead them back home as he had before.

That ugly paint peeling fortune teller silently warned them that it didn't matter what they did because the time had arrived. If they were not ready for battle then it was too bad because the battle was ready for them.

Tomorrow Count Douglass the brave would do battle with Simon and Yallery's huge robot. A new ruler would be crowned and the children's fates would be decided one way or another.

#  **The Compare becomes the Fighter**

It was almost too perfect a morning for the battle. The sun was coming up and the grass glimmered in its light. The suns glow seemed to light the battlefield with a warming orange colour.

The children and the man bear walked onto the field together. The man bear had instructed them to. He told them that walking out there confidently sent Yallery a message. That message was that no matter what that odd little fellow had done they were all on the same side once more. The field was set up like a stadium. There were mannequin people watching on each side. They were as lifeless as the mechanical laughing clown was, Yallery's own private audience. Tommy hoped that the sun was providing Yallery with some intimidating silhouettes. But if the crooked little man was afraid he did not show it.

Yallery was in full compare mode. He wore a top hat that would not have looked out-of-place on the ringmaster at the circus. He was clearly relishing every moment of his big day.

"Welcome friends," he called across through a megaphone.

Simon was very nervous but he took the shield and sword that were laid out for him. Yallery looked over his megaphone and gave Simon an approving grin. He waived his arm signaling for the rest of the group to get back. None of them budged.

"You know the rules. Simon signed up for this battle. You all wanted nothing to do with it. So behind the line please," Yallery said, still grinning.

"Don't worry. It will all be over for all of you very soon," he added.

"We are going to have to go through with his puppet show," the man bear said stepping away from Simon and over the line. The silent mannequin people watched then turned their heads in union. They were watching a horse and cart making its way onto the field.

Count Douglass's mother opened the door of the cart and her son threw himself out. He was dressed for battle with his own armor, shield, scabbard and sword. He made fist gestures and posed for the mannequins as though he was a movie star making a big red carpet entrance. His mother lent on a crutch by his side clapping her hands.

"That's my boy," she shouted as Douglass drew nearer to the field.

"I feel very under dressed," Simon whimpered.

"You're doing great Si," Madeline replied.

"Can I have your attention please," Douglass said, waiving one arm in the air.

"I enter this battle to reboot this world, the place in which you are standing. It will be a better place in my own image. I will keep a tenacious hold on this new world that will be as bold, and as heroic as I am,"

The mannequin people fell silent, the children were silent, and even Douglass's mother for once was silent. But it only took a moment before she spoke.

"I think they just want you to step on the field Douglass. I don't think we needed all that."

"Of course," Douglass replied gruffly as though he was clearing his throat at the same time.

Then he stepped onto the battlefield. He did so however, without the streak of arrogance he had shown a moment earlier. There was something almost apprehensive about his movement.

"Mannequin people," Yallery cried.

"Finally I will give to you a world rebooted in the image of a new ruler. At the far side of the field, we have the supposed rightful successor to the Duchess.

"Supposed," Douglass scoffed.

"He is the slayer of dragons, the man who defeated the Martians."

Douglass was enjoying the introduction and once again began posing for the near lifeless mannequins.

"To the left side of the field, he represents the children that defeated the Duchess. He is the one the seagulls chose. Simon,"

Simon looked embarrassed by the whole introduction.

"Now, you may remember I said there would be three entrants to this battle. I have until now not disclosed the third entrant. I would go as far as saying friends that this new entrant is my new favourite to win."

Yallery removed his ringmaster top hat and gave a little bow. His grin put Tommy on edge. It was unsightly, almost frightening. Yallery put his top hat to one side.

"Now I know you all assume that I, the hunchbacked Yallery could not compete. But you forget I am the smartest person here."

Yallery grabbed a remote with an antenna that seemed to stretch endlessly. They heard the heavy footsteps and saw the blue-lit eyes of Yallerys war machine.

"I am the master of the reboot shore, the creator of the mannequin people. Soon, very soon I will be the ruler of this world. I am Yallery Brown."

As he spoke, Yallery hopped into the chest of the machine. The robot's head spun from side to side looking at Simon and then at Douglass.

"Now I am very worried," Simon said looking back at the others in desperation. The man bear shrugged wordlessly passing the horrific news to Simon that there was no plan.

"Did I forget to mention the stakes?" Yallery announced through his megaphone.

"This will be a fight to the death."

"Edward," Simon pleaded. Again, no response came from the man in the bear suit. Simon's desperate gaze turned to Tommy.

"Tommy," he asked weakly. But right now Tommy could not think of any way to delay the battle further.

"Now Yallery. I'm pretty sure that big robot is against the rules," Count Douglass shouted at the robot.

"The rules were the Duchess's. I can break them now she is not around. Just as long as this battle happens," Yallery responded.

"Of course," Madeline said as though she knew how to help. But she went quite again.

"Stop whining. You can take that big robot thing Douglass," Douglass's mother shouted. Douglass offered her an annoyed half smile.

"Now maybe a really good time to keep quite mother," he shouted back to her through gritted teeth.

"He can beat you and your tin can too," Douglass's mother shouted as she sat back in her chair looking almost entertained by what she was seeing.

Douglass however looked less entertained. He was joining Simon with that look of despair and desperation creeping onto his face.

Yallery's robot swung its head from side to side. It's eyes were menacingly lit and its arms were now moving to a defensive stance.

"Let the battle commence," Yallery roared.

Douglass looked at Simon and Simon looked at Douglass. Then they both looked at the giant war machine of a robot facing them. Tommy knew now what being doomed looked like. They had to do something.

"I know what we need to do," Madeline said softly. She had everyone's attention.

#  **The Battle**

"Yallery needs to win this battle in order to change this world to be in his image. He needs the battle to justify making himself the new ruler when that title is not rightfully his to take. I think the device he uses to reboot will work whatever the outcome as long as the battle happens. It can only be activated by the winner. You can be declared a winner, no one has to die."

The others looked puzzled.

"I bet the control to end this is somewhere out here with him," Madeline told the others.

"If it's not?" The man bear asked.

"Best plan we have," Tommy said deciding for them all as he had so many times before.

"Maybe we could find a way to deal with that big robot first," Simon pleaded.

Yallerys robot had not chosen a target yet but the blue lights it used as eyes had Simon in its sights. It began making surprisingly agile strides in their direction. It was so fast for a machine its size. They had all read how the machine was built and knew there would be no outrunning it.

"Yes that's it. Target them," Yallery screamed at the controls as he pushed buttons and leavers.

Until this point Douglass, the brave had been over at the other side of the battlefield acting anything but brave. Suddenly he was right next to Yallerys war machine.

"You sir," Douglass shouted at the robot.

"Surrender at once otherwise I shall be forced to deal with you in a rather unpleasant way."

"You tell it Douglass," Douglass's mother screeched.

The huge machine took one-step back. Its blue-lit eyes seemed to be sizing up Douglass now.

It held one iron fist in the air as though signalling it was ready to begin.

"That's it you have forced my hand," Douglass said reaching for his sword.

Tommy wondered for a moment if they could have misjudged the Count. Perhaps Count Douglass the brave was actually brave after all. That thought past very quickly when he saw that Douglass was having a lot of trouble getting the sword out of his scabbard.

"One moment," he said.

"Sam, I think you are small enough to get into the robot," Madeline said

"I will take her," Tommy offered.

He could see that now was the best time for them to act. The machine seemed to be concentrating on Douglass, and had barely glanced back at them. Quickly he and Sam crossed the line onto the battlefield. Tommy knew he was putting both himself and the young girl at great risk but it seemed like their only chance.

"Hold it there just a moment," Douglass said, still fighting with his belt.

"It worked earlier,"

Douglass's mother looked thoroughly disappointed. She held her head in her hands.

"Bare with me a minute longer," Douglass asked again.

Tommy had never seen a robot look confused before. But this robot seemed to be puzzled. Perhaps it was wondering why Douglass was not fighting.

"We shall have a fair fight just as soon as I have my sword. I promise you that," Douglass repeated.

Tommy and Sam approached the Robots legs. The entrance hatch was on the back of the robot but it was quite high up. Far too high for them to reach and they were running out of time.

Finally, Douglass released the sword. Sadly, he had also released the belt of his trousers as well and they fell to his ankles revealing a pair of white-fronts so big you would have thought he chose them for comedy effect.

"Ah ha," Douglass shouted wielding the sword completely unaware of his fallen trousers.

"Oh just GIVE OVER Douglass," Douglass's mother cried.

Douglass looked at his mother, then down at his ample sized white fronts. Then he just looked embarrassed as he stooped quickly to catch his trousers.

Just when it seemed things couldn't get any odder they did. They were all shocked, especially Yallery, when the robot spoke for the first time.

The mouth opened and a man's deep voice came out.

"Must we fight?"

Yallery looked the most shocked as he sat inside the robots stomach. He began checking all his controls perhaps looking for a stop talking button.

"I just don't see why it all has to end in a big fight. I mean it's all a bit overdone isn't it? Really who is the real winner at the end of it all?"

"I win. What are you saying you stupid machine?" Yallery replied. He was hitting the controls, no doubt finding them useless.

"I don't want to fight. That's all you wrote into my programming and to be quite honest you oversold it. I have grown tired of the idea of fighting."

"If you don't mind me asking what would you rather do?" Madeline asked the huge robot.

"I have decided I wouldn't mind having a dance," the robot responded. The machine began moving in a way that looked vaguely like a dance. Sort off.

"Big fish, small fish, cardboard box," the robot said, as it danced its robot self away from both Douglass and Simon.

It is fair to say they were all a little stunned. None of them could have suspected Yallerys machine would be more interested in dancing then fighting. The site of this huge machine dancing was bizarre.

" _Dance, Dance wherever you may be, I am the lord of the dance said he,"_ The robot sang.

It seemed as though the battle had almost ended but Tommy knew that he needed to get to Yallery and the reboot control. So he made a judgement call that was perhaps not one of his best.

While the robot was doing the tango dance, as well as a huge mechanical robot could tango dance Tommy saw the access hatch. He had seen Yallery get in the robot. Madeline was right Sam would be small enough. He urgently lifted Sam onto his shoulders and she was about to push her way into the robot. But the robot turned round and the bulbs in its eyes changed from blue to red.

"Bad form," it said sternly.

For a moment, it looked as though the robot was going to be a threat.

"Tell me why you want my controls," the robot asked. It sounded to be more of a demand then a question.

Tommy found himself talking for the group once more.

"Because we came to this world and we broke it. We defeated the Duchess without knowing the effect it would have on everything around her."

The Robot turned his head as though thinking through Tommy's words in its robot brain.

"Go on," the Robot said.

"Yallery can reset everything to how it was. He could free the mannequins. Then the damage that we caused would be undone."

"The way I understood it the world could only be rebooted when a new ruler was found." The robot replied

"You think you should rule?"

"No, I just think we should try to repair what we did" Tommy replied honestly.

"Yallery has tried to poison one of you, turned you all against each other, and then he built me to kill you. Would you not seek revenge?"

"No," Tommy replied.

The Robot bowed his big metal head to the children.

"In that case children I surrender. Your contender Simon has won the battle. Now to reboot this world all you need is Yallery's little remote control."

He saw the children's confused faces.

"Yallery is not in my belly any more is he?"

Sure enough, Yallery was not at the robot controls. As the children looked around Madeline was nowhere to be seen either.

#  **A World Repaired**

Madeline had seen the crooked Yallery sneak out of the Robot while it had been dancing. He had seen her following him and picked up his pace, but he still could not move too fast. He had tried pressing the remote possibly hoping the reboot would start. But he had not won the battle. Sure as Madeline had predicted when he pressed the button, nothing happened. Finally, he gave up, chucked the remote to the floor and covered up.

"I am sorry friend," the bearded coward pleaded.

Madeline took the remote from the ground and turned her attention to Yallery.

The hunchbacked little fellow looked to be quite sorry for him. The ringmaster hat of the master compare was still on his head but covered in mud, as was his sparkling jacket. He looked like a very sad clown.

"I wanted it all for myself," Yallery admitted.

Tommy, Sam, Rob, Simon and the man bear had caught up with Madeline and were stood around her looking as intimidating as five children and a guy in a bear suit could look.

"I know you did," she replied looking at the remote.

"But this is far too much power for you," she looked at the others before adding.

"I think it's too much power for us too."

She handed the remote to Simon.

"Officially you entered the battle and you won. You know what to do with it."

Simon nodded. Silently he took the remote and handed it to Count Douglass.

"You were the one that was meant to succeed the Duchess Douglass," Madeline told him.

"I didn't want it now anyway," Simon said sounding a little bitter.

"I want to ask you one favour though once you are ruler," Madeline said as the remote changed hands.

Douglass smiled but his eyes were empty.

"I think I can guess what that favour is. You guys want to go back home don't you?"

She nodded and for a moment, Tommy thought she looked quite empty too.

"I guess the time has come for goodbye?" Douglass asked.

None of the children or the man bear could answer him. For a moment, there was a sad heavy silence.

"Here goes," Douglass said, extending the aerial of the remote control and pressing the reboot button.

There was a whisperer static type noise. Suddenly there were things to be seen outside of the reboot shore. There were mountains and winding roads. There was a castle made entirely of sand just off the shoreline. On one of the mountains, Tommy saw a bus making its run. There were seagulls once more all around them. The place was how he remembered. As if by magic, within a few seconds, the world was repaired.

The mannequin people were bear people or owls again. The ones that had been sitting like toys watching the battle now lifted Douglass onto their shoulders.

"Douglass old boy," one of them shouted.

"However did you do it?"

"Well, now you come to ask it was not easy. It was I against this huge robot you see. So I draw my sword and..." Douglass stopped speaking. His mother was giving him a stern look and so he chose to save this particular story for another time.

"Mother, Father," Sam cried. Two of the mannequins had been changed back to people and Sam rushed to meet them. They were hugging and Sam was waiving the group goodbye.

"We didn't know that much about her," Tommy said as he watched the reunited family walk away.

"I don't think we were supposed to," Madeline offered.

Rob scratched his head.

"Yeah, I wonder how she managed to get here to begin with. It's left me with a lot of questions."

But they had done the right thing. They had reunited the stranger's family and it felt good.

"Well Douglass, we had better be getting back to London," Tommy said.

"Yes of course. Thank you all so much. Before I send you back though, are you sure that is what you want?"

Douglass scanned the children's faces and saw that they were all quite confused.

"If you were to stay here you would want for nothing."

It was Madeline rather than Tommy who answered for the group.

"Our lives are not perfect, but London is where we belong."

In what appeared to be a rare show of feeling the man bear rested his arms on Tommy and Madeline's shoulders.

"What Douglass means to tell you is that once you go back to London there is no way back here. There will be no bus to bring you back this time."

The mood seemed to change in moments from one of excitement to a sombre one. The last time they had visited, they had all wanted to return to normality. This time Tommy suspected they had enjoyed the adventure a little more. The understanding that this would be their last adventure seemed to have hurt them all.

Douglass turned his attention to Tommy

"You all have extremely strong character.Rob, you showed a great deal of real courage. You worked out that not all wasright with Yallery and you investigated. You tried very hard and you succeeded."

"Don't be so soppy," Rob replied but he was smiling as he spoke.

"Simon, you thought you wanted power but when it came to it you understood that friendships are not won through power."

Simon shrugged.

"Madeline, you could have just given in to the potion like the other mannequins. But you chose to fight, to be an individual. When you defeated Yallery you chose compassion over revenge," Madeline gave a knowing smile.

"Tommy you were once again a great leader. But you learned that you can't always be there to lead. When you were separated, you found a way back and a way to repair what had been broken with forgiveness. Ultimately that repaired my world too and for that I am grateful."

"Oh give over Douglass, enough with shoving morals down their throat. They know what they did. So just do as they ask and send them home," Douglass's mother shouted from a window nearby.

Douglass sighed.

"I was being dynamic mother. You know, the way a new ruler should be."

"I have cooked plenty of food Douglass. They could stay and eat. You could send them back to London afterwards?"

"Her cooking is awful. For the good of your own health I will send you back now," Douglass told the children in a loud whisper.

"My last question, tell me Tommy, where have you been?" Douglass asked but his words echoed.

There was only black and the faint re echoing of the words

"Where have you been?"

#  **Back Home**

Tommy woke by the old computer. His memory was quickly jogged by the words on the screen.

Reboot successful

Where have you been?

Some time passed.

"There you are," came, Mrs. Huntington's voice.

"You have been tired lately haven't you?"

Then Geoff appeared.

"I found a way back Geoff," Tommy told him.

Geoff smiled,

"I'll put the kettle on."

Over hot sugary tea, Tommy told Geoff everything that had happened. Occasionally Geoff stopped to ask more details. Mrs. Huntington knitted for most of the afternoon but Tommy knew she was listening just as intently as Geoff was. When Tommy spoke about the clowns, Geoff laughed a little.

"You never did like those clowns," he chuckled. All too quickly, it was time to go home. Tommy crossed the two zebra crossings back to his house.

The next day he found himself sat behind Madeline during the schools assembly.

"Please turn to page sixty-three in your hymn books," Miss Arthur asked.

The hymn was _Lord of the Dance_ by _Sydney Carter_. It described God dancing while he created the earth. Tommy never thought of God as a dancer and the idea struck him as odd. It wasn't that he had a problem with god dancing. It rather contradicted his image of god as an old guy with a big white beard. But if god wanted to dance so be it. Just because he was powerful didn't mean he shouldn't dance. It reminded him of the dancing robot so he chuckled to himself a little. Dave looked puzzled as to what Tommy found so funny. Oddly, he saw that Madeline was looking right at him.

He wondered if it had all been a dream for her too. Could it be that she remembered?

On the way out of the assembly, he saw she had waited for him.

"What was funny?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing I just remembered something."

"Really," she replied.

For a moment, Tommy thought she sounded offended. Maybe she thought that he had been laughing at her. She spoke again.

"Because I was thinking of a giant dancing robot."

She turned to walk away but Tommy called after her.

"You remember? So it could not have been just a dream?"

Madeline only offered him that knowing smile.

"But if it wasn't all a dream then what was really going on?"

She waived away the question and replied.

"Oh I think you already know the answer to that Tommy, if you really think about it."

"Madeline you are in the wrong line here," Miss Arthur interrupted.

With that, she walked away leaving Tommy confused.

But as days turned to weeks no more was mentioned of dancing robots or singing owl's.

Nothing until just over one year later, when Tommy would embark on an adventure for the last time.

#  **The Last Year of School**

"Make sure you do the best you can sweetie. Comb that hair again. It is sticking up at the back," Tommy's mother said.

Tommy enjoyed the last of his tea and had no intentions of re combing his hair just yet. The mock exams his mother had mentioned would determine how his real exams would go. Maybe how the rest of his life would pan out. It was all getting a bit scary. He needed to concentrate these last few months and the last thing he needed was distractions.

"There's some post for you here," his mother said handing him a few envelopes.

The first few were junk. He opened the last one. The address had been handwritten. Nobody wrote much to Tommy. His friends all used email, text or social networking. So he opened the envelope feeling quite excited. Inside was a card. It had four words written in bright red ink.

We have your man bear

He felt a mixture of emotions as he let the words on the card sink in.

He felt concern for his old friend the man bear, and fear of the cards threatening tone. But more than both of those he felt overwhelming excitement. Because he knew that for this card to have reached him someone or something had gotten through. If they had come here then there might be a way he could get back.

"Is anything exciting?" Tommy's mother asked in that way adults did when they were being nosy but pretending not to be.

"It's nothing," Tommy replied putting the card in his pocket.

So much for no distractions.

# 
