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Tommy stared down at his friend and his jaw clenched. A red stain covered the boy's planetary t-shirt.
An impish blonde stood over the kid. She smiled mischievously and taunted Tommy. He squeezed the screwdriver in his hand, surveying the area.
Everyone else observed the standoff in silence.
He returned his attention to the blonde. Tossing the screwdriver as a distraction, he quickly dived for the blonde's prized possession, Cynthia.
He stood in triumph as he gripped Cynthia's tiny frame and held her up for the blonde to see. The blonde looked back at Tommy and her smile dropped.
Tommy stood erect. "Give us the bear," he demanded.
The blonde folded her arms and stamped her foot, "No, you better let go of Cynthia. Right now."
Without faltering, Tommy replied, "Bear first or I'll pop her head off." For an added effect, Tommy squeezed Cynthia's head and pretended to pull.
The blonde rushed forward, but tripped. As she hit the floor, Tommy clambered into his wagon. He toggled the switches and it suddenly lurched into motion. He glanced over his shoulder, long enough to see the blonde jump over his friend.
She chased after his reptilian contraption. It swerved and jerked. Bouncing around the yard in a crazy motion, the wagon stayed out of the girl's reach. Cynthia silently bounced around on the passenger seat, next to Tommy.
Just as Tommy crested the sand mound, he looked back with curiosity. He witnessed two of his comrades sneaking into the blonde's castle and he laughed.
A slobbering steed suddenly appeared next to Tommy's wagon. It cheerfully bounded alongside him. His orange-haired friend sat astride the noble creature. However, the boy wore a gaunt expression above his red-stained shirt. He also appeared to be gripping the steed's collar with a death-grip, but still managed a weak smile in Tommy's direction.
The moment he looked forward, the smile disappeared from Tommy's face. The blonde stood triumphantly in his path. Tommy jerked the wheel to avoid her and the muddy lake on the other side. The wagon felt as if it were riding on two wheels. Tommy's stomach lurched. He yanked the controls and sighed with relief when the wagon finally slammed back onto four wheels.
His friend jumped down next to him. The boy checked him over as the creature licked his face.
A shriek pierced the air, "CYNTHIA!"
Tommy looked down to his right. His breathe caught at the empty seat beside him. He quickly jumped out of the wagon and ran towards the sound.
The blonde sat alongside the mud. It coated her purple dress. She cradled and stroked Cynthia's hair as she cried.
Tommy kneeled next to her and began to apologize. The blonde whipped her head towards him and glared.
Movement, in his peripherals, caught both of their attention. They quickly turned to see Tommy's other two comrades exiting the castle. The teal-clad comrades skipped with excitement and held the small bear above their heads, in victory.
Spotting them, the blonde leaped up and growled in anger. She raced towards them, dragging the muddied Cynthia in her hand. The two froze as the blonde swiped the bear from them. She stomped a few feet away. Setting Cynthia down, gently, next to her, she picked up something from the ground.
Tommy's friend and comrades joined him. They watched as the blonde turned around and held Tommy's screwdriver to the bear's neck.
Gasps chorused through the group. Tommy stepped forward. He stretched out his empty hands in a show of peace, "Angelica, please. You can't do this."
The blonde sneered. With an evil glare, she stabbed the bear with the screwdriver. As she dragged it across the bear's throat, Tommy watched in horror.
A wail sounded from behind them.
They all turned to see Tommy's brother staring at the bear. He continued to wail as the wind gently strew stuffing across the yard.
Suddenly, a tall, curly haired woman appeared behind the crying baby. She looked towards the group. When she spotted the bear in Angelica's hands, her mouth fell open.
The blonde whispered, "Dumb babies," and then blanched as the woman stormed towards her. The woman snatched the bear. Angelica whimpered when the woman grabbed her wrist and led her inside. The woman's chastising could still be heard when the sliding glass door slid closed behind them.
Tommy picked up his friend's sippy cup. He handed it to the boy, "Sorry she poured Kool-Aid on you, Chuckie." The boy nodded and wiped his snot on his own sleeve.
He turned to his other comrades, "Nice try Phil and Lil. We almost saved Dill's teddy." The twins nodded and everyone began to comfort the sniffling baby.
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