The Lost Sweet Tooth

Chapter 11

Casey's gingerbread house stood in the middle of the park. Of course, it wasn't made out of real gingerbread, but the fake jellybeans that dotted the roof and the plastic gumdrops that lined the path to the house still looked delicious enough to make Jacob's mouth water.

His mouth was the only part of him that was happy to be there. His heart hammered, and his legs trembled as if they were in the middle of an earthquake. This was where that fiendish feline lived. No amount of sugar coating could make Jacob forget that.

The massive crowd chanting Casey's name wasn't helping. Jacob's ears rang as that name echoed in his ears. How on earth was he supposed to find Nate in the middle of this?

Jacob took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to do this. Nate was counting on him.

Jacob walked along the edge of the crowd until he found himself in a nearly deserted area behind the gingerbread house. A man in a gingerbread man costume guarded the back door with a plastic candy cane that was as tall as Jacob. "Beat it, kid," he said. "You have to wait to see Casey just like everyone else."

"I'm not here to see him. I'm looking for my brother. He's about this tall," Jacob held out his arm a couple inches below his shoulder, "and he's wearing a Casey hat with a torn ear. Have you seen him?"

"You just described half the kids in this park," the man said. "Have you told the real security folks yet? I'm just here to keep people from bothering Casey."

"They couldn't help me." Jacob's voice cracked as he started panicking. "Could you please ask Casey if he can help? He's Nate's hero. If anyone can help me find him, it's him."

"Hang on." The guard cracked open the back door and muttered something. After a brief, hushed conversation, he opened the door all the way. "Come on in. Casey wants to see what he can do."

Jacob gulped and walked into his nemesis's lair.