The Choice of Twilight

[Reviving and continuing soon... on Royal Road!]

Growing up has always been difficult. It's even worse when you have to do it all in one night.

At the ripe old age of twelve, Ty's life is falling apart. Going to a new school is made even more difficult when his grandfather dies of unknown causes. Without him around, Ty feels the pull between standing by his grandfather's belief of holding onto the kid inside and pressure from his father to "man up" and leave it all behind. All of his troubles finally reach a head when, on the eve of his thirteenth birthday, Ty awakes to find himself in a dreamworld, one-so he is told-that exists to pit him against his greatest fears and insecurities. And to ready him for a final choice.

Luckily, Ty is not without friends. He soon meets Genno, a wooden puppet his grandfather made for him years ago, walking and talking, ready to help Ty learn what he needs to return home in one piece. The list of trials range from a girly-girl version of his best friend (who wants to do nothing but kiss), an army of plush creatures (that are far more deadly than they sound), and a nightmare version of his town where propaganda and a puppet master have reduced the population to mindless slaves. But the worst part is the master behind it all, a cruel and abnormally tall skeleton dressed in mockery of Santa Claus and his suit. San wants nothing more than to best Ty and do what none of his kind has ever done before: defeat a child that has made "the choice." But Ty will stop at nothing to fight back against everything San's got in order to face his fears and grow up. Because, if he doesn't, he will end up a kid forever. Or, worse...never wake up again.