Life In The Gumball Machine – Vinnie And Gordy’s Return

by Maureen Bartone

Everyone stared at him as he ran his hand through his hair and started to pace. He stopped right next to the gumball machine and looked at his shoes for a few seconds, shaking his head. When he looked up, they were still staring−waiting.

  He looked at the gumball machine, and then back at the kids.

  “But … are you saying you want me to get all shrunken, and climb inside this gumball machine?” He shook his head and slammed his hand on top of it.

  “No w-a-a-y−a-h-h−ha-a-a−h-o-o-!” He couldn’t finish his sentence because he felt a buzz in his arm and then he started to shake−hard.

  “W-h-a−w-h-a-t is happ-e-n-ing? You guys−help m-e-e-e! H-i-c-c-u-p!”

  “Oh no! The hiccup! He’s shrinking!” Michael shouted.

  He knew he only had seconds to explain to Joe what was about to happen.

  “Joe! Listen to me!”

  Joe was reaching and grasping at the air, hoping for someone, or something, to grab onto to stop the jerking and sucking that was pushing him down toward the opening of the gumball machine. He was shrinking fast−smaller, smaller.

  Michael shouted to the others. “Don’t touch him!” He leaned down to talk to him. “Sorry Joe. We can’t help you now, but trust me. You’ll be okay.”

  The other kids watched as Joe’s face twisted and his body started to stretch into an odd, long, and rubbery shape. First his face, and then the rest of his body, started getting longer and thinner, as it whirled and swirled.

  “H-i-c-c-u-p!”

  Despite having experienced this very same thing just yesterday, Daisy, Patrick, and Michael still felt butterflies in their stomachs. Everyone shouted at once as Michael knelt down and gave instructions to Joe.

  “Joe−your body is shrinking and I know it feels super-weird−but don’t freak out. Try to stay calm. Oh−and−it will get freezing cold−and−”

  “Very cold!” Patrick added.

  “Patrick−stop!” Michael screamed.

  Patrick closed his mouth and backed away. He’d never seen Michael lose his cool before.

  Michael continued. “A strong force will suck you up … !”

  But Joe wasn’t listening. He just screamed and screamed. “Help me! Somebody make it stop! H-i-c-c-u-p! I don’t want to d-o-o this!”

  Daisy, Patrick, and Michael knew it couldn’t be stopped. Slowly, Joe’s body shriveled and fell closer to the ground near the gumball machine’s opening.

  IN THE CORNER OF THE SHED, Sammie tried to lift his head as he heard the commotion. From his place on the floor, he watched his big brother jerk and shrink down to a tiny, wavy blob. Even though it was a scary sight, Sammie still wanted to go up into that gumball machine, though he knew he couldn’t. He was too sick. He could barely lift his arms and his body felt so heavy.

  So tired.

  He heard Michael shouting, but his words faded as Sammie fell in and out of darkness. The last thing he heard before the blackness enveloped him was, “Once you get inside−stay where you are!”

  After that, Sammie felt himself falling.

  AT ONCE, there was a loud sucking noise as Joe’s body slithered up and into the slot at the bottom of the gumball machine. They could see him through the clear, swirling tunnel, and watched his entire ride up to the top. Joe’s now-tiny body was long and thin−like a stretched piece of chewed bubblegum. The kids watched as the sucking force pulled him up and around and around, as he headed straight into the gumball world.

  26

  The Surprise Trip

  VIOLET’S EYES WERE BRIGHT and her mouth hung open as she watched Joe’s journey up the tunnel. She’d never seen anything like that before. She bent closer so she could get a good look at everything that was happening. It was a rush that she wanted to feel firsthand. She hoped she could go too!

  When they could no longer see Joe, the kids sat on the floor of the shed and, for a moment, no one spoke.

  Daisy was the first to say something. “Wow. So that’s what it looks like from the outside.”

  Violet nodded and smiled. She stood up and walked to the gumball machine. Patrick followed her.

  “That was so cool! I’m totally going up there too.”

  She reached to touch the machine when Patrick grabbed her hand.

  “No! Wait, Violet! We need a plan!”

  “Patrick’s right,” Michael said. “Joe should be fine up there as long as he waits for us. Let’s take a couple of minutes to work this out.”

  “First things first,” Patrick said. “Michael, you said I didn’t have to go back up there−”

  Violet interrupted Patrick. “−And−you said I could go up there.”

  Michael raised his hands, palms out. “Stop!”

  He took charge and no one argued anymore. With his plan already formed, he quickly explained everyone’s duties.

  “Patrick, you stay down here and keep an eye on Sammie. If he starts looking worse, then get help−don’t wait.”

  Patrick let out a breath and nodded.

  Thank goodness I don’t have to go up there!

  Turning to Daisy, Michael said, “Daisy. Please tell me you have some nickels in your pocket. We’ll need those to get us back out of the gumball machine.”

  Daisy smiled. “Yep! I knew we’d need them, so I dug around and found four−just to be sure.”

  “Great!” Michael said. “Hopefully, one will do the trick, but I feel better knowing you have extras.”

  Pulling the nickels from her pocket, Daisy asked, “When do you think I should insert the first one?”

  “Hmm. Good question,” Michael said. “We’ll need time to get Vinnie and Gordy to Pudding Hill. How long were we up in the gumball machine yesterday? A couple of hours?”

  Patrick nodded. “Three hours, to be exact. Remember? We left Daisy’s house around eleven-thirty yesterday morning. So we were probably in the gumball machine by noon. Daisy’s party started at four o’clock, and we got home an hour before that.”

  Michael nodded. “That sounds about right. We shouldn’t need three hours now that we know our way around up there.”

  Turning to Daisy he said, “Okay. Wait two hours and then insert the first coin. Then, wait for another half-hour before inserting another one. Give us time to get back to the opening. The gumball avalanche will be tricky.”

  Patrick and Daisy nodded, remembering how scary the avalanche was yesterday.

  “What are you talking about?” Violet asked.

  Patrick explained to her how thousands of gumballs rumbled down the hill and practically buried them. He then told her how Michael got stuck under a bunch of rolling gumballs and how much trouble they had getting him out.

  “It was touch and go for a while,” he said.

  Violet shook her head. “Wow. That sounds pretty intense.” But it didn’t scare her. She couldn’t wait to go up.

  “We’d better hurry. Joe is probably in a panic by now,” Daisy said.

  “Right. You two better get going,” Patrick said. “Be careful.” He took Violet’s hand to say goodbye.

  Looking into her big brown eyes, he said, “I’ll see you when you get back.” Daisy looked at Michael and rolled her eyes. Michael couldn’t hold back a small chuckle.

  Violet smiled shyly as they held hands. She looked up at him and said, “Yes. I’ll see you soon. Hopefully, this big beast gets us home safe and sound.” She gave the top of the gumball machine a little pat.

  Michael tried to stop her, but it was too late. Because she and Patrick were holding hands, they both started jerking and shrinking.

  Patrick hiccupped first. “H-i-c-c-u-p!” He shook his head and looked at Daisy and Michael for help. “N-o-o!” He felt the familiar buzzing sensation in his chest and then the first few jerks kicked in.

  “Oh no!” Daisy cried. “Patrick is going with Violet!”

  Patrick’s voice rose higher with each word. “You guys! H-e-l-p! I don’t want to g-o-o!”

  But it was too late. Violet started hiccupping and jerking too.
The strong sucking force sealed their hands together and pulled them down toward the slot as their bodies shrunk, twisted, and stretched. Violet was the first to get sucked in.

  Michael yelled to Daisy. “Quick! Grab Gordy and Vinnie from Sammie!” Daisy turned to Sammie who was motionless, his eyes closed. Worried by Sammie’s still body, she panicked but grabbed the box. She’d tend to him in a few minutes.

  Inside the small box, the force of Daisy’s rushed movement caused Gordy and Vinnie to roll around and into each other. But this was no time to be gentle. She shoved the box into Patrick’s hand as Michael started talking fast.

  “Patrick−follow the plan! Get Gordy and Vinnie to Pudding Hill, go down the slide, and get back here as fast as you can! You’ll have two hours, okay?”

  Violet was now completely inside the latch and Patrick’s right arm was getting sucked in. They could see he had a strong grip on the box with his left hand, but all they heard were his screams. Daisy thought he sounded just like a baby.

  “A-a-h-h!” His voice shrieked−squeakier and quieter−as he shrunk and was sucked down to the slot until Daisy and Michael could no longer hear his voice. They watched as Patrick and Violet moved into and up the spinning tunnel.

  VIOLET COULDN’T BELIEVE IT was finally happening.

  “Patrick−this is so cool!”

  “Oh−just you wait. You haven’t seen ‘cool’ yet!”

  “What do you mean?”

  She couldn’t hear Patrick’s words, but the bitter cold air that slapped across her face answered the question for her. A blanket of frost moved toward her from above her head and quickly coated her whole body. She was unable to speak, move any body parts, or even close her eyes. Even her lips and hair were covered by a thick layer of ice.

  The frosty blanket continued its path over Patrick. Their bodies were solid ice and there was no more talking or screaming from either of them for the rest of the ride up.

  DAISY AND MICHAEL WATCHED their tiny friends through the gumball machine’s clear tunnel as Violet and Patrick spun in circles, around and up toward the top. They could see the frost envelop their friends’ small bodies, turning them into little icicles. And, in a flash, they were gone.

  After the flurry of excitement ended, the shed was silent. Daisy and Michael stared at the gumball machine, but neither of them spoke.

  27

  The Wait

  AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, Daisy turned to Michael. “It looked like he held onto the box.”

  Michael nodded. “Yeah, that’s good.”

  “I wish I could have gone up there,” Sammie said.

  Daisy turned, relieved to see Sammie awake. She walked over and knelt beside him.

  “I know buddy. But you’re too sick. Who knows? Maybe we can try it another time.”

  Sammie nodded quietly. A tear fell down his cheek.

  “What’s wrong?” Daisy asked.

  Sammie started to cry. “I never got to say goodbye. They’re my friends.”

  Daisy’s heart broke for her little brother. He looked so sad and so sick.

  She brushed the hair from his forehead, “I know. I’m sorry, Sammie. None of us did. Everything happened so fast.”

  She sat beside him on the dirt floor. “There was no time. But Vinnie and Gordy know you love them and they love you. You’ll always have a place in your heart for them, so don’t feel bad. Feel glad that you had that special time with them, and know that you were their favorite. You did everything you could to get them back home where they belong. And now they’re on their way.”

  Daisy could see that her words stopped Sammie’s tears.

  Sammie was glad to have her for his big sister. He laid his head down on her lap and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he was so tired. He couldn’t keep his eyes open, as blackness again swirled around in his head until it took over. In his deep slumber, he heard voices. Vinnie and Gordy were calling out to him.

  Daisy watched him sleep. The little butterflies were coming back in her stomach. He still looked pretty bad. She bit her lip and looked up at Michael. His eyes told her he was worried too.

  After all of the excitement settled down, Daisy and Michael realized they were sweating. Michael went to open the small window. After a bit of a struggle, it finally gave way. They felt a slight breeze brush across their faces. It felt good. He turned and sat on the floor next to Daisy and Sammie.

  “Well,” he said, “that did not go as planned.” He checked his watch. “It’s one-thirty. Now, we wait. In two hours, we’ll put the nickel in and start the shake-down.”

  Daisy and Michael sat on the dirt floor of the shed next to Sammie and waited in silence.

  28

  The Gumball World

  JOE HAD NEVER BEEN A CRYBABY. He was the oldest kid in the family and he ruled Daisy and Sammie’s lives. He thought it was hilarious that they were so afraid of him. He could get them to do anything he wanted. As a matter of fact, he could get just about any kid at school to do what he wanted. He loved that feeling of power and being tough and mean, and fearless.

  But right now, being tough and mean didn’t enter his mind. He was−at this moment−a crybaby−a screaming, blubbering crybaby.

  As his body flopped, swirled and banged up and around the dizzying and freezing tunnel, Joe’s screams never stopped. He was feeling something he’d never experienced before−terror. Terror and pain. He was pretty sure he was frozen solid. The cold was so painful, it burned.

  When his body finally broke through the opening, the frost that covered his body shattered and flew like broken glass. He continued his flight up and through the entrance of the gumball machine−all the while−his screams filled the air. He could see the clear globe above him and he knew that, in a few seconds, he’d be smashing into it. He tried to position himself to hit his back−not his head.

  Still airborne, Joe looked at the dark sky and saw what appeared to be marshmallows. The spongy balls pounded his body from every direction, but they caused no pain.

  Weird.

  The marshmallow bombs continued to pummel him as he heard a powerful sound similar to thunder. But it was louder than any thunder he’d heard. Then−of course−there couldn’t be marshmallow-rain and crazy thunder without lightening, and this lightening was like none he’d seen. The flash of brightness seared his eyes. It was a sharp blue, and each time it flashed, he felt a burst of heat slap him and shove him sideways. This was okay at first because he was still freezing from the ride up. But after a bit, it started to burn.

  “Sheez!”

  He tried to brace himself, but that was nearly impossible as his body twisted and turned and his arms and legs flailed in every direction.

  Boom! His back smashed into the crystal globe.

  “Ugh!”

  Joe couldn’t believe he didn’t break his back. Then came his downward plunge. As he fell, he looked around at the beautiful, magical world he’d heard about from Daisy and her friends as it whizzed up to greet him. Though everything was a blur, he still couldn’t believe it.

  It’s all true! This is real!

  He really was in a gumball world. He saw colorful gumball trees and purple grass. But where were all the happy, singing and dancing gumball people? Where were the music and fireworks, and confetti?

  Joe had little time to absorb what he was seeing because the ground was coming up fast.

  “A-a-h-h!”

  He braced himself for the hard landing, but, just as he neared the ground, his body stopped−mid-air. He hovered there for a second or two and then−boom! He landed in a pile of spongy, soft stuff, though it still took his breath away.

  He laid there for a moment waiting for his head to clear. He tried turning to look around, but little spongy bombs continued to plop on his face and body. They smelled sweet and were pink, blue, red, and green. Looking up, he watched as the little rain-like balls fell through the sky and then hit him. The whole sensation felt funny and made him smile.

  Once he caught his breath
and his head cleared, he sat up and looked around. He held his hands out in front of him and caught some of the spongy marshmallow-stuff.

  What kind of rain is this?

  He knew it wasn’t actual rain, although the spongy balls did fall from the strange sky like rain, and they were all over the ground. It reminded him of hail, though he’d only seen that a few times before. He picked one up−a bright blue one−and squished it between his fingers.

  Hmm.

  He sniffed it.

  Smells like cake.

  He brought it to his mouth and was about to eat it, when, all around him, the marshmallow-rain came down in torrents, landing fast and hard all over his head and body. He raised his arm over his head to block the spongy pellets. In a matter of seconds, the ground around him was covered with the stuff. He pulled the piece of marshmallow-rain away from his mouth, and the rain slowed down. When he put it back near his mouth, it poured even harder.

  Whoa. Angry rain! It’s talking to me. Weird.

  He threw the blue marshmallow raindrop to the ground and sat there for another minute. When he felt ready, he stood up from the spongy garden that broke his fall and looked at it. A huge mound of the multi-colored marshmallow raindrops were all squished and mushed together forming something like a mattress. It came up to his knees. He pressed on it with his foot.

  Soft and spongy!

  As he looked around he saw only a few other mounds of the stuff near him.

  Was that luck? Or magic?

  Whatever it was, it saved his life.

  Joe took a breath and looked around. In the distance, he saw the opening that brought him into the gumball world. Michael had told him to wait there, so he headed in that direction. As he walked, he felt the spongy ground underneath him.

  Oooh!

  He bounced up and down and then jumped. It was like a pogo stick or a trampoline!

  Cool!

  Each time he jumped and landed, he flew higher and higher. He did this a few times and loved it, but, he decided it was time to go wait for the others. This was an important mission and there was no time for fun.