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Peter Carrot-top

Page 7

by Yolanda Jackson


  Chapter 7

  Betrayal

  Quickly, Jane stopped by the tailor shop, watching as

  Peter got fitted for his uniforms by three small chickens.

  Their shop was called the "Taylor Chicks, where all your

  tailoring needs are complete." One worked at the top, one

  in the middle and one at the bottom. Sometimes all three of

  them were on top of a table or each other, but they quickly

  moved like the speed of light, one behind the other.

  They stitched, sewed, pressed and measured, spinning

  Peter around and around. He looked as if he was in a

  whirlwind, but he was enjoying every minute. All Jane could

  think about was starting back to work at her own business,

  something she loved doing. She couldn't wait to tell Sam.

  As the chickens finished tailoring Peter's uniform,

  they told Jane the uniforms would be ready in an hour and

  would be delivered promptly.

  Jane said, "Thanks," and off they went to meet Sam,

  Red Fox and Samantha Grey in the center square.

  Everyone seemed to be on top of the world. Things

  seemed to go according to plan, when Jane looked out of the

  corner of her eye and saw a ghostly figure, just staring

  and watching every move they made. Peter saw the fear on

  his mother's face.

  "What's wrong, mother?" asked Peter, and before Jane

  could say anything, Peter saw the ghostly figure too. He

  explained to his mother that this was the same figure he

  saw on the ride to Baja and in Mr. Stewart's office.

  "Why didn't you say something?" asked Jane as she

  shook Peter.

  He began to cry and Jane quickly hugged her son and

  apologized for what she had done. As they both turned

  around, the figure was gone. This was very frightening to

  Jane and Peter, so they walked faster to the center square

  to warn Sam about what they had seen. Jane and Peter ran up

  to the table where Sam, Samantha and Red Fox were sitting.

  "What's wrong, Mrs. C? You look like you saw a ghost,"

  said Samantha.

  "We have," said Peter quickly as he looked over his

  shoulders in fear.

  Sam comforted his wife and son, then they all listened

  to Jane and Peter as they described the ghostly creature.

  At the same time, the creature appeared again across the

  street. Peter hid behind his father. This time the ghost

  seemed to be very angry, not saying a word, just making

  fighting movements. The onlookers were afraid. People began

  to scream and panic all over town. No one stayed to fight.

  Everyone seemed to be afraid of this creature. Dust began

  to fly through the air in slow motion. Even the dust

  particles took the form of an angry face and began to scare

  the people in the square.

  Sam used his powers to lift the creature into the air

  as Red Fox attacked it. Jane quickly reached into her purse

  and pulled out some magic seeds. On the ground, the seeds

  rolled and suddenly began to grow. Jane put Peter on the

  branch as it grew taller and taller into the air.

  Samantha Grey jumped in to help Red Fox as they fought

  with the creature, but it seemed to have remarkable

  strength. Sam was having a hard time using his abilities to

  keep the creature in the air. Sam was growing weaker and

  weaker by the minute. He fell to the ground, still trying

  to keep his powers going, but whatever it was, it was

  draining him dry.

  He finally let go and the ghost fell to the ground,

  but Red Fox and Samantha kept on hitting and fighting the

  creature. Samantha used her kung fu and every martial art

  form she knew, but the creature was hitting her from right

  to left, throwing her around like a rag doll.

  Peter saw his family in trouble, and he slid down the

  tree branch and began to work his powers on the ghost. Back

  and forth Peter grew holes, swallowing up the ghost. Sparks

  began to fly from the ghost. Colors burst out of his eyes.

  Red, blue and green flames sprayed into the air like a

  comet.

  But the creature still had a lot of fight left in him,

  and as he was about to get up, Peter created a hole small

  enough to bind the ghost so it couldn't move. All one could

  see was the ghost's head, the rest of the body was hidden

  in the hole.

  "Great job, son," said Sam.

  Samantha and Red Fox patted Peter on the back. Sam

  walked up to the creature as it began to mumble and foamed

  at the mouth. The noise the creature made was crushingly

  painful to the ear. Sam grabbed it by the neck.

  "Who are you?" he demanded.

  The creature would not answer, and suddenly Sam ripped

  off the ghostly cape in anger to find a little devilishlooking

  troll. It was covered in mud, and the smell was

  outrageous. Everyone held their breath as the odor swept

  past their noses.

  "Oh! My goodness, you stink!" said Red Fox.

  "And so does your mother," said the creature.

  Red Fox was not amused and went to punch the creature

  before Sam stopped him.

  "Once again, why are you here?" asked Sam.

  The creature began to whistle and roll its big black

  eyes around and around in circles, but never answered.

  Samantha Grey stepped forward and kicked the creature.

  "Okay, calm down," said the creature to Samantha.

  "We want answers, and we want them now," said Samantha

  as the creature caught its breath.

  It told of how Marcus Carrot-Top paid him to keep an

  eye on his brother and his family. "I was promised a palace

  in the kingdom when it crumbles from the fall of the

  elders," said the creature.

  "Where is Marcus now?" asked Sam.

  The creature explained that Marcus was in the forest

  with the seven wizards. He advised Sam not to go there

  because his powers were weak and no match for his brother.

  He began to chuckle at Sam. Sam immediately grabbed him up

  and ordered Red Fox and Samantha to take it to the prison.

  "No, no, not the prison! I hate it there," squealed

  the creature.

  Red Fox and Samantha grabbed the creature by its neck

  and pulled it out of the hole.

  As the creature passed Peter, he whispered, "You don't

  look like a boy king. You can't stop what is coming."

  Samantha grabbed him by the neck and threw the

  creature into a wooden box, and off they went.

  Peter was a little shaken up and he ran to his father

  with a big hug. "I'm all right, son, and thanks," said Sam.

  Jane joined in on the hug as the crowd looked on and

  clapped. "Something is truly wrong, and we will get to the

  bottom of this," said Jane.

  "Oh! No, just me alone will do it. I can't risk you

  getting hurt. I can't ask you to follow me again," said Sam

  to Jane.

  With a stern voice, Jane let Sam know that they were a

  family, and as a family, they would fight together, and no

  questions asked.

  "Yeah, Dad, we can do it," said Peter.

  "Relax, squirt, I want you to have a normal life, not
>
  a life of fighting," said Sam, but Peter was not accepting

  that. He was going to fight on the same side as his father.

  After an exciting day, the Carrot-Tops were finally on

  their way home, but Jane wanted to make a stop at her old

  home to look for her parents. Finally, she had the courage

  to face her fears of her family disowning her.

  The road was long, quiet and very dark. A sparrow in

  the tree made a calling sound as if warning someone was

  coming. Suddenly, the noise stopped and the trees and

  shrubs began to shake violently. All that was noticeable

  were large shadows and yellow cat's eyes.

  Jane told Peter to get down lower to the floor of

  their vehicle. She knew something was very wrong. Then, out

  of the darkness, a big black cat jumped in front of them.

  It was the size of ten polar bears. Symbols glowed in the

  darkness and gave light to a nametag which read "Oscar."

  Jane's eyes grew bigger and bigger as the cat claws poked

  out, ready for an attack.

  "Oscar, it is me, Jane," Jane shouted.

  The cat stopped for a minute and began to talk. "It is

  impossible," said the cat.

  "No, it is I," said Jane.

  As Jane repeated her name, the cat began to break down

  and cover its ear, rolling in the middle of the road. With

  caution, Jane and Sam stepped out of the sky vessel and

  approached the humongous cat.

  "What's wrong?" Jane asked Oscar.

  "All these years, we waited for you to return and you

  never came. Now in front of my eyes, here you stand," he

  said.

  The cat's eyes were dead, and its rough scruffy voice

  sounded as if he had seen better days. Oscar explained to

  Jane that they had been fighting the silent war between

  Baja and the wizards of the dark forest, and their leader

  was an evil man named Marcus.

  Sam blushed with disappointment when he heard the name

  of his brother. Anger and disappointment filled his heart,

  so Sam questioned the cat. "Why is there a war? What has my

  brother done this time?"

  Oscar was very reluctant to talk to Sam. He took his

  nose and nudged Jane into a corner to speak with her

  privately. Sam was very upset and threw his hat to the

  floor, demanding the cat come back at once. Oscar ignored

  Sam and kept on talking to Jane.

  Meanwhile, Peter looked out from the sky vessel and

  watched all the action. Oscar told Jane that Marcus was

  building a league of monsters to attack Baja because he

  wanted to become king and ruler over the ten thousand

  cities in Baja. Oscar explained that while Jane and her

  family were banned from Baja, they were not forgotten and

  were deeply missed. He told her that her family was safe,

  and was running an underground safe house so when the war

  began, at least some citizens of Baja would be able to

  escape.

  Jane was still in awe over the size Oscar had grown

  to. She began to rub her hands through his coat, back and

  forth. She reminisced of all the fun she'd had with Oscar

  and her childhood home. Oscar then gave her a wet slobbery

  lick on the face to wake her up. Jane snapped out of her

  dream world and asked about her parents.

  Oscar pointed with his huge claws. "They are over

  there."

  Behind a twelve-foot iron gate lay Jane's childhood

  home. Through those doors was where she would find her

  parents. She ran back to the car to inform Sam of all the

  information she had learned from Oscar, and that her

  parents where on the other side. She was quite nervous to

  see her parents; for years they blamed Sam for their

  daughter's banishment.

  Before they pulled up to the gates, Oscar stuck his

  big head through the sky vessel window. "And who is this

  little one, Jane?"

  "This is Peter, my son," said Jane.

  "Yes! The boy king who shall save Baja; I look forward

  to serving you," said Oscar.

  Peter was still hiding low to the ground but managed

  to peek for just a second. He could not keep his eyes off

  of Oscar. "What a huge cat, Mother!" said Peter.

  "Well, he wasn't always that big. I think it was the

  milk," said Jane jokingly.

  Then Jane began to choke from nervousness. She was

  afraid to meet her parents, but she knew deep down in her

  heart she had to make things right.

  Oscar gave the guards at the gate the sign to let the

  car through and they did. The big iron gates opened and

  Oscar's shadow could still be seen several feet away. As

  Jane's eyes caught sight of her old home, her eyes began to

  tear up. Sam held his wife's hands closely and gave them a

  big squeeze.

  "Honey, it will be all right. We are Carrot-Tops. We

  will make it as always," said Sam.

  As they approached Jane's old house, everything seemed

  to have died. All the plants and trees she'd grown were

  withered and dead. The place almost looked deserted, but

  Jane and her family got out of the sky vessel and

  approached the house.

  A butler opened the door. In his old scruffy voice he

  asked, "Jane, is that you?"

  "Yes, it's me, Willard, and I brought my family," said

  Jane.

  Willard the butler began to tear up and hurried to let

  them in. Jane looked around the house. What a disaster! The

  house looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. Stray

  animals were running through the house and so were homeless

  people.

  "Where is Mother, Willard?" asked Jane.

  "She will be back any minute now, Madame Burgandy,"

  said Willard.

  "No, it's Mrs. Carrot-Top now, Willard," said Jane.

  Willard apologized and began to look Jane over from

  head to toe. Jane introduced Peter and Sam.

  "What is going on, Willard? This place looks

  depressing and dilapidated," said Jane.

  Willard explained to Jane that after she left, her

  mother could not take the isolation from her friends and

  the people of Baja, and began to keep to herself and threw

  a pity party. He told Jane that they did everything to try

  to get her back into the swing of things. Nothing worked,

  until one day, Jane's mother had a vision from the elders

  that Jane and her family would return.

  Willard explained that this was the only time her

  mother ever got out of bed, and now she was fighting the

  evil spirits to free Baja and its people. As the story got

  intense, Jane sent Peter to sit by the fireplace, out of

  adult conversation. But Peter could still hear everything,

  and it also helped that he put his ears to the walls.

  Willard told Jane and Sam that a war was coming, and

  the people of Baja needed to get ready. He said it seemed

  everyone was so lackadaisical about fighting, and it felt

  like Baja was too peaceful to ever be in a war. But Marcus

  Carrot-Top and the seven wizards were coming, and coming

  with an army of demons and imps.

  This was why Jane's mother, Mrs. Burgandy,
started an

  underground army with tunnels and secret passages built to

  house the people of Baja once the war came. Mrs. Burgandy

  was so busy she let the place go.

  "And where is my father?" asked Jane.

  Willard stalled for a minute, but Jane wanted an

  answer and she wanted it now. He told her it was too much

  for her father to handle, and he walked out and was never

  heard from again. There were search parties and even a

  visit to the Oracle, but Mr. Burgandy was never found.

  Everything was just as he left it. Jane was very upset at

  her father for leaving her mother all alone, but she also

  blamed herself.

  She walked through the house, trying to turn back the

  hands of time, wondering and wishing that she could go back

  into her childhood days and spend time with her father;

  wishing that she could undo all the wrongs and make them

  right.

  Jane went to her old bedroom and everything was still

  the same. Even though her mother was upset that Jane

  disgraced the family, she still loved Jane and missed her

  dearly. In Jane's room there were antique dolls and old

  doll houses. The pink ruffled bed set was still on the bed

  collecting dust. The place looked like it had never been

  touched since she got married and left home. On her bed

  laid an old doll, one she had never seen before. The eyes

  began to glow and a strange sensation began to come over

  Jane.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a creepy

  image. When she turned around, it had disappeared. Jane was

  very frightened and began running and screaming down the

  stairs. She told Willard and Sam what she had seen.

  "They're everywhere," said Willard.

  "Who?" asked Jane.

  Willard explained to Jane that the creatures of the

  forest were all over Baja. They were filthy creatures

  created by the seven wizards and Marcus. They were imps of

  the underworld, and they mostly came out at night, but had

  been seen in the daytime as well. Willard began to look for

  his magical book of secrets.

  "What's that for?" asked Peter.

  The huge book was purple and the pages were made of

  thin cloth, layer by layer, until it weighed over fifty

  pounds. The book had the same symbols as everything in

  Baja, and it glowed back and forth like a breathing motion.

  "Where did you get that?" asked Jane.

  Willard told Jane and the rest of her family that he

  got the book from a magical store on the outskirts of Baja,

  but he really didn't know how to use it. All he knew was

  that when something evil came around, the book opened and

  did what it was supposed to do.

  "Let me give it a try," said Peter.

  It had a big dial on the cover and a lock on the back.

  Willard watched intensely as Peter opened the book. Once

  the right combination was given and set, it popped open and

  a bright light shone through the house as if it was

  scanning the room. The light was so bright, but yet there

  were no visible images. Suddenly, blood-curdling screams

  came from all over the house. It was like echoes of horror.

  Everyone covered their ears; the sound was so overwhelming

  to their ear drums.

  Then bubbles of smoke began to burst as the creatures

  began dying. Apparently the creatures were all over the

  home. They were invisible to the naked eye. No one knew

  that they were there. One by one, they burst into a cloud

  of smoke and fumes. The smell was horrible, and disgusting

  blue and green guts splashed the walls and everything in

  their path. It was the grossest thing to see, but Peter

  thought it was very impressive.

  "Willard, we're going to leave. Tell Mother I will

  talk to her later," said Jane.

  "Wait, how did you do that, son?" Willard asked Peter.

  "I don't know," said Peter.

  As they were leaving, Jane's mother showed up. It was

  not the same lady she had known all of her life.

  "Mother, is that you?" asked Jane.

  "No! It's the grim reaper," said Jane's mother, Mrs.

  Burgandy. The comment was sarcastic and rude.

  Mrs. Burgandy did not seem as if she was happy to see

  Jane. She looked rundown, and her clothing was ruffled and

  dirty. Her hair was a mess, like birds were making it their

  home, and her nails were long and dirty. Jane looked her

  mother over from head to toe and could not believe what she

  was seeing; Jane was stunned for a minute and did not know

  what to say. She stared at her mother. Her mother stared

  back, but the look Jane was getting from her mother was

  cold and callous.

  Jane did not know the woman standing in front of her.

  She was not like Willard had made her out to be. Mrs.

  Burgandy did not miss her daughter, nor did she care if

  Jane was safe or not.

  "This is all your fault for marrying Sam Carrot-Top,"

  said Mrs. Burgandy.

  She pushed Jane out of the way, as if she was rubbish

  on the side of a street corner. Jane was hurt and tried to

  call out for her mother, but Mrs. Burgandy kept walking

  into the house. Jane followed her intensely.

  "Mother, what is wrong with you? Why are you treating

  me like this?" shouted Jane.

  Mrs. Burgandy explained to her daughter that she was

  scorned and verbally abused by the town. She said, after

  Jane ran off with Sam, the Carrot-Tops became a disgrace.

  Her daughter was married to one of them, and the people in

  the town were upset and angry at Mrs. Burgandy for having a

  disobedient child like Jane.

  Because of the Carrot-Tops, their family name was also

  ruined and put to shame, everything was lost. Mrs. Burgandy

  was no longer the center of attention from the town's upper

  society. Worst of all, Jane's father up and left, never to

  be heard from again.

  The hate showed in Mrs. Burgandy's eyes for her

  daughter. She wanted Jane to never come back to the house

  again. All she was concerned about was the loss of her

  wealth and status in Baja. Jane told her mother she loved

  her and walked out of the doorway of the old sitting room.

  Willard passed by and told Jane how sorry he was for

  lying to her, and that her mother missed her. He said he

  only did it to have Jane stay. He thought maybe once her

  mother saw her, she would change her hate into love. Jane

  accepted Willard's apology and asked him to take care of

  her mother.

  Before Jane left, Willard gave the magical book to

  Peter and told him to take good care of it. As Jane and her

  family left the Burgandy's mansion, she could not help to

  look back. Suddenly, everything began to turn to stone, the

  dried up trees in the courtyard, the starving dog on the

  front porch. It was like a virus spreading.

  "Run, run," said Sam as the house began to crumble.

  Piercing screams filled the air. Jane wanted to run

  back and help her family, but it was too late. Sam grabbed

  her by the hand
and jumped into the sky vessel, but there

  were no keys.

  The stone virus was coming closer and closer, it

  looked like a tidal wave. Sam jumped out and used his

  powers to lift him and his family into the air. As they

  looked down, the house was being swallowed up by a black

  hole. Everything was going down into the hole. It was as if

  a wall was crumbling and then being swallowed. Jane saw

  Oscar trying to escape and was frightened that the stone

  virus was going to catch him.

  "Honey! Oscar, help him please," said Jane.

  With all his energy, Sam lifted Oscar into the air

  just as the virus was going to attack him. Between helping

  Oscar and his family, Sam's powers were getting weak. He

  had to lay them down in a safe area. As soon as the stone

  virus subsided, Sam set his family down. Everyone caught

  their breath as they lay on the grass trying to understand

  what had just happened. Peter ran into his parents' arms as

  Oscar looked on and panted for air.

  "What's going on, Oscar?" asked Jane.

  Oscar explained that rumor had it that her mother made

  some type of deal with the wizards to get Jane and her

  family into the house so they could be destroyed. Jane was

  angry at Oscar for not telling her earlier, but Oscar

  explained that the prophecy had to come true.

  "What prophecy?" demanded Sam.

  "The prophecy that Peter somehow will know how to

  decode the book and save Baja. Whether you guys like it or

  not, Peter is the boy king, and I will be his protector,"

  said Oscar.

  "So my mother risked her life for us?" said Jane.

  "Yes," said Oscar.

  Oscar explained that after Jane and Sam left the city

  of Baja, many people were upset and turned away Mrs.

  Burgandy and all her family. There was a curse on the

  Burgandy and Carrot-Top names, so she made a deal with the

  seven wizards of the forest.

  From then on, Mrs. Burgandy gave up on life. Oscar

  assured Jane that her mother loved her. He said when Mrs.

  Burgandy found out that Marcus and the seven wizards were

  behind the fall of Baja, she changed her mind about Sam,

  but it was too late. She had already made a deal with the

  devil. In order for her to save Jane and her family's

  lives, she had to act as if she hated Jane to get her out

  of the house in time before the stone virus hit. Most

  important was for the magical book to get passed on to the

  right hands.

  The book, for some reason or another, could not leave

  the house. Everyone who had tried to take it out would

  burst into flames. Not even Willard could take it out. He

  didn't even know how to use it. Oscar took his huge paw and

  patted Jane on the head gently as he comforted her. He

  reassured Jane that her mother loved her and had to

  sacrifice herself to save her family. Oscar reminded Jane

  that there were underground cities and her mother started

  them all.

  "The war is coming. We must be ready," said Oscar.

  "Wait just one minute. How do we know we can trust

  you?" asked Sam.

  "Well, I am all you have right now!" said Oscar. "My

  mission in life is to protect the boy king. I was groomed

  for this part many, many years ago."

  Jane looked on in amazement and bewilderment. She

  never knew when she was pregnant that she would be carrying

  a baby boy so special.

  "We must leave, the imps will be coming," said Oscar.

  As they walked along the debris, Jane looked every

  once in a while over her shoulder at the home she once

  knew, and that was now in rubble. She looked for anything

  that she could pick up and save, but Oscar stopped her.

  Jane picked up an old locket, and Oscar warned her that

  evil was everywhere, and told her not to bring evil into

  her home. Jane quickly dropped the locket.

  As it hit the ground, the locket turned into stone

  right before Jane's eyes. She began to cry hysterically,

  Sam could not keep her from sobbing. Peter felt really bad

  for his mother, and anger began to grow in his heart. Oscar

  pulled Peter aside and talked to him while Sam comforted

  Jane.

  "Peter! Listen, my boy. There are good people, and

  there are bad people. What side do you want to be on?"

  Oscar asked.

  "Well, the good side of course," Peter replied.

  Oscar smiled and walked away. In his heart he knew

  that Peter would always do the right thing, that's why he

  was chosen. Jane's eyes glanced over all the rubble that

  was left behind. Her childhood home was gone and so was her

  family. Sam could no longer comfort his wife. Jane began to

  cry and he quickly used his powers to levitate everyone

  into the air.

  "It's been a long day, and it's time we all went

  home," said Sam.

  No one said a word on the way home. They were flying

  like birds of the skies, but their hearts were so lonely.

  No one muttered a sound, they all just looked out to the

  horizon where the beanstalks grew and the giants slid up

  and down. The waterfalls were changing color in the night

  air, from red to blue and then to green. This was like a

  fireworks show to Peter. He enjoyed it very much. It was as

  if nature was trying to comfort them.

  Word had spread, and even up in the air, thousands of

  feet above the clouds, animals were welcoming the boy king

  known as Peter Carrot-Top. Flying dragons quickly came up

  from behind and blew fire of glittering flames. The flames

  danced to welcome the boy king. Then the dragons did an air

  dance and flew away. Peter noticed the beauty of the

  dragons. All had the magical symbols of Baja, and all were

  wearing armor of protection. For the most part, these huge

  giants were very friendly. Peter watched as their orange

  and yellow tails glowed in the dark as they waved good-bye.

  Although the ride home was fun to watch, there was too much

  under the surface going on. Everyone wanted to be home.

  "A few more minutes and we'll be there," said Sam.

  No one answered, not out of rudeness, just out of

  sadness and depression. Sam felt bad for his family and

  began mumbling to himself. Sam blamed himself for

  everything, even the evilness of his brother Marcus. He

  felt as if he'd let his brother down somehow.

  Oscar glided his way closer to Sam and looked him in

  the eyes. "This is not your fault. The prophecy must be

  fulfilled. This was not your doing."

  "How do you know? You're just a dumb talking cat!"

  shouted Sam out of anger.

  Oscar said nothing more and just glided his way back

  in line. Sam was going to apologize, but Oscar moved too

  quickly out of his way. Finally they could see home in

  sight. Everyone started to get a little anxious. They

  couldn't wait until their feet hit the ground. As the dust

  touched their shoes, off everyone went in their own

  direction. Jane ran to the garden oasis. Peter ran up to

 
his room with his magical book in hand. Sam flew into the

  house and into his office, slamming the door shut.

  Oscar was left outside, but he followed Jane to the

  garden oasis and kept her company, like a good friend

  should. She could not control her weeping, but Oscar was

  there to comfort her in every way possible. Jane was

  feeling anger and rage. He went to her side and cuddled

  next to her. Jane slowly calmed down and began to stroke

  his ears like old times. A smile suddenly crossed Jane's

  face. She quickly gave Oscar a big hug, letting out all her

  anger and frustration in tears.

  Like a good pet; Oscar stayed by Jane's side, licking

  her face with his big tongue. She just smiled and went on

  into the house with him. The house was very quiet, but

  someone seemed to be having a good day. Jane walked up the

  stairs to jolly music playing. It was David and Dorothy

  Carrot-Top. Dorothy was feeling much better and was up

  singing and dancing with her husband. Jane ran over and

  gave her a big hug.

  "I can't believe it's you," said Jane.

  David explained that Dorothy was feeling much better

  and he was happy to see that everyone was home so they

  could have a big family dinner. Jane explained that the

  entire day was horrible, and everything that could go wrong

  did.

  David gave Jane a big hug, telling her everything

  would be all right and that in the end, it would all make

  sense. Jane told him that he might want to go and comfort

  his son because he was down in his sorrows. David nodded

  and went downstairs to Sam's office while Jane and Dorothy

  prepared dinner.

  Before Jane went downstairs, she stopped off at

  Peter's room. He was in deep thought, and didn't even hear

  the knock on the door. Peter was slowly and carefully

  studying his magical book.

  "Give it a rest, honey! You had a hard day today,"

  said Jane.

  "Mom, what if I can't save Baja? Will we be exiled

  again?" asked Peter.

  "No, son, we are here to stay. A ghost can't enter the

  real world more than once. If it happened, we would be

  destroyed," said Jane.

  Jane continued to reassure Peter that everything would

  be all right and that even if Baja wasn't saved, she would

  always love him. She also reminded him that his big day of

  school started tomorrow. Peter gave his mom a big hug and a

  smile.

  "Wash up for dinner," she said as she left his room.

  Peter felt much better, and began to study his book

  even more as his mother left the room. As he opened the

  magical book to page fourteen, a big face appeared. It

  scared Peter and he quickly closed the book, and ran into

  his closet. He peeked out of one eye to see if anything was

  coming after him, but there was nothing. Peter slowly

  approached the book again. The face appeared, but it said

  nothing. It was like a blue genie, with eight long arms

  covered in gold and silver bands. On the bands were the

  codes of Baja, just glowing in the dim light.

  "Hi, who are you?" Peter asked.

  "I am Merseft, the genie, here to grant all your

  wishes and true desires," said the face.

  Peter was so excited he could hardly contain his

  emotions. A big grin came across his face and he was ready

  to use his new powers.

  "Be very careful, with power comes great

  responsibility," said Merseft.

  Peter closed his eyes tightly and repeated the words

  in the magical book. "To the mirror, to the walls, to all

  things great and small, grant my wish after all."

  He kept his eyes closed tight and wished for his

  mother to have a table of feasting. The aroma of baked

  chicken, ham, turkey, apple pies, buttered corn and breaded

  pork chops filled the house. Everyone came downstairs.

  "Jane, what great cooking," said David.

  "Oh! Thanks, but I did not cook this meal," said Jane.

  She and Dorothy were quite confused since they were

  the only two women in the kitchen and they had not yet

  prepared dinner.

  In came Samantha and Red Fox.

  "Oh! That food smells great, let's eat!" said Red Fox.

  Jane explained to everyone that neither she nor

  Dorothy had made dinner yet. As they walked into the dining

  area, there was Peter with his mouth filled, chewing on a

  piece of chicken leg. The table was set for feasting; it

  was dressed and made for royalty.

  "Oh! My, this is good, Mom," said Peter.

  Jane wanted to know where the food came from. Peter

  let his family know the magic book made his wish come true.

  Jane was very skeptical and asked Peter to show her the

  magical genie. He ran to get the book, but as he opened it,

  there was nothing inside. Peter did everything he could to

  make the genie come out, but the pages were silent. It left

  Peter feeling as if he was a tattler.

  He begged his family to believe him, but they

  dismissed it as a young boy's fantasy. Nevertheless, they

  ate, but Sam was missing. Jane asked David to go and talk

  to his son. As everyone feasted on the finest dinner in

  Baja, there was a lot more to talk about, but no one

  brought up anything that happened that day. This was a time

  for laughter and happiness.

  "Yes! Food brings the family together once again,"

  said Dorothy.

  As David went upstairs to his son's office, he glanced

  over his shoulder and saw his family eating and being

  merry. This brought joy to his heart. For so many years, he

  missed out on a true family, one he thought that he might

  never see again. With a big, wide smile on his face, he had

  found peace.

  But Sam was in no mood for eating. His views about

  Baja had changed drastically. For the first time, Sam

  wanted to be a ghost in the human world. He wanted to back

  out and leave Baja to fend for itself.

  "Why should I fight for a world that exiled my family

  and I?" asked Sam as he talked to himself.

  Suddenly came a gentle knock on the door.

  "Son, may I come in?" asked David.

  Sam mumbled under his breath and slowly opened the

  door to let his father in. The look of disappointment was

  all over Sam's face. Gently David consoled his son and gave

  him a gentle touch on the back, letting him know that

  everything would be okay. David began to tell Sam how they

  never gave up hope that one day Sam and his family would

  return. He told Sam to hang in there and to never give up

  hope. Sam had few words to say. His heart was filled with

  anger, not only at the events of that day, but what also

  took place in Baja.

  To make matters worse, the brother he had loved and

  trusted was now his enemy. David began to put his son's

  heart to rest letting him know that no matter the outcome,

  the two would always remain brothers, one for good and one

  for evil. With a few moments of silence, Sam was ready to

  join the family for dinner.
r />   Out of the office and down the stairs they went. Sam

  was not happy, but he knew he had to put on a happy face

  for his family. Everyone was glad to see him joining them

  for dinner. After a word of prayer and thanksgiving, the

  entire family began to eat and share moments of happiness.

  There was Dingo, pulling on Oscar's ears in a playful

  manner. Peter and Samantha Grey were practicing judo moves.

  Jane and Dorothy were catching up on old times, while the

  boys talked about war strategies. The house was happy, the

  mood was delightful. Through all they had been through that

  day, everyone managed to come together and be a family,

  which was more important than anything in the entire world.

  As dinner was coming to an end, there was a knock at

  the door. The family wasn't expecting anyone to come over

  that late at night; so, with caution, Sam and Red Fox went

  to the door. Slowly Sam opened it. It was some royal

  guardsmen in uniform. They told Sam that they were sent to

  him by Mr. Stewart. The guard informed Sam that the

  Ambassador Forest was under attack by Marcus and the seven

  wizards.

  "Are you sure?" asked David.

  "Yes, sir," said the guards.

  The Ambassador Forest was the place where all of

  Baja's wealth, healing, and magical beings came from. Now

  it was under attack. Sam went into his army mode and began

  to immediately plot a way to save the forest.

  "Tell Mr. Stewart that we will be in the Ambassador

  Forest by mid-day tomorrow," said Sam to the royal guards.

  As he closed the door slowly behind him, he realized

  that this was his mission: to save Baja. But he was also

  concerned for his son's well being. Immediately, Sam

  informed the family of what was going on. Red Fox and

  Samantha Grey were ready to fight. Jane was also on board,

  but Sam did not want his wife to go. Jane insisted, as a

  family, they would eat and fight together. Of course Peter

  wanted to go, but the answer was a definite "No!" from both

  parents.

  Peter was told to stay home and help his grandmother,

  but he had other plans. The entire family was now in a

  warrior's mood and mindset. Peter quickly ran up the stairs

  and into his room to try to get the genie Merseft to come

  out. Slowly he opened his magic book and the genie's face

  appeared.

  "Hellloooooo!" said the genie.

  Peter was very upset that Merseft did not show his

  face in front of his parents and family members. Merseft

  explained to Peter that parents never understand.

  Reluctantly, Peter agreed. He began to tell Merseft of the

  plan to save the Ambassador Forest.

  "Yes! Peter, I am very familiar with the forest, but

  why is it under attack?" asked Merseft.

  Peter explained to Merseft about the evil of his uncle

  Marcus.

  "Your wish is my command," said Merseft.

  Peter let Merseft know that somehow, there would have

  to be a look-alike of Peter to fool his parents while Peter

  snuck off with them to war. Merseft explained to Peter that

  he would forfeit and miss the first day of school, but

  Peter wanted to be with his family fighting side-by-side

  for good.

  Meanwhile in the garden, Jane was practicing making

  deadly vines, some with razor-sharp thorns and others with

  deadly odors. A look of intensity came over Jane's face as

  she perfected every step. One by one, Jane made deadly

  plants that were under her control.

  In the other courtyard, Red Fox and Samantha Grey

  practiced fighting and using special weapons that Sam's

  father made for them. There were swords and body armor that

  glowed in the darkness of the night. The armor was made

  completely out of pure gold, one-of-a-kind, with magical,

  built-in protection. To test if the armor worked, Red Fox

  launched at Samantha with a sword, and suddenly, the armor

  began to glow, and covered her from head to toe as if she

  was transforming into a huge giant. Red Fox was amazed and

  began to step away from Samantha because, by now, she had

  grown to at least nine feet tall. The armor was impossible

  to penetrate, as Red Fox tried to cut into it with his

  sword. Every scratch made on the armor healed as if it was

  skin on a human body.

  There was no way to penetrate this secret weapon. When

  the fighting was over, the armor returned to an ordinary

  breast plate. Samantha was most surprised at the

  advancement in technology. She rubbed the breast plate with

  her fingers over and over again, looking at it back and

  forth, not believing what she had just witnessed. To both

  of their amazement, that was the greatest weapon they had

  ever used, and ran to tell David and Sam how much they

  liked the armor.

  Back in Sam's workshop; he was fitting Oscar the cat

  with his own breast plate. Because Oscar was so huge, it

  was taking Sam and David both to fit the plate onto Oscar.

  He enjoyed every moment of the pampering. Suddenly, through

  the door ran Samantha and Red Fox. They were filled with

  excitement over the new armor David had made.

  "Well, I am so happy you like it," said David.

  Then they looked up and saw Oscar.

  "What a beauty!" said Red Fox.

  "Well, thank you very much!" said Oscar.

  "Oh! Silly cat, he is talking about your armor," said

  Samantha as Oscar began to blush.

  "We have a lot of work to do," said Sam.

  Sam was a little overwhelmed and on edge, but managed

  to keep his emotions in place. Through the night, the team

  of friends began to practice the skills that they had

  hidden for many years. David was a great builder of many

  things, and not only toys for holidays and gifts. He was

  also the creator of the greatest fighting weapons. As a

  child, Sam had noticed that his father could build and make

  anything he set his mind to. Sam had the best and most

  unique toys imagined by anyone. He was most popular in his

  school. Sam remembered the days working side by side with

  his father to build anything they wanted. Now that time had

  come again.

  As the adults were practicing their skills, Peter was

  upstairs in his room making magic. A gentle knock came upon

  the door. It was Dorothy, Peter's grandmother.

  "Hi, Nana," said Peter.

  Dorothy gently smiled and rubbed Peter's head. She

  began to tell Peter of the emotional stress for a little

  boy to have to save his world, but Peter felt he was up to

  the challenge. Never once did he complain about his burden.

  Dorothy was very impressed by her grandson's attitude. As

  she was leaving the room, Peter held her by the hands

  letting her know that everything would be all right.

  Suddenly, Peter's magic book began to glow a solar green.

  "What's that?" asked Dorothy.

  Peter told his grandmother of the genie. For the first

  time, the genie came out in the presence of an adult. Peter

  was so happy to prov
e to his family that he was not making

  it up.

  "Sonny, we knew you were telling the truth, but we

  didn't know how powerful it was," said Dorothy, but was

  just in joy to see that Merseft the genie had appeared.

  "Well, hello, lovely lady," said Merseft to Dorothy.

  A soft reply from Dorothy came out. She was so amazed

  at the size and shape of the genie that it was a little

  frightening, but Dorothy knew that this mystical creature

  was harmless.

  "May I grant a wish for you, madam?" asked Merseft.

  "No, no," said Dorothy.

  She told Merseft that she would leave everything in

  God's hand. She kissed Peter on the head and off she went.

  "Oh, thanks, Merseft, for showing yourself," said

  Peter as he ran to hug the genie. The genie was made out of

  thin air and illusion, and Peter fell through him and

  landed on the floor. "Ooh, Ouch!" said Peter.

  Merseft began to laugh. As he laughed, clouds of smoke

  filled the room. Then Peter began to join in the laughter.

  It seemed like Merseft and Peter were made for each other.

  Someone was getting a little jealous though, and it was

  Dingo.

  "Oh! Settle down, boy. You're still my best friend,"

  said Peter as Dingo began to bark constantly at Merseft.

  Dingo jumped on Peter's bed and kept one eye on

  Merseft. Merseft was trying to do anything to make Dingo

  happy. He made a huge bone appear. He made fluffy toys that

  squeaked appear, but he could not get Dingo to take it.

  Dingo stuck to his guns and cuddled up to Peter. Peter saw

  this as a friendly sibling rivalry.

  A voice shouted, "Off to bed, Peter. You have your

  first day of school tomorrow."

  Peter quickly jumped into bed, after a very long day

  of things going wrong. Jane came upstairs with a cup of hot

  cocoa and a warm blanket. She covered Peter and Dingo, gave

  them both a goodnight kiss and off she went. Peter was out

  as fast as the lights, and so was Dingo, but there was much

  to do in the Carrot-Top household. In David's office there

  was much building and designing going on. He was working on

  the most advanced technology, from laser bows and arrows to

  manmade contraptions. David felt right at home, and he was

  becoming his old self again.

  Jane worked on some of the most potent plants and

  trees she could think of. One of the plants was so potent;

  it began killing the rest of the plants around it. Jane

  called it the viper plant. With one spray of its mist, it

  would wipe out acres of trees and vegetation. The viper was

  huge and grew by the second. It dug its roots into the rich

  soil of Baja and began to grow constantly. There were huge

  vessels showing through the stems of the plants as it

  absorbed nutrients from the earth. After feeding, the plant

  would spray purple and green mist which killed all of the

  surrounding plants.

  Jane had to tweak and fix this plant. It was one of

  her most powerful works yet, but with the viper around, the

  other plants and trees would not come out of the soil

  because they were afraid. They kept their roots and leaves

  buried in the ground, shivering from fear of the viper.

  "Sorry, little guys and gals," said Jane.

  When the plants saw that it was all right to come out,

  they quickly did so. A smile came upon Jane's face to see

  all of her creations come alive, something she loved doing

  and missed while exiled from Baja.

  On the other side of the courtyard, Sam, Red Fox and

  Samantha Grey practiced their fighting skills. Sam

  practiced moving two-ton rocks with his mind. One minute

  the rocks flew in the air, and the next they were on the

  ground as if they were thrown there by a giant. The rocks

  made a loud crash onto the ground causing the ground to

  rumble for miles away.

  Red Fox, with his military skills, was the sharpest

  arrow shooter and a skilled fighter. His one special skill

  was turning into a gentle fox, so harmless and innocent,

  and then when danger arose, he changed into a half-man

  half-fox fighting machine. He had a great disguise to get

  into the forest and talk with the forest animals. Because

  of this ability, he could blend into the forest, going

  virtually unnoticed.

  But Samantha was skilled in all the martial arts of

  fighting. She had conquered armies and villages. There was

  a hefty bounty placed on her head, but this never worried

  her. Because of her skills, she had managed to escape

  capture every time. The team practiced all night, until

  Jane announced to everyone that it was time to get some

  rest.

  Because so many people had forsaken Sam and the entire

  Carrot-Top family, he only had an army of five instead of

  an army of thousands. Nevertheless, he was going to save

  the forest from his brother and the seven wizards. Most

  importantly, Sam wanted to not only restore the Carrot-Top

  name, but to protect his son from having to face the evil

  axis of Baja. Everyone went inside to take a rest, for

  tomorrow would be a day of fighting and sorrow.

  As Peter lay in his bed sleeping, he began to dream a

  great and terrifying dream. He could see himself standing

  over his own body in a dark and gloomy wilderness. He was

  being chased by huge sand worms. They were huge and ugly,

  diving in and out of the sands. The huge monsters sprayed

  sand pebbles out of their noses, like dolphins spray water.

  They were ugly, filthy creatures, with hair all over their

  bodies that was shaggy and matted.

  They snapped at Peter with long claw-like teeth. He

  could not believe how real this dream felt, so he began to

  run as the creatures got closer and closer. But Peter was

  no match for beasts this size. After Peter was through

  running and tired out, he finally stopped and created one

  of his large black holes.

  It was a gift of tremendous power, but Peter still had

  not perfected his abilities. With a little fear and a will

  to escape, he created a hole so large that it swallowed up

  the entire desert. As Peter looked down, all he could see

  were the creatures and their home going down a spiral

  twist. The amount of power frightened Peter.

  He found himself standing on an abyss of thin air;

  there was nothing in sight but darkness. Peter began to run

  as fast as he could, but was getting nowhere. There was

  darkness after darkness. No matter how fast or far he ran;

  it was as if he wasn't even moving. Peter began to panic,

  crying out for his father, but no answer came. Then he felt

  an evil presence. He looked from left to right, hoping to

  see something, but nothing appeared. Then Peter curled up

  like an infant in thin air and began to rock himself,

  saying "It's not real, it's not real," over and over again.

  Then a voice said, "Yes, it is."

  Peter jumped up as if fire was under his butt and

  looked around. A blue light was coming out of
the abyss, it

  had an evil presence, and his hair began to blow.

  Through the abyss came a man, slender in build, with

  long black, flowing hair. In his hand he carried a walking

  cane with a huge glass bulb on its top. The bulb changed

  bright red as he came closer to Peter.

  "Are you afraid, my child?" the voice asked as it came

  out of the abyss.

  Peter said nothing, just watched as the man came

  forward. He walked in slow motion, as if he was gliding on

  thin air. His body was adorned with the finest fabrics and

  armor that was all black and shiny metal. As the man came

  closer, half of his face was covered by a silver mask, as

  if the mask was burned onto his skin.

  One thing this stranger couldn't hide was a little bit

  of orange hair that stood out on the side of his mask.

  "Uncle Marcus!" Peter shouted.

  "I am not your uncle, nor will I ever be," said the

  man, but in his heart Peter knew about that it was his

  uncle.

  Because of this, Peter was not afraid anymore. The man

  came closer to Peter and showed him the destruction of Baja

  through the crystal ball that he took off of his walking

  stick. A voice taunted Peter over and over again of how

  Baja would be destroyed and how he and his family would be

  put to shame in a prison camp.

  "You evil man! My father will never let you get away

  with this!" shouted Peter.

  The wicked man laughed hysterically. The laughter

  continued like a roaring echo that became louder and louder

  to Peter's tender ears. The next thing Peter knew, he woke

  up screaming with his mother and father at his side.

  "Oh, Mother, I had a bad dream," said Peter as his

  mother rubbed his head.

  "It's okay," said Jane.

  "Everything will be all right," said Sam.

  Peter began to mumble and tell his parents of the

  awful dream he had of his uncle Marcus planning on

  destroying Baja and all its beauty. Somehow, Sam knew his

  brother was getting stronger from some type of mystical

  powers. His heart grew angry. He quickly tucked Peter in,

  kissed him goodnight and out the bedroom door he went. Jane

  stayed behind to make sure Peter fell back to sleep, but

  Sam went to see his father. David was resting in a chair.

  It was obvious he had been up all night, planning and

  drawing weapons and attacks.

  Sam saw this and decided to let his father rest

  peacefully, so he went into his mother's room and talked to

  her. Dorothy could tell that her son was very anger and

  asked him what was the matter. Sam explained that he did

  not understand why Marcus was the way he was or why he

  would betray the Carrot-Top name in a disgraceful manner.

  He wondered what went on in Marcus' life that he no longer

  respected the place they called home for many years.

  Dorothy looked with disappointment and disgrace at her

  son. She had no explanation why Marcus was the way he was.

  All she could do was speculate. She told Sam that ever

  since she took Marcus to see the Oracle when he was a

  little lad, his attitude and behavior changed. She told him

  that Marcus might be the destroyer of Baja, but they had no

  idea because they were never allowed into the room to hear

  what the Oracle said to Marcus.

  "Through it all, son, please remember that Marcus will

  always be a part of us," said Dorothy.

  But Sam was not feeling the love. Marcus had disgraced

  their family name, and Sam was going to make him stand up

  and pay for all of his evil doings.

 

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