“Just push it!” Woody cried. “Push it!”
“Where’s your Andy now?” Lotso smirked. Then he ran away.
“No!” Woody shouted as the toys tumbled over the edge of the conveyor belt.
They landed on a sloping hill of garbage, sliding toward the giant pool of fire. The toys tried to climb out, but it was impossible. They were sliding downward to the flames.
“Buzz!” Jessie cried. “What do we do?”
Buzz had no answer. He took her hand. Jessie understood then. There was no way out. She put her other arm around Bullseye. Slinky reached for Hamm, who took Rex’s hand. The Potato Heads held each other, and Mr. Potato Head held Rex’s other hand.
Woody looked over at his best friend. Buzz’s face was grim. He reached for Woody. The friends were joined together, linked in a circle, as heat blasted their faces.
In moments, they would meet their end . . . together.
Suddenly, bright lights flooded Woody’s face. He looked up. A giant metal claw was lowering toward them.
The claw plunged into the trash around the toys. It lifted them high into the air.
“The Claw!” cried the Aliens. They were in the crane driver’s booth. They used the crane’s controls to steer their friends to safety.
The claw set the toys safely on the ground. They coughed and groaned, but no one was hurt. Mr. Potato Head stared up at the sky. “You know all that bad stuff I said about Andy’s attic? I take it all back.”
The other toys agreed.
The Aliens scampered over from the crane. “You saved our lives!” Mrs. Potato Head told them.
“And we . . . are eternally grateful!” Mr. Potato Head added, scooping them up in a proud hug.
“Hey! Where’s that furball Lotso?” Hamm asked. He looked around, but the pink bear was nowhere in sight.
“Forget it, guys,” Woody said. “He’s not worth it.”
The toys didn’t know it, but a garbage truck driver had found Lotso in the trash and had fastened him to the front of his truck as an ornament. Being stuck to the grille of a truck, where he would get splattered with mud and bugs, was worse than being a toy in the Caterpillar Room. The hard-hearted bear had finally gotten what he deserved.
“Come on, Woody!” Jessie said suddenly. “We gotta get you home!”
“But what about you guys?” Woody said, hesitating. “I mean . . . maybe the attic’s not such a great idea.” He glanced at them uneasily. Before, he had been sure that the toys belonged where Andy wanted them. But now, he just wanted them to do what was right for them. They deserved to be happy.
“We’re Andy’s toys,” Jessie reassured him.
“We’ll be there for him,” Buzz added. “Together.”
Woody smiled. “I just hope he hasn’t left yet,” he said.
Mrs. Potato Head covered her eye. She concentrated hard, so that her other eye—the one still in Andy’s room— could see what was happening. “Andy’s still packing!” she announced. “But he’s almost done!”
The toys looked at one another in despair. “He lives halfway across town,” Hamm pointed out.
“We’ll never get there in time!” Rex wailed.
Rock music sounded faintly on the morning air. The toys looked around. The garbageman who worked on Andy’s street was playing a little air guitar before he climbed into his truck.
The toys smiled. This was their ticket home!
Andy was loading boxes into the car when the toys arrived. This was the toys’ last chance! If they didn’t get into a box soon, they’d never make it into the attic!
The toys quickly showered off with the garden hose. Then Slinky jumped up to the garage roof. The other toys climbed his springy body like a ladder and ran across the roof to Andy’s window.
They scrambled to the sill and jumped down onto the floor, hurrying across the room. Quickly, Mrs. Potato Head found her eye under the bed and popped it back into place. Then the toys climbed into a box marked ATTIC. Buzz helped everyone get inside.
Everyone except Woody. He headed toward the box marked COLLEGE, then stopped to look back at his friends. He knew that this might be the last time he would ever see them. “Buzz . . .”
Buzz turned toward his good friend. Woody stretched out his hand, and Buzz shook it warmly. “This isn’t goodbye,” Woody said, although he feared that it was.
“Hey, Woody, ” Slinky called from the ATTIC box. “Have fun at college!”
“Woody, take care of Andy,” Rex added.
“Sure thing.” Woody reached a hand toward Jessie.
“Jessie—you’ll be okay in the attic?”
“Course I will,” Jessie said.
Woody turned back to Buzz. There was so little time left. He was suddenly overwhelmed by how much he would miss his friends.
“You know where to find us, cowboy,” Buzz told him. He climbed into the attic box.
Woody hopped into the COLLEGE box. He lowered himself inside just as Andy and his mom walked into the room.
Andy’s mom looked around the empty room. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Andy! I wish I could always be with you.” She pulled him into a hug.
“You will be, Mom,” Andy told her, hugging her back.
Woody stood up and peered through the box’s handhold. Then he noticed a photo packed along with everything else. It was the picture of ten-year-old Andy, playing with all his toys. Andy had said that his mother would always be with him. Woody knew what Andy meant—he meant that she would always be in his heart. All this time, Woody had thought that the toys needed to be there for Andy, waiting in the attic. But really, they would always be there for him, no matter where they were. They would be in his heart, and in his memories.
“Hey,” Molly said as she poked her head into the room. “Aren’t you gonna say goodbye to Buster?”
“Of course I am!” Andy stepped into the hall to pet the dog. “Who’s a good doggie? I’m gonna miss you!”
While Andy was gone, Woody scrambled out of the box. He picked up a pen and scribbled on a sticky note. He stuck it on the ATTIC box.
Woody slipped out of sight just as Andy came back into the room.
“Okay, Buster, now don’t let Molly near my stuff,” Andy said. He crouched down to pick up the ATTIC box and noticed the sticky note. “Hey!” He opened the box. He was surprised—and happy—to see all his toys.
Andy reread the note. “Hey, Mom,” he called over his shoulder. “So you really think I should donate these?”
“It’s up to you, honey,” his mom called from the hall. “Whatever you want to do.”
Woody held his breath. He didn’t know what Andy would do. Maybe he’d still keep everyone in the attic.
All Woody could do was hope. . . .
Andy stopped the car in front of a pretty little house and looked at the address on the gate. Then he checked the address on the sticky note. “1225 Sycamore.”
Andy paused a moment. Then he grabbed the box on the seat next to him and started up the front walk.
Bonnie was in the front yard, playing. Her mom and dad were working in the garden nearby. “No!” Bonnie cried. “Don’t go in there! The bakery is haunted! Look out! The ghosts are throwing pies! Splat! Splat! Splat!”
Bonnie looked up in surprise as Andy walked toward her. “Mom?” she called.
Bonnie’s mom looked over. “Andy!”
“Hi!” He let himself in at the gate.
“Wow! Look at you!” Bonnie’s mom beamed. “I hear you’re off to college?” Bonnie hid behind her mom.
“Yeah. Right now, actually. Uh . . . I have some toys here.” Andy held out the box.
“Oh! You hear that, Bonnie?” asked her mother. Bonnie peeked around her mom, suddenly interested.
Andy crouched down so that he was eye to eye with the little girl. “So you’re Bonnie? I’m Andy,” he said. “Someone told me you’re really good with toys. These are mine, but I’m going away now, so I need someone really special to play with them.”
/> He sat down and pulled Jessie and Bullseye out of the box. “This is Jessie, the roughest, toughest cowgirl in the whole West. She loves critters, but none more than her best pal, Bullseye. Yee-haw! Here.” He held Jessie and Bullseye out to the little girl.
Bonnie smiled. She took the toys as Andy pulled a dinosaur out of the box.
“This is Rex—the meanest, most terrifying dinosaur who ever lived. Rawr!” Andy thrust Rex at Bonnie. Rex had never looked fiercer! Bonnie backed up a moment, then grinned and took the dinosaur.
“The Potato Heads—Mister and Missus,” Andy said as he pulled them from the box. “You gotta keep them together ’cause they’re madly in love.” Bonnie nodded seriously as Andy went on. “Now, Slinky here is as loyal as any dog you could want. But Hamm? You gotta watch this guy. He’ll keep your money safe, but he’s also one of the most dastardly villains of all time . . . evil Dr. Porkchop!”
Next, Andy removed the Aliens. “These little dudes are from a strange, alien world—Pizza Planet! And this is Buzz Lightyear—the coolest toy ever. Look—he can fly.” Andy deployed Buzz’s wings. “And shoot lasers. He’s sworn to protect the galaxy from the evil Emperor Zurg!” Andy handed Buzz over. Bonnie pressed the red button on Buzz’s chest.
“Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!” Buzz’s voice box said.
“Now, you gotta promise to take good care of these guys,” Andy said. “They mean a lot to me.”
Bonnie smiled at him. She glanced into the box, and her eyes went wide. “My cowboy!”
Andy looked down. Woody was lying in the box. “What’s he doing in there?” he said as he picked Woody up.
“There’s a snake in my boot!” Bonnie cried.
Andy blinked at her. Then he pulled Woody’s string. “There’s a snake in my boot!” Woody’s voice box said.
Bonnie giggled, reaching for Woody. Andy hesitated. Finally, he sighed and held out the cowboy.
“Now, Woody, he’s been my pal for as long as I can remember,” Andy told Bonnie. His voice was gentle and serious. “He’s brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special? He’ll never give up on you. He’ll be there for you, no matter what. You think you can take care of him for me?”
Bonnie nodded solemnly.
“Okay, then.” Andy handed Woody to Bonnie. She gave Woody a huge hug.
Andy smiled at her, then grabbed Hamm. “Oh, no! Dr. Porkchop’s attacking the haunted bakery!” He made laser-gun sounds. “Pchoo! Pchoo!”
“Oh, no!” Bonnie chimed in. “The ghosts are getting away! Woody to the rescue!”
Woody couldn’t remember ever having a better playtime. Maybe it felt special because all his friends were there. Or maybe it was special because all Bonnie’s toys were there, too. But Woody knew that the most special part was that it was the last time he’d ever get to play with Andy.
Finally, Andy had to say goodbye. He climbed into his car and took one last look at all his toys. They were safely on Bonnie’s porch. Woody was in her arms.
“Bye, guys,” Andy said softly, to himself. Then he pulled away.
Bonnie turned to her mother. “Look, Mommy! New toys!” She put Woody down and ran over to give her mother a hug.
“Come on,” her mother said. “Let’s get some lunch.” She scooped her daughter into her arms and swung her around. Bonnie laughed as they went into the house.
The toys sat up. They watched as Andy drove away.
“So long, partner,” Woody said sadly.
Buzz put his arm around Woody. The other toys gathered close as Andy rolled out of sight. They had one another. And now they had Bonnie and some new toy friends.
But they would always love Andy . . . because he had loved them first.
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