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.