Read Festival of Shadows Online
Authors: Michael La Ronn
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Theo slid the coin into the slot, but nothing happened.
“Wrong one,” Theo said. He tried to pull the coin out, but it wouldn’t move. He heard a sound like a clock ticking on the other side of the door.
“Must be a security mechanism,” Theo said. “It probably timed me out.”
He waited for a long time until the coin fell out. He cycled through the coins until he found the right one; it lit up in the slot. The door shone with light before creaking open.
“I’m coming, Grant,” Theo said, running through.
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The coin lit up inside the slot, and the door shone with light before creaking open.
Behind him, the water turned to sludge. Fogerty’s face appeared in the current, and the blob rose high into the air, towering over Theo. He was huge now, a wall of sludge and slime. He put on his eye patch and roared.
“How dare you sneak into the castle?”
Theo readied the Whatsamadoozle.
A big, slimy arm extended from Fogerty’s body. He ripped a capstan out of the floor and hurled it, wedging it inside the doorway and blocking Theo from passing. Fogerty raised his arm again, but Theo rolled out of the way, slashing his sword at the arm. The sword went through it, but it didn’t affect Fogerty.
“Your physical attacks will not work on me, plush-bucket.”
Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a magic scepter and tried to think of a spell.
The stream near Theo flowed with assorted garbage and junk. Among the trash was a familiar silver object—Andersen’s metal suit. It was floating on the surface, and Theo wondered if it still worked.
How did it end up here?
Fogerty swiped at Theo, but Theo dodged, turned the Whatsamadoozle into a giant claw, and snatched the suit out of the water. He jumped into the suit and it activated around him. The arms and legs sprang to life, one at a time. The glass visor shut over his face, and through the glass, Theo saw the capstans, with yellow targets positioned over them.
Then he got a whiff of the suit’s interior—a mixture of sweat, makeup, and smelly feet. He almost gagged. He’d have to hold his breath.
Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a sword and stood in front of Fogerty, slashing the air.
“Interesting contraption,” Fogerty said. “But it won’t work on me.” He smacked a nearby capstan, then flowed into a tunnel and emerged on the other side, this time glowing red.
“How did you change colors?” Theo asked. His voice was metallic now that it was filtered through the suit.
Fogerty spewed fire at Theo, but it didn’t damage the suit. A blinking progress bar appeared across his field of vision. On the end of the progress bar was a picture of the suit with electricity all around it.
It’s charging. Twenty-five percent.
Fogerty punched the suit, knocking Theo back. Theo spun a roundhouse kick and cut Fogerty’s arm in half, then jumped into the air and slammed a metal fist into Fogerty’s jaw. The blob laughed, snatched him out of the air, and threw him against the wall.
Fifty percent.
Fogerty smacked another capstan and turned brown. A stalagmite javelin appeared in his hand, and he threw it.
Seventy-five percent.
Theo caught the javelin in midair. He scanned the capstans in the area; a symbol appeared over each one.
Which one will turn Fogerty blue again?
Theo struck the capstan with:
Fogerty changed to blue.
Perfect.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around the suit. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. The voltage shot tiny blobs everywhere, and they smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“That was easy,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
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Fogerty turned red and spewed fire.
“Nice try!”
Theo struck the capstan with:
~ a circle.
Fogerty changed to blue.
Perfect.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around the suit. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. The voltage shot tiny blobs everywhere, and they smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“That was easy,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
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Fogerty turned green and breathed heavy gusts which made Theo stagger back.
“Stop resisting!” Fogerty cried.
Theo struck the capstan with:
~ a circle.
~ a squiggly line.
Fogerty changed to blue.
Perfect.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around the suit. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. The voltage shot tiny blobs everywhere, and they smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“That was easy,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
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Fogerty laughed as the capstan spun; nothing happened.
“You are funny,” Fogerty said. He threw another javelin at Theo, but he missed.
I don’t have time to keep messing around.
He kicked the final capstan, and Fogerty turned blue.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around it. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. Tiny blobs shot everywhere and smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“I wasted too much time,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
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Fogerty laughed as the capstan spun; nothing happened.
“You are funny,” Fogerty said. He threw another javelin at Theo, but he missed.
Theo struck the capstan with:
~ a circle.
~ a triangle.
Fogerty changed to blue.
Perfect.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around the suit. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. The voltage shot tiny blobs everywhere, and they smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“That was easy,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
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I don’t have time to keep messing around.
He kicked the final capstan, and Fogerty turned blue.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around it. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. Tiny blobs shot everywhere and smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“I wasted too much time,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
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Fogerty turned green and breathed heavy gusts which made Theo stagger back.
“Stop resisting!” Fogerty cried.
Theo struck the capstan with:
~ a squiggly line.
Fogerty changed to blue.
Perfect.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around the suit. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. The voltage shot tiny blobs everywhere, and they smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“That was easy,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
SORRY!
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Fogerty turned red and spewed fire.
“Nice try!”
Theo struck the capstan with:
~ a circle.
~ a squiggly line.
Fogerty changed to blue.
Perfect.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around the suit. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. The voltage shot tiny blobs everywhere, and they smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, standing over the blob.
“You may have defeated me, but you will still die, plush-bucket.”
Fogerty’s mouth and eyes slid into a nearby stream, and the current carried him away.
“That was easy,” Theo said. He ran to the door and used the suit to karate chop the capstan that blocked the doorway. Then he jumped out of the suit and ran upstairs.
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You didn’t make a selection. Go back to the previous page. Otherwise, you may get lost.
Fogerty laughed as the capstan spun; nothing happened.
“You are funny,” Fogerty said. He threw another javelin at Theo, but he missed.
I don’t have time to keep messing around.
He kicked the final capstan, and Fogerty turned blue.
The suit beeped, and an electric force field appeared around it. Theo charged into Fogerty and sent a high voltage current through the blob, frying him. Tiny blobs shot everywhere and smoked rapidly before disappearing. Fogerty roared and shrank until only his eyes and mouth remained.