Room Eight

CHAPTER 1

OLE Fin stood guard at the door in room eight. For you see, it had been his job to ensure that the humans would not catch him and the rest of the toys alive. It made no difference that OLE Fin did not know for how long they had been coming to life, but he was certain it had been happening for a very long time.

“Everybody get back in the toy box Ms Ginger is outside.”

OLE Fin made his way back to the play area and waited for the other toys to get into the toy box. , he was always the last to get in. Ole fin was happy for two reasons, especially today, for not only would he get to see Miss Ginger but he knew Baby Anna would be coming today as well.

Ms Ginger, the Principal of Parker Dale Elementary School, paused outside room eight and removed a nameplate from under her arm and slid it into the holder. After a short hesitation, she opened the door and immediately started inspecting room eight. Even now, after all this time, she still missed her old friend, Mrs. Rose.

Principal Ginger went to the play area after inspecting the desks. She opened the toy box and started admiring her old toys one by one. As she touched each one she felt the same sensation she felt when her mother gave these toys to her, she had donated the toys too Mrs. Rose’s class. Up from her heart a smile filled her face from ear to ear as she remembered the stories her mother told her about the toys.

Principal Ginger was remembering the time she saw the toys alive. She was very ill at the time; she told her mother she saw the toys talking to each other, and her mother convinced her that she imagined seeing them because she had a high fever at that time.

“Hello OLE Fin how are you doing today, these past years have been hard on you.” She gave OLE Fin, her old stuffed dolphin, a hug and sat him down near the toy box.

She picked up a stuffed bear dressed like a cowboy complete with holsters and spurs. Principal Ginger

Pressed the tiny button hidden by his pants.

“Howdy”, blurted out of a little speaker.

“Tex you can still say hello to me after all these years,” she laid him down next to OLE Fin.

Then she picked up a stuffed bumble bee, “Hello Mr. Honey have you seen Baby Anna?”

The one toy she loved most was not in the toy box.

“OLE Fin I told you and Tex to take care of Baby Anna.” She placed the toys back into the toy box and proceeded to leave the classroom, wondering where Baby Anna could be.

Although Principal Ginger felt she made the right choice by hiring Miss Nash, the new teacher hired to replace Mrs. Rose, she felt strange leaving her treasured toys. Even though Miss Nash was the best out of all the other applicants and her credentials were impeccable, Principal Ginger’s toys were personal.

Principal Ginger was very unhappy about not finding Baby Anna, because Baby Anna was her first baby doll and her first best friend. She thought back to the days she spent with Baby Anna and smiled.

“I hope the maintenance people did not throw her out, she was not looking her best the last time I saw her.” Principal Ginger turned the lights off and started walking down the hallway.

As soon as the lights went out, the toys sprung to life.

“What are we going to do,” OLE Fin asked as he flipped out of the toy box? “Oh dear Miss Ginger is very unhappy about Baby Anna,” Mr. Honey said. Tex said, “Howdy”, as he dropped down from the toy box.

“We have to think of something to do about Baby Anna’s disappearance.” “It’s been a long time since Miss Ginger has been unhappy, we were so concerned with our own happiness that we did not think about hers. You know she really loves Baby Anna,” Mr. Honey said as he fluttered over Ole Fin’s head. All the toys were unhappy and started wishing they had not complained so much about not being played with.