Another day concluded in the Mall as all the stores began closing. The first to close was always the Food Court district; the last to close was Amalgam Electronics. As all the store lights flicker off and the security lights switch on, Chuck the Security Guard rode on top of his Segway doing his nightly sweep of the mall. Making sure nothing was suspicious or out of the ordinary.
As Chuck rode down the mall halls, he said goodnight to all of the Custodial team, the last to leave the mall. He escorted the team to all of their cars in the parking lot and made sure they all drove away safely. The security guard then locks down all the front doors followed by the lowering of all the shudders.
“The one thing I get to do on this job….” he uttered under his breath…as he rode back to the Security Room. But as he passed Santa’s village setup he saw something peculiar sitting on Santa’s chair….a caramel-colored teddy bear with beady black eyes. Around the teddy bear's non-existent neck, sported a lavender bow tie that looked like it was neatly and lovingly tied with delicate hands.
Chuck stepped down from his segway and walked towards the teddy bear. He picked up the bear and carefully inspected it. He saw on the palm of the teddy bear's right paw a name written in permanent marker.
‘Abby’
“Poor kid…can’t imagine how devastated she’s gotta be…” Chuck sighed as he took the teddy bear back with him to the security room.
………………………………………………………….
As Hank and Dorothy sped down the concourse of the Mall on top of Ol’Betsy. Hank had to ask “What makes the Security room so bad? Wouldn’t that be the safest place in the Mall?” Hank looked up at Dorothy and saw her enjoying the top speed and wind blowing through her chestnut brown hair. This was the first time in the past two nights since he had known Dorothy…the first time she genuinely smiled. But when she noticed Hank staring, she immediately focused on the halls again and answered.
“You’d think so, but no. The Security Room houses the only adult in the entire mall. Chuck the Security Guard. We need to be extra sneaky if he’s awake!” Dorothy Explained as she took a hard turn at the corner leading to a less illuminated hallway between the concourses of the mall. Little did they know…something was trailing them both…they were out for revenge…
As Dolly Dorothy Parked Ol’ Betsy. She put her finger on her one good hand to her lips. Signifying Handy Hank to shush. They both climbed down and Dolly Dorothy quickly armed herself with her quiver of sharpened colored pencils.
She signaled Hank to come closer to her, and he obliged.
“Here’s hoping he’s asleep.”, Dorothy whispered. “Keep your voice down and stay as quiet as possible.” She channeled Her wonder into her feet and jumped right up to the door handle. She used her weight to pull the handle down and the door slowly swayed open. Hank slowly peered inside, and immediately the smell of coffee and pizza wafted near Hank’s nose.
A set of lockers adorning the left side of the wall, each having nameplates for the last names of the currently employed security guards. Hanging on the wall in front there was a whiteboard with all the current schedules for the week. Chuck signed up for the night shift for the entire week, it looks like the marker used to write his name was almost worn out.
On the right side of the office, there was a small table with a coffee maker, the pot was half empty. Next to the coffee machine was a half-empty Pizza Box from ‘Squally’s Pizza!’
Then finally in the corner, there was a mass of computer monitors, some sitting on a computer desk while many others were hardwired to the wall. Each one displays various camera angles across the vast mall. One of them was positioned in front of Mr. Wonder’s Toyland…and another in front of Amalgam Electronics. Hank stared at the monitor displaying the electronics store and saw various Arcadian characters coming in and out through the doors leading into the Mall. But his fixated peering at all the computer monitors was interrupted by a loud nasally snore. He immediately turned his head and saw Chuck the security guard, fast asleep sitting on an office chair.
“Thank goodness…he’s full of coffee and pizza…he’s out like a light.” Dorothy softly said as she silently walked inside.
“Quick Question.” Handy Hank silently asked, “Isn’t anyone worried this Chuck guy might see the footage of everything and expose us?”
“Not exactly, the mall doesn’t record footage like that 24/7, it's too expensive. Besides…Chuck is always doing the night shift since the Summer of ‘87. On rare occasions when he isn’t on the night shift. Bigger toys stay put while smaller toys like you and I can avoid the cameras by using the blind spots. There’s hundreds of them.” Dorothy quietly explained as they both made their way to the console controlling all the shudders. They climbed on top and then stared at the console’s control panel. They both looked at all the switches controlling each one of the shudders.
“Well…one of these has to be the right one….” Whispered Dorothy as she was about to reach for one of the switches but hesitated. But before she could even touch it…she felt something strike the back of her head. She snapped her head around and saw Hank looking at another set of switches.
“What the HELL was that for!?” Dolly Dorothy asked with quiet outrage.
Hank turned around, confusion was painted on his face “What are you- ACK!” Handyman Hank’s reply was cut short as something struck his head also. His hard hat protected him from the initial impact, but it was still strong enough to knock him off balance.
They looked at what had struck him as it landed between two switches on the control panel….a rubber ball that’s often found in a capsule machine?
Both toys then look in the direction in which the rubber balls came from and see something extra behind the door, something they didn’t see upon entry to the Security Room.
A vintage, rectangular black textured trunk with brass-colored metal accents, corners, hinges latches and leather straps on its sides fit for carrying. A piece of paper was taped to the top of the trunk, in crudely scribbled marker the paper said ‘Lost & Found’. It opened quickly shut close..as if something was inside it.
“That’s….new…” Dolly Dorothy uttered under her breath with a quizzical expression. Hank and Dorothy looked at one another and agreed to quickly investigate this. After all, they can’t have whatever is inside that chest and keep on throwing things at them while they are trying to figure this out. They quickly and quietly made their way down from the control panel and walked towards the Lost & Found chest.
Hank stepped towards the chest…and cautiously knocked on the side of the chest.
“Who’s theeeeeere?” A childlike voice asked.
“Uhh…..Handyman Hank and Dolly Dorothy?” Hank quietly answered. He was very confused about where this was going.
“Hank and Dorothy whoooooo?” The childlike voice asked in an almost songlike manner.
Dorothy quickly picked up on the tone of voice being childlike and decided to act accordingly, she raised her hand to Hank to silence him. She knows what to say.
“Can you come out?” Dorothy asked in an almost motherly tone.
“Mmmmmmmmmmm……..Okay!”
The chest opened up again… Hank and Dorothy then saw something…cute and fluffy. Popping out of the top of the chest was a classic caramel brown Teddy Bear with a round face and a lighter brown snout, two small, beady black eyes, and a stitched-on smile. A lovingly tied lavender bow tie tied around its neck. The palms of its paws are detailed with stitched-on patches resembling paw prints. This teddy bear’s whole aura just screamed friendly and inviting.
But without any kind of warning, the teddy bear quickly grabbed both Hank and Dorothy and pulled them into the Lost & Found Chest. The sudden closing of the chest almost woke up Chuck….he then stirred back to sleep.
Inside the chest, they are greeted by total darkness.
“Dorothy? Are you okay!?” asked Hank in a concerned tone while he felt around in the darkness.
“I’m fine! Keep your voice down! Chuck might still hear us!” She said through gritted teeth and frustration.
“Don't you worry about your fluffy hair Miss Pretty Dolly! He can't hear us as long as the chest is closed!” The teddy bear excitedly exclaimed.
They both were blinded by the light of a mini flashlight snapping on. There they both bear witness to not only the teddy bear right in front of them but the various assortment of recovered lost items found throughout the daytime of the mall. Sweaters, hoodies, shoes, various now-dead electronics, even an unclaimed shopping bag or two.
“Oh! It’s so nice to see new friends after so long! I haven’t seen a new friend since forever! I’m Mr. Honeybun The Stuffiest and Fluffiest bear of them all!” The teddy bear exclaimed once more. Pulling both Hank and Dorothy in a soft yet INCREDIBLY tight hug.
Hank and Dorothy could feel their nonexistent bones being crushed under the tightness of the affectionate hug.
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“Glad….to…hear…that….” Hank wheezed in between exhales of much-needed air.
When Mr. Honeybun finally released them of their hug, they both took deep breaths and winced from pain.
“Sorry! I’m just…so excited to meet new toys! What are your names!?” Mr. Honeybun asked as his feet fluttered with excitement.
Dorothy answered first. “I’m Dolly Dorothy. The Doll of all Trades and fashion extraordinaire.”
Hank hesitated for an answer for a moment to think about but Dorothy shot him a glance to answer fast to not be rude. Once he thought of a quick response he cleared his throat and answered.
“M-my name is Handyman Hank…I am….the Handyman Extraordinaire?” Dorothy winced at how weakly Hank delivered that title.
“Oh? Oh! A pretty model lady and a Fixit guy! Abby’s mom and Dad had those adults over all the time!”
“Abby? Who’s Abby?” Hank asked, perking up at the mention of a new name.
Mr. Honeybun raised his right arm and revealed on his Pawprint, written in permanent marker was the name ‘Abby’.
“Abby is my child. She accidentally left me behind when she went to go see Santa Claus a while back!” Mr. Honeybun lovingly looked at the marker signature on his paw print and lovingly put it to his chest where his heart should be. “Mr. Chuck found me and put me in the box, he’s so nice. Whenever a lost child is waiting for their mom or dad, he lets them play with me to make them feel better.”
This new info took Hank and Dorothy by surprise. They both thought Chuck was as lazy in the daytime as he was at night….apparently not.
But one statement from Mr. Honeybun caught Dorothy’s attention. “H-…How long Have you been waiting here for Abby?”
Mr. Honeybun put his right paw to his mouth to think.
“Hmmmm…..I’m not sure…When Mr. Chuck found me, the Santa chair and Christmas tree were being taken down by the janitor people…”
“.....How many times did they put it back up and take it back down?” Dorothy Inquired. Hoping his answer would be small…
“Hmmmmm….They put it up and took it all down nine more times since then!” Mr. Honeybun happily exclaimed. Excited at the fact he could count past a certain number.
The realization made Dorothy quietly gasp and Hank’s eyes opened wide with quiet surprise….Mr. Honeybun has been waiting for Abby for over 10 Years.
So….you’ve just been in this chest….all alone?” Hank questioned, trying to get a better grip on the teddy bear's situation.
“I used to be alone….But It turns out I’m not alone at all! I have the sweater monster who likes to hug, The Shoe Village, and my impenetrable Fort Smartphone!” Mr Honeybun pointed at all the items in the chest surrounding them. The Sweater Monster was just a pile of lost sweaters and hoodies, the Shoe Village was just a pile of shoes, and Fort Smartphone was just a pile of dead smartphones carefully stacked sideways to look like a fort.
Hearing this nearly made Dorothy cry on the spot…..Hank on the other hand was having a hard time accepting this….this whole time he was told about how the greatest honor a toy could have is being there for a child…yet Mr. Honeybun's child just….left him.
Without thinking….Dorothy wanted to know….”Do you….wanna come with us?”
This question took both Hank and Mr.Honeybun off guard. “You could search for your Abby while we’re on our mission…doesn’t that sound fun?”
Mr. Honeybun then thought to himself and pondered the question. His face scrunched up as he tried his hardest to ponder if he should…
Hank immediately side-barred Dorothy and said in a whisper out of earshot from Mr. Honeybun….reluctantly inside Fort Smartphone.
“Dorothy…I don’t know if this is such a good idea…we’re dealing with some seriously powerful forces here…I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring along a toy so….soft.”
They both look at Mr.Honeybun once again and they see him idly sitting down. He was absentmindedly humming a happy little tune.
“Well, we can’t just leave him here! He’s starting to go crazy from loneliness!” She silently hissed back.
“If we take him and he doesn’t find his Abby…what then? It’s gonna destroy the boor bear’s heart!”
“We’ll cross that bridge when-” Dolly Dorothy’s retort was cut short when they heard the clasps of the chest unclip open…Hank and Dorothy duck down inside Fort Smartphone…and Mr. Honeybun shuts off the flashlight and starts to go limp like a normal teddy bear again…
Hank quietly peered through one of the small holes in Fort Smartphone…At first thinking all their ruckus had somehow awoken Chuck…but no…something else opened the chest…. with a shiny spindly three-pronged claw…..was Prong. The very same claw machine that helped attack the Toy Store last night! The claw slithered inside the chest and looked around….its searchlight emanated from the center of the claw…..Hank and Dorothy quickly ducked down when the searchlight shined on Fort Smartphone….but then a very fluffy sight startled Prong…. As it turned around to scan the whole chest it was given an eyeful of fluffy fur! It was startled as it slithered back…but I saw Mr. Honeybun giving a happy grin.
“Hiiiiii! Are you a new friend t-” Mr. Honeybun’s greeting was cut short as Prong latched onto Mr. Honeybun with the speed of a cobra and quickly dragged him out of the chest!
Panic instantly settled into Hank and Dorothy as Mr. Honeybun was dragged away! They both jumped out of the chest and ran out of the security room….all while Chuck let out another snore…
Hank pulled out his Buzzsaw and cranked it up to the Highest RPM, and Dorothy pulled out her precision blade. Ready to fight this monstrous claw machine that took this innocent Teddy Bar!
As soon they turned the corner ready to fight….they were instantly dumbfounded at the sight before them….The Handyman and the Dolly see Mr. Honeybun…Planting his feet on the ground…and not moving an inch! Mr. Honeybun was a mere few feet away from being completely pulled inside the Prize shute of the ravenous claw machine. But he refused to be swallowed by it! The teddy bear then stomped his plush feet on the marble floor…and his eyes began to flash a bright orange as he channeled his Wonder through his body! Mr. Hunybun’s Wonder construct took the form of actual bear claws! Said bear claws then wrapped around the wire of Prong’s claw…And he started to pull back! Each pull jerks the whole claw machine back a few inches!
In between each pull, Mr. Honeybun began to speak in a more growling and rage-filled tone.
“YOU!...ARE…..NOT….A…FRIEND! YOU….ARE JUST….A….BIG...MEANIE!”
The final pull from Mr. Honeybun started to make Prong tip over and fall…said sound would not only wake Chuck up…but also probably get more authorities as well! Hank reacted quickly and swiftly and quickly cut the wire between Prong’s claw and the rest of his machine body! Causing the claw to go limp and let go of Mr. Honeybun! The wire then began to quickly squirt hydraulic fluid all over the place as it retreated inside the Claw machine and it rolled away in a panic!..... Prong’s Claw quickly stood up..and skittered away like a creepy spider.
“Holy Hell….that was incredible!” Dorothy proclaimed as she walked around the puddles of red hydraulic fluid on the floor.
“Yeah…what kind of Wonder was that?” Hank asked Mr. Honeybun….but he didn’t answer back as he remained breathing heavily and was full of rage.
“Uhh…Mr. Honeybun?” Hank asked again…getting close to him. But he snapped at Hank, swiping his claws at him. Hank was quick enough to back away….Dorothy took a different approach to calm him down….she placed her hands behind her back…walked up to Mr. Honeybun…and gave him a big hug….his breathing slowed down as his Wonder claws dissipated….he picked up Dorothy and hugged her back! He gave a sorrowful hum as he did it.
“I’m sorry I almost hurt you! I didn’t mean to!” His soft and inviting tone of voice had finally returned. He quickly scooped up Hank and gave him another crushing hug!
Once he let go…Hank tried again.
“What kind of Wonder was that?”
“You mean the fighty claws? Abby always said that I made her feel safe when she went to sleep! She told me I was the biggest, strongest, and most artistic bear in all the woods! So I made sure every night the Boogeyman, scary clowns, and creepy crawlies never got close!...... Oh, dear….I better get back to the chest!”
As Mr. Honeybun began to waddle back to the security room….Hank raised his arm towards the teddy bear.
“Wait!” Hank exclaimed, “How about….Do you want to come with us? We’re on a journey that’s gonna take us all over the Mall….maybe…you can find some clues on where your Abby went?” Hank then looked at Dorothy, giving her a signal to help him out by joining them.
“Uh…Y-Yeah! Hundreds of people come into the Mall during the daytime..and chances are your Abby might have come through more than once! Maybe she’s come back to look for you!” Dorothy added., “Maybe she doesn’t know being in that chest is one of the places you’re being kept in?”
Mr. Honeybun started thinking super hard about the points both Hank and Dorothy were bringing up…. Comically his thinking face looks like he’s having a stomach ache….but after a few more moments of thinking on his part….Mr. Honeybun responded with a simple answer.
“Kay!”
The simple answer caught both Hank and Dorothy off guard….
“Wha-...wait..Really? Just like that?” Dorothy said with a befuddled expression.
“Yeah! I wanna see Abby again…If there’s a bunch of Monsters and nightmares like that scary claw robot guy, Then maybe If I help you beat them all Dorothy could come back! Then she could give me a big hug and give you both big hugs too!”
Dorothy gave a warm smile to the idea…..but her eyes said another message. She knew no guarantee would bring Abby here…but anything to keep this lonely innocent teddy bear out of that chest again.
“Well….Welcome aboard!” Hank happily and proudly exclaimed!”
Mr. Honeybun pulled them both into another crushing hug once again….
“Do…you think you can help us raise the shudders? Are you strong enough to lift them?” Dorothy asked. Barely breathing for the third time tonight.
“Lift them? Why would I do that? Why not just flip the switches?” Mr. Honeybun said as he tilted his head in confusion. Hearing this, implied only one thing, Handy Hank had to confirm;
“You know how to work the controls!?”
“Yeah! I saw how Mr. Chuck does it a bajillion times!” The teddy bear explained as he waved his arms in an arc motion.
The trio quickly made it back to the security room. Hank and Dorothy were about to struggle to get up to the control panel once again, but Mr. Honeybun quickly picked them both up and tossed them upward. Dorothy landed with style and grace….Hank landed flat on his face….Mr. Honeybun climbed up and looked at the panel. All the switches flipped to various places looked honestly intimidating….until Mr. Honeybun looked at one in the far left-hand corner.
“Boop!” He whispered as he flipped the switch. On the camera feed the shudders leading to the next section of the mall raised upwards.
“Oh! This is gonna work out great! We could use some muscle like you!” Hank stated as he and Dorothy jumped off the counter and walked back to Ol’ Betsy outside the security room….But before Mr. Honeybun left…he looked at Chuck still asleep…and gave a quick but meaningful hug to his leg.
“Thanks a bunch…Mr. Chuck…I’ll do what you do every day…and keep this Mall safe so Abby can come back!”
As Mr. Honeybun just left, Chuck the Security guard…..let out one last loud snore.