Doorways to Everywhere (Tourist Trap Book 2)

Chapter 20

The blanket spread open and they began to drift slowly down towards the ground. "Who would have ever thought this crazy trick would work?" Max asked.

"I did," Dr. Octavius said. "That's why I suggested it."

"I think I see the door back that way," Sarah said as she cupped one hand over her eyes while holding on tightly to the corner of the blanket with the other.

They came to a gentle landing in a small puddle, which at their current size seemed more like a moderately sized pond.

Max let go of the blanket and did a couple of backstrokes. "Ah, reminds me of my pollywog days. Nothing like a rancid pool of water to really take you back."

Sarah had managed to get herself tangled up in the blanket, which was quickly becoming soaked. "Would someone like to help me get out of this thing?"

"I always said you were a wet blanket, Sarah," Max chuckled. "But really, there's no need to get all literal on us."

"I'm serious," she said. "This thing's starting to drag me down. I really don't want to die by drowning in a puddle."

Dr. Octavius waded over to the thrashing spot on the blanket and cut Sarah loose with a pocket laser. "There, you're free. Now which way did you say you saw the door?"

Sarah looked around. They were surrounded by numerous pairs of feet that appeared to be the size of houses. Above these extended giant legs that looked like skyscrapers. She couldn't even see people's faces from down here. "Well, we were moving forward through the crowd, so it stands to reason the door should be behind us. So let's go in the opposite direction from which the feet are pointing."

"That's exactly the same conclusion I came to," Max said as he whirled around and headed away from the direction he had been about to suggest they go.

"Just be careful," Dr. Octavius said. "This is going to be somewhat like navigating our way through a jungle, except the trees can move and crush us."

They circled their way around a giant hoof as they headed back in the direction in which Sarah had seen the door. "I'm pretty sure there was some hairy purple guy standing right next to it. He should stand out somewhat in this crowd so keep your eyes peeled."

"Look out!" Dr. Octavius shouted as he pushed Sarah and Max to the side. A giant shuffling foot in an enormous dirty tennis shoe slid past them just inches from where they stood.

"Thanks, Doc," Max said. "That was a close one. I almost became toad paste."

"This is incredibly dangerous," Dr. Octavius said. "The longer we stay out here the greater the chances of us getting accidentally squashed. We need to cover more ground. Perhaps we'd better split up."

"Wait, I see a big hairy purple foot up ahead," Sarah said. "And the door is lying there on the ground right in front of it."

The purple foot shuffled forward, unintentionally kicking the door.

"Incoming!" Max shouted as he pushed Sarah and Dr. Octavius to the ground. The door flew right over them, bounced off the back of the dirty tennis shoe and then rolled off out of view behind an enormous dog paw.

"I've got you now, you stupid door," Max said as he raced after it. He went around the giant paw and saw the door rattling to a stop. He was halfway to it when a shadow fell across him. He looked up to see another giant dog paw descending rapidly towards him. Evidently the dog had been scratching behind its ear with its other paw and was now returning it to the ground, right where Max stood.