CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE GLIMPSES

Toby lay on the ground, bleeding and dying.

It could have been so much different…

“I’ll take you right to where I saw him!” Toby told Dad, before he could begin the spanking. “I’ll prove it!”

Though Dad was skeptical, Toby led him right to the place where he’d seen the monster. Though the monster wasn’t there anymore, there were clear tracks in the dirt. Dad couldn’t deny that something had been out here, just like Toby said.

“Don’t tell anybody about this until we have solid proof,” Dad said, “but I’m sorry I doubted you.”

Years of searching had paid off. “Can we name it Owen?” Toby asked.

“We can name it anything you want,” Dad said. “You’re the one who found it.”

“Don’t go near Toby Floren,” Larry told the other kids at school. “I hear he’s got a monster friend who lives out in the woods, and if you mess with him, the monster will be furious.”

Finally, the time was right. You didn’t want to rush these things. Mom and Dad watched proudly as Toby introduced Owen to the world.

“Toby,” Owen said to an astonished and delighted crowd, as hundreds of camera flashes went off.

Toby and Owen, man and monster, best of friends and one of the most popular television and movie acts in the world. How could the fictional likes of Frankenstein, Dracula, and even aliens from Mars compete with a reallife monster?

“I’ve never met a real celebrity,” said Sarah.

“Are you talking about me or him?” asked Toby, jokingly pointing to Owen.

Just when you thought they were old news, Toby and Owen shocked the world yet again. Toby and Sarah announced the birth of their son, Garrett, while Owen and Esmerelda announced the birth of their own son, Scruffer.

“Well, you see,” Toby told the talk-show host, “I’ve always felt that a boy should remain close to his mother and father.”

“Does it count as living with your parents if it’s in a fifty-room mansion?” the host asked. The audience laughed.

“Yes, both Owen and I will be retiring. We’re still young, but it’s time to enjoy life. Garrett, Hannah, and Scruffer will continue performing, but expect lots of exciting changes to their act for the twenty-first century.”

“So, Owen, aren’t you glad I rescued you from that miserable cave?”

Yes.

“Who would’ve ever thought this could happen to a couple of ugly guys like us?”

Not me.

“Not me, either. Not in a million years.”

Time goes so fast.

“Nah. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

God, there was a lot of blood.

The cops stood over him, looking horrified at what they’d done. Toby wondered if they’d try to lie about it, say that he’d rushed at them with his gun. Did you see that psychopath? He came right at us! You saw it, didn’t you? We all saw it.

It didn’t matter.

Owen lay next to him, making no sound. It was probably a matter of seconds as to who would die first.

We should race, Toby thought. Make a game out of it.

Or maybe not. Maybe there were more games to come.

Toby could barely feel anything. Before he completely lost sensation in his arm, he twisted his body, flopping his arm over and putting his hand into Owen’s claw.

Owen’s claw tightened around his fingers. Toby closed his eyes and they began their next adventure together.