Attic, part 15

Sid was pacing back and forth on the desk. “I’m guessing your grandma fell in with a bad crowd, and now some shady operators are using the old gal for their own nefarious purposes.”

“I’m afraid he’s right,” Mr. Symarian said, looking at Jenny sympathetically. “Your grandmother had the power, much as you yourself have. There are forces in other dimensions who will stop at nothing to capture the unwary possessor of such power, and turn its potential toward their own ends. I’m afraid some unscrupulous demons are using your grandmother as an Astral Lens.”

“Did you just say `Astral Lens’,” Josh said. “What is this, a physics class? Are you saying somebody is using Jenny’s grandmother for some kind of demon optics experiment?”

“I only wish it were that benign,” their teacher said. “The power itself is neither good nor evil — it can be turned to any direction. And in the case of your poor grandmother, I am afraid…”

“I won’t let them get away with this,” Jenny interrupted, stamping her foot in anger. “I’m through with being nice. I think maybe it’s time we faced our demons.”

Strangely, in the place where her foot came down, instead of the expected hard wooden floor she felt something soft. Looking down in surprise, Jenny was amazed to see grass beginning to grow around her foot. The grass quickly spread, until it had grown beyond the walls, which had now been replaced by a thick canopy of trees.

They found themselves standing in a small copse in a densely overgrown wood. All except Sid, who was standing on a large rock at about table height. For a long moment the four of them all just looked at each other, too stunned to say anything.

Josh was the first to break the silence. “Toto,” he said, “I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Sid gave Josh a puzzled look. “Ok, I can deal with the whole being transported to another world thing, seeing as the little gal said she wanted to face those demons. But who the hell is this Toto guy? Him I never heard of.”

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