This is an idea I've been thinking about for a while. As soon as I started writing, I knew I had to make this a series. Expect more chapters to come!
"Now, Slinky here is as loyal as any dog could ever be."
Such few words really had to have been said to portray how true this was. Slinky had to admit, despite being one of the most optimistic toys of Bonnie's room, he never would have thought that his loyalty was so strong that even his previous owner Andy would be able to see it. And thanks to the college boy, now Bonnie could also. The slinky dog was an old toy now, and he's seen a lot in his lifetime. From watching Andy grow up since he was a baby, and being passed onto a new child that he had the chance to see grow up now, too. But, like he once said; he may have been old, but he still had a spring in his step
So, why is it he felt as though he was living the same life all over again? He almost felt...bored.
Slinky sat on the windowsill of Bonnie's room, after finally getting the chance to. It seemed to be the 'go-to' place for some quiet, deep thinking. Sometimes Woody was found there. Or maybe Jessie, trying to get some space when her claustrophobia sometimes got the best of her. The only times Buzz would be seen there, would be alongside the red-headed cowgirl as a way for some 'couple's' time. That would explain why the Potato Heads would sometimes be caught there, as well. In some weird twisted way, that might've been the reason for Woody, too. Anything that got him closer to his lost love, Bo.
That being said, it was unlikely for Slinky to be there.
"Slink!" The cowboy called, climbing up to the window sill. The dog turned his head, watching the sheriff approach.
"Heya, Woody." His rougher, southern voice spoke as the cowboy took a seat next to him. They watched the damp grass on the lawn that stood outside the glass of the window. A warm feeling bit at the air around them as spring fast approached. The buds on the tree near Bonnie's window just began to sprout. Patches of snow were still to be seen, but not for much longer judging by the dramatic change in weather.
"Weird to see you up here." Woody pointed out. "I'd figure you'd be under the bed."
Slinky smiled at his old friend. "Just taking a break from my loyal duties."
Woody cocked a smile as well. "Good, cause I don't think we'd last without it." He paused for a brief second. "You wanna tell me why you're up here all of a sudden?"
The dog's paws shifted bellow him. "What d'ya mean?"
The cowboy's brown eyes practically repeated the question for a second time, hinting that he wasn't the one who had to explain himself. The slinky dog shrugged and looked back out the window.
"I dunno, I guess I need a new look o' scenery for a change." Slinky said, his voice said sounding a bit resistant.
Woody looked out the window. "It's Andy, isn't it?"
The dog perked up. "How'd ya know?"
The cowboy leaned against the panel of the window. "I've been there. What is it, you miss him?"
"Well, everyone does." Slinky said, looking towards the rest of the toys bellow that occupied themselves.
"Then, what?"
"I've been thinking a lot about what he said, lately. When he gave us to Bonnie." Slinky said, feeling as though he had no reason to completely lie to Woody. "How'd ya think Andy knew I was so loyal?"
Woody chuckled. "How anyone does. You take a look at you, and you know it's what you were meant for. We're just the lucky we're the ones you've actually gotten to prove it to."
Slinky nodded, smiling. He wasn't feeling down. At least, he didn't think he was. He's never truly ever had his own personal struggles. Because of his loyalty, of course, every one of the troubles he has faced in his life have always seemed to be something that belonged to everyone. Mainly revolving around the fears that were brought with Andy growing up in the past. But, nothing else of such struggle existed in his book.
So, he shook off the uncharted feeling, until something else caught his eye. Considering The Anderson's house was right at the intersection of Sycamore and Lake street, the slinky dog was in eye shot of a moving van that had turned the corner towards Sycamore. The moving van stopped at the last house on Lake, the one on the left with the blue panels. A family van followed behind.
"Hey, y'all!" Slinky called to the rest of the room. "I think we've got new neighbours."
The rest of the toys turned their attention at Slinky's announcement, quickly climbing up as Woody and the slinky dog leaned against the window to get a better look.
"New neighbours?" Jessie said, looking through the glass. "I can't remember the last time someone moved here, let alone left."
"Well, we haven't been here for that long." Hamm pointed out, also trying to get a better look.
"No, Jessie's right." Dolly said. "Even before you guys came, there was never a lot of moves in this neighbourhood."
The toys continued to look, watching a married couple climb out of the car as movers began to help them move in some furniture. An older teenage girl climbed out of the back, looking at her phone.
"Ugh, you know what that means." Mr. Potato Head groaned. "Late night teenage parties. We're not gonna be able to get any sleep, now!"
"You don't know that for sure." Buttercup said.
"Come on, look at-"
"Guys, look!" Buzz said, getting their attention again. The toys perked up at the sight of a little brunette girl climbing out of the back, following who was presumably her older sister.
"A kid? We see one of those every day." Mr. Potato Head's continued flatly, as he linked arms with his wife.
"Come on, Potato Head." Slinky said. "A kid means other toys." After a brief moment, the spud's eyes lit up in interest, as did many of the other toys.
"Whoa, whoa guys." Woody said. "Don't get any ideas. We don't know these toys."
"What's not to trust?" Hamm asked.
"You guys are gonna tell me that you're not skeptical after everything we've been through with Lotso?"
"Yeah Woody, but that's different." Jessie took a step forward, putting a reassuring hand on the cowboy's shoulder. "Sometimes you've gotta trust your gut."
"Well, my gut's saying it's lonely around here." Mr. Potato Head said.
"Yeah." Buttercup agreed. "I wouldn't mind meeting some new toys."
"Me too!" Rex agreed, excitedly.
"Me three!" Trixie added.
"Okay, okay." Woody said. "But, we're not gonna rush into this like we always do."
The toys all groaned, but they couldn't disagree. They always seemed to be rushing into things without thinking twice, and it would get them into trouble. Maybe they needed to let faith come together for once.
"Besides." Woody said. "We're not alone. There's those bath toys, and they're fun."
"A little too fun." Hamm said. "Remember what happened with Rex?"
"Hey" Rex said. "If you guys saw, you would believe that I was a-"
"Partysaurus." The rest of the toys finished, having heard the story over and over by an excited green dinosaur.
"What about those pool toys from the shed?"
"I don't know, they're just as disruptive." Mrs. Potato Head said.
"Garden gnomes from next door?" Buzz suggested.
"Too dull." Buttercup said. "Probably what you get from being decorations instead of toys."
"What about the pink flamingos? They're kind of fun." Jessie said.
"If you enjoy dirt fights and rock collecting." Mr. Potato Head grumbled. "The missus and I are still cleaning dirt out of the aliens' ears."
"The Christmas decorations?"
"Have we not been through that enough at Andy's, already?"
"They're different than those guys."
"I doubt it."
"Well, I hate to break it." Woody said out of frustration. "But, if you guys keep acting so judgemental-"
"Face it sheriff." Mr. Potato Head said. "We need to make connections with some classic, playtime toys other than us."
"Yeah, come on Woodster! Don't be so uptight." Hamm said.
The sheriff rolled his eyes and put a hand to his face. "Fine. But I'm not walking over there. If Bonnie meets this girl, there's your chance."
The toys continued to argue with the sheriff, upset by his strict rule. Many fought over the fact that Woody didn't always have authority over everything, Hamm and Mr. Potato Head obviously being the centre of that argument.
Slinky ignored the fight and continued to look out the window. He watched as one of the parents of the two girls took a heavy box out of the trunk. What was in there, could only be guessed.
"You see anything?" A hopeful voice asked. A plastic eye peeped through the handle hole of the box at the house before them. A light blue, wind-up toy beagle dog was the one looking through. She had darker blue patches that went up her back, as well as one around her left eye. A classic, metal wind-up key stood out from her back. Her body was made of a plastic base with a light padded velvet material on top. She wore a grey dog collar.
She turned to look at her fellow toys, her large ears whipping fast as she did. Her blue tail was wagging rapidly.
"Looks like we're here." Her soft, southern voice spoke excitedly. Her tail continued to wag as many of the other toys exchanged some excited murmurs in the box.
"Yay!" a stuffed, pink fox exclaimed. "Oh, we finally live in an actual neighbourhood!"
"Tell me about it." The beagle said, coming to join the others. "I couldn't stand the isolation of the farm."
"Patch." An authorized voice spoke, approaching the others. An orange robot with large white boots, colourful tech lights on her chest, short plastic orange hair and white matching dj beats approached. "Don't get any ideas."
Patch's ears drooped, though she attempted to look more unimpressed than disappointed. "Come on, Blox. We roamed around the farm, all the time."
"I don't care." The robot said, crossing her arms. "The suburbs are different. We don't know this neighbourhood."
"And we never will, if we never check it out." The dog argued.
"Patch, don't question me. Please." Blox said, tired with frustration and a presumably long road trip. "Or I swear, I'll wind you up and send you walking back to the farm where you can roam all you want."
The toys waited for Patch to answer, but they all fell over as the person holding the box made a fast turn to talk to one of the movers. Patch took the opportunity to look out the handle hole while at a different angle. She peeked through, her eyes immediately caught on a yellow-panel house. Everything seemed as she expected. A typical, friendly-like suburban neighbourhood.
Her chest tightened at the sight of some plastic faces staring through the window of the yellow house.
"Th-there's toys!" Patch said excitedly. "In the house at the end of the street, there are others toys!"
"Other toys?" A stuffed rabbit with green overalls said, approaching. "You're joking."
"Why would I be joking, Alex?" Patch said. The bunny leaned against the wall of the box in annoyance.
The dog turned to look at Blox. "You know what this means-"
"No." The robot shook her head. "Absolutely not."
"Seriously, Blox?" A stuffed, snowy owl toy named Quinn said, approaching. "After everything, you seriously don't want to meet any other toys?"
"Yeah, we haven't seen any in years." The pink fox nodded.
"Listen to Foxy."
"I said no, guys!" Blox said, as the box was carried into the house. "We can't trust anyone just like that. I'm not about to lose any of you because of your curiosity. We need to stick together and always stay in the new room. That means you, Patch. Understood?"
The wind-up dog sighed. "Fine."
To be continued...
(Rate and review!)