"Everywhere." She looked at him. "I'm going to finish his cause. And then I'm going to see the world."
"But you're together again."
"Woody, don't you see? If Mary hadn't mentioned that world, I never would have realized who she is. The only reason I'm together again is because those doors exist. I've got to know more about them."
Woody looked at his older friends, then back at this new one. "We're going to miss you."
"I'll be back. A lot! I'll just be one door away."
She was almost smiling as she walked through the washroom, and opening the mostly-closed door she turned around to get one last view of the toys. Her eyes passed over them before she backed out into the hall.
The Anderson-Davis toys moved forward and out into the hallway. She was already gone.
"Eh," Hamm said eloquently, as he walked down the hall. As the others followed him, Buzz remained behind, turning to look past his own reflection and watch her go.
-0-0-0-0-
Walking back into the Butterfly Room, there was a certain quietness among the children. The few of them who played clearly had something else on their mind; and it was safe to assume it was that a walking, talking thing had just gone kablooey. The parents would certainly be in for a surprise when they each picked up a subdued child.
The silence was broken by the voice of a single child, who asked the teacher, "Why'd the accident happen?"
"Because...he wasn't a safe driver."
The child looked around the room at all the depressed toys; whose unenthusiastic responses were affecting the kids; whose increasing unhappiness was affecting the teachers.
"He sure hurt a lot of people."
The teacher looked at Jessie and Buzz, who were staring out of the window, not talking, not touching. "More than he realized," the teacher answered.
-0-0-0-0-
The monster world was scary in the daytime. At night, it was plain creepy. Rays of moonlight shone through the long row of windows near the top of the slanted walls; illuminating the strands of a cobweb that hung down in front of them. The only door that was active was the one Jessica had just used. All the other machines were disabled, and all the monsters were gone-
Or so she thought, until the machine disabled loudly and began to rise toward the ceiling. She spun around and began backing up, staring at the monster who approached. Mostly hidden in the shadows, all she could see were his horns, which were surprisingly very low down. And then his one eye came into view.
"Mike?" Jessica guessed hopefully.
"Close." The four-legged toy shuffled into the direct light of the moon. "Little Mikey."
She stared at the seam that ran down the center. Finally she managed to raise her eyes past his stomach. "If you're a toy...why are you...how are you moving the door?"
"I belong to a scarer. I picked it up." He grinned at her, offering an impish shrug.
"But why? Why are you doing it?"
"I'm like you, Jessica; I wanted to see both worlds. And I have to get home before Mike realizes I'm gone. He doesn't know our secret."
As Little Mikey walked away, Jessica tried to stifle a grin. "Uh, yes he does."
"What?" The toy turned. "How come he's never spoken to me?"
Jessica shrugged. "Maybe because you've never spoken to him."
"Hm. I guess if he knows, I might as well. Here, I think you should have this." He held out a card. "It's a master card key; it'll open any door from either side."
"But, it's yours."
"I just finished seeing your world. Now it's got to be your turn."
She took it from him. "Gee, thanks."
He blinked his one eye again, then said, "That was a wink."
Jessica giggled.
"Take care, Jessie. Have fun."
"Thanks. You too!"
She watched him leave, and alone she said to herself, "What a nice bear."
As she walked to the next device and swiped her card through, she thought just for a second that she could feel herself changing; as she looked forward to her adventures and steeled herself for the mission that lay ahead.