Theo rematerialized on what looked like a sidewalk in a modern looking place with cars and buildings. He also realized that he was wearing a blue polo shirt, slacks, brown hiking boots, and a dark blue sweatshirt.
"Now what?", he asked looking around.
He saw what looked like a newspaper in a trash can and went to retrieve it when he noticed the date.
"Nineteen ninety-five?!", he said in shock, "How did that happen?! And where am I?!"
He flipped the newspaper til an ad caught his eye.
"What's this?", he asked himself forgetting his shock for the time being, "Help Wanted. Parrish mansion for housekeeping and sitting. Ask for Nora."
Theo looked a bit confused as a memory suddenly came to his mind. He saw what looked like a little boy heading to a large mansion with the Jumanji game under his arm. He came back to reality just as a car came to a screeching halt right behind him.
"Hey! Get off the road!"
Theo got to the walkway just as the car parked near the curb and the window rolled down to show a very angry looking driver.
"What's the big idea?!", he snapped, "You got cotton in your ears?!"
Theo tried to keep his nerve as he turned toward the driver and tried to make amends as he thought it would help.
"Sorry.", he said sheepishly and smiling nervously, "Just lost in thought."
The driver rolled his eyes as his window started rolling back up.
"Weirdo.", he muttered to himself before he drove off.
Theo tried to calm himself as he thought of what to do. Might as well go to the Parrish mansion to see this Nora person. After making his way around for a minute, he came to what looked like a mansion that clearly needed some cleaning. Cautiously, Theo came up to the front door and knocked a couple of times.
"Um… Nora?", he asked.
At first, there was nothing and then a voice came from behind the door.
"It's open."
Theo opened the door and saw a woman who recognized as Aunt Nora from a tale he used to hear about back in his home reality.
"Who might you be?", she asked.
Theo thought fast.
"I saw the ad and I was hoping for the job.", he answered trying to look professional.
Nora raised an eyebrow as if she was suspecting something off.
"I was expecting a woman to answer the ad, but I guess I have no choice.", she said mostly to herself before starting on Theo, "Please follow me."
She started towards the living room and Theo followed her. Clearly the inside of the house looked like it hadn't been lived in for years with leaves on the floor, faded wall paint, and the furniture covered in sheets.
/
Once they were in the living room and sitting opposite of each other, Nora started asking questions.
"Okay, your name?"
"Theo.", Theo answered.
Nora looked a bit firm.
"What you don't have a last name?", she asked.
"Thur.", Theo told her, "I know it sounds weird, but there it is."
Nora sighed and rolled her eyes before starting again.
"And where do you live Mr. Thur?"
Theo couldn't recall his home world, but he had to answer with something.
"Wisconsin formerly.", he said quick, "I moved here… a long time ago."
Nora shrugged before continuing.
"Age?"
"Twenty-one.", Theo answered her as he was really that age.
Nora now looked more interested.
"Theo, how good are you at looking after kids?", she asked.
Theo tried not to look unsure, but had to answer before his expression gave him away.
"Well, I'm pretty good. I looked after… many kids back in the day before I moved here."
Nora seemed to accept that as she took in what Theo had told her.
"Well Mr. Thur, I'm happy to say that you got the job though I'm still a bit surprised by this."
"Hey, you take what you get I suppose.", Theo answered sheepishly and decided to change the subject, "Um… what are the kids I'm going to be looking after like?"
Nora took a moment to collect herself before talking.
"They're not mine. They're my brother's kids. He and his wife passed away last winter."
Theo looked sympathetic right away.
"Dear me."
Nora managed to get herself together before continuing.
"Their names are Judy and Peter. I'm the only relative they have so I look after them now."
Theo sighed as he felt that he should be supportive.
"Well Ms. Shepherd, I will accept the job if you'll have me."
Nora looked on board right away.
"You got it Theo.", she said before talking to herself again, "All good homes need a man around the place."
"You said something?", Theo asked her as Nora led him out of the room and to the familiar spiral staircase.
"Oh, I just… I'm happy you came to help out.", Nora told him, "After you get settled in, maybe you can help me clean around this old place."
Theo felt obliged as Nora led him up the stairs to a room in a hallway that appeared to be a guest room with a bed, a dresser and a couple other doors with a window.
"I'll let you get settled in.", Nora said before leaving.
Once she left, Theo waited until he was sure she was gone, he turned to the dresser and opened it to show it was empty. He then waved a finger in the air and like magic, shirts appeared on hangers while jeans appeared in one drawer, socks and underwear in another.
"Well, that takes care of the unpacking.", Theo told himself, "Hopefully Nora doesn't catch on or anything."
/
Once he was done and came back downstairs, he found Nora removing sheets from the furniture so he got a broom and started sweeping up the leaves. Once those were done, Nora had Theo help out with moving some stuff around so that it was to her liking. It took a while, but soon the place was spic and span.
"I'm going to go to the kitchen to check on stuff for dinner.", Nora said as she started leaving the room, "Theo, could you please keep an eye out for the kids?"
"Sure thing Nora.", Theo told her.
But once Nora left, Theo felt the feeling he had before again. The room instantly changed to reveal the same boy from before only he was in the same room Theo was with a girl with blonde hair, a pink shirt, white shorts, and white shoes and Jumanji opened up with the rhino and elephant tokens set and ready to play. Then the boy saw some writing on the side and began reading.
"Jumanji a game for those who seek to find a way to leave their world behind. You roll the dice to move your token, doubles get another turn, and the first player to reach the end wins.", he said before turning to the girl, "Wanna play?"
"I quit playing board games five years ago.", the girl said as she tossed the dice she had picked up while the boy was reading and turned to leave.
Theo and the boy both saw the rhino token move the moment the dice landed and stopped rolling.
"Sarah."
Theo saw the girl who he guessed was Sarah who saw it too and came back over to the boy and game.
"It's gotta be magnetized or something.", the boy said in awe.
"Alan look.", Sarah said mentioning towards the middle.
Theo leaned in too to look above them, but doubted they even heard him as he saw the amulet in the center weave a message.
"At night they fly, you better run.", Sarah read, "These winged things are not much fun."
Alan and Sarah looked at each other before a screech came from the fireplace startling them and Theo.
"What was that?", Sarah asked frightened.
Alan was dumbstruck.
"I… I don't know."
"Put it away Alan.", Sarah insisted clearly scared.
Alan picked up the dice, but the moment his hand did, the grandfather clock chimed making him drop the dice and roll a five. The elephant token moved and Alan looked shocked.
"Oh no, the game thinks I rolled.", he said to Sarah.
"What do you mean the game thinks?", she asked.
Theo saw a new message appear in the amulet and Alan read it along with him.
"In the jungle you must wait until the dice read five or eight."
As soon as Alan lifted his head, the room went back to Theo being alone in the living room again and clearly shook up.
"Again?", he asked himself, "Why is this happening?"
He was brought out of his thoughts as he went to the window and saw a school bus roll up. He'd have to worry about what he saw later. Right now, he had to get ready to meet Judy and Peter.
/
Theo had just gotten to the front door when Nora (who had shown up before he did) opened the door to reveal a couple of kids Theo guessed were Judy and Peter. He recognized them from the tale he heard back home, but it was another thing to see them like this.
"So, how was school?", Nora asked.
"We don't want to talk about it.", Judy answered plainly.
Peter said nothing, but Theo felt like he wanted to. He started over as Nora stepped aside to reveal him.
"Who is this?", Judy asked as she and Peter got a good view of Theo.
"Kids, I want you to meet Mr. Theo.", Nora said, "He's going to watch you since I can't always and I want you to be nice to him cause he just started today."
Judy didn't look so sure and Peter didn't either.
"So he's like a nanny?", Judy asked, "We don't need one of those."
Theo frowned.
"Excuse me?", he asked firmly.
Peter saw Theo's expression harden and huddled behind his sister, but Judy wasn't backing down.
"I said we don't need you.", she said to Theo.
Theo put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow.
"Well young lady, like it or not, your aunt needs all the help she can get and I just happen to be in the neighborhood when her ad went up.", he told her keeping his tone, "I got the position so when your aunt isn't around and I am, I'm in charge. Got it?"
Judy said nothing at first, but Nora cut in.
"Well, you kids go upstairs to your rooms and do your homework while I get dinner ready."
Judy and Peter just went off, but Judy flashed an annoyed look at Theo while Theo shot one back at her before they vanished. His expression softened when he returned his attention to Nora.
"Well, they seem nice.", he said though there was sarcasm in his voice.
Nora sighed.
"They've been like this since my brother and his wife passed away.", she explained.
Theo suddenly felt his sympathy return and looked reassured.
"Yeah, something like that can… do things to ya.", he admitted, "Nora, I'm going to look around a bit. When will dinner be ready?"
Nora smiled.
"It should be ready in a couple hours.", she told him.
Nora headed to the kitchen and Theo sat in the living room pondering on what he had just seen earlier.
"So Alan finds the game, brings it home, and then started it with this Sarah girl.", he thought, "What did it mean by "In the jungle, you must wait"?"
As if to answer him, a faint sound of drums came to his ears and he hurried out before he got to the staircase and looked upward as the drums kept playing like they were far away and yet near.
"Is Jumanji up there?", he asked himself as the drums stopped, "Could it still be here after all this time?"
/
He started up the stairs, but he had just made it to the top when the aroma of dinner caught his nostrils. Luckily, he was near the stairs and looked to see Judy and Peter heading down though Theo noticed Judy was hiding her face like she knew something.
"Well, can't keep my boss waiting.", Theo said as he sat on the banisters of the stairs and was soon sliding down towards a very surprised Judy and Peter at the bottom, "Am I late?"
Judy and Peter suddenly headed toward the dinning room where Theo saw Nora had set up some candles to add some flair to the dinner they were having. Judy and Peter just sat and Theo took a moment to bring out their plates before returning to the kitchen to grab his own. He came back and set his plate on his spot, but paused as he pulled his chair out and saw a pinecone on the cushion. He picked it up and looked at the children with a raised eyebrow again.
"If this is your idea of welcoming me, I don't find it amusing.", he told them before he tossed the thing into a nearby trash can and sat down.
Nora soon came back with an expression that told Theo that she was disturbed greatly.
"I can't believe I have to see your principal after the first day.", Nora stated as she set another dish on the table that was used to hold gravy, "What am I going to do?"
She didn't get an answer but then Judy spoke up.
"Well, now we know why you got this house so cheap. Twenty-six years ago, a kid named Alan Parrish lived here. Then one day he disappeared cause his parents chopped him up into little pieces and hid him in the walls."
Theo flinched and looked firm again.
"Why do I not believe that is what went down here?", he asked.
Unfortunately, Nora didn't seem to hear his statement.
"Okay, that's it.", Nora said to her niece in a stern tone, "I am sick and tired of your lies young lady. You're grounded."
Judy got up in frustration and stormed toward the stairs.
"Fine, there's nowhere to go in this stupid town anyway.", she said before pausing and turning toward her aunt, "And just for your information, that wasn't a lie."
Theo saw her climb the stairs still angry and turned to Peter who just ate in silence. He then shrugged and went back to his dinner. Soon, night settled in and Theo had to head to his room after brushing his teeth.
"Good thing I thought about conjuring up some toothpaste and a toothbrush.", he said to himself.
He then noticed Judy across the hall heading into another room, but didn't give it much thought before heading back to his own when the drums caught his ears again and he looked out to the direction of the attic when the drums paused once again.
"Jumanji, please be here.", Theo prayed before starting back to his room, "Maybe I'll meet this Alan character when morning arrives."
Once Theo was in his room, he got into bed, clicked off the light and was soon sleeping before the sound of drums came to his ears again making him groan. It was going to be a long night.