Tinny Ford (Part 2)

It had taken them a lot longer to find what they were looking for…

But Buddy didn't mind much, sure he hated the woods, but he wasn't obsessed about his perfect hair and not getting dirty. At least not as much as his sister and his granddaddy Gideon were.

Fids however was very nervous, and rightfully so. Every time he and his friends entered this forest trouble was always sure to follow. "This is pretty deep, don't you think?" he asked. His gaze flicked about the trees as if any second something would pop out and snatch them away.

Ford was also a bit worried, but mostly about the Gnomes, they had sworn their revenge for not allowing their queen to eat him. An act that according to them would have saved her life. No doubt they would be very angry to see him in the middle of Gnomes territory. "I think we're fine." He finally answered. "We know how to get back, and I don't see a lot of fresh Gnome tracks." He hummed quietly to himself as he looked down at some tracks that looked like they could be a day old or so. "Maybe Gnomes aren't active this early in the morning, I mean the last time we faced them it was night up to early dawn."

"It's possible, but should we really come to that conclusion over one encounter?" Fids asked.

"No." Ford answered. "That's why I brought Gompers." He pointed to the goat who was at the moment busily munching on a bush nearby. "Goats are pray animals so if something starts stalking us; his instincts will kick in and he'll run in the opposite direction of danger.

"I guess it's something." Fids said looking a little bit more at ease. "By the way." He added. "You seem to be taking this whole supernatural thing kind of well." He said to Buddy.

"Oh yeah my Granddaddy grew up here." Buddy explained. "Bonnie and I have spent many summers here, and just recently became the stars of his Tent of Telepathy."

"So, you must have seen plenty of things." Ford said looking impressed.

"Some." Buddy admitted. "But I'm not really into this whole hocus-pocus stuff."

"Really?" Ford looked stunned. "But you came anyways."

"I really want to make this up to you." Buddy said. "Besides…there's Bonnie…" He began.

"Aw don't sweat it." Ford told him. "Stan does a lot of stupid schemes too." He assured him. "Nothing as elaborate of course, but he has a lot of get rich quick schemes he pulls me into. Like there was this one time we did that lemonade stand and charged 4 dollars a cup. Or when went door to door trying to sale some of mom's old vacuum and kitchen wear. We even pretended to be orphans for some made up charity once."

"Ford!" Fids exclaimed.

"Not my proudest moment." Ford admitted. "But I really wanted this new science calculator." He reasoned. "The point is Stan has gotten me to do some immoral things, and He's come up with his own share of messed up schemes…So I know this thing with Bonnie is pretty much out of your control."

"I just wish she wasn't so wrapped up in getting revenge on Miss Pines and you guys." Buddy answered honestly. "I mean I was…but then I got to know you, and I realized you're not so bad."

Ford smiled as Gompers walked over and began to chew on Buddy's shirt.

Buddy smiled down at the beast and gave him a gentle pat. "This is an expensive shirt." He admitted.

Ford gave Gompers a pat as well. "Yeah Gompers only eats the finer things."

Buddy's smiles widen. Sure, he didn't tell Ford that their friendship started out on a lie, but he did admit that he uses to want revenge too until he got to know them, so basically he did come clean.

Basically.

"Oh, look at this!" Fids exclaimed as he knelt and looked over a glowing blue mushroom.

Ford took out a camera and snapped a few pictures. "I'll use these pictures to reference the journal later." He explained. "Maybe we can use it to identify them."

"What if there not in the Journal?" Buddy asked.

"I'll add them." Ford reasoned.

"What if they're in another journal?" Buddy asked before he could stop himself.

"Another Journal?" Fids asked confused. "You think there's more?"

"Well…" Buddy began, but Ford cut in.

"There must be." Ford said showing Fids the cover. "This journal has a number 3 on it, so there must be at least a 1 and 2."

"I guess I never thought of it." Fids admitted as Buddy gave a sigh of relief. Sure, he was mad at Bonnie for her current shenanigans, but he still wanted to keep some family secrets, a secret.

"We shouldn't touch it, though. It could be poisonous." Ford added referring to the mushrooms once more. Before taking a step forward.

"Ford wait!" Buddy insisted, trying to warn him of the sudden drop, but it was too late and just like that Ford lost his footing and was tumbling down the hill.

"Ford!" Fids and Buddy followed by Gompers.

The goat however pulls ahead and reaches Ford just as he hits the bottom.

"Ow." Ford groaned rubbing his head.

Gompers licks him, the gesture is comforting.

"Thanks bud." Ford said giving the animal an affectionate pat. Suddenly he looks around him to see field full of crystals and… "Is that… a miniature deer?"

The deer in question walked past him as it continued on its way through the woods.

"Ford are you okay?" Fids asked as he and Buddy reached him.

"Guys look." Ford pointed to a cluster of ferns where another deer, this time a buck stood with another buck and two does. An eagle smaller than the deer flew past Fid's nose.

"What the heck is this?" Buddy asked.

"Maybe these crystals can shrink things," Fids suggested.

"Can it make things grow?" Ford asked hopefully.

Fids shrugged. "I don't know. We'll have to test it out- oh no."

"What?" Buddy asked.

"Stay still," Fids squeaked. "There's a mountain lion right there!"

Indeed, creeping out of the forest was a mountain lion. The hungry creature stalked out of the brush towards Gompers, however the goat seems unafraid of the beast. The three kids yelled and ran back as the cat leaped. As it jumped through a beam of purple light, the cat shrank until it was the size of Fids's finger and landed on his lap. The cat hissed and ran off.

"Ha!" Ford laughed. "That was awesome! So, the purple light makes things smaller!" he said pulling out the Journal to make some updates to the page that led them here.

"So, what does the blue light do?" Buddy asked pointing to a crystal that shined both purple and blue lights.

"If the purple light makes things smaller, I reckon the blue light should make things bigger," Fids theorized.

Just then, a monarch butterfly fluttered past him. It shrank into near nothingness in the purple light. Once it got into the blue light, it grew to the size of a one-story house and fluttered off. It broke a tree in the process. Buddy laughed, "Cool!"

"Yes it's all very exciting." Fids admitted. "But that crystal is too big to use."

Ford nodded and then took out a screwdriver. He gently dug the screwdriver into the ground and uprooted a small, perfectly smooth, and clean-cut crystal. He stuffed it in his backpack, where it was dark and couldn't catch the light. "This small one should work with a few adjustments."

"Does that mean we can get out of her now?" Buddy asked looking weary. "I feel like these Birch trees are watching us."

It was then that Ford and Fids noticed the Birch trees and strangle there was notches in the wood that looked like they were in the shape of eyes.

"Yeah let's get out of here." Fids agreed.

Buddy and Fids went to move on, but Ford stood where he was, and stared at the Birch tree for a little while longer. It gave him a bad feeling…one he couldn't explain.

"Ford let's go!" Fids yelled back at him.

"Coming!" Ford answered, and with one last look at the tree he raced off after his friends with Gompers right behind him.

He didn't look back again, for if he had he would have seen one of those notches on the Birch tree take the form of a very familiar eye.

It was the beast with one eye, watching his prey.

And soon, very soon he'd be able to make his first move.

(Back At the Shack…)

Once the three friends were back in the attic Ford grabbed a flashlight from under his bed along with some duct-tape and string. Fids gently cut a small hole through the middle of the gem lengthwise and strung a thin, if sturdy, string through it. Then, He gave it to Buddy who duct-taped the ends of the string on either side of the flashlight so that the gem was snuggly fit above the light source.

"Okay let's see." Ford took the new gadget and decided to try it out. "Smaller." He pointed it down and turned on the light. The purple beam fell over a chess pawn and shrank it. "Bigger." He turned off the flashlight, flipped the gem over, and pointed it at the pawn again. This time, a blue light shone on the pawn. It grew so big it nearly burst through the roof. "Too big!"

"This is so cool!" Buddy oohed. "Our very own shrink-grow flashlight! What should we do with it, first?"

"It's kinda dangerous, Buddy." Fids pointed out. "I don't think we should be playing' with it."

"What's the harm?" Ford waved his hand. "I think as long as we don't shine it on things too long it won't grow so big again."

"Yeah besides." Buddy assured him. "We can always turn stuff back to normal, right?"

Fids looked down at the flashlight still in Ford's hand. "I, uh… I guess…but you're not really going to use it to get taller are you?"

"I have too!" Ford insisted. "I'm the oldest, and I'm tired of the short jokes!"

"You know this is going to slap you in the face and go terribly wrong." Buddy reminded him. "Remember the whole-time traveling mess you and Stan got mixed up in?"

"That was different." Ford reasoned. "Stan miss understood the situation and over reacted. I went with him so he wouldn't alter time too much."

"Yes, and now you're overacting, and we're playing along so you don't alter things too much." Fids pointed out.

Buddy face palmed in disbelief. "Okay let's just get this life changing event over with." He advised.

"Fine." Fids agreed, knowing good and well that Ford was going to go through this either way.

Ford pointed the flashlight to himself and turned on the blue light.

(Downstairs with Stan…)

Meanwhile, Stan was talking to Ria at the front counter while Danny took his lunch break up on the roof. Susan and Heather are also sitting with them.

"I think I'll buy some bigger clothes with my pay." Stan was saying proudly.

"Are you sure?" Ria asked. "What if they don't fit?"

"I'll grow into them." Stan assured her as Ford came walking into the room.

Fids and Buddy came in after him.

"Hey guys." Ford suddenly said. "Notice anything different about me?"

"Holy Possum." Fids said, acting like he was surprised. "You've grown exactly an extra millimeter."

"Like that isn't obvious." Buddy whispered.

"What no way?" Stan exclaimed as Fids took out a tape measure.

Heather looked suspicious. "And you just happened to have that with you?" She asked.

Fids gave a nervous laugh as he measured the twins. "Yep same height." He said.

"What can I say bro, growth spurt." Ford said smugly.

"MMMM." Heather said obviously not convinced.

"Well, mine happened first." Stan said.

"And here we go." Fids warned.

"I'm going to be Taller in the end, that's just science." Stan said. "You wouldn't argue with science now would you?"

"Oh, he did not just go there." Susan whispered to Heather.

"Actually, this is pretty normal for these two." Heather assured her.

"Should we?" Susan asked.

"Already tried." Buddy said.

"Yep this is happening." Fids confirm the worst.

"But we're the same height now!" Ford argued.

"Alpha twin! Alpha twin." Stan chanted over him.

Ford's eyes narrowed. "Well, if that's how it's going to be than I feel another growth spurt coming on." He said backing out of the room and up the stairs.

"Ford!" Fids warned.

"Don't do it man!" Buddy yelled as they ran after him.

"Okay he's up to something." Stan said recognizing the look in his brother's eyes and soon he's racing up the stairs too.

"Should we?" Susan asked Heather.

Heather nodded. "These boys won't last five seconds without us." She said as they raced up the stairs too.

Buddy and Fids reach the room just in time to see Ford increase his height once more.

Now he was taller than Fids.

"Okay now you're over doing it." Buddy advised.

"Give it up Ford!" Stan yelled as he barged in with the girls right behind him. "Wait, what happened?" Stan asked as he walked up to his noticeably taller brother.

"You know puberty and stuff." Ford reasoned.

"It doesn't make sense!" Stan yelled.

"Yeah wouldn't twins hit puberty at the same time?" Heather said giving Ford her famous 'I'm on to you look.'

"Yeah!" Stan yelled. "Besides just a second ago you were. Wait a minute this is one of those magic things isn't it!" He asked. "Was it a wizard or something?"

"Stanley…" Ford began.

Stan however was on a roll. "There's a wizard in this closet isn't there?" he pointed to the bedroom closet. "Isn't there"

"What? NO!" Ford yelled.

Stan opened the closet to nothing.

"An invisible Wizard!" Stan yelled. "Ford shame on you!"

(Back with Mabel…)

Meanwhile downstairs Mabel answers the door for the third time that day! And she is not happy of who she sees. "Oy, you."

Bonnie gave her a wicked smile as she held a bat and a jar of bugs. "Oh, howdy Mabel! Listen closely. Inside this jar I have 1000 Cursed Egyptian super termites. Hand over the deed to your property or I'll smash this jar with this bat, and they'll devour this shack with you inside!"

Mabel grabbed the jar from her hands and opened it the termites waste no time attacking the girl.

"Oh, no! Aaaah! Get it off! Awww!" Bonnie cries as she runs around the yard.

"Look you can come inside for some bug spray if you promise to put this to rest." Mabel told her.

"Never!" Bonnie declared. "Y'all may have won this battle but mark my words. Your family has a weak spot, and I'm gonna find it! Ah! My hair!" She cries running into the woods.

(Back to Ford and Stan.)

"Does he only respond to incantations?" Stan asked, still going on about the wizard. " `Excpecto wizzarium! Wizle! Wizar-" he said spouting out nonsense.

"It's not a wizard!" Ford exclaimed, finally having enough. "I grew myself using this magic flashlight!"

"Lemme see that thing!" Stan demanded.

"Aah!" Ford runs out of the room with Stan close behind.

"Should we?" Susan asked.

"Let's go get them." Heather insisted to which Fids and Buddy agreed they race after the twins who are fighting over the flashlight as they run outside it turns on and makes a caterpillar grow larger than a car.

The twins drop it in surprise and Stan picks it up and uses it to make his hand grow bigger. "Ahh!"

"It's okay it can shrink things too." Ford assured him taking the flashlight and fixing his hand.

Susan, Fids, Buddy, and Heather exit the shack just in time to see this demonstration.

"So, it shrinks and grows things." Heather said. "I get it."

"Normal hand karate chop!" Stan said hitting Fords hand and grabbing the light.

"Hey!" Ford yelled. "Give it back!" He reaches for the light.

"Never!" Stan vows as Ford knocks the light causing it to fly out of their hands.

"Curse the Pines family!" Bonnie muttered as she was retreating home. "Curse Mabel! Curse—" suddenly the flashlight lands in front of her.

Meanwhile, Stan and Ford are arguing while their friends are trying to break it up.

"Guys it doesn't matter who's taller!" Fids yelled.

"Yeah let's just get rid of that flashlight before….

They all turn to notice Bonnie who now has the flashlight in her hands.

"Maybe she didn't see us use it." Stan said hopefully. "And doesn't know it's a magic flashlight that can grow and shrink things."

"Really?" Heather exclaims.

Bonnie smiles and turns on the light to purple before pointing it at them!

"No, no-!" They all cried out in surprise as they were shrunk down to the size of little figurines that could fit in Bonnie's hand.

"WH-what?" Ford wheezed and looked around. "The flashlight!"

"We'll find another. Just run!" Stan yelped and attempted to run his friends followed when Heather noticed.

"Hey where's Buddy!" She cried.

The friends stopped to look for him.

BIG mistake!

Bonnie slammed a jar down on top of them. "Now Mabel will have to give me the Shack!"

"Let us go!" Heather declared.

"Quiet you!" Bonnie snapped. "You broke my brother's heart!" She screamed. "And the rest of you. You're just as bad."

She laughed evilly than as she made her retreat with her hostages in tow.

Meanwhile, Buddy who noticed his sister just in time to hide before he saw him, had avoided getting shrunk. "I have to stop her." He decided.

But he couldn't just run after her, no she'd shrink him too without a second thought.

"I need a plan." He realized as he followed close behind. He had too help them, and he was going to, or die trying!

-To be Continued