Theo, Judy, and Peter dashed down the stairs, but the lion chasing them leaped off the stairs and was now cutting them off from going down the next flight of stairs.
"Oh dear.", Theo yelped as the trio skidded to a halt.
Judy and Peter said nothing as their fear had taken root. As they slowly backed up, Theo felt a presence and turned to see a full-grown man standing behind them in jungle clothing and holding out a knife that looked stone carved. Judy and Peter noticed too and yelped again, but the man seemed to be focused on the lion.
"Kids, run!", Theo told them.
Judy and Peter didn't need to be told twice as they bolted to a cupboard and slammed the door. Theo suddenly felt a tingly feeling as he looked to the man again and the moment their eyes met, Theo saw Alan as a boy again before he moved to the side and the lion lost interest in him and focused on the newcomer. Theo observed as Alan waved his knife around as the lion swiped at him narrowly missing. Theo then noticed Alan drop his knife and jump up just as the big cat pounced and slid into a bedroom. Before he even knew what was going on, Theo ran forward and slammed the door shut just in time for some claws to puncture through it, but the door held which ment the cat couldn't get out. Theo backed up just as he felt a sharp point on his back and paused.
"Who are you?"
Theo guessed it was Alan and he didn't want any stab wounds so he spoke up.
"Theo, I'm the-"
He felt the point drop and turned to see Alan already leaving down the hall. Theo then went to a cupboard and knocked.
"You guys okay in there?"
No answer came, but Theo guessed that the children were listening.
"Judy, Peter, if you don't come out, I'll sick that cat on you through the back wall of that cupboard."
The doors swung open fast as the children came out looking pretty scared. Theo looked amused.
"Don't worry, he's in there.", he said plainly as he gestured toward the door behind him before looking concerned, "Everyone okay?"
Judy and Peter tried to calm down though Judy was looking annoyed as well.
"Don't ever do that again.", she warned.
Then the sound of a door opening came from down the hall and Theo went in that direction with the kids on his heels. They soon came to another room where Alan was seen holding what looked like an old photo frame before turning their way upon hearing their footsteps.
"Somebody roll a five or eight?", he asked with his eyes wide with shock as if he thought he was dreaming.
Now Theo looked surprised.
"It can't be.", he said looking just as wondering, "Alan Parrish?"
Judy and Peter both looked surprised now. Alan looked Theo's way more surprised as he did earlier.
"You know me?", he asked.
Theo sighed before talking.
"Alan, Peter rolled a five and you are free of the game's world, but-"
He didn't finish cause Alan burst out laughing and charged like a football player toward Peter who attempted to flee, but Alan caught up with him, picked him up and started hugging while swinging him around.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you.", he joyously cried before setting him down gently, "Sorry if I scared you. Sorry if I scared you. Thank you."
/
Alan then headed off while Theo chased after him as if to explain everything while Judy came to her brother's side.
"I'm back! Mom! Dad! I'm home! I'm back! It's me! It's me, Alan, Mom and Dad!"
Theo kept running after Alan with Judy and Peter catching up to them in the main room.
"Alan, listen to me for one darn minute already!", Theo screamed.
Alan paused as he wasn't getting an answer from his cries and saw Theo had something to say and Theo finally caught his breath.
"Alan, I know you're happy to be back, but you're not in the home you knew."
Alan looked shocked to hear that.
"Can't be. Where's Mom? Is Dad at the factory?", he asked.
Theo sighed as if he had to deliver some disturbing news.
"No.", he sighed, "I'm Theo and the children here are Judy and Peter Shepherd. They live here now."
Alan looked to the children and then back to Theo looking more confused than ever.
"I…I don't understand.", he answered, "Where's my mom and dad?"
Theo knew, but before he could answer, Judy spoke up.
"We don't know. This house has been emptied for years.", she told Alan, "Everyone thought you were dead."
Alan's expression began showing signs of denial as he started backing up and then dashing out the front door. Theo rolled his eyes and smacked himself in the face.
"Oh, he's doing it again."
Judy looked confused.
"What are you talking about?", she asked, "He just got here and-"
"No, not Alan.", Theo said firmly, "I'm talking about-"
Theo then caught himself as he thought that explaining Jumanji wasn't the right thing to do right now, but for now, he had to catch up to Alan and explain everything.
"Never mind that.", Theo retorted, "Come on, we better go check on him."
He started out and with the children right behind him. Once they got outside the door, crisp autumn air met Theo's nose and filled his lungs as he breathed it in though he then noticed Alan heading into the street and out of the corner of his eye, saw a police car heading right for him!
"Alan! Watch out!", he screamed as he held his hand out and pulled it back quickly.
Instantly, Alan was pulled back to the sidewalk just before the cop driving the car noticed anything, but skid to a stop just the same and got out just as Theo and the kids hurried over.
"What is your problem?", the cop asked, "Can't you stay on the sidewalk?"
Theo felt obliged to tell the cop, but Alan cut him off.
"What year is it?", he asked.
"My car was brand new.", the cop answered looking Alan's way.
"No, what year is it?", Alan asked again.
Theo opened his mouth, but Judy spoke up before he could.
"Uh, 1995, remember?"
Theo looked her way firmly.
"Thank you, Judy.", he answered before he turned to the cop and noticed his name tag, "We're very sorry Mr. Bently."
The officer looked Alan's way a bit funny.
"You got some I.D on you or did you leave it in your other Tarzan outfit?"
Theo took a breath and tried to talk calmly.
"Officer, I know this is going to sound crazy, but-"
"Do you mind?", Officer Bently asked Theo before turning to Alan, "You live around here?"
"I did!", Alan insisted, "But I've been in Jumanji."
/
Officer Bently clearly looked like he didn't believe Alan, but then Judy spoke up again.
"Indonesia.", she said, "He was in the Peace Corps."
Theo could tell she was lying, but then Bently started on him.
"And who might you be?", he asked.
Theo felt obliged to tell the truth, but Judy cut him off again.
"He's our sitter.", she said, We kind of overslept and he wanted us to make sure we weren't late."
"Well, just be careful around here.", Bently warned, "We got a strange case of some mysterious bites going around and people saying they saw things that I doubt were real."
Theo tensed.
"The mosquitos.", he muttered.
"Huh?", Bentley asked who just happened to hear slightly.
"Oh, nothing.", Theo answered quickly, "Please excuse my… patient."
Bently looked Theo's way a bit funny, but Judy piped up again.
"Yeah, he's our uncle's… therapist. You know how stressful it is being in the Corps."
Theo rolled his eyes but thought at least it will move things along.
"Does he always dress like that?", Bently asked gesturing to Alan.
This time, Theo spoke up before Judy.
"Not often Officer. He just got back unfortunately."
"Get out of there!", Alan suddenly screamed.
Everyone else noticed he was yelling at Bentley's cruiser as if something was in there even though they could see nothing.
"Monkeys.", Alan assured, "Monkeys."
Bentley now looked concerned.
"Is he alright upstairs?", he asked.
Theo got the gesture and spoke up before Judy.
"His session is a.. work in progress.", Theo answered.
Alan kept screaming at the cruiser until a loud bang went off blowing the lights on top making Theo jump slightly before the car sped away.
"Hey! Hey!", Bentley called out before looking Alan's way, "Don't you move."
Bentley then started running after his car, but Theo and the kids noticed Alan run in another direction.
"There he goes again.", Theo said annoyed.
"Wait a minute!", Judy called out to him, "Where are you going?"
"To find my parents!", Alan hollered back.
Theo then felt something back in the mansion and thought it was Jumanji.
"Kids, you catch up with him.", Theo assured, "I need to go see about something."
He turned to leave, but felt like something grabbed his arm. He looked to see Peter giving him a pleading look as if to ask "don't leave us too". Theo then sighed as if admitting defeat before Peter let go.
"Come on.", he said as he started after Alan with the kids right behind him, "And if anyone asks, you two are helping me with my patient."
Both children nodded as if they understood. The group followed Alan through Brantford until they came to what Theo guessed was a factory back in the day. Judy and Peter headed ahead, but as Theo started going forward and the feeling he had shifted and instantly, Theo found himself standing on the street where the factory before him puffed smoke cheerfully. He didn't have time to stare a bunch of boys on bikes came past him with a couple going through him as if he was a ghost. The boy in the lead and looking pretty scared Theo recognized as a younger Alan. The other boys were hurling insults and threats that made Theo guess that the boys didn't like him. Probably jealous that the Parrish family was on top and their families were not. Theo then snapped out of a daze as the place went back to the present day and just in time to see Judy and Peter following Alan again as he got to the former factory.
"Here we go again.", Theo thought rolling his eyes.
/
Theo followed the trio until they came to a cemetery where Alan had now paused as he noticed Alan at his parent's grave. He kept his distance as he thought Alan needed a little time. Judy and Peter came up to him though Theo stayed back while listening in.
"Our parents are dead too.", Judy told him, "They were in the Middle East when-"
Peter touched his sister's arm cutting her off and telling her to stop lying before he started talking.
"Our dad was in advertising."
"I bet you miss him, huh?", Alan asked before placing his leafy helmet on the headstone and moving away.
Theo sighed as he soon caught up with the others though Judy and Peter hardly noticed.
"Listen, I know you're upset an all, but I kinda feel like we should finish the game.", Judy informed once her brother and her had caught up.
"Smart thinking.", Theo stated, "You don't really know what kind of-"
"We?", Alan asked cutting Theo off, "Why do you need me?"
Theo felt a bit miffed.
"Hello? Has your memory faded after all these years?", he thought bitterly to himself.
"Just in case any other scary stuff comes out.", Judy answered, "Plus, there's a lion in my aunt's bedroom. What should I do about that?"
"Do I look like a Ringling brother?", Alan asked her clearly not agreeing.
"Ms. Shepherd will be home soon.", Theo told Alan though a bit harsh.
"Won't she be surprised.", Alan answered, "Hope she's not allergic to cats."
Theo felt his blood grow hotter, but he didn't have time to say anything cause a car came rushing past and collided with an ambulance that parked instantly. The back came open as a paramedic jumped out and rand towards the car which told Theo that he must be a first responder or something.
"Larry, we need the wheels.", he shouted to the ambulance, "Gimme a hand."
"Did we hit her that hard?", the other paramedic asked as he came out with an emergency gurney and rushed over.
"No, it looks like another one of those weird bites.", the first one answered.
The group observed as they came over and paused at the car that looked like it would still run okay. The paramedics were now getting the driver who was a woman out and on to the gurney.
"Yeah, it's another one."
"Geez, that's over 50. What the heck is going on?"
As they got the woman out, Judy suddenly spoke.
"Hey, isn't that Mrs. Thomas?"
"Who's that?", Peter asked.
"The realtor.", Judy told him.
"Shh! Quiet.", Alan hissed suddenly as if danger was near, "Listen. You hear that?"
Theo felt a shudder run down his spine, but Judy didn't seem to hear anything.
"Hear what?", she asked.
Then Theo heard a very faint buzz like something far off that sounded familiar and now he looked alarmed.
"Everyone in the car.", Theo instructed, "Now."
As Alan and the kids got into the car, Theo noticed the paramedics get the woman into the ambulance and close the doors behind them before driving off before he got into the back and shut the door behind him. Once all four were in, Alan looked to the kids who were both in the passenger's side.
"Okay, think.", he said to them, "What came out of the game before me?"
"There was a lion, a bunch of monkeys, and-", Judy started.
"That!", Peter yelled pointing behind Alan.
The group saw a mosquito from the attic and all yelped as it flew above and out of sight, but Alan seemed to calm down faster than the rest.
"It's okay. It's okay.", he said trying to calm down everyone, "It's just a bug. But we're safe in here. See? We're fine."
Then Theo screamed as the mosquito's "nose" poked through the top of the car though Alan looked calm as the group got lower.
"As long as we stay low, he can't get through there too far. Don't worry. We're fine.", Alan said before the mosquito appeared on the windshield grabbing everyone's attention, "Hey, he can't get us in here. He can't get through the glass. We're safe."
The mosquito banged its nose on the windshield making a hole and Theo finally had enough. He snapped his fingers and instantly got started the car.
"Okay, time for this eighteen-year-old to drive us to safety."
"I thought you were twenty-one.", Judy said as she and Peter buckled up.
"Whatever.", Theo answered before he hit the gas and was soon driving the car away.