As they all walked back to the Parrish mansion, Theo took the time to explain what Alan had asked.
"So, you're from another reality, you have no idea how to get back and you found yourself in the jungles where you met Jumanji?", Alan asked making sure he had everything down.
"Yep.", Theo confirmed.
"So, that magic you can do?", Judy asked, "You learned it on your travels?"
"Right again.", Theo stated.
Peter was in awe.
"What was he like?"
"Who?", Theo asked.
"Jumanji.", Peter told him, "What was he like when he was human?"
Theo recalled his earlier adventures in Jumanji's home and sighed.
"I guess you could say he was not unlike most kids today. He was headstrong and eager, but unexperienced which led him into trouble at times, but he learned his lesson in the end."
By now, they had reached the mansion and set up in the living room where Sarah came to, but tensed as Theo placed glasses of lemonade on the table between two couches while giving her a pleasant smile.
"Lemonade?", he asked politely.
Sarah said nothing and just went to the phone and dialed really fast. After a while, she started talking.
"Dr. Boorstein, Sarah Whittle calling. If you could call me back as soon as you can. I think I need to have my dosage checked. That event we've been discussing, the one that really didn't happen. Oh boy, I'm having an episode about that little boy who didn't really disappear."
Theo looked to Alan who seemed to be getting a familiar glint in his eye as he reached down under the table the lemonade was on while Sarah kept talking.
"I'm sitting in his living room drinking lemonade with someone who seems to be here and yet he's not here. If you could call me, I'd really be interested in your interpretation. Thank you so much."
She hung up while Alan put Jumanji on the table and opened it up.
"He'll call back ten minutes before the hour."
"While we're waiting.", Alan said.
The moment Sarah's eyes glanced Jumanji, she freaked out and jumped over the couch as Theo jumped up with Alan trying to catch her.
"Sarah!"
"No, no, no, no!"
"Madam!", Theo snapped firmly.
"Alan, I spent over two thousand hours of therapy, convincing myself that doesn't exist.", Sarah said rather fast clearly still freaking out, "What happened to you was so awful I mad e up the whole thing."
"Sarah, it was awful.", Alan said trying to change her mind, "It was really awful. It was real. Real."
"No, no, no. It wasn't real.", Sarah denied, "Your father murdered you. He chopped you up into little pieces."
"Madam.", Theo said firmly, "You really believe your own rumor? Alan's father would do no such thing. I would know."
Sarah's attention darted to Theo now even more freaked out.
"And how in the world are you even able to do what you did?!", she snapped, "That kind of thing isn't possible I mean-"
"Sarah!", Theo snapped sharply cutting her off and finally having her quiet down before he spoke again in a more calmer tone as Alan and him moved her back to the table, "Twenty six years ago, you and Alan here started playing a game."
"And now, we're all going to sit down, and we're going to finish it.", Alan added.
Sarah shook her head still refusing as Alan reached for the dice.
"And according to the rules, it's now your turn to roll.", Theo concluded as Alan placed the dice in Sarah's hand.
/
Alan then went to the other couch where Judy had moved to while Theo stood by Sarah as she looked at the dice and whimpered.
"No.", she said before she tried to hand the dice over to Peter who pushed her hand back.
"We need you to play as well Sarah."
"Oh, no, no, no.", Sarah whispered still refusing.
Theo sighed.
"Fine, just hand over the dice and you can leave.", he said placing an open hand over the board, "You don't have to play if you don't want to."
Sarah sighed in relief.
"Oh thank you.", she said.
Just as she dropped the dice, Theo moved his hand and the dice landed on the board as Alan looked amused.
"Smooth move."
"Oh my word! How could you do that?!", Sarah exclaimed.
"It's all part of Jumanji.", Theo told her casually, "You'll get used to it."
Peter smiled snidely as Sarah kept freaking out unaware that the rhino token had started moving again.
"And I think of all the energy I spent visualizing Alan as a radiant spirit."
"Go on, read it.", Judy urged.
The five leaned in as words began appearing and Sarah spoke as if giving in.
"They grow much faster than bamboo. Take care or they'll come after you."
Some pieces of ceiling fell to the board making everyone look up to see vines growing like wildfire.
"Oh, great.", Alan mumbled.
"Oh my, tell me this isn't happening.", Sarah yelped as she was starting to panic again.
"I'm afraid it is.", Theo said firmly as the group huddled and he put a hand over his pocket that held the mirror, "Stay away from the walls and touch nothing."
"No quick movements either.", Alan added.
Theo looked around as the vines covered more walls and furniture before seeing a purple flower bloom.
"Wow, they're beautiful.", Judy said mesmerized by the flower.
"Don't be fooled.", Theo warned as he reached over and grabbed her hand that had started to lift, "The purple ones shoot poisonous barbs."
"And definitely stay away from the pods.", Alan added, "The big yellow ones."
"What big yellow ones?", Sarah asked.
Then they all heard Peter scream and Theo turned to see the boy fall to the ground with a vine around his leg which was dragging him under the rug towards the fireplace.
"Peter!", Alan called out as the group gave chase and Peter came out the other end of the rug and he grabbed the boy's arms making him stop, "I gotcha!"
The rest came over and grabbed hold as Peter's voice rang out.
"Get it off me! Get it off me!"
A loud crash made the group turn to the fireplace just as a large pod burst through and opened to reveal the vine was coming from the middle of four large yellow petals all lined with sharp thorns like teeth.
"Oh my word!", Sarah yelped.
The pod closed and headed back to the fireplace as if trying to pull Peter closer making the boy scream louder.
"Hold on Peter!", Theo yelled as he let go suddenly and started flinging magical bolts that did little effect, "Blast. No effect."
While the rest saw it, this wasn't the time as Alan suddenly let go.
"Grab him! I'll be right back."
Theo did so and the plant opened again as if to scare or intimidate them. Theo tried to hurl magical bolts again, but to no avail. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass made him flinch, but he didn't let go of Peter.
"Harvest time!", he heard Alan shout.
Alan suddenly appeared with a sword that looked old and sliced the vine which made Peter fall back and the other half shoot back into the pod which closed and whimpered as if wounded before it retreated back into the fireplace and vanished from sight.
"Everyone okay?", Theo asked.
Peter nodded as Theo then helped get the vine off his leg while everyone else kept staring at the fireplace. Theo felt a tingle in his hands leave and pondered. Was the mirror helping him tap into the magic he had obtained earlier in his travels?
/
Alan had the whole group move outside the room while he secured it with some stray vines that had been cut when Theo's magic had been hurled. Just as he had finished securing the room, Theo noticed Sarah sprint towards the door.
"Sarah!", Alan shouted before he chased after her.
Theo ran after her too and both had managed to catch up to her before she got to the door and Alan managed to restrain her though she didn't look or sound pleased.
"Get your hands off of me!", she demanded.
"The game isn't over yet Sarah.", Alan told her as he dragged her back away from the exit.
"Madam, I know this is all new to you after so-", Theo started.
"Well it is for me!", Sarah snapped as she strained against Alan's hold to no avail, "We are not in a jungle anymore! Stop this, you don't treat people like this!"
While the grown ups moved past the children, Theo saw out of the corner of his eye that Peter was looking at the glass of the living room at something and turned his head just in time for Peter to notice.
"You okay there?", Theo asked looking to the glass Peter was looking at, "See something there?"
Peter then shrugged and shook his head.
"No, nothing."
As they headed to the library, Judy then spoke to Theo.
"Theo, how did you do what you did back there?", she asked, "Are you magic or something?"
Theo blushed slightly.
"Or something.", he answered, "I'm kind of a collector of sorts. Travel here and there, pick up some items while I'm there and keep them as reminders of my time there."
Judy looked interested.
"Like what?", she asked as Peter caught up with her and Theo.
Theo reached into his pocket and pulled out his mirror.
"Like this."
By now, the group had made it to the library where Peter set up the game while Alan noticed the mirror in Theo's hands.
"What's that?", he asked.
"Just something I carry around.", Theo answered thinking quickly, "Just something I picked up in my travels…a long time ago."
He pocketed the mirror as Judy decided to drop the issue of asking further as she and everyone else was seated.
/
"Anyone up for iced tea?", Sarah asked before standing, "I'm going to make some tea."
"Won't be necessary.", Theo answered waving a finger in the air.
Instantly, five large glasses appeared with iced tea, lemon wedges, and straws making Sarah pause.
"How did you do that?", she asked in awe.
"Lots of practice.", Theo answered her, "Now will you sit please?"
Sarah did so, but looked hesitant.
"Alan, please. Last time I played this game, it ruined my life."
"It ruined your life?", Alan asked with a chuckle, "In the jungle you must wait until the dice read five or eight."
"I was a little girl, Alan.", Sarah continued, "You disappeared, a bunch of bats surrounded me and chased me down the street. I was afraid. I'm sorry, Alan. No one believed me. I was alone."
"So was he, Madam.", Theo informed, "For twenty-six years."
"It's okay Sarah.", Judy spoke up, "We're scared too. But if we finish the game, it'll all go away."
"What if I get stuck in the game?", Sarah questioned.
"You won't.", Alan told her, "Because I won't stop playing."
"Neither will I.", Judy agreed.
"I won't either.", Peter put in before putting a fist out in the middle.
"Sarah, I promise you that I will be beside you to protect you, Alan, and the children from whatever danger Jumanji throws at us.", Theo assured as he gently placed a hand on Peter's fist.
Judy followed Theo's example and placed her hand on Theo's followed by Alan putting his hand on hers. Sarah wasn't moving, but seeing what was going on and seeming to be moved by Theo's words, placed her hand on top of the pile.
"I knew this was going to be a bad day.", she whispered.
"Hey, come on. We'll be fine. We just got to keep our heads up.", Alan assured her as the others let go leaving only his hand holding Sarah's now for comfort, "Roll with the punches."
Alan then let go, picked up the dice and rolled. The group looked into the amulet as words began appearing.
"A hunter from the darkest wild.", Alan read before getting up rather fast looking scared, "Makes you feel just like a child."
"What is it?", Sarah asked.
"Van Pelt.", Alan whispered.
Then a huge gunshot rang out and the globe nearby fell over with a fresh bullet hole. Alan sprinted to the door as another set of doors opened to reveal Van Pelt as Theo remembered him which made Theo's jaw drop in shock as the hunter took aim and fired again thankfully missing Alan.
"You miserable coward!", Van Pelt called out, "Come back, and fight me like a man!"
Theo tensed as the hunter now noticed him and looked annoyed.
"I'll deal with you in a minute.", he sneered before dashing off to pursue Alan.
Theo hurried after him and saw them in the hall just as Alan hurled the sword making Van Pelt miss as the hunter fired again before opening the door and dashing off again.
"Not good enough Sonny Jim.", Van Pelt said wrenching the sword out and cocking his gun again, "Coming ready or not."
Theo watched as Van Pelt went out the door and fired again by the sound of his gun going off again and turned to see Sarah with the kids by a window.
"Even if Alan gets out of this, the same thing's gonna happen over and over again.", she explained, "When you carry around so much anger, it attracts a lot of negative energy. And things happen, like ending up in the jungle. That was no accident. There are no accidents."
"Who's turn is it?"
They all turned to see Alan still alive much to their relief.
"It's my turn.", Judy informed.
"Really? Great.", Alan said.
"Well you or Theo could've told us there was a man in there with a rifle that hunts people.", Sarah snapped.
"Well I didn't know okay?", Alan countered, "It's just a roll of the dice."
"Is he the reason you didn't want to play?", Judy asked before turning to Theo, "And was he the man from your story about how the game came to be?"
Theo sighed. Guess the cat was out of the bag.
