As Alan led the group inside the house, Theo could feel the humidity and wiped his brow.
"Whew, it's a jungle in here.", he commented.
Nobody paid him much attention as they sat down at the base of what Theo would guess was a newly grown tree from Jumanji's homeland though Sarah looked unsure.
"Shouldn't we play someplace else?"
"I doubt it.", Theo said though it was mostly to himself.
"No, I grew up in this.", Alan said to her as he removed his jacket, "It's out there that scares me."
Theo then noticed Judy silently counting before Sarah reached for the dice.
"Okay, it's my turn."
"Sarah.", Judy said suddenly drawing Sarah's attention, "If you roll a twelve, you win."
The group looked to each other and then back to the board before Sarah took a breath as if preparing.
"Okay, ready?", she asked, "Here I go."
Sarah shook the dice a few times and then dropped them on the board. Unfortunately, the result was a three and not twelve.
"It's okay.", Alan spoke softly as if he was disappointed.
After the rhino counter moved three spaces, Sarah started reading what the amulet was showing.
"Every month at the quarter moon, there'll be a monsoon in your lagoon."
Theo tensed. That couldn't be good.
"A monsoon.", Sarah recounted before shrugging and trying brighten the mood, "Well, at least we're inside."
Theo's expression darkened as Alan started pulling his jacket up like a rain barrier.
"Yeah, right.", Alan commented.
A loud crash came from overhead along with a flash of light. Theo looked up to see large storm clouds forming on the ceiling until it was completely covered. Then Theo felt raindrops on his shoulder and flinched. He then noticed Judy and Peter each grow concerned as they felt it too. Another flash of light went off along with a softer crash, and finally, the rain fell hard drenching everyone.
"Oh great, now I'm all wet.", Theo griped.
Sarah stood up and sighed.
"Well, a little rain never hurt anybody."
"Yeah, but a lot can kill you.", Alan countered as he hurriedly shut the game and picked it up, "Come on! This way!"
As the rest followed, the rain certainly wasn't stopping and a river was starting to form on the floor as Theo felt the water soak through his shoes. He waved his finger and he was wearing sandals without socks which felt a bit better, but Sarah's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"What do we do now?"
"We get to higher ground!", Alan answered.
"Come on.", Theo said taking the lead, "Stay together."
As they headed for the stairway, Theo suddenly paused.
"Wait, if we have the monsoon, then were is the-"
He was interrupted as he noticed a huge waterfall of water roaring down the stairs aiming right for the whole group!
"Look out!"
Unfortunately for Theo, the group saw it and didn't have time to get out of the way as the water pushed them all off the stairs and they were underwater within a moment.
/
While under, Theo rolled as he struggled to hold his breath as he struggled to get to the surface. As he was about to break it, a flash of silver caught his eye as lightning flashed above the group again. He took a deep breath of air as the now formed lagoon as he saw the others above and well. He felt his pocked and looked alarmed.
"My mirror!", he yelped, "I dropped my mirror!"
He dove back down into the dark depths feeling frantically until he faintly heard Sarah above.
"Alan, what is that?"
Theo tensed, but kept feeling as he finally felt a handle and gripped it. A flash of light above illuminated the mirror's frame as it was wedged in what looked like a statue's hand. Theo then felt a wave across his back and through the water, he saw a dark shape coming towards him. Theo felt it was dangerous and then saw a crocodile with its jaws open ready to chomp on him. That was when the mirror lit up and the statue exploded catapulting Theo up to the surface and out of the water as Alan's voice rang out.
"Peter, get out of the water!"
Theo barely had time to react as he landed hard on the table and made it flip catapulting Judy and Peter onto the hanging chandelier. Alan tumbled back into the water, but managed to hurl the game up to the kids and Peter caught it.
"I'm not losing this again.", Theo said to himself firmly as he pocketed his mirror again.
"Theo, get up on the chandelier!", Alan called out as he was climbing up on the table.
Theo did so and held his hand out to Sarah as Alan had gotten on too.
"Come on Sarah."
Just as Sarah reached forward, a crocodile hurled its huge head out and hit the end of the table making it flip up violently. Alan and Theo were catapulted up to the chandelier, but Sarah slid down until she used her feet to hold the crocodile's mouth open and scream in fright.
"Peter!", Judy cried out.
Theo was looking down and saw Peter sinking into the water and just as another crocodile was heading right for him.
"Alan, hold on to me!", Theo instructed.
He then reached down and grabbed Peter's tail and pulled as Alan pulled him back. Together, they got Peter out of harm's way and back up to the chandelier.
"Whew, close call.", Theo sighed.
Sarah's scream brought him back to reality as Alan and him saw the crocodile snapping its mouth open and closed while swaying its head side to side as if to try and get out the position it was in. Sarah wouldn't last long if something wasn't done and fast.
"Hang on Sarah!", Alan called out as he dove back into the lagoon.
Alan was soon on top of the crocodile and while he wrestled it, Sarah was free and she managed to get herself on the chandelier as well.
"Alan, hang in there.", Theo called out before looking a bit worried, "Um… what can I do?"
Sarah looked annoyed.
"You dive into a lagoon to get a mirror and you're asking what you can do?", she countered.
/
Before Theo could come up with something, he heard a very faint thud that sounded like something hit the front door which made him pause.
"Well, that can't be good."
Then there came a sudden burst of light from the front door as it burst open and the lagoon started to drain out rather fast.
"Oh, that's convenient."
It was, until Theo saw Alan start drifting dangerously close to the door.
"Grab him!", Theo yelled out.
Sarah, Judy and Peter instantly sprang into action.
"Alan, give me your hand!", Sarah called out.
Unfortunately, Alan slipped past her and the draining of the lagoon wasn't stopping. Alan could hold his own, but Theo knew even he had his limits.
"Alan!", Peter called out as he reached his arm out, "Grab my hand!"
Alan tried once as he got close enough, but the lagoon water made the grip loosen until it came apart. Alan wasn't giving up though as he strained to swim forward enough to try again and this time, he managed to hold on.
"Hey."
Theo felt relieved that Alan was safe, but then his mirror shimmered and he pulled it out to see Nora and Officer Bently riding on the now detached doors like rafts as the lagoon flowed through the streets flooding everything before it. As Officer Bently saw the crocodile swim past and growl his way, he started screaming out loud before the mirror returned to normal.
"I have to learn how to handle this thing.", Theo told himself as he pocketed the mirror again.
Soon, the floor was no longer underwater, but reduced to a jungle creek as it seemed. Even so, Alan cautiously climbed off the chandelier with Peter following. Theo waved his finger and was on the floor in the time it took to wink an eye catching Alan by surprise.
"Oh Theo. You… still have it."
Theo ignored him as Judy handed the game down which he took and handed to Peter.
"Take the game."
Theo reached up and helped Judy down as Alan helped Sarah down though she was looking pretty impressed.
"You okay?", Alan asked her.
"Yeah.", she answered.
They paused and Judy then turned to Peter smiling as if she knew. Theo saw it too as Sarah spoke again.
"Alan, you wrestled an alligator for me."
Alan smiled sheepishly, but backed up as Sarah leaned in for a kiss.
"It was a crocodile.", he corrected, "Alligators don't have that little fringe on their hind leg."
"Not to mention that their snouts are longer and slimmer and their bottom and top teeth show when their mouths are closed.", Theo added.
Still, Alan looked his way as if to thank him before talking to Sarah again.
"Come on."
Sarah was a little speechless at first, but got over it.
"My mistake."
Theo came up to her as the group headed up to the attic.
"Hey, he's happy to have been there for you."
Sarah gave an assured smile to Theo showing she understood as the group climbed the still wet stairs.
/
Once up in the attic, Alan went first and looked in before heading in. Sarah, Judy, and Theo followed with Peter bringing up the rear. Once the first four were inside, Peter took a moment to close the door which closed rather loud startling the rest, but they calmed down as they saw it was only the door and quickly set up the game again in the same spot Judy and Peter did earlier that day.
"Okay, it's my turn.", Alan said before looking inspired, "I got it. Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench."
He chuckled at his own comment while Peter rolled his eyes. Theo however gave Alan a slight smile showing he was amused. Alan shook the dice while Theo silently counted the squares he needed to get to the end. Alan's token was only ten spaces away like Peter's was that one time, but unlike Peter, Theo knew that Alan knew better than to cheat. Alan rolled and they landed on a four and a three making it a total of seven. The elephant token moved seven spaces and paused. Then the message started appearing as Theo tensed as if preparing.
"Beware the ground on which you stand. The floor is quicker than the sand."
The moment Alan finished, the ground below him and the crate the game was on rippled and they both started sinking rapidly as if a pool of quicksand was there. Sarah grabbed the game off just in time and the kids did too, but Alan was still sinking.
"Help me.", he said trying not to panic.
"Okay, stay calm.", Sarah instructed, "Don't struggle, don't struggle. Stay calm."
"I'm calm.", Alan told her.
Theo's eyes quickly darted around as if looking for something to help, but it seemed Judy had thought ahead and came back with a music stand.
"Alan, grab on."
"Pull!", he instructed as he gripped the stand.
Theo rushed over to help and tried to help Judy, but as they strained, the stand broke in two. Theo then saw the game and turned to Judy.
"Judy, quick! It's your turn."
Judy didn't have to be told twice as she got hold of the game and pulled it toward her while Peter and Sarah tried to continue helping Alan. Judy quickly rolled the dice and they landed on a five and a two which was a seven again. Theo was brought out of his thoughts as he heard Alan's voice call out.
"Stop giving me things that come apart!"
Theo returned his focus to the game as Judy's token stopped.
"Come on Jumanji.", Theo prayed, "Please give us something good for once."
The message started appearing as Judy started reading.
"There is a lesson…", she started, "There is a lesson you will learn."
She paused and looked over her shoulder to see Sarah had a door on the edge of the quicksand and laying on it while holding Alan who was only visible by his arms and almost submerged head.
"I got you.", Sarah told him.
/
Theo quickly recited the rest of the rhyme.
"Sometimes you must go back a turn."
There came a sound of sand solidifying and the floor was no longer quicksand, but Alan and Sarah were still stuck.
"Did I hurt you?", Sarah asked.
"Oh no.", Alan assured as Judy, Theo and Peter came over and he turned his eyes Judy's way, "Thank you Judy, thank you. That was very quick thinking. Sarah and I would like to get out of the floor, so it's your turn Peter."
"Okay.", Peter nodded as he headed to the game with Judy and Theo following.
Once there, Peter picked up the dice and looked around for a moment before rolling. Even so, Theo observed the grown-ups talking.
"I thought I'd lost you again.", Sarah said to Alan.
"Thanks for sticking around this time.", Alan responded.
Theo then returned his attention back to the kids as Peter read his rhyme.
"Need a hand? Why you just wait. We'll help you out. We each have eight."
Theo tensed.
"Oh no, not that one!", he yelped.
There came a screech and Peter then looked up screaming. Judy looked and saw a huge spider coming down on a silk thread making her scream too. Theo saw more spiders approaching and grabbed the game as the trio made their way back to Alan and Sarah.
"What's that?", Alan asked, "What is it?"
"Nothing.", Sarah answered.
"You don't go "Ah!" for nothing.", Alan answered.
Luckily, Alan saw in a broken mirror what it was and instantly turned to Peter.
"Peter, my dad kept an ax in the woodshed. Go get it!"
Peter nodded and hurried out the door as Theo suddenly felt the magic return to his hands and stood guard as Judy picked up the broken music stand and joined Theo.
"Did I tell you I hate spiders?", Theo asked.
Judy didn't answer, but she started swinging the stand. Theo noticed a spider dangerously close to Sarah's legs and blasted it.
"Oh, that felt good.", he told himself before turning to the door, "Peter, I don't know how long Judy and I can keep this up. Please hurry up."
Theo then turned to the game and grew concerned.
"Man, we're so close now.", he said before blasting another spider away from Sarah.