| Chapter 6 |
Woody searched the enormous antiques store, calling Bo's name. Forky followed.
“Bo? ”Forky repeated as they wound through the store. He seemed to enjoy saying her name. “Bo, Bo, Bo, Bo, Bo,” he said until he grew tired of it and turned to Woody. “Can we go back to Bonnie now? I don't see your friend.”
“Yeah, okay,” Woody said with a sigh. “She's not in here. Come on, let's go.”
Just as Woody grabbed Forky, the sound of squeaky wheels coming toward them made him pause. The sound grew louder and louder, and Woody pulled Forky behind a nearby shelf of vases. They watched through the glass, waiting to see what was making the sound.
An antique ventriloquist's dummy wearing a red bow tie appeared. He was pushing an old-fashioned baby carriage with squeaky wheels.
“Is that Bo?” asked Forky in a loud whisper.
Woody wincedand covered Forky's mouth as the dummy stopped walking. Its head slowly spun around until it stopped, staring straight at them. Forky screamed.
Woody had no choice. He stepped out from behind the glass and forced a smile. “Uh ... hey, howdy, hey there,” he said. “Sorry to bother you, but—” Inside the carriage, a doll wearing curled pigtails and a frilly yellow dress sat up.
“Why, you're not a bother at all,” said the doll in a sweet voice. “We were just out for my early-morning stroll—and look, we met you! My name is Gabby Gabby. And this is my very good friend Benson.” She gestured to the dummy.
“Oh, uh. Woody,” said Woody. “Pleasure to meet you.” He tried to hide his reaction to Benson's creepy smile.
“Well, it's nice to meet you, Woody. And you are ...?” Gabby Gabby smiled at Forky, waiting for an introduction.
“This is Forky,” said Woody.
“I'm trash,” said Forky.
“Our kid made him,” explained Woody.
“Kid?” said Gabby Gabby, her eyes widening. “Toys around here don't have kids. Are you two ... lost?” She raised her eyebrows when she noticed Woody's pull string in the reflection of the glass behind him.
Woody chuckled. “Lost? No, no, but we are looking for a lost toy. She's a figurine. Used to be on that lamp in the window. Name's Bo Peep.”
“Bo Peep?” said Gabby Gabby, perking up again. “Oh. Yes. I know Bo.”
“You do?” asked Woody, eager to hear more.
“Hop on in,” she said, moving over to make room for them inside her carriage. “We'll take you to her.”
Benson picked up Forky and Woody.
“Oh, um, you don't have to do that,” said Woody as Benson set them down in the carriage. “Ah, well. Okay ...”
“Benson, be careful with our new friends,” said Gabby Gabby.
“Wow, what service!” said Forky with a big, innocent smile.
As Benson pushed the carriage, Gabby Gabby stared at Woody, which made him uncomfortable.
“Uh, th-thank you for your help,” he stuttered. “I haven't seen Bo in years—”
“May I ask, when were you made?” asked Gabby Gabby.
“Me? Oh, I'm not sure. Late fifties?” said Woody, wishing they could go back to talking about Bo.
“Me too!” said Gabby Gabby with a gasp. “Gee, I wonder if we were made in the same factory. Wouldn't that be something? I gotta say, you are in great condition.”
Benson leaned over and inspected Woody's pull-string ring.
Sensing him, Woody turned around. “Well ... I try to stay active,” he said, trying to scoot away.
“And look at that, you have a voice box like me. Benson, show him.” Benson stopped the carriage.
“Oh, that's really not necessary,” said Woody.
Benson slid Gabby Gabby's voice box out of her back compartment, revealing a small record player. Gabby Gabby started the record, and a deep, warped voice came out of the speaker: “I'm Gabby Gabby, and I love you ...”
“Wow, you need to fix that,” said Forky, wincing at the terrifying sound.
Gabby Gabby opened the voice box and removed the record. “My record works just fine,” she explained. “It's the voice box that's broken. Does yours still work?”
Before Woody could answer, Benson pulled his string.
“Hey!” he shouted. Woody's voice box blurted, “There's a snake in my boot!”
“Listen to that,” said Gabby Gabby with an admiring smile. “Let's see it. I bet it's the same type.”
Woody squirmed in his seat. “N-no, thanks. Mine's sewn inside. Is Bo around here? Because we need—”
Suddenly, the store clocks chimed.
“Oh!” exclaimed Gabby Gabby. “The store is about to open. Don't worry, we'll take you where no one will see us.”
“Oh, no,” said Woody. “We can't stay.”
“You can't leave yet. You have what I need,” said the doll, pointing to Woody's chest as three more dummies emerged ominously from the shadows. “Right ... inside ... there.”
Chimes on the front door jingled as Margaret, the store owner, entered with her daughter and young granddaughter.
Gabby Gabby lit up when she saw the little girl. “Harmony!” she said, looking at her with admiration.
Woody noticed that Gabby Gabby was distracted and seized the opportunity. He grabbed Forky and jumped out of the carriage. As soon as they hit the ground, Woody broke into a sprint, dragging Forky behind him.
“Stop him, please,” Gabby Gabby said, her voice quiet and steady.
Hearing Gabby Gabby's order, Benson and the other dummies chased Woody and Forky up and down the store aisles.
“He's coming, he's coming, I see him, I see him, I see him,” said Forky, terrified.
A second later, Woody realized he was holding only Forky's pipe-cleaner arms. He looked back to see the dummies running toward him, carrying the rest of Forky.
“Woody!” Forky screamed.
One of the dummies got close enough to Woody to grab hold of Forky's arms. Woody fell down as the dummy snatched the pipe cleaner from his grasp.
Harmony passed by, and Woody, thinking fast, pulled his string, causing his voice box to say, “I'd like to join your posse, boys, but first I'm gonna sing a little song.”
Harmony turned to see Woody in toy mode. The dummies watched from a limp pile nearby as she bent to pick Woody up. She ran toward the front of the store.
“Grandma, look what I found,” she said, holding Woody. She asked if she could take the cowboy to the park, and her grandmother said yes.
Harmony carried Woody out of the store as she and her mom left for the park. Woody couldn't believe it—he was leaving without Forky.