Sean pulled into the parking lot of the mall and drove around looking for a place to park. The mall parking lot was packed with cars. He finally found parking spot a distance away from the mall proper. Surprised to see the crowd on a Sunday afternoon, he said, "There must be a sale today."
He got out of his truck and headed towards the mall. While on his way to the main entrance, he noticed a teenage boy flying through the air. He detoured to investigate what was happening. On his way, he noticed a little path marked by a sign that read, 'Troll Toll Bridge Ahead.' He paused to examine the sign and then commented, "I see they've set up a home for Stomp. I wonder how he's doing. I bet he's real happy to have a home at last."
There was a loud yell and another teenage boy flew through the air. Concerned, Sean said, "This doesn't look good. I better visit Stomp and make sure that he isn't getting in trouble."
Sean walked along the path to the Troll Toll Bridge. There was quite a line of people waiting to cross the little bridge. He stood in line while it slowly progressed. Occasionally he would hear a scream and see a kid go flying through the air. He examined the sign beside the path, "Toll Ahead — One Coin."
"That isn't very specific," Sean said upon reading the sign.
"Don't worry about it, he'll take any coin," the woman in front of him said. She calmly ignored the fact that another kid flew through the air while she was talking.
Gesturing towards the sky, Sean asked, "What's going on?"
"Some of the kids try to get around the troll without paying. The troll throws them into the pond," the woman said calmly. She watched another kid fly through the air. The kid did a flip at top of his flight. She said, "That's my son."
"He's got good form when flying through the air," Sean commented.
"Harry gets lots of practice," the woman said.
"He comes here often?" Sean asked.
"Every day," the woman answered. "That troll is the cheapest afterschool program in the area."
"You don't say," Sean said. He noticed a soaking wet kid get in line behind him. Turning to talk to the kid, he asked, "What's up?"
"Stomp is in good form today. I bet I went a hundred yards on that last throw," the kid said with a broad grin.
"That's nice," Sean said.
"Did you see Harry?" the kid asked.
"Is he the one who did the flip?" Sean asked.
"That's him," the kid said.
"I saw him," Sean said.
"He's real good. I can't get that flip down right," the kid said.
"Practice makes perfect," Sean said.
"The line today is long," the kid said. "I'll probably only get through it four or five times today. Maybe I'll get that flip right today."
"I noticed the line was kind of long," Sean said.
The kid frowned and said, "It wouldn't be so bad, but those squatty guys with beards keep cutting in line."
"Squatty guys with beards?" Sean asked. That sounded a lot like a Dwarf.
"Hi Sean," Chom said stepping into line in front of him.
"Hi Chom," Sean said. "You're wet."
"I took a dip in the pond," Chom said.
Pip arrived and got into line behind Chom. He looked back at Sean and said, "Hello, Sean."
"Hey, quit cutting in line," the kid behind Sean said.
"You're wet," Sean said.
"I took a dip in the pond," Pip said.
"What are you doing here?" Sean asked.
"We delivered the car to the police," Pip said.
"That was earlier this week. Why didn't you go back home?" Sean asked.
"Stomach ache," Chom answered. He belched long and loud.
"Stomach ache?" Sean asked.
"Too much soda," Pip said.
"That's right. You got paid a hundred bottles of soda," Sean said. He wondered where they had the soda hidden.
At the reminder of how much they had gotten paid, Chom said, "Liam made a real bad deal."
"That's right. We worked all week on the car and the soda didn't even last an afternoon," Pip said. He belched and said, "Next time we ask for a thousand sodas."
The line took a step forward. Stomp said, "Pay Toll."
"I brought you some cookies," the woman said holding out a bag.
"Love cookies," Stomp said taking the bag from the woman. He swallowed the cookies, bag and all.
Dropping a coin in the troll can, she said, "You're the answer to a single mom's dreams."
"Love cookies," Stomp said stepping aside so that the woman could walk past. He turned to face Chom and said, "Pay toll."
"No," Chom said trying to step around Stomp.
"Pay Toll," Stomp said picking up Chom and putting him down in front of him.
"No," Chom said trying to duck between Chom's legs.
"You fly," Stomp said grabbing Chom by an arm and a leg.
"Okay," Chom said.
Stomp tossed him into the pond. Pip looked over at Sean and rubbed his hands together. Excited, he said, "My turn."
A few seconds later, Pip was flying through the air. Sean watched him tuck into a ball before he hit the water. Looking over at Stomp, he said, "That was a good splash."
"Splash good," Stomp agreed grinning broadly. His crooked teeth looked greener than usual.
"Hi Stomp."
"Hi Sean."
"How are you doing?" Sean asked.
"Stomp happy," Stomp said. "Good home."
The kid behind Sean said, "Hey, quit holding up the line."
Sean stepped aside and said, "Go ahead."
Looking down at the kid, Stomp said, "Pay toll."
"No," the kid said trying to sneak around Stomp.
Stomp grabbed the kid and set him down in front of him. He said, "Pay toll."
"No," the kid said trying to duck between Stomp's legs.
"Go fly," Stomp said picking up the kid.
"Okay," the kid said just before Stomp tossed him into the pond. He almost completed his flip before hitting the water. His entry into the water was spectacular in terms of the splash he created.
"Must hurt," Stomp said cringing.
"He'll get better," Sean said wondering how many belly flops the kid would experience before getting the flip down.
"Kids play," Stomp said nodding his head.
"It looks like fun," Sean said.
"Pay toll," Stomp said.
"Okay," Sean said dropping a penny into the toll jar.
"No fly," Stomp asked with a look of disappointment on his face.
"I've got to buy a present for Suzie," Sean said.
"Get club," Stomp said.
"A club?" Sean asked.
"Good present," Stomp said rubbing his head. He was pretty sure that a girl liked a present when she uses it right after she receives it.
Sean said, "I'll think about it. By the way, I ran into Rock."
"Rock here?" Stomp asked. His grin was so large that all of his teeth were visible. It was a truly gruesome sight.
"Yes," Sean answered.
"Wrestle good!" Stomp said jumping from one foot to the other excitedly. He was finally going to have someone who could wrestle with him.
"He said that he was looking forward to wrestling you," Sean said.
"Good fun!"
"Who wrestles good?" Chom asked while trying to nudge Sean aside.
"Rock," Sean answered wondering how Chom was going to react to the news. He had a feeling that Chom would disappear for a while.
"Rock is here?" Chom asked. His voice squeaked when asking the question.
Grinning, Pip said, "It sure sounded like Sean suggested that if you were to ask me."
"I'm not asking you," Chom said.
Realizing that there was a long line of people behind him and that Chom had just been tossed by Stomp, Sean asked, "Did you cut in line?"
"Uh, don't you remember that I was behind you?" Chom asked innocently.
"You were in front of me," Sean said.
Chom said, "Then maybe you cut in line."
"No I didn't," Sean said.
"Yes you did. You must have if we were in front of you and now you're in front of us," Pip said. Chom was nodding his head in agreement.
"Besides, you shouldn't avoid answering my question by changing the subject," Chom said stepping in front of Sean.
"What question?" Sean asked.
"Is Rock here?" Chom asked.
"Oh, that question. I wasn't sure which question you were referring to," Sean said.
Chom looked at Sean for a second waiting for an answer. Losing patience, he asked, "So is Rock here?"
"Yes," Sean answered.
"Oh my! I just remembered that my sister in Timbuktu is ill. I need to leave," Chom said edging away.
"I'm sure there's no need for you to go to Timbuktu," Pip said. He gave Chom a friendly little shove.
"She's very ill," Chom said. He put a hand over his heart and stared down at the ground looking very serious. He said, "She might not make it."
"You don't have a sister," Pip said pointing out an obvious flaw in Chom's statement.
Frowning at Pip, Chom said, "There's no reason to let facts get in the way of an excuse to leave."
"I'm sure that Rock has forgiven you," Pip said with a smirk.
"What did you do?" Sean asked.
Grinning, Pip answered, "He took a nap inside Rock's wife."
"Huh?" Sean asked. He wondered how one took a nap inside someone else.
"It was raining and I thought it was a cave," Chom said.
Stomp shook his head and said, "Stupid Dwarf."
"You thought what was a cave?" Sean asked.
Pip said, "Do we need to draw you a picture?"
"Yes."
"He mistook her vagina for a cave," Pip said.
"Oh," Sean said. He could see why Rock would be a little perturbed with Chom. He said, "I bet Rock was angry."
"Lava came shooting out his ears," Pip said.
Chom said, "Hey, it was raining."
Pointing towards the parking lot, Stomp said, "Rock comes."
"Bye," Chom said just before disappearing.
"That was a quick exit," Sean said.
"He's good at those," Pip said.
"Well, I better get a present for Suzy."
Pip said, "Get her a hammer. Women love it when you give them hammers."
"A hammer?" Sean asked. There was a loud sound. He looked in the direction from which the sound had originated and saw that Rock had just walked through the electric wires running to the mall. He sighed and said, "There goes the power to the mall. I'll never get Suzy a present at this rate."