Halloween Story, Part 2: Surviving the Re-Sale Shop

Quinn and Lola were tossed in a big bin of stuffed animals at the re-sale shop. And then a another box of plush was dumped on top. It was dark and cramped, and it smelled bad in the pile. Worst of all, they were separated.

“Quinn, where are you?”

“Over here, next to the teddy bear.”

“Which teddy bear?” asked Lola.

And so it went, as they tried to swim to the top of the bin.

“It’s no use,” moaned a sad horse, “you’ll be in this bin for years. This is just a waiting place until you’re tossed out for good – in the garbage. Get used to it.”

The rest of the animals chimed in, one more depressed than the next. But Quinn and Lola were not going to give up without a fight. If they could get out of the bin, and be together, they could find out how to get back to Sophia.

At once a shock of light poured in, followed by crazy hands with dirty finger nails: a young child was rummaging through the bin.

“A Beanie Boo,” the child hollered. “Mom, I found a Beanie Boo.”

Oh no, Lola panicked as the young hands lifted her in the air above the bin. Please don’t take me. Please don’t take me. I can’t leave Quinn behind. I can’t go to a new home before Sophia comes looking for us.

“Put that down. We’re not getting any toys today,” said the child’s mother as she ripped Lola from his hands.

Phew. She was safe. Standing at the top of the pile, she scanned the room and saw a door.

“Quinn, keep climbing,” she hollered down, “I’m at the top.”

“I’m trying,” Quinn said, “but I’m trapped under a giraffe.”

Lola heard a series of grunts and then the most wonderful thing happened – she saw Quinn’s tail. She helped him up. They hugged as long and as tight as they’d ever hugged. At least they were together again. Now, to find a way home.

“Come on, Quinn, we have to get out of here.” She, being a cat, was able to leap great distances and always land on her feet. “Let’s jump over to that table, and from there, we can get to the floor. We’ll escape when the door is open.”

“I don’t think I can jump that far,” Lola said. “I’ve never done it before.”

“You can do it. You have to,” Quinn said. “Take my paw. I’ll help you.”

Paw in paw, they flew through the air to a nearby table.

They did not notice that they had caught the attention of an old lady in a wheelchair. Dressed in a long black dress with a lace collar, she was an elegant lady. Her gray hair was tied in a loose bun and she wore a shiny string of pearls around her neck.

“Ralph,” said the old woman to an even older man, “wheel me over there – to that table.”

“Yes, dear.” Ralph walked slowly, pushing the wheelchair toward Quinn and Lola.

She leaned forward and reached for Quinn. “This is a sweet little thing, isn’t it?” she said. “I miss having a cat.”

“Well, darling,” Ralph began to say in a slow, whispery voice, “you can’t take the cat and leave the dog behind, now can you? They look like friends.”

She grabbed Lola and within a few minutes, the Beanie Boos were driving across town in a shiny black car on their way to a new home.