“Wait here.” She held up her hand in the stay sign. She kept her hand up as she disappeared beneath it. Finally, Mom pulled the hand out of sight so she could use it to hang onto the next rock.

“Drop the potato chips and no one gets hurt!” I barked, refusing the empty paw.

I waited, but there was no rumbling and no tumbling. I waited some more, but still no Mom fell out of the Mom-return slot. I would have to step onto her landing strip if I wanted to look for her. I was just about to take a cautious step onto the runway when I heard a whoosh.

He aimed his witch at the empty air between the potty and the next mountain. “Aren’t your pictures missing someone?”

He aimed his witch at the empty air between the potty and the next mountain. “Aren’t your pictures missing someone?”