The Island of Misplaced Toys

That cowboy toy and his Andy were nothing compared to Tommy and me.

I don’t blame Tommy for what happened. It was not his fault. And although his mother caused him to leave me behind, I can’t really fault her. She only did what a mother should do. Protect her son. Let me tell you how we met.

When Tommy was only 2 years old, he was playing in the backyard. Thaddeus, the 5-year-old boy next door, had received me as a gift. Fully poseable, it would seem as if I was the best kind of action figure a kid could ask for. But I was the $15 rip-off of the brand-name toy that he wanted. His parents grabbed me by mistake. They promised to buy him the “real” toy when they got back. Ted, as they called him, was ready to set me on fire. He wanted to see if I was as flammable as my green army-man fellow toy. I thank my creator that I was made with fire-proof plastic. Tommy saved me and my friends. He got me and a bucket of army men.

“What you doing?”, he asked.

“I don’t want them”, Ted replied. “I could throw them away or I could turn them into a pool of melted plastic.”

“Can I have them?”

“What will you give me?”

Tommy had a bunch of marbles. He had 3 bags full. He loved his marbles, but he didn’t need that many.”

“I got a bag full of marbles.”

“You got a deal. Take them. I don’t want them anyway.”

Thus began a life-long friendship. Tommy was the greatest friend a toy could have. He treated his toys so nicely. Not one of us was ever stepped on because he never left us on the floor. When he finished playing with us, he would always put us away. He did not place us in one large toy bin in which all the toys were thrown together. He had several small bins making it easy to find what he wanted. This made life wonderful for us toys. We were never cramped like sardines in a can. Even the army men were not left jammed together in a bucket. Just to show you how much he loved his toys; he removed the board from the feet of the army men. After watching the movie with the cowboy, he felt sorry seeing them walk with the board on their feet. Now, their legs can move more freely.

As the years went by, Tommy and I grew closer. I was with him almost everywhere he went. Most of the time, Sergeant Green of the Toy Bin Army was with us also. He was there to protect us. I never knew how much protection he actually gave us, considering that he didn’t have a gun. Tommy removed it with a nail clipper. “Guns are for killing”, he said. “Killing is bad.” I used to have a gun. It is still with Ted. Tommy didn’t want it.

When Tommy was 6 years old, he was playing in the park at the corner of the block where he lived. As to be expected, I, along with Sgt. Green, was with him. After playing on the slides, the swings, and the merry-go-round for about 30 minutes, we just sat in the grass and enjoyed the rest of the day. Suddenly, a huge dog came out of nowhere and was running straight toward Tommy. His mother grabbed him and lifted him in the air. Without stopping, even for a second, the dog grabbed me and Sgt. Green, and kept running. We didn’t see Tommy’s reaction. How could we? We were in a dog’s mouth. That’s when I blacked out.

I awoke to find myself inside a hole in the ground. Several other toys were there also. I looked around for Sgt. Green but couldn’t find him. I assumed that this is what toys felt like in a regular toy box. All jammed together. Barely able to move. I managed to free myself so I could move around a little. I was inside a doghouse.

“Has anyone seen Sgt. Green?”

I didn’t get an answer.

“Please. He’s my friend. He’s a green army man with his gun and board removed.”

“Shhhhhh!”, was the only reply.

“We were taken together. Is he here?”

“Butch will hear you. Be quiet.”

Moments later, Butch returned. He dropped Sgt. Green into the hole. He wasn’t badly injured, but the scars he received would be with him for the rest of his life.

“That’s Butch!”, I whispered.

“I’m not hurt”, Sgt. Green said. “But I did find out that Tommy is right next door.”

I glanced over and could see him in his yard crying. His mother was trying to comfort him. She even offered to buy him a new Gambo toy. But he didn’t want a new one. He wanted me. I had to try my best to get back to him. As everyone knows, however, toys find it hard to move when people can see them. We would have to make our move in the darkness of night.

“Don’t even try it”, said an action figure named Joe. He was a so-called Government Issue. Whatever that means. “It will never work. Once Butch got you, you belong to him. Escape is pointless.”

“How long have you been here”, asked Sgt. Green?

“3 weeks. 3 long weeks.”

Another one was named Peter. He wore a red and blue suit with what looked like a spider web all around it. He was there for almost 2 months. I was determined that I would not be there for 2 days. I was determined that Sgt. Green was coming with me when I left. “Who’s coming with me and who’s staying with Butch?”

From the bottom of the hole came a familiar voice. It was that cowboy from the movie. “I’m with you”, he said. “I’m tired of being a chew toy. I want to be played with by a kid again. That’s why I was made.”

Mr. Cowboy was in that hole for a few days shy of a year. He was covered completely in mud and something else that didn’t smell like mud. But it was still easily able to tell that it was him. He was the first. He gave up hope a long time ago. He said that he needed someone like me to give him more.

So, it was Sgt. Green and me taking the lead. Spider Dude, Cowboy Man, and Joe joined us. There was another toy, a weird one. His name was Logan and he had knives coming out of his hand. The rest were too scared to come. We just needed a plan. First thing, Mr. Cowboy needed a bath. We lifted him up and threw him into Butch’s water bowl.

We knew that Butch would be taken inside the house when night fell. That would be the perfect time to make our move. But the backyard was an obstacle course. It was full of holes, some full of water. There was also the water hose which was left on. There was a toy airplane stuck in the tree. He gave us a layout of the land. We did have motion sensors to worry about. Butch had a doggie door where he could get out anytime he wanted. If those sensors beep, he would know that someone is out here. But we had to try anyway. I refused to be a dog's chew toy. I was meant for greater things.

It was about 8 o’clock when the people pulled Butch inside the house. We didn’t waste any time. Some of the other toys told us that we would never make it, but that didn’t stop us from trying. You know that spaceman in the white suit from a galaxy far away, he decided to join us. “Be quiet, you all”, he said. “These people got the right idea. I’m not staying here another minute.”

Spaceman helped us get out of the doghouse. There was a loose panel in the back. This was needed to avoid the motion sensors. We all walked out. Sgt. Green left before me. After me, Spider Dude. The cowboy toy was next, and Joe came after him. The toy with the knives and the spaceman were the last two to leave. 7 of us in all.

We walked away coming around the doghouse. We got past all of the holes, even the ones with water. We climbed over the water hose, up the tree a freed the airplane. The next yard was in our sight. Nothing could stop us now. We got almost to the fence when an alarm sounded. It wasn’t that loud. Just a slight ding. We had triggered the motion sensor. It was enough to alert Butch.

“RUN!!!!”, I screamed. But it was too late. With one swipe, we were all inside the mouth of that dog. In seconds, we were back inside the whole. Butch, accomplishing what he came out to do, went back into the house.

“I told you it’s pointless.”

I was not deterred. I was not giving up. I was even more determined to reach my goal. “You will never make it.”

I tried again. This time it was just me and Sgt. Green. Nobody followed us. “Enjoy being a chew toy”, I said. “I refuse.”

We made it past the holes, past the water, past everything we passed before. We made it almost to the fence. No, we didn’t set off the alarm. Butch did not come back out. My foot got stuck in the mud. I could not move. “You go ahead”, I said to Sgt. Green. “Save yourself.”

Sgt. Green didn’t leave me. He proved to be a true friend down to the end. If that’s how my story had to end, it was going to be his end also. I stood there until I was too tired to stand anymore. We both collapsed where we were. My eyes closed. We didn’t move until the sun rose.

When my eyes opened, I saw two things. First, Tommy was crying. Second Butch was watching him. I didn’t make a sound. I could not risk being spotted by Butch.

“You took him”, Tommy screamed at Butch. “Where’s my toy?”

Butch walked away and returned a few moments later. He squeezed through an opening in the fence and dropped out of his mouth, a spaceman in a white suit. He walked away again and returned with the guy with knife hands. He did the same thing with Joe, Cowboy Man, and Spider Dude. He then went sniffing around the yard but couldn’t seem to find what he was looking for.

It was Sgt. Green that made a noise. Just clearing his throat. Butch came running and grabbed us both. After taking us home, Tommy rejoiced. He patted Butch on the head and said, “Good boy.” After that, Butch's entire toy collection was given to Tommy and the entire lot of us became great friends.