11 SHADOW BOXING

CHAPTER 11 SHADOW BOXING Rip!" Alexander called, racing into the caboose. "What's going on?"

Rip was sitting on an overturned crate, rubbing his knuckles. "Here's a tip, Salamander," Rip growled. "Don't try to punch your shadow." Alexander spotted a fist-size dent in the wall. "Wait," he said, "why would you punch "The shadow smashers got me, okay?!" Rip said, pointing to the floor. "Look!" Rip now had the shadow of a very large, very cute, fluffy bunny. Alexander tried not to smile.

"What a weenie shadow!" Rip yelled. "The reindeer was better." Rip sat back, crossing his arms. His bunny shadow wiggled its ears. "So how do we get rid of these things?" "I'll show you," Alexander said. He grabbed a flashlight from the shelf and aimed it at Rip's heels. CLICK! Alexander blasted the bunny with light. The bunny shadow's whiskers twitched. Then the bunny shadow peeled itself away from Rip's feet. It was trapped between the flashlight and a sunbeam.

Alexander tossed the flashlight to Rip. "All right, bunny," he said. "Tell us your evil plan, or my friend here will zap you with the light." The shadow smasher shrugged. "Okay," said Alexander. "Why do you smash people's shadows?" The bunny made nibbling motions. "You eat shadows?" The bunny nodded. "You're eating my shadow?!" Rip yelled. The bunny shook its head. "You're not eating his shadow?" asked Alexander. "Why not?" The bunny marched in place. "To walk?" Alexander rubbed his chin. "You're attaching to Rip so you can go somewhere?" The bunny nodded. "Are all of you shadow smashers going to the same place? Somewhere in Stermont?"

The bunny nodded. Then it twisted itself into the shape of a tree. "You're all coming here, to these woods?" guessed Alexander. "No to Derwood Park!" Rip shouted. "The shadow smashers must want to wreck Gopher Day! Everyone will be there!" The bunny nodded. Rip checked a clock on the caboose's wall. "Gopher Day starts at noon! That's in twenty minutes! We've got to get over there!" Even though it was a sunny day, Alexander grabbed every flashlight he could find. "Hang on!" said Rip. "What are we going to do about Nikki?" "That will have to wait," Alexander said. "Stermont needs us!" The boys shot out of the caboose, leaving the bunny in their dust.