1

It all started with the old cars hiding in the woods. Theo wasn’t supposed to be in the woods. His mum liked to say that the monsters would get him if he went there. But Theo liked to explore. Monsters be damned. Plus he had Wilkie his teddy with him. One of Wilkie’s ears was torn, and the lustre of his brown coat had faded some. But what did you expect, thought Theo. That’s what you got when you’d been round the block and fought a few monsters. Wilkie was a badass. Enough said.

School finished at two. Not that Theo’s mum knew or cared. The school was not what you would call within walking distance. But truth be told Theo liked the walk and didn’t mind getting up early. It was the quiet of the forest path that appealed to Theo. No voices. Just the trees. Most of the time they were eerily still. On windy days they swayed and creaked as if they were alive. Theo knew the trees like he knew Wilkie. Every bend and curve was familiar to him. That was how he came to notice the headlight.

Theo was coming round the bend, his backpack jostling on his shoulders, Wilkie’s head poking out from the zip. The glint of something at the tree-line caught his eyes. Darting forward Theo took it into his hands. It was a broken car headlight. Theo knew about cars. Almost all of his class mates made their way to school that way. But not Theo. Peering further into the blackness of the forest he noticed something else. The outline of something big and metallic. Rejigging his backpack, Theo decided to investigate.

It was a car. The windshield and side windows were broken. The orange paint job faded. Obviously it had been there a while. And, it was missing a headlight. Moving closer, it dawned on Theo that there was more than one car. A lot more in fact. Nestled in the trees all around the area he could see at least half a dozen cars of different designs. All old. All dilapidated. There was no way they could be there, reasoned Theo. They were in the middle of a forest with no road in sight. It was a mystery.

2

Rafferty the ruffian they called him. The ruffian. If only they knew. Rafferty had been small time to begin with sure; setting fire to Mrs Clarty’s bins that one time. How the old bitch had yelled. He’d also done his share of pickpocketing. A phone here, a wallet there. People were so gullible. But now. Now Rafferty was in the big leagues. Rafferty was not into all that superhero bullshit. Avengers assemble. What a bunch of faggots. That was for little kids, dancing around in their Spider-Man onesies. But superpowers. Ho ho ho. That was different.

Rafferty had been downtown one night, prowling for hunnies with Deez, and downing some beers when it happened. Between gulps Deez had pointed out an orange Toyota Camry sitting on the lot. ‘We should fuck it up’ he drawled. In only the way that alcohol can convince anyone that a bad decision is a good one, Rafferty had readily agreed. Sauntering across the car park the two youths took turns kicking the fenders, and spitting on the windows before Deez had yet another bright idea. We could do a lot more damage with my bat he opined. Rafferty had smiled and Deez had concluded, ‘Let me go and get it, it’s in the van!

In Deez’s absence Rafferty decided to take a closer look at the car. With the bat, maybe they could steal some shit. Then it happened. One minute Rafferty was in the mall car park standing beside an orange Toyota Camry, the next he was in Vaudeville forest, also standing beside an orange Toyota Camry. He had only cupped his hands and leaned them against the passenger window and…..bam! He and the car were instantly transported.

Deez was having a good time. Rafferty was a prickly son of a bitch at the best of times, but get him on the lick, and he sweetened up like popcorn. Deez dropped mid stride, the bat hanging at his side, staring at the sign for cinema. Like popcorn. He laughed. That was a good one. Turning the corner he stopped short. The Camry was gone and so was Rafferty. ‘Fuckin piece of shit’, he growled. ‘Leavin me here!

3

‘That’s one hell of a mess’, thought Theo, as he stared through the back window of the old orange car. His mum wouldn’t have liked him thinking that word, but what she didn’t know, well… More than one black bin liner had been ripped open, its contents strewn about the back seat. Toys, board games, clothes, and comics had been tossed sundry. It was the last that had caught his attention. Theo was big into superheroes.

Theo was sitting inside the driver’s side of the old orange car.

It had taken one hell of a tug to get the door open but he had managed it. Someone had

Comic books

Hear’s someone coming