Chapter Three: The Traveler

Chapter Three: The Traveler

            “THE STAY-PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN!”

            Cody and the rest of the crowd looked up in shock at the gigantic white figure looming over them. It was dressed in a tiny sailor’s hat and a blue vest with a button undone in the middle, revealing a white belly.

            People in the street fled in panic as the marshmallow feet padded along, kicking over lampposts and mailboxes. The driver of a Volkswagen jumped out from his car just before an enormous white marshmallow foot came down and flattened the automobile.

            While everyone else ran in panic, London Tipton remained where she was, gawking up at the marshmallow man in utter disbelief.

            Her cell phone still in hand and placed next to her ear, she muttered into the receiver, “Uh, Daddy? Remember that cute little mascot I loved so much on those marshmallows you always bought for me to make s’mores?”

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            “I don’t know if it might be the economy or George W. Bush,” Natalie said, “but this city has lost its mind.”

            The Ghostbusters watched as the Stay-Puft Man plodded relentlessly uptown, coming directly towards them. The ground rumbled as his big, soft feet came down on the pavement.

            “What do we do now?” Jacqueline asked, hoping someone would have a reasonable plan in less than a second.

            Spengler adjusted his Proton Gun as he said, “Full-stream with strogon pulse!”

            “Dude, I don’t know what you just said,” Natalie remarked, “but I’m all for it!”

            They stepped to the edge of the roof, moving like warriors ready to face the consequences. Looking down, they saw the Stay-Puft Man reach the building and then, using the church next door as a stepping stone, begin climbing the wall.

            “Oh, no that big, cute glob of marshmallow goodness did not just step on a church in my town,” Natalie snapped. “Roast his big fat fluffy butt!”

            They each fired point-blank at the Stay-Puft Man.

            He bellowed with pain and rage, as the beams struck him right in the chest and set his skin on fire. He began to burn with a blue flame that spread quickly across his torso and down his arms. He swatted one of those flaming arms at the Ghostbusters, forcing them to back away from the edge of the rooftop before he caught them.

            Jacqueline shook her head. “This is unbelievable! We’re gonna be killed by a hundred-foot marshmallow!”

            “Ironic, isn’t it?” said Hades, still standing in front of the temple. “A bunch of marshmallows killed by a marshmallow. That’s gotta be the most brilliant death there is. I mean, ya can’t write this stuff!”

            The Ghostbusters glared at Hades, growing extremely agitated over his obscene commentary. Gazing towards his vicinity, however, Sean recognized the suspended pyramid past the two Terror Dogs. He then looked to his Proton Gun, a plan quickly popping into his thoughts.

            “I have a radical idea,” he exclaimed, his teammates centering on him with hopeful expressions. “The temple door swings both ways. We could reverse the particle flow through the gate by…” He paused for a brief moment, hesitating to utter the last part of his plan, “…crossing the streams.”

            Those hopeful expressions from his teammates melted into doubtful ones.

            “Whoa, excuse me, Sean,” Natalie told him. “But as I remember from the last time our butts were on the line in this stupid hotel, you told me that crossing the streams was bad! And now you’re willing to risk everything, including our lives and the hefty payment we’re getting from the crazy black dude with the stick up his behind!”

            “Not necessarily,” Spengler contradicted. “There’s definitely a very slim chance we’ll survive.”

            The others hesitated for a long moment, completely uncertain of whether to go through with this; but then, as the flaming head of the Stay-Puft Man suddenly popped up and roared behind them, Natalie immediately charged up her Proton Gun and said, “I love this plan! I’m excited to be a part of it! LET’S DO IT!”

            The rest of them charged up their wands as well, and they fired directly into the temple straight ahead.

            Combining their particle beams into one large stream, Hades started to realize the danger and exploded in intense rage, orange flames surrounding his body. “I don’t believe this! I am not gonna be beaten by a bunch of mort—!”

            And before he could even finish his rant, the entire front of the temple was obliterated along with the door, taking Hades and his minions with it.

            With the destruction of the earthly portal, the Stay-Puft Man was engulfed in a cyclonic wind that began to swirl around him like a firestorm. The flames were whipped higher and higher as the tornado picked up rotational speed. The Marshmallow Man then seemed to have exploded from deep inside, creating a flaming air burst high above the rooftops.

            All this had occurred while the Ghostbusters were blasted off their feet.

            The fireball reached its maximum explosive force and a sudden jet of air pressure occurred like a titanium vacuum cleaner in the sky, sucking the flaming mass of gases and ash up through the atmosphere and right out of the dimension. The dark clouds disappeared with it, leaving a beautiful clear blue sky over the whole area.

            Down below, Genevieve was amazed beyond belief.

            Globs of marshmallow goo were all over the street corner, and even London Tipton was showered by some, covering her from head to toe.

            Zack and Cody were safe, as were Maddie and Mr. Moseby (despite the fact that he had thrown out his back).

            Everyone seemed to have been alright down there.

            But what about the people up there?

            What about the Ghostbusters?

            The explosion was quite intense.

No way could anyone have survived it.

            For a while, Genevieve believed that her favorite heroes, the Ghostbusters, had reached the end of their run.

            And then she heard Zack and Cody say in unison, “Here they come!”

            She looked up towards the entrance to the Tipton Hotel and saw the Ghostbusters emerge, all covered in marshmallow goo, with Carey and Arwin—safe, unharmed, and (most of all) normal—by their side.

            They were met with roaring applause from the crowd of New Yorkers.

            Once again, they had saved the day…and the world.

            And Genevieve Marie was there to witness it all.