The early morning sun shone over Arcadia as Jim woke, his head finally on the pillow as he rolled over, waking up to find a doll sleeping beside him. He screamed as Toby opened the wall and pulled Jim from the house.
"What's wrong, Tiny Jim? Did you not sleep well in Nana's dollhouse?"
"Why am I still small, Toby?"
"I don't know. Maybe stuff works differently on trolls than it does on humans."
"Oh, my gosh. The gnome! You did it? I told you I was supposed to Oh, no! School!"
"We have to call you in sick. Tell them you ate too much chocolate. That always works"
"No, Senor Uhl can sniff out a lie a mile away."
Jim saw Tobys computer and his Phone. And an Idea came to mind.
"That's it! Toby, I need you to do me a huge favor. Well, maybe a small one. But huge."
Toby ran through the school with a computer, passing the gym teacher.
"Hey, Jello Mold! Why aren't you in your gym clothes?"
"Sorry, Coach! No gym today! Got the shingles!"
He said as he ran to the spanish room. Where their teacher was waiting rather impatiently.
"Jim Lake? Jim Lake? Is Jim Lake here? How disappointing but not entirely unexpected. - Moving on."
Toby burst into the room, setting the computer on the stool and opening the laptop to find Jim.
"No problemo! Jim's here, virtually."
"¡Hola! Sorry, I couldn't be en escuela, Seanor Uhl, but I'm sick en casa. Which is fitting since I'm doing my comprehension presentación on Ponce de Leon, who muerto-ed from a great illness."
"Hey! "Muerto-ed" is not a word!"
"Nope. I'm curious to see where this is going. Continue, Mr. Lake."
"Ponce de Leon, one of the most famoso Spanish conquistadores is best associated with the Fuente de la Juventud, the Fountain of Youth."
Nana began to vacuum, as everyone looks in question. Senor Uhl didn't like it.
"What is that horrible noise?"
"Uh, construccion. Uh, remodeling. A minor intrusion. Un Minuto, Senor Uhl."
The phone smashed against Jim's face as Nana pushed the shoe with the vacuum. Jim watched the large woman as she picked up the little kennel, the gnome popping up to the door, with a growl.
"What are you doing in here, Mr. Meow Meow?"
"Mr. Lake, are you there? We don't have all the time."
"No, no no need to fight at home. Ponce de Leon joined Columbus in the New New What in the world?"
Jim exclaimed as he watched helplessly when she opened the crate door, letting the gnome run free.
"Did Toby lock you up? Do you need some fresh air? Don't get into too much trouble. I wouldn't want you to interrupt Nana's true-crime show."
She grabbed the vacuum and left the room, slamming the door shut.
"Hello?"
"You seem distracted. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine! Uh, he sailed las Carreras across the Oceano-"
His voice trailed off as he stood and looked around the dollhouse, glancing at the roof of it.
"Mr. Lake? I don't follow."
Jim lowered his gaze to find the gnome standing on the couch. He tackled Jim in front of the camera. Everyone's head followed as the camera fell.
"¡Arriba! Oh, what joy this new world was! ¡Que Bueno!"
"You're out of frame, Mr. Lake. I am confused."
"Just some technical difficulty! No problemo."
Toby turned the computer and whispered to Jim.
"Tiny Jim, are you all right?"
"Do I look all right?"
Jim struggled as the gnome held tight onto Jim, the young boy slamming the gnome against the wall, faltering the gnome's grip before tossing him across the dollhouse room. The gnome quickly balanced himself and went after Jim once again. However, the TrollHunter took the TV and hit the gnome. Jim ran back to the phone and lifted it as Toby turned the computer back to the audience.
"And that'll be all for my presentation."
"Actually, by my count, you are three words short, Mr. Lake. If you can't finish the exam, I'll have to fail you."
"Uh, in that case, there were Muchos problemas in the Nuevo Mundo, the New World!"
The gnome attacked once again, pulling Jim from view. The two wrestled coming back in front of the camera, Toby covering up the image of the gnome.
"Um... Like vermin who you can't seem to get rid of. Ratas. I've got you now, gnome!"
Jim headed off the camera and tied up the gnome before running back to the camera.
"But, in the end, they were taken care of. And that is it for my presentacion. I hope this wasn't too much trouble, Senor Uhl. Hasta luego."
"Spectacular!"
"Very, very informative, Mr. Lake. C-plus."
Suddenly, Jim's body started to become disfigured, Senor Uhl was worried at the sight of it.
"Fine. B-minus"
"Jim? Jim, what's wrong?"
"It's happening!"
"What's happening?"
"It's happen-"
As Jim was about to repeat what he said, Toby had caught on and quickly high fived Jim's large hand before he closed the computer.
"High five! Internet connections, am I right? Gotta go. Bye!"
At the house, Toby walked through the door to find a normal size, Jim.
"Jim! You're okay! And big!"
"I think my spleen switched sides, but everything's better now."
"I'm sorry I failed you, Jim. I should have done it when I had the chance."
"I thought he was attacking me, but all he wanted was a home. Look! He's even found a friend."
The gnome strung a tune on his guitar.
"He has the mind of a vermin but the soul of an artist."
"Blinky said we needed to "take care of him," but what if we, like, take care of him? I know it's not exactly the second rule to Trollhunting, but, for this one, maybe we do it in our own way, without the murdering."
"We can keep him? Jim, I already have a name. Gnome Chompsky."
"Chompsky. I like it."
"Pretty good for a first mission. Two crises averted. It's not like you get to rehearse these things. Oh, no! Rehearsal!"
At said rehearsal, Claire was on stage, acting out her part.
"Oh, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo?"
Jim popped into the gym.
"Shall I hear-"
He started, but was interrupted. Steve filled in the rest of the line.
"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"
Steve took Claire's hands as Jim groaned, everyone's attention on him.
"Oh, Mr. Lake! Your repeated tardiness has forced me to take precautions Mr. Palchuk will now serve as your understudy."
Steve mocks an explosion as Claire presents a small smile and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Jim turned and groaned quietly, holding his hand to his head.
At the museum. Strickler headed into the museum holding a small crate in his hands as he walked to the covered bridge, Bular growling as he stepped behind the human.
"You're late."
"And you're impatient. I was waiting for another package to arrive"
Bular yanked the package from Strickler's fingers, and the apple that rested on top of it fell uselessly into Strickler's hand. Bular ripped open the box, pulled out another stone, and dropped the now empty box to the floor. He moved the large blanket as the piece glowed blue, twisting to fit on the bridge, closer to completion.
"Killahead Bridge will soon be complete. Our man from Germany will be arriving with more pieces soon."
"And my father will know freedom and glory. All that is left is for your impure army to locate our missing link."
A flashlight blinded the both of them slightly as a Security guard came into the room.
"Hey! What are you doing in here?"
He grows frightened at the sight of Bular and runs, dropping the flashlight.
"You were followed?"
"Of course not. I brought you a midnight snack."
Bular chased after the Guard with a smile on his face. That night yet another soul would be forever lost and never found.