by Jamie L. Word
"Playtime Continues"
Mez walked over to Gao while he was looking around. Gao was scratching his head as he tried to figure out what he wanted to do next.
"Hey, friend," Mez said, getting the big lug's attention. "I can show you a secret way back to Snake Way that only we ogres know about, but you'll have to beat me in a race. Are you up to it?"
"A race?" Gao answered, scratching his head before breaking into a broad smile and stretching his hands out wide in joyous enthusiasm. "Oh! Okay! Race sounds fun! Where we race to, little man?"
"I'll race you to that finish line set up way over there," Mez replied as he pointed at a finish line way in the distance. "We'll start from here, okay?"
"Okay! We race! Oh, boy! Big fun!" Gao exclaimed as he clapped his hands merrily. "Let's go! Say when, and we go!"
"Okay," Mez replied with a mischievous smile on his face as he set himself to start running. "Go!"
Mez sprang from the starting point like a shot and began running towards the finish line. Gao started just a moment after, and he began running right behind Mez. Mez looked over his shoulder and saw the big pink genie gaining on him, and he was startled to see the sight. Mez then turned his attention back to the finish line and ran as if he feared Gao would run over him like a stampeding elephant on the way to the finish line.
"You fast, little man, but Gao faster!" Gao called out to Mez as he passed him on the way to the finish line. "You cheat, but Gao still win!"
Gao crossed the finish line first, and the ogre Mez crossed the finish line out of breath. Gao jumped up and down, celebrating his win. Goz and Mez stared at Gao in amazement.
"Gao win!" Gao shouted in celebration over his win in the race. "Gao make merry now! Gao so happy! You two fun to play with! Let's play some more! Wanna race again? Or maybe ride big roller coaster! What we do now? Gao ready for more fun!"
"Oh, no!" Mez said, swallowing hard in terror at Gao's excited announcement. "You won the race, now we're going to show you the way out of here and back up to Snake Way!"
"Yeah!" Goz joined in with his fellow ogre's attempt to persuade Gao to leave them quickly. "Come on! We'll show you the secret passage!"
"Secret passage?" Gao said in rhetoric eagerness. "That sound like fun! Yes! We go to secret passage now! Take Gao now!"
The two ogres lead Gao in an effort to get him to the secret passage and quickly. Gao followed along, laughing and singing childish songs as he went.
Back at King Yemma's desk, the giant ogre was looking for something on his desk. He opened a drawer, and there was Gao. The sight of the jolly genie in his drawer startled King Yemma, but Gao was still merry as usual.
"Hi!" Gao shouted in overabundant joy and enthusiasm as he waved at King Yemma. "You big man! Who you?"
"I'm King Yemma, who are you?" King Yemma answered as Gao hopped out of the drawer and stood on his desk.
"Me Gao!" Gao replied with a happy smile on his face as he presented himself in dramatic fashion. "Gao want fun! Where go to fun?"
"Go out that door and follow Snake Way," King Yemma said with a mischievous grin on his face as he pointed towards a door across from his desk. "At the end of Snake Way, you'll find a planet. On that planet, there will be plenty of fun for you. Just don't fall off of Snake Way, or you won't make it to the planet!"
"Okay!" Gao said excitedly as he made his way towards the door in eager anticipation. "Thank you!"
"Don't mention it," King Yemma replied with a devious grin as Gao exited through the door and went off on his journey once again.
Upon seeing Snake Way, Gao got excited again. He clapped his hands and ran in place in his excitement.
"Oh, boy!" Gao cried in excitement. "It's tha fun slide again! Gao have so much fun now! Gao play all the way to planet where fun is!"