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                                   Tower Tale:
                             The Story of Dudley

Dudley didn't have many friends. He was always reading, and always in a foul mood. But on the first day of summer, all that would change. He was reading in his backyard when a small snail with a crown on his head came oozing by into the woods. Certainly this was worth investigating, so he put his book down and followed it...
Dudley followed the snail all the way to a tree stump filled with more snails, sitting down to a large banquet dinner...
None of them noticed Dudley, since he was hiding, and the snails started their feast...
It seemed like a celebration for the snail that Dudley had followed...
The snail of honor stood in the center of a tiny stage and began to speak...
Dudley couldn't believe it but he could understand what the snail was saying...
Just as the speech began with "Greeting friends, I am back from-" Dudley suddenly stepped on a twig and interupted with a SNAP!...
All the snails slunk away as fast as they could except for the one with a crown, who did not look very happy...
"Why did you follow me?" the snail asked Dudley, "you ruined it! Now I have to go back!"...
"Back where?" asked Dudley, who was now leaning down to speak with the snail...
"To City Opposite, and if I'm going back, you're coming with me." said the snail with a mean snail snarl...
"But," started Dudley---
"No buts, said the snail. The path to City Opposite is right through your doghouse. I'll explain when we're on the way."...
As they walked to the doghouse Dudley chuckled at how lucky the snail was that Butch was at the vet, because he would gobble up a snail for a snack...
The snail oozed inside the doghouse and waited as Dudley squeezed in behind him...
"Now, " said the snail, "If you want to go to City Opposite you need to decide that you don't want to go."
"What sense does that make?!" asked Dudley...
"When you want to go to a normal city you decide to go there and get in a car. To get to City Opposite you have to first decide not to go there, and, it just so happens, get in a doghouse," answered the snail. Dudley looked at the snail in disbelief, but decided he might as well go along with it ,and shut his eyes to concentrate...
The doghouse started shaking all over. He wasn't sure, but Dudley thought maybe it was actually moving! A few minutes later all the shaking stopped.
"Open your eyes, "said the snail, "But be warned, City Opposite is going to take some getting used to."
Dudley opened his eyes and looked out the door of the doghouse. He could not believe his eyes.
"By the way, my name is Francis," said the snail...

"How is it p-possible?" Dudley uttered.
"Oh, I forgot to mention that City Opposite is underwater. Normally you wouldn't be able to breathe but as you may have already guessed, everything here is the opposite of what you're used to," said Francis...
In front of the doghouse was a large comfortable-looking bed, and Francis crawled on top of the pillow.
"Hop on," said Francis, "this will take us where we need to go."
"You travel by mattress?" asked Dudley as he climbed aboard.
"Oh yes. Nothing is better at getting you somewhere in City Opposite than a bed," answered Francis.
"Does it fly?" asked Dudley, getting more confused by the minute.
"Don't be silly," Francis said as the bed began to rise, "it swims."...
"Grab the pillow," said Francis as he moved onto the sheets, "It works like a steering wheel."
Sure enough when Dudley picked up the pillow the bed began to follow his every movement. Below them was an underwater city unlike anything he'd ever seen before.
"Where am I taking us?" asked Dudley...
"We're going to see the Yetti, fly us over to that cave," responded Francis...
Dudley flew the bed into a small cave close by. He parked the bed along one wall. He was a little scared when he heard footsteps coming...
"The Yetti is eight feet tall," whispered Francis. "Some people call him the Abominable Snowman," he continued.
"He's a monster?!" said Dudley, "Let's get out of here right now."...
"Nonsense, Dudley. You have nothing to worry about. Like all large creatures in City Opposite, he's scared of anyone smaller."...
The Yetti appeared from the darkness. He was enormous and covered in white fur.
"H-Hello Francis," said the Yetti, "what brings you here?"
"This is a friend of mine, Dudley," said Francis, "He's going to need a disguise."
"Ah yes, I can see that!" answered the Yetti. He pulled out a ruler from his back pocket...
In the real world rulers aren't very magical, but in City Opposite they had a great deal of magic inside them, and the Yetti was a powerful wizard...
"What were you thinking Francis? Woolly Mammoth? A Box of Crayons? Oh, maybe a jar of dirt!?" Said the Yetti as he swirled his ruler in the air...
"A turtle will be just fine," scolded Francis, "And don't mess it up."...
The Yetti pointed his ruler at Dudley and a blue light shot out of it.
All of a sudden Dudley started feeling strange...
Dudley's backside suddenly became stiff, his arms began to shrink, and his skin started to turn a slight shade of green... it was happening, Dudley was turning into a turtle! ...(submitted by Nathan)
Three seconds later Dudley crawled out of his clothes looking quite suprised at his new shape...
"Now you'll blend in," said Francis, "There are no humans in City Opposite so you would have stuck out like a sore thumb."...
Dudley wigled his turtle tail and walked around for a minute. "Being a turtle doesn't seem so bad, " he thought...
"Alright!" said Francis, "It's time to begin your training."...
"What am I training for?" asked Dudley.
"Well you're going to help me. You're going to be a spy."...
"Spy?!" screamed Dudley, "but, who will I be spying on?"...
"We'll both be spying on the Seahorse and his Friendly Fish Army. I had just gotten done gathering information on them when you followed me and made everyone in my village think that my cover was blown. Thanks for that by the way," said Francis, not meaning it at all...