Good Ogre by Platte F. Clark Page B

grabbing Sarah by the hand and running toward the rocks. Max wasn’t typically a hand grabber, especially when the other hand belonged to a girl.
    Sydney fluttered down to her sister, and she and Megan gave each other a hug. When Max reached Moki, he let go of Sarah and grabbed the little fire kitten. “Moki!” he exclaimed, genuinely happy to see him.
    â€œWow, look at all your new friends,” Moki announced.
    â€œWait a minute,” Dwight said, pointing at the fire kitten. “How is it you survived the storm?”
    Moki shrugged. “I was taking a nap.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Dwight pressed. “The Cataclysm changes everything it touches. That monstrosity back there is Princess, and she’s a freaking unicorn!”
    Max looked Moki over and then noticed a change. “Look, the color of his eye is different.” And in fact, one of Moki’s eyes had gone from green to gray.
    â€œI have a cat—but it doesn’t talk and throw fireballs,” Melvin added. “I was going to guess maybe that was it.”
    â€œNo, Moki could always do that,” Puff replied. “He’s a fire kitten from the Magrus.” Melvin nodded as if that was perfectly reasonable.
    Dwight scratched at his beard. “So you’re telling me that squirrels have suddenly militarized and turned into an army, people have become howler monsters, Princess is a nightmare, and all that happened to Moki was his eye changed color?”
    â€œFire kittens are a mysterious bunch,” Puff added. “They pretty much keep to themselves.”
    The frustrated cries of Nightmare-Princess rang out behind them. “Moki, hurry and show us that door,” Max commanded, feeling the urgency of the situation once again. Moki pointed to the outcropping, where a single smooth rock rose about five feet out of the ground. Behind it, the Malaspire with its twisting tornado was visible in the distance.
    â€œMoki, that’s just a rock,” Sarah said.
    But Puff moved over to the slab of stone and took a closer look. “Fire kittens have remarkably good eyesight,” the fluff dragon said. “Maybe there’s a hidden entrance or something?”
    Max moved to join Puff and felt a warm vibration in the air. “There’s some kind of magic going on,” he announced.
    â€œYep. A door,” Moki confirmed.
    Wayne was keeping an eye on Nightmare-Princess. “Whatever you’re going to do, you need to hurry.”
    â€œMoki, any idea how to get inside?” Max asked the fire kitten.
    â€œMaybe we could scratch at it?” he suggested.
    â€œOh, move off,” Dwight grunted, pushing past Max and looking the stone over. He felt around the smooth surface with his hands and stepped back, scratching at his beard. “Well, it’s not mechanical.”
    â€œIf it’s magic, how do we get in?” Megan asked.
    Dirk pointed to the door. “It’s probably one of those riddle doors,” And as soon as Dirk said the word “riddle,” the rock began to twist and turn until a stone face stretched out and regarded them.
    â€œA riddle then it is,” the face said.
    The group stared at the strange stone face for a moment—it was more or less shaped like a human, with large ears and a wide nose. Melvin cleared his throat and said, “You are obviously a great and powerful magical door—”
    â€œOh, please,” the door answered, interrupting Melvin. “Flattery is not going to get you in.” That seemed to throw Melvin off.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Sarah said, jumping into the conver­sation. “Are you saying there’s a way you will let us past?”
    â€œLet me guess, this is your first time at a magic door? Okay, everyone listen up so I don’t have to repeat myself. I am a Select-O-Magic locking door and can be opened once every twenty-four hours. You may gain entry in one of the