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“Ready to test out the Trapper Keeper?" Max asked

Gordy scrunched his nose. “Trapper Keeper? Is that what you’re calling it? That’s a dumb name.”

“It’s an awesome name!” Max said.

Gordy stared down the target, a two-foot tall stuffed elephant, resting upon a cleared-off patch of ground ten yards away beneath a towering dogwood tree. For just a moment, Gordy felt a twinge of regret about what he was about to do. He had won the elephant at a fair several years ago and had kept it in his room ever since. Gordy used to cuddle the floppy thing whenever he freaked out about some odd noise he had heard in the house, and it was one of the only toys that had survived the fire. But he had entered the eighth grade, which meant there was no more room for stuffed animals.

Covering the mouth of the flask with his thumb, Gordy shook the liquid aggressively. Lightning bolts cut through the thick goop. Max held his breath, though a high-pitched squeal escaped through his lips as Gordy chucked the bottle.

Glass shattered at the elephant’s feet, and a dense cloud of smoke mushroomed up from the spot where the potion connected. Gordy shielded his eyes for just a second, but when he looked again, the stuffed elephant had vanished.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Max cheered.

Gordy approached a fizzling circular patch of ground where the animal once stood. “Well, it won’t work exactly the same on a person, but I guess we can say Trapper Keeper is a success.” Gordy stepped on the dirt. It felt firm and solid, almost like stone.

“The name’s warming up to you, isn’t it?” Max asked.