ToyWorld — Tony Bertauski

Hiro's parents rearrange the furniture every December.They make space in the corner for something tall. They plug in string lights and leave them on the floor. Sometimes, they cut down a tree but don't know what to do with it. It's not just Hiro's parents. Everyone does it. Come January, they all straighten up their living rooms and everything goes back to normal. They do this every year.No one knows why.Something's missing and they all feel it, but they never wonder what it is. And every year that passes, the world becomes colder and grayer. Until Hiro has a dream.It's a world of magic, where he can taste sounds and hear thoughts, see things that defy the laws of physics and biology. It's a place where trees are decorated and stockings are hung above the fireplace. Every day is celebrated with gifts.It's the last place where joy exists.Someone has stolen the Christmas spirit from the universe and hidden it in the dream. Hiro doesn't remember a jolly fat man or flying reindeer, or elves on the North Pole. No one in Hiro's world remembers Christmas at all.Hiro and others like him need to free the Christmas spirit. This is their one and only chance. If they fail, his world and all others like it will stay cold and gray without Christmas... unless they discover the thief's true identity.It's closer than they think.