Walking in circles, friendships will abound. With an eye toward heaven, angels around about. Found upon the sands, tinted glasses which help to see. Yesterday comes quickly. Where will we be? A star held dear, it will ring a silent chime. Stand tall in your faith. As a giant, be humble and oh so very kind. Long after death, a path will be seen. Words are most deadly. Listen, don't speak. Temptation will be offered. Let the curtains be sewn shut. A fortune for the sinner. Joints no longer rust. Roses colored black. Others will be blue. Many strings will be pulled. The scent will be true. Hidden in the shadows, paper will unfold. Eyes will be sleepy. A transformation will be bold. The truth in a tear frozen from the sky. Aligned past the suns, it burns very bright. All exits covered. Prayers, each and every heard. Not one but two of each. His is the Word.

Walking in circles, friendships will abound. With an eye toward heaven, angels around about. Found upon the sands, tinted glasses which help to see. Yesterday comes quickly. Where will we be? A star held dear, it will ring a silent chime. Stand tall in your faith. As a giant, be humble and oh so very kind. Long after death, a path will be seen. Words are most deadly. Listen, don't speak. Temptation will be offered. Let the curtains be sewn shut. A fortune for the sinner. Joints no longer rust. Roses colored black. Others will be blue. Many strings will be pulled. The scent will be true. Hidden in the shadows, paper will unfold. Eyes will be sleepy. A transformation will be bold. The truth in a tear frozen from the sky. Aligned past the suns, it burns very bright. All exits covered. Prayers, each and every heard. Not one but two of each. His is the Word.

From mirrors in strange places to stars ceasing to shine, friendships rekindle by fire’s light. Elsewhere, in a forgotten realm separated by a dream, a monster builds a tribute to himself. Prisoners are held, gifts are exchanged, and a kiss is a demon’s touch. The clock ticks toward twelve, but will it be morning or evening next? That question is not so easy to answer. Not for Bunson Bear nor for his new traveling companion. Elsewhere, flames of fire burn hot as a strangely aloof Lazar Lion presents his blue rose to a captive audience. Not to be outdone by a former friend and comrade in arms, Jingles presents his new toy to a friend not so near but very dear, so long as Jingles’s new boss doesn’t find out. Strange new friends join stranger old ones as Lazar, Jingles, and Bunson battle the pandemic that is the Shadow Tree. Joined in the fight against Captain M.T. and his monstrous marvels are Sylvester Alexander Koala, Abner Pennster, Sgt. Jack Thompson, Sgt. Joseph Smith, Sgt. Martin Stephens, and a host of Waterford’s best (and worst) citizens. Their ultimate goal? Dethrone Captain M.T. as would-be world ruler and send him and the curse of the Shadow Trees to hell once and for all.

Within a lifetime, it only takes one to change the course of events. One to make a choice. An object to influence destiny. A person to make things right. It only takes one to make tomorrow different. To make tomorrow an adventure into something wonderful. Or let it descend into a realm of chaos. A portal into destruction. That one presence, or lack thereof, helps to choose the path our life takes forever onward. Into the hand of God, we place our spirit as we choose to let that presence remain, or send it on its way forever. The presence stays and tomorrow is good. The guiding force leaves and tomorrow is bad. Sometimes life is just that simple. Such are the fates of Lazar, Jingles, and Bunson at this present hour. As well as another. A dream is dreamed below the stars as he enters the scene. A cousin named Sylvester Alexander Koala. A dream he dreams with one so special, and another so close. They walk into a night like none before. A night event taking place outside of December that will eventually mean much. Not only to the trio from Michigan, but to those who watch a yo-yo swing. Stars shine bright then blink. The darkness falls into the ground. The best of us is forced out into the cruelty of this world's night. For time and again in a world of yesterdays, nothing happened. The world walked on, and goodness was swallowed up in shadow's victory. Nothing given in return. However, this is not the world of yesterday. This is one crushing night the world is forced to give something back. For Sylvester is no ordinary Koala. Lazar, Jingles, Bunson, together with their friend Jack Thompson, each will learn what happens when right is wronged, when dreams are made real and then turned into nightmares. Their hopes will be doubled and dashed, only to be darkened into eternity's dawn. Lazar, Jingles, Bunson, their cousin Sylvester, and the entire planet Earth are about to learn what happens when stars cease to shine.

Contents of accompanying DVD-ROM on p. 221 of text.