The sound roused Skyler from his stupor. He lifted his head, squinting fiercely at the entryway. "Who's there?" he called, groggily. The boy could make out a round-ish figure looming on the threshold.

The figure didn't respond. It simply stood there, fixed on the skinny, helpless young man.

"What the hell?" he sputtered, trying to pull himself upright.

The figure came into the Inn, waddling toward him.

"Oh . . . crap," Skyler whined. "I had way too much to drink." He found himself looking at a huge emperor penguin. The bird was glaring at him with malevolent eyes. "What do you want?" he complained to the bird, feeling vulnerable and insecure.

The penguin tilted his head to the side, still fixing the young man with his beady, evil eyes. It simply stood there, unmoving.

"Shoo, bird. Shoo!" Skyler threw the pompom at the penguin. It hit the bird in the chest and fell to the ground. Still the creature didn't move.

Then, suddenly, the penguin waddled toward him. Skyler yelped and tried to get up, but his head swam. He lost his balance, falling backward off the bar and hitting the floor with a painful thump.

Skyler listened in horror as the bird's footsteps circled around the bar, its feet pattering with horrid, maniacal cadence. He tried to pull himself upright but he was stricken by the effects of a paralyzing hangover.

The penguin batted the youth across the face with one of its flippers, hard. Skyler's head flew askew, his long pretty black hair flailing wildly. Then the creature swatted him with the other flipper, harder. The boy's head slammed against the underside of the bar, cracking the wooden door of the cabinet.

"Yargh! Lemme alone!" squealed Skyler, writhing away from the big bird. The penguin followed him, looming ominously.

To be continued . . .