Escape to the Mesa

by StacyPlays

  After what seemed like an insanely short amount of time, Basil slowed to a trot and then stopped. Opening her eyes, Stacy looked around. They were in the shelter of a patch of scrubby sagebrush. She could see the few adobe buildings that made up the town not far away, including—Yes!—a small market.

  Hopping off Basil’s back, Stacy ran her fingers through her hair, trying to work out the worst of the tangles. She had dried off on their run, but she suspected she still looked bedraggled. Humans cared about that kind of thing, and she didn’t want anyone getting curious about her.

  “Wait here,” she told Basil. “I’ll be right back.” Basil wagged her tail encouragingly as Stacy set out for the market.

  The door to the store whooshed open without Stacy touching it, and she stopped in the entranceway and gazed at the aisles of food.

  This was a tiny town and campground. This couldn’t be the biggest food store in the world. But she had never seen so much food in one place. There was bright packaging with pictures of cookies and crackers, piles of fruits and vegetables, loaves of bread in plastic wrappers. Stacy took a tentative step forward, holding on to her satchel. She had the fifty-two dollars she’d brought. How much did food cost?

  “Well, hi, there,” a voice said, and Stacy whipped around. She hadn’t noticed the old man behind the cash register.

  “Hi,” she said awkwardly.

  “Camping with your folks?” the man asked. “You look like you’ve been out for a hike.”

  “Oh.” Stacy put up a hand and touched her hair self-consciously. “Yes. Camping.”

  The man turned back to his newspaper, and Stacy picked up one of the plastic baskets near the door. These must be to put your food in while you’re shopping, right? The man didn’t seem to think she was doing anything strange, so she took the basket and began to look around the store.

  There was a jar of peanut butter on one of the shelves and Stacy’s stomach growled. She’d loved peanut butter the few times she’d managed to get her hands on a jar back in the taiga. The label on the shelf said peanut butter $2.99, which Stacy thought must be how much it cost. She took one jar and backtracked to grab a loaf of bread in its plastic bag as well. Much to her surprise, the bread was already sliced, so she wouldn’t need to use her knife.

  The most important thing, she reminded herself, was to feed the hungry little dog. The dog would need protein to build her strength back up. Stacy didn’t like eating animals, but at least the meat here was already dead.

  There were refrigerators of meat all down one side of the store. Stacy browsed, reading the labels. Beef . . . pork . . . Stacy didn’t like the idea of eating a fellow mammal.

  Turkey dogs! There were packs and packs of them. Campers back in the taiga cooked hot dogs all the time, and Page and the wolves always sniffed the air, their mouths watering. Stacy picked up a package. It said they were already cooked and safe to eat, even without cooking them further. Stacy loaded her basket with the hot dogs. They would make a great treat for the wolves and Page, as well as the little dog.

  Heading back to the cash register, something caught Stacy’s eye. There, on one of the shelves, was a sign that said S’more Station! Beside it were boxes and bags of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars. Stacy couldn’t believe her luck. She’d wanted to try s’mores ever since she first heard of them.

  Looking into her basket, she did some quick math. She could afford to buy them, but it would use up just about all her emergency money.

  She couldn’t resist. Who knows when I’ll get this chance again?

  Up at the cash register, the old man raised his eyebrows as he rang up package after package of hot dogs. “Having a cookout?” he asked. “Don’t you need some buns for these?”

  “Oh, uh . . . no, thank you,” Stacy said. He was still looking at her a little strangely and she added, “We like them without buns.”

  After he handed her the bags of groceries, she hesitated. “You don’t know if anyone’s lost a dog, do you?” she asked. “A little beagle with long ears?”

  The man shook his head. “I’d hear about something like that,” he said. “Sometimes people will abandon their dogs by the side of the road, though.”

  Stacy gasped. Who would dump a dog like they were garbage?

  “Did you find a dog?” the man asked. “If the owner doesn’t turn up, you should take it to the animal shelter. Don’t just set it loose.”

  “I wouldn’t do that!” Stacy said indignantly. “If we can’t find her owner, my family would love to keep her.”

  We certainly would, Stacy thought, saying good-bye to the old man and heading for the door. The little dog was so lovable, Stacy almost hoped that they wouldn’t find her family.

  That night, the little dog curled in Stacy’s lap, her stomach bulging with food. Page lay on the ground beside them, grinning a wide doggy grin. Wink was flat on his back beside her, his paws in the air again. Everest and Addison had gone out to patrol after eating a few hot dogs, and Tucker was crunching a graham cracker while keeping an eye on the little dog. Noah and Basil were watching the fire, looking sleepy.

  Stacy turned her stick over the fire, toasting her marshmallow to a rich golden brown. Her mouth was sticky and full of chocolate, and it was the best thing she had ever tasted.

  The next morning, Stacy took a walk with Page and the little beagle to the campground she’d spotted the day before. The turkey dogs and rest had done wonders for the little dog. She had recovered quickly, and now her coat was shiny and her eyes bright.

  I feel silly still calling her “little dog,” Stacy thought. But giving her a name would make it even harder to let her go.

  “Is this where you came from?” Stacy asked, looking down at the little dog. The dog panted up at her, wagging her tail. Stacy walked a few steps closer to the tents and RVs. This is the only place she could have come from. If her family is anywhere, it’s here.

  The little dog cocked her head to one side, watching Stacy. “Come on,” Stacy said. She led the way around the campsite, crossing between tents. A family was cooking over a camping stove, and Stacy asked them, “Do you know whose dog this is?”

  The mother shook her head. “We’ve been here for two weeks and I haven’t seen her before.”

  Farther on, Stacy bent down to talk to the dog. “Go on,” she said. “Find your family.” The little dog just looked up at her, then licked Stacy’s face.

  Wiping off the dog spit, Stacy had to smile. “You don’t have a family here, do you?” The little dog panted, and then licked Stacy’s face again, as if to say, Yes, I do, silly. You’re my family.

  Stacy scooped her up and hugged her. “You’re part of our pack now, aren’t you?” she said. “I guess you’re going to need a new name.” She looked into the dog’s deep brown eyes, at the spots around her nose, and then to her long, feathery ears, which almost resembled pigtails on either side of her head. Stacy was reminded of a character from a book series she’d read called American Girl. Suddenly, a name came to her. Molly.

  Eighteen

  THE SUN WAS setting as Stacy, Wink, and Addison lumbered slowly up the side of the mesa. Page and Molly were on either side of Stacy, keeping up with the wolves’ long gait.

  “Good work today, guys!” Stacy said. Addison flicked her ears, looking pleased. They’d spent the afternoon foraging for food in the desert. A couple of weeks before, the graceful wolf had come back from patrol carrying a book about edible desert plants. Stacy hoped Addison hadn’t stolen it from the campground, but knew that she probably had. The fact that she had picked up such a useful book confirmed Stacy’s suspicion that Addison had learned to read.

  If Noah can breathe underwater and Basil can run so fast that I can only see a blur, Stacy thought, it’s not that hard to believe that Addi can read.

  Stacy patted her satchel, feeling how full it was. They had found plenty to eat.

  “We’ll roast the cholla buds tonight,” she told the others, “and tomorrow ma
ybe we’ll grind up some more mesquite pods for flour.” She and Addison had experimented and managed to bake thin, flat loaves of bread using the mesquite flour, which had a sweet, nutty taste.

  Pulling a red chuparosa flower out of the top of the satchel, Stacy nibbled on it. It tasted like cucumber. She closed her eyes and listened to the peaceful winds of the desert. She really loved it here in the mesa. Her olive skin was now a dark tan thanks to days spent exploring the mesa with no shade. And she never tired of seeing the jackrabbits, quail, hummingbirds, eagles, lizards, and roadrunners that called the mesa home.

  Stacy shivered and unwrapped the flannel shirt tied around her waist, gracefully slipping her arms into it as she continued walking. Now that evening had come, the heat of the afternoon was turning cold. It hadn’t been this cold at night when they’d first come to the desert. Stacy stopped walking.

  It hadn’t been this cold . . .

  She looked back out across the desert. How long had they been here? It had been weeks . . . maybe a couple of months? Winter had come.

  Wink nudged at her hand, and she looked down to see both wolves gazing up at her curiously. Page gave a sharp bark.

  “Sorry,” Stacy said. “I’ve just realized. There must be snow in the taiga by now.” She grinned at them. “Your fur won’t be seen so easily. We can go home.”

  Stacy and the others made their way back to their camp where they informed the rest of the pack that they could go home now. They spent the night packing up their supplies and enjoying one last night under the desert sky.

  “Okay,” Stacy said, crouching behind a cluster of rocks near the train tracks. “The only train on the schedule today that’s going the right way is a passenger train.”

  Everest’s ears twitched, and he gave Stacy a stern look, shaking his head. Stacy knew he didn’t like the fact that she had sneaked into the train station near the mesa village to check the schedule.

  “I have a plan,” Stacy told him. She looked up at where the flat top of the rock formation loomed overhead, at just about the height of the top of a train car. “We’re going to climb these rocks and wait. When the train is slowing down before it gets to the station, we’ll get onto the roof of the train. We can ride all the way to the taiga like that.” Wink yapped in excitement and Page yipped along with him, her oversized ears perked up.

  Noah wagged his tail, looking hopeful, but Everest was still staring at Stacy, a concerned look in his eyes. Stacy glanced into her satchel to make sure Milo was curled sleepily inside. The bat opened one eye to look at her, and she gently patted his back for a second. Looking around, she saw Molly sniffing the ground near the base of the rock formation. Suddenly a train whistle blew in the distance.

  Refastening her satchel, Stacy got to her feet. “This is it!” she said. “Come on, everybody.” Basil led the way, scrambling up the side of the rock. Tucker, Noah, Addison, and Wink all followed, Page balancing on Wink’s back. Everest hung back a little, still looking wary.

  Finally, he nodded and gave Stacy a quick lick on the cheek. He took hold of the bow that was slung around Stacy’s shoulders and began to scramble up the rocks with it. He trusts me, Stacy realized proudly. He knows my plans usually work out.

  The whistle blew again. The train was in sight now, chugging quickly closer. Stacy looked around for Molly.

  Molly was nowhere in sight.

  “Molly!” Stacy called. The dog had been right next to her.

  The front of the train was level with her now. A sharp bark came from the top of the rocks.

  “Get on the train!” Stacy called back. “I’ll catch up! Molly!”

  Molly yapped from the other side of the rocks. Stacy ran around and saw her rolling happily in the red sand.

  “Molly! Come on!” Stacy scooped the dog up in her arms. The train was passing the rock formation. It was too late for them to climb on.

  As she ran back around the rocks, the train was pulling away from them. Everest and Tucker were crouched on the roof of the very last car, staring back at Stacy and Molly with wide-eyed panic. Everest’s muscles bunched as he prepared to leap.

  “No!” Stacy shouted, waving him off. “I’ll catch up at the station!” It didn’t matter if humans saw her and Molly. They weren’t wolves.

  She ran after the train, her satchel banging against her side. She caught up only a few seconds after the train pulled into the station and stopped.

  Uh-oh, Stacy thought as she climbed the steps to the station platform. How am I going to get up on the train roof? The station was simply a platform with a small shelter at one end where the schedule was displayed. There was no way to climb up to the top of the train. And it was too late to purchase a ticket. And I’d spent the rest of my money on s’mores.

  Stacy frowned, staring at the train. The door was open, no one blocking it. Could I?

  She walked slowly to the train door and peered inside. There was a little entryway, a door on each side leading to rows of seats. Some of the seats had people sitting in them, but no one looked up.

  There was a scratching noise above her. Stacy stepped back out of the train and looked up. Basil was peering over the side of the train. Stacy looked quickly around. No one was watching. “It’s okay, Basil,” she whispered. “I’ll find a way up once the train is moving again.”

  Basil nodded and pulled her head back out of sight.

  Holding her head high, Stacy stepped onto the train. She cuddled Molly closer to her and turned right, walking slowly down the aisle between the seats.

  “All aboard!” a voice called, and a few moments later she heard the train doors close. Slowly at first, the train began to move.

  Stacy eyed an empty pair of seats in the front of the car. She moved toward them. If she and Molly sat very quietly, maybe no one would notice them. A voice came from behind her.

  “Ticket, please, young lady.”

  Stacy turned around fast, hugging Molly tightly to her. Molly gave a short, breathless woof and Stacy loosened her grip. A conductor in a blue uniform smiled at her, his hand out.

  “Um,” Stacy said, “I don’t have a ticket.” Her stomach turned over.

  The man frowned and looked around the car. “Do your parents have it?”

  Stacy swallowed hard. “My parents aren’t here,” she admitted. The conductor was starting to look concerned, so she added, “I’m going to meet my family. I’m going home.” At least that part was true.

  “Do you have the money for a ticket?” the conductor asked.

  Stacy felt herself turning red. She didn’t know how much train tickets cost, but she was sure it was more than the few dollars she had left. “I only have four dollars and fifty-two cents,” she admitted, staring down at the floor. “But I have to get to my home.”

  The conductor looked at her. He had friendly eyes, Stacy thought. Molly panted happily up at him and wagged her tail.

  Finally, the conductor seemed to make up his mind. “Four dollars isn’t quite enough for a ticket,” he said. “But follow me.”

  Stacy followed him down the train aisle, her heart pounding hard. Was he going to kick her and Molly off the train? What did they do if you couldn’t pay your fare?

  They walked through several train cars and finally the conductor paused at a door that said First-Class Dining Car. “This way,” he said, and pushed it open.

  Instead of rows of seats, this car had little tables by each window. Some of the tables had people sitting at them, eating delicious-looking food. Music was playing from speakers near the ceiling.

  “Sit down here,” the conductor told her. He turned to one of the waitresses. “Would you get my young friend and her dog an afternoon tea? My treat.”

  Stacy couldn’t believe it. She tried to thank him, but he waved her words away. “Just make sure you don’t miss your stop,” he advised. “Keep an eye out the window. We want to get you home.”

  With a final smile, he disappeared into the next car. Stacy sank back into her chair, amazed. A
few minutes later, the waitress brought her a pot of hibiscus tea and a fancy tray with three tiers: one level held tiny sandwiches, the next little cookies and cakes, and the tippy-top contained several delicious-looking fruit tartlets. Molly perked up her ears, her tail wagging wildly.

  Stacy gave Molly one of the tiny sandwiches, which looked like it had egg salad in it. Molly gulped it down and opened her mouth for more. Stacy sampled one of the little chocolate cookies—Molly couldn’t have chocolate, after all, it was toxic to dogs. It melted deliciously in Stacy’s mouth.

  She felt a little pang of guilt at the thought of the wolves and Page sitting on the hard metal top of the train while she and Molly rode in luxury. She tucked several tiny tuna sandwiches into her pockets to give to them later.

  “All right, Molly,” she said, rolling up her sleeves. “We’ve got work to do.”

  Nineteen

  STACY SLOWLY CHEWED the last little dessert, a tiny lemon meringue pie, savoring its deliciousness. Molly, who had happily eaten her way through half the food, was curled up asleep in Stacy’s lap. Overhead, Stacy could hear an occasional pawstep on the roof above her, too quiet for anyone who wasn’t expecting it to notice. Peeking in at Milo again, Stacy saw that the bat was also fast asleep. She had offered him a crumb of pastry, but he hadn’t been interested.

  Stacy, full of food, felt sleepy, too. Leaning back in her chair, she looked out the window at the scenery going by. The orange-red of the desert biome, with its flat-topped mesa and tall, thin hoodoos, had changed to snowy white, with pine trees dark against the snow.

  Blinking, Stacy realized that the snowy forest outside looked familiar. They weren’t far from the taiga.

  “Wake up, Molly,” she said, picking the dog up. “We have to get off the train soon.” Molly grunted and cuddled sleepily into Stacy’s arms. Grabbing her satchel, Stacy hurried out of the dining car and through another car full of passengers.

  The door to the passenger car slid shut behind her as she entered the space between cars. There was a metal door in the side of the train that led out. Stacy examined it, trying to figure out how to open the door.