by Molly Snow
He walked up the ramp and turned to see her one last time. “I’ll be back for you,” he said and then the door shut.
Idis was not prepared for what happened next. As the spaceship blasted off, fire flared out from its bottom, and the force of its boom caused her to fall backward on her rump. She hacked as a gust of black smoke enveloped her.
Laying in the bed of Todd’s truck, on her way to Lake Sequoia, Surla was feeling pretty smart and sneaky. She enjoyed looking up at the clear blue sky, spotting an occasional bird fly by and she especially enjoyed basking in the breeze as it tickled at her neck.
It wasn’t very long, however, before Todd was driving down a very bumpy dirt road, causing the cat’s little teeth to chatter. Suddenly one of the tires hit a pot hole, and the force ejected Surla out and away from the truck. As she was in the air, she clawed at the sky, as if that would help bring her back. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, until she finally landed in a nearby bush.
“Oh no!” Surla yelped. She watched the blue truck continue to drive down the road, further and further away, until it disappeared around a curve. “What do I do now?”
It was still dark out, but she could tell the sun was trying to peek over the horizon. “It will be daytime soon. That makes me feel a little better.” Although, she had no place she knew she could go. She was in the middle of nowhere, with tall fir trees all around.
She soon heard strange noises from amidst the brush. Heavy breathing, she concluded. It must be a wild animal. Maybe a cat who’s a lot bigger than me! A Bobcat. Surla crouched lower in her bush to hide and be still.
The beast came out slowly and awkwardly, one foot limping. Surla stared hard, trying to discern what it actually was. It looked like it was black and barely alive. “What happened to it?” Surla whispered. She watched as it was about to cross paths with her.
The creature suddenly fixed eyes on her through the sticks and leaves. Its eyes were piercingly pale and glowy. “Surla?” It stopped.
END OF SAMPLE. Purchase the full book here:
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