The Beast

It was the darkest day ever.
The rain clouds above didn't stop us from walking into the woods to Ned and Susan's yard which we do everyday to eat. As we walked toward Susan's garden, Charlotte thought she saw a shadow. "What's that? Did you see that?" she whined. "No." I said. I was too busy eating what was left in Susan's garden from the summer to worry about some random shadow. Charlotte sees all kinds of things and gets frightened easily but today she looked more worried then usual. I tried to calm her fears by relocating our picnic to the Anderson yard for more sweet leftovers they might have abandoned. As I walk through the rocky path I noticed that Charlotte was quiet behind me. I turned to look and saw that Charlotte was not there, she was gone.

"Charlotte?... Charlotte?" I called "Where are you?" Nothing. Then I saw her. She was hiding in the bushed down low in the leaves. She had a look of horror on her face as she tried to warn me with her eyes but it was too late. He came charging out of the woods at me. Top speed! In a flash I was running in the opposite direction! He ran at me with hunger and greed in his eyes. I knew what he wanted. "They all want it. They can smell it so be careful." Charlotte would say back in the better days before Falcon and the others came to live with us. We were all together. Peanut, Gwen, Alexandra, Babs, Eleanor and me and Charlotte when we were younger. Charlotte didn't always live with us either. She came soon after my real sister died of the fever and ever since I can remember she has been like a big sister to me. We are very similar she and I and we are always together but at this moment in my life I was alone. As I ran for cover I heard Charlotte cry, "Over here!" she yelled. The beast was hot on my heals, his dripping wet mouth oozing with saliva. I knew it was only a matter of time before he would catch and kill me. Charlotte cries again from the bushes and caught the attention of the beast who stopped dead in his tracks and without warning ran the other way towards her. I slide under a small pine tree and watched him chase her around the yard.

He grabbed her back and yanked at her neck. Charlotte let out cries I've never heard before. I was scared for her safety but I didn't DEAR move for fear that the beast might become attracted to me once again. I was going to stay put! Charlotte has always told me to keep safe no matter what. "Don't move!" She yelled "Don't move!" Without words, without sound, I didn't move. Some people came running to save us. One man scooped up the beast and took him away. Just like that the beast was gone! Charlotte needed help. I heard Everybody yelling at the children to pick her up but they didn't. They never listen to Everybody. Sometimes the boy does and brings us over to Everybody who always rubs our heads with joy and pleasure in every pat. I like that. I like them. I'm a people person but not Charlotte. She never was. By the time Everybody got to Charlotte she was sitting in the grass shaking. She let someone pick her up to take her away. I don't know what happened to her, I was too scared to move. I hear Charlotte's voice in my head ,"Stay put Penny, don't move." The sun was moving faster and faster into it's setting position when I heard The Man who feeds us calling my name. "Penny!" Penny he called. I didn't move. The children were also calling me.

Then Everybody started calling me from the right I looked and saw her walking around Ned's yard holding a cup of food for me. I heard The Man's voice faded on the left. The children's voices also faced. As Everybody grew closer I heard my food shake shaking in the cup. Everybody has a way of getting folks to come by using food as a means of temptation. Shake shake shake...."FOOD!" I want to eat. Everybody got closer and closer to me under that pine tree and shook the cup again saying, "Penny, where are you? Come out." Off in the distant I heard people calling my name and I thought maybe it was safe to come out, maybe the beast was gone after all. Maybe it would be okay to come out. Everybody poured some food on the ground and I ran out of my hiding place to eat. She let me take a few bites then she picked me up. I wasn't scared anymore. I was safe in Everybody's arms. As she walked me back to the chicken coop I saw Charlotte waiting for me at the bottom of the ramp.

Everybody inspected my legs and checked my body and wings for marks from the beast and placed me next to my waiting friend. Charlotte looked at me and said, "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." I said. "I was so worried about you. I saw him get you. What WAS that beast?" I looked into her small brown eyes and she said, "I think it was a dog." "Well, thanks for saving my life." I told her. "Anything for my sister." she said. We walked up the ramp together. Everybody closed the door behind us.
Falcon's call to end the day was like music to my ears. I was safe, I was home.