The Day Continues…
Amy had grown quite fond of Scott and Zelda
and knew the persecution they had been going through these last few days. She flew to the windows of the house, she
flew to the front of the house, she flew to the creek and found Jake the Pine
Snake, but Jake was so terrified, he was pretending to be a garden rake and was
stretched out stiff; no bird of prey would ever suspect that he wasn’t just
that, left out in the yard by some human.
Amy was about out of her mind, she had started this rescue mission and
by darn she was going through with it.
Just as she was flying over Hannibal Horrible, she saw the gold sliver
of fish coming up to taste a little water bug walking on water, “STOP” she
screamed at the little fish, to the great annoyance of Hannibal Horrible who
without malice or menace, dipped his great beak into the water as if taking a
cool drink on a hot day, and immerged with Zelda’s last little sister, so fast
it was that Amy thought she had imagined it.
Two great wings opened, and Hannibal rose into the air… the wind of his
wings blew Amy backwards several inches.
The great Owl and Zelda’s little sister only a faint hint of gold tail
trailing from the great beak looked with great angry eyes at Amy as he soared
up and away. Amy was filled with
terror. She perched her one leg on the
side of the pond and looked down at the sadness beneath. Scott and Zelda were close together, in
mourning, in grief, in terror. Amy
promised them at that moment from the bottom of her heart that it was over, she
begged them to trust her, she would not see them parted, she would make sure
they were safe. Zelda looked up with
watery eyes, a sad hopeful look, maybe Amy could do it, she lived up in the big
world of danger… maybe she could save them.
Scott just wanted to stay close to Zelda for as long as they both lived.
He
would meet his family and friends in the catacombs that was the belly of the
big bird one day, but for now he was home.
Amy would probably end there also she was just too silly to know it.
Bull had been
feeling guilty all afternoon, safe in his nest in Bill, the big Chinquapin Oak,
Precious had been in one of her moods and he was having a real hard time
finding anything to love in her. He
looked down on Amy, standing on her one pitiful little leg talking to Scott and
Zelda, probably saying good-bye, Bull thought.
He raised his tale in an ugly salute to Precious and ran down the tree
to the pond. Jake the Pine Snake had
limbered up but was still trying to un-kink parts of his middle and relax as he joined Amy and the fish at the pond. Bull came up to the worried parties.
“We have to do something here.” Amy
was saying as Bull entered the group.
“Not I” said Jake, “I obviously
value my own life more that you do yours you silly one legged bird, besides… if
Scott and Zelda here are munchies to this great winged horror, I am his prime
rib, and as such have no intention of putting this wonderful creature I call
me, in his fine dining schedule”.
Bull looked down at Zelda and
thought his heart would break, she was beginning to tarnish, the gold had gone
dark with melancholia. She had been one
of his most favored confidants when Precious was too much to handle. He could always come and enjoy the water
ballet Zelda would give him to lighten his load and remind him of the world’s
beauty. Bull looked over at Amy…
“Okay, Amy, what can I do to help,
I’m in.”
Bull didn’t miss the look of
gratitude and hope crossing Zelda’s face and lifting her spirits. That alone was worth risking his life, and
after all what are friends for.
Jake the Pine Snake looked with
disdain from one to the other… didn’t they know there was a natural order of
things? Didn’t they get it? The big ate the little on down to Scott and
Zelda eating the tiny water bugs on the surface of the pond, who spoke for those
little beings? The whole scene was
beginning to bore him terribly and he heard the big machines down the road. If
he cut through two yards he could scare them just enough to cause a commotion
for a few minutes and get back to see the outcome of the drama in his own back
yard.
Hannibal Horrible
was still angry with that little one legged twit of a bird. How dare she interfere with his food, how
dare she take it upon herself to even question any decision made by his royal
self. He would go back for the two
remaining fish and maybe finish off the bird at the same time. The more he thought about it, the angrier he
became. Why wait, today was a fine day
for killing unwanted meddlers, besides he was still hungry and he felt like
more “catch of the day”.
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