Story Roots:
When a terrible storm washes out the forest’s wildlife, one Mississippi wolf/husky, who was staying in South America on a vacation trip, is forced out into an adventure-filled journey... to rescue the American wolves that face the HUGE storm as well. This storm is as big as half the Earth. She finds the most variable creatures and finds herself in the heart of a kind wolf named Tempo. The adventures go up and down... and the world takes a bit of the heroism as this husky, named Annabelle, saves both American continents. Who would have thought such a shy soul could save millions of people and animals?
Chapter 1: Death Warning
All was peace that early September morning, as a young wild Husky cuddled up to her sister Milliona. Milliona was just awaking as she heard a loud gunshot. She jolted upright and nudged the husky. “Annabelle, up! Something’s trouble!” Annabelle sat up. “What trouble?” Without answering Milliona crept to the edge of their vacation cave. Startled, she fell back. Annabelle was about to bark and snarl at whatever startled her older sister, but Milliona growled lightly at Annabelle to be quiet. They hid behind a rock in the cave as a searching hand felt around. When it was gone and several minutes had passed Milliona said to Annabelle, “They’re gone. Let’s investigate.” They crept out the cave and they walked around, until they finally noticed two dead wolf bodies lying by the forest entrance. The two sisters gasped. “Mom! Dad!” Their parents had terrible wounds and they lay motionless. Milliona sadly bowed her head. And then, she raised it again to howl. Annabelle joined in sadly, and then they trotted off into the forest to find shelter.
They eventually found a small cave and hung out there for the night. Before they fell asleep a storm began to rage outside. They shifted and finally fell asleep.
In the morning an ugly possum awaked them. He snarled and snapped at them until they ran, yelping, outside into the rain. The rain was unbelievable. No, WORSE than unbelievable. You can’t even imagine! You could get soaked from head to toe in five seconds. They walked on in silence, missing their cave.
Chapter 2: Stampeding North
The rain drove them on, and hunger led them as well. They could not tell if it was day or night, and each dawn they did not see the full sunrise. The only light was the lightning and the sun or moon shining weakly through the tree branches. Several days passed and they walked on, tired in so many ways, but hunger still dragged their bleeding paws forward. By noon that Tuesday, they were at the peak of exhaustion, and at 1:00 or so, they flopped down to sleep right where they were walking. Their ribs poked out and they were sick and mange ruffled their coats. They didn’t talk to each other, because they knew what the other was thinking. They were sad and they were wishing for their comfy cave and food and other things. But they trudged through the slop and mud and firm ground until finally the trees blocked out the rain. They collapsed onto the ground. They fell asleep.
Next morning rain still pelted the area. Milliona got up. “Annabelle, it’s time we go on. It’s too scary to stay here.” Annabelle nodded weakly and followed after her sister. Halfway to the prairie all sorts of animals erupted from the forest. “We must go! We must migrate! This rain will kill us! We must get to Canada! The whole South US will go up in water! Floods will kill us! Run! Run! Migrate to Canada! Floods will come!” They all screamed together and Milliona became lost in stampeding hooves, paws, and claws. Geese who couldn’t fly stampeded after. Milliona cried, “Annabelle! Where are you? Help!” Annabelle screamed from somewhere else in the mass of bodies, “I’m here! Watch out they might trample us! Sis, what’s going to happen? Save me!” Milliona had been pushed out of the mass of bodies and was in the sidelines, watching the mass. Then she bolted forward and looked for Annabelle, but a strike to her head, her back, and her tail killed her as the surging bodies cleared up. Annabelle had survived, and she slowed down and dropped out of the mass. She bounded back, only to see the limp body of Milliona lay on its side with its chin and upper lip ruffled by the pressure of it on the ground. Annabelle climbed on her older sister’s body, and licked Milliona’s ear, but Milliona did not move. Suddenly, Annabelle jumped off and headed after the stampede. She didn’t want to face this rain that continued to beat, and she wanted to avoid the flood. She galloped over the turf and she followed after these forest souls.
The mass was now heading out the forest exit and was making for the open land when the rain slowed and then stopped. Annabelle followed, and her stomach reminded her she was hungry. If she could pluck a deer fawn from the herd of varying animals she would be all filled up.
The evening thunder warned that the rain would return. The mass ran at an eager and fast pace, to get to cover before the rain sprouted again. Annabelle increased her pace with the pack of mostly deer.
Annabelle snatched a fawn and ate it, then followed the pack as they moved on.
Eventually the rain lightened. They had been moving for four days and they stopped to graze and relax. Annabelle snatched a robin, a rabbit, and another fawn. She ate in calmness and then they slept for the night.
In the morning Annabelle continued to follow the herd. Then she heard a sharp whinny pierce the morning stillness that was in between the gentle hoof beats of the deer herd. A black stallion, the equine wildlife cop, crossed this land, his hooves clomping hollowly against the firm dirt. He cried out, “No further! No further! A landslide has taken the path away!” He turned on his hooves, keeping the animals back with natural herding skills. Annabelle spoke up, in a loud bark, “Sir! Sorry to go off subject but are the North Americans alright?” Annabelle had felt sorry for a while now that the North Americans would be hit by the storm on surprise. Back then there was no way of forecasting weather except looking at the sky! And this storm was mostly sudden and with no warning in the sky. The cop chuckled, and said, “They are alright, for the storm has not touched them. But we will need a brave warrior who knows traveling to warn them somehow. And I know a human family that all knows how to talk to animals.” Annabelle couldn’t help herself. Her cousin and the rest of her family were in Mississippi, in the southern part, so she quickly raised her head to howl that she really needed to go. The cop chuckled, and he shook his mane fiercely, laughing and bellowing deep in his throat. Annabelle thought it wasn’t funny. She growled, deeply. Two of the bigger wolf cops ran next to the equine cop, teeth bared and snarling. Annabelle stopped right away. The cop finally said, “Ok, I guess. I will send two toucan messengers and three real warriors with you. And one of my cops to make sure there is no large trouble or crime. And for fast traveling, I’ve gotten you a reasonable steed.”
He tossed his head in the direction of a high stepping, prancing gray horse. “Gus!” he said to the horse, and the gray pricked his ears. “Yes, sir?” The cop snorted lightly. “Make sure our hero doesn’t get hurt badly or dies. Understood?” Gus tossed his black mane that fell to his gray-splotched shoulders. “Got it.” Behind him the monkeys fastened the carriage to his bridle and harnessed pleasure saddle. The deer looked happy that Annabelle was leaving because of the two dead fawns that they had protected snatched by her. Annabelle jumped up onto the carriage’s soft plush seats, took the reins in her mouth and gave it a shake, and yelped, “Forward!” Gus took off in a steady-beated trot. The neighs and grunts and bellows and squawks and yelps behind her told they were bidding her a farewell. But lightning slashed the sky and it drizzled. Then Annabelle yelled over the thunder, “FOLLOW ME!” Annabelle felt sorry for the other animals and they obeyed, running after her. Annabelle yipped and gave the reins another shake and Gus went to a gallop.
They raced in the threatening loudness of the trumpeting thunder and the screams of the animals and the crack of the lightning. Gus slowed a bit and they continued on at a slow gallop, shaded by the trees as they entered a forest. The birds flew from the trees fearing the large caravan with all sorts of bird eaters. Gus galloped on until the dense forestry came and the dripping wet animals collapsed. Gus tossed his Shire head and lowered it to nap. Annabelle got off and two cops brought a fawn for her to eat, a fawn who had been dead already. Annabelle ate heartily, though she didn’t care for the taste, as she liked her food fresh. But it was better than nothing. Finally she climbed back into the carriage, shivered, and then lay down on the driver seat.
Rushing water sounds met Annabelle’s ears, and then when she was half awake she noticed she was in water halfway up her legs! The flood must have caught up to them in their sleep! She looked for Gus and he was struggling against the current to head north with the carriage in tow. He was screeching and calling in alarm. Annabelle unhooked him with flying paws then jumped onto his back, claws first. Gus screeched louder and pushed his body toward land, quickly. Annabelle held out her paw to the three cops and Tekita and Bert, the two toucans landed on Gus’ neck followed by two brave robins. The toucan screeched, “They can get us out! They’re world explorers! They know the shortcuts to get far away, fast!” The robins twittered and Tekita translated, “ ‘We must get to the hills,’ they said, ‘and the fastest way... uhhhh we think... is just west from here- you’ll see.... maybe...’ Sounds pretty convincing to me.” The toucan’s tone was sarcastic at the last sentence. Then Annabelle yelled over the thunder, rushing water, and cracking of lightning, “They’re our only chance, Tekita.” Two of the bear cops sat behind Annabelle while the third held to Gus’ tail but the old horse didn’t mind in his sense taking, blinding fear. An unknown wolf was sweeping in the current and Annabelle held out her paw to him. He took her paw in his and looked up at her. Annabelle said loudly over the dying water noise, “Grab the horse’s tail! There’s no room here.” The wolf quickly grabbed the tail and let go of Annabelle’s paw and they finally clambered to land, a few deer stags and two does managing to follow onto the land. The unknown wolf wagged his tail. “Thanks. My name’s Tempo, and I’m a former Habitat Planner of the wilderness. Except if humans decide to destroy, that’s when I can’t do anything.” He gently licked her ear, smiled, and hopped on Gus’ back. Gus neighed, “Get the creature off me, Annabelle. I’m serious and I’m trying to rest.” Annabelle laughed and said, “Tempo, please. Get off Gus, he doesn’t like it.” The wolf jumped with a splash into the shallower, calming down water. Gus gave a loud snort in disapproval as water splashed his side. Tempo smiled at Annabelle as they moved closer inland, and Gus led the way, Annabelle sitting gently on Gus’ haunches. Tempo jumped on in front of Annabelle and they rode silently, the surviving deer staying near. Annabelle remembered their quest, and she scratched Gus with her claws gently. Gus sprinted forward and went at a steady gallop into the moonlight.
On the way Tekita bid the robin farewell after they memorized the path they were to take. Bert flew steadily behind them as the caravan continued north. Tempo sat calmly on the old gray horse’s withers, and Annabelle had to keep scooting forward on the horse’s haunches to stay on. Tekita sat just atop the horse’s forelock being careful with her talons. Unlikely partners they were, striding forward every day with meat eaters as well as herbivores. Tekita snatched insects that she said were completely foreign to her habitat, and a very rare delicacy. This sickened Annabelle.
One day they had to cross a large fallen tree that connected two cliffs. A rushing river lay in between. Annabelle guided Gus forward with her voice. “Keep going, Gus! Be careful, though, and don’t look down!”
Unfortunately, Tempo looked down! He fell off Gus’ back and his claws snagged the log. Annabelle held out her paw, but Tempo fell into the rushing river below! Annabelle scooted forward on Gus’ back and rushed him forward, and then they went down a slope that met the rushing river. Annabelle jumped in and swam for Tempo, who had managed to bite down on a root. Annabelle grabbed his back legs and pulled him off the root, that was soon breaking, and she got onto land, softly letting him go on the sandy grass. Tempo touched noses with Annabelle gratefully. “I wouldn’t live to see this day without you.” He sighed.
Chapter 3: The Lion Cub
They continued their trek northward, stopping for a rest alongside a waterhole where the savannah began. Annabelle and Tempo caught fish for dinner, and the horse cops ate the same thing except for the third cop who was a colt, who grazed uninterestedly on the disgusting grass. Annabelle was fully filled for the first time in her journey. And Tempo was becoming very playful. Gus grazed, Tempo raced in circles as the sun set. Finally, they rested peacefully in the presence of the water hole, and the presence of the songbirds sleeping above. Annabelle was lying on the ground, Tempo lying with his head over Annabelle’s back. Gus was snorting in his sleep. They slept the night away just like that. The night was filled with their whines, snorts, and groans they did in sleep.
Annabelle was first to wake. She nudged Tempo lazily, and then poked him again. Tempo rolled over. “What do... you want...?” he mumbled tiredly. Annabelle said, “We are in the eye of the storm, and for now it’s stopped. While we have time we should go on. We have to increase the pace a bit today.”
Tempo nodded solemnly, and he stood to his feet. He was so tired he wobbled on his legs.
Suddenly, a soft growl was heard from somewhere, and then you could here a meow. A small cub came from the trees. Gus snorted, and backed up quickly. He neighed for the colt cop, Brok, to come to him. The colt, which was Gus’ son, rushed instantly to him. The cub meowed, tilted his fuzzy head that contained soft eyes, and twitched his black-tipped tail.
Annabelle tilted her head back, and the little thing rolled over, meowing pleadingly. Tempo said, “Gus, Brok... he’s harmless. He’s just asking if he can stay with us.”
Gus laughed sarcastically. “Yeah. Stay with us and eat us? No way, Jose.”
Tempo growled angrily at Gus. Gus jumped, spooked. “Ok, ok, ok. Gotcha. As long as he leaves when he grows, I’m fine with that.”
The cub said, “I can stay with you, right? Mama got all still and cold when the hunters came toward us.” Annabelle remembered the two memories she hated most, her and Milliona sitting before their parents and Milliona lying still as the last deer jumped past. Annabelle said sweetly, “Ok, little one. We’ll take care of you- with all our heart in it! So what is your name?”
The cat shook his head. “I don’t have one.”
Tempo nodded. “You look like a... Rudy.” The cat nodded in agreement. “I like that name. Where were you going to go? I overheard you are traveling for a good cause from my friends, but where?”
Annabelle smiled. “Somewhere so special, somewhere where all animals will be saved. I am going to save millions of animals, with your help, little Rudy.” Annabelle rubbed Rudy’s belly and he giggled.
Smiling, Rudy leaped up onto Gus’ back. “So, what are we waiting for? Giddy-up!” Rudy flipped the reins, way too hard. Gus, infuriated, lowered his head to buck, with a loud neigh. He pasted an angry, determined look on his face.
“Rudy, watch ou...”
Too late. The young cub was sent soaring in the air, and he thumped hard against a tree. Whining, but not giving up, Rudy stood to his feet “What... what... just happened?” But just then, a frightening noise came.
“Creaak.” Moaned the tree, as it slowly began to tilt. Gus neighed, to start the ruckus among the animals. Tekita and Bert returned from a mailing trip to land on a branch nearby the falling tree. They shot down to the thickest braches, took a hold of them, and struggled to pull the tree up. That gave Annabelle just enough time to push Rudy out of the way, still managing to get out of the way herself. Rudy sat, a bit stunned, in front of the fallen tree. With an empty look, he looked up at Annabelle and the others, then shook his head. “Whoah! Let’s do THAT again, huh, guys?”
“NO!” Shouted the other five.
“Oh. Well come on, we gotta go, don’t...?”
His question was interrupted and as well answered as a lightning bolt crashed nearby, and the rain started up again. Brok neighed, and tossed his head. Annabelle growled, and looked around. Seeing the discarded carriage nearby, she gave a small smirk. “Gus, Brok, people, hold on!” She reached for the harness, and tried to tug it over. Sighing, she called over to Tempo. “Temp! Over here!” Tempo hurried over to her, and snatched the harness and put it on. “Annabelle, it’s better if you tug it like this, not with your teeth.” He glanced down at his paws, seeing water creeping up, as high as claws. “And hurry!”
When Annabelle was hooked up to the carriage, they nodded to each other and hurried as fast as they could toward their group. By now, Rudy had to perch high on Gus’ back, but this time, Gus didn’t mind. Annabelle smiled softly. “We did it!” she cried, leaping into the carriage, helping attach Gus to the carriage. She helped Rudy onto the carriage too, as Gus nudged his son into the carriage harness.
“Yeah. We did it.” Tempo said softly, looking into Annabelle’s eyes, as the sun faintly began to shimmer behind the clouds of gray.
Chapter 4: Human Civilization
Annabelle slumped over the seat, still awake. She had been awake all that night, simply thinking. She was thinking of her family, North America, Tempo, life, happiness, friends, Tempo, dreams, Tempo... and other subjects. Annabelle glanced over at Tempo. She had known Tempo long enough to understand he may be dreaming of human cities and cute huskies. Annabelle wondered why any wolf would be like that. Wolves like her were creatures of the wilderness, and they loved to be free. Annabelle smiled gently under a loving look. She nudged him softly, and gave him a lick. Tempo simply shifted, and smiled in his sleep. Annabelle lowered her head, hearing the thunder roll quietly. The water was still rising, but Annabelle didn’t worry. She closed her eyes and sighed, then fell asleep.
Later, Annabelle woke. The carriage was stopped. Tempo was still at her side. She looked around. There was no water anymore, just the sun shining happily. No clouds lurked in the sky to worry her. The only thing that did worry her was that the carriage was stopped. She put her paws over the carriage handle, where the riders held on. She gazed down, seeing Gus asleep. Only one thing was bad about that.
Where was Brok?
“Brok? Brok?” Annabelle pushed herself back into the carriage. She nudged Tempo awake. “Wake up. Brok’s gone. Help me wake up Gus.” Tempo shook his fur, and leaped off the carriage. The ground was soft, almost muddy. Tempo trotted up to the harness. Sniffing the harness, he examined it closely. “A human’s been here. Look at the cut in the leather. It’s too smooth and even. Brok couldn’t have bit through it. Humans have weapons that cut skin, leather, and even treebark real easy. Though... I wonder where he could...” He lifted his nose to the sky and looked ahead. Annabelle put her paw up on Gus’ side. She looked at Tempo. “What is it?” she asked. She barked in Gus’ ear. “Hey Gus! Wake up! Brok’s gone.”
Tempo burst forward with his head lifted up high. He yodeled, almost like a hound tracking down his prey. “Come on!” Tempo yelled back to the two. Tekita and Bert squawked and woke up. “What’s going on?” cried Tekita. Bert shook his head. “I dunno. Come on, let’s fly!”
Annabelle took her claws and cut the leather of Gus’ harness. Moving her claws to examine them for wear or damage, she nodded. “We should travel faster if we don’t have anything in tow. Comin’ Temp.” She raced after them, Gus quickly cantering behind. Each step was quick for being in the sludge.
Tempo slipped, and Annabelle went back to pull him up by his scruff. Annabelle gave a quick smile, then raced to catch up with the others. Tempo wanted to say thank you, but Annabelle was already running after the others. Tempo started forward, when he heard a voice behind him. “Tempo, what’s all the ruckus? And why isn’t Annabelle home? Did you do something to her?” Tempo then remembered. They had left Rudy back in the carriage. “I did nothing. Brok is lost, you know, that tiny horse? Well, we were searching...”
“We?” Rudy asked, narrowing his eyes. “Where are the others?”
Tempo responded by grabbing Rudy by the scruff and saying through his teeth, “They’re up ahead, rascal. We’re going to find them, and Brok.” Rudy gazed forward. “Yahoooooo, wwheeeee! This is fun! Can we do this sometime?”
Tempo smiled as he splashed across a shallow stream. “Sure kid.” He responded, as Rudy wriggled to shake off the water, nearly slipping out of Tempo’s mouth. Tempo slowly set him down, and stared forward. “They’re probably lost... no, they... oh god, they’re headed for civilization.”
Rudy shook his head. “Civila-wha?”
Tempo growled. “No time to explain. Can you run?”
Rudy shifted his paws. “Uh-huh.”
“Then come on!”
Chapter 5: Disasters Lead To Good
Annabelle gazed around her. She saw humans tramping around inside of a gate, holding heavy objects, as a small wall was being built. They seemed to be in a trance, their faces cold, stiff, and emotionless. Gus watched carefully from behind a cluster of trees, with a snort. Soon they both saw Brok, being tugged and choked by a few of the emotionless men, as they were trying to lock him in a pen. Annabelle watched, wincing, imagining the pain Brok must be feeling. Tekita sat perched on her back, and Bert perched on a branch above Gus, Tekita, and Annabelle.
Annabelle turned to her friends. “Guys, I’ve got a plan. Tekita, distract the humans by flying over the gate and just messing with them. Bert, watch them from above and make sure Brok is ok. Tempo and me are going to sneak in through that hole in the gate. Gus, Rudy, stay here and watch from afar... cover us... Tempo??? Rudy??? Where are you?!”
But Tempo and Rudy were closer to them then they thought, as the wind began blowing hard, sending snowflakes and fog toward them. Tempo closed his eyes tightly, as the snow threatened to sting his eyes. Rudy cuddled close to Tempo’s front paws, shivering. Through chattering teeth, Tempo said, “We... have to keep... going.. or else we’ll... we’ll never find them...” Rudy turned his head toward Tempo with eyes shut. “o... o... ok...” Slowly they trudged through the snow.
Suddenly Annabelle stopped. “A storm’s forming... come on guys, we’ve got to hurry.” Suddenly she saw Tempo on a hill far away, though the snow and wind and fog blurred his image, she could tell it was him anyway. Then she recognized Rudy beside him. Tempo lifted his head to howl. “Tempo!” cried Annabelle. “Come over here!” she howled back, then she unhooked the gate to get into the civilization. Tekita flapped her wings and dug her claws into the men’s arms and hair, squawking all the while. Annabelle, seeing no unlockable lock, ran straight into the corral fence to free Brok. Tempo raced in, seeing Annabelle a bit wounded from the impact, pulled her carefully out as Brok escaped. Tekita and Bert flew out, and Tempo used his back paws to kick the door shut on the humans. The lock clacked back into its hook, locking the firm men inside. Tempo looked back on them and whispered, “Heh. Suckers.” Annabelle smiled up at Tempo, and tried to get up. She slipped, and fell. “Maybe you should go on without me.” Tempo whined softly, and nuzzled his head into her fur. “I’d never leave you, you have to come. I couldn’t leave you... cuz I... I guess...” he stuttered. “Yes?” spoke Annabelle patiently, carefully licking her leg. Tempo lowered his head a tiny bit. “Nevermind. Brok, Rudy, Gus, go back and find the carriage. We’re gonna need something to carry her on.” Tempo lay down beside Annabelle, with his paws over hers.
Annabelle smiled, her eyes reflecting the love she felt for him. “Somehow I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind.” She gave him a lick on his cheek. She looked up, as the sun began to set. “Beautiful sunset, huh?” she asked, leaning her head against his. Tempo stayed still, and mumbled, a tint nervously, “Yes, beautiful.” Tempo gave a small smile, as he looked her way. Tempo scooted closer. Annabelle blinked once slowly, looking down at his paw, covering hers, just as the bumping and rickety noise of the carriage sounded behind them. Gus neighed, snorting. He tossed his head up high and pranced in place. Rudy giggled. “Annabelle and Tempo, sittin’ in a tree, KISSI...”
Annabelle growled. “Shut up.” She jumped into the seat beside Rudy, and Tempo landed on her other side. Brok was injured, so he rested in the back of the carriage.
The moon began to rise in the sky once more, and the two birds, one cub, and one younger horse fell asleep. Only Gus, Tempo and Annabelle were awake now. Annabelle glanced over at Tempo. “Um, Tempo, I need to tell you something.” Tempo nodded back to her in response. Annabelle sighed, and said, “I think, I think I might just like you more than a friend.”
Tempo chuckled. “That was exactly what I was thinking.”
“Really?”
“Really, Ann.”
Chapter 6: I’ll Be There For You
Annabelle smiled as they both closed their eyes, then she opened one eye, to rest her head on Tempo’s back, falling into a deep sleep.
When they all woke, the carriage was shaking. Tekita began to squawk, and Bert snored on. Brok began thrashing at the carriage walls, spooked. Gus reared up high, sending Brok flying against the back of the carriage. Annabelle yelled, “Whoah! Gus, buddy, settle down, what’s up?” But before Gus could answer, Annabelle realized what was wrong. A crack in the moist ground was racing towards them. “EARTHQUAKE!” screamed Tempo, waking Bert. Annabelle was shaking, and the same time giving a determined snarl. “Come on, Gus!” she said. “Calm down we’ll get out of this! On my cue...”
“Left! Straight!”
“Left, Straight!”
“Right, left!”
Gus neighed out piercingly, as he took a wrong turn. The carriage, as if in slow motion, shot toward the ground, sending its passengers everywhere. Gus managed to land on a ledge, and on another landed Annabelle. Just as Tempo was about to fall down, she caught him and pulled him up. Gus reached down with his teeth, trying to catch Brok. Beads of sweat formed on his forhead, as he reached for his son. Almost there...
“BROK! NOOOOOOOOO!” yelled Gus. Annabelle leaned against Tempo’s shoulder, and sniffled. Tempo buried his soft fur into hers, then he took a large leap back up to the top of the cliff. Helping Annabelle up, Annabelle and him both pulled Gus up, who was biting back tears of his own. Tempo turned back to the cliff, and took a look. Brok’s lifeless body was laying limp across a rock in the river, and was swept away, leaving a slightly bloody mark on the rock. Tempo closed his eyes. “We have to keep going.” With a sigh, he got up into the carriage.
Annabelle looked up. “Oh no. We might be too late! Ok, we’re almost to North America, all we have to do is hurry.”
Tempo nodded. “Yeah.” He said, silently crying for his friend. Rudy buried his head against Tempo’s ankle, whining, “Tempo, it’ll all be ok. We gotta move on... Papa...” Tempo looked down at Rudy, and gave him a friendly nuzzle, a tear dripping onto his new son’s silky lion fur. “Yes, my adopted son.” Annabelle climbed into the carriage beside Tempo. The carriage was slightly battered now. Rudy sat up on Gus’ haunches, but Gus patiently followed Annabelles slight cue to move forward. Gus came into a quick lope, each hoof hitting the ground with a drumming motion. He thrust his head forward into a run, and Rudy pummeled backward, yelping. Tempo reached for the small cub, and sat him beside him. Annabelle touched muzzles with Tempo and they both howled, for no reason at all.
Rudy tried to howl with them, but instead gave a feeble roar for he didn’t know how to howl. Tekita and Bert gave calls of their own, on top of the carriage, their wings spread as if to take flight, but they were still sitting on the carriage.
“We’re here.” Neighed Gus. “This must be the family here, the family that can speak to animals.” Annabelle stood up on the carriage seat, as Gus drew to a halt a bit of distance away from the house. Strangely, the storm had not touched here. It could DEFINITELY not have touched here yet. The ground was dry and cracked, very little centimeter-wide streams of water streaming in between some of the cracks in the dirt, but only here and there. The only grass that survived was brown, and in groups of three blades or more. The house stood alone, rickety and tall, made of wood put together by rusty nails. It seemed as if the house could collapse any moment. The only signs of life were desert mice scattering here and there. Tempo looked at Gus. “It can’t be here. I mean, there’s barely any animals to talk to.”
Annabelle nodded, agreeing. “You’d think an animal speaker would live in an area filled with animals and plants.”
Annabelle licked Tempo on the cheek. “You stay. Here goes...” She trotted up to the house.
“Hey, why can’t I come?” Tempo asked.
“It’s my job. I’m the one destined to do this.” Annabelle answered, climbing onto the front porch. Gus turned his head and gave a nod to Tempo. “Let’s hope she’ll be ok.”
Rudy punched his paws high into the air. “Go Annabelle!” and Tempo picked him up and rose him higher.
Annabelle put her paw against the door, and scratched. In her own language, she spoke softly, “Hello? Is anybody here? I need to talk to you.”
Annabelle sat on the front steps for a long time, as it began to rain. The rivers of water in between the cracks in the dirt became more apparent and more often. Tempo watched anxiously, as Gus carefully watched the water height with a wary eye. A girl in a long apron came to the door. Annabelle whined, no real meaning behind the whine. The girl rubbed behind Annabelle’s ears. “You look worried, girl. Come on in, I’ll show you to my bedroom, then you can tell me all about it.” Annabelle looked over her shoulder, gave a brief nod to her friends, and trotted into the rickety house.
Though the house looked old and untended for on the outside, the house was clean and fancy as a whistle on the inside.
Annabelle followed the young eleven year old into a totally pink bedroom. Though Annabelle could not tell its color, the room felt warm and inviting. Annabelle settled herself on the girl’s bed. The girl sat next to her, and rubbed behind the wolf’s ears. “My name’s Shanay. What’s yours?”
Annabelle gazed at the bedroom wall. “Annabelle.” She said softly in her language.
The girl smiled. “Annabelle, is it? So Annabelle, why did you come all the way out here? Animals never come here, except for the mice, and the geese that are flying back north.”
“There is an urgent problem, Shanay. There’s going to be a huge flood, and a storm. I almost got caught in it. They’re called hurricanes.”
Shanay gaped at Annabelle. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” she choked out.
“I‘m serious.” Said Annabelle softly.
“I must tell Mother. She’ll believe me. Only you come with me, she needs to see you.”
The girl touched Annabelle’s back, and Annabelle leapt off the bed. Shanay kept her hand laid across Annabelle’s back. This made Annabelle uncomfortable, but she knew in order to tell the animal-speaking humans about the terrible storm, she had to do as the human said.
A older-looking boy tramped through the house, with a fierceness in his eyes that frightened Annabelle. This boy reminded her of the rough humans her parents had been killed by, and the rough men that had stolen Brock away from the caravan. Annabelle shivered lightly.
Shanay noticed this and said to the boy, “Ken, stop trampin’ around like an elephant.” Strangely Annabelle understood Shanay’s word to Ken, who appeared to be her brother in very few ways.
Ken looked at her and noticed Annabelle, who shrunk against Shanay’s pantleg. “Oooooooooooooh! You brought a mutt into the house? I’m tellin’ Moooooooooom.”
“No, listen K.G. Remember my ‘ability’? To talk to animals?”
“So then, tell me what this dog says when I do this?” Ken kicked Annabelle, and made her nervously step away and growl.
“She said, ‘Make this insufferable idiot stop kicking me.’ I really think you should go, Ken. Be glad I warned ya.”
“You’re good.” Annabelle told her as Ken glared at them and stomped back down the stairs.
“I know I am.” Shanay smirked and said to Annabelle, “Ok, now, let’s hope that we can get downstairs alive.” Shanay shivered and glared after Ken who just tramped around a corner at the way bottom of the stairs.
Annabelle sensed her nervousness and gulped. “Uh? What do you mean, if we get down there alive?”
“Yeah. Ken’s a human and wolf-eater.” Shanay shrugged.
“Haha. You scared me there.” Annabelle forced a laugh.
They ran down the stairs. Both had to tell the story of the hurricanes, and what might happen if they don’t move out of the storm’s range.
“Mommy I... mom?!”
The 40-year-old lady who was Shanay’s mother was gone. The house was dark and from the distance they could hear screams.
The twelve-year-old Shanay moved closer to her wolf-friend and began to bite her nails. “Where’s my mom?” Annabelle growled at this new predicament. From somewhere in the room she smelled Tempo... she sniffed around and followed the scent. Only a few feet away from where the woman had been sitting, a badly injured Tempo lay.
“Tempo! Tell me what happened!!” Annabelle whined. She licked one of the wounds on his shoulder to help heal it.
“The... hunters... they... they came here...” coughed Tempo. His whole body shook as he coughed. “They... tried to take her away... to the north... thinking her ability... would be useful... for hunting.”
“So mom’s up north...” Shanay said, biting her nails until there was almost no nail left. Then her hands fell limply at her sides like they were broken. “That... that place is full of... of terrible monsters... their nothing we can speak to... somewhere between an animal and a demon... we can’t understand them...”
Annabelle looked scared up at Shanay. “This is bad.” She whined quietly. “Real bad. Tempo, tell us how did this happen to you?”
Tempo coughed again, his whole body shivering to no end, his closing wounds opening up again. “The wolf-speaking woman wouldn’t allow herself to be taken North. So they tried to bring her there by force. I got in the way though, and tried to fight them away. They didn’t have guns, thank god, but they had knives, so they tried to fend me off. I couldn’t... protect her... or myself... because those humans were unnaturally powerful. They picked me up by the scruff and THREW me, yes, threw me, over here. The fall caused some of these gashes to become more serious.”
“Tempo...” Annabelle was really worried.
Her best friend in the world lifted his head to look at her. “I’ll be fine. Go. They... took everyone else too... but Rudy may have gotten away... Go find them all and save them.”
Annabelle smiled and through the haze of her panicked mind she joked, “Hey, you sound like the world is at stake!!”
“A bit cliched line.” Muttered Shanay.
Tempo ignored Shanay and told Annabelle, “It is. My world... is at stake. If I lose my friends, well... I’ll have nothing left to live for.”
“I’ll do my best, Temp.” Annabelle nuzzled him and ran off, ready for the trail of monsters! She was ready for anything, so she could protect her friends.
TO BE CONTINUED