The roof creaked, and I braced myself for the crash. Suddenly, Felicia let out a hiss that froze the blood pumping through my body and sent shivers up my spine. I quailed into a corner. The moment after the hiss was released, I heard a loud thud and the silent, dejected padding of paws. We had defeated the wolves! Exhausted, and gasping with relief, I fell asleep before my head touched my paws. I woke up to the warm hands of sunlight caressing my body. I peered out the window, and gazed at a majestic landscape. Towering, ornate green pine trees extended to the sky as the beautiful morning sunlight filtered through the needles. Birds sang melodies of joy, interrupting at regular intervals to chatter to each other. I inhaled the crisp, cool air and leaned my face out the window.
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I sniffed the sweet, spicy pine sap and stuck a paw out the window. Spider webs glittered in the sunlight, illuminating their intricate silver lattices. A gob of sticky sap splattered on my head. Sunny licked it off. I had never seen such a forest-- it was filled with Christmas trees-- complete with the wooden, spiky ornaments! My paws flicked with longing to climb one of them. Then-- thunk! Thunk! I peered up at the roof of the caravan, puzzled that it would be hailing in such seemingly fair weather. "Pounce! Get the cashews!", someone called. "What? Cashews?", I asked, baffled. "For the squirrels!", Merry said, handing me the bag of cashews. Suddenly, an acorn bounced off my face. What I thought was hail were actually acorns! In realization, I emptied out the bag of cashews. Squirrels came flying from the trees, abandoning their game of pelting the train.
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We lurched past the squirrels, who were rapidly gathering the nuts. The rest of today's journey went smoothly as we rolled over golden hills and into a densely wooded area. Creeak! The carriage was drawing to a halt. "Here's camp!" Felicia called. I drew my pack and began searching for sticks. Once I had amassed a pile, I lashed the sticks together with grass rope. They teetered, but I assumed they would hold up. Next I had to make the walls. I lugged boulders over and piled them hapahazardly against the tree trunk. Finally, I wove grass rather laboriously into a blanket. By now, my stomach was roaring, so I decided to search for fish. However, not a ripple penetrated the still brook. I watched until stars danced in my eyes. Then, I froze. Rustle. Rustle. I recognized the convulsive rustles of a foraging mouse. I froze in my tracks, whiskers quivering as I tried to catch a scent. Slowly, I lifted one paw and lowered it onto the leaves, step by step as the scent grew stronger. Then, the scent vanished abruptly from the air.
I glanced around myself. It was growing to be dusk, and a chilling breeze began whispering through the trees. Which way had I come? Dense forest surrounded me, and all the trees seemed identical. A rising panic mounted in my heart. I was lost. Instead of taking the food from right under my nose I followed a mouse and have now lost myself. No one could find me here. The sky turned a darker shade of indigo. "Meaaw!" I wailed for help. There was no answer, not even the faintest grunt. I thought of my friends, probably roasting the very mouse I was after, sitting cozily around a blazing fire. I tried to coax myself to sleep. "Howoo!" a long, chilling howl penetrated the eerie silence. An owl began its lonely hoot. Shivers tickled my spine. I shut my eyes. Probably no one had even noticed my absence. They would leave tomorrow, and I would be left here for the rest of my life. For a moment, I doubted why I had decided to embark on this journey. I was so foolish, to leave my family, on such a perilous and long journey. I had decided permanently, and my action would never be erased. At home I was confined, but I was safe and had all possible luxuries. If I had stayed home, I could be peacefully relaxing on the belly-warmer, with Sunny tucked under my paw. If only someone would help me...
Will Pounce be abandoned in the woods? Find out in the next chapter! |
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