door. “Don’t go anywhere,” she said. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the hall.
Don’t go anywhere? Was she joking?
Where could I go? I was on top of her desk. The floor was about ten miles beneath me.
I climbed to my feet. I started to pace back and forth across the table. The laptop screen was about my height. The words on the screen looked as big as newspaper headlines.
I walked back and forth, trying to calm down. Mr. and Mrs. Munroe were nice people. They were like family. I knew they would take good care of me. They would contact my parents and —
A strong gust of wind nearly blew me over.
Carried by the wind, the window curtains flew at me. The curtain swept under me. Swept me off my feet.
I tumbled onto my back on the smooth fabric.
And it swung me off the table.
The curtain flew high, carrying me with it.
Another strong burst of wind swung the curtain higher.
I grabbed on to it with both hands.
The curtain flew into the room, then pulled back to the window. Then it swung back out, floated for a while, and swung back.
I held on with all my might. But it was swinging too hard.
The wind battered me. Blew so hard I could barely breathe.
It pushed the curtain and me forward, then back.
My hands slipped.
The curtain swung back to the open window.
I squeezed harder. But my hands ached. My arms throbbed in pain.
I started to slip down the smooth fabric.
Struggled to grasp it. Struggled to hold on.
Slipping … slipping …
I can’t hang on!
The curtain flew out the window.
“Whooooaaaah!” I uttered a hoarse cry as I slid off it and went sailing into the air.
24
I flew into the night sky.
From inside the house, I heard Ava’s shout: “Steven? Where are you? Where did you go?”
The wind carried me higher. I heard a loud flapping. Wings?
A heavy blast of air swept over me. A gigantic, feathered head appeared. Two glowing black eyes. A curled beak as big as catcher’s mitt.
An owl.
The wings flapped hard as the creature dove toward me. The beak opened. And
snap!
The bird clamped the back of my jumpsuit collar.
“Hey!” I thrashed my arms and legs helplessly.
The owl made a warbling sound deep in its chest.
The big wings flapped hard above me. I could feel the breeze off them as we started to sail higher.
“Please! Don’t drop me! Don’t drop me!” I shouted. I shut my eyes and tightened my body, holding perfectly still.
The owl held me prisoner and swooped higher into the night sky.
Where was it taking me? To its nest?
To feed its young?
I sailed high over the rooftops of houses. The street looked like a narrow black ribbon beneath me.
Please don’t drop me. Please …
The wind battered my face. I dangled in front of the owl, swinging in the stiff gusts.
I crossed my arms tight in front of me. I tensed every muscle.
We flew over my block, then the next.
Please don’t drop me. Please …
The houses ended in the next block. Deep woods began just past the houses. Dark trees reached up to me as we began to fly lower over the last of the houses.
I knew what was happening. I had guessed right. The owl was taking me to its nest. It had captured its prey. And now it was dinnertime.
I heard a frightening screech.
A dark creature flew toward us. In the dim light, I saw it was another owl.
The intruder swooped at us, opened its beak—and made a grab for me.
It missed.
The round black eyes went wide, as if surprised.
My owl turned and darted lower … lower … trying to escape with me, its prey.
The second owl spun in the sky and made another stab. Its open beak jabbed inches from me.
My owl opened its beak and let out a sharp squawk of protest.
And I fell free.
I fell free and dropped like a rock to the grass below.
I landed on my stomach with a hard
thud.
The impact sent my breath whooshing out. I choked and gagged.
Finally, I managed to sit up. I was okay. The fall had been short. The owl had dropped me close to the ground.
But where was
Don’t go anywhere? Was she joking?
Where could I go? I was on top of her desk. The floor was about ten miles beneath me.
I climbed to my feet. I started to pace back and forth across the table. The laptop screen was about my height. The words on the screen looked as big as newspaper headlines.
I walked back and forth, trying to calm down. Mr. and Mrs. Munroe were nice people. They were like family. I knew they would take good care of me. They would contact my parents and —
A strong gust of wind nearly blew me over.
Carried by the wind, the window curtains flew at me. The curtain swept under me. Swept me off my feet.
I tumbled onto my back on the smooth fabric.
And it swung me off the table.
The curtain flew high, carrying me with it.
Another strong burst of wind swung the curtain higher.
I grabbed on to it with both hands.
The curtain flew into the room, then pulled back to the window. Then it swung back out, floated for a while, and swung back.
I held on with all my might. But it was swinging too hard.
The wind battered me. Blew so hard I could barely breathe.
It pushed the curtain and me forward, then back.
My hands slipped.
The curtain swung back to the open window.
I squeezed harder. But my hands ached. My arms throbbed in pain.
I started to slip down the smooth fabric.
Struggled to grasp it. Struggled to hold on.
Slipping … slipping …
I can’t hang on!
The curtain flew out the window.
“Whooooaaaah!” I uttered a hoarse cry as I slid off it and went sailing into the air.
24
I flew into the night sky.
From inside the house, I heard Ava’s shout: “Steven? Where are you? Where did you go?”
The wind carried me higher. I heard a loud flapping. Wings?
A heavy blast of air swept over me. A gigantic, feathered head appeared. Two glowing black eyes. A curled beak as big as catcher’s mitt.
An owl.
The wings flapped hard as the creature dove toward me. The beak opened. And
snap!
The bird clamped the back of my jumpsuit collar.
“Hey!” I thrashed my arms and legs helplessly.
The owl made a warbling sound deep in its chest.
The big wings flapped hard above me. I could feel the breeze off them as we started to sail higher.
“Please! Don’t drop me! Don’t drop me!” I shouted. I shut my eyes and tightened my body, holding perfectly still.
The owl held me prisoner and swooped higher into the night sky.
Where was it taking me? To its nest?
To feed its young?
I sailed high over the rooftops of houses. The street looked like a narrow black ribbon beneath me.
Please don’t drop me. Please …
The wind battered my face. I dangled in front of the owl, swinging in the stiff gusts.
I crossed my arms tight in front of me. I tensed every muscle.
We flew over my block, then the next.
Please don’t drop me. Please …
The houses ended in the next block. Deep woods began just past the houses. Dark trees reached up to me as we began to fly lower over the last of the houses.
I knew what was happening. I had guessed right. The owl was taking me to its nest. It had captured its prey. And now it was dinnertime.
I heard a frightening screech.
A dark creature flew toward us. In the dim light, I saw it was another owl.
The intruder swooped at us, opened its beak—and made a grab for me.
It missed.
The round black eyes went wide, as if surprised.
My owl turned and darted lower … lower … trying to escape with me, its prey.
The second owl spun in the sky and made another stab. Its open beak jabbed inches from me.
My owl opened its beak and let out a sharp squawk of protest.
And I fell free.
I fell free and dropped like a rock to the grass below.
I landed on my stomach with a hard
thud.
The impact sent my breath whooshing out. I choked and gagged.
Finally, I managed to sit up. I was okay. The fall had been short. The owl had dropped me close to the ground.
But where was
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