tractor shed for another hosing. Bob the goat was making great progress on the oval.
Finally, finally, after hosing off her own sneakers, going into the house, seeing the track of barefoot mud she’d left, wiping up the tracks, and sighing
mightily
, she heard a vehicle pull into the circular driveway. Getting a good hold on the front door, she yanked on it and pushed open the screen with both hands.
The Squad had arrived!
They unpacked a few more boxes and did their homework. Too soon the girls had to leave, and Sunny began a new countdown to the next day after school.
That’s when Esther would be staying overnight!
Chapter 13
A Creepy Feeling
T he zoo was out of the barn and running in every direction except the same. Sunny darted one way and then another, yet every time she nearly touched one of them, they squirted out of her hand. Then the pig began to fly, and the mini horse said, “Come here so I can stomp on your foot!”
Sunny sat up, her heart pounding in her throat, sleep as well as the dream vibrating in her brain. Where was she? Right. She was in her bed at Uncle Dave’s. Thursday night; Esther lay curled up on the inflatable mattress. Through the open window, the dark sky above the corral and meadow said nighttime. A chilly breeze blew, but it wasn’t as cold as Sunny felt when she saw a shape outlined through the window.
She burrowed back under the covers. She did not see something at the window. What a crazy dream. She must still be dreaming. A sweaty moment later, she peeked out. No doubt about it. Something was looking at her from the open window.
“Esther! Esther, wake up!” Loud enough for her friend to hear, low enough that—that—thing couldn’t.
Esther stirred.
The shadowy figure snorted. Just like—
Sunny bounded out of bed. Now she could see the ears. It was the mini. She leaned through the window. There, below the view of the window was Piggles, Bob, and Which Way. Which Way looked very pleased with himself.
“How did you—?”
The zoo had been safely in the barn with the door shut. She’d shut it right after dinner while Esther did the dishes. Honest. They were safe.
No, they were looking in her window.
But she
had
shut the barn door, hadn’t she? She’d gone through Vee’s checklist and actually checked everything off and—
She smacked her forehead with her hand. She’d left the list and the pen in the barn. It had all the instructions for Uncle Dave Mom had left that Vee had written in her perfect handwriting. She needed that notebook ‘cause it also included all
her
lists on how to care for the animals and how to split up the chores.
She’d better go get it and check the door, just to make sure. She would also check to see how the zoo got out. No way did she want to mess up her chance to prove to her family that she could finish things.
“Okay, guys, lemme get dressed and I’ll be out.”
Yawning, she checked the bedside clock. With the ranch away from city lights, night was really
night
. A flashlight would be handy, but that would have been something Esther or Vee would have remembered, she reflected, slipping her feet into a pair of flip-flops and pulling on a sweatshirt. A sigh over leaving the handy-dandy list in the barn. Reinventing herself as Vee wasn’t going to work.
“The trouble with a list is you have to remember where you put the list,” she muttered, opening the bedroom door.
Esther slowly sat up, stretching. After a quick look out the window, she whispered, “I see ears. Is that the mini? It’s not morning yet. What are you doing?”
“I’m going to see how they got out. I’m sure I closed the door.” Her voice lowered. “I also forgot the list in the barn. I’m going to get it.”
In seconds, Esther had rolled off the bed. “Let me get my flashlight out of my backpack. Then we can go.”
I knew it
.
Dressing quickly and digging out her big-ended flashlight, Esther was ready to go. Crossing to the window and sitting on her
Finally, finally, after hosing off her own sneakers, going into the house, seeing the track of barefoot mud she’d left, wiping up the tracks, and sighing
mightily
, she heard a vehicle pull into the circular driveway. Getting a good hold on the front door, she yanked on it and pushed open the screen with both hands.
The Squad had arrived!
They unpacked a few more boxes and did their homework. Too soon the girls had to leave, and Sunny began a new countdown to the next day after school.
That’s when Esther would be staying overnight!
Chapter 13
A Creepy Feeling
T he zoo was out of the barn and running in every direction except the same. Sunny darted one way and then another, yet every time she nearly touched one of them, they squirted out of her hand. Then the pig began to fly, and the mini horse said, “Come here so I can stomp on your foot!”
Sunny sat up, her heart pounding in her throat, sleep as well as the dream vibrating in her brain. Where was she? Right. She was in her bed at Uncle Dave’s. Thursday night; Esther lay curled up on the inflatable mattress. Through the open window, the dark sky above the corral and meadow said nighttime. A chilly breeze blew, but it wasn’t as cold as Sunny felt when she saw a shape outlined through the window.
She burrowed back under the covers. She did not see something at the window. What a crazy dream. She must still be dreaming. A sweaty moment later, she peeked out. No doubt about it. Something was looking at her from the open window.
“Esther! Esther, wake up!” Loud enough for her friend to hear, low enough that—that—thing couldn’t.
Esther stirred.
The shadowy figure snorted. Just like—
Sunny bounded out of bed. Now she could see the ears. It was the mini. She leaned through the window. There, below the view of the window was Piggles, Bob, and Which Way. Which Way looked very pleased with himself.
“How did you—?”
The zoo had been safely in the barn with the door shut. She’d shut it right after dinner while Esther did the dishes. Honest. They were safe.
No, they were looking in her window.
But she
had
shut the barn door, hadn’t she? She’d gone through Vee’s checklist and actually checked everything off and—
She smacked her forehead with her hand. She’d left the list and the pen in the barn. It had all the instructions for Uncle Dave Mom had left that Vee had written in her perfect handwriting. She needed that notebook ‘cause it also included all
her
lists on how to care for the animals and how to split up the chores.
She’d better go get it and check the door, just to make sure. She would also check to see how the zoo got out. No way did she want to mess up her chance to prove to her family that she could finish things.
“Okay, guys, lemme get dressed and I’ll be out.”
Yawning, she checked the bedside clock. With the ranch away from city lights, night was really
night
. A flashlight would be handy, but that would have been something Esther or Vee would have remembered, she reflected, slipping her feet into a pair of flip-flops and pulling on a sweatshirt. A sigh over leaving the handy-dandy list in the barn. Reinventing herself as Vee wasn’t going to work.
“The trouble with a list is you have to remember where you put the list,” she muttered, opening the bedroom door.
Esther slowly sat up, stretching. After a quick look out the window, she whispered, “I see ears. Is that the mini? It’s not morning yet. What are you doing?”
“I’m going to see how they got out. I’m sure I closed the door.” Her voice lowered. “I also forgot the list in the barn. I’m going to get it.”
In seconds, Esther had rolled off the bed. “Let me get my flashlight out of my backpack. Then we can go.”
I knew it
.
Dressing quickly and digging out her big-ended flashlight, Esther was ready to go. Crossing to the window and sitting on her
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