The next Saturday morning, my father knocked on the door of her room. “Violet dear, time to get up! You’ve got a call from the prime minister himself!” he joked. He always called the mayor that.
I tumbled out of bed and took the phone from my father’s outstretched hand. “Hello?” I asked sleepily, rubbing the crust from my half-open eyes.
“Good morning, lazy bones!” exclaimed the mayor. I hated when he called me so early in the morning; in fact, I despised most early-birds. “Sorry to wake you so early, but I thought you would like to hear this news as soon as possible,” said the mayor. “I discussed your request with the governor and he agreed that if you monitor Horneus closely, then we will allow you to ride him. All right? Hello? Violet?” But I had already rushed out the door to spread the good news.
I rushed into the kitchen, only to deflate at the sight of my brother and his idiotic cronies. The two big twins played football almost nonstop, and my brother manipulated their strength. They were deep into strategy talks (or rather talk, as my bro was the only one conversing). I started to sneak back in the way I came, but one of the dummies saw me.
“Hey John, isn’t that your sister?” said the uglier of the two. “Unfortunately yes,” said John in his stupid nasal voice. That would be Ned, and the other was Fred. Their faces split into identical malicious grins.
“It’s just my ugly little sister Ned, thank you, now stop paying attention to her and start paying attention to the plan!” John snapped. I hated his guts. Besides, he’s only a year older than me, yet he brags as if he were 18.
“Oh hush you!” I said. I didn’t like saying shut up in case my parents showed up out of nowhere. They had a tendency to do that, especially when we were fighting. My mother, as sensitive as always, scolded us both no matter who started it.
I hopped through the doorway and raced up the stairs to my room. I passed my dad on the way down with the receiver in his hand.
“Bye dad, I’m gonna take Horneus for a walk!”
“Uh, pumpkin, aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked, dangling the receiver.
“Of course not, I’m getting him right now!”
“Have fun, sweetheart,” he replied with a shake of his head and a smile.
I hurried to get dressed and raced downstairs in record time. I shot out the back door, completely ignoring the 3 numbskulls still sitting and staring at a piece of paper on the table. Horneus lifted his head when I came near his special enclosure.
Horneus’s habitat was generally a large circle dotted with shrubs. Near one side was a small forest of thin trees with wide leaves. Next to that was a dusty region and his bathroom, and the other third of the enclosure consisted of a large, awkward stable on a grassy plain. Horneus was lying in his stable in his usual position.
“Good new, big fella! The mayor finally accepted our request! Let’s saddle you up!” So for the rest of the day we strolled down the street getting many curious glances. Toward the end of the day we passed a construction site. Horneus probed closer until we overheard a conversation. He crouched behind a cluster of bushes surrounding the place.
“So the plumbing will have to go around…” began a voice.
“I don’t care, just do it!” cut off a very annoying person. It didn’t seem to have an accent; or rather, the mysterious man had a plain one that hardly showed.
“Yes boss. But we’ll have to continue tomorrow. Are you sure that this is a good idea for replacing that library?”
Wait, we had a library out here? I never knew. I guess you learn something every day. Either way, why would anybody replace a library? My curiosity flared.
“Fine. Just don’t make any mistakes or I will dock your pay.”
They each moved off into separate directions, or so I judged by their footsteps. I dismounted and peered through the bushes. I could feel Horneus’s smelly breath on the back of my neck.
“Do you mind?” He snorted and took a step away. “Thank you.”
Gazing past the low branches, I saw……
BIGFOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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