Penelope hopped around Thunder. “Everyone okay? Time for a shower?”
“Yes, Penelope. I’m all right...” Thunder looked around. “But where’s Soma?”
The egrets were perched together on a rock nearby. Their eyes scanned the wreckage created by the raging waters.
“She was right here. Where’d she go?” asked Cedric.
Sydney shook her head. “I thought you were with her.”
“Uh-oh. I thought you were with her,” Persius added.
Cedric was starting to worry. “Where’d she go? She was right here a minute ago!”
The birds flew up and scanned the area from above. Thunder stood up and looked around too. He sniffed the air, hoping to pick up her scent.
“Ms. Soma! Ms. Soma!” called Sydney.
“Probably saw some irresistible berries. Couldn’t help herself. You know Ms. Soma,” Cedric added.
“Or she went off to find a new mud puddle!” Persius agreed.
Sydney nodded her head. “Yeah, that’s probably it.”
“Let’s head for the trees. Better views!” Cedric suggested.
The egrets fluttered up to a tall fig tree. Penelope headed back along the river’s edge. She noticed a gigantic fallen tree with a large animal under its massive branches.
“Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh.” Penelope whistled.
Thunder ran along below Penelope. The egrets jumped down from the tree and onto Thunder’s back for a ride. Thunder looked ahead of them. “Could that be…? Huh? Oh no!”
Penelope landed on the downed tree and saw Soma. “How ya doin,’ Soma? How ya doin,’Soma? Wake up.”
Thunder and the egrets arrived next to her. The egrets leapt from Thunder’s back, one at a time and walked in a line and onto the fallen tree.
Sydney approached Soma’s partially covered body. Her face was downcast as she realized that Soma was not moving. She tried to pry one of the branches free. The other egrets leapt over the branch on top of her and wrangled their way under it.
Cedric pecked at Soma’s ear, but there was no response. “Ms. Soma?”
Sydney landed on her horn and tried to open her eyelids with her beak. Soma’s eyes were fixated in a blank stare. “Huh?!!”
Sydney stepped back, fear tingling her feather tips. She marched back and forth along the branch.
When Persius flew up onto Soma’s torso, he jumped up and down on her side, trying to get Soma to breath. He repeated his actions over and over.
“C’mon, old girl,” cried Sydney.
They sat there, hoping for some kind of miracle that never came. Soma did not react to them whatsoever.
Cedric plopped down on the ground and shook his head sadly. “She’s…she’s gone.”
Sydney gasped. “You mean she’s…”
Persius wrapped a wing around Sydney. “I’m afraid so, sister.”
Thunder joined them. He did not understand why they were so sad. “Is she asleep?”
Realizing that Thunder had not much experience with death, Cedric cleared his throat. “Well…she’s not coming back, little Thunder. That’s all I can say.”
The egrets cried on each other’s wings. Thunder used his trunk to gather the birds closer to him. He wept with them as their words finally caught on.
Penelope cocked her head left to right, confused by the display. “Ding! Dong! Wake up, Soma.”
Jennetta Blue flew overhead and hovered around Soma’s lifeless body. Thunder noticed the butterfly through his ears. His eyes widened in awe. He spoke directly to his tiny friend. “It’s going to be okay, right?”
Jennetta Blue hovered momentarily and flapped her wings. She flew all around Soma’s body, as if preparing her soul to travel up to the sky. After a moment, Thunder almost thought he saw a small mist rise around the rhino. It rose up into the air and Jennetta Blue rose with it. Her tiny wings ushered Soma’s spirit up and away as she flittered away.
“Good-bye Ms. Soma…I will miss you.”