CHAPTER NINE

The little blue beast growled at Elliot and Uchenna, its claws scraping at the soft earth, the pink ribbon wrapped across its face.

It came closer to them. With each step, its small red wings flapped slowly.

Elliot and Uchenna scrambled backward. The creature tried to snap its jaws at them, but since it could barely open its mouth, its teeth just made little clicking sounds. Still, its claws were sharp, and if the pink ribbon came off, those teeth would draw blood. Lots of blood.

The creature stepped forward.

The children scooted back.

The creature stepped forward again.

The children scooted back again.

The creature stepped forward once more.

Uchenna scooted back.

Elliot did not. He was reaching into his pocket.

“What are you doing?” Uchenna whispered.

The little animal was getting uncomfortably close to Elliot. A few more steps and those claws would come into play.

“Are you hungry, Uchenna?” Elliot asked. “Want a snack?”

“What?” Uchenna demanded. “Now?”

“I’m hungry,” said Elliot.

The sharp-toothed creature was no more than three feet away from Elliot. The ribbon hung from its face and trailed along the ground.

“And if I’m hungry,” Elliot said, “that little guy is probably starving.” He pulled the foil-wrapped almond bar from his pocket. He unwrapped the foil. He dropped half of the bar onto the ground. He scooted away from it.

The creature stopped growling. It sniffed the air with its round nostrils. Then it put its nose on the ground and snuffled forward through the sunlight, its wings pulsing up and down with each step.

Elliot and Uchenna watched.

When the strange animal reached the piece of gooey almond bar, it sniffed it, and then tried to grab it with its mouth—but its jaws would not open far enough. It pushed the chunk of bar around with its nose, trying to figure out how to get its mouth around it. The creature was completely ignoring the children now.

“Great job, Elliot! It’s distracted! Let’s go!” Uchenna whispered.

But Elliot said, “Nope. Now you need to grab the ribbon.” Elliot pointed at the pink trail of ribbon that hung off the creature’s head.

Uchenna turned to her new friend. “Wait, now you want to help it?”

Elliot set his jaw. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

Uchenna nodded. “Cool.” Then she said, “Why don’t you grab the ribbon?”

“Are you kidding? I’m terrified!”

Uchenna crept back to where Elliot was crouching.

The winged creature was trying to grab the bar with its blue lips.

Uchenna lunged forward and snatched the end of the ribbon farthest from the creature’s face. The little beast squealed and pulled back. The ribbon went pop.

Uchenna held the ribbon in her hand. She could see now that it was a balloon ribbon. Shreds of purple balloon clung to one end.

She also saw that the creature was free.

Free to use its jaws again.