CHAPTER TEN

The little beast growled at them, baring its tiny, sharp teeth.

“Huh. It doesn’t seem any friendlier,” Uchenna said.

“RUN!” cried Elliot.

The children turned, jumped to their feet, and sprinted for the path.

The creature leaped. They could hear its bat-like wings beating.

Elliot felt something sharp dig into his neck. He spun, crying out—

Thorns. Thorns had caught his bare skin. He yanked them away, leaving beads of blood. Meanwhile, Uchenna looked around. Where was the creature?

It was on the other side of the brambles. When Elliot screamed, he had dropped the rest of his almond bar. The strange blue animal pounced on it, like a cat hunting a mouse. It had the bar in its jaws. Suddenly, it plopped down on its side—like a cat that had found a sunbeam. It held the almond bar in its claws and gnawed on it with the side of its mouth.

“Hey!” Elliot said. “It likes my mom’s bar!”

They watched the blue creature roll around on the swampy, sunlit ground.

“It’s kind of cute,” Uchenna murmured.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

The sun shone on its blue fur and red wings. It seemed to be . . . purring.

And then, Elliot remembered where they were—and where they were not. “We need to get back to the class!”

Uchenna agreed. “They’re probably really far away by now.”

“I wonder if Professor Freaky has noticed we’re gone yet.”

They locked eyes. They ran.

In the clearing, the little creature perked up its head and watched them go.