Bubbles and Lost Dreams
Read by Rachel Lynn Anderice
Written by Karen Backway
Chapter 4 - Escaping Badgers
“Spunky, oh Spunky. I’m glad I found you,” cried Molly.
“Not safe. Go back, Molls,” insisted Spunky.
He carried Molly to a small clearing near the muddy trail.
“Not without you, Spunky,” argued Molly. “How dare you run off like that without us. Oh I can’t be angry with you Spunky.” Molly gathered a floppy ear in her muddy paws and whispered, “I love you Spunky, please come home.”
Spunky pulled out his pendant.
<<BACK>> <<THERE>> << NOW>>
“Can’t go home. I must search,” Spunky said. “My friends are still lost. That howl. My lost friends. I must find them.”
Tears falling past her whiskers, Molly insisted, “Well them, I’m coming too.”
“And so am I!” shouted Abby, her muddy little self leaving the brambles. “Don’t think you can go anywhere without me.”
“And me too,'' called Radar, who was resting on Abby’s shoulder, spider webs clogging his wings.
“Oh Abby, I’m sorry I darted off,” cried Molly running to hug Abby. “We three are one!”
“Please, Molls, Abbs, Bee, go back,” insisted Spunky. “Not safe. Not safe.”
“Certainly, as soon as all is achieved,” said Radar. “Where are we going?”
“To find my lost friends. But not safe. Please go back,” pleaded Spunky.
“Well, I for one am not going anywhere,” insisted Molly. “There is an angry badger sharpening his claws somewhere in the brambles and I suspect he is not happy you clobbered him Spunky.”
“Can we at least get out of this sticky heat and wipe away a few spider webs?” asked Radar. “They gunk up my wings.”
But Spunky wasn’t really listening. He had heard a <<SNAP>> in the brambles and was on full alert.
Suddenly, four badgers crashed into the little clearing. In one wide swoop, <<BOOM>> Spunky knocked them back. Abby scooped up Radar, then Molly and Abby climbed onto Spunky’s back.
“Keep low, keep low,” ordered Spunky. He ran and ducked under branches and brambles. “We can lose them up the ridge.”
Once through the brambles with a great leap - almost flying, Spunky and his friends were high up the ridge, hidden behind a huge rock.
“Shh… sound rings on the ridge,” whispered Spunky.
“Bah, they got away. There is no other way out, except through the grapes,” grumbled a badger. “They will be back. And we will be waiting.”
“What’s so terrible about grapes?” asked Radar.
“Not sure,” answered Spunky.
Abby started licking Radar’s wings, “That tickles,” Radar giggled.
“Let’s get you flying again my little friend,” said Abby.
Molly explored along the ridge.
“Off in the distance you can see The Champlain Gate from just beyond that cluster of rocks. I didn’t know it was that close, or so huge,” commented Molly. “I don’t see anything that would make us want to turn back.”
“There is a cave not far. Safe to rest,” said Spunky. “This way.”
