The Time Thief by Angela Dorsey

Author:Angela Dorsey
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Dundurn Press Limited
Published: 2011-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

“Run!” screamed Mika.

Aimee didn’t ask questions. She ran. Mika raced a metre behind her through the woods. Branches tore at her hair and scraped her skin, but she hardly noticed the pain. Aimee reached the fence that surrounded her yard and slipped through the boards. Mika handed Angel over the fence to her, then glanced back. The black dog was metres away, hurtling toward her.

“Run!” she yelled again, and threw herself through the fence boards. She landed on the lawn with a thump, then sprang to her feet and ran faster than she’d ever run in her life. At any moment she expected to feel sharp teeth in her leg, pulling her down, savaging her.

Aimee ran in front of her with Angel, wide-eyed and mewling in terror, hanging over her shoulder. At least they would be safe. But why hadn’t the dog caught her yet? She didn’t stand a chance of outrunning it.

Finally they were at the steps to Aimee’s house, then at the door itself, then inside. Mika slammed the door and raced to the window.

The dog was nowhere in sight. He hadn’t followed them across the lawn.

“Hi, Mika.”

Mika turned to see Aimee’s little brother, Seth, standing behind her.

“We brought Mika’s kitty over to visit you,” Aimee said quickly. “Isn’t she pretty?”

“Wow!” said Seth. “But she’s hurt.”

“She cut her paws.” Mika took Angel from Aimee and carried her into the bathroom. She washed the cuts while Angel squirmed and Aimee found the First Aid kit, then they bandaged Angel’s two front paws and took her into the living room.

“Can I hold her?” asked Seth.

“Sure,” said Mika. “Sit on the couch, and I’ll show you how. She needs to lie down so she doesn’t put weight on her front paws.”

Seth bounced all the way to the couch, then sat still as Mika laid Angel on his lap. She stroked the cat’s side to help her settle. Angel mewed.

“Aimee, feel this.”

“What?” Aimee rushed over.

“Right here, on her side. There’s a bump.”

Aimee gasped. “Do you think …” She stopped. “Let’s go talk in the kitchen.”

“Just pet her on the top of her head, Seth,” said Mika and followed Aimee out of the room. By the time they got to the kitchen, Mika was shaking. “She hit or kicked Angel. How else would Angel get a lump on her ribs?”

“We should take her to the vet.”

Mika took a deep breath. “I’ll call Mom, but first I have to decide what to tell her. I mean, how do I explain getting Angel back?”

“You could tell them some of what happened, like that we found Angel near the woods and that she was hurt. All true things.”

“And they’ll think she was abused and ran away again.”

“Well, she was abused and she did run away. We just opened the door first.”

Mika checked on Angel, then went to the phone.

Mom answered, “Hello?”

“Mom, Angel needs our help. We found her on the way to Aimee’s house, and she’s been hurt.”

“What? What do you mean, you found her? How has she been hurt?”

“I think she ran away from her owner again.

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