sky.”
It took me a second to understand what she was talking about. “Oh! No, I didn’t come from the sky. I ran here, but I was on the other side of the river, so I jumped.”
Chelsea cast her gaze across the river and her eyes went wide. “You jumped all the way over the river?”
I laughed again. “I did.” When Chelsea looked confused again I said, “I’m a very special girl, but I’m not an angel.”
“She’s a witch!”
Chelsea and I both jumped at the sound of her kidnapper’s voice. Chelsea stiffened in my arms and clung to me, but she didn’t cry. She had to be the bravest kid on the planet.
I got to my feet, holding her tightly to me, and glared at the evil man. “I’m not a witch, either,” I told Chelsea, “but that man is very bad and he’s going to be in a lot of trouble. He’s never going to hurt you again, okay?”
Chelsea had her face buried in my neck, and when she nodded I felt the wetness of tears. “Come on, sweetheart,” I whispered. “Let’s get you back to your mommy and daddy. Hold on tight and keep your eyes closed. I’m going to run very fast and I don’t want you to get dizzy.”
Chelsea nodded against me again and her grip tightened.
Before I took off, I glared at the man again and gave him a few parting words.
“I’ll send the police for you. I would say I hope they find you before the bears do, but…” I shrugged. “I’m not sure that’s true.”
I didn’t stick around for his reply.
In just a few minutes I heard the sounds of men and dogs crunching through the forest. I stopped in a small clearing, where I was out in the open and started calling for help. I didn’t want to just pop up next to some nervous, trigger-happy cop with a kidnapped girl in my arms.
“Hello?” I called. “Is anybody out there? Help us!”
The police were on us in seconds. They were surprised to see me, but once it was clear I wasn’t a threat they were only concerned. “This is Chelsea,” I said to the guy who seemed to be in charge. “She’s got rope burns on her wrists and ankles, but other than that she’s okay. She’s the bravest girl I’ve ever met.”
Chelsea sat up straighter in my arms at the praise.
“And who are you?” the officer asked.
“She’s my guardian angel,” Chelsea answered.
The guy smiled at her and opened his mouth to ask me again, but I stopped him. “The creep you’re looking for is tied to a tree a long ways up the river. His boat is sitting on the shore. You can’t miss it. I’m sure it’ll have all the evidence you need. I’d bet he’s even got some kind of psycho killer love nest shanty somewhere close by. You might want to hurry before he finds some way to wriggle out of the ropes. I tied the knots pretty tight, but I’m not a boy scout or anything.”
The cop was at a loss for words. “The guy…But how did you…Who…Where…”
I rolled my yellow eyes and gave Chelsea a hug. “I have to go now, okay? But these are the police. They will take you to your parents. You’re safe now.”
Chelsea squeezed me. “Can’t you take me to them? I don’t want you to leave.”
“I’m sorry. I have to. I have to stay a secret, and the police will want to ask me questions. You’re safe now, though. I promise.”
Chelsea nodded and reluctantly climbed out of my arms. “Thank you for saving me.”
“You’re welcome, Chelsea. You be a good girl now, okay? No more wandering away from your parents.”
Chelsea nodded and stepped back. The police officer recognized that I was about to bolt and tried to stop me, but Chelsea ran to him and grabbed on to his legs. “Can I go to my parents now?”
“Sure, sweetie,” he mumbled, his eyes on me. “What’s your name? What are you doing out here? How did you find the girl? You need to come with us and give your statement.”
“Sorry,” I told the guy. “Can’t really do that. Get Chelsea home, and seriously, hurry and go find that creep. I think there’re bears in
It took me a second to understand what she was talking about. “Oh! No, I didn’t come from the sky. I ran here, but I was on the other side of the river, so I jumped.”
Chelsea cast her gaze across the river and her eyes went wide. “You jumped all the way over the river?”
I laughed again. “I did.” When Chelsea looked confused again I said, “I’m a very special girl, but I’m not an angel.”
“She’s a witch!”
Chelsea and I both jumped at the sound of her kidnapper’s voice. Chelsea stiffened in my arms and clung to me, but she didn’t cry. She had to be the bravest kid on the planet.
I got to my feet, holding her tightly to me, and glared at the evil man. “I’m not a witch, either,” I told Chelsea, “but that man is very bad and he’s going to be in a lot of trouble. He’s never going to hurt you again, okay?”
Chelsea had her face buried in my neck, and when she nodded I felt the wetness of tears. “Come on, sweetheart,” I whispered. “Let’s get you back to your mommy and daddy. Hold on tight and keep your eyes closed. I’m going to run very fast and I don’t want you to get dizzy.”
Chelsea nodded against me again and her grip tightened.
Before I took off, I glared at the man again and gave him a few parting words.
“I’ll send the police for you. I would say I hope they find you before the bears do, but…” I shrugged. “I’m not sure that’s true.”
I didn’t stick around for his reply.
In just a few minutes I heard the sounds of men and dogs crunching through the forest. I stopped in a small clearing, where I was out in the open and started calling for help. I didn’t want to just pop up next to some nervous, trigger-happy cop with a kidnapped girl in my arms.
“Hello?” I called. “Is anybody out there? Help us!”
The police were on us in seconds. They were surprised to see me, but once it was clear I wasn’t a threat they were only concerned. “This is Chelsea,” I said to the guy who seemed to be in charge. “She’s got rope burns on her wrists and ankles, but other than that she’s okay. She’s the bravest girl I’ve ever met.”
Chelsea sat up straighter in my arms at the praise.
“And who are you?” the officer asked.
“She’s my guardian angel,” Chelsea answered.
The guy smiled at her and opened his mouth to ask me again, but I stopped him. “The creep you’re looking for is tied to a tree a long ways up the river. His boat is sitting on the shore. You can’t miss it. I’m sure it’ll have all the evidence you need. I’d bet he’s even got some kind of psycho killer love nest shanty somewhere close by. You might want to hurry before he finds some way to wriggle out of the ropes. I tied the knots pretty tight, but I’m not a boy scout or anything.”
The cop was at a loss for words. “The guy…But how did you…Who…Where…”
I rolled my yellow eyes and gave Chelsea a hug. “I have to go now, okay? But these are the police. They will take you to your parents. You’re safe now.”
Chelsea squeezed me. “Can’t you take me to them? I don’t want you to leave.”
“I’m sorry. I have to. I have to stay a secret, and the police will want to ask me questions. You’re safe now, though. I promise.”
Chelsea nodded and reluctantly climbed out of my arms. “Thank you for saving me.”
“You’re welcome, Chelsea. You be a good girl now, okay? No more wandering away from your parents.”
Chelsea nodded and stepped back. The police officer recognized that I was about to bolt and tried to stop me, but Chelsea ran to him and grabbed on to his legs. “Can I go to my parents now?”
“Sure, sweetie,” he mumbled, his eyes on me. “What’s your name? What are you doing out here? How did you find the girl? You need to come with us and give your statement.”
“Sorry,” I told the guy. “Can’t really do that. Get Chelsea home, and seriously, hurry and go find that creep. I think there’re bears in
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