The Sasquatch Escape (The Imaginary Veterinary) by Suzanne Selfors

respond well to commands. Their curiosity leads them astray time and time again.”
    “They won’t be my responsibility,” Dr. Woo said. “Since you are my assistant, they will be your responsibility.”
    “Oh.” Mr. Tabby’s voice turned cold. “More work for me. How
delightful
.” Then the intercom went silent.
    Pearl nudged Ben with her elbow. “Can you believe this? Apprentices!”
    Ben’s legs wobbled with excitement. Apprentice to a veterinarian for Imaginary creatures? He could hardly believe it. But then he remembered. “I don’t think I can do it,” he said, disappointment settling over him like a rain cloud. “I’m only here for the summer. Then I go back to Los Angeles.”
    “I’m not going to Los Angeles,” Pearl said. “I live here. I never go anywhere. I can do it for sure.”
    “You can both do it,” Dr. Woo said. “We can make this a summer apprenticeship, to begin with. But you must get permission from your parents.”
    “What do we tell them?” Ben asked.
    “Tell them that you will be working at Dr. Woo’s Worm Hospital. I will expect you to be here Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will expect you to arrive each morning at eight AM precisely, and you will leave at three PM precisely.” She shuffled through a desk drawer, then slid a piece of paper to the edge of the desk, along with a pen. “But first you must sign the contract of secrecy.”
    Another thing to sign? Pearl didn’t argue this time. She signed immediately. Ben leaned over the paper, squinting. “The print is really small. I can’t read any of it.”
    Dr. Woo pushed the pen toward Ben. “It simply states that you will not tell anyone that this is actually a hospital for Imaginary creatures. And that anything you see, hear, feel, touch, smell, or taste while working as my apprentice will be kept a secret.”

    Ben thought about it. As cool as the apprenticeship sounded, eight o’clock in the morning was really early. He’d never been a morning person. He had two alarms in his bedroom back home just so he wouldn’t be late for school. Monday, Wednesday,
and
Friday were a lot of days. And then there was the whole crushing, shredding, vaporizing thing. “What will we be doing?” he asked, staring at Dr. Woo’s missing finger.
    “You’ll be doing whatever needs to be done,” Dr. Woo replied. A few stray pieces of yellow glitter fell from her hair.
    “Come on,” Pearl said. “Sign it. What are you waiting for? What else are you going to do all summer? Hang out at the senior center?”
    Ben picked up the pen. Had he already broken the contract of secrecy by telling Grandpa Abe he was searching for sasquatches? But his grandfather hadn’t believed him, so no harm had been done. He signed,
    Dr. Woo collected the contract and tucked it inthe top desk drawer. Then her expression and voice turned serious again. “There are consequences for breaking the contract,” she told them. “Just so you know.”
    Before Ben could ask what kind of consequences, a buzzer sounded and the same nasal voice shot out of the loudspeaker. “Dr. Woo, the hatchling is scheduled for departure.”
    “Thank you. I’ll be right there.” Dr. Woo stood. She collected her lab coat from the rack and slid her arms through its white sleeves. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the scar on her face and casting a shadow that made it look twice as large.
    “Are you sending the hatchling back to the Imaginary World?” Pearl asked. “Can we see it before it leaves?”
    “Can we say good-bye?” Ben asked.
    Dr. Woo gathered her long hair and tied it into a knot at the back of her neck. Then she slid her stethoscope over her head. “Dragon hatchlingsbecome easily attached to humans. It is best that it not see you.”
    Too bad
, Ben thought. He wished he’d taken a picture of the hatchling when he’d found it, before he’d signed that contract of secrecy. Now he’d never see the little sea horse face