Double Trouble (5 page)

Kim helped Gran finish planting the rest of the marigolds and petunias and then stood back to admire the window boxes. “These will look great in a few weeks,” Gran said.

“Hello! Who is ready for a picnic?” called a voice.

Kim's mom and dad had arrived. They carried two baskets that were bursting with delicious food and drinks.

“Now you're talking!” said Granddad, coming out of the cabin. “I'll just go and get cleaned up.”

Kim, Flame, her parents, and grandparents trooped through the gate to the woods back toward the house.

“Where's Mia?” Kim peered through the trees.

“She couldn't have gone far,” Gran said. “The path only leads to our garden. If Mia had come back to the river, we'd have seen her.”

“Maybe she went into the house,” Kim's mom suggested. But after a search of the house and garden, there was still no sign of Mia or Bibi.

Kim had a sudden thought. “I bet she's hiding in the woods, waiting for us to come and find her! Flame and I will go and take a look.”

Kim had walked a little ways into the woods when Flame pricked up his ears and gave a worried little meow.

“What's wrong, Flame?” Kim stopped walking and listened hard. A faint scream floated toward her on the breeze. It was coming from the direction of the river. “That sounds like Mia!”

Kim ran forward. She caught a sudden glimpse through the trees of a red-and-white boat drifting past. It was the
Sally Ann
. She must have become untied!

As Kim got closer, she saw movement at one of the cabin windows. She spotted a small, white-faced figure clutching a large cream cat.

Chapter SIX

“The dam!” Kim remembered with horror. The
Sally Ann
would be swept away. “We have to do something, Flame!”

She hurtled toward the edge of the woods. Flame bounded along beside her, his coat alive with sparks and his whiskers crackling.

Kim's whole body suddenly filled with a hot swirly feeling. A flash of energy shot up her spine. She felt her arms stretch out and her muscles tense as she jumped up—and soared straight into the air!

Strong wings carried her upward. Her body had become powerful but light and covered with smooth brown feathers.

Flame had turned her into a hawk!

There was a rush of wind against Kim's face as the countryside fell away with dizzying speed. She flapped her wings and flew toward the
Sally Ann
. Far below, she spotted a small motorboat making its way toward the houseboat. Someone else on the river must have spotted the drifting
Sally Ann
and, realizing the danger must have chased it down.

But would the motorboat reach the
Sally Ann
in time? She was drifting faster now and the rushing sound of the dam was getting louder.

With her keen bird's sight, Kim saw the
Sally Ann
's docking rope trailing out behind her in the water. She swooped down to the river and grasped the wet rope in her clawed feet. It was heavy and hard to lift, but she held on tightly, determined not to drop it.

Kim flew upward slowly, her feet and wings aching, and set out for the rescue boat.

Gasping for breath, Kim hovered above the rescue boat and dropped the rope onto the deck. The boat's owner quickly ran forward. He grabbed the rope and secured it.
Sally Ann
came to a halt and then began to move again as she was towed upriver by the rescue boat away from the dangerous dam.

Mia and Bibi were safe!

Kim felt a surge of triumph. She turned and flew tiredly back toward the woods. Flame sat waiting for her at the base of a birch tree, his little face turned up as he watched her intently.

Just then a large brown shape appeared in the sky above the woods. Kim glimpsed its enormous yellow eyes and sharp curved talons.

It was another, much larger hawk. And it had spotted Flame.

Kim felt a stir of fear as she realized Flame was still watching her and hadn't noticed the danger he was in.

Kim didn't hesitate. She folded back her tired wings and went into a steep dive. Air whistled past her feathers as she gained on the other hawk. Gathering every last bit of strength, she slammed into the bird's side.

Brown feathers flew out everywhere. The larger hawk gave a loud screech of surprise and soared away.

“Oh!” Kim gasped, winded by the impact. She felt herself spinning downward, out of control. The ground rushed up to meet her.

She closed her eyes, preparing for a horribly painful landing, when suddenly her sneakers hit soft grass. Sneakers! She was a girl again! Kim rolled over and over and then sat up, surprised to find that she was unhurt.

Flame ran toward her and leaped straight into her arms. “You saved me, Kim. That took great courage. Thank you! You were very brave,” he purred loudly.

“I'm not, really. I just couldn't bear it if you were hurt,” Kim said, hugging him. A huge bubble of happiness seemed to swell inside her chest. “I love having you as my friend, Flame. Please stay forever!”

Flame's eyes narrowed with affection. “I will stay as long as I can,” he told her in a soft meow that held a note of sadness.

 

 

“. . . And I still can't understand why you untied that rope. It was a very stupid thing to do. You could have drowned. How were we supposed to explain that to your mom and dad?” Kim's dad finished saying to Mia that evening.

Mia was hunched miserably on the sofa.

Looking at her cousin's face, Kim couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for her. Mia had been really stupid, but Kim's mom and dad had just scolded her so much that she wouldn't soon forget.

“I'm sorry, Uncle Brian. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble. Are . . . are you going to tell my mom and dad what happened?” Mia asked in a very small shaky voice.

Mrs. Taylor put her arm around Mia's shoulders. “Let's not worry about that right now. No harm was done. Thank goodness the person in that motorboat realized you were in trouble.”

Mia nodded. “Thanks, Aunt Joan. I'm really sorry,” she repeated.

Kim sat in silence. She really wished she could tell Mia about being turned into a hawk and how Flame's magic had saved her, but she knew she could never tell anyone Flame's secret.

Mr. Taylor had calmed down now. “Why don't you and Kim go and check on those chicks,” he said kindly to Mia.

Mia jumped up, eager to escape. “Are you coming, Kim?”

Kim nodded. She and Mia dashed up the stairs. “Phew! You really got roasted!” Kim said.

Mia shrugged. “It could have been worse. Anyway, I deserved it.”

Kim was impressed. Mia hadn't tried to wriggle out of taking the blame for something she'd done this time. Maybe her cousin had turned over a new leaf.

As they went into her bedroom, Kim suddenly realized she hadn't seen Bibi for a while. She asked Mia about it.

“She kept meowing to go into the garden, so I let her out. She's usually so lazy. I don't know what she's interested in out there,” Mia told her.

Kim focused the telescope on the shed window. She saw the nest and the five chicks. They were getting really big now, with tiny wing feathers and stubby tails. She figured they'd be ready to leave the nest in a day or two.

“Aargh!” Kim almost jumped out of her skin.

Two big orange circles completely filled the eyepiece and blocked her view of the nest. Suddenly she realized what she was seeing.

“It's Bibi! She's inside the shed!” Kim gasped.

Chapter SEVEN

Kim ran after Mia as her cousin raced out of the room and bounded down the stairs.

Mia ran across the lawn at top speed and yanked open the shed door. “Bibi! Don't you dare go near those chicks!” she warned, grabbing the big Persian.

Bibi howled with surprise and anger. Kim saw her wriggle free and hurtle blindly out of the shed—straight for a nearby bucket, which tipped over and spilled smelly brown liquid all over her.

By now Mia had checked that all the chicks were fine. She gave a thumbs-up sign to Kim before going across to Bibi.

Kim gave a huge sigh of relief.

“You bad girl! Look at the mess you're in!” Mia scolded. “What is that disgusting stuff Bibi's covered in?”

“It's Dad's plant food. He makes it from weeds and sheep droppings!” Kim sputtered, trying not to laugh.

“Gross! You need a bath,” Mia said firmly. Holding Bibi at arm's length, she marched back into the house.

Kim suddenly realized that Flame hadn't followed her into the garden. That was odd. He usually came everywhere with her.

She found him still in the bedroom. He had crawled under her pillow and just his little tail was visible. When she uncovered him, he looked up at her with wide, troubled eyes.