NOVEL WEB Loop 12 - A Bug Tale
What no one noticed in the chaos when the van crashed into the tree, the rear door was knocked open, and Bug rolled out, crashing through the field unconscious. She woke up just as Cal was being loaded into the truck. She did the only thing she could do with the limited time. She memorized as many of the scents as she could. She had to think. Dad was gone. Ethel was gone. They had Cal. There had to be something she could do. Someone who could help. Andy was still free. She had to get to Andy.
Okay, step one, she needed to find her way back to the house; from there, she could try to work one of the phones. She had no idea if this would work or not, but she had to do something and not just cry. She did it. It took her a couple of days, but she worked her way back to Stan and Jen’s home, but now came her real challenge phones.
“Okay, what does Cal say to just make his phone call someone? Gotta think, gotta think, gotta think.” She walked around the living room, talking to herself. Finally, she walked over to Cal’s phone and said, “Okay, Computer, Call Andy.”
“Now calling Andy Thomas,” A robotic voice answered from the phone.
“Yes.” She shrieked out.
“Hello, Cal. Is everything okay?” Andy sounded worried.
“NO, ANDY, EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE.” All the emotions and rage Bug had held in during her search for home came pouring out. “THEY TOOK CAL. THEY KILLED DAD AND THE FAMILY; THEY EVEN GOT ETHEL. PLEASE HELP.”
“Alright, Bug, just tell me where you are, and I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“I’m at Stan’s.” She wept openly into the phone.
“It will be okay, girl. I promise I’ll be on the first flight. For now, I want you to go outside and hide in the woods, okay? Don’t come out unless you are sure it’s me calling you.”
“Okay, I can do that. Thank you, Andy.” She did exactly as he instructed, and then she curled up into a ball on the ground and swore to the moon that she would find Cal.