Sasha & Samantha Save the World

By Mark James Wooding

When Nyneve casts her spell to take over the world, she overestimates her own power, and she underestimates the forces out to stop her. She must contend with elves, Chinese dragons, extraterrestrials, the U.S. armed forces, and armies of chickens inspired by a Mesoamerican god, not to mention the reincarnation of Merlin the Magician. But two young sisters who set out to save their father turn out to be key to Nyneve's rise and fall.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark James Wooding
• Release date: Aug 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301040117

Mark James Wooding

Mark James Wooding began his working career as an unskilled laborer. In the opinion of those with whom he has most recently worked, the term 'unskilled' still applies. It's the 'laborer' part they question.Mr. Wooding currently lives with his family in Henrico, Virginia, and will probably continue to do so until the authorities find him.

Book preview

1. Sitting Down for a Spell

La Maison de Reflux Acide shone brightly in the constellation of New York City's fanciest restaurants. Every aspect of the dining experience was a carefully composed note in a symphony of elegance. Each meal was a masterpiece.

Their well-dressed clientele were not merely customers, they were patrons of the arts. Those lovers of culinary excellence considered it a privilege to pay high prices for small portions of unpopular food.

To say that the food was unpopular is not to comment on its flavor. It was always delicious. But La Maison did not cater to the tastes of the middle class. Anyone ordering pizza, a hamburger, chicken nuggets or French fries was politely but firmly asked to leave. Someone vulgar enough to order hot dogs or franks and beans was immediately arrested for vagrancy.

Children were seldom seen at La Maison. When parents did bring them, they were expected to be quiet and well-behaved. Naturally, most children preferred to go elsewhere.

One beautiful spring evening, a line of expectant diners overflowed onto the sidewalk in front of La Maison. A strong-willed young woman who had just arrived, however, had no intention of waiting. Her name was Nyneve. She walked to the front of the line and entered the restaurant without even looking at the people she was passing. She ignored the line inside, as well. She walked to a spot where she could see the people who were already seated.

May I help you? asked the maître d'.

Are you a skilled assassin or thief? Nyneve replied with only minor interest, barely glancing at him.

Um, no.

Can you salvage treasure from sunken ships?

No, of course not, he said, beginning to become offended.

Then you cannot help me.

Nyneve spotted the table where Mr. Hamilton Sandwich was seated with his wife, Bolonia.

I'm with them, she said, pointing. She flashed the maître d' a charming smile that brightened her youthful face.

When Nyneve decided to turn on the charm, few people could resist. The maître d' was suddenly struck by her beauty. It washed over him like a spring day passing through every cell of his body, and even into his soul. His feelings of annoyance were swept aside and he returned her smile, genuinely delighted that something he had said or done may have pleased her.

Nyneve walked up to the Sandwich's table, and without saying a word she sat down on one of the empty chairs.

Hamilton Sandwich took one look at her face, and he was very happy that she'd joined them, whoever she was. She favored him with a wink and a smile. Bolonia Sandwich was not so pleased. She lifted a lorgnette to her eyes, her hard heart immune to Nyneve’s charm.

I beg your pardon, said Mrs. Sandwich. Do I know you?

No, not yet.

Bolonia scrutinized Nyneve, making no attempt to hide her disapproval. Are you a floozy? You look like you might be a floozy. Hamilton, she said, turning her attention to her husband, is this your floozy?

No, my dear. I've told you a thousand times that I don't have a floozy.

"I know you've said that, but I'm not sure that I believe you. You're much too happy for a married man. Either you have a floozy, or I'm doing something wrong."

My dear –

Excuse me, Nyneve interrupted. As fascinating as this conversation is, I am not a floozy, nor have I ever met your husband before tonight. I've come to talk to you about the Wand of Pu.

The Sandwiches gasped.

What do you know about the Wand of Pu? Hamilton asked.

"I know that it is very powerful. I know that you have it. I want you to give it to me."

You are so beautiful that I find myself wanting to do anything you say, Hamilton stated matter-of-factly.

Nonsense, said Bolonia, you shall do no such thing. See here, young person who I still suspect might be a floozy, regardless of what you and my husband say, forget about the Wand of Pu. It is as lost to you as if it never existed, which it may never have. Be a good girl (if you can), and leave us now.

Bolonia set her lorgnette firmly on the table, emphasizing that the conversation was over.

All right, said Nyneve, pulling her wand from a purse that looked much too small to contain it, we'll do this the hard way.

Nyneve waved her wand in a small circle while she mumbled something. Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich were immediately transformed into a salt grinder and a pepper mill, respectively.

Nyneve placed her wand back into her purse, stood up and calmly walked from the room.

Several people had witnessed the magical transformation, but this was New York. They'd seen that sort of thing before, and they resumed their conversations as if nothing of importance had happened.

2. Taken Away

In one specific, ordinary house near Richmond, Virginia, the living room was a disaster. In this particular living room, couch cushions lay scattered across the floor. Art supplies covered every horizontal surface. The chocolate pudding which was stuck to the ceiling threatened to drip, and a line of it ran down one wall. The last of Samantha's apple juice formed a small pool on the carpet and was slowly spreading outwards. The scent of sugared cereals filled the air.

A large bay window faced the street, but Sasha and Samantha were too preoccupied to see Dad mowing the front lawn, or to see an unfamiliar car pulling up to the curb.

Twelve-year-old Sasha stood at one end of the coffee table and glared at Samantha, who stood at the opposite end. Samantha, who was only ten years old, stared back without fear. Samantha was painfully aware of her sister's size advantage, but was not intimidated by it.

"It's my turn to pick what's on," Samantha demanded, firmly gripping the remote control. She didn't understand why Sasha was being so unfair.

Sasha replied, I want to watch part two! I only got to see part one! She didn't understand why Samantha was being so unreasonable.

"You had your turn! It's my turn now!"

The time for talk had come to an end. The notion that it's wrong to use force to get what you want is an idea that younger sisters and brothers usually understand before their first-born sibling does. Sasha had not yet had that particular epiphany. She wanted what she wanted, and she intended to use her greater strength to take it.

Sasha faked that she was going to run to her right. When Samantha reacted and started running around the opposite corner of the table, Sasha ran to the left. Samantha wasn't caught completely by surprise; Sasha had tried that trick before on a number of occasions. Samantha stopped immediately and reversed direction. Halfway around the the table Sasha reached across to try to seize the remote control, but Samantha moved out of her older sister's reach. Unfortunately for Samantha, when she moved away from Sasha's long arm she tripped on the bowl of cereal that she herself had left on the floor. Samantha fell, adding milk and chocolate- puffs cereal to the history of previous meals which was recorded in the carpet.

Samantha quickly jumped to her feet, but not before Sasha had reached her. Sasha covered Samantha's mouth with one hand to pinch Samantha's cheeks together, and with the other hand Sasha tried to wrest the remote control from Samantha's grip. Samantha had been through this before, and she didn't panic. She kicked Sasha in the knee and Sasha yelled, releasing Samantha's face. Sasha staggered backwards, out of the reach of Samantha's foot.

Samantha seized the opportunity to escape by jumping over the coffee table. She turned and stood there, panting, looking defiantly at her older sister. Sasha, furious, returned Samantha's stare. The two girls began circling the coffee table once more, barbecue potato chips crunching beneath their feet.

What's going on in there? Mom called out from her bedroom.

Nothing! her daughters replied at the same time.

Jinx! Knock on wood, you owe me a soda! said Sasha, rapping on the coffee table with her knuckles, then pointing at her sister and smiling.

Samantha's lips tried to curve upward in an automatic response to her sister's smile, but Samantha kept the corners of her mouth firmly in place. She was angry, and she was determined to remain so. Samantha resented being bossed around by anyone, but she especially didn't like it when the person doing the bossing was her sister. And she hated it when her sister grabbed her face. Sasha was strong-willed and usually got her way, but Samantha refused to give Sasha the satisfaction of making her smile.

"I'm going to watch my show," said Samantha with finality, glaring at her sister with a look of triumph.

"Fine, agreed Sasha, but you still owe me a soda." Having won the soda Sasha could cede the right to the remote control without losing face. Chasing a younger sister was a lot of work, and so was staying mad. Sasha was pleased with the outcome. Besides, part two of her show would be rerun in the afternoon and she could watch it then.

"Fine," said Samantha, relieved to have won the battle. A soda was a small price to pay to avoid another dash around the living room, and to avoid having her cheeks squeezed together again. Samantha figured that she could get Mom or Dad to buy the soda anyway, and it wouldn't cost her a thing.

Mom heard the commotion in the living room. She dreaded the thought of actually going in there. It was almost certainly a mess. If she went in and saw a mess, she would have three choices: clean it, make the kids clean it, or ignore it. She didn't want to clean it herself, and making the kids clean it meant an argument about who was responsible for which part of the mess. That argument would require a lot of energy. It was much easier to ignore it without actually looking at it, so she stayed put. After all, maybe she was wrong. Maybe there was no mess. She took a sip of iced tea and resumed watching her show on the television in her bedroom.

Samantha intended to sit on one of the couch cushions in front of the television, but she saw Sasha staring out the living room window. Samantha followed her sister's gaze to see what was so interesting.

Dad stood near the curb. He was talking to two young men. The lawn mower had stopped running when he had let go of the lawn mower handle. The two strangers were taller than Dad and were dressed like Mormon missionaries, with dark slacks, white shirts, neckties and dress shoes. Instead of bicycles they had a small, compact car. Dad appeared to be giving them directions. One man turned and pointed down the street as if he was making sure that he'd heard correctly. While Dad's attention was focused on him, the other man pulled something out from behind his own back and hit Dad on the side of the head with it. Dad fell forward, unconscious. The man in front of Dad caught him.

Sasha and Samantha watched in shock as the men opened the back door on the passenger's side and pushed Dad into the car. One man jumped into the back seat with Dad and shoved him to the floor, while the other man walked quickly around to the far side of the car and got into the driver's seat. The man next to Dad closed the back door, and the kids could no longer see their father. In a matter of seconds it was over, and the car sped down the street, around the corner and out of sight.

3. The Girls Who Cried Kidnapped

Mom! Mom! the girls cried out.

Oh, Lord, Mom thought, what now? She got up from the chair in her bedroom and went to investigate, walking quickly in case there was an actual emergency. She entered the living room and saw that both of the girls were standing up, and that there were no signs of blood, bruises, or broken bones. Whatever the problem was, it wasn't life-threatening. She looked around and saw what the girls had done to the floor and to the furniture. Tears came to her eyes.

What is it? What's the matter? Mom asked, upset that the girls had bothered her for nothing, and that she was forced to face the mess that she had preferred to hope didn't exist.

"Dad was kidnapped!" Sasha said, pointing to the front yard.

He was talking to some men, and they hit him on the head and threw him in a car! Samantha explained excitedly, also pointing to the scene of the crime.

"Oh my god! Mom said, covering her mouth with her hand. She looked through the bay window and saw the lawn mower by itself near the curb, and she looked back at the girls. She wrung her hands together and said despairingly, But – but then who – who – who'll take out the trash?" She looked worriedly from one girl to the next.

Samantha and Sasha just stared at their mother, co0.25 "nfused. Then Mom burst out laughing.

You should see the looks on your faces, Mom said to them, laughing again.

"Mom, Dad was kidnapped! I'm not joking!" Sasha shouted.

It's for real! Samantha insisted.

I don't believe it, Mom said, dismissively swatting the air with the back of her hand. The joke is over.

We're not joking! they cried together. The idea of declaring Jinx! entered Sasha's mind, but she ignored it. This was not the time for games.

"They hit him on the head and they pushed him into their car! Samantha explained, trying to convey with her voice the urgency of the situation. She went to her mother and grabbed her mother's wrist, squeezing it for emphasis. It's true!"

Sasha stomped her foot and clenched her fists, getting very angry in an instant. You have to believe us!

Mom looked from one to the other, then shook her head. What about last month, when you said your father was kidnapped by aliens? And your father had just left the lawn mower in the front yard and gone to watch a movie with J.K.?

Yes, but that was just a joke! said Sasha. "This time it's real!"

We're telling the truth! declared Samantha.

"And last Christmas Eve when your father went to the store without telling me, and you said he'd been arrested? You said that was real, too."

"Mom, listen! There were two men! They had a blue car! And they were wearing white shirts and neckties!" Sasha elaborated, hoping that the extra detail would make her mother see that it was real.

They sound very frightening, said Mom calmly, looking from one girl to the next, then up at the ceiling. She saw the pudding. She watched a drop of it fall onto the sofa where a cushion should have been. Her eyes filled with tears again, and she shook her head. Mom looked at the girls and said, Now you two watch television or something. And clean up this mess so I don't have to sell you. I'm going to go finish watching my show.

With that, Mom walked out of the living room. Sasha and Samantha stared open-mouthed at her as she walked down the hallway.

When Mom returned to her room she closed the door. "God I hate stress," she said to herself.

She went to her dresser and she reached into a bag on top of it. She grabbed a handful of the individually wrapped chocolates. Just holding them in her hand made her feel better already. Save me, chocolate, she pleaded. Save me. She sat down in her chair, then unwrapped a piece of her favorite candy. She popped it into her mouth.

"Mmmm," she purred. Her muscles relaxed as her taste buds told her that everything was going to be all right. Her eyelids gently closed, and there was nothing else in the world but herself and the chocolate.

4. It’s Up to Us

After Mom left the room, Samantha said, We have to call 9-1-1!

It won't do any good. If the police come they'll talk to Mom, and she'll just tell them we were kidding.

"Darn it! But we have to call somebody!"

I don't know who to call! said Sasha, her frustration bursting forth. Grandma is on the Amazon river with her continuing education class, Aunt Kathy is in Manassas, and Uncle John and Aunt Annemarie are on vacation in Ireland! The only other phone numbers I know are for kids!

"Me too. Dang it!"

"Wait! I know what we have to do, said Sasha. We have to save Dad ourselves!"

You're right! But how are we going to find him?

I don't know yet. I need to make a plan, Sasha said. In any case we'll need supplies. Let's go pack, and I'll think about it while I pack.

They ran upstairs and went into Sasha's room. Sasha took out her backpack and began to fill it. Samantha watched her sister pack a flashlight, a portable music player, a small stuffed animal, a novel, a map of the world, a map of the state, a few granola bars, and some single-serving bags of cheese puffs that she took from her stash of snacks.

Samantha ran to her own room and got out her school backpack. She dumped the last of the previous year's schoolwork out of it, scattering papers across the floor. She packed her portable game player, her makeup kit, her lucky crystal, some collectible fantasy cards, a pair of scissors, a candy bar, a notebook, and a pen with a colorful striped body that was topped with a ball of multi-colored fake fur. She opened a drawer and selected two bottles of scented hand sanitizer from her collection, and she put the little bottles in her purse. She put her purse inside of her backpack, picked up the backpack and returned to Sasha's room.

Sasha was sitting in a chair. She was tossing her Rubik's cube up into the air, then catching it each time that gravity brought it back to her.

Did you think of something? Samantha asked.

Not yet, Sasha replied, catching the Rubik's cube again and staring at it contemplatively. I wonder if I should bring this? she asked, indicating the cube.

What for?

It could be used as a weapon. I could throw it.

Good idea, said Samantha. What could I bring to throw?

How about a rock?

A rock! Good. I've already got one packed: my lucky crystal. And it has a lot of sharp corners on it, which will make it hurt even more.

They each began thinking of a plan for finding Dad, and were both lost in thought when they heard a tapping sound coming from the window. They looked up. On the sill outside of the window a squirrel was standing and looking in. The girls glanced at each other, then back at the squirrel. The squirrel tapped again.

What's he doing? Samantha asked.

I don't know, said Sasha. I've never had a squirrel tap at my window before.

Maybe he was in a tree and he saw your snacks when you were packing them, Samantha suggested.

That must be it, agreed Sasha. "But I'm not letting him get my snacks. She slowly walked closer to the window. When she was three feet from it she stopped and stared at the bushy-tailed visitor. The squirrel stared back, a little nervous. Then Sasha screamed, Yaaaah!!!" and jumped toward the window, raising her arms and making a scary face.

The squirrel was terrified. He leaped up and away from the window. Unfortunately for the squirrel, a foot away from the window there was nothing to stand on. He reached for a branch that wasn't there, and fell nearly two stories to the ground.

The girls laughed at the expression of shock that the alleged snack-hunting squirrel had had on his face just before he fell out of sight. When they finished laughing they both began to feel a little guilty about it. They didn't like to see animals get hurt. Sasha opened the window and they peered downwards. They didn't see him on the grass, so they thought that the squirrel must have fallen into a bush.

They straightened up and looked at each other. Let's go, Samantha said. We need to find Dad!

But we have to know which way we're going before we set out, Sasha reminded her. Otherwise we could waste a lot of time going in the wrong direction.

"We saw which way they drove off!"

"But we don't know if they turned again after they made that turn! If we knew that, then we could start trying to track them down."

Ah, true, said Samantha thoughtfully.

I've got it! said Sasha. I think the convenience store on Quioccasin Road has a video camera. If the car went by there, then maybe it would have been caught on the camera. If not, we'll go to the convenience store on Patterson. They probably have a camera, too. Sasha closed the window, satisfied that she finally had a plan. She didn't like doing things without a plan. We've got to get out of here without Mom seeing us. Sasha glanced out the window again, but there was nothing down which they could climb. Let's go out the front door. Mom's probably still watching her shows. More than likely it'll be two or three hours before she even notices we're gone.

What happens when she finds out we're not here anymore?

I don't know. Hopefully we'll be back soon. With Dad.

Samantha nodded. Yeah. And maybe some pizza.

If we save Dad then I'm sure he'll be glad to buy us a pizza for a reward. He might even let us eat out.

That would be nice, said Samantha. We haven't done that for a long time.

5. A Talking Squirrel

The girls tiptoed down the first few stairs and listened. They’d left the television on in the living room, but they could hear also hear Mom's show coming from the TV in her room. They felt confident that she was still in her bedroom watching television.

The girls walked quietly down to the first floor. They didn't see their mother. They sat down on the bottom step and put on their shoes, saying nothing. The two sisters stood up and looked themselves over to make sure they had everything they needed. They gave each other a nod to signify their readiness, then turned toward the front door. Samantha opened it slowly so as not to make any sound. She slipped outside. Sasha immediately followed her, then quietly closed the door.

The lawn mower was still standing alone in the front yard, with no Dad there to push it. The girls looked at each other. Each could see in the face of her sister the determination to get their father back.

The way to Quioccasin Road was to the left, and the living room's bay window was to the right, so it was unlikely that they would be caught now unless a neighbor happened to see them and called Mom. It was very possible that they'd be seen, but the likelihood of anyone calling Mom about it was remote. On this block, it was a common sight to see kids playing in the street. The two sisters kept close to the house even though they really didn't need to. When they passed the large bush at the corner of the house they heard a high-pitched voice call out, Hey!

Sasha and Samantha stopped. They looked around but they didn't see anybody. They looked at each other and shrugged.

At the edge of the property they hesitated. They weren't allowed to leave home without a grown-up.

This is it, said Sasha.

Let's do it.

Wait! the high pitched voice shouted.

The girls turned around. They couldn't see anyone there. All they noticed that was out of place was a squirrel standing by the large bush at the corner of the house. The squirrel stood on its back legs, and it was looking directly at the two sisters.

"Yes, you, I'm talking to you, said the squirrel, pointing at them. Come here," he said, pointing at the ground in front of him.

The girls froze. Their mouths dropped open as if to speak, but no words came out. They weren't mentally prepared for a talking squirrel. They stared at it in surprise.

The squirrel beckoned once more for the girls to come closer to him, but they still just stood there, their minds trying to process this unexpected event.

Do you want to get your father back or not? the squirrel asked, clearly losing patience.

That brought their minds back into focus. The squirrel saw that he had their attention, and he gestured for them to follow him. He then dashed out of sight around the corner of the large bush. The girls looked at each other again, then followed the talking rodent. When they stopped, they were hidden from the street by the eight foot tall plant.

How can you talk? Samantha asked.

Are you a robot? asked Sasha.

I'm a squirrel. I don't know what a robot is, but I talk just like you do. Now listen to me. Somebody has kidnapped your father. I'm pretty sure I know who did it.

How do you know that? asked Sasha.

Yeah, you're just a squirrel.

How many squirrel's have you talked with before?

None, said Samantha.

Me neither.

"Exactly. I'm obviously not just a squirrel. Now I don't have time to explain in detail right now, but if you'll take me with you I can help you find your father."

Why do you want to help us? Samantha asked.

There's no time to explain that now either. We're going to have to run as fast as we can to catch up with the people in that four-wheeled machine they put your father in.

That's called a car, said Sasha.

"And we can't run that fast," said Samantha.

"They're taking him that way, said the squirrel, pointing east. I'm sure of it. We'll need to get a car."

We're too young to drive a car, said Samantha.

But we could take the bus, Sasha suggested.

What's a bus?

It's like a car, only bigger.

"Will it take us in that direction?" the squirrel asked, again pointing east.

Sasha looked around her. Yes. I think that's toward downtown. That's where the bus goes.

Excellent! said the squirrel, clapping his front paws and rubbing them together. Where do we find the bus?

The closest bus stop is at the mall, said Sasha.

We'll have to walk to get there, Samantha explained.

Right. Then let me get into that bag on your back. Two girls walking with a squirrel beside them might attract unwanted attention. Plus, your legs are longer and you walk faster than I do.

Sasha put out her hand and the squirrel jumped onto it. Sasha put the animal onto her shoulder, and after Samantha opened Sasha's backpack the squirrel jumped in.

Good. Now close the top, but not more than halfway shut, okay?

Okay. Samantha did as the squirrel requested.

Let's go! There's no time to waste! they heard the squirrel's high-pitched but muffled voice call out from the backpack.

Sasha and Samantha looked at each other, then shrugged. The squirrel spoke very authoritatively, so they felt that he must know what he was doing. At this point they didn't have much to lose by doing what he said. Plus, having a talking squirrel around struck them as awesome.

The girls, with squirrel, set out for the bus stop at Regency Mall as quickly as they could walk. The two sisters occasionally had the impulse to talk as they walked, but they remained silent. They had a mission. They also had a talking squirrel in a backpack, and this was their first time away from home without an adult, all of which was a little bit scary, but at the same time very exciting.

6. Public Transportation

The bus stop at the mall was near the side entrance to one of the department stores. Several people were already waiting there when Sasha and Samantha arrived. The two sisters had walked as fast as they could because the squirrel didn't want them to miss the bus. Along the way, he had kept saying, Are you slowing down? We need to hurry! Or, Are we there yet? It was annoying, but his voice had such a high pitch that it was also cute at the same time.

The girls stopped about a dozen feet from the bus-stop sign. A nurse standing next to the sign looked at them and smiled. The girls smiled back, but they were a little nervous. There was no one there to protect them if something should go wrong: no Dad or Mom, no Grandma, not even a teacher. They would just have to hope for the best.

A few other people were waiting for the bus, but they were farther away from the girls.

Samantha took her purse from her backpack. She looked inside to make sure her money was still in there, and she said to Sasha, I can pay for the bus.

Sasha had her own money in bills, but she didn't have any change. Okay, she said.

The two sisters tried to look casual until they heard a crinkling sound coming from Sasha's backpack. The squirrel had found one of Sasha's bags of cheese puffs. The girls looked at each other, and the nurse glanced with curiosity at Sasha's backpack. Samantha started coughing to try and cover up the noise, and Sasha smiled at the nurse, who smiled back uncertainly.

The girls hoped there would be no more crinkling sounds, and there weren’t. The next noise from the backpack was a loud crunching sound, then a rapid succession of similar crunching sounds. Samantha cleared her throat to try and mask the squirrel’s commotion, but it was too late. The nurse looked at them now with open suspicion. She knew there had to be something in the backpack.

There was a moment of stillness. Sasha and Samantha breathed slowly, fearful that the squirrel was going to announce his presence again. Just when they thought that the squirrel was going to behave, the stillness was broken by a series of chomping sounds every bit as loud as the first. Sasha turned so that the nurse could no longer see the backpack, and Samantha gave the bag a hard slap. There was a quick, high-pitched yelp, and then silence.

Maybe we should just stand here quietly, Sasha suggested, speaking a little more loudly than normal to ensure that the squirrel could hear her.

Good idea, agreed Samantha, also with her voice slightly raised. We wouldn't want to bother any of the people waiting near us.

The squirrel heard them and understood. Wiping his mouth with the back of one paw, he sat back and relaxed. Those cheesy things are good, he thought to himself. Yummm.

Sasha smiled again at the nurse, but the nurse didn't smile back this time.

My music player sometimes cuts on by itself, Sasha explained. Sorry.

That didn't sound like a music player to me, said the nurse.

Samantha, will you reach in and get my music player?

Samantha looked in Sasha's backpack. She saw the music player. She put her hand in the backpack and pointed to the player. The squirrel saw what Samantha was pointing at. He grabbed the music player and gave it to her. Samantha gave it to her sister.

See? said Sasha, holding it up. She pretended like she was turning it off, even though it was already off. There we go. No more problem. Sasha smiled at the nurse.

The nurse shrugged and looked away, but she wasn't convinced.

Sasha reached over her shoulder to put the music player back. As soon as the tip of it passed the backpack's zipper, the squirrel grabbed the player and put it between the stuffed bunny and one of the maps.

The next few minutes were uncomfortable, but the bus finally arrived. Sasha and Samantha lined up behind the nurse, whose distrustful look inclined them to stay a few extra feet behind her. The two girls got on the bus, and Samantha paid for both her and Sasha. She started paying with pennies and nickels, but the bus driver glared at her. She finished paying with quarters and dimes.

There were three people already seated on the bus, in addition to the nurse. All of them were sitting near the front, so Sasha and Samantha took a seat at the back. They chose seats that faced sideways rather than towards the front, and they removed their backpacks and sat down.

Three more people got on, but they all sat in the front half of the bus. Sasha and Samantha had the back of the bus to themselves.

The girls had their backpacks on their laps. Sasha quietly opened her backpack partway. Both girls peered into it intently.

The squirrel poked his head up. Sasha quickly pushed his head back down and out of sight. Samantha looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but no one was paying any attention to them.

Stay down! Sasha urgently whispered. If someone sees you they'll throw us off of the bus!

Why?

Pets aren’t allowed.

The bus pulled out of the bus stop and headed away from the mall.

"I'm not a pet!" the squirrel protested indignantly, raising his voice.

Sasha and Samantha heard him, but the sound of the bus’s accelerating motor kept the people in the front of the bus from hearing the squirrel’s objection.

Shhh! said Sasha and Samantha together.

All right! the squirrel whispered. But I've never been on a bus before. I just wanted to see. Ow! And this colored cube-thing is hurting my butt.

"Then