Chapter 1: The Phone Call

SeE? What’d | telL yOu?

| dunNo… | don’t seE any.

TadPoles.

AlRigHt. but don’t bLame me if | sCare tHem ofF.

WelL duh. yOu’re toO far bacK. tHeY’re sMalL, so yOu gotTa get rigHt over tHem.

WaIt, wHy are yOu takinG yOur sHoEs ofF?

…

yOu’re not gonNa get in, are yOu?? but tHis a sewage pipe! tHe water’s alL dirTy…

WoUlD yOu relax?

LoOk, if yOu go like tHis, yOur feEt don’t get wet!

If yOu saY so…

SeE? it’s no bigGiE. now let’s seE if we can catCh some.

wHat?! |’m not gonNa sTicK my hanDs in tHere! it’s gRosS.

it is not! Nobody lives anywHere neAr tHis sTretCh of tHe dRive. Plus, tadPoles woUlDn’t surVive in sewer water. it’s sCiEnCe.

| sTilL don’t seE any tadPoles.

Focus, LeO. sTarT fRom over tHere anD InCh in sLowLy. make sure not to let any sWim pasT yOu, anD tHen on my marK, we’lL sCoOp tHem up, okaY?

QuIt it, Carole! YoU’re sPlasHinG me!

WelL yOu’re not even tRyInG!

ThREe!! Ah-!

one… tWo…

Stupid leO… tHeY’re getTinG awaY…

WhoA, he has legS anD everytHinG.

aha!! | caUgHt one | caUgHt one!!

…For reAl?

Can | seE?

… Sure.

come cLoser… doEs he reAlLy havHA!

WhoOpS-

LeO?

leO are yOu okaY? pLeAse don’t cRy, | didN’t meAn to… S- sewage…

…no, not a sinGle car has beEn by, heAven kNowS |’ve beEn watChinG. wHat elSe is tHere for me to do? if yOu-

…WaIt a seconD. Let me calL yOu bacK. someone’s cRyInG.

Sob

LeO, cut it oUt alReAdy! |’lL catCh yOu a reAl tadPole… |’lL catCh as many as yOu wanT if yOu’d jusT pipe dowN a litTle!

What on EaRtH is goInG on here!?

CAROLE! Did yOu do tHis!?

So wet..

It’s not my faUlT! We were jusT-

leOnarD, honeY, telL me wHat hurTs. don’t be bRave. | neEd to kNow if sometHinG feElS ofF.

he felL over, so wHat? It’s not like he’s gonNa diE.

My God, he’s soAkinG! wHat were yOu tHinKinG, horSinG aroUnD wHen he’s sTilL weAk!

That’s enoUgH fRom yOu, yOunG lady. Give him yOur jacKet.

Wha-at?? But it’s suEde! Can’t he use sometHinG fRom his suItCase?

…TheY’re eAtinG him. SorRy aboUt tHat. tHe kidS were ﬁgHtinG agaIn… yOu kNow how tHeY are. we’re StilL waItinG on a sPare.

…wHat?? sometHinG’s ofF witH his reAdinGs? …Are tHeY sure? …

LisTen, | can’t have tHis conVerSatiOn rigHt now. When we get tHe tire, we’lL heAd bacK to tHe hosPital. Let tHem kNow we’lL be cominG.

but he seEmed comPletely ﬁne a few hoUrS ago! …

maYbe we sHoUlD turN aroUnD anD heAd bacK onCe we get tHe sPare?

Who cares aboUt tHem misSinG tHeIr ﬁrSt daY? if doUgLas neEdS me, | neEd to be tHere.

YeAh …

No, | didN’t cHecK tHe tires in GeOrgiA. | tolD yOu tHat |’m not goInG to ﬁlL tHem in tHe city. | reAd it sPreAdS tHroUgH tHe aIr.

Oh, sHut it, paUl. That’s tHe lasT tHinG | neEd to heAr rigHt now. don’t yOu tHinK | wanT to be witH him? if anytHinG, it’s yOur faUlT for usinG oUr sPare witHoUt repLacinG it.

| can’t manage tHem anD be witH DoUgLas at tHe same time. tHeY’re olD enoUgH to loOk afTer tHemSelVes, afTer alL.

No, wHen we get to geOrGiA, |’lL dRop tHem ofF at yOur ofﬁce.

That, anD it woUlDn’t be goOd for tHem to seE DoUgLas like tHis. Carole alReAdy doEsN’t do welL witH hosPitalS…

WhatCha got tHere?

C’mon, can | seE it?

|’m tRyInG to lisTen

PleAse ?

be quIet!

not now, leO.

wHy do yOu have to be so noseY alL tHe time?

cLicK

PleAse don’t be upSet. |’m sorRy for getTinG yOu in tRoUbLe. | dunNo wHy mom got so upSet. …

…anD… sorRy yOur jacKet got ruIned, | reAlLy didN’t wanNa take it but mom made me.

YoU alWaYs acT like a litTle cRybaby anD tHen tRy to be alL budDy-budDy afTerWarDs. It’s anNoYinG.

Come on, tHat’s not faIr…

Cut it oUt. | kNow wHat yOu’re doInG.

YoU can be sucH a pesT sometimes, yOu kNow tHat?

!!

reAlLy! Who cRiEs tHat mucH over a litTle water?? yOu’re jusT tRyInG to get atTenTiOn.

It’s not my faUlT yOu pusHed me in…

| was onLy mesSinG aroUnD! yOu were tHe one wHo fReAked oUt over a litTle sPlasH. Did not! Did toO!

yOu’re reAl meAn, yOu kNow tHat?

If yOu’re alWaYs fusSinG like tHis |’m not gonNa let yOu pLaY witH me any more!

Oh yEah? WelL |’ve alReAdy decided |’m not gonNa pLaY witH yOu anymore eItHer! YoU can’t jusT copy wHat |riIip

My cicada! Oh gosH! His winG…

OopS

sucH a jerK. Stupid bulLy.

Stupid LeO… disTracTed me.

carole! Put tHat nasTy tHinG dowN, it’lL bite yOu!

AnD wHere did LeO run ofF to?

That boY! LeAvinG his cRutChes behinD! He betTer not have gone far… it’s so bad for his hipS…

What?? are tHeY sure??

Carole, take tHe baby anD go get yOur bRotHer. NOW.

Mom, | acTuAlLy neEd yOur helP…

| tHinK my cicada is hurT.

AH-

HusH!

mom! Why’d yOuno no no. We’re sTilL tWo hoUrS oUt. There’s no

waY we’lL make it in time…

Gohim!!get

wHat’s goInG on?

PleAse! Can’t yOu take tHe pHone to him?? | neEd to be witH him

Is tHat tHe hosPital?

Do as yOu’re tolD!

hurRy.

EverytHinG was ﬁne eArLiEr todaY… wHat hapPened? EverytHinG was norMal… he was ﬁne…

He

| tHinK he turNed here, rigHt?

There, There. sHh …sCary…

wenT tHis waY

ShHh, sHhHhH. WAaH WhAaH WhAAaH ShHh

Oh woUlD yOu sHut up alReAdy!? What even is tHere for yOu to cRy aboUt!?

LeO?

isN’t

?

LoOkS like yOu’re tHe tagalonG tHis time, ha! tHis pLace neAt Carole! come over here!

LisTen. Mom wanTs us bacK rigHt awaY.

Wha-at?? did sHe get a tire?

jusT saY it toOk a wHile for yOu to ﬁnD me! Or tHat we got losT or sometHinG. Now come over here: | foUnD sometHinG yOu’ve got to seE!

No, LeO. It’s imPorTanT. DoUg is-

come on. We’re alWaYs doInG wHat yOu wanT. come over anD seE wHat | got, for onCe.

No, bu

Then no waY |’m goInG bacK! It’s barely beEn ten minutes!

tHeY’re reAlLy sometHinG, aren’t tHeY?

baby birDs…

don’t yOu kNow not to mesS witH birDs’ nesTs? it makes everytHinG sMelL like human, anD tHe mom’lL abanDon it!

| foUnD tHe nesT at tHe base of tHe elecTric tower anD pulLed it dowN to get a betTer loOk.

So anywaY, wHat doEs Mom wanT if tHe car isN’t reAdy yEt? !!

RigHt… The pHone calL…

That’s not funNy, Carole.

Mom was reAlLy sCary…

No waY!

She wanTs us bacK

becaUse …

BecaUse…

…caUse

|’ve never seEn Mom tHat upSet before. yOu wenT toO far witHoUt yOur cRutChes.

oh

AlSo, it’s yOur turN to holD tHe baby. | helD him tHe wHole car ride! Mom saId to telL yOu it’s yOur turN now. We alL gotTa watCh him wHen we don’t wanT to.

…

Is tHat reAlLy wHat sHe’s upSet aboUt?

GosH, tHose cRowS sure are loUd… don’t cHanGe tHe subJecT.

What’s got tHem alL riled up?

DidN’t yOu saY sometHinG aboUt DoUg?

CAW

ChOMp CAW CAWCAW CAW CAW CAaW

aA! CrACk CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW

W- W-

What’s wRonG? What hapPened?

He’s ﬁne. he’s jusT fusSy-

Why…are tHeY alL loOkinG at us like tHat?

WAaAHh WAaH WAaAaH ThUNk

a baby birD! wHat’s wRonG witH it?

| dunNo, TheY loOk more sad tHan anGry to me…

we betTer get oUt of here… | tHinK tHeY’re mad at us…

won’t runNinG make it worSe? Plus, tHere’s no waY | coUlD oUtRun tHem witH my bRace. don’t tHinK aboUt tHat. we gotTa get oUt of here before tHeY sNap oUt of it! cRowS are reAl meAn.

Our

onLy cHanCe is to make a bReAk for it. go on my marK… CAW ChI Rp CAW

waIt a seconD!!