As promised here is the second and final installment of Big Cat on The Loose by Max Elliot Anderson

BIG CAT ON THE LOOSE (Part 2)

by

Max Elliot Anderson

After the boys finished their snack, Owen turned to Terry. “I gotta go out to the barn for a few minutes. You comin’?”

Terry pointed to his chest. “Me?”

“Sure. We’ll be safe.”

Terry shook his head. “I’m feeling pretty safe in here right now.”

“Come on. It’ll only take a minute.”

Terry gulped. “Isn’t that about how long it takes for a lion to eat a kid.”

Owen gave him one of those looks until Terry said, “Don’t start calling me a chicken.”

Owen started flapping his arms and cackling like the biggest laying hen on the farm.

Terry shook his head, thought for a moment, then said, “Oh…all right.”

They hurried to the back door where Owen flipped on a bright floodlight outside. It lit up the whole barnyard so they could see if there was anything out there. He called for Duke and let him in the house.

“What’d you do that for?”

“I don’t want my dog getting hurt.”

“So you think there is a lion.”

Owen didn’t answer. They slipped outside, stood on the back step for an instant, and then ran even faster toward the barn than they did from the bus stop. This time, Terry made it to the barn door first. Both boys tumbled onto the hay inside. Then Owen quickly jumped back up and shut the door. That’s when the boys both heard something so terrifying, they shut their eyes as tight as possible. A low grunting growl came from deeper inside the barn.

Owen opened one eye. In a whisper, almost too low for Terry to hear, he said, “Duke must a got out somehow.” He listened again and said, “Duke. That you boy?” But when he opened both eyes, what he saw nearly knocked him to the floor.

“That’s a lion!” Terry squealed.

Without saying a word, both boys bolted out the door, slamming it behind them. They heard scratches and more growling on the other side. Just as they were about to run to the house, Owen grabbed Terry by the arm and said, “Wait a minute.”

“No, you wait. I’m gettin’ outa here.”

Owen shook his head. “We have to find where he got in first.”

“We do?” Terry whimpered.

Owen pointed. “You go that way, and I’ll go the other. If you find an opening, close it as fast as you can. Then we’ll meet back here at the door.” They hurried off and Owen found an open door at the back of the barn. He slid it closed and raced around to the front where Terry already waited for him.

Without saying a word, the boys sprinted back to the house, went inside, and Owen dialed 911. “We found the lion,” he blurted to the operator. Then he gave her his address.

“Stay where you are,” she warned. “Help is on the way.”

Even though it only took a few minutes, it felt more like hours to Owen as he and Terry kept their eyes fixed on the barn. Duke stayed close beside them. Finally, the entire farmyard lit up with flashing lights as cars raced down the lane. Owen opened the door a small crack as several men jumped out of their cars and vans.

One of them spotted the boys. “”Where is he?” the man asked.

Owen and Terry pointed at the barn. Then they both slipped out onto the back steps where they shook with fear. That’s when a few of the men started laughing. More joined them until it sounded like a roar louder than the lion.

“What’s so funny?” Owen demanded. He saw two other men walking out of the barn with a full-grown male lion on a leash; just like a regular cat.

“I don’t get it,” Terry said.

A police officer walked up to them, folded his arms and said, “Well, it’s like this.” He turned and looked at the big cat. “That’s a lion all right.” He turned back toward the boys as some of the others started laughing again. “He got away from a circus train that had stopped out on the tracks behind your farm. But the thing is,” now he could hardly keep from laughing, “the thing is, he’s got no teeth. If he’d caught one of you, probably the worst that might have happened is he’d kiss you to death.”

As men loaded the lion into a cage, in the back of a van, Owen’s parents hurried over to the boys. “What’s going on? Someone called and told us to get home right away,” his mother cried. “Are you boys alright?”

Owen and Terry looked down at the ground. They could still hear some of the men doing their best not to laugh.

Owen looked up to his parents. “Could we please go inside? Then we can tell you all about it.”

– The End –

What a fun story! So, what did you think of it?

 Thanks, Max, for sharing it with us. And just as a reminder, here’s a bit about Max:

Max Elliot Anderson grew up as a struggling reader.  After surveying the market, he sensed the need for action-adventures and mysteries for readers 8 – 13, especially boys. Using his extensive experience in the production of dramatic motion pictures, videos, and television commercials, Mr. Anderson brings that same visual excitement and heart-pounding action to his stories. Most books have different characters, setting, and plot.

Ten books are published, ten more are under contract, with several additional manuscripts completed. Young readers have reported that reading one of his books is like actually being in an exciting movie.

Books for Boys Blog:  http://booksandboys.blogspot.com

Author Web Site:  http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/index_1.html

My Youtube Videos http://www.youtube.com/user/Maxbooks100?feature=watch

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!