2 Space Aliens

Chapter 2 SPACE ALIENS? "We'll end up as owl pellets!" Judy moaned. "Huh?" said Andrew. "Little balls of hair and bones that owls throw up after dinner!" said Judy. "It's pretty dark," said Andrew. "Maybe the owl won't see us." meep… "Owl got great eyes to see at night," said Thudd. "Can see mouse two football fields away. And full moon help owl eyes." "We don't have a chance!" said Judy. meep… "Bat got one chance, maybe," said Thudd. "Bat move wings more ways than owl. Bat zigzag fast, fast, fast! Hard for owl to follow."

"But I don't think the bat sees the owl!" said Andrew. Andrew glanced over his shoulder. The owl swooped closer. Its two coal-red eyes glowed in its horned head. "Thudd," said Judy. "What's this bat's favorite food?" meep… "Moth!" squeaked Thudd. "Andrew!" said Judy. "Grab the sleeve of my jacket and pull!" Andrew helped Judy wriggle out of her jacket. Then she tossed it high into the air. "Maybe the bat will think my jacket's a moth," said Judy. "If I threw it right, maybe the bat will see the owl. It's our only chance." The bat zoomed up toward the jacket. Suddenly it swerved. It dove through the night in a dizzying twist. "I think the bat saw the owl!" said Judy. Andrew could barely hang on. They were headed straight toward something big and dark.

This bat's about to crash! he thought. The next second, Andrew almost flew off the bat as it jerked to a stop. They had landed on the scaly bark of a tree trunk. The bat folded itself like a paper origami bird. Then it squeezed into a crack in the bark as small as a dime. Graaaaaak… graaaaaak…

The owl had landed on the tree. It was tearing at the bark with its beak. The bat folded itself even more tightly and squeezed deeper into the crack. "Ugh!" groaned Judy. "Now I'm getting smooshed!" "Better than getting turned into an owl pellet," said Andrew. The beak pulled away and Andrew heard a soft flapping of wings. meep… "Owl give up!" said Thudd. "Hunt other prey." The bat crept out of the crack. Using a claw in the middle of each wing, it pulled itself up the tree trunk. meep… "Bat wing like hand with long, long fingers," said Thudd. "Fingers covered with skin. Claw on bat wing is bat thumb."

The bat crept out to a tree branch and hung upside down by its feet. Then it spread its wings and let go. It dipped and swirled through the tangled branches of a forest. "How long is this bat gonna stay out?" asked Judy. meep… "Bat stay out till dawn," said Thudd. "Unless bat is mother bat. Mother bat go back to feed baby bat many times in night." Judy buried her face in the bat's fur and shook her head. "I can't hang on to this stupid bat for eight hours!" she moaned. "I sure hope this bat's got a kid."

meep… "Baby bat called pup," said Thudd. "I sure do feel yucky," said Andrew. He gave another loud, garlic-flavored burp. Below them, Andrew saw the reflection of the moon. We're flying over water, he thought. "Yaaaaaah!" hollered Judy, looking down. "What's that?" Floating a few feet above the water was a glowing ball of yellow-green light. As they watched, another ball of light appeared. The glowing balls grew brighter and dimmer, brighter and dimmer. They throbbed like a heartbeat. Suddenly they rose like hot-air balloons! Andrew could feel his heart beating faster. Could it be? he wondered. Could it really be… space aliens?