Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 Danny flung open the back door. Ma's new pot of flowers lay shattered on the ground. Was someone in trouble? Or were robbers planning to break in? Danny picked up a broom, ready to strike. The yard was small, just a patch of grass surrounded by a tangle of bushes and palm trees. He didn't see anyone, but then he caught sight of a

small dark head poking out from behind one of the thick bushes. Danny put down the broom and walked over. It was a little kid, maybe three years old. What the heck was he doing here all by himself? "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" the kid screamed. Was the kid hurt? "Hey!" Danny said. The kid turned around. He was grinning like a monkey standing on a mountain of bananas. And he was clutching a little animal of some kind. "Puppy!" the kid said. Danny studied the animal. It was very small and black except for one white ear. He didn't want to break the kid's heart, but he was pretty sure it wasn't a puppy. It looked more like a rat. "My puppy!" the kid said, hugging the poor ugly critter so tight Danny was sure it would pop like a balloon. Danny looked around. The kid was too young to be wandering around on his own.

"Who are you?" Danny said, bending down to look the kid in the eye. "Aki!" he said. "Who you?" "I'm Danny," said Danny. "Danny see my puppy?" Aki held out his poor squished pet like he wanted Danny to give it a big smooch. And then the kid's eyes got huge. He pointed to something over Danny's shoulder. "Monster!" he said. Danny spun around and there, moving toward them, was the ugliest animal Danny had ever seen in his life. It was black, the size of a huge dog, with wiry bristles, a pig's snout, and two huge spiked tusks sprouting right from its face like swords.

It did look like a monster. The animal grunted and snorted as it stared at Aki with beady black eyes. Prepare to die! it seemed to be saying. "Put down the puppy!" Danny said, suddenly understanding: That was a mother monster, and she thought Aki was stealing her baby.

"My puppy!" Aki screamed. Danny pried the baby out of Aki's sticky hands. He gently placed it on the ground. The mother rushed up to it, nudged it with her nose, and gave a loud squeal. "Okay," he said, bending down and speaking softly to Aki. "Let's go." Aki screamed again, right into Danny's ear. "My puppy!" Aki howled, lunging over to reclaim his pet. The mother monster gave out a high-pitched roar. Aki screamed right back. This kid really was crazy! Danny tried to grab Aki, but he pulled away. The animal charged, its sharp tusks aimed right for Aki's stomach.