by PJ Ryan
"I hope he'll be okay," she murmured.
"What did you say?" Mouse asked, as he had not quite heard her.
"Oh nothing," she said sternly. "That cat is a menace," she nodded her head sharply.
"Actually, this cat is starving," Dr. Winston said as she walked back out of the exam room. "Poor thing hasn't eaten in days."
'You mean that he didn't eat Magellan?" Rebekah said with surprise. She was sure that her theory had been right.
"Not a chance," the vet said. "His tummy was bloated from needing to eat. He's back there eating right now. It's a good thing you found him Rebekah, and brought him in. Now he will have a chance to get healthy again."
Rebekah was too shocked by the fact that she was wrong to even pay attention to what the vet was saying.
“Then where is Magellan?” Mouse asked sadly. “He's still missing,” he frowned.
“I hope you find him,” Dr. Winston said. “But it is a good thing this little guy got off the streets. I'll keep him here tonight and you can check on him in the morning, okay?” she smiled at the two young children.
“Yes,” Rebekah said, feeling distracted. She prided herself on being a great detective and it did not feel great when she got something wrong.
“This is a good thing,” Mouse said and grabbed Rebekah's hand. “This means that Magellan could still be okay. We have to find him!” he tugged her out of the vet's office. As they left, Rebecca could hear the cat's sad meow coming from the back room of the vet's office.
Chapter 7
When they got back to Mouse's house, they began to tear it apart. They looked under everything in his room. They dumped out his hamper. They turned over his trash can. They searched in the bottom of his closet, and even in the top! They looked in each one of his shoes.
"Ugh," Rebecca complained at the scent that wafted from one she peered into.
Mouse blushed and kicked his shoes back inside of the closet. They searched the bathroom. They looked in the tub, they looked under the sink, they even checked in the toilet.
"No swimming mouse here," Rebecca sighed. They headed out of the bathroom and began looking through the living room. They looked under the couch, where Mouse found an old block of cheese. They looked in the magazine rack, which was full of magazines about raising mice. They looked behind the television and found nothing but dust. They even looked in the umbrella stand.
"No mouse hiding here," Mouse sighed. "Where could he be?" he looked as if he might cry.
'Don't worry," Rebecca said. "We are going to find that mouse if it takes me all night!' she stomped one foot against the floor. She never let a mystery go unsolved.
"We just have to think a moment," she said. Her stomach began to growl. At first she thought it was the cat back in the room with them. Then she realized it was because she was hungry.
"Got any snacks?" she asked Mouse.
"Sure," he said and led her into the kitchen. "I just have to find him Rebecca," he wailed as he walked up to the tall cabinet beside the fridge. "I just can't let him be lost forever. What if he's hiding somewhere, alone and hungry? What if he's scared and lost like the cat was?"
Rebecca frowned as she thought of the cat. It was a very sad story to think about. Rebecca found herself hoping that the cat would be okay by the morning.
Mouse opened the cabinet. "Want a granola- ah!" he cried out when a little white mouse scampered across his shoe.
Well, not exactly little. Magellan's belly was round and full. Rebecca dove to catch him, but he squirmed out of her grasp. Mouse lunged into the doorway of the kitchen to keep him from getting away.
He was so happy to see the mouse he did not notice the mess in the cabinet. Magellan had helped himself to quite a few snacks while he was in there. He was an expert at chewing through cardboard. The cornflakes were all over the floor. A box of cookies had been gnawed through. He had even managed to make a hole in the bag of flour, which then trailed flour all over the floor.
Rebecca grabbed a cup from the table and ran over to where Mouse was blocking the door. She dropped the cup carefully down on top of Magellan, trapping him inside. Magellan scratched at the cup with his tiny claws and wiggled his pink nose.
"You're safe!" Mouse exclaimed happily. "I can't believe it, you're safe!"
Chapter 8
The mouse squeaked from inside the cup. Mouse slid his hand under the bottom of the cup and captured his favorite friend in the palm of his hand.
“Aw, little Magellan, you caused a lot of trouble!” he said sternly. “You shouldn't chew through your maze.”
Magellan's nose twitched. He scuttled back and forth across Mouse's hand.
“I've missed you so much!” Mouse said and lifted the mouse up to look him over. He wanted to make sure that he had not been hurt while he was trapped in the cabinet. The only difference that he could see was Magellan's big round belly.
“Well you’ve had plenty to eat,” Mouse laughed and then stopped when he looked inside the cabinet.
“Oh no, when mom sees that, she'll make me get rid of all my mice!” he groaned.
“I'll help,” Rebecca offered. She grabbed a broom and a dustpan from beside the back door. Mouse returned Magellan safely to his cage and then hurried back to help too. It did not take the friends too long to get the cabinet back in shape. Of course there was no way to explain away the damaged boxes or the half-gone bag of flour.
“Just tell her the truth,” Rebecca said quietly. “It's the best thing to do. She knows Magellan got loose, but you found him, and you cleaned up the mess. She'll let you keep your mice.”
“Do you really think so?” he asked nervously.
“I'm sure,” Rebecca nodded with a smile. They spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Mouse's mice. He decided to retire his cardboard maze and began thinking of what he could use instead. They drew some designs for a plastic maze. By the time Rebecca had to go home for dinner, it seemed like Mouse was much happier. As she said goodbye, he frowned sadly again.
“Oh no,” she said quickly. “Did Magellan escape again?”
“No,” he frowned. “I was just thinking that if I didn't have a home full of mice, I would give that poor kitty a home.”
“Oh yes that would not be a good idea,” Rebecca giggled.
“I know, I know,” he murmured. “But everyone deserves a home.”
“You're right,” she nodded. “Maybe someone will adopt him.”
“Maybe,” Mouse smiled. “Thanks for all of your help Rebecca. You really are a great detective.”
“You're the one that found him!” she reminded him.
“Maybe, but only because you were here to help me,” he grinned.
Chapter 9
That night as Rebecca lay in her bed, she could not stop thinking about that tiny orange cat. It had been mean to her when she first found it, but she had been mean right back. It was not really a bad cat, just very sad and very lonely. She knew that if he had a home and someone to love him, he would be much happier. She went through her mind, thinking of who might like to own the cat. Maybe the older couple with the little dog. The orange cat could go on a leash too! Or maybe the mailman could use a companion. There were also the teachers at school. They might want a little kitty to go home too. But the more she thought about it, the more she knew that none of those homes would be just right for the little orange cat. He needed someone who understood what it was like to need to be loved and hugged. Rebecca felt a little different from everyone sometimes. Even though she and Mouse were friends, she didn't have too many other friends. They thought she was a little weird because she liked to solve mysteries and hunt down evidence. Rebecca knew it didn't matter what other people thought, but she did get a little lonely and sad sometimes. The poor orange cat had not found anyone to love it, and maybe he needed someone that could spend all day with him, hugging and snuggling, to help him feel loved.
"Maybe he needs me," she said in a whisper as she stared at the ceiling. "She had ne
ver even thought of taking him home with her. She had been the one to find him after all. Of course, she had never asked her parents if she could have the cat. They might not agree, since it was a stray, or because Rebecca was always so busy hunting down mysteries. But she was sure the cat could help her with that. As she fell asleep, she found herself dreaming of what it would be like to have the little orange kitty for her very own pet.
Chapter 10
The next morning she and her parents went to the vet's office to check on the cat.
"I really don't think you should have tried to catch that cat," her mother said firmly. "It could have scratched you, or bitten you, or worse. Stray animals can be dangerous and you should always tell an adult, not try to catch it yourself."
"Yes Mom," Rebecca said and bit into her bottom lip.
"Besides that, you should have called us and asked for help," her father said. "We would have helped you catch the cat in the right sized cage, and we would have made sure he was safe."
"Oh Rebecca did a very good job," Dr. Winston said as she stepped out of the back room. "She really did. If she had not caught that cat, I don't think it could have gone without food for much longer. She was very brave and knew just where to bring him for help."
Rebecca's parents smiled proudly. Her father ruffled her bright red curls.
"She is very smart," he said with a grin.
Rebecca giggled quietly.
"Let me just get him for you, so you can meet him," Dr. Winston said as she walked into the back room again. When she brought the cat back out, he was prancing on a leash. Rebecca looked at him warily. She wondered if he would try to attack her again.
"It's okay Rebecca," Dr. Winston said. "He's much nicer now. He was just so hungry and afraid yesterday. He hasn't even hissed the whole time he's been here."
Rebecca crouched down in front of the little orange cat. He purred and pushed his head against her fingertips. She smiled at how soft his fur was. She pet him carefully, not wanting to frighten him.
"See he likes you," Dr. Winston said softly. "He probably wants to thank you for helping him."
"You're welcome," Rebecca said sweetly and continued to pet him. She glanced up at her parents with wide pleading eyes.
"Oh Rebecca," her mother frowned. "I don't know."
"Hm," her father said as he looked at the cat. "So he's healthy?" he asked.
"He is, he just needs some extra meals, and he'll be just fine," Dr. Winston assured him. "We can keep him in the shelter, but he would do much better in a loving home."
Rebecca's father glanced over her head at her mother. They both looked down at their daughter being so gentle and kind to the small cat.
"Alright," her mother finally said. "But only if you promise to keep track of him and take care of him. A pet is a big job."
'I can do it!" Rebecca said happily. "I know I can!"
"So do we," her father said and hugged her. While her parents filled out the paperwork, Rebecca wadded up a tiny piece of paper and chased it back and forth across the floor with the cat.
"Rebecca, what is your cat's name?" her mother called out. She needed to write it on the paper she was filling out. Rebecca hadn't really thought about it. She had only been calling the cat one thing since she found it.
"Mr. Kitty," she said in a very serious voice.
Her parents tried not to giggle. "Mr. Kitty it is," her father said and her mother jotted down the name.
When they left the vet's office, Rebecca was the proud new owner of the meanest cat she had ever met.
Next Steps
This book is part of the children’s series, “Rebekah - Girl Detective”.
I’d really love to hear from you!
I very much appreciate your reviews and comments so thank you in advance for taking a moment to leave one for “Magellan Goes Missing”.
You can join Rebekah’s fun Facebook page for young detectives here:
http://www.facebook.com/RebekahGirlDetective
Sincerely,
PJ Ryan
Now Available in Audio
Rebekah - Girl Detective #3: Magellan Goes Missing is now available as an audiobook!
You can listen to a free sample here:
http://pjryanbooks.com/books/magellan-goes-missing/
More audio versions coming soon!
Visit the author website at:
PJRyanBooks.com
Please enjoy the following preview for #4 Ghost Hunting
Chapter 1
Rebekah and her best friend Mouse liked to do everything together. They would play kickball. They would have mice races with Mouse's pet mice. They would even investigate mysteries together. But tonight they were not doing any of that. Tonight they were watching a very spooky movie. The spooky movie was Mouse's idea of course. Mouse was curious about all things spooky. He liked aliens, and ghosts, and monsters. At least he liked to learn about them. He did not actually like to see them in person. Of course, according to Rebekah, there was no such thing as an alien, ghost, or monster, but that didn't stop them from being good friends. With popcorn to share and the lights out, they sat in Rebekah's living room.
“Is this one a zombie movie or a ghost movie?” Rebekah asked as she tossed some popcorn in her mouth.
“A ghost movie,” Mouse replied as he too ate some popcorn. “It is really scary,” he warned.
“It can't be that scary,” she argued. “Because ghosts aren’t real.”
“That's what everyone says until they meet one,” Mouse pointed out.
"I have never, and will never meet one," Rebekah said, standing her ground. "Ghosts are completely impossible, and there is no way that anyone can ever prove they are real," she sighed as Mouse rolled his eyes.
"Just watch the movie!" he insisted and stuffed his mouth full of popcorn. He sneaked a few pieces to the little mouse in his pocket. His pet mouse munched down on the popcorn. The mouse did not care what movie was on television. It was a very scary movie though, and by the time it was over, Rebekah was a little creeped out.
"How am I supposed to sleep now?" she asked with a frown.
"I thought you said you weren't afraid of ghosts," Mouse teased.
"I'm not," she insisted. "But I am a little afraid of people who would make a movie like this!"
The two friends laughed and said goodnight. Rebekah went to her room and crawled into bed. She was a little nervous about the lights being out after that movie, but she ignored her fear and did her best to go to sleep.
Rebekah was having a very nice dream about white rabbits. Not the white rabbits of fairy tales but actual white rabbits that were hopping all over the place. She was chasing them across a field, and every time she caught one, she would let it go just so she could try to catch another.
“Come back,” she called to the rabbits. “Come back!”
Then suddenly all of the rabbits ran off, leaving Rebekah alone in the field. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye, a strange glow. It was a glow she was familiar with, but she could not remember exactly what it was. She closed her eyes for a moment to think, and when she opened them again, she was awake in her own room. She could still see the glow from her dream. In the darkness, it was really quite a scary glow.
“I'm not afraid of the dark,” Rebekah said quietly as she peered toward the window. “But maybe just a little afraid of that light.”
The eerie glow outside of her window made her eyes open wider. She sat up slowly and looked intently out through the glass. What she saw was more shocking than anything she could have expected. Walking past her window, as if it was not strange at all, was a woman in a white gown. It looked like she had white hair to match. In her hand was a candle. The flame flickered in the wind. She was walking very slowly. The gown was too long for Rebekah to see her feet. She could not believe what she was seeing. It was amazing, and scary. Could it be a ghost?
“Of course it's not a ghost!” she said to herself. “That movie has me going crazy!”
she blinked her eyes a few times, certain that she was seeing some sort of reflection on the glass of the window. Then she looked again. There she was, still walking right across the back yard, with her candle held out in front of her.
“What in the world?”
As Rebekah pushed back her covers she saw the being continue to walk between her house and the house next door. The woman had no expression. She seemed to be staring off into the night. As hard as Rebekah tried to think of an explanation for her presence, she could not get her mind to settle down long enough to come up with a solution. All she knew for sure was that it was not normal to see a woman in a white gown walking across her yard in the middle of the night. Then Rebekah heard a strange noise. It was a chattering sound. It kept getting louder and it was all around her. It took her a minute to realize it was her own teeth! There was no way to deny it, she was scared! She dove back under her blankets and burrowed into her pillows. She was not going to scream for her parents, but she was not going to look out the window again. As she tried to figure out how a ghost could be real, she found herself drifting off to sleep. She knew that in no time she would be ghost food, but the blankets were warm and her pillow was soft.
Chapter 2
She woke to the sound of birds outside her window. She sat up quickly, trying to decide if she was still afraid. As she sat on the edge of her bed she had another thought. Had it all been a dream? She was sure that movie had made her think up things that were not true. That was all it was. But there was still a gnawing suspicion inside of her. She decided to prove to herself, that it was no ghost that had been walking through the yard, that in fact no one had walked through the yard at all.
She slid her slippers on her wriggling toes and hurried out the back door. Her parents were still sleeping. In fact the whole neighborhood was probably still sleeping. Still in her pajamas she crouched down and looked closely at the ground. Her eyes were still a little blurry from just waking up, but she was determined to find some evidence. She was sure a real ghost would not leave footprints. The ground was moist from the morning dew. The pants of her pajamas were getting wet at the ankles from the grass. She shivered a little in the cool morning air, but ignored it.