The Four Lost NeoPets

by Nara

Part 1

Keriana the blue Lupe lay in a patch of sun, watching her sisters. The four of them were in the forest, picking herbs and other plants for their owner. Keriana had already finished picking her share of herbs and was staring off into space, daydreaming. She was jarred back to reality when Greenleaf the green Uni trotted over. "Done already?" she asked suspiciously. Greenleaf was very bossy and tended to stick her horn in other people's business.

"Yes, it's all in there," Keriana replied, pointing to her pack and sounding annoyed.

"Okay, then," Greenleaf said. "You don't have to be so rude."

The Uni plodded away with her nose in the air. Keriana sighed, wondering when her sisters would finish. She was getting bored. She was just dozing off when a small golden hoof nudged her in the side. She opened her eyes and stood up.

"What is it, Arwen?" she asked the blue Peophin, who was wearing a very worried look.

"Grolth says she hears something in the trees over there," Arwen whispered, pointing at the blue Wocky with one hoof.

Grolth was standing stock still, listening very hard. Greenleaf was watching her impatiently. Keriana stood very quietly and put on her pack. If it was the Monocerous was coming and they would have to make a run for it. Just then, Keriana heard a very strange sound. It was a far off noise that sounded almost like something large forcing its way through the undergrowth. The sound grew louder and louder as whatever-it-was got closer. Keriana realized suddenly that the air around them was way too cold for a summer afternoon….

Grolth turned on her heal and mouthed, "Hide!" Keriana pulled herself carefully into a tree. Just as she reached the lowest branch, her paw slipped and scraped the bark. She made a loud noise. The Lupe scrambled onto the thick branch and froze, hoping that it hadn't heard. The others were already hidden and Keriana could no longer see them.

A few very long moments passed. Keriana didn't hear anything. She started to wonder if it had gone off in another direction. She was just opening her mouth to say something when she heard that strange noise again, very close this time. Keriana spotted movement on the edge of the clearing. Two small trees had just knocked themselves down, making that strange noise and forming a path between them. Keriana watched, trying very hard to keep her teeth from chattering, as a very evil-looking forest spook glided into the clearing. It was almost to the other side when Arwen sneezed. The forest spook whirled around and glared evilly in the direction the sound had come from.

Several even longer moments passed. Finally, the forest spook turned around and left the clearing. The air grew slightly warmer. Grolth climbed cautiously out of the bushes, Arwen climbed out of the tall grass, and Greenleaf trotted out from behind a tree. Keriana dropped out of hers.

"That was close," remarked Arwen, sounding relieved.

"Shhh!" Grolth hissed. She was listening hard again.

"I think it's coming back!" she whispered.

"What do we do?" Greenleaf asked anxiously.

"Run," Grolth said urgently, as the snapping sound began drawing near again.

"Where?" Keriana asked quietly, looking over her shoulder in the direction the sounds were coming from.

"This way," Grolth answered, looking scared.

"Now!" The Wocky tore off into the trees while the others followed behind her.