my arms back and forth high above my head. I tried to scream for help, but the only sound that rattled out of my mouth was a gurgling sound.
This definitely wasn’t a proud moment for me.
As I continued to run around like a lunatic, a thought came to mind—I’m out in the open and a sitting duck if that mammoth-sized raptor decided to attack me again.
I froze in my tracks and looked up and down and left and right, searching for the raptor. And I felt a strange chill through my body when I found it. It was lying next to the nest that had come crashing down to the ground.
Is it alive? I thought.
Curious, I hurried over to it.
When I got there, the raptor wasn’t moving or breathing.
“Huh?” I mumbled.
A small bird had popped its head out of the nest.
It was so cute!
Its tiny body was covered mostly with brownish feathers. But it also had some blue on its head and wings and these mysterious black markings just under its eyes.
Klee, klee!
Mommy?
The little guy just sat there, staring at the dead raptor with the saddest eyes. Every now and then, it would glance up at me. I had a weird feeling that the mammoth-sized bird lying on the ground was its mommy. Then a strange warmth filled my body. I felt an uncontrollable urge to protect the little guy.
Just as I was about to kneel down, something heavy touched my left shoulder.
“Aaaggghh!” I cried out, turning around quickly, ready to fight whatever had just touched me.
“Are you okay?” Jake asked, pulling his hand back.
“Jake, you scared me,” I said.
“Sorry, Josh,” said Jake. “You had me worried, running around like a crazy person after that bird stuff hit you.”
“Josh!” cried Madison, running up and throwing her body onto mine. She wrapped her arms tightly around me. “I’m so glad you are alive.”
“I’m fine, guys,” I replied. “But I’m not sure this little guy is.”
Madison released her grip. We all looked down at the baby raptor, unsure what to do next.
“That was one crazy bird’s mom!” chuckled Jake. “And I can’t believe a raptor’s poop landed right smack in your eye.”
“That was pretty gross,” said Madison.
“Did you know that there is a one in a million chance for that to ever happen to anyone?” stated Jake. “And if it does, you’ll have good luck!”
“Really?” I said.
“Yep!” replied Jake.
“I could use some luck after having all that green poop stuff splatter all over my face.”
Jake and Madison started to laugh. I frowned at first, but then started to laugh too. It was funny—but really gross.
I was glad I was wearing a green jersey. I tilted my head down and lifted the front of it, using it to wipe the stuff off of my face.
“Josh, you’re looking a little less green,” said Jake, chuckling.
“Ha, ha,” I sneered.
Klee. Klee.
“Aw,” I said, kneeling down and scooping the baby bird up.
“No!” Madison shouted in her sweet raspy voice.
But it was too late. I had touched a wild bird, which Mom had told us never to do. She said that once a wild bird has a human’s scent on it, it would never be able to survive in the wild again.
“Not cool, Josh,” said Jake.
“Now the baby bird is going to die,” whimpered Madison.
Jake chuckled. “That’s just a myth, Madison,” he said. “Mom told us that, so we don’t bring home any wild animals for a pet.
“Oh,” Madison said.
The little guy looked up at me as I was stroking the top of his soft feathery head. When our eyes connected, I felt as if he had always been part of my life.
“Come on. Let’s take him home and get him all cleaned up,” I said, walking to my bike.
“Mom and Dad aren’t going to be very happy,” said Madison, standing with her arms folded across her chest.
Jake shook his head and said, “Yeah, they definitely aren’t going to be happy that we brought a wild baby raptor home when we have two cats and an oversized goldendoodle.”
“Raptor or not, Mom will end up letting us keep it. Remember when we found the three-legged frog. Mom was so worried that it would get eaten up by some ferocious animal that she let us keep it as a pet,” I said.
Jake chuckled and said, “Yeah, Dad wasn’t too happy about that one.”
We headed home with Max. That’s what we named the baby raptor because all of us thought Max was a cool name. And it was the name that we were going to name my baby sister Isabella if she had been a boy.
CHAPTER 3
Mom Meets Max
“Do you think Mom noticed us?” I asked, carefully placing Max on my bed.
“No, she was too busy chasing after Isabella,” said Jake.
Jake fluffed the feathers on Max’s head, then opened one of his wings, and said, “If I were to guess, I’d say he’s a kestrel and is about a month old.”
“A kestrel? I thought he was a raptor,” I said.
“It’s a kind of raptor. Male kestrels have pretty, blue markings on their heads and wings, and black splotches under their eyes, just like Max.”
“Hmm,” said Madison, admiring Max’s colorful feathers. “He looks part parrot to me.”
“He does, doesn’t he?” I said.
Jake paused for a moment, gazing at Max. Then he put his right finger to his mouth and said, “You know. Mom might think it’s a parrot too.”
“Mom’s really smart,” said Madison. “She’ll never fall for that one.”
“Yeah, but Max’s colors and his baby size give you the impression
