[b][i]Chapter One[/i][/b] [right]5.[/right]

	Penelope gathered the animal into her arms and hugged it to her chest protectively, as if it were her own child. She turned around and faced Jenna, exclaiming, “It’s a baby eagle!”

	The creature peered up at Jenna with bulging eyes, obviously frightened. Its irises were thin, red rings circling around big, black pupils. It certainly had the features of an eagle, Jenna noted, what with its bright yellow-orange beak, its feathered wings, and its two front legs that did resemble that of a bird’s, sharp talons on the ends and all. However, there was an obvious presence of fur on its smokey torso, as well as a large tuft of thick, white fur on its chest. Furthermore, it had back legs and paws, and a long lion’s tail swinging warily back and forth. When it opened its beak, a soft melodic chirp erupted from its throat.

	“Well,” Jenna seemed to inhale the word. “It sure is as big as an eagle!”

	When she took a single step forward, the creature let out a blood-curdling shriek and vanished in a cloud of blue mist. The mist left behind a bad smell and sour taste in Jenna’s throat, as well as a fuzzy feeling in her head. As she coughed and attempted to fan the mist away, she watched her little sister fall over onto her side beneath the tree.

	“Penny?!” she gasped, feeling faint herself. She had managed to climb half-way over the tree trunk before she, too, fell unconscious.

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