"NO WAIT! STOP!" I ran hopelessly after the bus as it sped off into the pouring rain. Of all days to miss the bus, it had to be during a thunderstorm. I stopped running, realizing it was no use anyway, and sighed. "Well, at least my suit jacket repels water..." The weather channel said nothing about rain at all, but they're never too accurate anyway, even with all this new technology. I looked up into the overcast sky, the rain bouncing off the lenses of my glasses. "Well, better start walking..." I began my journey home, starting off down the sidewalk, but then my eyes drifted to the park. If I were to cut across, I would be home in half the time.
As I walked, I examined the park around me, or at least what I could see through the heavy rain. It was a nice park, the city took good care of it. The pond was free of garbage, the pathways paved smoothly, and the benches looking as if they had been painted yesterday. It was all a dark, muddy mixture of greens, browns, and grays as the rain fell around me. For some reason, my eyes fell upon a nearby cypress tree, the roots gnarled and twisted, forming what looked almost like a wooden cave system. I looked first up into the branches, then down to the roots once more as I walked beside it.
Then I saw it.
The reason it stood out at first was the color. It was a baby blue, and also had some yellow thrown in. It seemed too brightly colored for this environment. I kept walking, assuming it was probably a toy left by a child that washed under the tree in the rain, but I stopped once more to give a closer look. It was moving, breathing. It was alive. Cautiously, I approached the tree, crouching slightly to keep my eyes locked on the creature. It was a mammal of some sort, as it had hair. The hair was matted and dirty, but the bright colors were still very clear. It was curled up in a ball, shivering. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.
I knelt down, forgetting completely about my attire and how dirty it would get, and I crawled forward, lowering my head to see through the roots. It was small, about the size of a house cat. It had large ears, rather long, yellow hair on its head, and a tail of the same color. The strangest thing, however, was the fact that it had wings. Not like a bat's wings, but a bird's wings, as feathers stuck up here and there over the surface of them. I could not see its appendages or face, so that's all I had to go on. Very very slowly and carefully, I stretched out my hand, giving the creature a soft shake. It stirred a bit, so I tried again, and it rolled over to face me. It had hooves, and its eyes were closed still. It was a small horse, or pony. I didn't know the difference. Whatever it was, it was adorable, alone, cold, and probably hungry.
"Hey there little fella." The creature's ears turned, as if dialing in to my voice. It was awake, but it kept its eyes closed, and shivered. "It seems kinda lonely out here, would you like me to take you home?" The creature lifted its head, and pried its eyes open, revealing pale yellow eyes. But... there was something different about the eyes, just as the creature was different. One eye stared off into a different direction, and the other straight at me. It had a lazy eye.
At this point I didn't wait for a response, as it didn't seem it was going to give one. I removed my jacket, holding it stretched across my hands as I reached into the crawlspace, and its reaction was immediate. It cowered away into the furthest corner, flapping its wings in protest with a scared look in its eyes. Judging from the body structure and eyelashes, it was female. There was no way to be sure, however, as there was a lack of any body parts that would verify such a notion. I drew my arms back and looked at her, giving as reassuring a smile as possible.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'll take you home, get you cleaned up, and warmed up." Her expression of fear seemed to soften and she took a cautious step forward. I was utterly soaked at this point, and freezing cold, but I had to get this creature to a safe place. She walked forward until she was within reach and I scooped her up into the warm, water retardant jacket, wrapping her up tight and standing. She seemed content with the feel of the jacket, and wiggled into a more comfortable position, closing her eyes once more as I protected her from the rain.
I started on my way home, walking at a fast pace, my mind full of questions. Who was she? What was she? How did she get here? Why did she look so... cartoonish? I didn't think I'd find out for a long time, because she didn't seem to be able to speak. I just hoped she'd like her temporary home.
