Something Out There

 Lyndal sighed, exasperated. “Duff, I’m telling you. There’s nothing there!”

“You’re just saying that because it’s dark and cold out, and you couldn’t be bothered going to investigate,” Duff shot back. “I’m telling you, there is something out there.”

 

“Guys! Stop for a minute.” Duff's younger sister raised an open palm.  “I think Cal might be onto something.”

Lyndal and Duff shot her an unimpressed look, but they did fall silent. The three waited a few minutes until…

 

“There,” said Duff at the sound of a soft rustle outside. “There it is again.”

“I hear it too,” His sister agreed.

Lyndal crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting to admit that that time, she'd heard it to.

Duff turned back to her. “Now can we go look?”

“Alright. Fine.”

 

“Don't forget a torch!” Duff’s sister handed it to him as he went to step out of the tent.

He shot her a grateful grin. “Thanks Ellie.”

Ellie scrambled to stay close to her brother, Lyndal trailing a little behind them.

 

The three teenagers stopped when they reached what was surely the source of the rustling. In unison, their mouths dropped open. None of them could believe their eyes. Even when Duff shone his torchlight on it…

 

“Aww!” Lyndal cooed. “It’s so cute!”

The Duff siblings turned to stare at her, not sure whether what they'd seen or Lyndal's reaction was more shocking.

“I guess it is kind of cute.” Eli admitted, looking back down at it.

Callum was the only one still sceptical, a brow raised. “D’ya think?” He asked, looking between the two young women. “We don't even know what ‘it’ is. All we can say for sure is that it's something none of us have seen before.”

“But it's so cute!” The girls cooed again.

“We've got to take it with us,” Lyndal spoke up. “It needs someone to take care of it.”

Callum opened and  closed his mouth. He wanted to question whether that was such a good idea as Lyndal seemed to think, but he knew better. Lyndal was stubborn, and when she got an idea there was rarely any changing her mind. He shrugged. He had to admit that she did have a heart of gold. If anyone could take care of this creature, it’d be her.