Wayward Son

By Rusty Arbo

Two years ago, there was a bad drought like this one, and we abandoned my baby sister. Mommy was too sick to feed her. I begged Mommy not to, but she said it was the only way. She said a different family will find her and take care of her, because we can’t.

And now the drought has come back, and she does the same thing to me! I am all alone and hungrier than ever. I walk far and find a tree so I get some shade. It is near a stream, so I can drink water, but soon I do not have the energy to even stand, so the stream doesn’t matter.

I cannot sleep. My head hurts badly. A giant bird flies down from the sky. Two animals come out of the bird’s mouth. They are much bigger than I am, and they are made of rocks. They take me into the bird’s mouth, and inside it is like daytime. I get a feeling in my chest like when you balance on a log and it rolls and you start to fall backwards, but the feeling lasts for a long time. They put a bee sting in my arm, which makes it feel cold, but after that I feel better. I hope somebody found Mommy.

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Rusty Arbo lives in central New Jersey, where he works as a cartographer. Currently, he is pitching a middle-grade adventure novel titled Dude the Last Boy Before the Future (Who Lived 100,000 Years Ago). He enjoys pizza, spending time with his friends and family, and the outdoors. His Instagram is @RustyArboAuthor