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BANG!

It was very close this time.

Incredibly close.

Scarily close.

Nerve-rackingly close.

It was really close. Let’s just leave it at that.

“Stop yelling! You’re scaring away the crubbies!”

It was a girl’s voice. An angry girl’s voice. Jackson thought about running away.

“Excuse me!” he called out instead. “Can I please talk to you?”

It was very quiet.

Eerily quiet.

You couldn’t hear anything because it was so quiet.

Why was it still so quiet?

BANG!

“What do you want? I’m busy!” the girl’s voice yelled.

“Please, I want to talk to you!” Jackson called.

Footsteps pounded the ground, pounded the steps of the porch, and then she was in front of him, the iron gate separating them.

The girl’s long, dirty-blonde hair was tucked behind her elf-like ears. Her big brown eyes bore into him. Her blue uniform shirt was dirty.

Her blue combat pants were dirty.

And her boots?

You bet. Dirty.

Jackson was nervous. And he had every reason to be nervous because this angry girl held a gun in her dirty hands.

A very big gun.

A rifle, in fact.

Oh, dear.

She reached up and brushed her dirty-blonde hair impatiently from her eyes. “What do you want? I’m very busy!”

Jackson smiled a little trying to ease the situation. “That’s a very nice gun you have there. Are you hunting?”

The girl looked over her shoulder and then looked back at him. “Yes, it is a nice rifle. My father gave it to me. He’s one of the best hunters in the whole world. His name is Deek Sodo. I assume you’ve heard of him?”

Jackson shook his head. “I’m not from around here. I’m on a tour.”

The girl looked up at the house, one eyebrow arched. “Let me guess. You’re on a tour with Meeka.”

“Yeah. How did you know that?”

The girl frowned at Jackson. “You’re not supposed to be here, you know.”

They both looked up at the window. Two big brown eyes ducked behind a curtain.

“Meeka! You’re not supposed to bring people here on the tour! You’re going to get fired! And you’re going to make me look bad!” the angry girl yelled.

Jackson looked at the girl in surprise. “You know Meeka?”

“Of course I know her. She’s my little sister. I’m Rayaa.”

“So, what are you hunting?” he asked.

“I’m hunting crubbies. I used to do tours like Meeka, but then I was promoted to Hunter. But, I never brought anyone here because it’s NOT PART OF THE TOUR!” she yelled at the window.

Meeka’s little head poked out again.

“You might as well as come down! You can’t possibly get into more trouble than you are now!” Rayaa called.

Meeka’s head disappeared and a boot popped out, followed by a little leg covered by a frayed hem. Meeka crawled out of the window and jumped, landing on the ground beside Rayaa. Rayaa slung her rifle over one shoulder and began to groom Meeka’s wild hair, tying it back into a neater ponytail. She pulled out a large piece of orange fluff.

“Are you enjoying the tour?” Rayaa asked Jackson, conversationally.

“Uh…I am so far. I think I saw someone in the house, though. I banged on the window, but no one answered.”

Rayaa nodded at him, pulling a piece of hay from Meeka’s hair. “That’s Eliessa. She’s a Reader. That’s her job. My job is to hunt crubbies.”

Jackson stared at her. “What’s a crubbie?”

She eyed him skeptically. “Are you from another planet or something?”

Jackson didn’t get to answer.

“Crubbies are annoying little creatures that always bother the birds in the sanctuary. That’s what I guard here, the bird sanctuary. But the crubbies are awful. They sneak in and mess up the birds’ nests, pull their

feathers, and even blow bubblegum bubbles in their faces!”

“Crubbies chew gum?” Jackson asked, confused.

“Oh yes. And that bothers the birds you see, because they can’t.” She repositioned the rifle in her hands. Meeka’s hair was…slightly neater. Rayaa’s head whipped around.

“There’s another one! Come on!” And she took off down the path.

Meeka bent down and lifted the welcome mat, snatching up a key. She unlocked the gate.

“Come on! This part is so much fun!” And she ran after Rayaa.

Jackson ran down the back porch steps and turned toward the cedar