Claws of Life

The Teddycats are safe in Horizon Cove, but making it in the big jungle is even harder than they thought.


The Teddycats made it out of Cloud Kingdom with nary a scratch, and it's all thanks to our hero, Bill. But adjusting to life in Horizon Cove isn't exactly easy, and the fact that the Teddycats know next to nothing about surviving in the wild doesn't help. Everyone's looking to Bill for guidance, but he's not exactly a wilderness expert himself. So what's a young Teddycat to do?

     Lucky for Bill, the Teddycats aren't the only animals in Horizon Cove: their new neighbors are a flock of odd but hospitable tropical birds who call themselves the Pets. The Pets are more than happy to help The Teddycats adjust to life in the jungle. They even agree to be their pampered new friends' survival coaches until the rainy season starts and they have to fly off to a drier climate.

     But then the telltale signs of rains come and go, and the Pets are nowhere near ready to leave. Bill doesn't want to rush his new friends, but the Teddycats could really use some more space to build dens permanent enough to withstand the rains. So he decides to investigate. 

     And what he discovers is more chilling than the contents of even the meanest poacher's hunting bag. The Pets aren't who—or what—they say they are. And if Bill can't convince the Teddycats not to hang around any longer to find out the whole truth, they'll lose more than just their home. They'll lose everything.

Mike Storey is a writer and teacher living in Kittery, Maine. He holds an MFA from the University of Virginia. Follow him on Twitter @MikeStoreyWrite.