Read The Sasquatch Escape (The Imaginary Veterinary) for Free Online

heads.
    “Then you cannot keep the hatchling. Imaginary World creatures are not allowed to live in the Known World. It is against the rules.”
    Known World? Imaginary World? A shiverslithered down Ben’s spine. What was this man talking about?
    “When you say the ‘Imaginary World,’ do you mean it’s an actual place?” Pearl asked.
    “Of course it is an actual place,” the man replied. “Where else would the hatchling have come from?” Then he cleared his throat. “Oh dear, perhaps I should not have said that.”
    A faint squeak echoed inside the cookie tin. Although Ben’s head was swimming with questions, he knew the baby dragon needed help. “Please, could we see Dr. Woo?”
    “Dr. Woo is not here. She is making a house call. But I am in charge during her absence.” The man stepped aside. “If you will not relinquish the creature, then you had best come in.”

9

    T hey stood in a big, cold room. Sparkling cobwebs crisscrossed the high ceiling. Strips of peeling white paint hung from the walls as if something very large had been sharpening its claws in the concrete. A faded sign stood on its side against the far wall next to an elevator. Two doors flanked the room.

    “Please forgive the mess,” the man said. “We have only been herea few days. It is rather difficult to move an entire hospital.” He nodded toward some moving boxes that were stacked in one corner. A pile of buttons lay in another corner, next to a broom. The birdcage was nowhere to be seen.

    “How come you need such a big place?” Ben asked. “Worms are so small.”
    “We have one room for worms. The other rooms are for…
other things
.” The man held out his hand. “Allow me to introduce myself. My nameis Mr. Tabby. I am in charge of identifying and registering each patient.” He shook Pearl’s hand, then shook Ben’s. His sharp fingernails prickled Ben’s skin. “And you are?”
    “I’m Pearl Petal.”
    “I’m Ben Silverstein.”
    “Well, Pearl Petal and Ben Silverstein, before we proceed, you must sign this.” The man pulled out a piece of paper from his vest pocket.
    “I’m not supposed to sign anything without my mother or father reading it first,” Pearl explained as she refused to take the pen Mr. Tabby offered. “I signed some papers once, and we ended up with a big satellite dish on our roof. I was grounded for two weeks. No computer. No candy. No nothing.”
    The man wiggled the pen. “You cannot go into the Identification Room if you do not sign this paper. If you do not sign this paper, I will have to take the hatchling and leave you here.”
    “I’ll sign it,” Ben said. He handed the cookie tin to Pearl. Then he read the paper while Pearl looked over his shoulder.

    “Vaporizing?” Ben asked. “Wait a minute. That sounds dangerous.”
    “Oh, it is dangerous. Extremely dangerous. And painful.” Mr. Tabby pulled out a little device from his vest pocket and typed something on its keypad. “But according to my creature calculator, there are no vaporizing creatures currently in the hospital. The odds of your being vaporized today are zero.”
    “But what about these other things?” Ben asked. “Shredding? I don’t want to be shredded.”
    “I think crushing sounds worse,” Pearl said.
    Mr. Tabby frowned. “I cannot guarantee yoursafety. That is why you must sign the paper.” He held out the pen. “You cannot accompany the hatchling into the Identification Room unless you sign. Both of you.”
    Ben signed. Pearl hesitated but then signed. Mr. Tabby tucked the paper into his vest pocket. “Now, if you’ll please follow—”
    A roar filled the room—the kind of roar that should be capitalized and followed by at least three exclamation marks.
ROAR!!!
It went on for a very long time, as if the creature making the sound had the largest lungs in the world. Cobwebs drifted down from the ceiling as something stomped on the floor above.
    During the roar, Ben thought about all sorts of