Page 6 - The Daily Builder - Day 07

both ways before she was across not touch it. though, just in case.
the street and slipping between
the bars of the locked gate.
“Aubrey, be careful!”
her mother called.
“That’s a—”
But Aubrey
wasn’t listening.
She was
running. She
could hear lots
of machinery
making a floor around her.
s c r e e c h i n g ,
screaming noise,
but sounds didn’t
matter so much as
following that tug.
There were bales of hay
outside, so maybe it was
a barn cat or one of those
big white dogs that guarded
lambs. Aubrey didn’t care. She
would’ve kept on running if it
just have to live with whatever beside a big metal building when had been a shark.
creature bonded with her, but… Aubrey felt it—a tug. Because it would’ve been her
wouldn’t it be wonderful if it “Stop!” she cried. shark.
was a horse? The car’s brakes squealed, and She looked around desperately
“Mom, are kindred spirits ever Aubrey’s mom looked up at the as her feet hurried her forward
horses?” she asked, trying not to building, her knuckles going toward a yawning black door.
sound too hopeful. white on the steering wheel. She wanted to stop but couldn’t.
Her mom shook her head. “No, “Are you sure?” she asked, That sound. She recognized it.
sweetheart. They’re pet animals. seeming unusually worried. It was screaming.
The kind of animals we tend to “I’m sure,” Aubrey told her. She ran faster.
bond with anyway. It wouldn’t “You were right—it’s… it’s just She darted in the door,
do to have people bonding with so much!” overcome with bad smells.
big bulls with eight-foot horns It was like the smell of cookies, There.
or giant elephants, you know? but also like a lasso wrapped She ran for a pen milling
Maybe a goat or a llama, and I around her heart. It was pulling with bodies, pink and hairy and
knew a little girl who lived in her so hard toward the building desperate.
the forest who had a deer, but… that if her mom had kept on “Where are you?” she called,
well, kindred spirits are like driving, she would’ve thrown tears in her eyes.
pets. But more.” herself out of the window to get But the right animal didn’t
They were passing a field back here. She didn’t even look appear. She could sense it, but
6 Donate!
enough,” she finally said. “But
She ran around the pen toward But all the man did was open a I promise Cookies can sleep in
a chute and thrust her hands little gate, and Aubrey heard an my bed, as long as he wipes off
between the boards. A warm, excited squealing and the clatter his feet first.”
snuffling snout met her fingers, of hooves, and then she was She walked toward the door,
a rough tongue licking her hugging her soulmate, a fat pink and just like she’d always
joyously. The tug had finally pig with long white eyelashes. It dreamed, her soulmate walked
ceased its terrible pull. She’d was the best feeling in the world, beside her. She proudly scratched
found him at last. like eating warm cookies and his round, hairy back and looked
The machinery stopped coming in out of the cold rain ahead as all the men watched her
suddenly, and the sound of and waking up on Christmas go and waved goodbye.
heavy boots crunched on the morning and being hugged by “Never seen one come from
someone you’d missed for years. the factory before,” she heard
“What’re you doing?” a man’s He was gentle, her pig, and they one man say. “Ain’t it only pets?”
rough voice asked. looked into one another’s eyes, “Always been before,” the man
Aubrey swallowed hard but and she knew she was finally said from the gate. “Not… food
didn’t look up. home. animals.”
“It’s my birthday,” she said in a “Cookies,” she told him. There was a thoughtful pause,
tiny voice. “And I… I found my “Your name is Cookies. And I’m and Aubrey noted that the
soulmate.” Aubrey. And we’re going to be screaming had stopped along
A tense silence followed, and together forever.” with the machinery.
then one man laughed, and then Someone overhead sniffled, “That kinda… changes
many men joined him. But it and Aubrey looked up, her hands everything, don’t it?”
wasn’t a cruel laugh. It was a still on the pig’s soft cheeks, and Aubrey stopped and turned
laugh of relief and joy. saw the man wipe at his eyes around to look at them. Cookies
“Well then move on over, and with an old red handkerchief. turned with her, his solid
let’s get your friend out of there, “Aubrey, are you okay?” her shoulder pressed sweetly against
okay?” mom asked, panting as she ran her side.
Only then did Aubrey look into the room. “It should!” she shouted back.
up, and the workers in their red- “I’m great,” she said, standing And then her mom took her
splashed raincoats and boots and up and putting a hand on her other hand, and they walked
caps grinned at her. One man had pig’s back. “And I think Cookies back outside. Cookies looked
a canary perched on his head, is ready to go home. That’s okay, up at the sun and grunted in
and another was followed by a right?” surprise, as if he’d never seen
ragged little terrier, and the man She looked up at the man who’d it before. Aubrey had been told
who’d spoken to her had a tiny opened the gate, and he was that her soulmate would know
white mouse poking out of his crying, but no one else seemed her feelings and comfort her,
pocket. She stepped back, still to notice it. but now she understood that
a little uncertain, but surely the “That’s okay,” he agreed. “You Cookies needed her, too. She
men would be kind. The law said got a good pig there. I wish you knelt and put her hands around
they had to, didn’t it? It was her could take ‘em all home, honey. his thick, bristly neck.
Soulmate Day. She was wearing They’d be real happy with you.” “It’s better out here,” she told
the robes and everything. Her Aubrey considered that. him. “You’ll see. I’ll show you.”
mother should’ve been there, “I don’t think our house is big
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