Page 7 - The Daily Builder - Day 07

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

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